The second win in a row, albeit a very lucky one. Judging by the performance last night Valencia CF didn't deserve to win and it was pure luck that we did in the last seconds of the match.
The play was started by Ever Banega as he released Sergio Canales deep on the left side, this one ran past his marker, managed to enter the penalty area and from the side pass the ball to Jonas who slotted the ball in the goal.
The match was overall close with both teams have few chances on goal, but nothing too serious. Most of the match was played in midfield, with back and forth between the teams. Both teams had quite a large amount of shots towards goal, but most were out of the bounds and only few on each side were on goal.
I'd even go on to say that Granada was a bit more dangerous when attacking, as Valencia CF was void of ideas when going forward and neither the wings, nor through the center were there any chances. The overall build-up play was poor and the players could retain the ball for longer and recycle chances, most of the time the ball was lost close to the 25 meters from goal and Granada transferred into attack.
The closing down was better than we've seen in the past this season, but it still wasn't good enough, there were still some risky situations and lackluster coverage from the midfield and defenders.
Not a match to brag home about, the performance was mediocre, but hopefully gives the players a bit of motivation and self belief. They still need to work hard and show much more, this type of performance won't win us many games in the future.
Technical Details:
Granada CF (0): Roberto, Nyom, Diakhaté, Murillo, B. Angulo, Recio, Iturra, Brahimi, Pereira, Buonanotte (Ighhalo, m. 79) y El Arabi (Riki, m. 68).
Valencia CF (1): Diego Alves, Joao Pereira, Mathieu, Víctor Ruiz, Guardado, Javi Fuego, Éver Banega, Jonas, Pabón (Bernat, m. 64), Fede (Feghouli, m. 71) y Postiga (Canales,m. 70).
Goals: 0-1. M. 90: Jonas.
Player Ratings:
Diego 6 - Had to make several saves, though wasn't really troubled and did well enough.
Joao 5 - Good performance, but not great and was rather poor when going forward. There was no link-up with Fede.
Ruiz 5.5 - More secure performance than I've seen from Rami or R. Costa and I think he should continue to start. Had few tackles in which he stole the ball and was generally on position.
Mathieu 5 - Less secure than Ruiz, but wasn't terrible like some previous matches.
Guardado 5 - Some mistakes in defense and failed to provide appropriate cover, but did go forward to a good extent and provide another man to pass to.
Fuego 5.5 - Went on about his duties quietly and did well defensively, but failed to provide the goods when going forward.
Banega 5.5 - Finally playing in his natural position as a central midfielder and the team is playing better, with more space in the middle and quicker passes, but this was generally a week performance.
Fede 5 - Pretty much invisible until middle in the second half when he went in the middle and had some forward arrays, but a rather weak performance overall.
Jonas 6 - In the right position at the right time and scored a goal to secure the win for Valencia CF. Other than the goal he wasn't very good and didn't even touch the ball too many times.
Pabon 5 - Still playing as a winger and its stifling his ability. Needs to play more centrally and while he has good pace, he is not very good at penetrating the defense from the wing.
Postiga 5 - Doesn't move very much and is mostly fixed in the penalty box, I think Djukic might need to put Pabon in place of Postiga and see what happens.
Subs:
Canales 6 - Provided the assist for Jonas goal and that is all that matters.
Feghouli 5 - I don't know what he is thinking, but his performances have been extremely poor this season and needs to show something, anything.
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Thursday, September 26, 2013
Real Betis 3-1 Valencia CF Match Report
Well its been sometime since this match was played, but I just couldn't write a match report after such a devastating loss. I also didn't watch the Europa League match and I was right, I saved myself a lot of trouble.
Against Sevilla we magically won and that gave me a little hope, a little willingness to at least watch the match against Granada which Valencia CF barely won at the last second basically.
Thing is the match against Real Betis was a disaster, the team was changed from the previous match and none of the players who got a chance performed good.
Oriol Romeu was a disaster as a defensive midfielder, Parejo lost the ball time and time again, didn't do anything going forward, the defense was terrible, especially Ricardo Costa and Mathieu wasn't very good either, but a bit better.
Anyways the whole performance was terrible and Valencia CF did manage to score a goal through R. Costa on assist from Ever Banega, but it was too little too late.
Player Ratings:
Diego 7.5 - Was called time and time again and made several saves. Was let down by the defense for the goals and couldn't have done more.
Joao 4.5 - Strangely poor performance by Joao who is usually solid at the back, but his level fell for this match and was beaten often on the wing.
R Costa 3.5 - Absolute trainwreck of a performance, you'd think this is some very young inexperienced defender and not one with decades of experience by this performance.
Mathieu 4 - A bit better than R. Costa, but that doesn't say much. Got beaten of few occasions way too easily.
Bernat 5 - Did well enough defensively, but failed to provide anything going forward.
Oriol 5 - Failed to pressure the Betis players, was caught out of position several times and generally a poor performance by him.
Parejo 4 - Lost the ball which lead to the first goal and went from weakness to weakness after that.
Pabon 5.5 - Was played out of position, but did have several runs forward and tried to make something happened, unfortunately did not have too many players to combine with.
Banega 6 - Provided the assist for the goal, but that was the highlight for him, otherwise he was average and lost quite a few ball in the middle of the park.
Jonas 5 - As always when played on the left wing he failed to deliver and was largely anonymous
Postiga 5 - I don't think he had even once chance. Was completely separated from the team and no one provided him with any sort of passes in dangerous positions.
Subs:
Feghouli 5 - Went in and was very quiet. Didn't do much and failed to convince for a starting spot.
Canales 5 - Provided some energy in the midfield and tried to get involved, but it just didn't work out in the time he had.
Against Sevilla we magically won and that gave me a little hope, a little willingness to at least watch the match against Granada which Valencia CF barely won at the last second basically.
Thing is the match against Real Betis was a disaster, the team was changed from the previous match and none of the players who got a chance performed good.
Oriol Romeu was a disaster as a defensive midfielder, Parejo lost the ball time and time again, didn't do anything going forward, the defense was terrible, especially Ricardo Costa and Mathieu wasn't very good either, but a bit better.
Anyways the whole performance was terrible and Valencia CF did manage to score a goal through R. Costa on assist from Ever Banega, but it was too little too late.
Player Ratings:
Diego 7.5 - Was called time and time again and made several saves. Was let down by the defense for the goals and couldn't have done more.
Joao 4.5 - Strangely poor performance by Joao who is usually solid at the back, but his level fell for this match and was beaten often on the wing.
R Costa 3.5 - Absolute trainwreck of a performance, you'd think this is some very young inexperienced defender and not one with decades of experience by this performance.
Mathieu 4 - A bit better than R. Costa, but that doesn't say much. Got beaten of few occasions way too easily.
Bernat 5 - Did well enough defensively, but failed to provide anything going forward.
Oriol 5 - Failed to pressure the Betis players, was caught out of position several times and generally a poor performance by him.
Parejo 4 - Lost the ball which lead to the first goal and went from weakness to weakness after that.
Pabon 5.5 - Was played out of position, but did have several runs forward and tried to make something happened, unfortunately did not have too many players to combine with.
Banega 6 - Provided the assist for the goal, but that was the highlight for him, otherwise he was average and lost quite a few ball in the middle of the park.
Jonas 5 - As always when played on the left wing he failed to deliver and was largely anonymous
Postiga 5 - I don't think he had even once chance. Was completely separated from the team and no one provided him with any sort of passes in dangerous positions.
Subs:
Feghouli 5 - Went in and was very quiet. Didn't do much and failed to convince for a starting spot.
Canales 5 - Provided some energy in the midfield and tried to get involved, but it just didn't work out in the time he had.
Sunday, September 22, 2013
Valencia CF 3-1 Sevilla FC Match Report
After a terrible string of heavy losses in both La Liga and the Europa League in which 12 goals were conceded within the span of 4 games, Valencia finally step up their game. There were still many faults in certain aspects of the game, especially the defense. However, relative to the previous games, there was plenty of energy, passion and a desire to win.
This result can be misleading though. While Sevilla were in theory direct rivals for the Champions/Europa League in recent years, this year they are an almost completely new squad. Having sold most of their players (most notably Negredo and Navas), they came into this game with two points and without a single win in the league so far. Even though, that could have meant a team with extra conviction, it was a team with no confidence. It's great that Valencia managed a win but the team shouldn't get their hopes too high.
The first half featured energy and potency that was lacking against previous opponents. Valencia managed more chances in the opening 10 minutes, than the entire game against Swansea. The team pressed for every ball and suffocated Sevilla in their own half. At times Valencia was overdoing it and making unnecessary challenges. The other big improvement was possession of the ball. Passes were, for the most part, more carefully made and thankfully much more accurate. The exception to that being the defense, more specifically, Ricardo Costa and much less Mathieu. Costa often messed up passes at the back and left Sevilla players get in one-on-one position that were, thankfully, either dealt with by Diego Alves or were not taken advantage of by Sevilla.
