Still in 3rd Place
By: Javier |
337 Comments
Last weekends match was an emotional one.
Whenever Valencia play a top tier team its going to be a stressful.
Watching the match this weekend was far more than stressful or emotional.. it was disappointing.
While i continue to be a fan of Emery for what he is accomplishing with Valencia i could not shake the notion that the tactics employed when he has a clear advantage are often disastrous.
This experiment backfired in the most complete way on Sunday.
It was Tenerife all over again.
Clearly the players need to take responsibility for the result as well. The midfield was slow and inaccurate. The attack non-existant.
Our defence was laughable.
I think what is most frustrating is that nobody knows where Emery’s decisions stem from.
Why is Dealbert not playing. He was brilliant all year then suddenly benched. For Alexis ?
Why arent Fernandes Chori and Vicente getting minutes but Baraja is being considered?
Im sure there are perfectly good reasons, but not knowing why our stars arent playing makes Emery look like he has poor judgement.
A very risky thing to have thought of you in Valencia.
A loss is a loss however… so the facts.
We continue to be in 3rd place.
We have a 3 point buffer over Sevilla.
We face Valladolid at home next Saturday.
So lets talk about Valladolid.
Currently fourth from the bottom with a measly 18 points they are on the border of oblivion.
At the start of the year Valencia blew them out with a four goal fiesta.
While i do not expect the same this time around, i do expect that Valencia will win this match fairly comfortable.. though i now have my reservations.
Valladolid have not won a match since December.
They will not win in Mestalla.
The only real problem i see is that Valladolid do have a tendency of snatching draws. Currently leading the league with 9 stalemates.
Of course los Che have more than enough firepower up front with Villa Silva and Mata and Pablo all healthy and sure to play.
The worry is that Valencia do have alot of problems beating down a team that simply turtles and defends.
My preference would be to see Chori play in place of Mata this weekend. See if some Argentine creativity with Banega can crack open the shell.
Besides Mata has not produced in quite some time. I would be nice to See Silva on the wing and Chori in his place.
A run for Vicente later in the match would be nice too.
Vicente is very good at quick runs at the goal.. his speed could prove valuable.
Pablo does not look fully fit.
He was nearly invisible last week and its clear that he needs time to regain his play form.
It really is too bad Joaquin injured himself at a time when he was really starting to perform brilliantly.
Regardless of lineup i do think Valencia will win. But not by much.
My prediction. Valencia 1-0 Valladolid
This weekend everyone wear your Valencia Cf scarves just like everyone in the stadium will be.
I know i will.. cause its bloody freezing!
AMUNT VALENCIA
Javier de Roque
Category: Team News
Adios Fernandes Hola Sevilla
By: Javier | 270 Comments
So the transfer window has snatched up some Valencia talent with only a week or so left.
Fernandes hops a plane and starts taking italian lessons.
The transfer to Milan is a bitter sweet one to most Valencia fans.
Fernandes last season was our Ever Banega.
A champion playmaker; who didnt become an instant fan of his.
Like Banega, Fernandes also experienced a shaky start upon his arrival at Mestalla.
He was loaned out almost immediately.
A season later he returned amid alot of skepticism.
Fernandes proved those skeptics wrong.
In short time becoming our beloved midfield playmaker.
If not for his horrific injury we may never have discovered the young Ever Banega’s true talent.
Those days are behind us.
Apparently out of favour and with little chance of breaking into regular first team play, (why is beyond me) Fernandes has accepted a loan deal to Milan.
While Fernandes in my opinion is a huge loss in depth to our squad his moving to Milan is a very nice option.
He will now be playing for a brilliant coach.
If he shines it could mean an additional pot of millions increaing the chances of holding on to players like Villa and Silva.
Valencia is still in a very serious financial crisis.
Emery is doing wonders with the team he has been handed.
He has also accomplished all this without Fernandes on the field.
Surely Emery is confident that Valencia can make these types of loans and trades to keep Valencia financially afloat and keep the first team in tact at the while winning games.
Unlike the last few years.
I now have confidence in our coach… and our management.
So adios Fernandes.
Good luck in Milan.
May you lift the silverware you deserve.
Another Sunday is upon us.
The villain this week?
Sevilla.
Valencia’s position is considerably superior to Sevilla’s right now in the table, but as last week proved to us. That means little.
Sevilla this season has been a very hard team to predict.
