Valencia CF year in review and future outlook

Warning: long text ahead...

Valencia CF has had a mixed bag 2012 year in which it finished 3rd in the Spanish premier league, dropped out the Champions League in the group stages, but that made it possible to reach the semi finals in the Europa league at which point Valencia CF lost to Atletico Madrid. Valencia CF also had success in the Spanish cup Copa del Rey in which it reached the semi finals as well, but lost to FC Barcelona.

While on paper the club did very good that season, in reality things were different and Valencia CF was playing one of the worst football in recent years. In fact Valencia CF went into the new year of 2012 back then with a huge cushion on the table and so even with bad results in the second half of the season it managed to stay and keep 3rd place at all times, although by the end every match was terrifying and the team felt like climbing a 180% degree mountain.

The problems were becoming evident towards the end of 2011 when Valencia CF missed out on Champions League football and went on to loose 3-0 to Chelsea, which even though Chelsea went on to win the Champions league, it was strange because Chelsea were playing a defensive style football, attacking only on counter attack and scoring goals only on the counter, so loosing 3-0 to them was really terrible and meant Valencia CF would go on to play in the Europa league instead of the Champions league.

Playing in the Europa league isn't bad within itself, its just that you really need to reach the final to be noticed and you got to win the final go get the prestige and money and even then its bread crumbs compared to the Champions League. So whichever way you look at it, its better to play in the round of 16 in the Champions league and loose there, than to even reach the final of the Europa League. If you don't win it, its not worth as much, as Athletic Bilbao can testify.

So the fact that Valencia CF lost in the semi final against Atletico Madrid, who then went on to win it, meant playing there was for nothing, as the monetary gains were minimal and the team suffered in the sporting department, playing more fatigued in the Spanish league.

Valencia CF was also playing in a more sensible competition which is the Copa del Rey as it is a Spanish competition and it has long tradition and most of Spain watches it. It also serves as the morale booster competition if you manage to win it and haven't won a trophy in a long time. The whole competition serves as a jumping board for teams and puts them into the spotlight and gives fans something to cheer for. Valencia CF also did very good in the cup until it met FC Barcelona in the semi final and that would be the end of that journey for Valencia CF.

Valencia CF only managed to win 7 times in the second half of the season out of 18 matches and basically started its poor away form since March of 2012, where after it beat Athletic Bilbao 3-0 away, it never went on to win an away match that season and that poor away match form continued under Pellegrino. That isn't to say the team was terrible, ultimately the team gained quite a bit points in the second half of the season as well and managed to snatch up 3rd place and qualify automatically for the group stage in the Champions league.

The end of 2011/12 season was eagerly awaited as fans just wanted the season to be over and for Valencia CF to secure its 3rd place so it can play in the Champions League competition again and stay on top of the field from the rest of the pack. Towards the end it was widely known that Unai Emery would be leaving the club and a lot of fans were happy about that as they thought that Emery did his best he could at Valencia CF and its now time to bring in someone else who can do even better.

I was one of the persons who had similar thoughts and wrote about why I thought it would be best if Unai Emery left in the summer. Here is the summary of that article: "I think Valencia CF should part ways with Unai Emery this coming summer with both coach and club head held high knowing its on a good line. That said Valencia president Manuel Llorente should only bring in a coach that can improve and build upon Emery's reign and not start over, destroying everything that has been build and achieved over the past 4 years. We need a coach that can sort of take the pieces which are in place already and give them that final polish to be able to reach the next level.
The new coach must also be more experienced and must be proven that he can win and manage a winning team.". As you can see while I was making the case for Emery to leave, I also made the case that the replacement needs to be an experienced coach that can build and improve upon Emery and not start over and that the new coach would have to basically polish the team to get them to the next level.

Manuel Llorente had different thoughts though and he decided that Mauricio Pellegrino the former Valencia CF central defender and two times Champions League finalist with Valencia CF would become the new coach. Obviously he was neither experienced, nor fully knowledgeable as he had never before coached a team and only had two and a half years as a second coach to Rafael Benitez. So this meant that he would be incapable of building upon the existing team and bringing that level of polish that was needed and he would need to rebuild the team yet again, which he stated he would be doing and was the excuse for many of the losses.

Mauricio Pellegrino garnered huge support from Valencia CF fans who knew him as this sung hero and Valencia CF icon. While most Spanish fans were very happy, the international fans, at least people who read this blog and voted on the poll thought that it was a risky choice. Out of 72 votes, 39 voted him as a risky choice, while 22 voted him as a good choice, with only 4 voting as him as bad choice and I guess ultimately they were right, so have a +1.

Mauricio Pellegrino didn't start terrible or anything, in fact he started in great fashion, leading the team to a draw in his first match against last years champions Real Madrid, who just 3 months ago broke all the records to become champions of Spain and were the most feared team in the world. Unfortunately this big draw would not ammount to anything as Valencia CF went on to draw at home against the newly promoted team of Deportivo La Coruna who were weakened by the loss of Andres Guardado their best player and he just so happened to transfer to Valencia CF.

That match started great for Valencia CF who pretty much dominated the first half and were running circles around Deportivo La Coruna, scoring 3 goals in the process and lead Deportivo 3-1 at half time. I remember watching an English commentary stream and the English caster was showering Valencia with praise how they were playing with such ease and how the team could easily challenge the Real Madrid and Barcelona duopoly and that this match was proof that Valencia CF can muddy the waters for the champions title this season and boy I agreed with him. Then the second half started and everything changed. It was like a whole other team came out, that was some low level, bottom of the table team. It was just incredible and Valencia conceded 2 more goals and went on to draw with Deportivo La Coruna in that match. Read my match report.

While Valencia was playing poorly in La Liga, the team was performing very good in the Champions League, having only lost once and that was away to Bayern Munich. By the last match the team was fighting to finish first in the group, but just felt short of it as Bayern Munich also won their last match and had better direct score against Valencia CF. That didn't save Pellegrino though as he pretty much sealed his own faith by loosing two matches in a row in the Spanish league, first against Malaga 4-0 and then a week later 5-2 against Real Sociedad. Those were two huge losses in a row and coupled with the terrible away form and mid table position on the table at that time he was sacked.

Since then Ernesto Valverde was appointed as the new coach and the rest is the present. Valencia CF has performed better under him and the team has looked more alive and more capable, although the judgement is obviously still out and the final conclusion can be made at the end of the season.

So what is going to happen in the new year, what is the future outlook of the team? From my deep research and analysis and I have been right 100% in all cases, not just with Valencia CF either, I predicted Barcelona would fail last season and that Real Madrid would go on to win the league and I was right. Barcelona lost the title and wasn't as convincing as in years previous. This year I wrote an article that Real Madrid would fail and explained to great detail why that is going to happen and I was right. I said Barcelona would win the title and its looking like it.

So from my deep research and high level analysis I can see Valencia CF improving a lot and probably finishing in 3rd place, most likely above Real Madrid. Now again there are a lot of factors going in here, I'm yet to see any of the different clubs transfers in the winter transfer window and this could change the situation completely. Real Madrid could strengthen, Atletico Madrid could strengthen, then of course Valencia CF could weaken if they bring in some poor reinforcement, but overall if there are little changes in the top 6 teams right now, I fully expect Valencia CF to finish 3rd, possibly 4th place if the schedule turns out to be bad and fatigue plays a big part of the performance.

