Another Fiasco …

By: Cesar | January 26th, 2009

Another week, another game that fills our belly with anxiety and causes the gastric juices to run full boil.

This weekend, it was 19th place Real Mallorca. A 3-1 defeat and what can be said?

For starters, it appears coach Unai Emery’s decision to play a squad of reserves back fired to a degree. Although I agree that David Villa needed rest, the decision to sit players like Joaquin and Villa might have hurt the team in the long run.

Many think Unai is playing for the Copa del Rey tie this week against Sevilla. While I agree, the more telling situation is that this team is simply not big enough for 3 competitions (UEFA Cup, Copa, Liga).

We’ve a squad of many players. But how many fill the roles they’re supposed to and adequately?

We have a back-up striker who has seen better days (Morientes).
A midfield that deploys 87-year olds (Baraja, Albelda).
A defense that often sees former strikers (Angulo).
A bench that sits many guys who simply never play (Curro Torres, Hugo Viana).

And of course, there are the dinks in the armor, players injured or not able to play (Alexis, Renan, Joaquin).

So where does that leave us? A team in desperate need of reinforcements. Of course, we have no money. So there goes that hope.

I understand the Valencia brass wants to win something this season. It’s the 90th anniversary of the VCF brand, the Copa del Rey final is at the Mestalla and we’re the defending champions.

But with our financial situation, shouldn’t league play and a Top 4 finish be a more pressing concern that winning a secondary championship?

As for the game itself, we simply didn’t play well. The fill-ins were not good enough.

Guaita isn’t as bad as I make him out to be, but he’s not very good. Del Horno is simply not the player he was when he left Spain for Chelsea a few years ago. The defense is putrid, especially with Maduro in central defense (It says something when Moretti is the best defender on the pitch).

Miguel looked winded yesterday. There was a lack of creativity in midfield and the offense wasn’t as clinical as it could have been.

So although we missed El Guaje and Pisha, there was a lot more wrong with this squad than those two.

For instance, there’s the case of comedic refereeing we’re seeing week and and week out in Spain. This week, it involves Raul Albiol, who grabbed Mallorca striker Jose Jurado’s shirt outside the box yet was awarded a penalty. How does a player have his shirt grabbed outside the box yet tumble FORWARD?

Whatever. On to Sevilla on Thursday.

Afterward, Emery took blame for the loss.

“In my time at Valencia this is as poorly as we’ve played, and the culprit is me. I’ll take the blame for this defeat.”

Valencia haven’t kept a clean sheet in all competitions since winning in Rosenborg on November 27th, and their problems at the back are well documented, with Dutchman Maduro being drafted in as an auxiliary defender due to injuries and suspensions.

However Emery avoided deflecting criticism onto his players and continued to accept the blame for the performance.

“I didn’t see how we could possibly go 3-0 down at the end of the first half. I couldn’t get the players to the necessary level of motivation. The job of the coach is to get the best from his players, and today I couldn’t do that.”

Lots of criticism has been leveled at Emery by me and others after yesterday’s game.

But really, how much better could he have done? He’s leagues better than Ronald Koeman. He’s motivated the team about as well as he could have, considering the absence of David Silva for a significant portion of time. He’s got an awful defense, a tired front line and a midfield lacking that creative element. There’s no influx of cash coming … what else can he do?

After Emery’s statements, the diminutive Juan Mata rushed onto the stage atop a step ladder to let the media know Emery is, in fact, not at 100% fault.

“I believe the fault is with us all, not just the coach, in the same way that when we win, we all win. He chooses the team, but we are the players that have to perform on the pitch, and yesterday we were not good,” he told the media.

“He is a very demanding coach, who gives his all, and he is as hurt as we are. The game leaves us with a bad taste, but we must be ready for the Copa Del Rey this week. We know that yesterday we did not play our best, but we want Thursday to arrive so we can atone, to reach the semi-finals and to start a new run.”

Even though Mata admitted his side were not at their best, he also acknowledged that Mallorca played well, and took their chances.

“I don’t believe the attitude of the team was bad, but Mallorca were strong and clinical in front of goal. In the first-half, they took their opportunities, and killed the match,” he mused (mused?).

“It is clear that in the last few games we have conceded a lot, but up front we are doing well. What we mainly have to work on is the defense.” (You need DEFENDERS to work on the defense …)

One man who Mata did not want to criticize was goalkeeper Vicente Guitia, who he said it would be unfair to blame.

“He has always been here and never raised his voice when he has not played. He is a great goalkeeper and has the support of everyone, but the decision of who plays on Thursday is of the coach,” he said.

“For me, the criticism we receive when we lose does not seem just, because when we win everything is good.”

Huh? That was a weird last sentence …

One last tidbit before I leave: Apparently we’re after another Brazilian starlet, this one named Wellington Aparecido Martins. He’s a 17-year old defensive midfielder and plays for Sao Paulo.

He’s played a total of ONE appearance with the senior squad …

Honestly, can’t we invest the money in someone just a little more proven? Maybe someone like Rufete??