Valencia 2-3 Sociedad

This game was Valencia's season in miniature. Awful start, terrible first half, shaky at the start of the second part and then a decent reaction, but one which is too little too late and which doesn't take away the bad taste and the feeling that this team should be doing much better than this.

Earlier in the week there had been worries, especially about the defence, with Mangala suspended and Abdennour still injured and questions about whether Garay would recover from his concussion. In the end he did, to partner Santos, but it still didn't prevent VCF leaking 3 goals, most of them stupid ones which never should have happened.

We were on the backfoot from the very beginning. Santos got caught too far forward, but still, the long ball over looked like it wasn't achieving anything, however Juanmi cut it back hopefully and the ball bounced off Alves' legs into the net. There were 33 seconds gone and already we were behind. It was hardly good for morale in a mostly empty Mestalla: the official attendance was 26,101, which I think is the second lowest this season for a home game.

Thereafter, despite roughly equal possession and Sociedad not playing that great, Valencia struggled to create chances. Worse, the team didn't seem that bothered and were hardly exerting themselves looking for an equaliser. When we did get some half chances the decision making was poor. Enzo dispossessed well but blazed over in the 19th minute. Nani did exactly the same a few minutes later. The team was then punished for its lethargy. Siquiera had already dawdled too long on the ball earlier and did it for a second time with dire consequences. His trailing arm hit a Sociedad player and yet again, Valencia had a harsh penalty against them and were 2-0 down.

The entrance of Lato for Siquiera at half time at least improved things at left back for a while, though, with VCF still not busting a gut, it was Lato who got turned and lost his man for the third and the defence and Alves should all have done better for that. Game over it seemed, but strangely, after padding around aimlessly for over an hour, Valencia came to life. Santos' header won a penalty and Nani slotted it home well. Another sub then made a difference. Cancelo, playing in his better position as a right winger, was giving the Sociedad defence a headache and put in a great cross which Zaza turned in at the back post. Could Valencia do it? The team tried a few attacks, but then ran out of steam around the 80th minute with the game petering out to a disappointing defeat after that.

While it was nice to see the rally between the 60th and 80th minutes, it was much too late to rescue Valencia from the predicament that they'd dug themselves into and shouldn't have been in. If Valencia were a boxer, they'd be better off throwing in the towel now to save themselves any further embarrassment. We still have 4 games left including probable losses (if the team continues to play like this) at R.Madrid and Espanyol and a tough home game with Europe-chasing Villarreal. Sadly, after a decent run that took the team to safety, the team seems to have relapsed into old ways to such a degree that I'm not even sure that it's worthwhile even watching the remaining games. If I were Voro, I'd give some of the youth players, including Bakkali a chance, they can hardly be less up for it than the overpaid sloths in the first team.

PLAYER RATINGS
Alves 2 - two mistakes in three games have gifted other teams goals, also had a few shaky moments taking too long to clear the ball
Siquiera 1 - just awful and since he's leaving in the summer anyway, should be relegated to occasional cover for Lato or Gaya.
Santos 4 - not a bad game to be fair, but not a great one either and the team missed Mangala. Another player who should move on in Summer.
Garay 4.5 - has improved this year but was a bit off the boil tonight
Montoya 4 - not his best night and was out of place for the first goal
Enzo 4 - did fight in the end but passing and decision making often a let down
Soler 4.5 - clearly still a work in progress and often goes for a dribble when he should be passing
Orellana 5 - had a better game than usual and offered an attacking threat but lacked link up and understanding with teammates
Zaza 5.5 - same as ever, working hard and got a good goal but spoilt things somewhat with a bit of a stupid retaliation to earn a silly booking which rules him out of the Real game
Nani 4.5 - still not sure he's 100% fit, got in good positions but can be a bit too greedy
Munir 3.5 - helped out in defence but did little in attack

SUBS
Lato 5 - big improvement on Siquiera after coming on, should be second choice after Gaya
Cancelo 6 - good game, but sadly the damage was done when he came on
Mina 3.5 - bit like the team itself, blows hot and cold. Great on his day but in games like this ineffective.

Malaga 2-0 Valencia post-match thread / transfers

Sorry all, but I rage quit after the first goal. I'd switched on to see Valencia and saw none of that. Possession had been 75% in Malaga's favour and we were awful. Giving them too much possession and quickly losing possession when we had it. Voro's attempt at a bit of rotation backfired here and we see again what we already knew: the squad has no depth.

Sadly, this will be the problem in the late season: the team is safe, but has no possibility of European qualification and as an aspiration "let's fight for tenth place" isn't the biggest motivator.

Probably time to think now about who to sell and who to bring in in the summer window. It's all limited by financial fair play. Realistically, we have to get shot of the highest wage earners, Negredo and Enzo, who should raise a combined 20m.

Next should be the dead wood, the bit players in the squad. I'd think Ryan (4-5m) Bakkali 3m and Santos 3.5m. Total 11m.

Lastly it's up to us who to sell after that. Cancelo is the obvious option for around 25m. Gaya is a possibility for around 30m. Recently there were also stories of Tottenham's interest in activating Rafa Mir's release clause of 8m.

If we sold all of those (except Gaya) that's 60m, counting the cash coming for Yoel and Piatti. 11m of that is already earmarked for Zaza and Orellana, leaving about 30m for transfers, as the rest would be debt payments. A decent holding midfielder to replace Enzo and a centre back, as we can't afford Mangala's wage would seem to be the priorities. Anyone heard any other options?

Valencia 0-0 Sevilla

It's a sign of the decent progress made by Valencia this year that a failure to win at home against Sevilla, one of the best teams in La Liga this season, feels like a bit of a disappointment. Ultimately, both teams fought well and cancelled each other out, with limited clear chances and some awful refereeing, whistling for non-existent fouls, allowing some to go unpunished and getting at least 2 big calls wrong. When is the best league in the world going to employ good referees? I don't see as many dodgy calls being made in the English premier.

Voro made two changes. Orellana was recalled after being dropped for the previous game and replaced Mina, while Enzo recovered his usual place in the squad at the expense of Medran. Also significant was that Lato continue at left back instead of Siquiera. Sevilla had most of the early possession without doing much and Valencia had a couple of chances. In the first, Zaza went for an acrobatic effort from a Munir cross when the simpler option might have worked better. In the second after we'd intercepted well in midfield, Zaza's shot was blocked and Orellana hit a good strike which Rico did well to tip over. A few minutes later, VCF got lucky. Enzo got caught out trying to dribble out of defence leaving Jovetic one-on-one with Alves. He placed it past him well, but fortunately the ball rebounded off the post into Alves' arms.

One of the first controversies of the game came after. Montoya made a great run down the right and almost scored. Munir's header from the rebound was cleared off the line

Did it cross? For me just about no, but we rarely get close calls like that in our favour.

The game got a bit scrappy after that, with lots of free kicks as both sides struggled to break the other down. Zaza had a couple of half chances but shot over. In the 55th minute there was more controversy. Zaza was bundled down in the box. This was the type of incident that would be given as a penalty more often than not but the useless referee waved it away. Seemingly keen to annoy both sets of supporters, he then got another big call wrong. Alves produced a moment of madness, handling well outside his area from a dangerous attack. Most refs would have sent him off for a professional foul, but instead the ref decided to book a Sevilla player for protesting (!) The controversy wasn't over. From a corner, Zaza scored but the goal was ruled out for handball. He did admit in the post-match interview that it had hit his hand but that had been close to his body. Again a decision which we don't get in our favour.

Valencia pressed better in the second half, but the stalemate continued and even a few offensive substitutions late on failed to change things.

Overall, bit of a shame that we couldn't keep the winning run going, however, there are still positives from the game, keeping a clean sheet and overall, a decent performance against a tough team. Also of note, with Granada's defeat yesterday: Valencia are now mathematically safe from relegation, with Gijon 18 points behind with inferior head-to-head.

PLAYER RATINGS
Alves 5 - didn't impress me yesterday and was lucky not to get sent off
Lato 6.5 - a good game, did well in defence and put in a few dangerous crosses, my only worry is that his emergence will encourage the club to sell Gaya
Mangala 6 - got caught out of position on a couple of occasions but offered a good aerial presence
Garay 6.5 - good game in defence
Montoya 7.5 - another good game, solid in defence and a threat in attack, we did well to get this guy for free
Enzo 5 - wasn't impressed, he looked out of sorts and nearly gifted them a goal
Parejo 5.5 - not the force he could have been and dallied on the ball too often
Soler 6 - seemed to be operating more down the right, when the centre seems his better position
Munir 6 - misused on the wing, again, seems to do better through the centre
Zaza 7 - worked hard as ever but his shooting can be a bit wayward
Orellana 6 - did better than previous games and linked up well with the front men

SUBS
Cancelo 6.5 - good to see him being applauded after coming on
Nani 5 - good to see him back, but looked rusty, will need more games to reach match fitness
Mina N/A - not enough time

Granada 1-3 Valencia

Earlier this year this looked like a potential crunch relegation battle for both sides. Fast forward to April and it still was for Granada, but since January, Valencia have rapidly improved and the relegation word has disappeared from Valencia's vocabulary. Indeed, in only a couple of games' time, VCF should be mathematically safe. I've complained here before that we so often raise our game against the big teams, but then screw up against smaller sides. Despite Granada coming into the game with 1 draw and 4 defeats, this still looked like the type of banana skin that we've slipped on so many times. So it's to the team's credit that they produced an easy win.

