Hugo Almeida to transfer to Valencia?

There has been some reports that Werder Bremen striker Hugo Almeida may come to Valencia, since his contract ends next season. It has been suggested that talks may start as soon as January and this is Valencia's primary target.

Bogus or not?
Well first of all he fits the bill rather nicely and thus so much speculation about it. He is going to be our of contract, so he will come free, Valencia need a 3rd striker, because we now have only two and if one gets injured we are going to be in trouble, so this fits also. Hugo Almeida is also experienced and has proven to be really good, but here comes the problem. Already with two good strikers I don't think there is a place for a third good one. Someone has to sit on the bench and with the competition already quite high with mostly 1 starter starting due to our formation, that means one has to sit as a reserve at least in one match per week.
If we are to bring a 3rd striker its most likely going to be a second rate striker, someone who is going to sit on the bench and only play in the required circumstances.

So yes, I believe this to be a bogus report, and also the fact that we have two amazing young talents waiting to come to Valencia first ranks in Isco and Paco. He would be a great signing in any other case, but not in these circumstances.

Match report - Valencia CF 3-0 Rangers FC

Gers suffer first defeat Rangers suffered their first defeat in the Champions League this season as Roberto Soldado grabbed a double to hand Valencia a 3-0 victory at the Mestalla.
He netted on both sides of the interval, before Tino Costa sealed the win late on, as the Spaniards leapfrogged Rangers into second place in Group C, with Manchester United strengthening their grasp on top spot with a win over Bursaspor.

Steven Naismith hit the woodwork twice on a frustrating night for Walter Smith's men as they failed to produce the fightback to maintain their unbeaten run in the competition.
Rangers were boosted by the news that Maurice Edu - who netted for both teams as the last meeting between these clubs ended in a 1-1 draw a couple of weeks ago - was passed fit for the match.
The American was doubtful for the clash with a calf injury but was able to start, while fellow injury doubt Vladimir Weiss failed to make the squad.

The inclusion of Edu allowed boss Smith to name the same starting XI who claimed a point against Manchester United at Old Trafford in their opening game.

Juan Mata tried to test Allan McGregor in the opening couple of minutes as Valencia tried to make an early impression but his shot from distance was weak and comfortably dealt with by the Rangers goalkeeper.
The midfielder then had another go, this time collecting from David Albelda, before trying to chip past McGregor but he was able to tip just wide of his right-hand post.

But it was Rangers who could have taken the lead when Naismith embarked on a surging run down the left flank before cutting inside past Albelda and rifling a shot at goal that crashed off the post, with Edu's rebound falling harmlessly off target.

At the other end, Aritz Aduriz's cut-back found Mata in plenty of space six yards out and his rasping effort looked netbound until McGregor pulled off another impressive block to parry the shot wide.
It had been an open game so far and Valencia were threatening again when Aduriz threw himself in front of Mata's free-kick only to see his header flash inches past the post.
But McGregor was picking the ball out of the back of the net when the Spaniards surged into the lead after 33 minutes, finally sparking their fans into life.

Mata's corner was punched clear by the Rangers goalkeeper and, following a scramble in the box, the ball fell for Soldado who was able to fire home. Sasa Papac may have been able to block on the line but McGregor got just enough of a touch to take the ball past the full-back.

Joaquin Terrorizing Rangers defense

Valencia looked dangerous after the restart as they attempted to add to their lead and McGregor was called into action again to prevent Rangers from falling further behind.

Mata was the provider with a lovely cross for Aduriz who produced a firm header that would have found the back of the net had the Rangers goalkeeper not come to the rescue with yet another fine save.
The Scots could have hauled themselves back into the match when Naismith went on another surging run before picking out Kenny Miller this time. The striker shifted onto his left-foot and unleashed a shot that lacked purchase and was too easily dealt with by Cesar Sanchez.

Hopes of a Rangers comeback were dealt a blow when Soldado claimed his second of the night after 70 minutes to put Valencia firmly in the driving seat.
McGregor managed to get a touch but was unable to keep the striker's powerful, low right-footed shot from hitting the target.

Miller then went to ground in the box but there appeared to be little in the incident and German referee Felix Brych waved play on, before Naismith's header hit the post.
It was Valencia who found the back of the net again with a minute to go when substitute Costa rattled a ferocious shot in off the post, before nestling in the bottom corner.
The only good news on a disappointing night for Rangers was Manchester United's win over Bursaspor, leaving the Turks rooted to the bottom of the group without a single point and with Smith's men on course to at least claim third spot and a Europa League berth.

