Leganes and Celta Vigo Hoping A Changing Of The Guard Can Save Their Seasons

It’s been a hugely disappointing season for Celta Vigo and Leganes who are struggling in the La Liga relegation zone. Leganes are rock bottom with just six points from their thirteen league games. Celta Vigo has nine points from their thirteen league games and both teams need to ignite their seasons.

Both clubs have made a managerial change in the last week. Javier Aguirre is the new man at Leganes, and he is tasked with ensuring safety. While Oscar Garcia is in at Celta Vigo. He is tasked with igniting their disappointing season. Both new men have taken charge of one game in their short spell in charge of their new teams. Leganes got an excellent point at high flying Real Sociedad while Celta Vigo lost to Barcelona at the Nou Camp.  Leganes are seven points off safety while Celta Vigo is four points off safety. Both teams desperately need a win to kick start their season but both new managers have plenty of things to sort out.

The experienced Javier Aguirre is back in La Liga after five years away. Since leaving Espanyol in 2014, the calm, likeable Mexican has managed Japan and Egypt. He faces a huge task at Leganes with the club desperate to keep their status in La Liga. Los Pepineros has severe issues both in attack and defensively. Leganes have the joint-worst attack along with their fellow strugglers in the relegation zone notching just seven league goals. Martin Braithwaite has three of those and the Danish international has been desperately trying to fire Leganes to vital wins. While they weren’t the most prolific under Mauricio Pellegrino, Leganes were very good defensively, but their steel defence has disappeared this season. Only Espanyol and Real Betis have conceded more goals than Los Pepineros this season and that must change if Aguirre’s team are going to get results. Meanwhile, fortress Butarque has lost its edge this season with many teams walking away with points. Only Mallorca have left Butarque with nothing this season and that must change with Leganes’ home form crucial to their chances of survival. They welcome Barcelona next to Butarque hoping to secure back to back home wins against the Catalan giants and that really would ignite belief in the players and the fans.

The well-travelled Oscar Garcia makes a return to La Liga. Celta Vigo will be his first managerial position in Spain having overseen Barcelona’s youth side for two years between 2010 and 2012.  Garcia has managed in Israel, England and France during the seven years he has been away from his home nation. However, he inherits a huge task of getting Celta Vigo out of trouble. Their season has been hugely disappointing despite the return of past heroes Santi Mina and Denis Suarez. Both have struggled as has as club legend Iago Aspas. Wins have dried up and confidence is low. Fran Escriba paid the price for a poor start having rescued them last season. His defensive style was not impressing the fans and ultimately a narrow loss to Getafe ended his reign. Oscar Garcia must get Celta firing and tighten a rocky defensive ship. Celta Vigo has the joint-worst attack notching a poultry seven goals. Aspas has just two of those goals and he is struggling to fire his beloved Celta to victories. Their defence has faired no better with Celta conceding 19 goals. Only Leganes, Espanyol, Real Betis and Eibar have conceded more goals this season. Oscar Garcia is renowned for having a rock-solid defence and he will work on that straight away. Confidence is at an all-time low with Celta Vigo losing their last five league games and notching just five points from their last nine games.  Their away form is abysmal collecting just two points on their travels and that must improve if Celta are to turn their season around. Oscar Garcia is ready to go but faces a difficult next game which is a trip to the Ceramica to face Villarreal.

Two struggling teams hoping a change of manager can turn their season around. Both Javier Aguirre and Oscar Garcia face huge tasks but one they will both relish as both Celta Vigo and Leganes fight for survival at the bottom of La Liga.