This game also featured noticeable wing-play (finally!!). Fede, who was substituted early against Swansea after Rami's red card, was the main protagonist on the wings. He cut-in, crossed, passed, assisted a goal and at was alternating wings and impressing on both wings (everything that Feghouli has failed to do recently).
The forwards proved more dangerous this game, with Postiga having shots on sight and Jonas bagging a brace. The first goal was slotted in from a Fede cross while the other one a long-range effort after a lay off from Pereira.
The final goal came from Ricardo Costa's substitute, Victor Ruiz who impressed in the time he was on. He was more solid at the back than Costa and was much more cautious with his passes.
Sevilla's only goal, which came after Jonas's first, was a result of poor marking. If you leave Gameiro unmarked he's going to finish, so he should obviously be closed down. However, he was left in acres of spaces and had no problem beating Diego Alves from that range.
So overall, huge step-up from previous games but not a reason to celebrate, not yet at least. Still at 9th in the league at 6 points. While it is better than the 16th position which we were in before the game, it's still disappointing. A lot of teams have double the points we do from the same number of games (5 games). A lot of the teams above us are beginning to drop points and this is the chance to climb. Next game is away against Granada, a perfect chance to build up the momentum. It's still a long season however. The question is if it will be one of promise or one of further disappointment.
Technical Details:
Valencia (3): Diego Alves; Joao Pereira, R. Costa (Victor Ruiz, m.58), Mathieu, Guardado; Javi Fuego, Banega, Fede; Jonas (Canales, m.78), Dorlan Pabón (Juan Bernat, m.70), Helder Postiga
Sevilla (1): Beto; Coke, Cala, Navarro, Alberto Moreno; M’Bia (Bryan Rabello, m.76), Rakitic, Jairo, Vitolo (Bacca, m.71), Marko Marin, Kevin Gameiro (Cristoforo, m.63)
Goals: 38min, 1-0, Jonas; 52min, 1-1, Gameiro; 73min, 2-1, Jonas; 83min, 3-1, Victor Ruiz;
Player Ratings:
Diego Alves 6 - Wasn't troubled that often by the Sevilla attack. When he was needed provided two good saves from close range.
Joao 6 - Great runs on the right flank as usual. Good partnership with Fede and was an active part of the forward runs while still maintaining his side of the defense. However, the conceded goal came from his side.
Costa 4 - Lost possession often and was slow to react afterwards. Poor performance overall by the captain. Easily beaten by Sevilla forwards and drawn too easily to the ball.
Mathieu 5.5 - Average display from the Frenchman. Covered for Costa's mistakes but made some of his own. Drawn easily to the ball.
Guardado 5 - Decent coverage at the back. Wasted possession at times with useless crosses when there was barely anyone up front.
Javi Fuego 6 - Was the epitome of the pressing game that Valencia played today. Quick to close down Sevilla attackers.
Banega 6 - Kept possession well for the majority of the game. His cross found Ruiz to clinch the win.
Still a long way from his best form and made a considerable number of careless passes.
Fede 7.5 (MotM)- Great all-round performance by the youngster. Proved his worth over Feghouli and terrorized the Sevilla defenders left, right and center. He was everywhere and even provided Jonas with an assist for the first goal. Should be a regular starter. Great night for him.
Jonas 7 - Stepped up to the plate when needed the most. Was in the right position for the first goal and produced a piece of magic for the second.
Pabón 6 - His pace posed danger to the Sevilla defense but failed to trouble the keeper. He had a really good chance in the first half but other than that he effectively stretched the Sevilla defense.
Postiga 5.5 - Really active in the first half and had many shots but couldn't convert. Pressured well but was almost invisible in the second half.
Subs:
Ruiz 6 - Solid at the back and marked his man well. If today is anything to go by, he should replace Costa as starter. Great positioning at the back post for the match clincher after a cross from Banega.
Bernat 5.5 - Was really quiet for the most part and was overshadowed by Fede who kept appearing on the left wing. When he did get the ball, he provided a few decent crosses.
Canales N/A - Not enough time.
P.S. Deepest apologies for not maintaining the site in the previous weeks. Had some issues to clear up but hopefully we will be able to post as normal.
Feel free to let us know what you think :)
AMUNT VALENCIA!!!
This result can be misleading though. While Sevilla were in theory direct rivals for the Champions/Europa League in recent years, this year they are an almost completely new squad. Having sold most of their players (most notably Negredo and Navas), they came into this game with two points and without a single win in the league so far. Even though, that could have meant a team with extra conviction, it was a team with no confidence. It's great that Valencia managed a win but the team shouldn't get their hopes too high.
The first half featured energy and potency that was lacking against previous opponents. Valencia managed more chances in the opening 10 minutes, than the entire game against Swansea. The team pressed for every ball and suffocated Sevilla in their own half. At times Valencia was overdoing it and making unnecessary challenges. The other big improvement was possession of the ball. Passes were, for the most part, more carefully made and thankfully much more accurate. The exception to that being the defense, more specifically, Ricardo Costa and much less Mathieu. Costa often messed up passes at the back and left Sevilla players get in one-on-one position that were, thankfully, either dealt with by Diego Alves or were not taken advantage of by Sevilla.
This game also featured noticeable wing-play (finally!!). Fede, who was substituted early against Swansea after Rami's red card, was the main protagonist on the wings. He cut-in, crossed, passed, assisted a goal and at was alternating wings and impressing on both wings (everything that Feghouli has failed to do recently).
The forwards proved more dangerous this game, with Postiga having shots on sight and Jonas bagging a brace. The first goal was slotted in from a Fede cross while the other one a long-range effort after a lay off from Pereira.
The final goal came from Ricardo Costa's substitute, Victor Ruiz who impressed in the time he was on. He was more solid at the back than Costa and was much more cautious with his passes.
Sevilla's only goal, which came after Jonas's first, was a result of poor marking. If you leave Gameiro unmarked he's going to finish, so he should obviously be closed down. However, he was left in acres of spaces and had no problem beating Diego Alves from that range.
So overall, huge step-up from previous games but not a reason to celebrate, not yet at least. Still at 9th in the league at 6 points. While it is better than the 16th position which we were in before the game, it's still disappointing. A lot of teams have double the points we do from the same number of games (5 games). A lot of the teams above us are beginning to drop points and this is the chance to climb. Next game is away against Granada, a perfect chance to build up the momentum. It's still a long season however. The question is if it will be one of promise or one of further disappointment.
Technical Details:
Valencia (3): Diego Alves; Joao Pereira, R. Costa (Victor Ruiz, m.58), Mathieu, Guardado; Javi Fuego, Banega, Fede; Jonas (Canales, m.78), Dorlan Pabón (Juan Bernat, m.70), Helder Postiga
Sevilla (1): Beto; Coke, Cala, Navarro, Alberto Moreno; M’Bia (Bryan Rabello, m.76), Rakitic, Jairo, Vitolo (Bacca, m.71), Marko Marin, Kevin Gameiro (Cristoforo, m.63)
Goals: 38min, 1-0, Jonas; 52min, 1-1, Gameiro; 73min, 2-1, Jonas; 83min, 3-1, Victor Ruiz;
Player Ratings:
Diego Alves 6 - Wasn't troubled that often by the Sevilla attack. When he was needed provided two good saves from close range.
Joao 6 - Great runs on the right flank as usual. Good partnership with Fede and was an active part of the forward runs while still maintaining his side of the defense. However, the conceded goal came from his side.
Costa 4 - Lost possession often and was slow to react afterwards. Poor performance overall by the captain. Easily beaten by Sevilla forwards and drawn too easily to the ball.
Mathieu 5.5 - Average display from the Frenchman. Covered for Costa's mistakes but made some of his own. Drawn easily to the ball.
Guardado 5 - Decent coverage at the back. Wasted possession at times with useless crosses when there was barely anyone up front.
Javi Fuego 6 - Was the epitome of the pressing game that Valencia played today. Quick to close down Sevilla attackers.
Banega 6 - Kept possession well for the majority of the game. His cross found Ruiz to clinch the win.
Still a long way from his best form and made a considerable number of careless passes.
Fede 7.5 (MotM)- Great all-round performance by the youngster. Proved his worth over Feghouli and terrorized the Sevilla defenders left, right and center. He was everywhere and even provided Jonas with an assist for the first goal. Should be a regular starter. Great night for him.
Jonas 7 - Stepped up to the plate when needed the most. Was in the right position for the first goal and produced a piece of magic for the second.
Pabón 6 - His pace posed danger to the Sevilla defense but failed to trouble the keeper. He had a really good chance in the first half but other than that he effectively stretched the Sevilla defense.
Postiga 5.5 - Really active in the first half and had many shots but couldn't convert. Pressured well but was almost invisible in the second half.
Subs:
Ruiz 6 - Solid at the back and marked his man well. If today is anything to go by, he should replace Costa as starter. Great positioning at the back post for the match clincher after a cross from Banega.
