Cup Tidbits and Relegation Battles
By: Cesar | April 17th, 2008
So I’m coming down from my high some, still reveling in last night’s victory. But at the same time, I know we have lots of work to do … for example, assuring our passage into next season’s La Liga.
Last night was great fun (so great that my head is pounding from a raging hangover!) … now, the real work lies ahead of us. 6 games to go, 5 points from relegation. The season begins now.
In reality, we have a club capable of staying up. Here are our remaining games and my predictions …
Athletic Bilbao-Valencia … a draw (1 point)
Valencia-Osasuna … a win (4 overall)
Barcelona-Valencia … a loss (4)
Valencia-Zaragoza … a win (7)
Levante-Valencia … a win (10)
Valencia-Atletico … a loss (10)
10 points in 6 games. That’ll leave us with 49 points.
Zaragoza, the 18th-place team, has 34. I can’t see Murcia, with 29 or Levante, with 22, coming back to topple Zaragoza. So let’s assume that’s who we’re fighting with to stay in La Liga.
They’d have to do some serious recuperation after their disastrous campaign to over turn their form and climb over us, assuming we do what we have to do …
In other words, I think we’re safe.
I think …
As for the Cup, I’m happy the team’s not celebrating the victory until league safety is assured. Of course the people of Valencia want to celebrate. But staying in the league is 100 times more important than the cosmetic victory of the Cup.
Yes, it’s nice. Yes, it was great fun. But we need to survive … then we can celebrate for real!
“We are going to take it calmly. We have to return to Valencia and start preparations for the Bilbao game because we still have work to do in the league,” team president Agustin Morera told reporters last night.
“In principle, we’ll postpone the festivities and when everything is a little more settled we’ll all celebrate it together.”
Good man. I agree wholeheartedly.
More from the Cup:
- The team showed a genuine passion and energy last night. Question: Why does the team show up so demonstratively against clubs like Real Madrid and Barcelona, yet give so little against teams they should beat, like Murcia and Mallorca? Bad coaching? Poor training habits? I dunno … I DO know they played with vigour, pace and passion last night. It showed in the first 10 minutes, when we scored twice.
- Albiol-Alexis. Keep these lads together in the middle. Wonderful pairing!
- Is Marchena the Spanish version of Marco Materrazzi? Think about that for a second …
- Arizmendi looked brilliant last night. He’s like a poor man’s Angulo. Still, I’d prefer Angulo. I’d prefer Cristiano Ronaldo, but that’s another story. Really, I’d prefer Joaquin. Why didn’t he play? Might it have to do with his ‘headless chicken’ comment?
- 4-4-2 is the way to go. No more of this 4-3-3. Supposedly, David Villa made some comments about the 4-4-2 being the way to go during post-match comments, insinuating the 4-3-3 was useless. Good comment. But a slight dig at Koeman for sure.
- Nice to see Espanyeta in the post-match celebrations. For those that don’t know, Espanyeta is the unofficial mascot/team manager of the club. He’s retired, I believe. But he worked at the club for 47 years and even wrote a book about his times with Los Che. You’ll notice him in today’s Superdeporte cover from my earlier post, standing in front of Koeman. Nice to see him there … he’s a Valencia legend!
- Vicente. Baraja. Edu. Miguel. Caneira. David Villa. Morientes. Zigic (funny how his mug was in almost every shot last night), El Trio (Santi, Albelda, Angulo) … guys who are leaving after this season. Your thoughts?
- If you want a nice section to read (in Spanish), watch videos and look at pictures from yesterday’s game, you can’t beat local paper Las Provincias website … there’s a WEALTH of information there … and some great multimedia from the game and more … please take a look.
- Finally, good to see everyone at the bar last night! I wasn’t alone! There were about 10 of us and it was a raucous atmosphere …
Now, let’s avoid relegation! Enjoy the cup victory and let’s move forward.
AMUNT!
Category: Team News
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Comments
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I agree but why get a myopic sporting director that wont see beyond one continent?
Im following our game online and we are 2 goals down already.
2 points from Relegation - God help usPosted from
United States
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Lol…well I am actually in Barbados (usually it is logged as such).
Villa just scored. Hurray!!!
Posted from
Canada -
I wonder why Mora would be keeping(Im not saying the goals were his fault) when we have Santi in the squad.
The good thing about this (If we lose) is that Koeman gets fired.
Men - I cant wait.Posted from
United States -
5-1…am I in a perpetual nightmare!?!?
Posted from
Canada -
I wonder why the board is so blind to all of this.
We have broken all the negative records possible under Koeman.
Are they going to wait till we drop to Seconda???
C’mon fire this guy ASAPPosted from
United States -
An absolutely disgraceful performance. He won’t last the week.
