Tidbits
By: Cesar | April 15th, 2009
A quick one today as I’m off to the Midwest for the next few days.
There’s a lot going on, but not much going on with Our Beloved club.
It’s a big game against Sevilla this weekend, and everyone’s prepping for that.
Unfortunately, Italian defender Emiliano Moretti won’t be in attendance. He’s injured.
Problem is, so is Alexis, who filled in for Moretti against Sporting Gijon.
Should both be deemed unfit, Thiago Carleto could get a run as LB.
Oh oh.
Jesus Navas and Diego Capel running towards the green Carleto come the weekend? It’d make for a long game …
Meanwhile, Juan Soler has bankrupted his family business, Gran Via 37. He’s got a knack for that, eh?
David Villa caused some OH NO’s this morning with an injury scare during practice. But he’s a-ok.
Besides that, it’s the 1,237 daily transfer rumors that do my head in. I can’t be bothered anymore.
Local lads Villarreal were kicked out of the Champions League today by Arsenal. What can you do, eh?
And a bunch of Valencia Offside readers are to meet at the Mestalla this weekend to watch the game. If I weren’t in the States, I’d be joining you …
By the way, join me on Twitter if you get the chance.
Don’t forget to Facebook me.
And if you’re on Facebook, make sure to join the Valencia Offside group.
And oh ya, read my blog about the upcoming World Cup, Road to 2010 Final. I don’t talk about that nearly enough. If anyone can help out, please contact me.
Can you tell I have nothing to say today?
I hope I can watch the match this weekend. Depends where I am, the WiFi connection, the warmth, the way the wind blows and the state of the stock market. So many variables.
AMUNT and look for my quick barbs here and there while I’m on the road.
Category: Team News
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Comments
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It was an excellent game by our forwards (as usual), but if it werent for the red card im not quite sure we would have won this match.
Its true that Sevilla were playing a rough game, and they cant seem to deal with our quick counter-attacks, but they were better organized before the red card and better positioned.
Simply put ANY TEAM in la liga can score against us. Seriously if you have an OK forward up front all you have to do is give a decent cross and its a goal. No matter who is in our back four its gonna be a goal. If we dont make it in the top 4 this season we can only blame that issue. Emery has improved us greatly in our offensive play, but defensively we are still lacking.
Posted from
Kuwait
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Right now all we can think of is Betis…we should forget about who we are meeting next Saturday!
Posted from
Kuwait -
And Banega made the goal.com team of the week! Couldnt he have done that earlier in the year when we didnt care if Atletico won or lost?
Posted from
Kuwait -
I’m back … FINALLY!!!
But it’s too late here for a blog post …Stay tuned 2morrow for my blow-by-blow encounter with of all people, CLAUDIO LOPEZ!!!!
Posted from
United States -
@ Adimente. Are you high? Carleto at left back? LOL. MALAGA destroyed him. Barca or Real Madrid against him would be sad.
Cesar is not known? Too old? He is a keeper. He stands around all match. He doesn’t need to be young.
We should “blow away” Real Madrid? You do realize they are 2nd in la liga, right? They play ugly, but the league table doesn’t lie. You don’t get extra points for playing pretty football.
Barca’s defense is not the best. It’s good, but not the best.
Posted from
United States -
Eduardo Alvarez from ESPN predicts we will finish in Europa League spot.
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/columns/story?id=638824&sec=europe&root=europe&cc=4716
I hope we can prove him wrong.
Posted from
United States -
This article from Levante basically says that the stadium construction HAS NOT resumed and won’t for a while becasue the club can’t afford the steel beams and other materials to build the fucking thing.
RIDICULOUS!
Posted from
United States -
3 stories:
1) Joaquin denies acting like a big baby
2) Valencia interested in Espanyol defender Sergio Sanchez
3) Today marks one month activity at Nou Mestalla. We have no money to continue construction.
http://loco4losche.com/blogweb/index.php
Posted from
United States -
Hi, before we start thinking about players that are not actually playing (Sunny for instance) There is Sissi that is now with Recretivo (wasnt in the team in the match against us)I saw last Saturday Recre v Real Madrid (o-1)
Sissi played a brilliant game, I was very impressed. He was worrying the Madrid defence the whole match with his shots and crosses. I think Valencia sold him last August but they have the option to take him back.
The other guy of course is MIKU,(6 ft. and 22 years) he is on loan to Salamanca and scored 2 more goals last weekend against Albacete. He is their top goal scorer with 15 in 19 full appearances. Also scored a goal for his country this year.