Source: mirrorfootball.co.uk

Player ratings:
Cezar 6 - Not his brightest performance, but when he plays the defense is a bit more stable.
Miguel 6 - Went forward and overall did well defensively, but had 2 big defensive lapses
Navarro 4 - Not an encouraging performance, poor decision making and very slow to react.
R. Costa 5.5 - The CB's are worrisome this season, not a poor performance, but a lot more is required.
Mathieu 7 - Constant forward arrays and really done well with his runs, not neglecting his defensive duties at the same time.
Joaquin 7 - Constantly troubled Rangers defense, made 3 amazing runs towards the end, but he lacked the decision making and made the wrong decision 3 times.
Albelda 7 - Great display from Albelda, put ashame some of his younger Rangers counterparts, even put some dangerous balls forward.
Banega 7- Not at his best, though coming close to it rapidly, had good visions and spread out the ball well.
Mata 9 - This is the kind of performance we've been missing from Mata. He was full of running, combining with other players, showing up all over Rangers back line and making Rangers frustrated with him.
Soldado 8 - Great performance from Soldado, scored 2 great goals and contributed a lot in attack.
Aduriz 7 - Did not score but had several tried with his head, ultimately denied every time, but helped out the time and positioned himself in good spots.
Subs:
Tino Costa 7 - Went in, continued what Banega was doing pretty well and also scored a goal.
Fernandes 5 - Had few long shot tries, that were was bad as it could get and ultimately didn't play good enough it the time given.
Pablo N/A - not enough time.

Match Preview - Valencia CF vs Glasgow Rangers FC Uefa Champions League

 Valencia CF vs Rangers FC
Stadium: Mestalla
Champions League matchday 4
Tuesday 02.11.2010; 20:45pm









Tomorrow is the biggest match in the entire season and I know I said this is one of the most important matches many times, but this really is THE most important match of the entire season period.
A loss or a draw and our chances of going through the Champions League group stage would almost be lost, we would have theoretical chances of going through, but I wouldn't count on it. On the other had a win and we would be almost sure to qualify. Qualification doesn't mean just sporting success, it also means financial success, this year Uefa is giving out the biggest money prizes in the history of the Champions League, each win, each match and each additional round brings a lot of money to the clubs. Considering Valencia's dire financial situation we need every last drop of cash if we are to be a stable and powerful club, like all of us desperately want.

Group C	Bursaspor	Man. United	Rangers	Valencia
Goals scored	0	2	2	5
Goals against	6	0	1	2
Yellow cards	5	2	6	3
Red cards	0	0	0	0
Attempts on target	5	10	13	14
Attempts wide	15	19	13	23
Offside	9	5	7	1
Corners	14	12	8	27
Fouls committed	48	40	28	42
Possession (time)	85	110	73	105
Possession (%)	46%	55%	40%	57%

Group C

	Teams	Pld	Pts
1	Man. United	3	7
2	Rangers	3	5
3	Valencia	3	4
4	Bursaspor	3	0

          Valencia CF vs Rangers FC


Valencia play their most important match in the entire season tomorrow at the Mestalla and only a win will be success as it will open up the path for continuing after the Uefa Champions League group stage.
Valencia are on a series of bad results, the latest match a draw at home against top bottom Zaragoza, previously a loss to Mallorca at home and ultimately only 4 goals scored in 7 matches. If the opposing teams did not score own goals, we would have probably lost the games against Rangers and Mallorca.
With such high importance matches and of course such important competition we simply need to win and to qualify at least in second place in the Champions League.

Rangers on the other side are also coming from a 1-1 draw at home against Inverness Caledonian Thistle FC. Rangers are first in their domestic competition though with 28 points, 1 point above Celtic and huge 12 points lead over third placed Motherwell.
Rangers defensive line is their strongest unit, with only 9 goals received in their domestic competition and only 2 in the champions league.
Overall they are a very solid side, who play compact football and as a team, with a great coach.

Interviews and conferences:

Unai Emery, Valencia coach
We are ready for a similar game to two weeks ago [the 1-1 draw at Rangers] but are also prepared for a different kind of game. They usually play 4-4-2 in the league and 5-4-1 in the Champions League, yet we are prepared for both, especially in terms of tactics and their changes of personnel for the Champions League.