So what am I basing my analysis on you ask? I base it on whole set of points, from just the schedule of matches that we have, the training schedules, from reading, watching videos and seeing pictures of the team's training sessions, to understanding the team dynamics and following the players very closely individually and assessing the situation and then from all of them combined, assessing the situation team wide. Then I asses the performance of other clubs, I asses Valencia's performances and why the team hasn't been performing good, but most importantly I've come to the conclusion that the team has been underperforming for months now. So if you have a team who's been underperforming for months, you can either hit a bottom and then bounce back or you can start performing to the level of optimal performance. So I'm betting that we won't hit bottom and I have proof of that in the past several matches under Valverde, so there is basically no other option but for the team to start performing to its full extent and possibly even over performing, but hopefully it will not peak too soon.

Juan Bernat to stay at Valencia CF

Valencia CF Juan Bernat

There were reports in the past that Juan Bernat is going to go on loan in the winter transfer window, in fact if you use the search window on the right corner you can find the article and read it, but with the arrival of the new coach Ernesto Valverde things have changed as the new coach has publicly stated that he would like to keep Juan Bernat at Valencia CF and that he will need him now more than ever since Sofiane Feghuoli is going to play at the African cup of nations and with the fact that Mathieu and Cissokho are injured, he is having to play Guardado as left back, so that opens up the possibility for Bernat to get some good playing time and compete with Jonathan Viera.

Also Valencia CF sporting director Braulio Vazquez has also mentioned that Bernat would stay at Valencia and that the club has no plans of loaning him out in the winter transfer window.

Some rumors were circling saying that Valencia CF might even bring back Paco from Getafe as he isn't getting much playing time, though nothing serious so far, but I'll follow it up and see if its true, but I really doubt it.

Granada CF 1-2 Valencia CF Match Report

Valencia CF starts the new year with a win, albeit a hard fought and quite conflicting one. It took Valencia CF 82 minutes to win against a 10 man Granada CF, who credit to them hold on well as a defensive unit, but  Valencia CF did have the chances to win by more and should have taken them.

A victory is a victory as the saying goes, but this match showed that Valencia CF have a lot of improving to do, with improving long range shots of players like Jonas for example, to more useful balls in the penalty area and more combinations in just before the final third so they can open up the opponents.

Our wing play was once again exposed, especially on the left wing, since Pablo Piatti was on fire on the right wing, but my point is as I've written a month or two ago that only one wing plays at a time, so we have trouble stretching the opponents and end up attacking only from one side, making it easier on the opposition to close us down.

Again it doesn't take a genius, it doesn't take some deep understanding to figure this out and simply seeing the reality of the play shows you that in most matches our wings don't work. In some matches only one wing works, in others none of the wings work and the team also lacks the intricate combinations to do much from the center field.

Whether this is a players issue or a tactics issue or a combination of both is hard to say. From my analysis I'd say our wings are too slow and very conservative, the players need to be more adventurous and a lot faster. In most of the matches, all of the players are conservative and worry too much not to loose the ball, instead of trying to dribble past opposition and move in. So I'd say we need faster wings, like we saw in this match with Piatti and more raw penetration, more going in, more dribbling on the wings.

There is no doubt in my mind that if Piatti didn't play probably his best match in a Valencia CF shirt last night, that Valencia CF would have won. In fact I think the team would have probably lost, as Piatti was instrumental in both goals, one he provided and the second he scored. So his play created both the goals and he was a thorn all night in Granada's eye.

Also I wasn't impressed with how the team played in the first half at all, in fact there was no urgency, no fast plays, the movement of the ball was slow, the combinations were short, the strings of passes were short, the pressure on Granada players almost non existent and the penetration in the final third lacking.

The play only improved in the second half, but question is how would have the team played if Granada were with 11 players? My view is that the teem needs to improve and improve a lot, the defense needs to be tighter and more focused, the ball movement needs to be faster and there needs to be more combinations and fast wing plays to stretch the opponents. The team also needs to put more pressure on the opposing team when the ball is in their foot.

Granada CF (1): Roberto, Nyom, Brahimi, Mainz, Siqueira, Íñigo López, Dani Benítez (Angulo, min. 46), Mikel Rico, Torje (Yebda, min. 62), Iriney (Jaime Romero, min. 83)e Ighalo.
Valencia CF (2):  Diego Alves, Rami, Albelda (Valdez , min. 51), Jonas (Barragán, min. 91), Soldado, Ever, Piatti (Tino Costa, min. 83), Pereira, Guardado, Ricardo Costa y Dani Parejo.
Goals:  1-0 Min. 49' Angulo 1-1 Min. 59' Jonas 1-2 Min. 81' Piatti.



Player Ratings:
Diego 5 - Was way forward for Granada's goal. Angulo's shot was very good, a powerful lob, but Diego should have been closer to the line and it wouldn't have been a goal.
Joao Pereira 6 - Combined well with Piatti, though he did have some trouble dealing with Granada's attackers on occasions.
Rami 6 - Didn't have much to do and not at fault for the goal.
R. Costa 6 - Again nothing to do as Granada barely threatened and wasn't responsible for the goal.
Guardado 6 - Not troubled at all at the back and went forward to great extent, but didn't have anyone to combine with at the left wing.
Albelda 5.5 - Did well to cover for the defense at occasions, but was useless in attacking sense and substituted early in the second half to make way for Valdez.
Ever 6 - Was involved in most of the actions and was always available for a pass, providing some good passes, but his job was made easier with Granada being down 10 men.
Piatti 9 (MotM) - Absolute beast against Granada, caused them trouble all match long, provided countless great crosses, was able to pass his markers numerous times and provided the assist to the first goal and scored the second to mark a perfect afternoon for him. Hopefully his form continues.
Parejo 6.5 - Was actually quite useful and dangerous. He provided a lot of useful passes and combined well in the final third, also adding another body in the penalty area when needed. I suspected that his poor play was due to his deep position in midfield and judging on this performance I was right, he needs to play in advanced positions.
Jonas 7.5 - Played in a more advanced position and had more freedom in his movement playing off with some good plays by him. He did waster 2 chances with some terrible shots, but accounted for it by scoring a goal.
Soldado 6.5 - Scored an assist to his name and missed a good chance when he hit the post. He could have even passed the ball and it would have been a certain goal. Was overall active and threatening.
Subs:
Valdez 6 - Had a chance on goal and was very active on the field, increasing Valencia's energy and work rate significantly.
Tino N/A - Not enough time
Barragan N/A - Not enough time

Tottenham Hotspur still keen on Jonas

Jonas Gonçalves Oliveira

Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur FC are still keen on Valencia CF striker Jonas Goncalves. Tottenham Hotspur are yet to strengthen their attack and are once again looking at Jonas Goncalves as a potential target. In fact they have been interested in Jonas Goncalves for a while now, they had some competition from Liverpool FC, but with the arrival of Sturridge from Chelsea means Liverpool are set in that area now.

Tottenham Hotspur are sitting on a lot of cash right now and they do have a lack of quality strikers, with pretty much only Defoe scoring goals for them, so Jonas could be a good option, though they'd likely try to offload some of the other strikers they have first so they can be able to purchase new players.

Other reports also link Jonas going back to  Brazil, though I don't see that happening as on average the Brazilian teams are not that wealthy and I don't see Jonas wanting to go back to Brazil which is a lower level league than the Spanish league.

Real Madrid and Barcelona want Vicente Guaita

Guaita to Real Madrid or Barcelona?

