Team Focus: Can Deportivo Beat the Drop?

For a while it had all but evaporated, but now hope seems to have re-emerged at Deportivo La Coruna. Is it false hope, or do the Galician side genuinely have a chance of retaining their La Liga status this season? At the weekend they offered the strongest indication yet that a corner has been turned, recording their first away victory in 27 months and achieving back-to-back victories for the first time this season.

The two wins in a row followed on from a disastrous start for coach Fernando Vazquez, who failed to enforce the traditional “new coach bump” and suffered three defeats and a draw in his opening games. Even now, despite the back-to-back victories, they remain four points off safety as a result of a torrid run of form, which saw them without a win since the opening week of 2013. This, however, is an improvement on the nine points they had to make up for salvation from the beginning of March.

So what is changing at Depor, and what needs to be changed?

Full-back fusion

Sílvio has been an exciting figure since signing from Atlético Madrid on loan, and not only does he provide speed and good cover in defence but he also applies dimension to the attack. He’s making, on average, 3 tackles per game in comparison to Evaldo’s 1.9, while he’s yet to produce any individual errors. Rampaging forward suits him best though and when he has there have been great results, including two spectacular goals and some impressive approach play with the likes of Pizzi and Juan Carlos Valerón. On the right there is a more solid presence in Laure, with the veteran offering much at his 37 years of age. His 3.6 tackles per game is the highest of the team, and with 7 at the weekend against Mallorca he made the most on the pitch. If they can both maintain this level then Depor have that balance they crave.

Protecting an uneasy defence

With 61 goals conceded after the latest round of fixtures, it’s a fact that Depor have the worst defensive record in La Liga and will need to primarily reduce the number of individual errors that rupture their work in defence. 14 have led to a shot on goal – the most in la Liga, while 5 have led directly to a goal, which hits the average in the league.

Initially protecting the defence from midfield is the priority, and no one is better at that than Abel Aguilar. The Colombian showed at the weekend how vital he can be, winning 75% of his aerial duels and completing 5 out of 6 tackles. Interestingly in that game, Depor collectively only committed 6 fouls – the second lowest total for them this season as they clearly placed an emphasis on being accurate with their positioning rather than making desperate challenges. Despite this there was no lack of aggression in their game, instead it was positive as they dominated the midfield. Aguilar’s success perhaps has much to do with Juan Dominguez, who has allowed the Colombian more freedom to roam and be active in midfield rather than remain static and let the game play out in front of him. Keeping the two together, rather than disrupting the pair with Paulo Assunção, could be key to any resurrection at Depor.

Carlos Marchena has been the most regular presence in defence and unfortunately at the same time has been a weak link – Depor did move poorly in the market defensively however, and have felt the loss of Diego Colotto to Espanyol. Marchena’s made one error directly leading to a goal while another three have led to a shot – the highest individual total in the team. The veteran will keep his place though, and it’s probably best that Aythami is alongside him. Aythami is leading the team defensively by some distance, producing 2.5 tackles and 2.9 interceptions per game, whilst having won 1.5 offside calls per game - the most of all the centre-backs in the team. He also averages 8.9 clearances a match, far superior to the next best player Marchena on 5.9. If Depor are to defend their way to survival, Aythami must be present.

Pizzi decisions in the creative hub

The two main protagonists in the creative area of Depor’s team are at different ends of the spectrum in their careers, through ageing class act Valerón and up-and-coming Portuguese Pizzi. Both have contributed 6 assists each, with the Spaniard notching up his best total since 2004/2005. Valerón’s ageing legs are being compensated for by the lively presence of Pizzi who, along with his assist total, has 7 goals - the second most in the team. Instead of doing more running – his dribbles are now down to 0.4 per game - Valerón is connecting better with the pivot of Dominguez and Aguilar, forming a key part of the first functions in an attack.

Pizzi, meanwhile, does need to make serious improvements, especially in regards to his pass and shot selection, with the youngster often losing the ball in key areas of the field. He’s been dispossessed 1.9 times per game on average, but the positions in which he loses it are most decisive – allowing other teams to counter attack swiftly against a relatively slow team. Depor need to reduce the frequency of how often they’re put in this position.

When on form, however, Pizzi is a handful for any team and has shown even against the bigger clubs that he can cause problems – he’s making 2.6 key passes per game and delivering 2.1 accurate crosses per game (2.1), both of which are seasonal highs for his team, whilst unleashing 2.6 shots per game. This past weekend showed that despite having less possession, Depor created more chances than their opponents, and cutting out the waste resulted in an end product in attack.

Riki running wild

One of the stories of the season at Depor has been the remarkable form of Riki who, with 12 of Depor’s 35 goals, has made a 34% contribution to their overall tally – the 8th highest of any player at any club in La Liga. His goals have been a variation too, with 7 via his right foot, 2 from the left and 3 headers. Aside from his goalscoring prowess though, Riki has shown his worth with fine lone strike play, holding the ball up and bringing the likes of Pizzi and Bruno Gama into play.

He also offers an outlet for the creative players with his smart movement, despite his clear physical strength and perceived target man nature. He has been caught offside 1.3 times per game on average though, which needs to be checked, as he can often stall some impressive approach play by his team. When in play though, Riki’s getting away 3.4 shots per game and using his power against centre-backs who don’t like dealing with such a skill set. Often he’s helped out by his Portuguese pal Pizzi, who has made an assist to 4 of his 12 goals.

Depor know what they have to do; now it’s time to act upon it…