The One Thing Wrong with Valencia

By: Cesar | September 27th, 2008

This has been pointed out by Dina in yesterday’s comments and by some other posters around the internet, the one thing wrong with Valencia CF as currently constructed: Our lack of another goalscorer besides David Villa.

Look at the numbers: In 4 games, Villa has scored half of Valencia’s 8 goals, tied with Florent Sinama Pongolle of Atletico Madird and Rafael Van der Vaart of Real Madrid as Pichichi (leading scorer) of La Liga.

The other four goals have come from Mata (2), Vicente and Alexis.

Ok, now Villa’s a striker so it’s great that he’s scoring goals as often as he is.

And while we’re all happy that he wasn’t out for three games as originally reported last week, there’s a worrying trend here.

Sure, Mata is scoring here and there. Vicente put a nice one in. Silva will score when he comes back. The team has firepower.

They just haven’t shown it just yet.

There’s an extreme over-reliance on El Guaje right now that is somewhat worrying. We all thought he’d get a rest against Osasuna after his knee injury in Portugal. Instead he played the entire game. Ok, so we thought midweek against Malaga would be the day he was rested.

No. He played the entire game. Scored two wicked goals, but played the entire game.

With Villa’s commitment to the national team plus UEFA Cup matches, the Asturian striker will play a whole lot of minutes by the time this season is at its halfway mark.

If he’s healthy and scoring goals, great.

But if he starts getting fatigued, picks up little nagging injuries, goes through a scoring lull, etc. we will rue the day we didn’t pick up what we really need: a creative, goal scoring midfielder.

Van der Vaart, anyone?

Well, bygones are bygones.

And the over-reliance on Villa may be a question of giving it to the hot hand at the right moment.
I just wish we had someone else to score the goals. I wish the load could be shared.

In other words, let’s hope Villa can keep this up!

Speaking of Villa, he had some direct words for the rest of Spain today, saying he wants the league championship with Valencia … and soon.

“The thing that I lack on my cover sheet, that I want to have, is to see Valencia win the league,” he said, “I would love that a lot more than either the Pichichi or the Ballon d’Or.”

“It is frustrating not to be in the Champions League because you see all the big teams and we are not there, but it gives us extra motivation for this year. The annoyance at having to watch the games rather than play should help us to qualify this time,” he said.

Villa went on to say that signing his contract extension a few weeks ago was the best day of his summer.

“After all that had happened over the months before … the day that I signed my contract was the happiest of the summer,” he began, “It was a very important day that caused me to realize many things, such as where I was really wanted and that the club really had faith in me.”

“This year I hope to obtain the Pichichi and the league title, because they can go hand in hand. What is more important though is the team and being part of that photo when Valencia are proclaimed champions of the league,” he concluded.

Ahh, good good lad …

It’s Deportivo La Coruña at the Mestalla tomorrow afternoon, a match that used to be one of the biggest on our fixture list years ago.

Depor’s fallen on hard times of late, but as the game preview puts it:

(Depor) build their entire gameplan on operating as a unit, in essence to shut down the opposition attack with a defensive and midfield wall.

Deportivo have operated as such for many seasons now, most often resulting in a steady, unspectacular mid-table finish. But Lotina undoubtedly has a problem on his hands at the moment, for the once ‘Super’ Depor have not scored a goal ,either domestically or in Europe, since the surprise opening day win over Real Madrid.

It remains their only triumph to date, though the Galicians were only prevented from finding the net in their last home game by Miguel Moya’s goalkeeping clinic as Mallorca took a point from the Riazor. Deportivo have been without leading centre-forward Riki due to injury, and his return will surely help give the La Liga champions of 2000 some extra punch, but expect a typically dogged display from the visitors at the Mestalla.

Valencia sometimes struggle to break down well-drilled teams that come to defend, but the threat of a counter strike from Depor is a must in order to prevent an all-out onslaught from Emery’s men. It looks like it will be all hands to the pump for the north western club.

I think he’s trying to say to watch out for a defensive Depor squad.

Their form has been somewhat shoddy …

Deportivo

DREW 0-0 (A) Osasuna (24 Sept - La Liga)
DREW 0-0 (H) Mallorca (21 Sept - La Liga)
LOST 2-0 (A) Brann (18 Sept - UEFA Cup 1st Round, 1st leg)
LOST 1-0 (A) Villarreal (14 Sept - La Liga)
WON 2-1 (H) Real Madrid (31 Aug - La Liga)

And we are getting Vicente back from injury, although Timo is still not on the player list this week.

Will Villa get a break? I doubt it. I mean, after all I said above, would you rest the hot hand?

Depor’s struggling and this is a game we should win.

Another 3 points? Another goal from Villa? Another week at the top of the table?

I’ll take all of them, with a wary eye to the future …