Spanish media are reporting that Real Madrid and FC Barcelona are interested in Valencia CF goalkeeper Vicente Guaita and would like to see him in their ranks.

As you know Arsenal FC were also reportedly interested and still are, though with Arsenal having the striker position as top priority for reinforcement they don't want to spend too much money on a goalkeeper and would instead like to invest all that money in a quality striker.

Real Madrid's coach Jose Mourinho is supposedly in terrible relationship with Real Madrid icon Iker Casillas and if Mourinho stays at Real Madrid its said that Iker Casillas will be forced to leave and Jose Mourinho sees Vicente Guaita as the perfect replacement for Iker.

FC Barcelona on the other hand are going to loose Pinto in the summer and would like to bring in a quality reinforcement that will be able to compete with their current number one keeper Victor Valdes and they see Vicente Guaita as the perfect option for them, that will give them options at the goalkeeping post.

As I've written previously Manuel Llorente is not a big fan of selling Vicente Guaita and would much rather sell Diego Alves as he has been under pressure to have more Spanish players in the team and Guaita is a Valencianista. In fact just recently Vicente Guaita publicly stated that he wants to stay at Valencia CF and become first choice there.

Granada CF vs Valencia CF Match Preview

Granada CF vs Valencia CF Match Preview

Stadium: Los Cármenes

Date: 05.01.2013; 18:00 CET

18th matchday, La Liga

Coaches: Juan Antonio Anquela and Ernesto Valverde

Granada CF

Granada CF are coming to this match after a series of mixed results. In fact their last 5 matches are two wins, two draws and one loss. The last match was a small away victory against Osasuna of 1-2 with which Granada CF managed to avoid the relegation spots. So far this season Granada CF have been in and out of the relegation spots and its likely that this battle will continue for the rest of the season and their challenge is increased today as they will face off against Valencia CF. 

Granada CF are sitting at 15th position with 16 points from 17 matches and I swear the numbers just came out like that and was not planned. Anyways they have 4 wins, 4 draws and 9 losses with 25 goals conceded and only 13 goals scored. Their main goalscorer is Youssef El Arabi with 4 goals scored, who also has one assist to his name. Youssef El Arabi has featured 17 times, so pretty much in all matches and his goal scoring ration isn't very good. Last season he played for Al Hilhal and scored 12 goals for them and before that he's been a good goalscorer in France, so its obvious that he isn't getting many chances at Granada CF.

In fact from the matches I've watched with them I'd say the biggest problem for Granada CF is their attack, or lack thereof. They virtually do not have any attack and while they do create small number of chances, the biggest area of play for them is their own third. In fact so much so that Granada CF has failed to score in 8 matches total.

Granada CF squad: to be announced...

Valencia CF

Valencia CF on the other hand are coming to this match after a good series of good results, in fact so much so that Valencia CF has won 4 times in the last 5 matches. Now this does not mean Valencia CF are out of the woods and in some great form, only two wins are in La Liga, where the team also has a loss and two wins came in other competitions. So Valencia CF really has a long way to go before things start falling into place and a good start in the new year would be a good, secure win over Granada CF. As I've already written above Granada CF is one of the worst offensive teams in the league and I certainly wouldn't want Valencia CF to concede a goal to them and while Granada CF are decent at the back, that is to say not terrible, they are still leaky and Valencia CF should be able to win securely.

Valencia CF new coach Ernesto Valverde has also been coaching the team for almost a month now and has probably been able to asses the players and their condition, form and playing style and I believe that he as experienced coach would know how to set up the team to get the best out of the players and win in most of the matches, something I believe Pellegrino as inexperienced coach lacked. So I fully expect to see the team start playing better and what a wonderful test in Granada CF to really flesh out the new tactics and style before the team tackles on better teams.

I want to wish the players and the team a happy new year and huge success in the new 2013 and hope they can finish 3rd place in the league and go on to win the Champions League, because I want the team to succeed after 10 years of nothing. The time is now and regardless of the financial situation, the team should be able to do it in the sporting aspects.

Sofiane Feghouli as I've reported days ago signed a new contract extension that will keep him at Valencia CF till 2016 and has been now officially confirmed by Valencia's official website. I'm mentioning this little news here because he is actually injured right now and though he has rejoined normal training may not be in contention for starting place, especially since he will likely go to Algeria for the African cup of nations after this match. Other than him Gago has been back and training normally and may even feature in the team, Jeremy Mathieu is still recovering, but is only about 2 weeks from returning and Sergio Canales has been training with the ball and light exercises, though he is likely still a week or two from playing.

Valencia CF squad: to be announced...

Technical Details Valencia CF (probable setups):

Formation: 4-3-3

Line-up: Diego; Pereira, Rami, R. Costa, Guardado; Albelda, Tino, Banega, Jonas; Soldado, Piatti.

Tactics: High defensive line, all round pressure, mixed passing, center attacks mostly.

Result Prediction:

Granada CF 0-2 Valencia CF

AS I've already written Granada CF is really weak offensively and not very sound defensively either. Even with all of Valencia's problems this should be a secure win for the team, but the fact that the team has practiced intensively and Valverde has had plenty of time to improve stuff now I fully expect a secure victory of 2-0 for Valencia CF over Granada CF.

Ernesto Valverde is getting all the girls

Valencia CF coach Ernesto Valcerde seems to be getting all the Valencia girls with his obviously amazing charisma and great looks. I just hope the players don't become too jealous.

Yeah I'm obviously joking, or am I? Anyways a little fun post to up the spirits.

Sofiane Feghouli contract extension officially confirmed

Sofiane Feghouli contract extension has been officially confirmed by the official Valencia CF website. His contract has been extended till 2016.

Valencia CF transfers 2013

Happy New Year ladies and gentlemen and happy holidays. For those of us Valencia CF fans the club had a good year in which it finished 3rd place in the Spanish league, played in the round of 16 in the Champions League and Valencia CF didn't loose any important players in the summer like Roberto Soldado for example.

The third quarter of 2012 wasn't as good with the start of the new season, as Valencia wasn't able to get the results and the year finished with Valencia at mid table and some problems going into the new season.

I'll start from the back for the transfers and move forward.

There were reports from England and Spain that Arsenal FC are interested in Valencia goalkeeper Vicente Guaita and that Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger will make a big move for Vicente Guaita and even meet his 15 million euros buy-out clause. Of course this won't be the best time for Valencia CF to sell any of the goalkeepers, as club president Manuel Llorente is aware the club will have to sell one of the goalkeepers in the summer, but he wouldn't want to loose one in the winter and he would prefer to keep Guaita as he is a Valencianista and he has pressure to have more Spanish players playing at the club.

As far as the defense is considered there have been reports that Adil Rami will leave in the summer and probably go to Real Madrid or even England and that Valencia CF will use those money to get back Raul Albiol from Real Madrid. In fact recently Valencia CF president Manuel Llorente stated that he would like to bring Albiol back and I tend to take him very seriously, so there is no doubt Valencia will try to buy Raul Abliol from Real Madrid in the summer as the president is under pressure to have more Spanish players in the team and with the coming elections its obvious he will try to bring back Albiol.

Right now the club is working on getting one defensive reinforcement as the club has been with only 3 defenders this season and has had trouble occasionally filling the spots with various injuries and cards. In fact I know the club has 2 almost certain players that will join, I just don't have information who these players are and what positions. I suspect we have one central defender secured and then a defensive midfielder if Gago leaves. Earlier in the season Valencia CF were looking into Bruno Martins Indi a young central defender who play for Feynord.