Valencia made 5 changes for this game. Up to now Voro has generally gone conservative with his line-ups, usually only making enforced changes in the cases of injuries and suspensions, so this was a departure from the norm. Garay and Enzo were injury doubts, so Abdennour and Medran replaced them. Mina replaced Munir, and like Medran, made his first start since early February. Orellana was dropped after a series of disappointing showings, with Cancelo being pushed up to replace him and Montoya returning from suspension at right back. Lastly, Lato's decent performance as sub in the last game was rewarded with him starting a league game for the first time (he had started against Celta in the dead rubber second leg in the Copa.)

The game started well for VCF. The team was controlling the game, looking comfortable on the ball and passing around nicely. The first chance came in the fourth minute with Soler crossing for Mina to head over. Granada were trying to press, but Valencia easily passed their way around it and stifled Granada in midfield, with the home side reduced to ineffective shots from distance. Probably our best chance came when Zaza shot just wide from 25 metres. However, he soon made amends. In the 18th minute, Montoya put in a great cross for Zaza to power home a header. Three minutes later, Valencia had effectively put the game to bed. The midfield found Mina on the left. The latter paused and put in a great cross for Zaza to turn in at the far post.

It should have been three. Abdennour took too long on the ball in the box then screwed up his pass, but after a few nervy moments, Valencia broke decisively with Cancelo powering up field. He then found Zaza with a perfect pass to his left, and the Italian tried to lift the ball over the keeper, but Ochoa got a hand to it. From the resulting corner, VCF won a free kick from which Mina headed home, but it was offside. Granada were getting owned and after that, their only decent chance came late in the half. Mangala failed to keep tabs on Kravets, who got a shot off that Alves saved.

Granada had a spell of pressing at the start of the second half which produced three corners in succession but nothing came of it. Valencia then produced a wonderful team goal, passing the ball around patiently for over two minutes, with every player touching the ball and, after 37(!) passes, Soler squared for Mina, who had made a good diagonal run, to finish it off. It was reminscent of his goal at the Nou Camp last year, but that had come after 15 passes.

Granada looked down and out but did get a consolation. Alves slipped when taking a goal kick and the home side got a goal which gave them hope. It was totally undeserved and the game petered out after that. Munir came on for Zaza and missed a couple of good chances and Lato could have done better with a breakaway where he seemed unsure whether to shoot or pass and lost the ball while trying to decide.

Ultimately, while the performance didn't quite reach the level it did against Celta, it didn't have to. It's unlikely that Valencia will be visiting Granada in 2018, but still, it's good to see the team keeping focus and ending a great week with another win. That's the first time this season we've won three in a row and the first time since September 2014 that the team has scored 3 goals in three consecutive games. The team goes into next week's game with Sevilla in good shape. There were stories earlier this week that Voro had said he didn't want to stay. Hopefully that's not true or he will change his mind. This squad has a good dynamic now, so why take the risk of yet another coach?

PLAYER RATINGS
Alves 6 - mistakes happen, he'd done his job up to then
Lato 6.5 - took his opportunity well and provided a solid presence at the back, but looked less assured going forward.
Mangala 7 - good game, cut out most of the opposition attempts
Abdennour 6.5 - aside from one horror moment, there was little sign of last season's Abdennour, as he proved himself to be a solid replacement.
Montoya 7 - had my doubts about him earlier in the season, but he's proved to be a decent (and free) right back
Medran 5.5 - didn't notice him much, but didn't notice many Granada attacks through the middle either, so I guess he did his job. However, with Soler having made the breakthrough and Maksimovic joining in the summer, needs to make better use of chances like this.
Parejo 6.5 - as in the last game, controlled the midfield well
Soler 7.5 - lively game as always, was spraying the ball out to the wings with ease
Mina 7 - one goal, one assist and one disallowed goal must put him back in the reckoning for a starting place
Zaza 8.5 - we complained that despite his workrate, he wasn't scoring. Can't complain here. Is proving all his doubters (me included) wrong with every game.
Cancelo 7.5 - another really good game in his best position. Will be missed if he does leave.

SUBS
Munir 5 - was active, but squandered a couple of good chances for the fourth
Orellana 4.5 - after a great start, continues to disappoint and will now have to fight for his place in the team
Siquiera N/A - did what he had to do after coming on, though he didn't have much to deal with

Valencia 3-2 Celta

There are some teams that Valencia always seem to struggle against, with Celta being prominent among them. Even in 2014/15 when Valencia equalled a points record, they could only draw twice, making Celta the only side other than Barca that Valencia failed to beat that season. Though Valencia managed a shock 5-1 win at Balaidos in November 2015, it didn't quite shake off the feeling of Celta as a "bogey team" for us, as later that season a 0-2 defeat for VCF proved the end of Neville's reign. They then went on to beat us 3 times this season, including a 1-4 rout at the Mestalla. Could VCF break the hoodoo and get revenge for the cup defeats? The answer was yes as Valencia produced a strong battling performance against a tricky opponent to earn a deserved three points.

As always, there was little change in the line-up, with all the changes forced ones. Siquiera replaced the injured Gaya, Mangala returned from suspension to replace Abdennour and Cancelo replaced the suspended Montoya.

Right from the start Valencia showed what they were made of, with huge commitment and pressing. In the first 7 minutes, the side got a ridiculous five corners, but unfortunately couldn't do anything with them. Parejo and Soler had half chances but they were wide, though VCF continued controlling the game, especially in midfield.

Totally against the run of play, Celta took the lead. They'd only managed one tame shot up to then, but Soler gave away a foul on the left side and the in-swinging cross was headed in. It's frustrating that Valencia, who have players like Mangala and Garay who are good in the air, seem to often concede from set pieces. Really, the fault seems to lie more with Alves. Good as he is, aerial balls seem to be his weakness and we saw that again, with him mistiming his jump. Celta improved a bit after that and Valencia were unable to sustain their early dominance, with both teams struggling to carve out clear chances.

In the last ten minutes of the half, Valencia got back on top and got the equaliser we deserved. Zaza showed real quality, controlling a good ball from Garay, and then playing a crafty backheel into the path of Cancelo, who squared for Parejo to score with a nice one touch finish. A great team goal and it wouldn't be the first Mestalla would see.

Valencia started the second half as they started the first, pressing and with commitment but couldn't  find the breakthrough. The front three don't quite have the understanding needed. Zaza was fighting for everything, but often other players wouldn't follow up and half opportunities were wasted. Cancelo carved out the best chance in the 60th minute, with the keeper pushing his shot on to the post.

Nonetheless, VCF finally edged ahead in the 65th minute with another nice team goal. Enzo collected a pass in midfield, set Lato away and he squared well for Munir to produce another nice one-touch finish. Could we maintain the lead? The team pushed forward, looking for a third, with the best chance falling to Munir, but he couldn't create the space needed to get a clear shot off.

Frustratingly, VCF then threw away the lead. Soler brought Aspas down in the box. It was a soft penalty, as Aspas was clearly looking for it, but as there'd been contact, not much we could do. For the second time this season, Aspas beat Alves from the spot. Since the start of the 2014/15 season, Valencia have conceded the most penalties in La Liga: 23 in total (Celta are second with 21 conceded.)

It looked like the Celta jinx had struck again, but the team's workrate got the winner it deserved. Enzo produced a storming run through midfield and found Soler. The youngster still had a lot to do, but produced a brilliant chip for the winning goal.

I said in the previous post that Valencia's performances are more like a top six side now and this confirmed that. The team looks hungry and works hard, Mestalla is becoming a fortress again, with 5 wins and a draw in the last 6 games there. It's a shame we didn't see more of this in 2016 and threw away our chance of a good finish then, but hopefully the team can end this season on a high.

PLAYER RATINGS
Alves 6.5 - struggles with aerial balls as noted, but generally effective performance
Siquiera 6 - put in a reasonable shift up and down the wing, though he's no Gaya
Mangala 7 - very solid game, cut out lots of dangerous attacks
Garay 6.5 - a strong presence in defence and involved in the first goal
Cancelo 7.5 - the worries about him being whistled were quickly dispelled, as he answered his critics perfectly with a great performance
Enzo 7.5 - great game, controlled the midfield and involved in two of the goals. There was a time when he could never play the full 90 minutes, so to see him charging through midfield in the 85th minute is a nice sight.
Parejo 6.5 - while some passing was wayward, he was part of a strong midfield trio which controlled the game
Soler 8 - moved to the right for this game. Game to remember, with great commitment, confidence and a deserved golazo to win the game. For now, tackling is his weakness, as his mistimed tackles cost us both goals, but he's young with plenty of time to improve that with experience.
Munir 7 - I still say we keep him, as he's one of the few of our players who scores and that's what wins games
Orellana 6.5 - far better off in a more central role
Zaza 7.5 - worked hard as usual, fought for everything and showed his quality in the first goal. Still not the answer to our goalscoring problems, but doing well for now and a deserved standing ovation.