Bernat 5.5 - Was really quiet for the most part and was overshadowed by Fede who kept appearing on the left wing. When he did get the ball, he provided a few decent crosses.
Canales N/A - Not enough time.
P.S. Deepest apologies for not maintaining the site in the previous weeks. Had some issues to clear up but hopefully we will be able to post as normal.
Feel free to let us know what you think :)
AMUNT VALENCIA!!!
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
Valencia attempted to re-sign Mata
Feel free to let us know what you think :)
AMUNT VALENCIA!!!
Piatti stays
Knowing that he wouldn't be part of Djukic's plans, Piatti searched for another club all summer long. The Argentine winger had interests from Ukranian Club Metalist, Greek champions Olympiacos, Sunderland, Everton, Getafe and Almeria. With Piatti insisting to remain in Spain and agreeing to lower his wages so that Getafe can afford him, a loan move seemed imminent. However, an six-week injury sabotaged the move and forces Piatti to stay at Valencia. As it stands, the squad features 23-players, two players per position except for one with three:
CF: Postiga/Alcacer
LW: Piatti/Pabon
RW: Feghoul/Fede/Canales
CAM: Banega/Jonas
CM: Michel/Parejo
CDM: Fuego/Romeu
LB: Bernat/Guardado
LCB: Mathieu/Rami
RCB: Costa/Ruiz
RB: Pereira/Barragan
GK: Alves/Guaita
*These positions are as they were used in the latest games, some can be shuffled around
Feel free to let us know what you think :)
AMUNT VALENCIA!!!
Monday, September 2, 2013
Valencia CF 2-3 FC Barcelona Match Report
The first of the big matches is over for Valencia CF and if we take this as the crucial test of the team's strength than Valencia CF fails. I think realistically Real Madrid are overall better than Barcelona in that they have a more solid defense and would actually be a tougher opponent for Valencia CF than Barcelona.
Of course Atletico Madrid, Sevilla, Real Betis and surprisingly Villarreal this season wait in the wings as the likely remaining champions league spots challengers and there is big competition.
But anyways this match was basically the story of Valencia CF for much of recent history; inconsistent, terrible, brilliant, fighting, disappointing, surprising. All of these things into one match is what is a dual personality Valencia CF.
At one point the team was playing terrible and the next they are making Barcelona look like a low level tier team playing against the champions. At one point the team looks devoid of chances and ideas and the next point they look full of ideas and able to create chances.
The one thing we can definitely conclude after three matches this season is that we have a problem of losing the ball around the middle and our defensive positioning and lack of fast central defenders hurts us in these positions and ends up costing us with goals in our net.
The first goal of FC Barcelona was with one such mistake by either Canales or Michel, couldn't quite make it out from my stream, the second goal for Barcelona was from a lost ball in the middle by Banega and that cost us a goal as well. Third goal was a classic and normal goal I would say, any defense can succumb really, so not as big of a deal, but the two goals before it were preventable and shouldn't have happened.
Now the central defense was bad, but its not terrible, the big problem here is that both Rami and Costa are slow and thus they can't compete when a fast counter attack like that happens and they simply get outrun. Our defensive positioning is also lacking in these type of positions as both the full backs are so far forward in these cases they can't do anything, they can't help in any way.
So, I'd say a combination of poor individual defending, poor defensive positioning and the tendency for the players to lose the ball in midfield is costing Valencia dearly. You don't want to be risky in midfield if you have slow defenders and lackluster defensive positioning, you need to play more careful. I think this is mostly a tactical error as the coach should know the team strengths and weaknesses and advice the players how to play and I strongly believe he needs to advice them to be extremely careful of the passing in the middle, especially when coming out of defense. Its not a problem if the team loses the ball from attack, but when coming out of defense then its a big problem as we've seen.
So yeah, two of the goals were by mistakes made in the middle and the type of defenders that we have who are very slow, but also the defensive positioning overall which has the team with two fullbacks really high up the pitch.
The third goal by Barcelona was generally a good play by their players, though Ricardo Costa maybe could have reacted faster, I also think Fuego generally failed to provide appropriate cover to prevent this type of passes as well and I don't think he was helped much by Canales either who should have been more mindful of covering on the right side there.
Valencia's goals came from rather good play in that the team was really all out attacking and Joao Pereira's cross was accurate towards Postiga and this one was able to score from a good position.
The second goal came from a Banega corner and it was Postiga again who headed the ball into the net and this was all preceded by few good actions in front of Barcelona's goal.
Overall I think Valencia CF lost the first half, but made amends by scoring two goals in a span of 2 minutes of just all out attacking and pressure on Barcelona and the second half belonged to Valencia CF who controlled the match, were more confident, were able to string good number of passes and were able to attack Barcelona and be dangerous to their goal, while Barcelona also had their chances to increase their lead, but their play was overall weaker and they were on the defensive.
I think the game really slowed down for Valencia CF and the team had lower chances of scoring when Feghouli was introduced. He came in for Banega and didn't do anything. His performances this match and overall this season and even in the preseason have been terrible and I would have liked to see him loaned out and Viera staying, but that's another article.
Overall the team recouped from the 3 goals deficit disaster where they could barely move out of their own third and fought back and made the result and loss bearable, but now the team is still on only 3 points from 3 matches and already falling behind in the race for champions league spots. Additionally now there is added pressure of winning and doing good in the next few matches, so that weighs heavily on the players and coach as well.
I think one possibility is that we are going to see a change in the defense, I think Djukic was devastated by the poor defending and even though some of the situations were hard to deal with, if you are a top defender you are going to be able to deal with and that is what makes you good, failing time and time again is a sure sign of poor defending.
I also hope to see better tactical knowledge and for Djukic to speak to the players where to play safer, where to play more aggressive, that sort of thing to prevent these goals from lost ball situations.
Technical details:
Valencia CF (2): Diego Alves, Joao Pereira, Rami, Ricardo Costa, Guardado; Javi Fuego, Míchel (Dani Parejo, m. 81), Banega (Feghouli, m. 68), Pabón, Canales (Jonas, m. 68) and Postiga.
FC Barcelona (3): Víctor Valdés, Dani Alves, Mascherano, Piqué, Jordi Alba, Busquets, Cesc Fábregas (Dos Santos, m. 78), Iniesta, Pedro (Tello, m. 70), Neymar (Sergi Roberto, m. 90) and Messi.
Goals: 10min, 0-1, Messi; 38min, 0-2, Messi; 41min, 0-3. M, Messi; 44min, 1-3. Postiga; 45min, 2-3, Postiga.
Player Ratings:
Diego 6.5 - Insecure when passing to players and made some bad, risky passes and you could argue could have done more for the first goal for example, but he did made several saves, especially two consecutive saves in the second half where Barcelona could have sealed the deal. Largely let down by the defense though.
Joao 7 - Mostly dealt with the threat of Neymar even though he had big lack of support from Canales and was like a one man army having to deal with everything, he was also the sole wide player on the right and played half as a winger, half as a defender. He had a good night though and provided the assist for the first goal.
Rami 4 - Once again generally insecure performance, slow on the feet, slow to close down, lack of understanding with Costa, you name it. Not a defender that I would trust and be secure with.
R. Costa 4 - Usually the more confident and more stable of the two, this match he was really insecure and generally too unaware and too slow to react. Between the two central defenders Valencia CF could have easily conceived 2-3 more goals.
Guardado 6 - Not troubled by Pedro at all, he covered his position well enough, but was not as adventurous or capable going forwards as Joao. Had one good chance where he shot from close range, but the shot was very inaccurate.
Michel 5.5 - Was a bit better than Canales in his play and more solid defensively, but had a frustrating performance. I think he was the one that lost the ball for the first goal, but either way his score is low enough without it as well that it won't even matter much.
Canales 5 - Largely ineffectual and it was no surprise to me at least as he was playing in a very deep position and he's a very forward midfielder. Was supposed to play as a makeshift right winger and cut inside, but mostly failed to do so.
Fuego 5 - Nothing of notice from the defensive midfield, I feel like he was rather lackluster closing down the Barcelona players and didn't provide much to the game overall. Very simple, easy passes and staying out of the action.
Banega 6.5 - He lost the ball for the second goal very easily, it shouldn't have happened, but was one of the better players overall on the field, especially in the second half where he was the creator of most of the movement and chances. Had one great pass to Pabon in the first half, tried a shot on goal as well and generally contributed well going forward.
Pabon 6 - Very active on the left and gave Barcelona trouble, he had two shots on goal and combined well with the other players. Promising performance for his first match in a Valencia CF shirt after only few training sessions.
Postiga 7.5 - Scored two goals and found himself in good positions, generally fought harder compared to previous matches and was more active.
Subs:
Feghouli 4 - Didn't contribute anything. As good as if he wasn't on the pitch.
Jonas 5.5 - Had one shot that hit the post and contributed in few attacks, but unable to change the outcome of the match.
Parejo N/A - Not enough time.
Of course Atletico Madrid, Sevilla, Real Betis and surprisingly Villarreal this season wait in the wings as the likely remaining champions league spots challengers and there is big competition.
