Friendships Aside.....

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Taken from the Carlisle News & Star (www.newsandstar.co.uk)

THEY have been amigos for more than a decade, but for one afternoon in Cumbria, Zigor Aranalde and Roberto Martinez will be the best of enemies. Aranalde knows that his successful seven-year spell in English football might not have happened without the influence of his close friend Martinez. However, the two Spaniards will be in opposite corners for Saturday's play-off duel at Brunton Park, with Swansea boss Martinez trying to plot victory against a Carlisle side containing Aranalde as the ever-impressive left-back. "We have a close relationship, but this weekend we are playing against each other," said Aranalde. "Both our teams have the same objective - to be involved in the play-offs. I will speak to him after the game but maybe not before." Catalan Martinez, 33, who succeeded Kenny Jackett at the Liberty Stadium in February, was one of three Spanish players who surprised lower-league football by signing for Wigan Athletic in 1995. The trio - also including Isidro Diaz and Jesus Seba - attracted a cult following in Lancashire and were known as the Three Amigos. Five years on, Aranalde followed a similar path, leaving his homeland behind to join Walsall. "My agent knew Roberto at the time and he spoke with him before I came to England," Aranalde said. "So he was one of the people responsible for me coming here. I have a lot to thank him for and now we are very good friends. "We played against each other in Spain when he was playing for Real Zaragoza second team. We also faced each other when he was at Wigan, and then we played together for a short time when he signed for Walsall. "He adapted very quickly and very well to England and I think I did the same. "It doesn't surprise me at all that he has become a manager. He is very capable of doing the job and I don't think I have ever met a more positive man than Roberto." Aranalde, 34, is five months Martinez's senior, but the United defender says he is not planning to follow him into the dug-out just yet. "I'm not very far from retiring - maybe next year or in two or three years - but only then I will think about becoming a manager. "If you think about those things too early then maybe in your mind you are retired already." In the meantime, Aranalde is determined to help United to the victory that would give Neil McDonald's side a golden chance of reaching the play-offs, while practically killing off Swansea's own hopes. "Swansea like to play football and they have power up front, but we are capable of defending very well - we have 18 clean sheets so far this season," he said. "It will be a close game which will be decided on little aspects of the game, and the most important thing is to concentrate all over the pitch. "The feeling after the Bristol City game was that we lost a great chance, but there is no point thinking about what we could have done. We have to win on Saturday and that is the only thing that matters. "It is our last home game and we owe our supporters a good match and a win."