Bonjola and welcome back to Gijon, where we’re just into the last swathes of Autumn in season 4. Or, late October, if you’re not bound by the four seasons. The Summer rebuild didn’t really materialise, mainly because all of those players who wanted out and were running out of contract were all mouth and no trousers. They stayed, we topped up with some regens and we prepared to go again. We are going. We are third. I feel like the top two this season is a must.

A win over second place Espanyol will certainly help that dream. Arnarson, everybody’s favourite Icelandic regen, picks his days to be on top of his game and this is certainly one of them.

The job was done in Norway last week so the shadow side drawing 1-1 with 10 men does not really bother me. Mickey’s red card for a desperate lunge is annoying but he’s only harming himself. His replacement, old man Emmers, scores. Silly Mickey.

Boring all Spanish tie awaits.

A really unconvincing performance sees off Elche in the Copa del Rey. I don’t know what it is about these cups on this game, the two legged nature just seems to make everybody a bit daft.

Looking forward to more daftness against Sociedad who are somewhat of a bogey team for us.

A solid opening 4 minutes here where we go behind and a man up whilst also losing a key player to injury. All in a days work. We nearly lose to 10 men as well by Bakayoko says not today and I suppose it’ll do.

Now we’re talking. Real Madrid have barely conceded a goal this season but here we are, scoring four. The International break allows Ba to recover and score but it’s Teddy Lucic who steals the show with a lovely double.

Our gander is up. Bilbao are absolutely blown away in the first leg, even Ally McCoist’s regen scores.

Another Scot is also starting to motor. Alex Martin, in my mind at least, plays a bit of a Heskey role for us. He doesn’t score that many but he seems to be the best partner for Bakayoko. They combine here to see off 10 man Zaragoza.

After all of those goals and good performances you’d be forgiven for thinking we’d thrash Valladolid. A strangely flat performance is thankfully lit up by Emmers’ late goal and the roll goes on.

I can afford to rest a lot of players for the trip to Bilbao and although I am worried at 2-0 down with an hour to play, Ba settles our nerves and we’re into the last 8.

Arsenal then, could have been better, could have been worse.

This is more like it as the lads put Valencia to the sword. For the first time in a long time, we seem to have real momentum.

Aaaand Jardel ruins it. It’s just one defeat I suppose but Atleti are up there with us.

Bilbao are hopeless when they visit us and this Boxing Day encounter would have been stopped by a referee if it was actual boxing. Fadiga, Mr Chad, is back from injury and hungry for love.

Case in point, as the first leg of the Copa clash goes about as well as it ever has.

Our Scottish hero furthers his popularity with a double over bottom club Compostela.

He’s at it again, netting the winner against a plucky Tenerife side. I find Bengt Andersson to be one of the more annoying opposition goalkeepers on this game, his usual half dozen saves in vain this time.

The second leg of the cup tie passes by without alarm. 3-0 becomes 4-1.

Real Madrid beat Barcelona, so it’s Atleti next.

We meet Barcelona in what is incredibly a clash between the top 2. Maybe we have title credentials as this is a big win, and although we win the battle maybe Barcelona win the war as they deprive us of three of our players.

Could be worse.

See? It could be.

Anyway, incredibly we are now two points off the top and still in both cups. Merida, the girl from Brave, are third, somehow. Real Madrid have only conceded 10 goals all season and we got 4 of them. How have they only scored 16 in 19? What is going on there?

Our squad is full of value, which is a good indication we are doing things right. It is however looking a bit stretched, and I have 9 days left of the transfer window to either buy new or I can just borrow from the B lads.

This lad I am running out of superlatives for. Everything about his skill set just make me think of him as this big, lumbering centre forward but he’s found his touch in front of goal in the past few months and his value is absurd.

Meanwhile, the B Team are struggling a bit but only 4 points off the good places.

As you can see, they have been “gifted” a lot of my regens and deadwood. Des Walker watches on. Robbie Keane was sold for £5m to balance the books, I don’t regret it.

Well then, quite the update I hope you’ll agree. Next week should be fun, as we try and secure a spot in the Champions League and maybe more. You won’t want to miss it!

Have a great week.