SUBS
Lato 7 - got his chance and put in a great 25 minutes. Would be good to see what he could do in a full ninety.
Mina 6 - good work rate against his old club
Medran N/A - still hasn't fulfilled his early promise

Under Voro, Valencia has become a top six side

It's easy to be depressive and despondent if you're a Valencia fan. After a promising start, with a great 2014/15 season, things rapidly declined, with protests against the manager, the owners, a lot of disappointing results and a series of managers all adding to a sense of instability and despair at Valencia.

The year 2016 was particularly dire for Valencia. The club set itself up as a laughing stock by appointing the unexperienced (sic) Gary Neville and then, when that predictably failed, repeated the error by confirming Pako Ayestaran as manager, even though the latter had posted a below par 3-1-4 record in his 8 games in charge. The latter would be duly replaced by a figure of gravitas in Cesare Prandelli, but again, after a promising start, the latter proved to be all talk and no results and then rage quit after a dispute over transfers, though cynics would say that he jumped before he was pushed. With "hot prospect" managers and experienced managers all failing to turn things around, Valencia looked screwed. The team ended 2016 in seventeenth place, with only goal difference keeping them out of the relegation zone.

That's the past and it's high time Valencia fans got over that and focused on the here and now. The current 13th place looks poor, especially after a 12th-place finish last year, but it actually masks what has been Valencia's best period since the departure of Nuno. Points gained in 2017 have been:

32 Barcelona
31 Real Madrid
30 Atletico
25 Sevilla
21 Valencia, Bilbao, Espanyol. Eibar

Sure, Valencia have played a game more, but that doesn't really affect that, since it was against Real Madrid: a team who have won 10, drawn 1 and lost against Sevilla in other games this year. If the league had started after Prandelli resigned, Valencia would be a respectable joint fifth after 13 games (a third of the season) played, and with a realistic shot at Champions league football.

Look at it another way to gauge Valencia's performances under the current manager. Counting his 3 games in charge after Ayestaran, Voro's Valencia have played 17 games in the league, winning eight, drawing three and losing six. In other words, in nearly half a season, they've averaged 1.58 points per game. Maintaining that average across the season would be easily doable for a side which has beaten Real Madrid, Bilbao, Villarreal and Espanyol and would leave Valencia on around 60 points - good enough for 6th place in four of the last five seasons.

This is important to remember, because a lot of Valencia fans simply don't seem to appreciate how well we've been doing. They see only the negative headlines, hear or see protests outside the ground, look at the league position or go to the Mestalla to see empty seats: Valencia's attendance is down 5.5% this season and only Betis and Celta have a bigger drop. But they miss the trees for the wood. The question is not how Valencia can improve but rather, how can the team maintain its level, a level of performances worthy of Europa league football and just make the next step to Champions league placings?

I would suggest several ways....

1) Offer Voro the job.
He's proven he can get the results needed. The players play for him and the fans are 100% behind him. Give him first refusal on the job. This would also reverse a trend of the club seemingly not respecting people who have put the time, love and effort in (cf Feghouli or Piatti.)

2) Get a shirt sponsor
It's ludicrous that such an obvious revenue source is being missed and for unexplained reasons. If there is uncertainty over whether Valencia will be playing in Europe factor that into the deal with a reduced rate when the team is out of Europe. Better some cash than none.

3) Improve the squad
Fairly obvious. The team needs a stronger midfield especially.

4) Improve communication
Lim clearly takes a hands-off role but that's no excuse for not having his underlings set out a clear and honest strategy for the club and its transfer dealings. If the club has no money, say so. It will be better if fans are forewarned that players need to be sold rather than bs that we'll be keeping star X but then selling him and, in the process, killing fan's trust in the club hierarchy and undermining people of good faith like Lay Hoon.

5) Think long term
In morale terms, fans can't suffer a transfer window like the chaotic one of summer 2016. Identify targets in advance and have a contingency plan in case it's impossible to sell the desired players.

6) Leave decisions to football people
I respect Lay Hoon, but she isn't a football person and the appointment of a chief executive with a football background is a welcome development.

7) Exploit the Asia market more
Having an Asian owner offers a golden chance to expand in that market and raise the club's brand. It's how Real Madrid, Barca and English clubs built up their funds. Maybe I've missed something, but I have seen little sign of that happening so far.

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By the way, I plan to do tomorrow's match write-up, but the game will finish after midnight my time on a working day, so it's more likely it will be up some time later on Friday. Patience please.

As always your comments are welcome.

Valencia CF 3-0 Deportivo La Coruna

Valencia CF continued with its successful home form and beat Deportivo La Coruna 3-0, leaving any relegation fears away, with Voro making a strong case for himself to lead Valencia CF as a coach into the next season as well. There is still quite a bit of matches left, but there is no doubt that he has turned things around and the team plays much better with him, as well as getting results.

Personally I haven't watched any recent game of Valencia CF, the sort of relegation battle doesn't interest me and even when I set out to watch a game just to be able to get back into things and see the team how it performs on the pitch, I've just been too busy and haven't had the time to actually watch a match.

I'll try and be more active, its just that again relegation battle doesn't interest me, so I don't have any incentive to watch games, I like the stakes to be higher, but not in terms of fighting to avoid relegation, but something like reaching top 6, that makes things interesting.

Anyways the team is good, but we will lose Mangala in the summer, he's been actually our best defender and I actually am not certain if Zaza is going to stay, I'm not certain that Juventus have the same clause with us, that we must purchase him after certain amount of games. He might just be temporarily here, though in terms of his performances it hasn't been anything special. Decent performance overall, but again nothing special.

Barcelona 4-2 Valencia

Yesterday's game was a classic example of the enigma that is Valencia. On the surface of it, conceding four goals for the fourth time this season doesn't sound good, but this wasn't like the screw-ups vs LasPalmas, Eibar or Celta in the cup. The scoreline actually hides what was one of the Valencia's better performances this season. Ultimately, we just ended up overpowered by a strong team, in part due to injuries affecting half of our front line and mainly due to playing most of the game with ten men. Yet again, though, it raises the question, why is it that we always play at a decent level against Barça and R.Madrid but then produce such dire displays as the ones we've seen in recent months against Gijon, Osasuna or Eibar?

I mentioned the injuries. Nani and Rodrigo are still out and a big shame was the absence of Mina, who scored in both games against Barça last year. Voro made only one change and it was a slightly surprising one. Zaza was dropped and, in his place, Enzo returned from suspension, with a bit of shuffling around following. Soler moved forward to where he's more effective and Munir took up the central striker role.

The first period started with a pattern that would continue for most of the game. Barcelona had most of the possession and created more chances, but Valencia did well to frustrate them and created a few chances of their own, with the best being a pullback from Cancelo which rebounded to Soler, who forced a good save from Stegen.

In the 29th minute and somewhat against the run of play, Valencia were ahead. I've criticised Alves' distribution before, but he hit a perfect punt to put Munir clear through, however, the latter scuffed his shot. Just as we were yelling at him, Mangala popped up with a great header from the resulting corner.

The lead lasted a bit over 6 minutes and the equaliser was a frustrating one. After a lot of good defence up to that point, Valencia simply switched off. The right half of the defence had been the weaker side throughout, with Montoya being tortured by an in-form Neymar and Garay struggling to keep up with Suarez. But it was a stupid goal. A quick throw-in from Neymar in behind our defence. Alves got down well to cover the space and against 99% of forwards, probably would have saved it, but when it's one of the best forwards in world football, you can't gift chances like that.

The key moment in the game then occurred. Mangala had possibly been Valencia's best player up to that point but then threw it away. First a poor, mistimed challenge on Messi earned a yellow, then he hauled back Suarez in the box. Sure, the latter made a meal of it, but overall: clear foul, clear penalty, clear card and suddenly Valencia were down to ten men and 2-1 down.

To their credit, the team didn't give up. From the kick-off, it was Barça's turn to go to sleep. Soler threaded a great pass through to Gaya and the latter in turn squared well for Munir to equalise.

Sadly, in the second half, ten men in the Nou Camp against an in-form Barcelona proved too much, but VCF did keep fighting, creating further chances for Soler and Munir and the team was still in with a shout until Andre Gomes made it 4-2 in the 89th minute. (As an aside, Barcelona winning the Champions' league this year wouldn't be the worst thing from a VCF point of view as it would gift us 5 (or 10?) million as part of his transfer deal.)

Overall, after the sending off of Mangala, it was always going to be a serious struggle for Valencia to get points from this game. The team did make a valiant effort, but that comes back to my question at the start. Why does this team so often only turn up against top clubs? Games like this are so much more frustrating than the 1-1 draws with Gijon, as they show us glimpses of what this team can do, but overall, this level of effort comes too rarely. Why can't we play this way against the Gijons, Betises, Osasunas and Eibars?

