5 Steps to Rebuild Valencia CF

By: Cesar | February 27th, 2009

I didn’t watch yesterday’s crushing 2-2 tie with Dynamo Kiev at the Mestalla yesterday which eliminated us from Europe this season.

So I can’t comment on specifics regarding game play. But from what I’ve read, it sounds like a typical 2008-09 Valencia match: We score first, we run ourselves ragged chasing the opposition, our porous defense lets in a goal, we manage an equalizer and then the bottom falls out when the opposition scores again (and again) to render us helpless.

So what’s the problem here? We’ve hypothesized over and over again on what it could be: fitness, lack of execution, bad coaching, the financial situation.

Who knows at this point? What matters is that we’re out of Europe. We’re not winning any silverware this season.

So now the objective becomes simple. Finish in the top 4.

That’s it. Anything else would be a disappointment of the highest order.

We’re 5th, two points behind 4th place Villarreal. We’ve 14 matches left to make the Champions League next season.

Now more than ever, the club needs our support. Now, we need to be fans and cheer the club on as they battle through these 14 games on the way to next season’s Champions League.

Today, Juan Mata talked about the need to re-focus and finish in the Top 4.

“The main objective at the start of the season was to finish in the top four and now we can fight to do that,” he declared.

“There are many points left to play for and, of the past 24 weeks, we’ve been in the Champions League places for 23 of them. We feel bad after the UEFA Cup because we believed that we could qualify. We know what has happened and all we can do now is focus on the present and do our best to finish in the top four.”

Coach Unai Emery and his staff had a long talk with the squad before training this morning regarding the situation and Mata revealed that it was to try and build some confidence.

“That type of chat is to try and get the positive points out and to try and give us some confidence,” he explained. “The good thing is that from now on we can focus on the league and we [will] have whole weeks to prepare for our matches. With the negative results we have had, confidence has been lost, but we are recovering it and good results help.”

I’m sure the poor run of results coupled with the financial situation has caused the players and coaching staff a ton of stress.

Hopefully some of that will be alleviated in the near future, as Vicente Soriano today announced a deal with Mediapro for TV rights until 2014 that’ll inject the club with some much needed cash.

It’s the first step of many the club need to take towards a more viable future.

But what else can the club do to re-invigorate Valencia CF, make it a better club and challenge for titles sooner rather than later?

I offer you my 5-step Plan for Rebuilding Our Beloved …

1 – Sell one star and all the players who don’t contribute.

While controversial, I think this will improve not only our finances but our level of play in the future.
First, sell one of the Davids. Villa or Silva. If I had to pick right now, I’d say sell Silva. It’s hard to find strikers as good as Villa these days.

Next, scour the roster for dead wood. You need some examples? Here you go.
- Curro Torres (I’ll miss him, but he’s got to go.)
- Marchena (He’s a terrible defender.)
- Del Horno (’Nightclub’ Asier has been ok, but nowhere what he used to be.)
- Miguel (Cash in on the big-boned defender while we can.)
- Edu (’Porcelain’ needs to head back to the china shop.)
- Albelda (Thanks for the memories.)
- Baraja (See Albelda.)
- Hugo Viana (Who?)
- Angulo (This makes Timothy Lakefront happy.)
- Morientes (Please come to MLS and the NY Red Bulls!)

Ok, that leaves us short some players. So let’s bring back some of our loaned-out players like Sunny, Zigic, Aaron and Ever Banega. Let’s use the money from the sale of the players above to buy smart, fast, aggressive players. To buy cheap talent that wants to play for the ‘3rd Biggest Club in Spain,’ that wants an opportunity to showcase their talent with a top club.

Basically, let’s invest in good, cheap talent. Here’s our chance to really remake the squad with hungry players.

2 – Sell the Mestalla

Who’s the mystery buyer? Me? You? Manolo? Who knows … whoever it is/was, wave bye bye and try to find another buyer soon. I know the market is bare, but let’s try and get something for the land. This will inject us with some quick cash that can be used on the squad and help finance the New Mestalla.

3 – Keep Emery

I know many think Unai isn’t the right man for the job. But I ask, who is the right man?
He’s done an adequate job with what he’s inherited. I think in time, we’ll see that Unai’s sensibilities will prove right and he’ll show he’s cut up to the task. I don’t think we’re saddled with another QQ Sanchez Flores here. I think we have an actual manager who not only cares about the players, but has a footballing acumen that hasn’t been tapped to capacity. Give him time, lads. He’s going to be a special one.

4 – BUY DEFENDERS!

Remember what I said before about buying good players? BUY SOME GOOD DEFENDERS!!!!
Do I really need to say more about this??

5 – Make the Mestalla intimidating again

Mestalla used to be a cauldron of activity, abuzz with noise. I’ll never forget my first game, against Real Madrid in the opening game of the 2001 season. The energy was intoxicating. The noise was deafening. The crowd gave me goosebumps and it’s a feeling I’ve yet to replicate in American sports.

But lately, the crowd’s become complacent. The same energy is lacking. People have grown cynical with the team. They don’t come to games, they jeer just about every other minute and voice their displeasure more than cheer on their team.

That has to change. The Marketing department of Our Beloved need to find a way to get the fans back into the stadium and care about this team. How?

Unique promotions. Cheap tickets. Giveaways. Anything! This stadium needs to be intimidating to the opposition, like it used to be. It has to be home. And it has to be a place we want to go to week in and week out. Valencia CF have to figure out how to make this happen.

Oh … one more …

6 – Give the US lads a penya!!!

New York Che!!! Think of the marketing opportunities!
I say this selfishly, of course. I’ve wanted to start a supporter’s club in the States since 2001 with little support from the club.

There is one penya here in the States, based in Miami. My overtures to them have also turned out futile. Is it me? Do I smell? Who ever has met me in person, please don’t answer that …

But really, I think it’d be great for the club and for us. We’d have a direct pipeline to the club. The club would be able to offer us stuff, talk to us, try things out with us and maybe stage a friendly in the States in the near future.

It’s just a thought. But it’s something I’ve wanted to do for some time now.

So that’s it. My 5+1 plan to get Valencia back on track. Your suggestions?