Bonjola and welcome back to Spain, where Sporting Gijon are accelerating my descent to grey hair. Or maybe that should be ascent, it could be a positive. I’ll let you know. Anyway, the once-worst-team-in-Spain are coming off the back of a third place finish, so now we have the small task of hunting down El Clasico competitors. It’s early day yet, I suppose. It’s season 3.

I suppose that gap is highlighted by a routine loss in the Bernabeu. Yes, they’ve signed Ravanelli and no, I don’t know why.

We can’t win away from home in the league but in Europe, a sturdy 1-0 win in Holland does us no harm.

Likewise edging a first leg lead over Atletico’s B Team should stand us in good stead when we met again in a few weeks.

Back at home though and a 1-0 win over Valencia keeps us honest in the race for the top two. Sibi should prove to be a good signing.

Sometimes though you just can’t figure this game out. Why can’t we win away in the league? Why is it that we go 5-2 up away at 19th placed Santander and don’t win? Why is it 6-4 at half time, why does it end 7-7 and why was there a total of two shots in the final 33 minutes? I’ve never seen anything like this. Something is deeply wrong, I can only assume my goalkeeper has given up. Honestly, I’ve never known anything like this with two healthy goalkeepers.

Los Entertainers are at it again, this time whacking AZ 4-1. I’m so mad I can’t even bring myself to make my usual Spice Girls gag.

Valencia? How boring.

Not as boring as this 0-0 draw with a non-league side. At least we’re through.

That’s not as bad as it could have been but I don’t know what is a good draw for us anymore, I really don’t.

Kaiku singlehandedly defeats Toledo. He’s not what he used to be, I think injuries have taken their toll.

An away win! Another enormous struggle for the Ba trio do enough to give us a reason to be cheerful.

Valencia basically turn in the same performance as they did in the recent league game. It looks like another 1-0 is on the cards with the goalkeeper turning in a good performance but young Robert Keane climbs off the bench to add a much needed buffer.

Then comes a game that seems to happen a lot in Spain, where you play somebody that looks inferior but end up conceding 26 shots. Just not working.

A draw with Espanyol is uninspiring.

Lediakhov effectively seals the result in Valencia in the first 11 minutes. Valencia need 4 without reply and although they get 1, 1 is not 4. Into the last 8.

That…is an awful draw. We’ll give it a go of course but Ronaldo is going to be licking his lips if Santander can score 7. They’re a bank.

Oh bloody hell, never go back Roy.

Bakayoko sees off Deportivo as the train just about remains on the track. It’s not convincing but then is it ever?

The Christmas break is truncated by a Copa del Rey quarter final with Betis. Sibi comes up clutch in another big game to give us an unlikely clean sheet and away lead to take back to our home.

Oviedo are poor but when you miss as many chances as we tend to do, you will get punished. Two more points chucked away.

Two days later and it’s disappointment again, even if Sibi does snatch a late point.

Our terrible start to the year 2000 is confirmed as Atleti batter us and Ba gets injured. Not much has changed but we live under water. What? 3000 you say? I can’t have another 1000 years of this.

It is a serious concern. The playing staff are better than ever. Nobody is even performing that poorly. I suppose you could argue that other than 4 players, nobody is playing that well. To the transfer market…

Firstly though we have to finish the job against Betis. The 23rd minute proves to be pivotal.

Barcelona over 2 legs? Sounds awful.

Merida are taken apart. The old rule about us being able to run roughshod over lower midtable sides at home is still in place.

Betis visit again, this time in the league, but things end up the same way. Incidentally, Oli departed for Real Madrid after this game and they sold Ravenelli to Lazio. Merry go round.

Emmers signs to add some quality and experience to central midfield. Never lets you down.

Straight into the side and overseeing a 3-0 victory. A rare away win.

Back into third then. Miles off the top two still but at least we are the top scorers in the league.

Whilst we’re at it, look at the B Lads! Really giving a fruitless promotion push a go.

I made one tweak to the team and that was to take Bango out, in case he’s getting old and past it. Since then, four wins on the spin. It might be a coincidence…poor Bango.

Join me next week for the culmination to season 3, where we’ve got the Spanish Cup, the UEFA Cup and a third place to play for. See you there.