It is a very important game for both teams. We are at home and our job is to play well and win. We want to play good football and we want our fans to enjoy it and leave the stadium happy. We have to make them feel part of the victory. I am hoping for the best-case scenario – a victory in a big Champions League game.

Walter Smith, Rangers manager
It is a very important game and both teams are aiming for second place. Valencia are at home and have a slight advantage. Looking at Valencia's latest results they may be missing players like David Villa, but is a matter of time before they make up for that.

We are under some pressure because we have not experienced this sort of situation before, but we hope this pressure will not stop us getting through and going as far as possible in this competition.

Joaquin Sanchez, Valencia player
In a official press conference Joaquin stated that the group C is quite equal and competitive, but stressed that Valencia is solely responsible for its results and must look at its own play.
"There are many possibilities how the group will turn out, its an open playing field, but we depend on our selves and we know three points are a must in tomorrow's match against Rangers."
About the outcome of the match Joaquin said that he doesn't want to predict the result, but he said the team thinks positively and that the players and coach are calm and optimistic before the match.
He also called the fans to show up at the Mestalla and create a burning atmosphere in order to help the team win in this important match.

Valencia CF official squad list:
Goalkeepers: César and Moyà.
Defenders: Miguel, Bruno, Ricardo Costa, Navarro, Mathieu and Jordi Alba.
Midfielders: Topal, Albelda, Éver, Tino Costa, Fernandes, Joaquín, Pablo and Vicente.
Forwards: Mata, Aduriz and Soldado.


The biggest name on the list is defensively Cezar who returns after an injury, he has recovered quite a while back, but has been working on his fitness. The biggest exclusion is probably Chori Dominguez who seems to be falling out with the coach, after not performing to the required standard. Feghuoli is injured, Stankevicious


Rangers FC Official squad list:
None available
Vladímir Weiss (heel) and Maurice Edu (calf) are injury doubts for Valencia match and may not feature in the starting line-up.

Valencia CF Technical:
Formation: 4-2-3-1
Line up: Cezar; Miguel, Navarro, R. Costa, Alba; Joaquin, Albelda, Tino, Vicente, Mata; Aduriz
Tactics: High frequency crosses from the wings, positional changes from the 3 attacking midfielders, high defensive line and opposing field pressure, deep zone defensive midfielder, long shots.
I don't think much will change tactically from all of the rest matches, its still going to be mostly crosses from the wings, though Emery will probably ask the wingers to try to penetrate to the opposition penalty box when given the chance.
As far as the line-up I have absolutely no idea which players Emery will field, I think the mentioned above are the most likely, but I really am curious as to what players Emery is going to choose.

Result prediction:
Valencia CF 2-1 Rangers FC
Rangers proved that they can hurt us and penetrate our defense on more that one occasion when we played against them at the Ibrox, and our defense has recently been very shaky, so I expect Rangers to score a goal. I hope we are going to win and that's why the 2-1 scoreline, we haven't been scoring many goals lately and have been were uncreative and weak in front of the opposition final third. Hopefully Emery has some hidden powerful tactics and effective trainings methods to turn in around in few days and get Valencia players able to create chances and score. Really whats going to be important is scoring a very fast goal, it will allow us to play better and calmer and wait for our opportunities.

What is wrong?

Something isn't right, that's for sure and only 4 goals(1 from penalty) in 7 matches is not good, not good at all.
So lets take a closer look at the 4-2-3-1 formation, player positioning and movement and how come no player can create chances and opportunities for goals.

Lets take a loot at the above position, these are the positions of the players and the red and white lines represent the movement when Valencia have the ball. For a 4-2-3-1 formation this is good starting position and good transformation, so nothing worrisome here.
We can also see that Zaragoza are playing 5-4-1 and in general when transforming in defense its actually 10 players defending.

