While the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand is set to capture the eyes of millions through July and August, preparations for the coming club campaign are already underway. In the case of Real Sociedad, several question marks remain about possible renewals and arrivals but some squad matters are decided by now.
Seven players have left the Basque club, namely Gaby García, Gemma Gili, Iraia Iparragirre, Jade Le Guilly, Adriana Nanclares, Allegra Poljak and Maddi Torre. The departures of Gemma and Gaby are the most significant, given their profiles and protagonism across the past seasons.
Gemma gave continuity to La Real’s midfield as both a passer and receiver. Through her dropping movements from the half-left to form a double pivot in the second line or fill the lateral zone, the 29-year-old created passing options and overloads which she knew to use advantageously. Moreover, she could also play between the lines, connect play, associate with Nerea and maintain a creative influence further up the pitch. As such, Gemma was an important strategic element for La Real’s ball progression and flow in possession.
Meanwhile, the most differential impact of Gaby derived from her link-play, movement and positioning off the ball as the right interior. This created space and also amplified her goal threat and creative work, as has been previously described on this blog:
“Though Gaby may not be too comfortable when constructing in deeper areas or tighter spaces, she is an intelligent off-ball mover who provides disruptive runs into the channels and arrivals into the box. Moreover, her aerial strength makes the Venezuelan a threat on set-pieces and allows La Real to use her as a target player when needing to overcome pressure.”
Those goodbyes and the long list of expiring contracts had raised concerns about a possible mass exodus. Having managed to retain several key players, it seems as if La Real might avert that scenario though some personnel issues are yet to be resolved — at least from an outside view.
With Manuela Vanegas and Iris Arnáiz, the club has kept two parts of the structural core. Both are meaningful for La Real’s ball circulation, line-breaking and generation of first advantages, as well as being important defensive performers. The renewal of Nerea Eizagirre signifies the stay of another such key player, the creative heart of the team.
Centre-back Ane Etxezarreta and winger Cecilia Marcos also remain with the Basque side. The latter could become an offensive invigoration with her dribbling and disequilibrium if she is spared further injuries. Alejandra Bernabé had integrated herself well into the left-back spot and will be loaned to La Real for another year before joining Chelsea. In terms of signings, one name is known so far.
Now, transfers can turn out to be a success or a failure for all sorts of reasons. To truly estimate their adequacy, one should probably focus on the information which is available at the time of the signing. With that in mind, the words on La Real’s latest arrivals will consider different aspects in an attempt to be both descriptive and predictive. How does their profile look like? In what way do they fit into squad and style? What scale of impact will they provide?
Lorena Navarro
The first summer signing to have been announced, Lorena Navarro joins from Real Madrid. A native of Spain’s capital, she spent the past three campaigns with Las Blancas after already being a part of CD Tacón in the four years prior. Last season, actual time on the pitch was hard to come by for the 22-year-old as she only played a meager four minutes in Liga F. However, that lack of game time should not divert from the fascinating talent Lorena remains to be.
Technically gifted, Lorena feels comfortable in intermediate spaces. The left-footer is flexible in her movements but likes the left halfspace, be that as an interior, attacking midfielder or nominal left winger. Competent at receiving between the lines, she already fills a need of La Real since the Basque team would benefit from having a creative presence other than Nerea in said spaces.
Beyond that, Lorena’s profile also seems suited for Natalia Arroyo’s side and vice versa. While the game model of La Real is based on positional principles, it is not strict but very combinative and designed to encourage close connections on the pitch. In the second third especially, the occupation of positions is relatively variable. Players offer around the ball, create overloads and combine through the lines while usually, one to two forwards pin the defensive line, play little lay-offs and make deep runs in behind.
In the middle and final third, the wide areas aren’t always occupied statically either but often filled through arriving movements from the fullbacks. This becomes visible through switches, countermovements, give-and-gos or when La Real overload the center and tie the opposition together, thus vacating the wings. Moreover, the Donostians’ build-up play aims at attracting pressure which also opens spaces that can be occupied and progressed into dynamically. There is a very clear structural and strategical framework but those guidelines are rather conducive to creativity.
Lorena fits into that. For one, her skillset corresponds with centre-focused, intricate environments. Even as a dribbler, she is not explosive or threatening from isolated situations but technically secure in tight spaces, adept at receiving on the turn and carrying the ball over short distances. However, Lorena’s most striking impact arguably comes from what she does off the ball. The ex-Madridista’s game is characterized by a fabulous, implicit understanding of structural and situational dynamics. With the help of aware scanning, Lorena uses that to perform a myriad of little, smart movements which both adapt to the context and alter its statics by offering solutions for her team.