PLAYER RATINGS
Alves 6.5 - made some great stops, though should have done better for their third goal
Montoya 3.5 - night to forget, was turned inside out by Neymar.
Garay 4 - struggled to keep tabs on Suarez and ineffective overall
Mangala 5 - was having a really good game until the sending off, but cost us the game
Gaya 7 - has been back in form of late and had a good game defensively, while contributing well in attack
Enzo 5.5 - the team is better with him in it, but he was limited to a mostly defensive role
Parejo 5 - while he was better than the last game and provided the assist from the corner, he struggled to make a big impact
Orellana 4.5 - what's happened with this guy? A great few games after signing but a series of below-par performances of late including this one, where his passing was often wayward
Soler 6.5 - confident performance overall and did well in attack, though less effective in cutting out the opposition midfield
Cancelo 5.5 - had a very good first half and caused their defence real problems, but much less effective after the break and could have done more to help out Montoya in defence
Munir 6.5 - overall had a good game, though missed a couple of good opportunities. I know I'm in the minority who thinks we should buy him, but I do think he has good potential.

SUBS
Abdennour 5 - more effective than Garay after coming on and produced a competent, if unspectacular, display
Zaza 4 - limited and saw little of the ball, with Valencia under the cosh
Bakkali N/A - unable to do much in his usual late cameo

Valencia 1-1 Sporting Gijon

Today was a golden opportunity for Valencia to earn a morale boosting win over a team which looks likely to go down, putting to bed any talk of relegation at Valencia's end. The question was, which team would turn up: the one which produced a strong battling win over Real Madrid or the one that produced such a week and limp performance against the other Madrid last weekend? Sadly, it was more of the latter, with a really disappointing performance failing to inspire more than more Peterveteya chants.

There was only one change in the team. Montoya returned from recent injuries and replaced the suspended Enzo. This resulted in a bit of reshuffling. Cancelo moved forward to where we all know he's better. Munir switched to the left wing, Orellana reverted to the centre and Soler dropped back to partner Parejo in Voro's favored double pivot.

Valencia controlled much of the early period, but without threatening a lot. The lack of coordination we saw between various sectors of the team returned. Sure, Gaya was looking his old self bombing down the wing and putting in crosses and Mangala made a couple of timely interceptions but the team as a whole wasn't acting in concert. Up front there was a lack of imagination and creativity, though both Orellana and Zaza missed clear chances in the first half, with both getting booked as well. Zaza played his tenth game, which means that he's now a Valencia player for definite, but today, though he made an effort, it was far from the standard of an 18 million player. He kept getting caught offside too easily. With neither team inspiring, the first half drew to a close.

Valencia had golden opportunities to go in front in the second period. Firstly, from an opposition corner, Orellana raced away, but, one on one with the keeper, shot just wide. Then Valencia got a penalty. As in the Osasuna game, Parejo missed. He may be a good free kick taker, but I think it's high time we gave penalty taking responsibilities to someone else.

Then it was deja vu all over again. We've seen it with frustrating regularity since the end of 2015. Valencia struggle against a side they should be beating easily and then, despite Valencia having the edge, the other team score due to stupid defensive errors. So it was in the case. Inexperienced in a more defensive role, Soler messed up, but still it looked like the chance had passed, however, same as usual, there seemed to be no leadership or coordination at the back. Just look at the picture...

So poor, with so many players marking space unaware of who was around.

Valencia did at least try a bit more after that. Changes were made that should have come earlier, with Mina coming on for Montoya and, later, Bakkali on for Mangala. Valencia pushed hard and got their reward, from a decent cross from the right, Munir produced a looping header which beat the goalkeeper. There may have been a touch of luck about it, but bad as Valencia had been, they didn't deserve to lose against such a weak side.

A long period of injury time followed, with Gijon causing flutters by squandering a good chance to win it. All in all, 1-1 was probably a fair result and that's the problem. Sporting look doomed for the drop and are the type of side that the bigger sides would expect to beat by 3 or 4 at home. Valencia battling to scrape a home draw is far from acceptable. We can talk about luck all we want but for me it's hard to argue that Valencia should be higher than the 13th place we currently occupy. We deserve much, much better than this. Next up Barcelona away and it's hard to be confident after displays like this.

PLAYER RATINGS

Alves 6.5 - overall had a good game, making decent stops
Gaya 7 - good game, just a shame the attack lacked the strength or foresight to get on the end of his crosses
Garay 5.5 - average and unspectacular game, still expect more for 20 million
Mangala 6 - good first half but then went missing in the second part
Montoya 5 - while it's better to have him at right back, him and Cancelo might as well have been on different teams
Soler 4.5 - wasted and ineffective in a deeper role
Parejo 4 - lacklustre, dwelled too much in possession and failed to provide the telling passes. Needs to be replaced as main penalty taker too.
Munir 4.5 - gets kudos for scoring the goal, but disappointing performance overall, should be rested for Mina or Bakkali
Orellana 4.5 - provided good passes but loses marks for missing two good chances
Cancelo 4 - if Valencia's masterplan for the summer transfer market is selling him for 30 million to fund players in, they should think again. We'd be lucky to get half that. Clearly has talent but has had a disappointing season.
Zaza 5.5 - as always, made an effort, but it wasn't enough. Gets caught offside too easily and was very lucky not to get sent off when he pushed a Gijon player when already on a yellow. Soler was sent off for less last month. Not convinced that we'll get value for money for our 18 million.

SUBS
Mina 5 - good to see him back, but not enough time to make an impact
Bakkali 5 - needs to come on earlier in such situations when we're chasing the game

Atletico Madrid 3-0 Valencia post-match thread

I missed yesterday's game, so I'm putting this up instead for discussion. From what I saw of the highlights and from reading the match reports, it sounds like Valencia were simply outplayed from the beginning. The team has done well this year to claim the scalps of Real Madrid, Villarreal and Bilbao, but away from home is still struggling and lacks any real consistency, so quality teams can easily find a way to break Valencia down.

On the plus side, Santi Mina returned yesterday, giving Voro an extra option. The game was also Zaza's ninth, so if he plays one more game, we're compelled to buy him. Reports suggest the club has already decided to do so. I don't think he's worth the money. While he does add qualities which have been missing, 2 goals in 9 games isn't a great return for a centre forward, it's equal to what Mina achieved last season from the wing and far short of Negredo's 2 goals in 5 games average or even Alcacer or Rodrigo's goal in 3 games.

The Importance of Luck

Valencia has not had, by many teams' standards, a great season. The club hired and fired two managers, settling for a man who has never coached a team in a professional league for more than 3 or 4 games. Not to take away from what Voro has managed during his short tenure, but to find themselves with him as their best option shows Valencia’s board is a little desperate.

 

And they should be. Valencia was forced to sell some of its best players--Paco Alcacer, Andre Gomes, and Mustafi--over the summer to make ends meet. To replace them, the board brought in players for whom it would be kind to call gambles, such as Medran, Mangala, and Mario Suarez. Some of the gambles payed off, like Montoya and Mangala. Others look less comfortable on the pitch, like Mario Suarez. Regardless, from the start, Valencia looked to be on tenuous ground.

 

The season started with a wild 2-4 loss against Las Palmas in Mestalla. Though Santi Mina scored the first goal, the lead couldn’t be kept, as Livaja scored his first goal in LStiga only ten minutes after. Then, we had a harsh penalty called against us, letting Las Palmas take the lead. They soon scored again, another debutante in La Liga, Kevin Prince, and though Santi Mina scored again, the game was out of reach.

 

That game is fairly symbolic of the season. The team plays well, scores, and then collapses as the opponent exploits its various instabilities. Two weeks later, after tying a two-goal lead against Real Betis with 10 men--a Herculean feat--a minute 92 goal cost us the point, and the moral boost. 

Against Barcelona, after taking the lead in minute 56 and later being tied up until minute 93, a harsh penalty robbed Valencia's fan of the chance to savour that feeling of holding back a great team. 

Against Celta, another lead was given up. A minute 93 goal conceded against Malaga cost us another 2 points. Against Eibar, after playing a strong first half, in the 45th minute, an incredibly severe penalty and red card was given to Soler for a typical scruff in the box.

 

Luck is an integral part of football. It's a crazy, messy game with many variables and moving parts. A goal can be scored or conceded in a matter of seconds. Real Madrid is a team with extremely good luck (some saying suspiciously good luck) being able to pull "remontadas" against very difficult odds. Many times, a team can play well but still be unlucky. It’s part of what makes this sport so fun to watch. 

Recently, Valencia has had terrible luck. They had terrible luck with referees, with their transfers, with their fans, and more. The last-minute goals, the unfair penalties, the untimely injuries. It weighs a team down.

 

This is not to say that Valencia is solely held back by bad luck. The team has played very poorly for stretches of the season, and deserved the correspondingly poor results.To truly fix Valencia’s issues with form, solutions need to come tactically and systematically from management. 