As we can see in this picture this is the transformation into attack and where players mostly position themselves and their movement in order to create spaces and opportunities towards the goal. The red and white dots represent the density of players from each team, red is for zaragoza and white for valencia.
As we can see, since they are playing 5-4-1 its very dense between Aduriz and Mata in the center, their midfield players act as their first defensive line and their position as shown by the red lines. As we can see with Valencia players movement vs Zaragoza players movement its very dense and seemingly impossible to crack down and thus we are left with opportunities from crossing, but here is part of the problem. Since Aduriz is the sole attacker he is in no position to fight against 3 defenders all surrounding him, due to Mata's small stature Emery is not playing him in the opposition penalty box and thus he moves towards Pablo and Vicente to receive the ball and than immediately return it.
Mata is no playmaker and does not have the vision that say Xavi from Barcelona has and his position and movement don't represent any threat to Zaragoza. Whats more Pablo and Vicente are always easily doubled, since there are no close Valencia players - namely Banega and Topal nearby to recieve the ball and possibly make a dangerous move or pass.
The support to the wingers comes from the full backs , but again it ends up in crossing the ball to Aduriz, which as we see in not very effective, since he is no threat alone and is easily dealt with. This forces Aduriz to come forward to receive the ball and he is just not dangerous from outside the penalty area.
We can also see that there is no fall back option for Mata, Vicente and Pablo to return the ball since Banega and Topal are too far away most of the time and thus any potential attack must be started all over again, by which time the danger has already past.
Now lets take a look at where the players should move to create more spaces and penetration to the Zaragoza defense.

As you can see the positions are the same, Topal is DM and stays at the back the most, but R. Costa and Navarro are moving and positioning more freely and thus creating essentially a back of 3+2 where we can control the midfield. When Topal goes backwards, R. Costa should go more forwards and make himself available to the other players. Topal needs more movement as represented above, as he moves forward, R. Costa move back to cover the defensive line, Banega is in a more advanced position, but he also has more movement. Miguel and Mathieu should not move only on the flanks, they should act as additional midfielders, this will put pressure on the Zaragoza midfield and defense and should scramble their midfield ranks, negating the first line of defense. This in turn oppens more space for Pablo, Vicente and Mata to roam more freely. A good playmaker will spread the ball all over the pitch constantly shifting the defense, that man in this case should have been Banega, but instead he played too slow and too far behind, that the Zaragoza defense did not have to make huge shifts.
Continuing to Mata he needs to go more in the penalty box and with Banega in more advanced role on the pitch to pass the ball around. Say Vicente goes for a cross, Mata instantly converts into a full out attacker and Pablo comes inside the penalty area to create another man the defense has to deal with. This way we have 3 people in the penalty box, with Banega and Topal marching the final third and Mathieu and Miguel sitting on the flanks.
You can see on the picture that the more the players move in the penalty box the more danger they create and the more density they create for Valencia. The Zaragoza defense is more spread, has to worry for more players and their density reduces, creating openings for someone from Valencia to exploit, in that case it would be Banega and the full backs who are already positioned on the flanks.

I've heard people blaming the formation, but that is simply not the case. Its the positioning and movement within that formation that is most important. The positioning and movement are not good in this formation, because its more complex than the 4-4-2, each player needs to know exactly what their movement and position is and execute it perfectly. The 4-4-2 formation may allow more freedom for our players, but it doesn't mean its best. I think that Unai Emery and the players should work more towards the tactics, positioning, movement to get it right.
If everyone runs like headless chickens like we saw against Zaragoza, we can't win with any formation.
The main point is that the Defensive midfielders in this case Banega and Topal need more movement, they need to be more forward so we have basically more people the opposing defenses have to worry about. The more defensive minded Topal or Albelda (in other cases) will stay a bit more behind, while Banega(Fernandes and Tino in other cases) going more forward. There needs to be a line in the final third of Valencia players that will catch loose balls, spread the ball and be basically available to receive the ball.

Anyways even the best tactics can't work if they are not practiced, if they are ignored by players and if players change week in, week out. Emery needs a more solid starting eleven, players that will gel together, learn the tactics and form understanding for each other. Changing the starting eleven each game will not help to strengthen our weaknesses and while there needs to be some changes, they need to be more subtle and less frequent.

In the end its too early to press the panic button, but things need to improve, with an important Champions League match coming up and difficult matches in the Primera Division they need to happen fast, very fast.

Valencia CF 1-1 Real Zaragoza Match Report

Another poor display from Valencia and a bad result. It would be okay if we play poorly and still win, but this is looking grimmer by the minute. If we take out the game against 3rd division minnows Logrones, we have actually only scored 4 times in the last 7 matches, that is grim statistics. Two more goals have actually been own goals that Edy and now Lanzaro scored and one of those 4 goals has been from the penalty spot, its looks even worse than grim.
Most of the teams have been playing defensively against us, but that is not an excuse, each team plays defensively against R. Madrid and Barcelona but they still manage to win.
What I'm also worried is the defense, while not scoring is bad enough but we at least need a defense to fall back on to, but the defense has been leaking these ridiculous goals that we basically need strengthening up everywhere.