But anyways this match was basically the story of Valencia CF for much of recent history; inconsistent, terrible, brilliant, fighting, disappointing, surprising. All of these things into one match is what is a dual personality Valencia CF.
At one point the team was playing terrible and the next they are making Barcelona look like a low level tier team playing against the champions. At one point the team looks devoid of chances and ideas and the next point they look full of ideas and able to create chances.
The first goal of FC Barcelona was with one such mistake by either Canales or Michel, couldn't quite make it out from my stream, the second goal for Barcelona was from a lost ball in the middle by Banega and that cost us a goal as well. Third goal was a classic and normal goal I would say, any defense can succumb really, so not as big of a deal, but the two goals before it were preventable and shouldn't have happened.
Now the central defense was bad, but its not terrible, the big problem here is that both Rami and Costa are slow and thus they can't compete when a fast counter attack like that happens and they simply get outrun. Our defensive positioning is also lacking in these type of positions as both the full backs are so far forward in these cases they can't do anything, they can't help in any way.
So, I'd say a combination of poor individual defending, poor defensive positioning and the tendency for the players to lose the ball in midfield is costing Valencia dearly. You don't want to be risky in midfield if you have slow defenders and lackluster defensive positioning, you need to play more careful. I think this is mostly a tactical error as the coach should know the team strengths and weaknesses and advice the players how to play and I strongly believe he needs to advice them to be extremely careful of the passing in the middle, especially when coming out of defense. Its not a problem if the team loses the ball from attack, but when coming out of defense then its a big problem as we've seen.
So yeah, two of the goals were by mistakes made in the middle and the type of defenders that we have who are very slow, but also the defensive positioning overall which has the team with two fullbacks really high up the pitch.
The third goal by Barcelona was generally a good play by their players, though Ricardo Costa maybe could have reacted faster, I also think Fuego generally failed to provide appropriate cover to prevent this type of passes as well and I don't think he was helped much by Canales either who should have been more mindful of covering on the right side there.
Valencia's goals came from rather good play in that the team was really all out attacking and Joao Pereira's cross was accurate towards Postiga and this one was able to score from a good position.
The second goal came from a Banega corner and it was Postiga again who headed the ball into the net and this was all preceded by few good actions in front of Barcelona's goal.
Overall I think Valencia CF lost the first half, but made amends by scoring two goals in a span of 2 minutes of just all out attacking and pressure on Barcelona and the second half belonged to Valencia CF who controlled the match, were more confident, were able to string good number of passes and were able to attack Barcelona and be dangerous to their goal, while Barcelona also had their chances to increase their lead, but their play was overall weaker and they were on the defensive.
I think the game really slowed down for Valencia CF and the team had lower chances of scoring when Feghouli was introduced. He came in for Banega and didn't do anything. His performances this match and overall this season and even in the preseason have been terrible and I would have liked to see him loaned out and Viera staying, but that's another article.
Overall the team recouped from the 3 goals deficit disaster where they could barely move out of their own third and fought back and made the result and loss bearable, but now the team is still on only 3 points from 3 matches and already falling behind in the race for champions league spots. Additionally now there is added pressure of winning and doing good in the next few matches, so that weighs heavily on the players and coach as well.
I think one possibility is that we are going to see a change in the defense, I think Djukic was devastated by the poor defending and even though some of the situations were hard to deal with, if you are a top defender you are going to be able to deal with and that is what makes you good, failing time and time again is a sure sign of poor defending.
I also hope to see better tactical knowledge and for Djukic to speak to the players where to play safer, where to play more aggressive, that sort of thing to prevent these goals from lost ball situations.
Technical details:
Valencia CF (2): Diego Alves, Joao Pereira, Rami, Ricardo Costa, Guardado; Javi Fuego, Míchel (Dani Parejo, m. 81), Banega (Feghouli, m. 68), Pabón, Canales (Jonas, m. 68) and Postiga.
FC Barcelona (3): Víctor Valdés, Dani Alves, Mascherano, Piqué, Jordi Alba, Busquets, Cesc Fábregas (Dos Santos, m. 78), Iniesta, Pedro (Tello, m. 70), Neymar (Sergi Roberto, m. 90) and Messi.
Goals: 10min, 0-1, Messi; 38min, 0-2, Messi; 41min, 0-3. M, Messi; 44min, 1-3. Postiga; 45min, 2-3, Postiga.
Player Ratings:
Diego 6.5 - Insecure when passing to players and made some bad, risky passes and you could argue could have done more for the first goal for example, but he did made several saves, especially two consecutive saves in the second half where Barcelona could have sealed the deal. Largely let down by the defense though.
Joao 7 - Mostly dealt with the threat of Neymar even though he had big lack of support from Canales and was like a one man army having to deal with everything, he was also the sole wide player on the right and played half as a winger, half as a defender. He had a good night though and provided the assist for the first goal.
Rami 4 - Once again generally insecure performance, slow on the feet, slow to close down, lack of understanding with Costa, you name it. Not a defender that I would trust and be secure with.
R. Costa 4 - Usually the more confident and more stable of the two, this match he was really insecure and generally too unaware and too slow to react. Between the two central defenders Valencia CF could have easily conceived 2-3 more goals.
Guardado 6 - Not troubled by Pedro at all, he covered his position well enough, but was not as adventurous or capable going forwards as Joao. Had one good chance where he shot from close range, but the shot was very inaccurate.
Michel 5.5 - Was a bit better than Canales in his play and more solid defensively, but had a frustrating performance. I think he was the one that lost the ball for the first goal, but either way his score is low enough without it as well that it won't even matter much.
Canales 5 - Largely ineffectual and it was no surprise to me at least as he was playing in a very deep position and he's a very forward midfielder. Was supposed to play as a makeshift right winger and cut inside, but mostly failed to do so.
Fuego 5 - Nothing of notice from the defensive midfield, I feel like he was rather lackluster closing down the Barcelona players and didn't provide much to the game overall. Very simple, easy passes and staying out of the action.
Banega 6.5 - He lost the ball for the second goal very easily, it shouldn't have happened, but was one of the better players overall on the field, especially in the second half where he was the creator of most of the movement and chances. Had one great pass to Pabon in the first half, tried a shot on goal as well and generally contributed well going forward.
Pabon 6 - Very active on the left and gave Barcelona trouble, he had two shots on goal and combined well with the other players. Promising performance for his first match in a Valencia CF shirt after only few training sessions.
Postiga 7.5 - Scored two goals and found himself in good positions, generally fought harder compared to previous matches and was more active.
Subs:
Feghouli 4 - Didn't contribute anything. As good as if he wasn't on the pitch.
Jonas 5.5 - Had one shot that hit the post and contributed in few attacks, but unable to change the outcome of the match.
Parejo N/A - Not enough time.
Saturday, August 31, 2013
Valencia CF vs FC Barcelona Match Preview
Valencia CF vs FC Barcelona Match Preview
Stadium: Mestalla
Date: 01.09.2013; 21:00 CET
3rd matchday, La Liga
Coaches: Miroslav Djukic and Gerardo Martino
Valencia CF
Valencia CF
Valencia CF are coming to this match after a miserable 3-1 loss to RCD Espanyol in which the team played terrible and deservedly lost the match by three goals to one, with a forgetful and miserable performance of a low tier relegation fighting team.
The match against FC Barcelona will be the chance for the players to overcome the last match and prove that they are capable of challenging Barcelona and that they are better than was they shown last match, but realistically I personally doubt they can really do much against Barcelona.
Atletico Madrid proved that FC Barcelona are vulnerable and can be beaten, but their organization and defending was impeccable and much of it is how good Atletico Madrid played, rather than Barcelona being weak or anything like that. So for Valencia CF to have a close game all of the players would have to step up their game significantly and team play has to be impeccable.
Latest news from the Valencia CF camp are that Jonathan Viera our best preseason player has been loaned out to Rayo Vallecano in what is absurdly strange decision. I mean the team is getting weaker and weaker by the minute, we barely have any real wingers, our two matches this season we barely scored 2 goals with just huge luck and our wing play has been virtually nonexistent. So to sell Viera at this point in time and with a squad so low on wingers is really questionable, especially since Viera was one of the best preseason players.
This match will show us a lot though, it will show us the tactics, the team play, the ability, the desire, the work, etc... of whether the overall staff in Valencia CF know what they are doing or they are absolutely clueless. If we lose significantly against Barcelona at home in the Mestalla, then the team will likely have no chance for Champions League football and I would even be surprised if it reaches European League positions.
Valencia CF squad:
Technical Details Valencia CF (probable setups):
Formation: 4-2-3-1
Line-up: Alves; Joao, Rami, R. Costa, Bernat; Fuego, Parejo, Feghouli; Banega, Guardado; Postiga.