They dominated their Champions league group and progressed with little difficulty.
They play very well against some very tough opposition.
Then the last few weeks of liga play have been unimpressive to say the least.
Relying on a lucky goal to scrape past Almeria.
Before that they were trounced 4 nil by Barcelona.
That was the icing on the cake of failures.
Four straight losses : Racing Atletico Getafe all had a go at humiliating Sevilla.
Valencia will go in slight favorites with an excellent away record to boot.
To Valencia fans on the other hand its hard to feel that we are favorites.
Tenerife must be put behind us.
The Valencia that trounced Villareal and Xerez must show up this Sunday.
Valencia are without a doubt in form.
Other than the hickup of last weekend; Valencia do have the ability to score.
The tradition of dropping points after the year has to end.
Sevilla has lost to us once already at the start of this season.
A win here will push Sevilla further from competing for a Champions league spots and will solidify our position as one of the top three teams in Spain.
A loss will put us back in the danger zone and increase the chances of losing our berth.
This game has been described by David Villa as a Final of sorts.
Its hard to disagree.
AMUNT VALENCIA
Javier De Roque
Category: Team News3 More Points have been ordered.
By: Javier | 406 Comments
The last two liga encounters have been kind to our beloved Che.
Three to one in Xerez and four to one against regional rivals Villareal.
This weekend we travel to the volcanic islands as clear favorites to grab another three points.
Tenerife are third from the bottom and having a poor poor year.
Valencia are third from the top and showing excellent form; scoring 7 goals from its last two encounters.
Tenerife have let in a devastating 36 goals so far this season.
Considering the recent goal fiestas Valencia should make short work of the islanders.
Interesting fact: The last time we faced Tenerife was 8 years ago and Valencia won 1 nil with a goal by Aimar.
Another plus to Valencia this weekend is that its most direct rivals beneath them are all playing Copa del Rey matches midweek and will have less recovery time.
A few dropped points by either Mallorca or Deportivo would be welcome as Valencia stand to increase their push for Champions league invites.
Moral may well be low as both Deportivo and Mallorca took beatings in la Copa.
Deportivo especially harsh 3 nil home drubbing from a re-vitalized Sevilla.
Mallorca face Espanyol
Deportivo face Athletic
Valencia stand to extend their lead to 11 points if Mallorca falter when they visit catalunya.
In the unlikely event that Madrid lose at home to Malaga, Valencia could move into a tie for second.
Ooooh exciting!
AMUNT VALENCIA!
Javier De Roque
Category: Team NewsSibling Rivalry
By: Javier | 272 Comments
In Valencia there are a few rivalries.
Levante and Valencia have been at each others throat for ages.
The relegation of Levante lifted Valencia to Victor in that little local derby.
Villareal has recently burst into the fray leaving their neighbors Castellon to fight in the second division.
So here we stand today a Valencian Community Derby on a Sunday.
How exciting.
In Valencia the general feeling has always been that los Che are the kings of the region.
Villareal wasnt even a first division team until 1998.
Fernando Roig Alfonso changed all that.
Investing heavily in his home team Villareal are now a dominant squad competing for European spots every season.
Valencia on the other hand have been struggling for the past few seasons.
Now when these two teams meet its more than just about points.
Its about pride.
Its about who gets to be King of the Region.
The Grand City of Valencia… or the small town of Villareal with a population of 50 thousand.
This derby is one Valencia Cf must win.
Winning means 3 vital points to keep atop the league and solidify its current 4 point safety net in the Champions league spots.
It also means that Valencia have reclaimed their dominant position in Valencian football.
That victory will be far from easy.
Villareal may have started shaky but those days are past.
Now an form team they managed to score 3 goals against Barcelona.
The yellows are hungry to move back up the ladder and rejoin European football.
Emery must know this match means everything to Valencia fans.
Mestalla has been far from the fortress it should be.
In order to win Emery will have to play all his best.
There can be no weak defence this weekend.
Albelda cannot have an ok game.
Even with the nerves of this local derby it must be stated that los Che are favorites.
Villa Silva Chori Mata Joaquin. All these men know how to score goals.
Valencia will not be shut out.
Not at home.
If Banega and Fernandes get to play together again in the middle i have no doubt that we will be treated to some magic.
The chances of that seem slim.
Fernandes simply isnt getting enough play time. Its a shame. He’s brilliant.
This is my ideal lineup that i dream of at night along with shugarplum faeries.