He must be worth a shot, although Valencia with their track record would probably just let him rot on the bench.Posted from
Spain -
Yea, Miku is having a good year, but he would be a back up at best.
If Villa stays, he is a back up. If Villa leaves, Valencia will take that money and money they will get for Zigic to buy Negredo. Emery hates Zigic and loves Negredo.
Only way Emery won’t buy Negredo is if Real Madrid take up their option to buy him back first.
Sisi, meh. We have Pablo and Joaquin, even though I think Joaquin will leave in the summer.
Posted from
United States -
Juvetus really want Silva :S
Posted from
Australia -
Hmmm…I thought Sisi played as a left winger? He is good…but Mata, Silva and Vicente are better in that position.
As for Miku I havent seen him play but his stats are very impressive and it wouldnt hurt bringing him back as Morientes and Angulo are definitely leaving next season.
Regarding younger talents the only two players that I really hate Valencia for losing at such a young age are Emana (currently at Betis and a product of our youth system) and Sissoko. They both would have solved our midfield problems by now and we lost both of them for such a cheap price!
Other than those two players, I dont think we let a lot of talent go, but we certainly havent done much in terms of bringing quality youth players to form the core of the team (unlike Sevilla and Villarreal).
Posted from
Kuwait -
@Bob, Javier, Almendras (& everyone else that lives in Valencia), I’m going to be in Valencia this weekend for the Barca match – any of you guys going? Second, the club just informed me that tickets will go on sale at Servicaixa.com tomorrow – anybody know what time they usually go on sale? They failed to provide me with that information. I’m going to be flying to Madrid tonight and won’t get there till 11:30 am, which may be too late to get good seats.
Posted from
United States -
Fayez, Emana was from our youth system? How come!?
Posted from
United States -
tim.i buy at a local bar or the official valencia shops,there is one behind the main tourist office and in some of the centro comercials.( el saler for sure open at 10 am )
we are in fiesta so its going to be hard for me to get away cos i help out .BUT its valencia v barca, so at the risk of a few people getting the hump with me ,im gonna try and get there.
give us a phone no and ill let you know.cesar,got your MUNT.gis an address at bobhussey@mac .com
Posted from
Spain -
@ Fayez. Sisi is a right winger.
Posted from
United States -
Check this article by goal.com about the financial situation in La Liga. I dont quite believe everything but they state the debt of all 20 La Liga clubs is around 300 billion euros!!!!??? Crazy article, but some things worth reading about the ownership of clubs and the financial battle La Liga faces!
http://www.goal.com/en/news/12/spain/2009/04/21/1221293/spanish-football-faces-financial-ruin-says-liga-presidentPosted from
Switzerland -
Adimante – Barcelona have a horrible defence. Valdes is the most average goalkeeper at a top club (which explains why he cant get a game for Spain or even in the squad), Puyol is good when he doesnt have to think. When he just has to react and run after the ball he’s a beast. But in terms of positioning and in the air he has a weakness. Marquez has been back to his best this season but Pique is some way short of what a team like Barcelona should be starting in their backline. I know because he played for us and we decided to sell him as we have Evans who is a year younger and significantly better than him defensively. Pique has good passing skills and is a threat at set pieces, he certainly has some talent in the long run but he’s not a brilliant defender. Milito is injury prone and despite being a bit better in the air than Puyol, he too can be beaten aerially without too much trouble. It was Barcelona’s weakness last season, goals from headers. Dani Alves positions himself like a right winger. He’s great coming forwards but any time Barcelona conceed multiple goals or get beat, all of the opponent’s attacks are started from getting in behind Alves. He’s not a brilliant defender despite being amazing coming forwards. And Barcelona have a weak defence compared to the rest of the team. Their defensive record is simply dont to teams being scared of their attack. So they dont attack them with numbers because they’ll get caught on the counter attack. As well, Barcelona’s midfield works extremely hard to win the ball back and by playing 3 central midfielders the defence is given lots of cover. When teams have really gone at Barcelona and attacked them, they’ve let in a lot of goals like against Atletico. But teams havent done that often as it can be suicide if you get caught out in defence against Messi, Henry and Eto’o.