Tactics: Medium defensive line, own half pressure, low frequency wing attacks, low short passing, high pressure
FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona are coming to this match after a hard fought victory against Atletico Madrid in which they won the Spanish Super cop, in which they barely secured the win on away goals. No matter the way they won the team will be pleased with their achievement and they are starting the season with a big win and a trophy under their wings. This is most likely going to give them increased confidence and renewed desire for more silverware.
FC Barcelona are kind of low on defenders, especially in the center so they are relying on most of them staying fit and not getting injured, which could be problematic, but this early in the season it won't have any effect on the match against Barcelona, though I'd think what would have an effect is fatigue on some of their midfielders like Xavi who isn't getting any younger and can't play 80+ matches per season.
As far as Barcelona's attack they are actually quite staked there with Neymar arriving for a 60 million fee and having rather good success in the matches he's played, then they obviously have the old and reliable Pedro, Alexis is there are willing to prove himself, then they have the youthful duo of Tello and Cuenca and of course Lionel Messi.
For me I'm expecting a close race for first position this season between Real Madrid and Barcelona, but I don't expect either of them to reach the 90+ points mark set by the last couple of seasons and I think overall they are going to have harder time winning, but I'm still expecting towards the end to be a two horse race with Real and Barca close on points and likely to keep overtaking each other.
FC Barcelona squad:
Technical Details FC Barcelona (probable setups):
Formation: 4-3-3
Line-up: Valdes; Alves, Mascherano, Pique, Alba; Xavi, Busquets, Iniesta; Fabregas, Messi, Pedro.
Tactics: High defensive line, all round pressure, keep possession, mostly short circular passing, doubling up on the wings.
Result prediction
Valencia CF 0-3 FC Barcelona
I expect Barcelona to come in with their renewed confidence and morals by the latest cup win and from the first minute start dominating the match and having good number of chances. I expect Valencia CF to defend up to a certain point, but the attacks and pressure would be too much and once a goal goes in I can see Barcelona easily scoring 3 goals.
Friday, August 30, 2013
Official: Jonathan Viera loaned to Rayo Vallecano
Well, that was unexpected. Three days from the closing of the transfer window and two days before an important encounter against Barcelona, and a talented player is given away. I never imagined the player would want to leave and I didn't think the club would let him leave.
The player apparently seeks more playing time and thus switched clubs in the last few days. Rayo Vallecano has been interested in him for a while and took their chance. The deal is a one-year loan with no purchase option (thank goodness) for an undisclosed fee. Rayo Vallecano will take care of the player's wages for the year. I wish him all the best and hope this move will serve only to make him a better player.
Feel free to let us know what you think :)
AMUNT VALENCIA!!!
Europa League Draw
Group A: Valencia CF (ESP), Swansea City AFC (ENG), FC Kuban Krasnodar (RUS), FC St Gallen (SUI)
Group B: PSV Eindhoven (NED), GNK Dinamo Zagreb (CRO), FC Chornomorets Odesa (UKR), PFC Ludogorets Razgrad (BUL)
Group C: R. Standard de Liège (BEL), FC Salzburg (AUT), IF Elfsborg (SWE), Esbjerg fB (DEN)
Group D: FC Rubin Kazan (RUS), Wigan Athletic FC (ENG), NK Maribor (SVN), SV Zulte Waregem (BEL)
Group E: ACF Fiorentina (ITA), FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk (UKR), FC Paços de Ferreira (POR), CS Pandurii Târgu Jiu (ROU)
Group F: FC Girondins de Bordeaux (FRA), APOEL FC (CYP), Eintracht Frankfurt (GER), Maccabi Tel-Aviv FC (ISR)
Group G: FC Dynamo Kyiv (UKR), KRC Genk (BEL), SK Rapid Wien (AUT), FC Thun (SUI)
Group H: Sevilla FC (ESP), SC Freiburg (GER), Estoril Praia (POR), FC Slovan Liberec (CZE)
Group I: Olympique Lyonnais (FRA), Real Betis Balompié (ESP), Vitória SC (POR), HNK Rijeka (CRO)
Group J: SS Lazio (ITA), Trabzonspor AŞ (TUR), Legia Warszawa (POL), Apollon Limassol FC (CYP)
Group K: Tottenham Hotspur FC (ENG), FC Anji Makhachkala (RUS), FC Sheriff (MDA), Tromsø IL (NOR)
Group L: AZ Alkmaar (NED), PAOK FC (GRE), Maccabi Haifa FC (ISR), FC Shakhter Karagandy (KAZ)
Feel free to let us know what you think :)
AMUNT VALENCIA!!!
Thursday, August 29, 2013
Djukic tinkers with lineup
After the horror at Cornella against Espanyol and Djukic blasting the team's performance at the press conference, the club's attention turns on facing Barcelona at the Mestalla. With Banega and Fede doubtful to make the lineup due to injury and after the mess against Espanyol, Djukic is considering, and experimenting with, some changes. While Djukic expressed that he wouldn't alternate keepers, it is likely now that Guaita will feature against Barcelona. In addition, Djukic tested out Guardado as left-back, Canales as playmaker instead of Banega, and Jonas on the left wing. Pabon also had a chance to train with the squad and expressed that he is ready to play against Barca if Djukic deemed it the right choice. Some say that Djukic is considering using him on the right wing instead of Feghouli, a good way to utilize the space left by the Barcelona full-backs when they attack. The lineup experimented with was thus : Guaita, Guardado, Costa, Rami, Pereira, Parejo, Fuego, Canales, Jonas, Feghouli / Pabon, Postiga. However, a lineup alone is not enough to win as we've seen against Espanyol. While it's true to say that everything went wrong in that match, it is more helpful to narrow it down to a few specifics. Here are the main ones in my opinion:
1. We saw a bunch of players out there but we didn't see a team: While this cannot be fixed overnight, we have seen good teamwork in the preseason, it just has to be revived. There were no link-ups, on the wings, the center, or anywhere on the field besides the play that lead to the goal. This selfishness only served in loss of possession to Espanyol. On the other hand, Espanyol kept it together as a team.
2. Simple was made complicated / over-confidence: This is somewhat connected with the above point. Players were taking on more than they could by themselves. We saw players trying to dribble past too many players and fail or attempt to shoot from further than they could see. The team therefore easily lost focus and couldn't defend or attack properly. The simple play worked so well against Inter, Everton and Olympiacos.
3. Plan figured out: The game plan this game consisted of giving the ball to Banega. Although he is an important player, he cannot do anything by himself. The opposing teams have figured this out and shut him down quickly. He needs to have a creative partner to link-up with like Viera/Canales/Jonas.
I think those three are the most important but you could probably have a few others up there, maybe more wing play - wingers were useless that game. Anyway, hopefully this is just a one time thing and we shouldn't worry about it. However, Barcelona are a huge step up from Espanyol and a drastic improvement is needed. I am actually optimistic about the game. Djukic managed a 1-3 at home and a 2-1 loss away against Barca while he was with Valladolid so hopefully he can do better with Valencia. I am also excited to say Canales and Pabon play.
Feel free to let us know what you think :)
AMUNT VALENCIA!!!
1. We saw a bunch of players out there but we didn't see a team: While this cannot be fixed overnight, we have seen good teamwork in the preseason, it just has to be revived. There were no link-ups, on the wings, the center, or anywhere on the field besides the play that lead to the goal. This selfishness only served in loss of possession to Espanyol. On the other hand, Espanyol kept it together as a team.
2. Simple was made complicated / over-confidence: This is somewhat connected with the above point. Players were taking on more than they could by themselves. We saw players trying to dribble past too many players and fail or attempt to shoot from further than they could see. The team therefore easily lost focus and couldn't defend or attack properly. The simple play worked so well against Inter, Everton and Olympiacos.
3. Plan figured out: The game plan this game consisted of giving the ball to Banega. Although he is an important player, he cannot do anything by himself. The opposing teams have figured this out and shut him down quickly. He needs to have a creative partner to link-up with like Viera/Canales/Jonas.
I think those three are the most important but you could probably have a few others up there, maybe more wing play - wingers were useless that game. Anyway, hopefully this is just a one time thing and we shouldn't worry about it. However, Barcelona are a huge step up from Espanyol and a drastic improvement is needed. I am actually optimistic about the game. Djukic managed a 1-3 at home and a 2-1 loss away against Barca while he was with Valladolid so hopefully he can do better with Valencia. I am also excited to say Canales and Pabon play.
Feel free to let us know what you think :)
AMUNT VALENCIA!!!
Premier League Teams Battle for Banega
As the transfer market deadline (extended to September 2nd) inches closer, many clubs are pressured to make last minute shopping. One of these clubs is EPL giant Manchester United who have yet to add the midfielder they have been looking for all summer. After a move for Everton's Felliaini was dismissed by Everton, they turn their attention to Spain where they are looking Ozil, Fabregas and Banega. The first two said that they were staying so only Banega is left. The other club fighting for Banega is the very same one that took star player Roberto Soldado from Valencia earlier this transfer window, Tottenham Hotspur. With a world record amount of cash coming in from the soon-to-be-announced sale of star player Bale (about 100 million euros), Tottenham will be looking to splash some cash quickly before the deadline to replace Bale and reinforce other areas. Banega seems to fit into their plans due to his previous link-up with Soldado while he was at Valencia. Both clubs seem to willing to pay Banega's release clause of 30 million euros.
