Athletic reach 15 defeats, their worst 31-game tally in 14 years | OneFootball

Athletic have lost 15 times with seven matches left, a grim return that has kept them mid-table and in need of a late surge. According to El Correo, the drop-off is stark beside the previous two seasons, when Ernesto Valverde’s side had four and six defeats at this point.

You have to go back 14 years to find worse figures after 31 games. In 2012/13, Bielsa’s team lost early to Eibar in the Copa del Rey, exited the Europa League group stage and were on 35 points with 16 defeats, three fewer than now. A late burst yielded 10 from 21 to stay safe.

The circumstances differ. Nico Williams’s summer saga disrupted pre-season and injuries have bitten across four competitions, yet calm largely held and the squad improved with Laporte, Areso and Robert Navarro. After signs of a rift against Villarreal, ticket prices have been cut for San Mamés and Ernesto Valverde and Yuri Berchiche have urged unity.

In Bielsa’s first year the side reached the Europa League and Copa del Rey finals, losing both heavily. A bruising finish was followed by Javi Martínez’s move to Munich and Fernando Llorente rejecting a new deal, sparking crisis. Llorente was marginal, even watching from the stands, before leaving for Juventus.

Jon Uriarte raised eyebrows by setting 42 points as the early safety target, and surprise grew when Lekue echoed it with Europe in sight. With nerves now evident around the club, that mark will have to be reached as soon as possible.

Source: El Correo