Oh Well …

By: Cesar | November 29th, 2007

So that ends that.

No trips to Moscow for me this season to see our lads in the Champions League final.
But maybe it’s for the better. Maybe we need this shake-up to reorganize, weed out the bad elements, focus on the task at hand and give the new gaff a chance to ingrain himself to the Mestalla bench.

I’m not saying I wouldn’t have liked to progress. It’s just that we didn’t deserve to.
Although I must say our second half surge, the spirited way we fought back at Schalke 04 after being down a man, promises better days.

We’ll be ok, folks. Not to worry.

With that said, I’d like to say something a bit controversial: Please, No UEFA Cup.
Let’s just forget about Europe for the rest of the season.

I say let’s focus on Spain, train to do well there (we’re only 5 points behind Real Madrid) and that’s it. Why waste our time in Europe’s second division? This isn’t meant as a put down to any club that plays in the UEFA Cup. It’s just that there’s no point to it. We won the Cup in 2004 and that was all well and good. But now, I don’t see the draw to playing in this competition, as an elixir to the pain of being eliminated from the Champions League.

The best remedy would be to win the League, to do well enough that we’re back in the Champions League next season. That’s what I want, not another run at Europe’s consolation prize.

So, a few thoughts:

- I couldn’t watch the game. Was at work. That didn’t ease my stomach pain or my anxiety as I read the game. It really stinks not being able to watch, but as I said before, maybe it was for the best.

- What was Albelda thinking? In a big game, our captain came up short with an ill-advised tackle on a streaking Rafinha. Poor challenge. And he was sent off, bringing us down to 10 men for nearly an hour.
I love Albelda and everything he’s meant for the club. But I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: He and the rest of the old guard need to go. Their time here is done. We need new blood, younger blood. Guys that aren’t comfortable with their positions and are willing to fight a little more for the club.
Albelda, Baraja, Canizares … thanks for everything. But it’s time.

- Edu played great. So did Fernandes. They linked together well. That’s a positive, no?

- Where was Villa last night? I’ve been reading a lot of negative comments about El Guaje around the Internet. Maybe he’s laboring for a move away, maybe he’s not motivated, maybe … whatever. He’s paid to do a job and he didn’t do it yesterday. If he wants to leave, leave! Don’t destroy my club in the process!
He didn’t play his best game and I’m sorry to see the wonder striker return to Earth some. Hopefully he’ll pick it up soon. We do need an on-form Villa to contend this season. Maybe he’s just tired? I dunno …

- Vicente looks wicked. So happy to have him back and healthy.

After the game, Joaquin had this to say:

“Starting the competition this way was not our intention,” he said. “But we made it too complicated as soon as we started it. The game with Schalke could have been another result, but David Albelda’s sending off made it too difficult.”

Despite the setback, Joaquín has found some reasons to be cheerful and is now setting his sights on a pushing up in the league table.

“We played better football during the second half of the competition but it was too late. I think that we lost with the right attitude, with the intention to do well,” he continued.

“We have to turn the page now and to think of La Liga because it is not over yet.”

He’s right. It’s not over yet. And although we’re out of the Champions League, there’s a new optimism in the air.

C’mon lads! AMUNT!!