Cesar
Miguel Dealbert Navarro Matheiu
Jaoquin Fernandes Banega Silva
Chori
Villa
A guy can dream
This is likely what we will get
Cesar
Bruno Navarro Alexis Mathieu
Joaquin Marchena Banega Mata
Silva
Villa
Still a good team but just not as versatile.
I also dont like the chemistry of our central defence when Navarro and Alexis pair up.
And Bruno is also not as quick as Miguel.
All in all Valencia should still solidify their position and take all three points here.
There is no room for excuses now.
Falling out of la Copa may have been a blessing in disguise.
Its time to plant our flag in the top four and not budge.
AMUNT VALENCIA
Javier De Roque
For those that are history buffs. Our last duel ended 3-3
Category: Team News3 Points for 3 Goals
By: Javier | 213 Comments
The weather was very unspanish
Cold
Rainy
Muddy
Windy
One might have mistaken it for a British match.
It was however not so.
Everyone on the field had an excellent set of teeth.
Our beloved Che travelled to “Sunny?” Adalucia to meet up with dead last Xerez.
First lets get this out of the way. Valencia were of course the obvious favorites in this encounter.
There should have been no doubt that Valencia would have a mere matter of marching to go home with the oranges for the win column.
This is not the reality in the life of a Valencia fan.
Valencia fans know through experience that at no time does opponent league position mean victory.
The setting for this match could not have been much worse.
The constant rain and cold made the field look far closer to a world war ii battlefield than anything resembling a soccer pitch.
The first half erupted quickly into action as 10 minutes in Mata would start the scoring giving valencia an early lead.
Only fifteen minutes after that; the side who has only scored 6 goals all season would add one more to that total when Calvo would slip in the second of the half.
Silva would give Valencia the lead again after easily finding himself open in the gaping hole that Xerez called a defence.
By the end of teh half it was clear Valencia were the dominant side.
In minute 69 Marchena created a maginificent attack all on his own.
Running up center field into the box and slotting one in past a stunned Renan and the entire Xerez defence. This match was done.
The scoreline was deserved. It would be a lie to say that it was a pretty game.
It wasnt.
The conditions made that much impossible.
There was alot to take away from this encounter that was positive.
But today im going to only concentrate on our midfield.
Our central midfield is gorgeous.
No really its Fantabulous. I know thats not a real word. But it is today.
Banega and Marchena owned the central midfield. Marchena put on a wizard hat and smashed his staff into the ground and shouted!
“none shall pass!”
And they didnt.. except him. His passing was spot on.
He was a crack.
Marchena showed his Captain prowess today. It wasnt just his goal.
Which was gorgeous.
But simply his ability to create an aura of control and stability which Valencia need in the middle.
Couple that with the brilliant Ever Banega.
Banega today proved he is the new even better replacement of Aimar.
Valencia were in danger of being charged with too many men on the pitch because of Banega. It was like there were 3 of him at all times.
He was everywhere. In every play.
His ability to create danger from nothing is intoxicating. We are lucky to have Banega..
An incredible player.
If we can hold on to Banega he could very well be the key to the gates of the league. He is young and full of talent.
This game did show us the Dr Jeckle and Mr Hyde Joaquin.
While comments seem to negatively attack Joaquin it must be said that his game was far from bad.
He did have bad moments. That were very clear and painful. Losing the ball easily at times.
But Joaquin also showed flashes of amazing.
No other player today broke through the lines as often as he did.
He took more shots at the goal than Villa.
He created dangerous passes.
For the most part his central balls were on target and he was unlucky not to have scored.
Given the conditions today. Joaquin did not have a failure of a match. Though he certainly will have alot to think about as Pablo gets healthy.
About as much to think about as Mata.
Mata scored today.
But how long has it been since we saw him this lively. Its been a while.
Mata certainly has a place on this team.
But
The arrival of Chori is going to change things up front. Its going to add a new dimension of competition that will only benifit the attacking squad as a whole.
The challenge presented by Pablo only improved the two players on the right wing. Both fighting to prove they should be the starter.
With Vicente now fit. Fernandes now fit and Chori proving today he can play a fancy footie match.
The midfield is going to rise to a new level.
Im giddy with anticipation.
AMUNT VALENCIA
Javier De Roque
Eh kid.. fugetaboutit
Category: Team NewsDefeat and Discovery
By: Javier | 238 Comments
Defeat is a bitter pill to swallow.