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I’m serious when I say this, anyone who considers Barcelona’s defence even “good” hasnt seen a “good” defence in a long time. Maybe after the encounter with Chelsea you’ll sing a different tune. I suspect Barcelona might win the tie, but Chelsea will be one of the best at nullifying Barcelona’s midfield and exposing their many weaknesses in defence. Drogba could have a field day.Posted from
United Kingdom -
Tomorrow Wednesday , Real Betis vs VALENCIA
so 5th win IN ROW ???
Live chat ???Posted from
United States -
@Bob, no worries, mate. I don’t have a cell phone that works overseas, but my Norwegian buddy’s # is (+47) 917-93-974. I’m off to the airport. Look for a drunken american draped in valencia gear in the stands of the mestalla on saturday boys! Amunt!!!!!!
Posted from
United States -
Squad for Real Betis:
Porteros: César y Guaita.
Defensas: Marchena, Maduro, Albiol, Alexis, Del Horno.
Centrocampistas: Albelda, Baraja, Edu, Vicente, Joaquín, Míchel y Pablo.
Delanteros: Villa, Mata, Morientes y Silva.–> Where the fuck is Miguel? Rested for the clash against Barcelona? –> Albiol as RB again? –> Maduro as CB?
–> Who will play LB? Alexis again? Or the returned Del Horno?
Posted from
Germany -
Well, well, well. They haven’t conceded a goal for like 6 or 7 games. Plus, their defense is what I can qualify to be attractive.
But… You’re probably considering Real Madrid’s as the best defense in La ligua… Be my guess.
Barcelona has the best defense in La Ligua, and by far the best. They’ll have difficulty with Chelsea… That’s true. But, their midfield is so perfect that it can easily defend and attack. Puyol is a incredible threat when he’s in the central position or left back. Plus, they’ll have Abidal. Alves combined with Messi will drill through any opposing team. So, even their defense can act as offense. What else can you ask? Barcelona are what Spain were during Euro. Their defense has problems, it’s true, but then again, they can easily recover from that.
Posted from
United States -
Adimente – if they play their defenders for the attacking threats they provide they will come undone. It will be the end of Barcelona in the champions league. You dont play your strikers on the merits of their defending, you dont play your defenders on the merits of their attack – they are bonuses to each player doing his main job. The main job of the back 4 and goalkeeper is to defend well and the standard of the players individually as well as the organisation between them is worse than a lot of top clubs. Maybe it doesnt seem so bad because the Spanish league hardly has any top class defenders. So in comparison you take a look at statistically the best defence in the league this season (Sevilla) and it doesnt look much better. But lets just say that none of Barcelona’s defence or keeper would get into Manchester United’s team. Or Chelsea’s. With the exception of Alves perhaps and only because United and Chelsea’s central defenders are so good as a unit that they can afford a player who plays right wing from right back and is always out of position. Rio and Vidic and Terry and Carvalho would fill in for that player and end the threat to the side. Pique and Marquez arent good enough to do that.
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Alves and Messi is Barcelona copying our tactic we used against them last season
We had Ronaldo and Evra pin back Messi and Zambrotta. They bought Alves and do the same thing now. Its a good tactic and offensively their version is better than ours imho. But defensively Evra is a lot better than Alves usually.Posted from
United Kingdom -
True… Alves is not quite a phenomenon in defense.
But, you say that not a lot of defender in La ligua could go in EPL teams? Wow. What about Puyol? He’s strong, fast, versatile, and has a lot of composure. If it wasn’t for him, Spain would have lost it during Euro. You’ve totally negliged Puyol’s incredible physical strength. Then, John TERRY? oh my god!!! The most overrated player I’ve ever seen!! He always gets hurt for nothing. I don’t get it! Why does Fifa keep rating him like 90 overall each year if he plays half a season? Plus, If those two were so good, how come they can’t get along when they play for the national team? AS for Puyol, he must keep up with the inconsistent Marchena and he still manage to do it (even thought Senna helps him a lot). But, to be sincere, there aren’t a lot of defenders in La ligua that is good enough to play in EPl.
Posted from
United States -
I agree that Terry is over rated, certainly. But next to Carvalho (who is the real star there) he is usually very solid in the backline and his questionable pace isnt shown up as much as it could be if he’s cornered one on one. Puyol is brainless. He’s tough and strong and a great athlete, but he’s not a defender who thinks too much and when he has to he gets caught out. I’ve seen him mess up far too often to consider him one of the best. He’s still better than most defenders but I couldnt pick him as one of the top 3 CBs for example.
Posted from
United Kingdom
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