The Dog Days of Football

By: Cesar | February 20th, 2008

Life took precedence the past few days so I’ve been away from the computer screen. Glad to be back, although I admit to being a bit melancholy.

You see, this is supposed to be the best time of the season to be a fan. It’s Champions League knockout round time, when the best of the best line up for the right to hoist the UEFA Champions League trophy, that big shiny monstrosity won by the likes of Real Madrid (9 times), Liverpool and AC Milan.

So where are we, you say? Home. Eating bon bons. Chatting with our best mate about how good Karim Benzema is (he’s wicked) or how flat Madrid looked against Roma last night.
This is the best time of year to be a fan … and it’s also the worst time to be a fan, especially when your club’s out of it, left behind, a mere afterthought.

Last season, we were knocking heads with the boys of Inter Milan, getting into a real cattle rouser at the end of the second leg courtesy of David Navarro’s sucker punch of Nicolas Burdisso.

From there, it was on to England and the unfriendly confines of Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge. A David Silva howler gave us hope. A Fernando Morientes knock in the second leg gave us dreams of Athens and the final. It wasn’t to be, courtesy of Michael Essien and Andriy Shevchenko.

But we left the Mestalla that night thinking, ‘We’re not that far off. We’ll be back and better next year.’

Well, that wasn’t to be. A loss to the same Chelsea followed by unspeakable losses to Norway’s Rosenborg, coupled with the sacking of QQ Sanchez Flores and untold of other misfortunes cast us out of Europe’s biggest competition. In fact, we didn’t even qualify for Europe’s consolation prize, the UEFA Cup. Instead, we’re fighting for our lives against the likes of Getafe and Almeria, trying to claw our way back into next season’s Champions League tournament.

It doesn’t look good.

I had the pleasure of watching the Getafe-Valencia match at Nevada Smith’s with readers Daniel and Ryan, who was up from DC. Along with Ryan’s friend, we made up 4 Valencia fans watching the game.
4, people! FOUR! I was lucky to find one other fan this time last year! So something’s brewing!

As for the game, nothing much to say really. We looked good in moments, but too spotty to say we’ve turned the corner. We’re just not very good. We passed the ball well at times. We actually have managed to play more of the game in the middle of the park instead of on the flanks.

But still, we’re not very dangerous when it comes right down to it.
The midfield doesn’t penetrate enough. David Villa doesn’t get the ball enough or causes himself to be expelled for stupid play (nice going on that red card, Guaje …) and the defense is *still* very porous.

Maybe it’s better we’re not involved in the Champions League the way we’re currently constructed. Can you imagine us playing the likes of Inter Milan or Arsenal now? We’d be laughed off the field. Sad to say, but you know it’s true.

Anyways, with Atletico Madrid dropping points, we actually picked up one on them and moved closer to 4th place. We’re 9th, with 34 points. 7 points from 4th-place Atletico, who have 41.

As I mentioned in my last post, it’s not an impossible dream to imagine us finishing 4th and heading back to the Champions League. According to my previous post, we’re still doing ok. A tie was expected somewhere in there.

Now it’s on to the Mestalla and a Saturday date with Recreativo. A game we should win, but hey … you never know these days. We beat them 1-0 the last time we played in September. Make your own judgment based on that.

Some other news …

First off, did you see the comments from Javier Arizmendi this week, where he said that although he’s played right back the past few weeks, he’s still a striker at heart? I can’t find the article now but he basically said he hasn’t forgotten that he’s a scorer first, a player second.

This muppet fancies himself a scorer? He’s about as bad a striker as I’ve ever seen. I’ve seen kids play striker better on sandlots than this sack of potatoes. For those that don’t believe me, take a look at this vault clip from his days at Deportivo … this one’s part of Arizmendi’s Comedy Classics, no?

Striker? Brother, please!

Moving on, what ever happened to David Albelda?

Oh ya, Valencia is being sued by him. The club’s trying to divide the team by asking players to testify against him, etc etc etc … How could I forget? You know, typical Valencian drama … *sigh*

Anyways, captain Ruben Baraja, 85, thinks it sucks. YOU THINK??

“This is shameful,” Baraja said while eating some applesauce. “We were once the envy of Europe, and now we must go to trial because the team’s captain wants to sue the club – it’s an extreme situation and I’d prefer that neither David nor the Club were damaged like this.”

Baraja, describing himself as a “straight person”, went on to deny allegations from Miguel Angel Angulo that two of his teammates had sold him out, resulting in his being exiled along with Albelda and Santiago Canizares.

“I’m not concerned with what he said,” continued Ruben.

“I respect his opinion, but it’s unfortunate that he put into question the integrity and professionalism of two colleagues, and fueled the fire.

“He’s not in good shape, and that’s what led him to make such a comment.

“Despite everything that’s going on, and all the rumors and unfortunate statements, this team cannot be reproached at all. The recent results are improving.” (Ya, like that Getafe 0-0 snoozefest.)

Defending his own conduct and with the assistance of a walker, he went on, “After eight (80?) years in Valencia, I’ve been respectful to players, coaches and presidents, and have played under all the coaches. Given the time I’ve spent here, disrespectful comments are just wrong. I won’t allow it.”

Well, he’s right to say it’s shameful. Shameful how the players were treated, shameful how the club’s directors now want Albelda’s teammates and friends to speak ill about him, shameful how we’ve played this season.

There’s a chance this won’t go to trial. But the damage has already been done … (By the way, take a look at this intriguing article from goal.com asking the question, ‘Who Needs David Albelda?’ Hmm … )

With looming court cases, lackluster play and a president in charge who doesn’t seem to know what he’s doing, it’s hard to be a Valencia fan these days … I love the team. I just wish the people running the team cared as much as the fans do.