The End is Near …

By: Cesar | June 11th, 2007

Nothing good came out of the Valencian derby this weekend.

Save for Levante who ensured they will be playing La Liga football next season after defeating Los Che in an incident-packed derby that saw six goals and four sendings-off.

We lost 4-2 but more importantly, we lost Roberto Ayala. That’s it. El Raton doesn’t even get a proper farewell this coming weekend at the Mestalla, and maybe it’s all for good. It’ll be sad to see him playing for Villarreal next season. But what can you say? He was a great player for the squad the last seven years. He will be missed. But it’s time to move on.

It feels like many goodbyes in some ways. The old guard is just that - old.

Canizares is 37. Timo Hildebrand from Stuggart is signed, sealed and in Valencia, ready to replace him. Baraja’s creaky, even with his late goal on the weekend. Ayala’s gone, Vicente’s always hurt, Albelda looks like he’s lost a step …

That’s why this Wesley Sneijder business is so frustrating. If we can’t bring up the money to get a talent like this, what does it say about every other young lad that comes up the football ladder who we might be interested in? It sets a dangerous precedent. It shows we’re not serious about being an elite club. Never mind the coach, sporting director and president situations.

So we lose and now it’s the end of the season, Jornada 38 against Real Sociedad, a team with everything to play for. They need the points, or it’s down to the Second Division.

You think they could throw us a few million Euro so we can buy Sneijder?
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By the way, great finish to the La Liga season. As dramatic as it gets … who am I rooting for? At the end of the day, I can’t bring myself to cheer for the Catalans. Madrid isn’t much better, but I respect them more … may the best team win. (Hopefully, that won’t incite any hate … it’s called fence sitting, my dear readers. My friends know who I’m rooting for, though …)