Feel free to let us know what you think :)
AMUNT VALENCIA!!!
Wednesday, August 28, 2013
Dorlan Pabon arrived in Valencia
At this point any help would be welcomed and hopefully Pabon will be the answer to many of our problems, as he is known for scoring long range goals and creating chances for himself.
Apart from that I hope Fede finds his place in the first team and playing instead of Feghouli, I think Fede is way more talented than Feghouli and given enough matches to settle he can become one of the best wingers in the world, the likes of Ribery, Robben.
Also there is a big sort of pause between matches right now, so I was wondering what would you like to read in that time, and would you like us to have a podcast. I mean it can be the writers for the blog, it can be featuring you the readers and fans of Valencia, it can also feature other guys from other sites from other clubs like Barcelona, Villarreal, Atletico Madrid, Real Madrid, you name it.
I feel like once a week podcast would be beneficial, something that can be interesting, so please share your thought in the comments about it.
Saturday, August 24, 2013
RCD Espanyol 3-1 Valencia CF Match Report
All in all it was a terrible match with no one playing good. The best player was probably Fuego who did break up few attacks and was generally secure defensively, also obviously Postiga and Jonas for the opening goal nice combination, but apart from that it was absolutely terrible performance by the whole team.
RCD Espanyol on the other hand were patient and took their goals easily, the first one after a mistake by Mathieu not covering Lopez well enough, the second one was from a dead ball situation as well and again bad defensive positioning and the third was when Lanzarote passed between both Guardado and Fuego and passed the ball to Bifouma.
So terrible defensive mistakes for the goals, terrible passing in midfield and anonymous forwards and wingers who basically did nothing. This is basically the summary of this match. I hoped for a solid 2-0 win and I got a big and terrible loss, now I'm rally frustrated and doubtful over the team. Instead of improving the team is worsening. I want the team to start playing good and winning and at the least be in the top 4 positions. How hard can it be against such worse teams who don't even have 1/4 of the finances or prestige that Valencia CF has. Why is winning against Espanyol such a hard thing to do?
RCD Espanyol (3): Casilla; Javi López, Colotto, H. Moreno, Fuentes; Víctor Sánchez, David López, Stuani (Lanzarote, m. 78), Pizzi (Abraham, m. 63), Simao y Sergio García (Thievy, m. 72).
Valencia CF (1): Diego Alves; Joao Pereira, Rami, Ricardo Costa, Mathieu (Guardado, m. 83); Javi Fuego, Míchel (Bernat, m. 63), Éver, Feghouli (Canales, m. 70), Jonas y Hélder Postiga.
Goals: 10min, 0-1, Postiga. 32min, 1-1, David López. 47min, 2-1, Stuani. 88min, 3-1, Thievy.
Player Ratings:
Diego 5 - Three goals past him and while it was hard to do much for the goals, maybe with his positioning or if he went and punched the ball it would have made a difference, but its hard to judge.
Joao 5.5 - Lively performance from Joao who tried to go forward as much as possible and the problem was he was the widest player on the right, Feghouli was nowhere to be found.
Rami 5 - Another mixed performance, didn't make mistakes this time, but not a very secure performance and always seems kind of clumsy.
R. Costa 5 - Suspected positioning for the second and third goal, but you could argue he had no choice as other players failed as well. Overall just as the overall defense not very good performance.
Mathieu 4.5 - Failed for the first goal, was suspect at the back all night long and utterly to contribute when going forward.
Fuego 6 - Best player of the night and had several interceptions and was helping out the defense, though when the defense was terrible itself it does make him worse as well as a defensive midfielder, but overall a good performance by Fuego.
Michel 5 - Really anonymous performance from Michel who failed to start up on the night. I mean it was like a night and day difference between last match performance and this one.
Feghouli 4.5 - Did absolutely nothing. If he wanted to play worse I don't think he could, his only contribution a shot on goal late in the second half just before he was substituted.
Banega 5 - He is visible on the field and sort of struts around like he is the best player in the world, but most of his passing was terrible, he lost the ball often, didn't pressure opposition players, just overall doing much of nothing.
Jonas 5.5 - Good combination with Postiga for the goal, but that was about his only contribution.
Postiga 5.5 - Scored the goal and after that seemed like he disappeared from the field, this just shows the difference between him and Soldado, as soldado would have fallen back, move to the wing and just overall run across to do something.
Subs:
Bernat 5 - Didn't contribute too much either, had one good run and was a bit more lively than jonas on the wing, but that was about it.
Canales 5.5 - Was active all over the pitch and added some urgency to the play, but I feel it was too little too late.
Guardado 4.5 - Came in and contributed to Espanyols 3rd goal by being easily beaten on the side to allow for the assist that lead to the 3rd goal.
Friday, August 23, 2013
RCD Espanyol vs Valencia CF Match Preview
RCD Espanyol vs Valencia CF Match Preview
Stadium: Estadi Cornellà-El Prat
Date: 24.08.2013; 21:00 CET
2nd matchday, La Liga
Coaches: Javier Aguirre and Miroslav Djukic
Valencia CF squad:
RCD Espanyol
Espanyol are coming to this match after a 2-2 draw away from home against Celta Vigo in which Espanyol came back after a 2-0 goal deficit to manage a draw and go home with one point from their first match of the season.
They will be looking to secure all three points at home against Valencia CF and move into the top positions of the table, enabling them a positive start to the season and one up their opponents in what would likely be a fight in the middle of the table, similarly to last season.
Their team has gone through several changes, most notably Jordi Amat moving to Swansea and Juan Forlin to Al-Rayyan which brought about 6 million euros to the club. I think its safe to say that the club is at the same strength as last season, when Valencia CF won the first match and then drew 3-3 in the second match, which was a crucial draw that prevented Valencia CF being in a better position to qualify for the Champions League.
Technical Details RCD Espanyol (probable setups):
Formation: 4-2-3-1
Line-up: Kiko; Lopez, Colotto, Moreno, Fuentes; Victor, David Lopez; Stuani, Pizzi, Simao; Sergio.
Tactics: Medium defensive line, own third pressure, high frequency wing attacks, crossing, counter attacks.
Valencia CF
Valencia CF on the other hand are coming to this match after a hard fought minimal victory against Malaga CF in which Ricardo Costa scored the only winning goal, after a mistake from Malaga's goalkeeper. It was a lucky win that could have resulted in a boring goalless draw, but luck was on Valencia's side and the team managed to secure all three points to have a positive start to the new season.
This time the team will want to win more convincingly, especially against a team like Espanyol that hasn't strengthened and you can even argue has weakened compared to last season. Of course all Spanish matches are difficult and hard to predict as there are always surprises, referee mistakes, so its still going to be a hard match, but I expect Valencia to do a lot more and be more effective.
Miroslav Djukic said that he was pleased with the play somewhat in the last match, but said the team must improve and to become less predictable and have more width, which of course last match it lacked as Viera and Fede were cutting inside often and there was lack of penetration on the wings, but they are that type of players and if he wants more width, someone like Viera and Fede can't really play.
For the match against Espanyol there are no injured players I believe, no suspensions, so last time I checked everyone was available, so it will be interesting who will start in the match, will it be the same squad from last match against Malaga or will the coach change things up? One thing for sure is that Fede and Paco are not in the squad, while Parejo is in the squad, which actually makes the team a bit too heavy in the central area even more so that last match. We really lack a wide player, with basically only Guardado technically being one.
Valencia CF squad:
Goalkeepers: Diego Alves, Vicente Guaita
Defenders: Joao Pereira, Adil Rami, R.Costa, Jeremy Mathieu, Juan Bernat
Midfielders: Romeu, Javi Fuego, Parejo, Michel, Banega, Feghouli, Guardado, Canales, Viera
Forwards: Jonas, Postiga
Technical Details Valencia CF (probable setups):
Formation: 4-2-3-1
Line-up: Alves; Joao, Rami, R. Costa, Bernat; Fuego, Michel, FEghouli; Banega, Viera; Jonas.
Tactics: High defensive line, own half pressure, medium frequency wing attacks, mixed passing, high pressure
Result Prediction:
RCD Espanyol 0-2 Valencia CF
There is no doubt that at best Espanyol is the same strength as last season and while Valencia CF sold Roberto Soldado and are theoretically weaker in attack, the squad has more depth and we are packed in the midfield, so technically we are stronger than last season, so I expect a solid 2-0 victory for Valencia CF. I think that any other result would be a real disappointment and the team needs to show that it can win comfortably and on its own terms, otherwise it just creates more doubt over the quality of the team and the players need to prove that they are top level and that they can challenge for Champions League football and this is why a good, solid 2-0 win over Espanyol is so important.