Still, on a team level and on an individual player level, it has often seemed as though Valencia was labouring under a curse.

  

Can we hope that curse may be lifting? Against Espanyol, Valencia was able to keep their lead and get all three points. Against Real Madrid, Zaza and Orellana put in the two best chances the team had in the first 12 minutes, and then the team was able to hold off one of the best offenses in the world, no small accomplishment. Against Athletic, there were two fortunate goals and a returning from injury Aduriz that let Valencia through unscathed.

 

Don't wash that lucky jersey yet. The trials aren't over, the deep issues still remain, and anything can happen in football. Nevertheless, going into the rest of the season, there is reason to hope that Valencia might have better luck,and that it will create a certain stability that will let them deal with their problems.

 

What do you think? Has luck affected us more than other teams? Will we get better? Let us know in the comments section below.

Valencia 1-0 Leganes

Tonight, sadly, was the last game of the season against Leganes, a team that Valencia had beaten already 3 times this season. We duly made it a clean sweep for the season, with only the margin of victory the slight let-down.

Voro made no concessions for the upcoming game against Atletico, fielding the strongest team possible. Mangala came back in for Abdennour, Gaya and Perez also returned and up front, with virtually everyone who could play left wing injured or suspended, Bakkali finally got a start.

The first half was a comfortable enough one for Valencia, without threatening too much. Zaza had a couple of tough chances in the first 10 minutes, heading over. The clearest chance came in the 18th minute, with a ricochet giving Bakkali a one-on-one with the keeper, he did well to lift it over him, but the ball went wide. Valencia had most of the possession but weren't creating much and some of the final balls were disappointing. We defeinitely missed having Nani or Orellana this game, though Gaya put in a good shift.

Just as the Mestalla was getting restless, the breakthrough came. Parejo had had perfect pass completion up to this point. He had yet another amazing free kick which was tipped over from the keeper. From the resulting corner, Mangala scored his first ever Valencia goal after a scramble in the box.

If Valencia were struggling for attacking ideas, Leganes looked even worse. Their tactic seemed to be to foul as much as possible. The closest they came to getting anything was in the 31st minute when they had a good penalty shout waved away. With their left back on a yellow, Voro switched Munir and Bakkali, hoping that Bakkali's pace would draw a foul and a second yellow. This worked 5 minutes later, as he clattered through Bakkali. The free kick was given, but not the yellow.

The half ended with Valencia having had close on 70% possession, but with a lack of chances. The second half followed much of the same pattern as the first. Valencia dominated the midfield. Parejo was passing well. Soler always looked dangerous and Zaza, obviously bored with no one managing to pass through to him was harassing both their defence and midfield. The problem was that even when Valencia did get any kind of attack going, our players would be fouled. Bakkali had put in a reasonable shift and came off for Lato. The match petered out with both sides creating little in the way of threat and Leganes' dirty play inevitably resulted in them going down to 10 men.

A game that deserved a bigger win from Valencia, but a win to nil is such a rarity that it's hard to complain too much. That's 3 clean sheets from 5 games and three wins in a row at the Mestalla. The relegation zone looks far away now. With Las Palmas and Betis yet to play, this result puts us temporarily up to 12th, our highest position this season, so it's safe to say progress is being made, though there will be dips like the Alaves game along the way.

PLAYER RATINGS
Alves 6 - had nothing to do the whole game. I wish he would stop spending so much time on the ball, though.
Gaya 6.5 - good game and put in same nice crosses
Mangala 7.5 - decent game from the big man, cut out a lot of their attacks and nice to see him finally score.
Garay 7 - part of a good defensive performance
Cancelo 6 - injury to Montoya means we're stuck with him at right back where he's average. Giving him a higher score due to his offensive contributions.
Enzo 6.5 - essential part of the midfield trio and any game where he completes 90 minutes without getting booked must be a rarity
Parejo 8 - top class, great passing, anticipation and free kicks. Hope he stays.
Soler 7.5 - a great game, always looked an attacking threat
Bakkali 6 - good to see him get a game, but his passing and decision making could be better
Zaza 6.5 - had barely any scoring chances, but I liked his workrate and harrassment of their players
Munir 3.5 - had to check that he played. Did provide the assist, but anonymous performance

SUBS
Lato 6 - would really like to see this guy play more
Nacho Gil N/A - brother of Carles Gil, good luck to him.

Alaves 2-1 Valencia

What a let-down. But let's be honest, who didn't see that coming? We see it all the time. VCF produces a great performance that surprises us. Usually it's against the big two (our record against Real Madrid is 2-3-1 for example and we've won two of the last three at the Nou Camp.) However, when it comes to the following game, often against one of the smaller teams, we screw it all up and come back to earth with a bang. So it proved in this game.

Voro made some changes. Two were enforced. Gaya had picked up a knock and was replaced by Siquiera. As I predicted in the previous thread, Nani's absence was covered by Soler rather than Bakkali, with Orellana moving out left. Suarez came in for Enzo, who presumably was tired after the previous game. A slight surprise came with the selection of Abdennour, rather than Mangala, at the back.

If the previous game had caused out blood pressure to rise to dangerously high levels, there was little chance of that happening in the first half. Voro and Pellegrino knew each other well and set out to frustate the other. The result looked like a chess game between two equal players, with little happening. Valencia looked a bit tired after their midweek exertions and Alaves had the best of the early play, though only created one good chance, which Diego (Alaves) saved well. Valencia's best chance of the first half came in the 17th minute. Siquiera put in a great cross and Soler missed a golden chance. At the back, Soler was underachieving, though, and Alaves best chance came towards the end of the first half, when Soler had lost the man he should have been covering. Alaves had only had two other half chances, both coming from misplaced passes from Cancelo and Suarez.

A dull first half had ended and the next quarter would be little better, with both teams cancelling each other out. Valencia's passing was lacklustre, with Parejo an exception and the team was creating few chances. Alaves had set up well defensively, but there was far too much losing the ball when we had it. The game looked destined for a goalless draw and it would have been a brave person who'd bet on over 2.5 goals with 25 minutes left.

Valencia made the breakthrough in the 69th minute. A Parejo special was saved well by the keeper but Soler had followed up to make amends for his earlier miss. The game changed in the 77th minute. First, Orellana, who'd walked a fine line, got a booking. He walked away mouthing off to the referee, not a wise move and Voro should have subbed him off there and then. Secondly, Alaves scored and it was a dreadful goal to give away, like some of the stupid ones we conceded last year. Four Valencia players were unable to stop Alaves getting a shot in for the equaliser.

I was a bit disappointed in Voro's lack of reaction, our legs were tired and it was time for subs, but it wasn't until Alaves had scored the winner that action was taken. They played the ball through our defence. Cancelo stood like a dummy playing them onside

and Diego dived too soon. Game over, but not before Orellana had gotten himself sent off. That was stupid and the subs that followed the goal were too little too late.

All in all, it's a disappointing follow-up to the euphoria of the Real Madrid game. The team was clearly tired and it seemed like midweek had zapped our energy. Back to earth we come. In fairness, I do think the performance was an improvement on what we saw before Christmas and if we'd hadn't had the midweek game, I think we'd have drawn or won this game, but coping with fixture congestion is something all top teams have to do and Valencia's squad doesn't seem to be strong enough to do so.

PLAYER RATINGS
Diego 7 - made some key stops, though I expected better for the second goal
Siquiera 6 - had a good first half in both defence and attack, but shaky after the break. There was one moment where he and Abdennour let a man run right through them.
Garay 6 - Was good for most of the match, but what was he doing for the first Alaves goal???
Abdennour 7 - overall a good game, excellent first half especially, but a few shaky moments, which could prove crucial against tougher opponents.
Cancelo 3.5 - inefficient in both defence and attack. Poor passing and bad timing for the second goal. Game to forget.
Mario 4.5 - while he frustrated some of the Alaves attacks, his passing was often poor and it's hard to make a case for him being in the team based on this performance.
Parejo 7.5 - solid game, proved once again why he's indispensable. It's a shame others can't maintain his level.
Soler 5.5 - while his goal was good, this was an average game overall and he proved much less effective defensively than Enzo, while failing to make an impact up front.
Orellana 5.5 - after a good first half, in which I'd have given him at least 7, he lost it in the second period and the sending off was, in the end, predictable.
Munir 5 - unable to make an impact in attack and can't complain about being subbed off
Zaza 5.5 - worked hard but anticipation and decision-making could have been better

SUBS
Enzo 6 - improvement on Munir but still looked tired after the last game
Bakkali N/A - if he couldn't get on in the last game or this, his days as a Valencia player are clearly numbered, especially with Orellana able to cover that side
Nacho Gil N/A - little point in bringing him on so late

Orellana, Soler, and Valencia's New Midfield

When the 2016-2017 season started, Valencia had, among other problems, a definite weakness in its midfield. The team liked to play in a 4-3-3, which is a formation that is very physically demanding, especially for the midfield three, as they must simultaneous assist the forwards in pressing as well as cover both fullbacks. So when a team uses this formation, they usually try to have at least two alternatives for the midfield, both for rotation and tactical versatility.