That never changes.
Yesterday’s 1-2 loss at home to Deportivo has reinforced the fact that our defence is far from solid.
Dealbert has a very shakey run.
Maduro looked like he forgot what a football was.
On the flanks Miguel and Bruno both shared some excellent runs forward only to be matched with some equally face palming moments in the back.
Match that with some nervous goal tending by Moya and you had the perfect situation to lose.
And thats what we got.
A humbling loss in front of home fans.
Really another loss at home is not what we needed.
Or was it?
From every defeat you should learn something.
Yesterdays loss may well prove to be tomorro’s gain.
When los Che looked 2 nil in the face Emery seems to have decided.
Wtf.. roll the dice.
Silva, Fernandes and Vicente shook off their injury cobwebs and ran out with something to prove.
And boy did they prove it.
Since last season i doubt there has been a single Valencia fan who hasnt been itching for Fernandes to come back.
Especially since the new found outstanding performances by Ever Banega.
The very idea of pairing Fernandes and Banega in the midfield has been prancing inside my day dreams since early in the season.
Yesterday was the comming of Los Reyes Magos. And this was our gift.
Watching these two in the middle made me giddy.
Gorgeous pass after gorgeous pass.
My oh my.. im at a loss for words. It was Beautiful.
Vicente also got a run out.
Again.. giddy.
He looked hungry. . fast.. lethal.
Its hard to believe when you watch Vicente play that he is injured 98% of the time.
His speed and talent are without question.
for the first 60 minutes of the game valencia looked useless.
For the last 30 with the inclusion of Silva Vicente and Fernandes.. our very own three wise men, Valencia became the great team we know.
If only the game had lasted 5 more minutes.
But it was not to be.
The price to pay was minor.. a loss in la Copa del Rey.
The reward could be magnificent.
Arguably the discovery of the best midfield in la Liga.
Valencia can not lose this combination.
Our attack is now set.
Our defence and goal are solidish when we dont rely on Maduro and Alexis.
Mathieu is needed and Navarro needs to work on consistency but for the most part if we can keep this attacking team together a top 4 finish is in the cards.
Last night we lost.
This weekend Xerez will be in trouble.
Chori.. make my dreams come true. Be great as well.
AMUNT VALENCIA
Javier De Roque
Category: Team NewsA Happy New Year and Espanyol
By: Javier | 336 Comments
Happy New Years everyone!
Full on Grapes ! You Better Be!
I hope that all of you had a chance to ring in the new year with the people you love and that 2010 will be far more exciting than the movie was.
Though homicidal computers are kinda neato.
So here we are in 2010.
THE FUTURE.
Ok well maybe not the future per say but we do at least have some Valencia football to watch so for my money the year is off to a good start.
Next up.
ESPANYOL
Espanyol are struggling this season with a lack of goal scoring ability.
Villa so far has scored more goals than Espanyol.
That does not mean that they will be a pushover.
Valencia have been struggling to put games away in Mestalla this season.
My prediction is Espanyol will hunker down and hold the fort .. coming out to counter attack.
Kameni in between the posts can perform some magic as well.
With the memory of Deportivo still fresh in our minds Valencia needs to pull out something special.
This is an encounter which should produce 3 points for the homeboys.
The tired and lackluster football has to be permanently abolished and we need to see the Valencia we love.
Villa Mata Joaquin are more than capable of scoring a few goals in this match.
But we only need 1.
I do not believe Valencia will give up a goal today.
We shouldnt.
Not here. Our central defence is solid.
Banega and Albelda in the middle should be adequate to seal the center.
Our weak points.. Bruno on the wing and an unproven Alba.
But i think when compared to what Espanyol have to offer that Valencia should still dominate this match.
There is always the looming spector of playing down to the opponent and too much Cava on New Years.. but the Catalans are known for celebration so im hoping they will be worse for wear than our boys.
The question of Miguel has to be brought up as well.
Once again Bad boy Mig has managed to get himself in handcuffs. Jesus man. Seriously?
Apparently not being aloud into a club caused a ruckus and one of his friends shot a gun at a car.
WTF
Who do you hang out with dude.
I dont even have friends that own guns.. let alone take them out clubbing.
Your from Portugal not Afganistan. Where is your brain?
I think this puts a nail in the coffin for Miguel.
Will he play? I say unlikely.. but maybe.
