What’s Become of My Favorite Club?

By: Cesar | September 3rd, 2007

I’m keeping this short and sweet as we’re in the middle of a federal holiday here in the United States. It’s a rare day I get off, so I’m leaving to enjoy the sun and fun.

Because of the holiday and because they refused to show the Almeria-Valencia game in the States, I wasn’t able to watch. According to the comments left on the blog and various reports around the ‘Net, I should be glad I didn’t.

Three shots on goal, none in the first half. No intensity or fire from our boys. Almeria dominating us from start to finish. Moretti, our leading scorer the last 8 league matches, saves us again. A defender. Our leading scorer. That sums it up quite well …

Moretti found the back of the net and what proved to be the winner after a free-kick involving substitute Arizmendi (on for Mata, who went from a sub to a starter in about … oh, 5 minutes), which presented the Italian with a golden opportunity in the final stages. He netted the goal and prevented our boys heading home in shame and embarrassment.

I can’t say much more about the match since I didn’t see it.
That’s one of the travesties of blogging about Valencia here in the States. Sometimes it’s not possible to see every game. But as I said before, maybe I should be glad I didn’t see this one.

From all indications, we looked like rubbish. Yes, Joaquin and Villa were both out. There was some sort of re-coordination that needed to happen because of their absences. But based on watching the first game against Villarreal and reading about the Almeria one, we look slow, unconditioned and unmotivated.

Look, I’m making rash judgments. The season just started. We need to mesh and get into the flow of the long campaign. Remember, it’s a marathon, not a dash. We did get the three points yesterday … I just have an uneasy feeling about this season so far … an uneasy feeling about the work coach Quique Sanchez Flores is doing with the obvious talent he has at his disposal. Reading some of the reports in the Spanish ‘press’ gives one the indication this club is on the verge of mutiny. They see the gaffer as a total flake, someone that treats them like children (I read this in MARCA, a paper as reliable as the now-defunct Weekly World News with their stories of ‘Batboy’). Still, one has to wonder what he’s doing to the club. It almost makes me wish Claudio ‘Clownio’ Ranieri was back … well, maybe not.

And Sneijder scored 2 more for Real Madrid yesterday … Uggh …