The other positions at the back are full and apart from a forced sell in the summer of say Aly Cissokho due to the financial situation I don't see any major changed, certainly not in the winter transfer.

In the midfield Fernango Gago has been an issue as he was frustrated by the sacking of Mauricio Pellegrino and wanted to leave, but changed his mind, fast forward to today and he still hasn't really cleared up his situation, with reports saying he wants to go to Boca Juniors and doesn't want to stay at Valencia, while he himself claimed that much of the reports are exaggerated and false, though didn't outright dismiss them. Recently there have been new reports that Boca Juniors have agreed personal terms with Gago and send an offer to Valencia CF for Gago. The offer is said to be 3 million euros over a year, with Valencia CF demanding 4 million euros. The latest player Valencia CF has been linked with as replacement for Gago is Xavi Torres who plays for Getafe, while earlier there have been mentions about Tomás Pina from Mallaorca and Javi Fuego from Rayo Vallecano.

Earlier in the season the staff were interested in Vicente Iborra as a replacement for David Albelda for next season, though they figured out that he isn't as solid in the defensive role and that the team would need to find a stronger and better defensive midfielder who's main position is defensive midfielder.

Then there is the right wing for which the club is searching a replacement for Sofiane Feghouli who will leave for the African cup of nations for a month and possibly be sold in the summer, so the main target right now is Vittolo, after deals for Isac Cuenca and Eljero Elia are said to have fallen apart. Spanish newspapers reported that Valencia CF is interested in Victor Rodriguez who currently plays for Real Zaragoza on the right wing. Braulion Vasquez was also looking at Jordi Xumetra from Elche, though reportedly Elche said they weren't interested in selling him in the winter. Ultimately its very likely the club will bring in a reinforcement for the right wing and my bet is on Vittolo.

All other midfield positions are pretty much full and secured and may even be overflowing a little, as Bernat for example has rarely been given opportunity and Viera hasn't featured too much as well. With Pablo Piatti now fit and back in the squad and Sergio Canales coming back very soon, possibly within a month the midfield is secured, though depending on the performance there may be some big changes in the summer.

As far as the forward positions go its Roberto Soldado, Nelson Valdez and Jonas Goncalves. Its was Jonas that most transfer speculations have been around and he was linked to Tottenham and Liverpool, though since then the transfer rumors about him have calmed down. Reports at the time linked Valencia CF with 23 years old Wilfried Bony who plays for Erdevise club Vitesse Arnhem.

Recently Manuel Llorente publicly stated that he would like to see David Villa return to Valencia CF and with David Villa said to want to leave Barcelona as he hasn't feature much since his recovery it looks like a strong possibility, although Barcelona officials have come out and said there isn't much chance of him leaving in the winter. Then there is also the transfer fee and salary for him, which is much bigger than your average salary in Valencia CF. Still he spend 5 years at Valencia CF and it wouldn't surprise me if David Villa accepted a low salary in comparison to return, though it will all depend if other teams bid for him like say Juventus and even Arsenal FC.

Valencia CF players market value 2013

Valencia CF has some really talented players in its squad, but how much are they really worth?

This is a tough process because there are no measurable element, there is no mathematical formula to form the price of a player, its basically how much the club values its own player and at what price is the club willing to sell the player with few more variables.

The following list is based on current values and it can change depending on performance.


Vicente Guaita, 25yo; positions: GK - 12 million euros
Diego Alves,  27yo; positions: GK - 12 million euros
Joao Pereira, 28yo; positions: RB - 10 million euros
Antonio Barragan, 25yo; positions: RB - 3 million euros
Adil Rami,  27yo; positions: CD - 14 million euros
Ricardo Costa, 31yo; positons: CD - 6 million euros
Victor Ruiz, 23yo; positions: CD - 8 million euros
Aly Cissokho, 25yo; positions: LB - 8 million euros
Jeremy Mathieu, 29yo; positions: LB - 10 million euros
David Albelda, 35yo; positions: DM - 2 million euros
Tino Costa, 27yo; positions: DM, CM - 10 million euros
Ever Banega, 24yo; positions: CM, AM - 12 million euros
Fernando Gago, 26yo; positions: DM, CM - 6 million euros
Daniel Parejo, 23yo; positions: CM, AM - 5 million euros
Sofiane Feghouli, 23yo; positions: RM - 20 million euros
Pablo Piatti, 23yo; positions: RM, AM, LM, ST - 6 million euros
Jonathan Viera, 23yo; positions: LM, AM - 6 million euros
Andres Guardado, 26yo; positions: LB, LM - 8 million euros
Juan Bernat, 19yo; positions: LM - 6 million euros
Sergio Canales, 21yo; positions: LM, AM - 5 million euros
Jonas Goncalves, 28yo; positions: AM, ST - 10 million euros
Nelson Valdez, 29yo; positions: ST - 3 million euros
Paco Alcacer, 19yo, positions: ST - 8 million euros
Roberto Soldado, 27yo; positions: ST - 30 million euros

Arsenal FC interested in Vicente Guaita

Valencia goalkeeper Vicente Guaita

Arsenal FC are reportedly interested in Valencia CF goalkeeper Vicente Guaita. Arsenal FC have had troubles with their goalkeepers this season, as no one has managed to impress Arsene Wenger, so the Frenchmen is keen to bring in a quality goalkeeper in the winter transfer window.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has money to burn as he has been running the team with profit each year for several years now and even in older times, which is why Arsenal were able to build a new stadium, though they also found financiers as well.

But more importantly Vicente Guaita hasn't been the happiest as his contribution has been limited and Diego Alves is the first choice. The problems started with Vicente Guaita getting injured and repeatedly having injuries, through which he would loose his starting place and end up not playing for long periods even when fully healed.

Valencia CF president also knows he is going to be forced to sell someone in the summer transfer, though he would like to keep Guaita as he is Spanish and he is facing presidential re-elections and he has been accused of not having many Spanish players in the club, which is actually true. He might not have much choice though, as Vicente Guaita has a buyout clause of 15 million euros and Arsenal FC can certainly afford that kind of low price for a quality goalkeeper like Guaita. In fact Manchester United payed 22 million for De Gea, so 15 million would be pocket change for Arsenal for an even better goalkeeper.

If Valencia CF looses Guaita the fans, especially the Spanish ones are not going to be happy. I'm not going to be happy, as I'd like Guaita to stay over Diego Alves as Guaita is a Valencianista and has been at the club for all his life. I also would want to loose him in the winter, as that would create a bad situation trying to find a replacement in such a short time, when Valencia is already having troubles finding replacements for Gago.

I do have good news though and I can say that the Sporting director, Llorente and the staff have identified 2 new reinforcements that are fairly certain will go through and have been kept under wraps. So while we are in a search for a new defensive midfielder, two reinforcements have already been decided and the staff have quietly been working of securing the transfers.

Valencia CF Best Winter Players

Valencia CF ended mid season at a somewhat surprising 9th place on the table this year. Last year the team finished 4th place on the table in the mid season and the team was doing very well back then. This season was different though as club legend Mauricio Pellegrino didn't end up as successful as a coach as he was as a player and was ultimately sacked after two terrible consecutive defeats at the hands of Malaga and Real Sociedad.