He still is our best right back, but Emery clearly is sick of his antics and now what we need to do is find a replacement.
Bruno isnt good enough. Mathieu being injured also means we need Bruno to cover that side.
Expect Miguel to be offloaded and day now.
My guess 5 million.
Sad he’s worth more.
But not now.
The latest Basura rumours have started and the winner is Chelsea have signed David Villa for 35 million pounds.
Zing..
The British press is no longer worth wiping my ass with.
I should start my own rumour mill.
Lets see.
Villa has been sold to Chelsea for 100 million and Drogba.
Valencia have bought Van Der Vart and recouped Albiol for Miguel and Mestalla has been sold for 500 million.
tada
Wow thats easy. Maybe i should move to England and make a career out of it.
Once again Happy New Years!
Enjoy the game!
AMUNT VALENCIA!
Javier De Roque
PS.
Anybody else fall for the Dia de Los Inocentes.
Holy crap. You bastards. hahahahha
Scared the shyte out of me.
Category: Team NewsChristmas Vacation for Valencia
By: Javier | 250 Comments
Its Christmas!
You know what that means.
We all get to over eat and over spend.
Unless your the Valencia accountant. Who is trying by the looks of it to trim the fat.
Off our debt that is.
So while we are all sitting around the fireplace singing festive songs and living the coke commercial life some of our players are preparing to pack their bags and move on.
The list according to Superdeporte is say it aint so Fenandes, Del Horno, Zigic, Miku, Baraja and Vicente.
Except for the inclusion of Fernandes none of those names should come as a surprize.
Del Horno’s high wages and sour attitude have made him undesireable even as a loan to many teams.
Zigic simply hasnt fit into the squad as desired even though his performance at Zaragoza and for his national side have been impressive.
Miku just has not made any impact what so ever. Lots of promise but nothing to show for it when it counts make him a hot loan prospect.
Baraja is nearing the end of his career and though still works hard e simply cnanot match the pace and performance of players like Banega.
Vicente has been injured longer than he’s been playing. While he has outstanding talent we can only play him on days with no wind as even the lightest of breezes cause him long term injuries.
Fernandes is however quite a shock. Last season’s fan favorite and Valencia workhorse recieved an unfortunate injury that had him off the pitch.
But like most of you i was anxious to see him back in play. Especially now that Banega has come into his own and really shown great playmaking ability.
These two could prove to be a dynamic duo in the middle .
Now that might not happen which would be a huge disappointment.
There are several reasons for his possible loan out.
First off he is still not 100% to last years fitness level. Comming straight off a major injury and into the game is difficult at the best of times. Fernandes right now is not the same Fernandes we are used to watching. A loan may be benificial to all parties involved. Especially if Banega continues to pair up well with Marchena and Albelda.
Second Valencia’s financial situation is not improving.
If Valencia can have somebody else cover Fernandes wages and also play him regularly then thsi may indeed be a win win situation.
Third and most important to Fernandes.
He wants to play for his national team. The only way thats going to happen is if he gets play time. And right now he isnt getting any. That motivator is sure to be huge.
Having an upset and demotivated Fernandes on the bench is of no benifit to the team.
So while i will personally be disappointed to see him go. I do understand that at this very moment it may be whats best for all parties involved.
The other stuff now.
We all were treated to a relative borefest that was the Deportivo-Valencia match this Sunday.
While i cant say we played badly. Neither did Deportive for that matter. Neither team actually looked like they wanted to win the match up.
While one could argue that we were missing Silva and Deportivo’s defence was solid and organized and therefore we played to a draw.
I think there was more to it.
Both teams appeared more than satisfied in a draw going into the Christmas break. Neither team wanted injuries or a loss. That much is clear.
From the start neither side seemed to seriously be attacking.
Other than one half chip shot hitting the crossbar in the first half nothing of note happened in the entirity of the match.
The attacks were half hearted. The shots feeble.
Everyone seemed tired .. slow.. uninterested.
So relecting on that now i can see that it was a case of do we care enough to play this to the death given that Sevilla have lost?
The answer was clearly no.
Both teams happy with their season to date seem to have decided on a relative Christmas ceasefire.
Can we blame them?
As fans yeah we can.
But as people. No. Nobody works their asses off the last day before christmas and this was no different i guess.
Looking back on the season so far there is little we can find fault in.
Valencia are for the most part doing very well.
Unai Emery has brought back Valencia to the team we should be.