Posted from
United Kingdom -
i thikn koeman should be fired, i think he had his chances, our club is sinking into a losing mentality, i hate how every club even the clubs tht r having bad season can become motivated from beating our asses! we r humilated
Posted from
United Arab Emirates -
good point Ali , i think it is all about passion
look at ARSENAL when they lost the passion and thought themselves champions , they lost everything .
we need a real manager with excellent tactical mind ( Capello , Mourinho ) and can fire these players ( QQ ) he had his own magic on silva and albiolPosted from
United States -
Koeman should leave. Even though the administration brought him in at a bad time he seemed to be off point tactically during his stay. The administration has been to blame in my opinion for the recent issues the team has had. No quality players have been bought except Villa, Banega, Maduro, Silva and Joaquin. We have constantly lost good players and with the exception of the heart of Angulo, Albelda’s experience and Canizares’ inspirational displays it hasn’t become any easier of late. Too many changes were being made at the same time and therefore the solution was overlooked. It is a sad time for the team. Even today…3 goals were unlucky but having said that we started defensively. All Koeman had to do was play Villa, Morientes, Mata, Maduro, Baraja, Banega and the back four from today. How can you play defensively with no player like Banega to link the defense to the attack.
Posted from
Canada -
Finally Ali - You have ’seen the light’
Im surprised you are now calling for Koeman’s head.
I had been screaming this from when he was signed that he wasnt the answer to our problems.
I just didnt believe he would be this bad.
Now we still have one record to break under him - The first club to win the Copa and get relegated in the same season.Posted from
United States -
Wow, this is is embarasing…
and why wasn’t Timo keeping (I wasn’t able to watch the game)
Posted from
United States -
I feel like crying.. Incredible scoreline. If Koeman is not fired this week, surely he’ll be here next season.. I can’t imagine what else needs to happen. Really, if we get relegated there’d be no point in wasting 6 million euros to fire Koeman at that point, would there?
Posted from
United States -
Well Caesar must be “coming down from a high” with a bang after his Ath/Val draw prediction. The result yesterday was the reason I said a couple of weeks ago that they should get rid of Koeman before the cup match.
If the team were capable of winning then they would win whoever was in charge. Koeman adds nothing to a match but distruction, but for the one-off Cup Final, the team were able to motivate themselves out of the depths they have been sent by the Voodoo man Koeman.Quite incredible under the desperate circumstances that he was allowed to play Mora with Canizares on the sidelines, still one of the best Spanish goalkeepers in the Liga. In a practice for a possible Cup draw, Koeman had the Players practicing penalty kicks and the goalkeepers had 12 each
Cani saved 4, Hildebrand 2, Mora 0.
Joaquin got some publicity by saying that with Koemans tactics, they are running around like headless chickens but it is the Valencia Directors and President who are doing this for allowing things to deteriorate in such a disastrous fashion. I hope by the time you read this
K has got the sacK……….Adios AlmendrasPosted from
Spain -
reading this made me feel so bitter and disillusioned =(
Posted from
Singapore -
Emergency talks ongoing about Koeman’s future.. fingers crossed he gets chopped
Posted from
United States -
They r gonna roll his head thos afternoon! oscar fernandes is getting incharge! who will coach us, i hope its not recingls coach, i want big name coah nd big name players! i want for the losing mentality to go away!
Posted from
United Arab Emirates -
almendras,spot on with your comments on the keeper situation,but bertie big bollocks has said santi will never play again,so there you go ,5 goals is ok as long as koeman is right.
you know id like to here koeman say sorry,sorry got it wrong,so many times.Posted from
Spain -
KOEMAN IS OUT VORO IN UNTILL END OF SEASON
Ive just read this on line in the Levante, all I know at present………Hoorah !!! AlmendrasPosted from
Spain -
Hi, me again, from the Wikipaedia I have the following
VORO nickname of Salvador Gonzalez Marco born in 1963
amongst other clubs played for Valencia 1985 to 1993
Played for Spain 1993 to 1995 and was in the 1994 World Cup team. Thats it, I dont know so far if he has had training experience……Almendras 6.50pm Spanish timePosted from
Spain -
Hi. This is my 3rd attempt as the signal breaks down. VORO is Salvador Marco. Played for Valencia 1985 to 1993 and for Spain ‘93 to ‘95. He was in the 1994 World cup Spanish team. I dont know if he has training experience but he cant do worse than Koeman who has lost the last 6 liga matches and you go back 11 matches to find a win….Adios
Posted from
Spain -
Hi, just a short one. Ruiz and Assistant is out and Juan Sanchez will be taking over…..cheers !!
Posted from
Spain -
just read that too.im so so over the fucking moon.koeman i will hate you till the end of my days for what you have done in your short time here.
Posted from
Spain -
FINALLY!! KOEMAN IS GONE!! Reprieve for Albelda, Cani and Angulo??
Posted from
United States -
Koeman is gone but we still have to work hard to remain in the top flight. I’ll ‘celebrate’ at the end of the season. In the end it is up to the players to play even if tactics are not optimum.
Posted from
Barbados -
Yup hes gone! im glad he is, but i wouldn’t like to see albelda back to tell you the truth! i hate that guy, i wouldn’t mind leting cani on the bench instead of Mora and Angulo on the bench to substitute for players that are tored or if we have an important game to come, but Albelda after he took Valenica to the court! i would sell him to clubs like Osasuna or smthing lool! he got None respect from me and i seriously wouldn;t wana see his big head stupid haircut playing!
Posted from
United Arab Emirates
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