Alavés Enter Winter Break with More Questions than Answers
Coudet's men slump to worst performance of the season at El Sadar as goalscoring woes continue and transfer window looms with potential squad shake-up.
Alavés Enter Winter Break with More Questions than Answers
Eduardo Coudet’s side limped into the winter break after their poorest showing of the season at Osasuna, extending a worrying run that’s seen them collect just three points from the last 18 available.
Form Falling Off a Cliff
What a difference a few weeks make in football. The Babazorros have gone from dreaming of Europe to nervously peeking over their shoulders at the relegation zone, with just three points now separating them from the drop.
Yes, they’ve faced some proper tests recently with both Real Madrid and Barcelona on the fixture list, and they actually acquitted themselves rather well in those defeats. The real concern, however, has been their performances against the bread and butter opposition:
- Osasuna
- Celta Vigo
- Girona
These direct rivals have exposed Alavés’ greatest weakness - they simply cannot find the onion bag. In all three of these crucial fixtures, Coudet’s men drew a blank while looking distinctly uncomfortable and being punished efficiently by their opponents.
Style Over Substance
The curious thing about this Alavés side is that their general play often deserves more than the points they’ve accumulated. But as my old man would say, “if something happens that many times, it ain’t just bad luck, son.”
Their chronic lack of goalscoring threat has been the anchor dragging down what could otherwise be a season of genuine progress. What seemed like early-season ambition now feels like a distant memory.
January Shopping List
With the transfer window on the horizon, all eyes are on Sporting Director Sergio Fernández. The priority appears to be signing a new centre-back, but recent drama might force a rethink of the entire strategy.
The past week saw both Diarra and Mariano left out of the squad through “technical decision” - which is usually code for “there’s a right barney going on behind the scenes”. Neither player’s future at the club looks particularly rosy, potentially adding more items to Fernández’s January shopping list.
If both players do end up heading for the exit door, Alavés will need to be busy in the market to avoid their season going completely Pete Tong in the second half of the campaign.
The break comes at a perfect time for Coudet to reset and refocus, but make no mistake - there’s serious work to be done at Mendizorrotza if they’re to stop this slide.