Thursday, August 22, 2013
Salvo declares open season for Guaita
The club is going to listen any offers of 15 million euros and above, though with Arsenal backing off, its unclear if there is going to be any such high offers as the goalkeeper market is quite saturated and not valued as much these days, not to mention that clubs from Spain are mostly bankrupt and Italian clubs are cutting their expenses significantly as well, so the only big offers can come from England, but most clubs already have standard goalkeepers.
Going with this story is also coach Djukic who had a meeting with the players to remind them that matters of playing time, transfers and the like are not a public matter and that the players need to respect the club, their own teammates and the coach and to prove themselves on the field if they want to play.
Monday, August 19, 2013
Arsenal agent meets with angry Guaita
From what I have seen in the pre-season, Diego Alves deservedly got picked as the first-team keeper. He has impressed more in my opinion. However, if Guaita does move he will have to compete with two other keepers, Szczesny and Fabianski. As such, even though Arsenal will compete in the Champions League, the transfer does not seem like a good move for Guaita. I don't want Guaita to leave of course. Despite not wanting to have a player who complains all the time and who has lost commitment, he does have many good qualities. When the goalkeeper gets injured at any club, they usually are in trouble since their back-up is of lower quality. However, we don't have to worry about that. Plus, Guaita is a home-grown player thus making him a fan-favorite and is one of the captains of the club. Hopefully, this is just something that can be settled quickly so that the team can focus on their game. After all, between three competitions there is more than enough time for everyone to play.
Feel free to let us know what you think :)
AMUNT VALENCIA!!!
Sunday, August 18, 2013
Valencia CF 1-0 Malaga CF Match Report
Valencia CF 1-0 Malaga CF
Goals: Ricardo Costa
Possession: 64%-36%
Valencia CF won its first match of the new 2013/14 season against the significantly weakened Malaga CF in what was a grind of a match with low amount of chances, low amount of shots and barely one goal.
The match started with Valencia CF taking control of the ball and mostly controlling possession with Fede having an early run through the right wing as well as some try hard balls from Ever Banega that mostly just ended up giving the ball away to Malaga.
Since the start the match looked as it will be a long and drawn out affair with little to no goals as at about 20 minutes of playing time there were barely few forward forays by Valencia CF and even fewer by Malaga, with most of the play happening in the midfield and Valencia CF at one point controlling 68% percent of the ball possession. All that possession and there would be nothing to show for, with Joao Pereira being the most dangerous person and trying some crosses and penetrations on the right.
On the left side of the pitch Viera wasn't having any better time either, with only forward array and a try at a shot, but not much else. Ever Banega was trying out some really hopeful passes and plays that mostly ended up giving the ball away.
The one bright spot for Valencia CF was Mitchel though as he was very cool, collected, very energetic and orchestrating play from the middle of the field, moving a bit more backward and more forward as it was needed and always being available to accept a pass. Javi Fuego was mostly sitting deeper and was the anchor from defense who then mostly provided simple and short passes, usually to Banega or Michel.
Second half wasn't very different, although Valencia CF would have more chances, particularly through Helder Postiga who would fail to convert two decent opportunities, both from close range and both times he was either unable to reach the ball or just barely touch it. One of the best opportunities came when Joao crossed the ball from the right wing to Postiga, but this one was unable to quite reach the ball.
The first goal would come after a big mistake by Malaga's goalkeeper Willy who completely missed the ball in the air, allowing the ball to basically fall to Ricardo Costa's feet and he was able to score. Very lucky goal and Valencia CF should be very happy to get it, since the game was destined to finish in a draw.
Overall not much happened even after the goal, with Valencia CF having the incentive and trying to score a second goal, but the chances were few and far between and everything was going wrong for Postiga, even having the referee award fouls by him when he didn't touch any player or the ball, so overall he was having a difficult time and wasn't likely to score.
Technical Details:
Valencia CF (1): Diego Alves; Joao Pereira, Rami, Ricardo Costa, Bernat; Javi Fuego, Míchel, Banega (Canales, m. 85); Fede (Feghouli, m. 66), Viera (Guardado, m. 78) and Postiga.
Málaga CF (0): Willy Caballero; Jesús Gámez, Chen, Angeleri, Antunes; Tissone, Morales (Anderson, m. 70), Darder (Sebas Fernández, m. 80); Duda (Samuel, m. 70), Fabrice and Santa Cruz.
Goals: 64min. 1-0; Ricardo Costa
Technical Details:
Valencia CF (1): Diego Alves; Joao Pereira, Rami, Ricardo Costa, Bernat; Javi Fuego, Míchel, Banega (Canales, m. 85); Fede (Feghouli, m. 66), Viera (Guardado, m. 78) and Postiga.
Málaga CF (0): Willy Caballero; Jesús Gámez, Chen, Angeleri, Antunes; Tissone, Morales (Anderson, m. 70), Darder (Sebas Fernández, m. 80); Duda (Samuel, m. 70), Fabrice and Santa Cruz.
Goals: 64min. 1-0; Ricardo Costa
Player Ratings:
Alves 6 - Pretty much a spectator for most of the match, he was required to catch several balls, but those were easy balls and he had no problems dealing with it.
Joao 6.5 - Very active in attack and was awarded the space as Malaga was on the back foot for most of the match, so he was able to combine well with Fede and provide few crosses into the penalty area.
Rami 5 - Not a very secure performance, failed to block twice that I counted and against a better opposition would have been punished.
R. Costa 6.5 - Good defensively, albeit had one pretty big mistake, but scored the sole goal for Valencia CF, securing the win.
Bernat 6 - Impressive debut at left back by Bernat, somewhat reserved going forward, but on the few occasions showed quality and was generally secure at the back.
Fuego 5.5 - Wasn't of too much notice, mostly basic short passing and securing the space defensively.
Michel 7 - Very impressive performance and he was the engine for Valencia CF this evening, everything starting from him. He was also solid defensively, overshadowing Fuego in that department as well.
Fede 5.5 - Energetic performance by the youngster and tried some things on the wing, but mostly failed, so he started cutting inside which was okay, but not too effective.
Banega 5 - Sloppy performance by the Argentinian with some try-hard passes in the first half that failed bad, improved performance in the second half, but he was mostly bullied off the ball every time he got it.
Viera 6 - Not the most remarkable performance by any means, but he did have two or three solo runs that were dangerous and fairly impressive. Linked decently with Bernat, Michel and Banega, though still leaves much to be desired.
Postiga 5 - Fairly anonymous performance and the few times he was in the spotlight he failed to get the touch or position to make it work and possibly score a goal.
Subs:
Feghouli 5 - Got involved in the action, had two good opportunities, but he scrambled them both with bad decision on how to proceed and what to do.
Guardado 5 - Didn't have much time to showcase anything.
Canales N/A - Not enough time, though he did provide one great pass from the right to Postiga I believe, but the striker failed to score.
Saturday, August 17, 2013
Valencia CF vs Malaga CF Match Preview
Valencia CF vs Malaga CF
Stadium: Mestalla
Date: 17.08.2013; 23:00 CET
1st matchday, La Liga
Coaches: Miroslav Djukic and Bernd Schuster
The preseason is over and in several hours Valencia's new season will begin against Malaga CF who unlike last season are significantly weakened with some of their key players leaving, as well as manager Mauricio Pellegrini leaving to Manchester City.
Valencia CF
Valencia CF are coming to this match after a satisfactory preseason that started off very slow, but it build up steam and ended up being very positive with good football to watch and the results to back it up. Now is the serious test though and Valencia CF is looking to recoup after last season and recapture a spot in the Champions League which it missed out on last season.
In the preseason though Valencia CF ended up losing 3 and drawing one match in the first 4 games in a row, before rectifying the situation against Inter Milan which was beaten by 4 goals to nil, then a small 1-0 victory over Everton to capture the 5th position in the International Champions Cup.
As far as transfer go Valencia CF sold Tino Costa, Nelson Valdez, Gago and Roberto Soldado, not renewing Albelda's contract and bringing in Michel who was a Valencia CF player, but sold to Levante, then bringing Oriol Romeu on loan from Chelsea FC, of course Javi Fuego came in for free as the first transfer to Valencia, then came Postiga after the selling of Soldado and last Dorlan Pabon on a 5 year contract for 7 million euros.
Valencia CF squad:
Goalkeepers: Guaita, Alves
Defenders: Joao, Ricardo Costa, Ramí, Victor Ruiz, Guardado
Midfielders: Oriol Romeu, Javi Fuego, Éver Banega, Míchel, Feghouli, Bernat, Fede, Viera, Canales
Forwards: Alcácer, Postiga
Technical Details Valencia CF (probable setups):
Formation: 4-2-3-1
Line-up: Alves; Joao, Rami, R. Costa, Guardado; Fuego, Michel, Fede; Banega, Viera; Postiga.