Valencia, at the time, had just four midfields who could play in these three positions: Medran, Parejo, Perez, and Suarez. Aside from the fact that all four players had a history of being inconsistent, the situation was precarious because Valencia was never more than an injury and a suspension away from having no choice but to change tactical approach.

The coaches knew this: Paco Ayestaran tried to switch to a 4-2-3-1 formation, and Prandelli tried to play Fede Cartabia in a more central position to little success, as well as playing with formations a lot to try and find a better way for the team to play. Both had little success dealing with their midfield, and it was more for a lack of personnel than a lack of trying.

So when Voro took over, it seemed he was in as difficult situation as his predecessors. He had the good fortune to coincide with two key turns in Valencia’s season: the emergence of Carlos Soler and the acquisition of Fabian Orellana.

Voro prefers a 4-2-3-1 system, which used to include Dani Parejo as the 10 and Mario Suarez and Enzo behind him. However, now he has much more viable options in front of him. Orellana’s brilliance as an enganche and Carlos Soler’s ability to play as one of the midfield pair means that his midfield options have tripled on the bench.

Now, Voro can start with Dani Parejo and Enzo Perez as the base with Orellana free in front of them, and on the bench he has a veritable tool kit: Soler’s legs and dribbling abilities, Medran’s creativity, and Suarez’s relative defensive stability. No longer is he limited to just putting in whichever one didn’t start, now he has much more influence and is able to make a change based on how the game is going.

This, along with Zaza and his ability to provide a reference point in attack, could be key as Valencia tries to keep its momentum going in La Liga, and might save our season. European qualification would be near impossible, but it’d be nice to say we tried.

What do you think? What else does the new midfield offer? What formations should we try? Leave your thoughts in the comments section below.

Valencia 2-1 Real Madrid

I honestly wondered if I'd survive to write this. My nerves are shattered after that second half. It's an absolutely crucial win for Valencia which continues our resurgence and puts significant distance between us and the relegation zone.

It looked ominous from the start. Any hopes that Real would do a bit of rotation, with tough games against Villarreal and Napoli in the coming week, were soon disappointed. Zidane named the strongest possible team. Voro, though, went about it as business as usual. Naming a largely unchanged side, with Cancelo replacing the injured Montoya and the fit again Gaya slotting in for Siquiera.

After a bit of early possession for Madrid, Valencia basically sealed the game in the first 8 minutes, and they were lovely goals too, both the type of counter-attacking ones that we used to specialise in. Cancelo sent Munir away and a perfect cross found Zaza. It looked like there was no danger, but he swivelled and scored a real "golazo", beating the helpless Navas. Four minutes later, we were away again. With Valencia breaking, Zaza put a decent pass to Nani in space. Zaza made a great run to draw the defender away and create space for the advancing Munir and Orellana and it was the latter who made no mistake.

Madrid were stunned and it was almost 3-0 in the 13th minute, with a shot from Munir blocked. Madrid began to come back into, and Alves was forced into a couple of saves, including a great one from Benzema. With backs to the wall and Madrid mostly controlling the game, Zaza was getting limited service and got booked after a bit of over-agressiveness, his only blot in a decent game.

For all their possession, Madrid were struggling to break down a really well-organised Valencia defence, who were repelling everything RM threw at them. Valencia had another break in the 40th minute, with Nani cutting down the wing well and playing it back for Parejo, who fired over. This move proved costly, however, as Nani went off injured. His 6 assists in La Liga this season have only been bettered by Kroos, Luis Suarez, Piatti and Neymar.

Just as it looked that we were going in at halftime with a comfortable lead, Madrid halved the deficit. Cancelo should have done more to cut out the cross and Mangala, who had been winning most of the aerial duels up to then, lost his man. Unfortunately, this was one of the best headers in world football, CR7, who planted an unstoppable header past Alves.

The second half was an uncomfortable one to be a Valencia fan, as Madrid bombarded the Valencia defence. VCF in contrast, only had a couple of half chances for Parejo and Zaza, but, with most of the Valencia team forceably camped in their own half, lack of options meant the chances came to nothing.

No game against Madrid would be complete without dicey and questionable refereeing. In fairness, Penaldo should have had a penalty when Mangala brought him down, but any injustice towards Madrid was more than outdone at the other end. First, Zaza was barged off the ball by Carvajal, which the ref deemed a shoulder challenge but gets given as a penalty half the time. The second was absolutely blatant, with Munir brought down by Ramos inside the area. It was also a mystery how Bale managed to escape at least a yellow, hacking down Cancelo in a petty revenge move. Madrid also showed their lack of class, playing on even when Valencia had Zaza and later Parejo down injured. That was the only negative for Valencia this game, with Nani and Zaza going off with injury concerns. Orellana was also substituted, though it's unclear if that was for tactical reasons or because he'd picked up a knock.

Madrid had an insane 72% of possession and were pinging the ball from wing to wing desperately trying to find a way through, but were mostly stifled by a resilient VCF defence. The closest RM came was a Bale header and a scramble inside the box, with Bale and Ramos trying and failing to poke the equaliser in. Navas even came up for a corner at the end, but Valencia managed to avoid their conceding-late-goals hoodoo and held on for a vital and morale boosting win.

It's hard to believe that 2 months ago, it was all doom and gloom, with Prandelli's rant about suffering for the shirt and the team only out of the relegation zone on goal difference. In 2017, only the top four have got more points than us and we have wins over Bilbao, Madrid and Villarreal under our belts. European qualification looks a jump too far, but there's no way we shouldn't go on to push for top ten. Now to player ratings, and you'll forgive me if these are a bit "samey" but it's hard to differentiate these guys after such a great showing.

PLAYER RATINGS
Alves 9 - made some crucial saves. I criticised his distribution before but he was involved in starting off the first goal.
Gaya 8 - mostly handled the Real Madrid attacks.
Garay 8.5 - solid and reliable defensive performance, stopped almost everything that came his way.
Mangala 8 - at fault for the goal, but a great aerial presence and also blocked a near certain goal.
Cancelo 7 - involved in the first goal, but weakest one of the defence and should have closed down better for the goal. Overall, not a bad performance, though.
Enzo 8.5 - really great stuff. As ever, marred by a bit of aggression, but contained the Madrid attacks well.
Parejo 8 - solid performance, containing Madrid attacks, which were forced out on to the channels. Also nearly scored from one of his trademark free kicks.
Nani 7.5 - excellent pass to set up the goal. Hope the injury is nothing serious.
Orellana 9 - just like Cheryshev last season, has made a big difference to the team. Luckily, he'll be around a bit longer.
Munir 8.5 - having a good run of games and a super cross for the first goal.
Zaza 8.5 - super first half, brilliant goal and excellent run to create the space for the second. A quieter second half, due to VCF being pinned back. If he plays the next three games like this, we're in for a tricky decision.

SUBS
Siquiera 7 - was under pressure, but mostly did his job.
Soler 7 - decent job in stopping Madrid attacks through the centre.
Mario N/A - job done. Nothing to complain about.

Valencia 2-0 Athletic Bilbao

Round 23 of the season saw Valencia host their nemesis Athletic Bilbao, a team that have caused Valencia numerous problems in recent seasons. We hadn't beaten them in the league since 2012, the infamous metre-offside goal in 2015 cost us third place and they knocked us out of the Europa league last season. However, this time Bilbao were sandwiched between Europa league games, while Valencia had had a full week's rest. If ever there was a time to end the jinx, this was it.

Bilbao had the better of the possession in the early period, though without doing a great deal with it. Valencia's first chance came in the fourth minute, with Zaza shooting wide. Bilbao's best chance came in the 11th minute, forcing a save from Alves. A minute later we were ahead after a great team effort. Enzo robbed the Bilbao defender and, before they could react, Zaza had slotted the ball to Orellana, who put a brilliant ball into the path of Nani, who made no mistake.

For most of the game after that, Valencia would be in control and for once, luck was on our side. An injury to a Bilbao player in the 29th minute meant they had to use up one of their subs, something that would prove critical later. Valencia's defence was solid, with the weaker links being Parejo and Alves. The former gave away two chances, committing a needless foul on the edge of the area and, later, trying to dribble the ball out and giving away possession in a dangerous position which resulted in a shooting chance for Bilbao. As for Alves, he seemed to be trying to be Rene Higuita/Manuel Neuer and one of these occasions resulted in a misplaced pass which Bilbao scored from. Luckily, it was offside, but it would be good to see less risks like this.

It looked like Valencia would be taking a deserved 1-0 lead into the break, only for the team to double it. Garay played the ball forward and nice passing triangle between Orellana, Parejo and Munir put Zaza through and he finished well, to end a 23-game streak without a goal. The big man had clearly been feeling the stress, as he shed a tear. He - and we - needed that goal.