The players haven't been performing to their best either, so its going to be much more fun with the awards. First category is the summer transfers and as always I will be looking at the statistics, personal ratings, overall skill, team work and then come to a conclusions.

Best summer signing

Best summer signing nominations for the award are: Joao Pereira, Nelson Valdez and Aly Cissokho.

Joao Pereira transferred from Sporting Lisbon for a transfer fee of 3.5 million euros in what was supposed to be a long term solution to our right back problems. Joao Pereira didn't disappoint and fitted in immediately at Valencia CF. Since his arrival he has featured in most of the matches and has been very secure at the back and threatening on the offense. In fact he has the second highest ranking in my player ratings with 6.11 score, just bellow Roberto Soldado.

Nelson Valdez wasn't met with much excitement by Valencia fans and his previous low scoring record in other clubs was weighing down on him. Since his arrival though he has impressed with his performances, which have been characterized with fighting spirit and lots of running. Even though he's featured sparsely as Soldado has been the undisputed started, he's managed to score 3 goals in La Liga and one in the Champions League. But what put him ahead of other players was his commitment and humbleness which is something some other players lack.

Aly Cissokho fought off Andres Guardado mostly in the nomination as he has contributed more than Andres Guardado and has been more consistent, while Guardado has been largely ineffective in attack which is why he was brought in and not as a left back. Cissokho barely had time to adopt and with no Spanish understanding as well was instantly put into action as Mathieu has been injured for most of this season. Even with his lack of adaptation and no understanding of Spanish, he was able to perform admirably and most importantly consistently and has a score of 5.88 in my rating which is significant.

The best summer signing for Valencia CF is Joao Pereira.

• He came in as as the cheaper option out of a variety of options for right back and wasn't the first choice for the sporting director, nor the fans favorite, but has turned out to be the right option as we've seen Mathieu Debuchy and Gregory Van der Wiel struggling this season, while Joao Pereira has excelled at Valencia CF. Him winning this prestigious award awarded by me was uncontested as he really hasn't had a strong competition and Gago who might have been a decent competition has been a terrible professional and no amount of skill can overcome that. 

So there you have it, Joao Pereira the winner of the best summer signing award.

Best Valencia CF player mid season

Best Valencia CF player nominations are: Joao Pereira, Roberto Soldado, Tino Costa.

Joao Pereira as I wrote and already won the best summer signing award has been in terrific form for Valencia CF and while he had some smaller defensive problems initially, he quickly ironed out those and has been solid at the back and going forward. He's been quick to track back from attack and quick to go forward and support the wingers on the right. His crosses have also been very accurate and has had good amount of penetration on that right flank. He has also been an outstanding professional, working hard and not making any problems at all.

Roberto Soldado has been a frequent nomination in these awards and has actually featured as a nomination in all my awards, winning the best summer signing of 2010/11 summer awards. Since his arrival in Valencia CF he has been one of their key players and has since rejected a big money offer from Tottenham and has committed his future to Valencia CF. Roberto Soldado is currently the biggest name in Valencia CF and is generally considered one of the best players at the team, but also one of the best strikers in Europe. This season he had a slow start and a period of drought, but has rediscovered his form and went on to score 9 times in the Spanish League and 4 times in the Champions League. He is right now also the highest rated player on my ratings with 6.20 rating.

Alberto 'Tino' Costa isn't the obvious choice for this award as he doesn't boast the best assist or goals statistics and isn't the most talented and technical player, not even one to make a difference in thigh matches, but he has been very consistent, very hard working and has chipped in with few assists and goals as well, helping the team win some important matches. In fact he is actually tied for first place with 4 assists with Jonas in La Liga, 1 goal in La Liga and 1 assist in the Champions League. His corner kicks and free kicks are also often dangerous, creating quite a few chances for the team through them. Overall this seasons lack of competition has helped him to this nomination and he just edged out Adil Rami due the the Frenchmen's very poor start and occasional big lapses of focus.

The best Valencia CF player for this winter awards is: Roberto Soldado

• While Soldado's two competitors for this winter award have done very well, Joao Pereira even winning the best summer signing, Roberto Soldado has been leaps and bounds the better player so far this season. While Valencia CF can play without Joao Pereira and Tino Costa, playing without Soldado has proven difficult and neither Jonas nor Valdez can quite replicate his goalscoring and fast paced runs into the oppositions penalty areas. Roberto Soldado has scored 9 goals this season in La Liga and scored 4 goals and provided 1 assist in the Champions League. The fact that at times he's had a complete lack of service and still managed to score as many goals is proof more than he is a great striker. His international performances for Spain have also been great this year, fighting off competition from Negredo and Torres. Soldado is also currently the top rated player in my ratings with 6.20 rating so far this season.

Revelation of the season: None

• I haven't been impressed with any of the younger players and potential stars and we haven't seen something extraordinary out of the older players, so at least for me there hasn't been any revelations.

Biggest disappointment of the season: Fernando Gago

• I'm still hopeful for Fernando Gago, but with his mixed performances, constant injuries, unprofessionalism and primadona acting he's been the biggest disappointment so far.

Worst player of the season: Daniel Parejo

• While Daniel Parejo has been improving and has actually had few very good appearances recently, overall he's been poor this season and just like last season bellow his expectations and price tag. In fact he was so bad at the start of the season that people just couldn't stand him playing and there was no alternative at the time as all other midfielders were injured. So even though he's improved and played few good matches, out of all the players he's been the worst and needs to prove himself.

Feghouli extends contract with Valencia CF

Sofiane Feghouli extended his contract with Valencia CF till 2016. With the new contract he will be one of the highest paid members of the squad earning around 1.7 million euros with bonuses. Only few players earn more than him, including Soldado and Adil Rami.

Feghuoli joined Valencia CF in 2010 as a young talented player, considered by many in Spain as the next Zinedine Zidane. In his first year at Valencia CF he was relegated on the bench and only featured few times, forcing Braulio to loan him out to Almeria. He featured 10 times for Almeria and scored 2 goals.

Sofiane Feghouli slowly began creeping into the first team, as Valencia CF lost Joaquin in the summer of 2011 and with Pablo Hernandez being in poor form, then coach Unai Emery gave him more and more playing time, with Feghouli returning the trust with plenty of goals and assists that season.

Right now Sofiange Feghouli is a standard first team player and is yet to have serious competition for the right wing, though with the return of Piatti that may change. He was closely followed by PSG and few other teams and there was a potential that he could leave in the winter transfer market, but now that he's signed a contract that will have him stay till 2016 its clear that he won't be leaving, at least not in the winter, but I don't think he'll leave in the summer either, unless some really big offer comes along.

Valverde wants Rafik Djebbour at Valencia CF

Valencia CF coach Ernesto Valverde wants to bring Olympiacos striker Rafik Djebbour to Valencia CF. Ernesto Valverde as you know coached Olymiacos for 2 years before joining Valencia CF and 3 years overall.

He had great success together with the striker at Olympiacos and would want to see him at Valencia CF. Rafik Djebbour's contract with Olympiacos expires on 30.06 2013 and as such would come cheap.

Of course the striker position is fully covered right now and this option will only be possible if Jonas Goncalves is sold, though right now the status is that Jonas will continue till the summer as any potential offers for him in the winter transfer market would be undervalued.

Fernando Gago close to leaving Valencia CF

Fernando Gago is close to leaving Valencia CF and transferring to Boca Juniors. Fernando Gago wasn't too keen on Pellegrino's sacking to say the least, as he and Pellegrino had a great relationships and the former coach was one of the reasons Gago joined Valencia CF, but since Pellegrino's sacking by the club due to a run of poor results, Gago had wanted to leave Valencia CF.

