Ones to Watch: Deportivo’s set-piece master Fayçal Fajr
As the international break hijacks another La Liga gameweek, what better time to look back at another name who is slowly carving out a wonderful reputation at one of the biggest clubs in the country? Last season this sleeping giant almost slipped through the relegation trapdoor and a lot of pundits had them down to face another battle at the bottom this time around – but they were wrong. Deportivo de La Coruña are flying high and it’s great to see one of the most successful teams in the country back at the top of the table as opposed to propping it up.
When you look at Deportivo this season it’s hard to single out one man for praise as it’s clearly been a collective effort. People forget this is Victor Sanchez’s first season as a manager yet he’s handling the situation like a veteran, managing to largely rotate his thin squad while maintaining the good results. Then there’s Lucas Perez, predominately played as a traditional number 10 behind the striker or on the right wing, who has flown up the scoring charts and has an impressive 4 goals in his 7 appearances this season. However, the one we’re going to focus on today is attacking midfielder Fayçal Fajr.
Fayçal’s career reads like a who’s who of a journeyman footballer. A player that struggled in Ligue 1 but performed much better in France’s second division, mirroring that of Real Sociedad’s Jonathas who had great success in Italy’s second tier league. In Fajar’s last season for Caen he had his best campaign to date as he notched up an impressive 8 goals alongside an incredible 15 assists, helping the French club regain their place in Ligue 1.
His performances didn’t go unnoticed and it was Elche that snapped up the French-born Moroccan on a free transfer. Initially he struggled to adapt to the Spanish game, failing to win the confidence of his then manager Fran Escriba and his performances weren’t up to scratch. He finally nailed down a starting spot at the beginning of December and retained it until the end of the season, providing 5 assists and scoring just 1 goal as the Alicante-based side escaped relegation on the pitch. Off it, however, they weren’t so lucky.
A lot of Elche’s star performers had clauses which released them from their contract if the club were relegated. With money hard to come by the club had no choice but to let those on big wages go, as well as those who didn’t want to be a part of the team’s promotion push. Jonathas, Adrian Gonzalez, Pedro Mosquera and various others left for first division sides. Fayçal had decided he wanted to leave too, believing at the age of 27 he couldn’t afford to waste another season in the second tier of European football.
Negotiations took place between Elche and Deportivo but at first an agreement couldn’t be reached. Depor had hoped the financial worries would allow them to pick up the attacking midfielder on a free but Elche, after receiving the Jonathas money, no longer needed to sell and instead insisted on a one-year loan deal with Deportivo covering the player’s wages. There was also interest from other La Liga teams but Fajr chose Victor Sanchez’s charges ahead of them.
“I’ve known the club for years. If someone doesn’t know who Depor are, then they don’t know football.” And it’s true. I remember growing up and Deportivo were the team to beat from Spain, often giving as good as they got against a then dominant Manchester United side. It’s easy to forget a club’s past due to a poor few years.
One of Fayçal’s main strengths is his dribbling ability. Comfortable running at defenders from the centre or out wide, he’s difficult to read and often manages to get himself a yard of space for a pass or shot. And unlike some other skilful wingers in the league, he also understands the value of teamwork. “I prefer to assist rather than score goals.” He’s someone that doesn’t enjoy the limelight and appears to let his football do the talking.
It’s easy to see how he racked up the assists in France - as well as with Elche last season - because to his delivery from crosses is phenomenal. The speed at which he whips in a cross is something that all types of defenders hate. He also knows the danger zones really well and can ping balls into them time, after time, after time.
There’s a great feeling amongst the team at the moment, inspired by the complete overhaul the club experienced this summer; a togetherness. When asked about the team’s current form he said this: “We need to believe we can keep going because we have a fantastic group with quality players.” Yet there’s still an element of realism in the dressing room, aware of how quickly a season can change at this level, “I don’t like looking at the table or seeing how many points we are behind Real Madrid. We’re happy to be high in the table and we’re working to stay there.”
Despite the dribbling skills, the set piece prowess and tidy technical ability there is an aspect he needs to improve on, and one Fajr himself stated earlier this season: “I want and need to score more.”
He’s already become a fan favourite due to his opening displays in a Depor shirt, a club that has seen its fair share of Moroccan players come through over the years such as Nuredin Naybet and Mustafa Hadji. He knows how much the fans suffered last season and doesn’t want them to experience what he had to with Elche. “In a game you can fail with a pass or shot but you can’t stop running. That’s my philosophy. You have 90 minutes and you should run from beginning to end.”
Fayçal appears to get better with each passing week and has 2 goals and 2 assists in his last 3 appearances, playing a huge part in Deportivo’s impressive away victory over Real Betis. A late bloomer but one coming into his peak; riding a wave of confidence, Fajr will be counted on to achieve his 5-6 goal target as well as getting close to double that in assists. His loan deal will become a permanent one if Elche fail to gain promotion and while he might have mixed feelings as to where he’d rather be, everyone at Depor will be crossing their fingers that the Alicante’s side woes are extended for another 12 months at least.