Valencia were dominant in the second half. Valverde sent Iñaki Williams and Aduritz on. The latter has been a real thorn in our side in recent years, scoring in all of the previous five league games, as well as the goal which knocked us out of Europe. This time, though, our luck was in. Aduritz hopped off injured after barely 2 minutes on the pitch, leaving Bilbao with only 10 men for the last half hour. If there's any negative, it's that Valencia seem to take their foot off the gas in such situations, rather than crushing the opponent, much as Eibar did to us. Maybe it's understandable with 3 games in a 7-day period, starting with Real Madrid, from Wednesday. But a 4-0 win would do wonders for confidence. Such nitpicking aside, this is a crucial three points and a good performance. We are now 7 points clear of the relegation zone, with two teams between us and the drop.

The team clearly isn't there yet, as the Las Palmas defeat and home thrashings by Celta and Eibar showed, but the overall feeling is that we're going in the right direction and, under Voro playing more as a unit and with more effort than we did under Prandelli. A record of 3 wins, 2 draw and 2 defeats this year is a significant improvement on late 2016. Also of note: this is the first time since September 2015 we've kept consecutive clean sheets in the league.

PLAYER RATINGS

Alves 7 - I criticised his Neuer antics and his distribution could also improve, but he made the stops he needed to.
Montoya 6.5 - quiet game, but no mistakes.
Garay 7 - good game, functioned well as part of a solid defence.
Mangala 7.5 - very good game. Cut out a number of shots and dangerous attacks.
Siquiera 6.5 - I'd have chosen Lato, but Siquiera had a decent enough game.
Enzo 7.5 - great game doing the box-to-box role we bought him for. Unless we can get a good alternative, we should keep him in the summer.
Parejo 5 - some good contributions in attack, but should not be anywhere near our box. Double pivot isn't for him.
Orellana 8.5 - man of the match for me. Great passing and effort. Looks a steal at 3 million.
Nani 7 - good game, but needs to be less selfish.
Zaza 7 - great to see him score and he put in a good effort harrying defenders. The problem is he seemed over eager and he needs to tone down the aggression and limit the sliding tackles. He only needs to mistime one of those for a card happy official to show him red. Lucky not to get booked in this game.
Munir 6.5 - good contribution in attack, but at times dallies too long on the ball.

SUBS
Soler 6 - good to see him back and he'll now face competition in the midfield.
Cancelo 5.5 - he's been off-form of late and didn't look like an improvement on Montoya.
Bakkali N/A - would be good to see him get more than 7/8 minutes at the end.

Valencia 0-4 Eibar

I'm disgusted. I'm disgusted with these players, who despite being highly-paid professionals, rarely show the commitment we expect and play as if they're in a training match with their friends. I'm disgusted with the management of this club and its woeful transfer policy, which failed to take the opportunities to get us the defensive midfielder that we need in the January transfer window. I'm disgusted with the owner, who has been totally invisible as things have gone downhill. I'm extremely disgusted with La Liga referees and their sheer incompetence which has cost us numerous points.

Tonight we saw yet again what we saw in the Copa versus Celta. It only takes the absence of a couple of players and Valencia fall apart. The squad is woefully lacking in depth.

Regarding the match itself, the first 30 minutes were dire from Valencia. The team constantly seems to struggle against teams which employ a high press and were constantly pinned back, struggling to put any passing movements together. Often the ball would head back to Alves who would launch it forward ineffectively as we have few players who provide an aerial presence. So, usually the ball would come straight back. The defence also seem to lack confidence on the ball and so it's incredibly rare that we can initiate any type of decent counter-attack.

It was no surprise when Eibar were ahead in the 27th minute. Eibar were seemingly able to pass about in the midfield at will and hit a long diagonal cross field ball to the right wing with our midfielders standing around like headless chickens and from the resultant cross, the defence weren't much better, Montoya letting his man get in front of him. Alves should've done better too.

Up front, Valencia were lacklustre, with the 3 forwards operating almost as independent units. There was no understanding at all between Mina and Zaza and they got in each other's way more than anything. Cancelo didn't seem sure whether he was supposed to be a forward or a defender and did neither. Charging back like a bull to commit a couple of fouls giving away free kicks in dangerous areas. Meanwhile Alves was getting heckled by some sections of our fans and unwisely chose to respond.

Just before half time came a key moment. I wouldn't say turning point because we'd been so poor up until then, but it was a moment that certainly confirmed our defeat. With Valencia defending a corner the players jostled each other as always happens in these situations. An Eibar player put a hand on Soler's face, Soler reacted by pushing him away. Normally, the referee would halt the corner and head in to tell both players to cool it. In this case it's Valencia, who referees seem to have a vendetta against. This ref responded with a straight red card and a penalty. 0-2. Game over. Sure, Valencia had looked dismal up to then, but there's a massive difference between being a goal down at home and being 2 goals down with 10 men. I'm sick of these refs, when is La Liga going to employ refs that can do the job?

There was a slight and relative improvement in the second half, but with ten men and playing to a rapidly emptying stadium full of whistles, another couple of goals sunk us. The third was a wonder goal and the fourth was down to poor defending, Garay and Mangala failing to cut out with Montoya again letting his man in front. Bakkali and Orellana came on and improved things for us, but the end of the game, like the end of this season, couldn't come quickly enough. It's hard to believe that the Villarreal game was 2 weeks ago.

I will be on holiday next weekend, so can someone else cover the Betis game write-up, please?

I'm not going to give the players a rating this time, most of them were equally awful and I'd rather finish this horror story now.

PLAYER COMMENTS

Alves - Made some good stops, but seems to be in decline and arguing with the crowd is never a wise move.
Montoya - Made a couple of decent interceptions on the right but partly at fault on at least two of the goals.
Mangala - at fault with the rest of the defence and often unsure what to do with the ball when he had possession
Garay - lacklustre and failed to offer leadership at the back
Gaya - wasn't too bad in a forward role but struggled in defence
Suarez - was able to halt some dangerous moves, but really poor passing
Soler - had been anonymous, but didn't deserve a yellow, let alone a red
Medran - he made an effort but it was not enough. Makes Parejo look world class.
Mina - far better in a central role, limited impact on the left
Zaza - first start and put in a good effort, but all too often his decision-making was poor, passing when he should've shot and vice versa
Cancelo - rubbish. Clumsy tackles, poor passing and at least twice when he had the ball he decided to try and be Maradona and dribble up, losing the ball in dangerous positions. That 30m that was talked about for him suddenly seems like an act of charity.

SUBS
Bakkali - looked threatening, remains a mystery why he never gets his chance and seems doomed to leave.
Orellana - shame this was his debut, good performance, looking forward to seeing more of him.

Las Palmas 3-1 Valencia post-match thread

As my stream cut out at half time, I have to apologise for this one being short.

Anyway, Valencia were brought back down to earth after a few improved results by a Las Palmas side that outplayed them, especially in the centre of the pitch. Valencia did well to stay level for the early period and even took an early lead against the run of play with a great team goal. Enzo intercepted in the middle and put the ball out to space on the left. Gaya put the ball across the box for Mina, in a rare outing as main striker, to poke home. Las Palmas were level before half time. Garay cut out a dangerous pass and with the players sprinting back and looking a little disorganised, Viera was able to curl in.

Things went from bad to worse in the second half. Enzo went off injured at half time and was replaced by Suarez. Munir was sent off for a reckless challenge while already on a yellow card. Las Palmas went ahead from a free kick that Parejo would have been proud of and then put the game beyond doubt after an awful error from Mangala.

As usual it's one step forward, one step back. To me, Las Palmas looked much sharper for the parts I saw, they controlled the midfield and Valencia were rarely able to get any decent moves going. Worse, Munir, Parejo and Nani are all suspended for the next game against Eibar, while Enzo is an injury doubt.

It looks like Fede is gone with Orellana coming in, but the midfield still looks like our main weakness. What do you think?

Villarreal 0-2 Valencia

Voro vete ya!

Take my advice Mr Salvador "Voro" González and leave now before grateful Valencia fans chain you to the Mestalla to stop you leaving. Valencia's super-sub coach has done it again, galvanising the team and showing that last week's performance against Espanyol wasn't a one-off.

What helped was that, with the exception of Rodrigo, Valencia had almost all their players available. Selectionwise, Voro opted for a fairly familiar line-up. Cancelo was selected rather than Montoya at the back,as the latter has some small injury concerns. Garay and Mangala were able to play together for the first time since November. Soler is clearly now a first team regular, displacing Mario Suarez. The main selection question was whether Zaza would start. Voro opted not to. Zaza hasn't played a competitive game in a while, so I guess the idea is to ease him back.

Valencia began in committed fashion, pressuring and winning an early free kick from which Parejo forced a save. It was a hard fought early first half after that with both teams creating half chances, with Mina and Munir both missing for Valencia and Pato shooting just over for Villarreal. After the first 30 minutes the score was still level, with Villarreal just edging the play, but then the tide turned. Nani beat his man on the wing, sped on and with the next defender backing off, put a decent ball across for Soler to slot home. Villarreal looked rattled and Valencia had found a decent rhythm. Confident, keeping possession, no mistakes, solid marking and lots of quick touch passing. We knew this team had this in them. Where has it been all season?