At one point he declared in the media that he was fine and would like to continue at Valencia CF, but in the past few days its become clear that he wants to leave. Boca Juniors have made it public that they would want Fernando Gago back, but said they didn't expect him to return as they would be unable to meet Valencia's price.

Valencia CF is quickly coming up with replacements for him and there are several names floating in the media as possible replacements, including Tomás Pina from Mallaorca and Javi Fuego from Rayo Vallecano.

Valencia CF 4-2 Getafe CF Match Report

Valencia CF wins its first home match under Ernesto Valverde's control and after did so convincingly. The team looked a lot more attacking and it payed off as the goals started ramping up from the first minute with great offensive display and a lot of chances for Valencia CF, but still some issues in the middle of the park and defense.

The match started with Valencia CF scoring the first goal after just 45 seconds with Soldado opening the scoring from a Feghuoli assist from the wing. It was a fact action where Feghuoli was left alone and his cross found Soldado who scored easily.

Second goal came in the 7th minute, this time Jonas scoring from a Piatti assist. This was also a quick action where Piatti was running forward escaping his marker and his cross found Jonas who was able to score.

Just few minutes later though Getafe would reduce the lead to 2-1 with a goal from A. Vazquez. The goal came after a rather silly counter attack with Vazquez left unmarked and Diego Alves coming out way outside of goal, making it easier on Vazquez to find the back of the net.

The match would slow down in terms of goals from this moment on, though Valencia CF would continue pushing forward and pressing in the middle, while Getafe were more set on counter attacks from which they actually had few decent chances as there was lack of marking at the back, mostly due to Guardado being slow to fall back after going forward and Ricardo Costa failing to cover properly.

Anyways Valencia CF would have quite a bit chances as well, missing few opportunities, but ultimatelly scoring again in the 30th minute after a corner kick by Tino Costa in which Ricardo Costa was left unmarked and was able to head the ball into the net and make it 3-1 for Valencia CF.

Since the end of the first half Valencia CF would have few more chances, especially one after a Piatti pass where Jonas was almost alone on goal and was able to shoot, but Feghuoli moved into Jonas shot, deflecting the ball to go out. Rather poor vision and judgment there by Feghuoli, preventing what seemed like a certain goal. Overall a good first half, though some scares at the back as well, there is lots of room for improvement.

Second half started with Getafe CF being more aggressive, a little bit higher defensive and more pressing in the middle of the park which started causing Valencia CF problems, even though ball possession was still mostly in Valencia's favor. First attack of the second half for Valencia came in the 50th minute and after some circulation the ball was lost, though gained again in the middle where Soldado received the ball and released Jonas alone on goal, but his shot hit the post and bounced off of it outside of goal. This was a huge chance and one that should have sealed the deal.

Of course the unwritten rule where if one team missed a big chance a penalty would occur and the other side will score came true today as Getafe managed to score one more goal in the 59th minute through former Valencia CF defender Alexis out of all players after a corner kick for Getafe.

Valencia CF lost a lot of ground since that goal and was playing a lot weaker and fragile with Feghuoli showing signs of fatigue and barely even running. Valverde saw this and put in Banega instead of Feghuoli, converting to a 4-3-3 system with Jonas on the transforming on the wing. This change would not pay dividend and Valencia CF lost more ground to Getafe who were becoming more and more dangerous.

Valverde decided to react again and brought on Viera for Jonas to try and bring in more width and ball control back, though Viera would have some poor touches and ball control and clearly lacking match form, even though ultimately his introduction would pay off hugely.

Towards the end of the match it was mostly back and forth with play on the middle up to the third on both sides and a lot of dead ball situations with minimal opportunities and attacks on both sides. Valencia would cement the win though 3 minutes into stoppage time our of the 5 awarded when Banega rather luckily found Viera, after his shot missed Valdez which was meant for, but Viera was able to chip the ball over Moya and  back to Valdez who scored Valencia's 4th goal.

Technical Details:
Valencia CF  (4): Alves; Pereira, Rami, R. Costa, Guardado; Albelda, T. Costa; Feghouli (Éver, min.65'), Jonas (Viera, min. 75'), Piatti (Valdez, min. 89'); Soldado.
Getafe CF (2): Moyà; M. Torres, Alexis, Lopo, Mané (Rafa, min. 4'); Míchel (Gavilán, min.72'), Xavi Torres; Lafita, Barrada (Sarabia, min.75'), Diego Castro; Álvaro Vázquez.
Goals: 1-0 Min 1’, Soldado. 2-0 Min 7', Jonas. 2-1 Min 12', Álvaro. 3-1 Min 30', Ricardo Costa. 3-2 Min 60', Alexis. 4-2 Min 92', Valdez.

Player Ratings:
Diego 6.5 - Was very good tonight and had several great interventions which saved the goal, but partly at fault for the goal as he came way too forward from the goal and made it easier for Vazquez to score.
Joao Pereira 7 - Great evening for  the Portuguese who was rock solid at the back and a bullet at the front, providing several good crosses and passes, linking up well with Feghuoli as well as the midfield.
Rami 5 - Poor performance in this match and had trouble all night with Getafe attacks. His poor defending almost gifted Getafe 2 more goals if their attacks were better.
R. Costa 5.5 - Had a lot more work to do and thus had more interventions, but failed to cover well for Guardado and nowhere to be found on Getafe's first goal.
Guardado 6.5 - Bombarded forward all night and almost played as a second winger, though this had consequences at the back and left Valencia's defensive line rather exposed often. Improved defensively in the second half though and made few good interceptions.
Albelda 6.5 - Provided good cover for the defense and made several key interceptions stopping Getafe attacks in their tracks. Was a good outlet to receive the ball as well and circulate it to Tino or right.
Tino Costa 7 - Controlled possession for most of the match, providing some good accurate passes. Lots some fervor and control in the second half, but provided the assist for the third goal from his corner kick.
Feghuoli 5.5 - This was a hot and cold in one game for Feghuoli. Had the brightest starts possible by providing a great assist for Soldado in the 40th second, linked up well with Joao on the right and was rather useful in the first half. Second half though he blocked a shot from Jonas and got very fatigued being rather negative for the team.
Jonas 6.5 - Semi-good performance by Jonas, took his goal coolly and could have had a second if he wasn't denied by Feghuoli. Had two missed shots though and one was really terrible, missing some good opportunities.
Piatti 6.5 - Provided the assist to Jonas for the second goal and was very active all match until subbed. Linked up greatly with Guardado and was very dangerous from the left wing.
Soldado 6.5 - Found himself in the right position at the right time and score a goal 40 second in. Didn't have many opportunities himself later on, but released Jonas alone on goal with a great pass, unfortunately Jonas didn't covert.
Subs:
Banega 5.5 - Was rather ineffective and the play mostly passed him by, when he got the ball he usually lost it or made an inaccurate pass. One of those inaccurate passes found its way to Viera though and created the 4th goal.
Viera 6 - Provided the assist for the 4th goal and it was a super nice chip to lob the keeper and find Valdez. Before that had a rather poor touch and ball control, loosing the ball on few occasions.
Valdez 6 - Came in for about 5 minutes and scored a goal.