We are competing for a top 4 finish and at the end of the first half of the season we are there. As promised.
Also we finished top of our Europa league group to progress as a seeded team. Impressive.
We also are still competing in la Copa. Unlike a certain team that spent hundreds of millions.. cough cough.
15 Liga matches now lay behind us and only in 2 have we been defeated.
All in all its a fine season and to date we have alot to be proud of.
Sure we will still bitch.
WE ARE VALENCIA FANS!
And i would rather be a bitchy, whiney complaining fan of our nearly bankrupt team any day that cheer for a wealthy buy a cup team.
What fun is being a fan if you arent forced to suffer every weekend.
Being a Valencia fan is exciting… you never know what day Valencia will give you that fatal heart attack.
Who can ask for more than that right?
Well i hope you all have a Very Merry Christmas or Holiday or Athiest Experience but whatever you do have a great time and drink one for me.
AMUNT VALENCIA
Javier de Roque
Category: Team News1.7 Million Dollar Goal
By: Javier | 193 Comments
Well here we are.
Its the morning after a win.
We have made it to the next round of the Europa league.
No big deal right? I mean after all this is Valencia CF. We should be in the Champion’s League.
Yet the last couple of seasons have been seasons of dissapointment after living through an era of glory.
We are only now recovering the results Valencia deserve.
Valencia seem to be back on the right track. Goals are being scored.. points are being accumilated and results in the tournaments are possitive.
The only thing missing is the money.
The money issue has been the hot topic now for the last couple of years. No matter our successes or silverware it is always looming over our heads like a giant Sword of Damocles.
The threat of losing our stars. Players going without pay and never finishing our new stadium never go away.
It kills our clubs stability and ambitions.
While its obvious that that issue will not vanish any time soon; given the current economic climate in Spain, a few small victories are however starting to make a difference.
Villa’s goal and the securing of a top of group progression to the next round of the Europa League has secured Valencia a tidy sum of 1.7 million over so far.
While that may not seem like much that is not counting Tv revenues or ticket sales.
Little by little Valencia have changed the way they do business and seem to be scoring more successes in the financial dept that failures.
The signing of Chori for free. Dealbert for free AND Mathieu for free have all proven to be excellent investments. And we have been doing very well with these types of signings.
This is the new face of Valencia.
All that remains is for a top 4 finish to qualify for the Champion’s League to bring even more money into the coffers.
Qualification into the next phase of the Europa League sets los Che up for a showdown with Belgiums Brugge.
The draw has proved fortunate for valencia as we avoid some harsher possible match ups.
Brugge is still a decent squad and has served Valencia some struggles in the past. All said though Valencia are the dominant team and are sure favorites against the Belgians.
Next up though a scenic trip to chilly Galicia.. home of Deportivo.
Tough match up. And we will be going there limping.
Pablo picked up a tear in the Genoa tie and has been ruled out for at least 3 weeks. Bad news for sure but Joaquin is doing very well right now and is a more than worthy substitute for the young Andalusian.
If anything this may be the opportunity Joaquin has been waiting for.
Joaquin is in excellent form and has been scoring goals. Pablo’s upsurption of his 1st team status clearly upset the Betis boy and that competition for his spot has brought the best out in Joaquin.
A few games to prove he’s back may just be it.
Personally i beleive Joaquin has loads more talent. What he was lacking was desire. Now that he has that fire i think its high time for him to start from now on.
Pablo is brilliant and hard working .. and we can always find space for him. But Joaquin belongs on that wing.
Silva as we all know is out till the new year for sure.
Chances are fairly good that we wont see Silva run out until possibly February. Which is painfull as Silva is a brilliant playmaker.
The addition of Chori to the squad could seal the hole in that aspect of the squad. only time will tell.
More painfull are the loss of Marchena and Mathieu. Both are defensive keys in a squad thats most obviously lacking in the defence dept.
While both players have made their share of flubs, they are far more benificial than detrimental. Especially since both have had excellent showing lately on the pitch.
Mathieu has been making the Left Back is home and is really starting to click in the back. His ball recovery skill are top notch, as is his ability to run forward and feed the ball in dangerously.
Marchena , Valencia’s villian may be a fan favorite to harp on for his card collection.
However few can argue his ability to unsettle opponents flow and draw fouls from his mark.
That ability will mean we are forced to rely on Hot and Cold Albelda to carry the banner. A risky play.