It didn't end there. From a ball from Soler, Mina won a header, pressured the defender into a backpass and then showed great commitment to chase the keeper down and score after an awful mistake from the keeper. Valencia had a two-goal lead at half time for the first time this season.

The second half would mostly see Villarreal butting their head fruitlessly against a solid wall of Valencia players. All the back four were doing well, with Mangala in particular a rock in the air. I'm so used to writing negative things in these match reports, that it's a hard habit to break, but there was little negative here to write. It would be good to see Valencia not sitting back so much if they're ahead, but if they don't concede, who cares? Also, I didn't really get the Zaza substitution. We only have 9 games in which to assess him before we have to buy him. Wouldn't it be better to give him at least 70 minutes in order to properly judge him?

All in all, though, it feels really wrong to say anything negative after such a decent performance. 2-0 away against one of the top six, local derby bragging rights and the first clean sheet this season. It might be too early to draw conclusions, but there does seem to be an uptick. Since November, in La Liga, we've won two, drawn two and lost one, but in both the draws and defeat, we conceded the decisive goal in injury time. Bring on Las Palmas!

PLAYER RATINGS

Alves 7.5 - was mostly screened by a solid defence, but made the saves when he had to
Cancelo 7 - for once, better at the back than as a winger
Garay 7 - very solid, made great interceptions and was faultless in his marking
Mangala 8.5 - one of the big man's best performances, strong in the air and on the ground
Gaya 6.5 - was limited to a defensive role, but managed to close the space well
Enzo 7 - great job covering the defence, would get a higher score if he toned down his aggression, playing like this he'd get a red card with some refs
Parejo 6 - quiet game, but worked well with the team and no mistakes
Soler 7.5 - excellent first goal and another confident performance
Mina 7.5 - good to see him back to form, I may yet win my moneyless bet against Kerry Caitlin!
Munir 7 - good running up front, created a few chances and helped out well with covering the defence
Nani 8 - super game, especially in the first half, is in the top ten in La Liga for number of assists

Subs (all unrated due to lack of time)

Suarez - nothing to complain about, but his time at Valencia is surely limited now, with Soler's emergence
Zaza - think we should have brought Bakkali on instead. Zaza looks a strong, physical player. Best of luck to him.
Montoya - hope he's back soon, has been playing well of late.

How Will Zaza Do at Valencia?

Valencia recently acquired the services of one Simone Zaza. The former Juventus and West Ham player comes to us on a loan deal that cost us about 2 million, per Marca, and will cost us another 16 million if he plays 10 or more games for us. The Italian international striker has had difficulty logging minutes at West Ham because of a similar clause in his contract that West Ham didn’t want to activate it.

However, whether or not we keep and use him will depend on how well he plays for us and how well he fits into our system.

In his best years as a player, from Sassuolo from 2014 to Juventus in 2016, he excelled as a human battering ram. Tall, strong, fast, he excelled in harrying defenders and making runs in behind them, proving himself to be an unsettling man on the field. These qualities made him a super sub at Juventus, where he would be brought out late in the game to torture tired opponents.

Seeing as Rodrigo was doing a very similar thing here at Valencia, chasing down balls and making runs, it shouldn’t be too much of a stretch for Zaza to start leading the lines here. Our system asks for a striker with his MO.

His biggest weaknesses as a first division striker are his technical ability and finishing.

He doesn’t excel when opposing defenses don’t give him space to run in, and has difficulty dropping into the midfield, picking up the ball, and getting it out. Therefore, he likely won’t be very useful playing in a pair of strikers. The usual 4-2-3-1 formation will probably suit him best because he’ll be accompanied by the creative Dani Parejo, who’ll hopefully be able to slip him the occasional through ball for him to run on to.

His finishing also isn’t top notch. It’s good, and on Youtube you can find him scoring a few golazos, but a major criticism throughout his career has been his inconsistency in front of the goal. However, to be perfectly honest, Rodrigo and Santi Mina, for all their hard work, have unfortunately set a rather low standard in that department, so for all we know Simone could actually be an upgrade.

All in all, it seems that we bought a stronger, taller Rodrigo who wouldn’t be as comfortable on the wing. That said, given the shortage of good strikers on the market, if he works out, at 25 years old, he’d represent a fairly good deal for Valencia.

Will Simone do well at Valencia? Tell us what you think, and thanks for reading.

Valencia sign Zaza

In case you haven't heard, Valencia have confirmed the on-loan signing of Simone Zaza, who joins us after an unsuccessful spell at West Ham in which he failed to score in 11 games.

The loan is costing Valencia €2m, while in summer the club will have to pay another €16m plus a possible €2m in bonuses if he plays more than 10 games and Valencia don't get relegated.

This transfer was mooted under Prandelli, but, with the Italian resigning, there seemed to be doubts about it going ahead. Zaza did well in his early years on loan at lower division clubs Viareggio and Ascoli scoring 29 goals in 54 games, but in the 3 and a half seasons since then the stats have gone south, with the player averaging less than a goal every three games before his move to England, less than Rodrigo has averaged this season, as it happens. A combined total of €20m seems a lot for a player who is not a guaranteed goal scorer.

On the plus side, he does bring attributes that the team have lacked up front this season: strong in the air and a physical player, capable of holding the ball up, qualities similar to the departed Negredo. Also, at least in contrast to the latter, Valencia have a try-before-you-buy deal. If he does well, the team can splash the cash. If he doesn't produce the goods, we've at least secured cover for Rodrigo and then can cut our losses by simply benching Zaza in mid-March, close to when Rodrigo is due to return from his injury.

What do you think?

In other news, Vinicius looks set to go on loan at a Segunda side, while the postponed Valencia - Real Madrid game has been confirmed for Wednesday 22 February at 21:00 Central European Time.

Valencia 2-1 Espanyol

Valencia's first league win since mid-October. The result is misleading, suggesting a close-fought game when, in reality, Valencia were dominant and produced what may be their best performance of the season so far. For most of the game the team played more like a team with great link-up play and understanding between the various players.

Valencia began as they would go on, threatening and pressing and not giving Espanyol time to settle. A good chance came early on, Nani fed Gaya whose cross was tipped away by the keeper, with Soler very unlucky to have his shot cleared off the line. Soon after Valencia were ahead after a great team move, with 6 or 7 passes finding Nani, who put the ball across for Montoya to score.

Valencia were comfortable for most of the half after that. It took until the 35th minute for Espanyol to get a chance which Alves saved well. The only negative was that, by half-time, our dominance had only produced a 1-goal lead.

The second half again saw VCF controlling proceedings, the defence and midfield in particular looked solid, up front was the only let-down. Things looked a bit confused at times, with Mina, who was supposedly playing right forward often ending up in the left channel, while Munir had few touches.

After generally having a good game, the ref then started to lose the plot, booking several Valencia players in succession, while hard challenges by Espanyol went unpunished. Valencia's intensity dropped a bit and the need to avoid second bookings by many of our players led to Espanyol coming back into it more. However, in the 72nd minute, any doubts looked over. A great free kick by Parejo was whipped in, with the keeper producing a great save, but before there was time for controversy over whether the ball had crossed the line, Mina nodded home.

It should have been done and dusted after that but, unfortunately, this is Valencia, who can never keep clean sheets against anyone. A through ball almost put Espanyol clear, but Santos produced great defending to cover. From the corner, Valencia looked set to clear but really amateurish decision making from Nani led to Espanyol recovering possession and scoring. Luckily, VCF were able to hold on without too much trouble, but again, it would be good to see dominant performances like this rewarded with more convincing wins. Nonetheless, VCF now move 4 points ahead of the relegation zone and more performances like this would see the team breathe more easily.

PLAYER RATINGS
Alves 7 - Didn't have much to do, but did it well when he had to.
Gaya 6.5 - This was like the Gaya of old, for better and worse, Great attacking play but caught too far forward a couple of times. Needs to keep his cool too, even when the ref is clearly in the wrong.
Santos 7 - very solid defending and covering, hopefully the injury at the end was just cramp
Garay 6.5 - didn't notice him that much, but I guess that's partly down to him marking the Espanyol forward out of the game
Montoya 7.5 - can we promote him to number 9? Has now scored as many in the last 2 games as Barragan did in 150 games. Decent defending too.
Enzo 7 - wow: completes the full 90 and....! Doesn't get booked. Great job screening the defence.
Parejo 7.5 - so often a target for the Mestalla boo-boys, but rarely put a foot wrong this game and was involved in both goals
Soler 7 - really confident performance from the youngster, hopefully he can replace the often-ineffective Mario.
Nani 6 - a really good first half performance undermined by the awful decision-making that gave away the goal
Munir 4 - worst of our players, didn't do enough running and no surprise when he was the first to be subbed off
Mina 7 - return to form for the youngster. Ran tirelessly and scored his first since the opening day.

SUBS
Cancelo 6 - did a decent job after coming on
Bakkali & Mario - late subs to waste time, so no rating.