Valencia CF vs Getafe CF Match Preview

If you are reading this article that means the world hasn't ended yet and Valencia CF is facing Getafe CF tonight in what may possibly be Valencia's last match so they better win it. Jokes aside Valencia CF is facing Getafe CF in what would be the final match this year, with the next match being in the new 2013 year on January 5th.

The world being fine and still standing Valencia CF must win this match if they hope to have any chance of qualifying for the Champions League next season and for that Valencia needs to catch up to Malaga and beat them for the 4th spot which seems so incredibly tough right now.

After a series of 3 wins in 3 different competitions new Valencia CF coach also had his first loss last week at the feet of Rayo Vallecano. He will be hoping that his second match at the Mestalla will be more fruitful and positive that will result in a win for Valencia CF over Getafe. The players also must start proving themselves and up their performance, as I'm afraid its not Llorente playing on the field and him leaving won't change the situation no matter how much Spanish fans dream it would. I'm here to tell you that it won't and if it will it probably will be for the worst.

Valencia CF needs stability and I'm afraid I'm not seeing any serious people out there that can take the horn from Llorente and steadily steer this fragile ship. Unicorns and fairies are also not real, so no one can just magically fix the situation or bring the best players and anyone who says that is lying and manipulating you, so you need to stop being naive and start being real.

For the match against Getafe Valverde can count on Victor Ruiz and Nelson Valdez again, while Rami is fine as well and in the squad for this match. Missing are Cissokho and Bernat for some reason, while Canales and Mathieu are still recovering from their long term injuries and practicing light fitness.

Valencia CF squad:
Goalkeepers: Guaita, Diego Alves.
Defenders: Joao, Barragán, Rami, Víctor Ruiz, Ricardo Costa.
Midfielders: Albelda, Tino Costa, Parejo, Éver, Feghouli, Viera, Guardado, Piatti.
Forwards: Jonas, Valdez, Soldado.

Technical Details Valencia CF (probable setups):
Formation: 4-3-3
Line-up: Diego; Barragan, Rami, R. Costa, Guardado; Albelda, Tino Costa, Banega; Feghuoli, Soldado, Valdez.
Tactics: High defensive line, all round pressure, mixed passing, mostly center play.

Valencia CF gets PSG in Champions League draw

The Champions League draw for the last 16 is over and Valencia CF got PSG as the opponent in the next round.

Valencia CF officials were hoping to get Schalke 04 as the opponents, as some deemed the easiest opposition, while Ricardo Costa wanted to get Schalke 04 in order to get a revenge for the loss against in the last 16 from 2 seasons ago. Either way PSG are not the best club and are still in the building stages so Valencia CF does have reasonable chances of winning.


Here are the full results:
Galatasaray A.S vs FC Schalke 04
Celtic FC vs Juventus
Arsenal FC vs FC Bayern Munich
FC Shaktar Donetsk vs Borussia Dortmund
A.C.Milan vs FC Barcelona
Real Madrid vs Manchester United FC
Valencia CF vs Paris Saint-Germain
FC Porto vs Malaga CF

Valencia CF trying to get Vitolo

Valencia CF have been interested in Víctor Machín Pérez Vitolo since this past summer and tried to get him in combination with Jonathan Viera from Las Palmas, but Las Palmas rejected the bid as they wanted to keep at least one of their two best players.

Now Valencia CF is interested in bringing him again in the January transfer market in order to strengthen the wings and as the perfect replacement for Feghuoli who will leave Valencia CF to play in the African cup of nations for Algeria.

Las Palmas president Miguel Ángel Ramírez muddied the waters though by saying that Valencia CF are the prime favorites to sign the player, but he would like to keep the player for the whole season and will only sell him next summer. Of course this isn't in Valencia CF interest and the club might get away from the race to sign Vitolo if they can't get him this winter.

Sofiane Feghuoli receives Golden Ball award

Valencia CF player Sofiane Feghuoli received the Ballon D'or equivalent of Algeria yesterday. He was chosen the best player for this year and was presented with the trophy by Johan Cruyff. This award is awarded by the biggest sports newspapers in Algeria El Heddaf and Le Buteur.

Sofiane Feghuoli was in contention against few other players, but ultimately managed to win with his good performances for club and country.

Isaac Cuenca to join Valencia CF?

Valencia CF is getting close to acquiring Isaac Cuenca from Barcelona FC as he is seen as the perfect reinforcement on the right wing. Valencia CF sporting director Braulio Vazquez is said to favor him as he will come at no cost, would strengthen competition on the right wing and deputize for Feghuoli who is going to leave for the African cup of nations and will be gone from the team for at least a month.

Braulio thinks he can also negotiate a purchase clause for Isaac Cuenca and for a small amount of money to be able to purchase Cuenca from Barcelona if he fits the bill here at Valencia CF.

Valencia CF 0-1 Rayo Vallecano Match Report

Strike 6 for the referees this season. I'm starting to think it isn't a conspiracy against us, rather a curse from hell. At least two Rayo Vallecano players deserved red cards and at least one penalty for Valencia CF as well. Soldado was choke-slammed to the ground and the referee said play on. In the first half Feghuoli was fouled by Piti after he was on a yellow and what should have been even a straight red in many cases, tonight for this excuse of a referee it wasn't even a yellow.

As far as the real match is concerned it was a rather dull encounter, with both teams fighting in the middle of the park with Valencia CF overall having a few more chances, though nothing concrete that should have been a clear goal. Rayo Vallecano barely threatened towards Valencia goal and only had one dangerous shot that Diego saved. So while Valencia CF wasn't at its best, Rayo didn't deserve to win and until the penalty barely had one chance and just 3 shots on goal if I'm not mistaken.

Valencia CF play in the first half was rather mediocre with Tino Costa and Ever Banega failing to work together and allowing Rayo Vallecano to keep the ball in their feet, while Ever Banega and Tino Costa were too quick to spread the ball forward, not remembering to slow down and circle the ball and have build-up. The team looks so much better with Albelda on and I have a feeling we'd be seeing a lot more of him in the coming matches. Whether its the security he provides that the team is able to play more relaxed or the experience or a combination of things, he can somehow magically improve the whole team play.

Valencias play did improve in the second half after Parejo came in for Jonas and Valencia CF started controlling the match more, the team also had few good chances with shots from Soldado, Jonas, Tino and others. Soldado also had a good penalty claim as the was slammed to the ground with a choke move, but the foot of a referee allowed the play to continue, only to destroy the game towards the end by giving a non existent penalty for what would be seen in England as ballet, heck in Italy, Germany, you name it would be seen as ballet on eggs. I mean you might as well whistle if a feather touches a player.

I've got to say that since the season started I haven't liked Jonas at all. Apart from the first three games he has been bellow average and just hasn't contributed too much to the team. Feghuoli has also been hot and cold and today was very, very cold. I mean he might as well not play in these situations as he is more of a liability than anything else.

I also don't know why Piatti was substituted in the second half, rather than Jonas. He wasn't too visible on the left, but he did have few sprints that were dangerous, in fact he even had a good sprint alone towards the goal ruled offside, even though he was at least a meter back from the last Rayo defender. So overall just terrible refereeing at the expense of Valencia CF.

Technical Details:
Valencia CF  (0): Diego Alves; Barragán, Rami (Cissokho, min.74’), Ricardo Costa, Guardado; Tino Costa, Éver; Feghouli, Jonas (Bernat, min.65’), Piatti (Parejo, min. 45’); Soldado.
Rayo Vallecano (1): Cobeño (Rubén, min.68’); Tito (Nacho, min.76’), Gálvez (Lass, min. 66’), Amat, Casado; Adrián, Trashorras; Vázquez, Chori Domínguez, Piti; Leo.
Goals: 0-1 Min 83’, Chori Domínguez (p.).