Lorena can execute her role in a more conformal way (e.g. by holding her position between the lines) but also come short and support progression or move near the ball and conceive local advantages, should that be the need. The 22-year-old does not solely carry out the explicit directives of her role and team setup but plays to the fundamental principles underlying them to do whatever is best for each situation.
That way, she eases play for her teammates to whom she adjusts as well. At Real Madrid, this became visible as Lorena complemented forward Esther González’ tendency to drop deeper in possession with vertical movements into depth and by pinning the defensive line herself. When deployed as a left winger, Lorena liked to drift inbetween the lines, clearing the wing and allowing Olga Carmona to push high (similar to what Nerea does). Lorena recognizes dynamics, harmonizes structures and facilitates positional superiority. This intelligence can be used pointedly and might blossom in a side which loves more combinative, clustered play.
In addition, Lorena is a willing and capable counterpresser. Besides her attentiveness and good positioning, she manages to shut off passing lanes and reduce options for the opponent through well-timed, angled runs. Again, playing in a team that tends to prepare its counterpressing with central and ball-near overloads could enhance this strength of hers. Lorena’s backpressing and general defensive work are impressive too.
In the final third, Lorena could engage in combinations and provide a creative component through her intelligent movements and to some degree passing. The former youth international sometimes struggles with her decision making, missing passing windows and choosing less valuable options or picking the wrong time to play the pass.
But, assuming she is integrated accordingly, Lorena might benefit from the context around her. That is to say being surrounded by multiple close options, receiving support and coordinated runs into depth by the likes of Amaiur, Franssi, Jensen and Mirari. Given that Navarro is not overly ball-dominant, the Spaniard could be a secondary playmaker and complement or maybe make La Real less reliant on Nerea’s orbit of ideas.
Furthermore, Lorena knows how to enter scoring positions herself. When the forwards push the last line deep, she can be a threat with second line arrivals. Inside the box, she has also shown off clever movement, even getting on the end of headers despite only standing at 4'9'’ or 1,51 metres. Such off-ball qualities are an almost universal gain anyway and should also contribute positively at La Real.
And speaking of Lorena’s portability… Determining which role she is supposed to perform cannot be said with total certainty, also because some personnel decisions still have to be announced. But the Basques’ playing idea and the profiles of Lorena and her new teammates suggest it. Of course, the exact position and formation are not necessarily decisive for the eventual roles and areas of play, yet, influence both internal processes and their effects on the opposition, as to say the structural dynamics.
Last season will serve as a reference here in the form of La Real’s nominal 4–3–3 which often morphed into diamond-like or 4–2–2–2 type structures with at least two players between the lines.
Navarro and Nerea as those two seems probable. As mentioned, the 22-year-old is best suited for central or intermediate spaces. Lorena can also roam inside from a nominal wing position which would allow Nerea to be used as an interior. However, said role is so suitable for Nerea herself as she is free to pick up positions, opens the wing, forms overloads, combines and acts as an outlet between the lines. After all, it is not a coincidence that the half-left orientation of Nerea as a right-footer and Amaiur Sarriegi’s diagonal runs into depth from the right complement each other so well. Generating access to her without a compromise elsewhere is also quite difficult through this dynamic, especially when the ball-near defenders are fixed by the striker or there is a second option between the lines.
Perhaps, it is also possible to use Lorena like this from the right while Nerea is a nominal ten in order to keep said dynamic alive. Likewise, Lorena may well start as an interior who offers presence between the lines and acts as a partner for combinations. Someone like Jensen may also mesh well with her tendencies, given the Norwegian’s fondness for dropping off situationally and offering well-timed, combinational support. Fluid synergies could spark with joint overloads in the halfspaces (particularly the left one) and positional interchanges while Lorena would equally aid progression, create connections and move towards and into the box. It is not hard to imagine her in these kind of situations:
Those are just considerations and ideas but they are indicative of Lorena being a good stylistic fit and potentially providing a new layer of tactical variability. It is obviously not guaranteed that this transfer will be a sweeping success. Lorena is surely not the most differential dribbler, playmaker or goalscorer. But she enriches teams and colleagues through her structural understanding, game intelligence and unselfish movement. And especially when added up over time, that definitely has its value. Lorena and La Real? That could make for a thrilling interplay, in the most literal sense.
