What a Week It’s Been …

By: Cesar | April 23rd, 2008

What a week, eh?

From the jubilation of a Cup win last Wednesday to the depths of despair, 2 points from relegation and a drop into the abyss of the Segunda.

First, let me say I stand beside many readers of the blog in saying I’m very happy to have Albelda, Angulo and Canizares back, even if it’s only for the last 5 games.

These guys deserved a better sending-off than they got. Whatever’s happened since they were fired, from a court case to public wrangling over being dropped by ex-gaff Ronald Koeman, these guys deserve a last run-out on the field.

Besides, Canizares can be a capable back-up if not the starter. (Although I fancy Timo these days …)

Angulo is as good if not better than Arizmendi. You know you’ll get fight and passion every time he steps on the field.

And Albelda? Well … he’s a warrior, plain and simple. I’m ecstatic new coach Voro’s decided to see whether these guys can help during the last 5 games …

Imagine the psychological lift the Trio will provide once they step out onto the pitch. Imagine the emotion that will flow from the Mestalla should Canizares, Albelda and Angulo run out onto the Mestalla grass with the team … it doesn’t get much better or more emotional than that.

Some news:

- TinTin wants 10 million Euros for running the club into the ground … are you serious? Get a grip and leave us alone already.

- Marcelino admits he’s been in contact with Valencia, although there’s no agreement … yet.

“There is contact from my representative with Valencia, as there was with others, but there is nothing more. There is nothing signed. If there was something then I would say so,” Marcelino said in quotes reported by Spanish rag AS.

“There was contact more than a month ago, but no agreement.”

This would be a super signing. Well, Rafa Benitez would be a super signing. But you get my drift …

- This is an interesting read from goal.com tracing Valencia’s problems for the last 4 years. Definitely worth a read … an excerpt …

We need hardly go over Koeman’s failings yet again - we discussed this last week - but to take a different tack, it’s worth remembering what he inherited. Here was a side that was clearly based around the spine of a team capable of a top-four place, but it was one decimated by in-fighting and two successive bouts of dreadful transfer market operation by sporting directors who might as well have been in another country for all the communication they had with the club at large. Soler’s reign, while itself coming to an end due to illness, had produced a culture of cliques at the Mestalla. It wasn’t just the left hand not knowing what the right was doing: it was as if each finger was struggling to point in a different direction.

As such, it’s arguable that Koeman didn’t even have a chance. Certainly he made huge mistakes, definitely he could have adopted a whole different attitude. But in truth, he was maybe on a hiding to nothing from day one. So too might be his successor.

Interesting, for sure …