The Banega/Marchena proven team with Banega /Albelda combination, this pairing does not offer alot of comfort in the midfield.
Needless to say even with the injuries and tiresome timetable Valencia are the dominant team.
There is no reason that Valencia cannot go to Galicia and take all three points. Expect some more bruising.
Depor are no pushover and have been known to like a physical game.
Lets see what Emery can create.
AMUNT VALENCIA
Javier De Roque
Category: Team NewsLets Welcome Chori !
By: Javier | 155 Comments
This weekend we felt the bitter pill of defeat.
We havent felt that one for a while and personally i feel it wasnt deserved.
First lets get one point straight. Both teams had their moments. As i predicted Higuain was vicious.
I would have prefered a draw. Neither team deserved to win or lose on the day. Madrid played well given their missing players and Valencia played attacking football and never gave up right to the final whistle.
Its too bad how it turned out but we are still doing well and if we keep this form up a top 4 Champion’s League place is in the books.
One thing i must state though. The first goal should have been ruled offside.
Benzema was clearly offside.
And while that does not change the fact Bruno should have closed down the space. I really wish that the reffing in Spain was better.
Anybody see that phantom penalty by Xavi in the Barca match.. horrible.
I wanna watch football not refs causing upsets.
But thats all behind us. Now lets focus on the good news.
Here is the report.
New Valencia signing Chori Dominguez has declared himself “very happy” to have joined Los Che and said he hopes to achieve a lot with his new club.The 28-year-old Argentinian forward signed on a free transfer from Russian champions Rubin Kazan in a three and a half year deal believed to be worth €1.5 million per year.
“All is good, I am glad to be here and hope to get to work soon because we have many things to do. Valencia is a very important club, I’m very happy and there is a lot of things to achieve for Valencia,” he declared, according to Super Deporte.
Dominguez is understood to have rejected approaches of a number of other offers from Italy and Spain in favour of Los Che and will be unveiled as a Valencia player at a press conference at lunch time today.
This is really great news.
First we got him free.
Second his play style fits with ours very well.
He could be up and playing in a white shirt as soon as our Copa del Rey match against Depor. Its too bad he cants play in our Europa cup matches but still excellent signing.
Since Silva is going to be on a road to recovery i think popping him in that slot behind Villa could be ideal. Then drop Banega back into the central midfield with Marchena or Albelda.
Any of you wishing Fernandes was fit and ready to play like he did last season. A Banega Fernandes midfield with Chori Villa up front and Joaquin & Mata on the flanks.
Oh my goodness.
Im getting too excited just considering it.
Our next match is Europa League glory.
We fly to Genoa to prove we are worthy.
The Prediction.
Valencia to win.
But it wont be a cakewalk.
Both Valencia and Genoa need the win. While Valencia are atop the group they do need the win to gaurentee qualification. Genoa need the win to have any hope.
That means its going to be an all or nothing game.
While its likely that Emery will still rest Villa we shouldnt be worried.
Joaquin is in fantastic form. its a pity that he wasnt started in the Madrid matchup as you can tell how much he wants to play.
He has been scoring goals from all over the place lately and i cant wait to watch him play in Genoa.
While Genoa are sure to fight for these points it is unlikely that they can best the current Valencia squad. Its going to depend on who Emery gives the go ahead.
The likely line up.
Moya
Miguel Navarro Alexis Bruno
Joaquin Maduro Baraja Jordi
Zigic Miku
What i would like to see
Moya
Miguel Dealbert Alexis Bruno
Joaquin Marchena Baraja Jordi
Banega
Zigic
At the end of the day la Liga is more important. We shouldnt risk Villa or Mata. I reluctantly say play Dealbert. But we do need to win.
What do you guys think.
Oh and the rumour mill is still up and running. Chori may not be the only signing this Christmas. According to Superdeporte Llorente is following another possible signing.
Ricardo Costa from Wolfsburg. The portuguese Right Wing is currently running out his contract and could be snatched.
He is 28 and is good form right now. Hmm another Right Wing.. could Joaquin be on his way out. I hope not. Im a big big fan of Joaquin. But then again having a backup right wing could open up to allow Pablo to play on the left.
Oh and hey David Villa’s calender will be going on sale on wednesday. Oh la la.
AMUNT VALENCIA
Javier De Roque
Here is a lil something for the ladies. Shots from Villa’s Calender
Category: Team News
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