Player Ratings:
Diego 6 - Dealt with what little came his way, as a penalty specialist he really hasn't looked decent on penalties.
Barragan 6.5 - Good defensive display with great offensive forays, providing several good crosses.
Rami 6.5 - Dealth with the Rayo threat effectively and marshaled Chori most of the time.
R. Costa 6 - Didn't have much to deal with, though covered wel for Guardado on the left side when needed.
Guardado 6 - Good defensive display, though not great as he was beaten on a few occasions. Failed to provide much support going forward.
Tino Costa 5 - Did well in midfield and dropped deep to take and ball and move it forward, though failing to link up good with Ever. Guilty for committing a ballet move that was deemed foul by the referee.
Banega 5.5 - Partially better than Tino Costa, but lost way too many balls and too quick to try an outrageous pass which is why he had too many lost balls.
Feghuoli 5.5 - Somewhat involved in the first half, though spend more time falling and complaining than running and creating chances.
Jonas 5 - Had one terrible shot way above then goal early on and then a little better shot that just missed. Apart from those two shots, limited performance.
Piatti 5 - Wasn't involved in the play too much and cut out from the rest of the team. The best try he had was deemed offside and the chance was destroyed.
Soldado 5 - Subdued performance by the striker and looked lethargic for most of the match. Was fouled in the penalty area, but the referee didn't give a penalty.
Subs:
Parejo 5.5 - The play improved with his coming off as he added a much needed stability in the midfield, but wasn't too involved individually in the creation of the play or chances.
Bernat 5 - Failed to provide the penetration on the left, just as Piatti and Jonas failed before him.
Cissokho N/A - Not enough time.

Valencia CF vs Rayo Vallecano Match Preview

Valencia CF vs Rayo Vallecano Match Preview

Stadium: Mestalla

Date: 16.12.2012; 17:00 CET

16th matchday, La Liga

Coaches: Ernesto Valverde and Paco Jémez

Valencia CF

Valencia CF is coming to this match after three consecutive wins, all three is three different competitions and all three at away matches. So 3 wins, at 3 competitions, 3 away matches. New Valencia CF coach Ernesto Valverde couldn't have hoped for a better start to his coaching career at Valencia, though he now faces the always tricky Rayo Vallecano and the team is playing on home terrain. 

Ernesto Valverde said that he expects Rayo Vallecano to play openly and go for the 3 points, he said that they are a tough opponents and are especially dangerous on counter attacks. He said this would be important match for him as he debuts for the first time to the home crowd and that he wants and expects a win for Valencia CF.

In the last 2 matches Valverde played with a 4-3-3 formation, that started as 4-2-3-1, but transformed to 4-3-3 and that is how the team played for most of the time. He has also given David Albelda the starting position and this has worked wonders as he is able to shield the defense very well, thus allowing for more attack minded players like Banega, Tino and even Parejo to play more securely and openly higher up the pitch. This has also enabled for an increased presence of Valencia in the opponents third and the ability to have good build-up play, creating more chances. Valverde has also rotated the squad to a fair extent, giving playing time to Tino, Banega, Parejo, Gago, Albelda, Piatti, Feghuoli, Viera, Bernat, Jonas and Soldado. So a fairly large number of players have played in the last two matches.

I'm expecting the same formation against Rayo Vallecano, though I'm really curious which players he is going to start. He has had now time to asses the players from the 3 matches under him and then in the training sessions and figure out who is better and who is in better form and see their attitudes and game styles. He is also a very experienced coach and unlike Pellegrino, he is more likely to make a better call just from experience. I got to say I'm really looking forward to this match and I'm genuinely excited to see Valencia play, something that I couldn't say for the last 2/3 months.

Ernesto Valverde has selected pretty much all fit players to the squad, leaving the injured or recovering players like Jeremy Mathieu, Gago, Canales, Valdez and Ruiz.

Valencia CF squad:
Goalkeepers: Alves, Guaita.
Defenders: Barragan, Joao Pereira, Ricardo Costa, Rami, Cissokho.
Midfielders: Albelda, Parejo, Éver, T.Costa, Viera, Guardado, Bernat, Feghouli, Piatti.
Attack: Jonas, Soldado.

Technical Details Valencia CF (probable setups):
Formation: 4-3-3
Line-up: Diego; Barragan, Rami, R. Costa, Cissokho; Albelda, Tino Costa, Banega; Feghuoli, Soldado, Guardado.
Tactics: High defensive line, own half pressure, mixed passing, mostly center play.

David Villa back to Valencia CF?

Valencia CF president Manuel Llorente publicly announced few days ago and said its not a secret that he would like to see David Villa back in Valencia CF and that if there is a chance for that he will work towards that goal.

Well there is a big chance that David Villa might return to Valencia as several reports says that he is in bad relationship with Lionel Messi and the new coach Tito Villanova who hasn't been playing Villa much since his return and its said that he is out of favor and second to even Tello and Sanchez.

He is considering leaving Barcelona FC in the summer and Valencia CF could be his potential destination, of course if Juventus don't get in competition of his signature, which depends if they are going to find a new striker in the winter transfer season.

Apart from that David Villa would earn a lot less in Valencia CF than in Barcelona FC and that could be a problem. Llorente sees bringing David Villa to Valencia CF as a good political move so that he can be reelected president and as a perfect replacement for Jonas who is likely to leave in the summer, possibly even in the winter transfer if good offers come for him.

CA Osasuna vs Valencia CF Match Preview

For those out of the loop wondering why I'm writing a preview for Osasuna vs Valencia CF again when the teams played last weekend, the answer is the clubs meet again this time in the Copa Del Rey.

Last match in the Spanish league Valencia CF were able to win 1-0 over Osasuna and achieve their first win in an away match this season and that was Valencias new coach Ernesto Valverde first win as well.

If you've read my match report you would have found out that the team played good football and were in control of proceedings for most of the match and unlike some of the teams previous matches they were able to create quite few chances and opportunities, which unluckily weren't converted.

Since then Valverde has had several training sessions with the team and would be in a better position to translate what the wants and expects of the team, though he has made it clear in his interviews that he wants attacking football and for Valencia CF to always go for the win. We'll see how that translates on the terrain, but I'd be very happy if I see the team playing good attacking football and especially winning with it.

Since the last match Valencia has had few injuries pop up, such as Gago who spend a total of two minutes in last match before getting injured and hes been ruled out for a month, Ruiz as you probably already know is also out for a month of close to it, while Joao Pereira is still recovering as well, though he should be available within a week. Vicente Guaita has also complained about an injury, though he may be ready to play.

So with that in mind, Valverde has been forced to bring in some more players in the squad and send some home and chance have gotten Quiantilla and Gaya from the B team. Valverde said in the press conference that he is going to change up the squad a little and he is likely to rest Ricardo Costa and Soldado and give other players a chance.

Technical Details Valencia CF (probable setups):
Formation: 4-2-3-1
Line-up: Guaita; Barragan, Rami, Quiantilla, Cissokho; Albelda, Tino Costa; Piatti, Banega, Bernat; Jonas.
Tactics: High defensive line, own half pressure, mixed passing, mostly wing crosses.