The weight of the world has been lifted off our shoulders.
The birds are chirping. The sun is shining. The flowers smell wonderful and the effervescent coffee in the next room beckons us to enjoy the day …

Ok, it’s really cold, windy and rainy here in New York City this morning. But you know what? Who cares!

Valencia will be in La Liga next season!!!

Coming off our 5-1 destruction of city neighbors Levante, Valencia have assured themselves a place in next season’s competition.

Finally, that deep unsettling pain in my chest can dissipate.

So for all the QQ’s, for all the Ronald Koeman’s, for all the Juan Soler’s … we have survived …

It’s a strange feeling. I’m certainly happy we’re still in the league. I’m estatic we won the Copa Del Rey.

But is this a successful season? I don’t really think so.

Anyways, that debate can wait a week.

For now, our eyes turn to Atletico Madrid and our final game of the season.

But even more importantly, we turn inward and think about who will be playing their final games with us next weekend.

It could be that hat trick hero David Villa will be saying good bye. Wanna hear something ironic? Yesterday’s hat trick saw El Guaje tie Real Madrid sporting director and ex-valencianista Pedja Mijatovic on the list of all-time Valencia scorers with 56 … and where’s he going now?
His pace, finishing and vision for goal could be headed to England or the comfy confines of the Santiago Bernabeu and Real Madrid. Funny how these things work.

David Silva could be running through the San Siro midfield for Inter Milan in a few months.

Joaquin could be falling over and losing balls for Everton and Miguel could be full of prawn for Manchester United.

Change is in the air.

Vicente, Albelda (who, with this yellow card yesterday, probably played his last game with the club. He’s suspended for next week), Canizares and Angulo could join that list as could Maduro, Banega, Timo Hildebrand and Baraja.

That’s a lot of goodbyes. Not to mention the coming of a new coach. Emery? Marcelino? Who knows … and if you’ve been listening to the rumor mills, Juan Soler could be selling his shares any day now …

So many things could be different with our club in a matter of weeks.

Well, we have time to assess what’s happened this season and what will happen in the summer. For now, let’s enjoy the victory. Let’s enjoy the fact we’ll be playing top-flight Spanish football AND UEFA Cup football next season.

As reader Javier de Roque said, it’s like we finished 5th! I know, not really. But think about it. We’re in Europe and we’re still in La Liga. I shrug my shoulders and say, ‘Hey! Not that bad … right? Right??’

Not that good … but I’ll take it for now.

Voro? Any thoughts?

“It was a good result but the important thing is to try to resolve the situation as soon as possible. (Very very true …)

“The players have shown their qualities recently and we have managed to get ourselves out of trouble thanks to their efforts so the merit is theirs. Our previous games for example against Osasuna and Zaragoza were a little lucky but we have to try and carry that luck with us.

“It was not an easy game tonight as Levante did dominate for long spells, we scored with our first shot and perhaps this was the turning point.

“Football goes both ways, in Barcelona we played well but we were thrashed, to day it was in our favor.”

In closing, I’ll say this … and think about this some …

Who is in worse shape? Us or Barcelona?

Did you watch that game against Mallorca yesterday? For those that don’t know, Barca were up 2-0 and then let in 3 at home to lose, 3-2.

At least we had something to play for: survival.

Barca walked into a cauldron of fan dissent, people waving white hankies and calling for the president’s head. (We’ve seen that before, no?)

The negative energy fed the team and they lost their lead.

Now, they’re in for a thorough house cleaning. Players are bound to leave and different players are expected to come.

They have the money to weather the storm. But the expectations for the club are much greater than ours.

I don’t mean this in a negative way. But let’s face facts. Barcelona are one of the richest clubs in the world. They’re expected to be in the Champions League every season. They’re expected to be in at least the top 2 in Spain every season.

Anything less is a disappointment. Talk about pressure.

Sure, we flirted with relegation this season. We fired two coaches, saw players come and go and also witnessed utter fan frustration at the happenings at the Mestalla.

But when it all comes down to it, we won a Cup. We beat Madrid at home. We managed to shake off the negative effects of Koeman and are in next season’s La Liga.

There’s an air of possibility in our club.

Imagine the pressure Barcelona face. If they finish 4th next season, Pep Guardiola’s head will be on a plate for the Nou Camp faithful.

Sometimes, finishing 14th in the league is better than finishing 4th.

In that respect, we did ok.

I’m keeping this one short as I battle a torrid head cold that just won’t go away … the players better not catch anything either, as evidenced by the picture above which shows Marchena and Villa enjoying the wet conditions at Paterna.

They’re needed. Me? Not so much, as the great comments on the site more than make up for the blog.

Thanks for your wonderful insight and please keep it coming!

So after Wednesday’s tense 1-0 victory over Real Zaragoza, we’re a point from safety, a point from our late-season objective: staying in La Liga.

Should reigning champions Real Madrid defeat Zaragoza at La Romareda, we’re also safe.
So things are finally looking up for us … can you believe this is our objective? Staying in La Liga? Seems so long ago we were dreaming of Moscow nights and a date in the Champions League final. Now we’re clawing for scraps.

Not that I’m complaining, because staying in the league is our main objective these days. And if we succeed, let’s thank our lucky stars.

One point is all it will take. One point against city rivals Levante, who at 26 points sit in 20th and last place in the league. They’re already relegated and playing simply for pride.

We all might think this is a gimme game, but that’s not so. A club playing simply for pride, a club playing the string out, playing in their last local derby for some time, will be playing their hearts out.

And with the form we’ve shown week in and week out, nothing’s taken for granted.

I’ve said before that I have a special place in my heart for Levante.

I lived in the neighborhood and went to many games during my time living in Valencia.

But as much as I feel for Levante, this is a must win. Valencia has to go all-out, hoping to stifle any momentum our city neighbors hope to build.

Should be a good one …

Some tidbits:

- Keep the nominations for the Valencia season awards coming! There’s a whole community of people voting over at the Xtratime forum as well! Make your way over and make friends with Valencia fans from around the world!

- Goal.com thinks we’re going to win 3-1 in their game preview. What do you think?

- Vicente is hurt again. I love the guy. I really do. But he’s softer than a newborn baby’s bottom (weak metaphor, eh? I’m sick. Give me a break …) His time here is up.

- Is Almeria’s Unai Emery our new coach? Spanish media seems to think we’ve signed the hot coaching property to a two-year deal. But Emery said that’s hogwash.
“That I have signed something with Valencia is a lie. It is a lie that Valencia have secured Unai Emery,” Emery said, apparently talking to someone about himself in the third person.

- David Albelda dropped his case against the club. I guess some of the boos he heard on Wednesday upon reappearing caused him to change his mind.

Great man. Great player. You totally didn’t deserve what you got. I will miss you next season.

- Milan’s transfer consultant and super agent, Ernesto Bronzetti, claims that the Rossoneri’s bid for Ronaldinho may be over and they should also look elsewhere for reinforcements … like, Valencia, for example.

“There are many young players in Spain who are potential targets. Look at Valencia for example, they will need to sell following a poor season and they may be forced to get rid of some of their prized assets.”

Hmm, like Silva, Joaquin and David Villa?

So is that the respect we command around Europe? The spectre of a selling club hangs around us?
Pathetic what the people in charge of this club have done this season …

I need to lay down. More later …