Tactics: High defensive line, own half pressure, medium frequency wing attacks, mixed passing, high pressure
Malaga CF
Malaga CF is a different team compared to last season and should compete somewhere in the middle of the pack. They lost all their key players from Isco, Joaquin, Toulan, Demichelis, Saviola and even few new and upcoming players. On top of that they lost Pellegrino or should I say they sold him to Manchester City and without all these players and without such a great coach I seriously doubt Malaga CF can be half as good as last season.
I expect them to come fighting with a new coach and quite a bit new players, but I expect them to struggle quite a lot, especially in the first several matches before they are able to find their footing and stabilise.
Result Prediction:
Valencia CF 3-0 Malaga CF
Aa I've written Valencia's preseason ended up good after a slow and difficult start, while Malaga are a team in disarray with half their key players from last season gone and I expect a big and clear victory by Valencia CF and anything else will be a huge disappointment.
Friday, August 16, 2013
Official: Dorlan Pabon signed!!
He currently plays for Mexican club CF Monterrey, the reigning CONCACAF Champions League champions. He scored 8 goals in 14 games for Betis, 3 goals in 4 games for Monterrey and 3 goals in 14 games for the Columbian National Team. According to reports, he was signed for 5 years for a price of around 7 million euros so he is within budget. Valencia have captured the striker 4 days from the transfer window closure on August 20th.
He is Valencia's fifth addition after Alcacer, Michel, Fuego, and Romeu. He will arrive in Valencia on Tuesday. Hopefully he will do for Valencia as his fellow Colombian, Falcao, did for Atletico. You can see him play in the video below:
Feel free to let us know what you think below :)
AMUNT VALENCIA!!!
Cissokho loaned to Liverpool
I said before that Cissokho is a quality player and I prefer his play over Guardado in that position. However, the other point I was going to mention is that even if the purchase option was 5 million euros, Liverpool have gained the player for 6 million euros total. Valencia paid 7 million to purchase the player from Lyon. Another example of losing money on players I spoke about yesterday. Anyway, good luck to player and I hope to see him back next year.
Feel free to let us know what you think below :)
AMUNT VALENCIA!!!
Thursday, August 15, 2013
Player Contracts and Transfer Value
Valencia is not a stranger to selling its best players every year as you all know. Here are some names that should be familiar
Name Price Sold To
David Villa 40 million euros Barcelona
David Silva 35 million euros Manchester City
Juan Mata 30 million euros Chelsea
Isco 6 million euros Malaga
Jordi Alba 14 million euros Barcelona
Roberto Soldado 30 million euros Tottenham
Now, I'm sure the club valued all of these players at a lot more than they were sold for, because I certainly did. I mean Gareth Bale's price tag now is as much as the first three combined and certainly no-one would think to trade Bale for Villa, Silva and Mata is fair. Especially with the cases of Isco and Jordi Alba, the prices they were sold were laughable. I mean Isco is now valued at 30 million and Alba at 25 million euros.
Anyways, that's the past which you all heard of a million times already, let's talk about the present and why I mentioned this.
Recently, clubs have been interested in our next best player, Argentine footballing wizard Ever Banega. One of these clubs was Southamption FC of the English Premier League. The English club contacted Valencia to inquire about the player. Now if I was the one being contacted, I would have said, "NOT FOR SALE" and stopped contact. However, what shocked me was that Valencia was willing to listen and gave them their valuation of the player. Was it 30 million? No. 25 million? No. How about 20 million? Not even that. The price given by Valencia was 15 million euros. It's beyond belief. Thankfully, Southamption saw the price too high and didn't go for it but this is serious. Who would give that valuation for a player of that quality and at his prime? Seriously...If Isco is 30 million euros, Banega should be around that range too.
What should be worrying is that the same things we have seen happen might happen to other players too. I checked Viera's price value on "transfermarkt.co.uk" today. What is the value of this really talented young player? 8 million? No. 6 million? No. Only 3 million. Who wants to sell Viera for 3 million? I think it whoever would is not in their right mind. The same could happen to Bernat, Fede, Ibanez, Gaya, Feghouli, and Canales to name a few. It's is clear that part of the problem of debt is selling for these ridiculous prices. The transfer prices and release clauses must be fixed in the contracts. I'm certain nobody wants to see players of this quality leave every year.
Feel free to let us know what you think below :)
AMUNT VALENCIA!!!!
Valencia CF first team
Djukic has given all the players a chance to show off their skills and prove themselves worthy. We have seen the new players, Romeu, Fuego, Michel and Postiga, in action. We have also observed the youngsters - Fede, Bernat, Ibanez and Alcacer. Some players were tested in different positions like Bernat (LB and LW), Mathieu (LB and CB), Viera (LW, CAM) and Jonas (LW, CAM) to name a few. The debate for who the starting goalkeeper should be has also been reopened as both goalkeepers impressed in the pre-season fixtures. Now, Djukic has a big decision in establishing the first team for Valencia CF. We will see what his pre-season experiments lead to in the match against Malaga.
Based on the matches I've seen this what I think the starting line-up should be:
Feel free to tell us what you think / post what you think the starting line-up should be!!
AMUNT VALENCIA!!!!
Pablo Piatti on the way to Stade Rennes
Feel free to let us know what you think in the comments below.
AMUNT VALENCIA!!!
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
New Striker Could Depend on Outputs
The discussion of who is going to be the striker to fill the gap left by Soldado has been going on for quite a while. The club is looking for a different type of striker, one with pace and technical ability to help with the counter-attacking style. The striker should ideally be 24-28 years old and cost no more than 10 million euros (the available budget for a striker). Additional requirements are versatility, being complementary to other players on the team and someone with proven international and club-level quality. The most recent players to be linked with Valencia are Atletico's Adrian Lopez and PSG star Jeremy Menez. Both seem to be attainable for the price range required and are deemed to meet the requirements.
Adrian Lopez: 25 year old, capped twice for the Spain International team. He can play as a center forward or out on the wings. While many compare his style of play to that of David Villa, he had a disappointing season last year for Atletico and has fallen down the pecking order with David Villa, newly signed Leo Baptistao and Diego Costa all ahead of him. Atletico previously turned an offer down from Valencia for him but might be tempted to selling him for the sake of reinforcing the other areas of the team. He has 10 goal in 68 games for Atletico Madrid. You can watch his playing style below:
Jeremy Menez: 26 year old, French International. An ambidextrous (comfortable with both feet) player with blistering pace, quick feet, great vision and an eye for goal. He can also play as a center forward, or on either flank. A natural playmaker who has also fallen down the pecking order with the likes of Ibrahimovic, Cavani, Lavezzi and Pastore all ahead of him. Right now, he seems to be returning from an injury but should be available at the beginning of the league. He has 12 goals in 63 games for PSG. You can watch his playing style below:
However, before the club attempts to buy anyone, it seems that it will focus on the output operation. Cissokho (to Sunderland / Liverpool) and Piatti (to Rennes / Olympiacos) are the names linked with a move away from the club. Rami (to Tottenham / Napoli / Fiorentina) has also recently returned to being a target for transfer rumours as well. With the cash gained from sale/loan of those players, the club hopes to attain a bigger budget to widen the range of players that it can obtain.
Feel free to let us know what you think in the comments below.
AMUNT VALENCIA!!!
Adrian Lopez: 25 year old, capped twice for the Spain International team. He can play as a center forward or out on the wings. While many compare his style of play to that of David Villa, he had a disappointing season last year for Atletico and has fallen down the pecking order with David Villa, newly signed Leo Baptistao and Diego Costa all ahead of him. Atletico previously turned an offer down from Valencia for him but might be tempted to selling him for the sake of reinforcing the other areas of the team. He has 10 goal in 68 games for Atletico Madrid. You can watch his playing style below:
Jeremy Menez: 26 year old, French International. An ambidextrous (comfortable with both feet) player with blistering pace, quick feet, great vision and an eye for goal. He can also play as a center forward, or on either flank. A natural playmaker who has also fallen down the pecking order with the likes of Ibrahimovic, Cavani, Lavezzi and Pastore all ahead of him. Right now, he seems to be returning from an injury but should be available at the beginning of the league. He has 12 goals in 63 games for PSG. You can watch his playing style below:
However, before the club attempts to buy anyone, it seems that it will focus on the output operation. Cissokho (to Sunderland / Liverpool) and Piatti (to Rennes / Olympiacos) are the names linked with a move away from the club. Rami (to Tottenham / Napoli / Fiorentina) has also recently returned to being a target for transfer rumours as well. With the cash gained from sale/loan of those players, the club hopes to attain a bigger budget to widen the range of players that it can obtain.
Feel free to let us know what you think in the comments below.
AMUNT VALENCIA!!!
New Fantasy Premier League "Valencianistas"
Hi guys, if you want to compete in another fantasy premier league like the last two years join http://fantasy.premierleague.com/my-leagues/358111/join/?autojoin-code=57586-358111
By clicking the link you automatically join and don't need the code, which is embedded in the link, or 57586-358111 if you want to join manually.
By clicking the link you automatically join and don't need the code, which is embedded in the link, or 57586-358111 if you want to join manually.
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