I really miss Mata from 2 years ago with 13 assists and 11 goals, I miss Ever Banega from last year with 8 assists and great playmaker skills, what happened to them?

Anyways I'll leave the technical and talent stuff for now and focus more on the next match we have against Rangers. Against them its do or die situation, if we fail to win its basically game over and our chances would be only theoretical. With that in mind a loss would spell huge troubles, with the team in dire financial situation we need as much Champions League money as possible, not to mention the sporting blow that would be for Valencia. This means we need to get back on track ASAP and get things straightened out on each and every level.
Not continuing forward in the Champions League and we would need to push the panick button and you know what that means right? - Sacking Unai Emery, yes he has been fairly good up until now, but if things don't get great and we qualify for the second round of Champions League it must be done, though I'll leave that tough decision to the president Llorente who so far has shown to be the only capable man in Valencia, reducing the debt by 150 million euros in one year in nothing short of miracle, so in that regards I have faith in him to make the right call.

Zaragoza scored as early as the 2nd minute, while our defense was sleeping Lanzaro managed to score an easy goal, one that should have never happened if our defense was even a little bit good. Valencia reacted which is good, but it was only after 15 minutes and and it wasn't even that strong of a reaction.
Just before half time, as with Rangers Lazarno decided he was wrong to score against us and decided to score a goal in his own net. Twice now opposing teams are rescuing us from loosing, how much more will this happen?

Anyways I'll rate the players and post the technical now and I won't be even troubled to write a match report, because its all bad news.

Valencia CF 1 : Moyà, Miguel, David Navarro, Ricardo Costa, Mathieu, Topal, Éver (Fernández, m. 75), Pablo (Joaquín, m. 60), Vicente (Soldado, m. 67), Mata and Aduriz.

Zaragoza 1: Toni Doblas, Diogo, Jarosik, Contini (Edmilson, m. 69), Ponzio, Lanzaro, Gabi, Pinter (Ander Herrera, m. 46), Jorge López, Lafita (Bertolo, m. 76) and Braulio.

Goals: 0-1. M. 2: Lanzaro. 1-1. M. 42: Lanzaro (OG)

Player Ratings:
Moya 5.5 - Virtual Spectator for the match, should have done more for the goal, just should.
Miguel 5 - The once chance Zaragoza had they converted, all the defense must take responcibility
Navarro 5 - Too slow to react, clunky and uninspiring, whats up?
R. Costa 5 - Both central defenders should fear of Dealbert, if Emery does not make changes it may go downhill from here.
Mathieu 5 - He is very tall and very fast, he needs to do better in defense, good in supporting the attack, but doesn't bring any danger.
Pablo 5 - He was lively and full of running, but unfortunately that did not lead to him scoring goals, making assists or shooting on goal.
Topal 5 - In a match where the other team only defends there is not much a DM can do, but should have tried some long shots or get in the opposing penalty box and and give support to the attackers.
Banega 5 - Went too wide left and too backwards when he should have gone forward, did not have the vision to spread the ball out and thin the Zaragoza defense.
Vicente 5 - Tried hard but same as all the rest could not come up with anything creative or threatening.
Mata 5 - We need Mata from 2 years ago, heck even last year ago, he seems to be reducing in quality, instead of improving.
Aduriz 6 - No support at all, how can he score a goal with no support and no delivery.
Subs:
Joaquin 6 - Better than Pablo, but that doesn't speak much, ultimately he could not break the Zaragoza defense either.
Soldado 5.5 - Did not have really much time, but again didn't score or anything so no bonus for him either.
Fernandes 4 - He was actually worse than Banega, it was like he was saying "Unai you didn't start me, we don't have the desired result, I will play bad in order for us not to win". It was that bad. Came in and looked like he has played 120 minutes before this match.

Valencia CF vs Real Zaragoza

Valencia are coming from a big win in terms of what it actually means to the players and as a big confidence booster before some very important matches.
Valencia demolished Logrones 3-0, though the result may be a bit misleading. While Valencia did play better and Logrones had only 1 shot towards goal, we were unable to break them in the first half and only the second half we looked more threatening in attack.
Still a win is a win and this is hopefully the morale, form and confidence booster we've been looking for. Valencia will face Zaragoza on home spoil and after last week's loss at home to Mallorca a win is a must, especially since after this game, there is a Champions League match that will determine who will go through.

Unai Emery is likely to field the reliable 4-2-3-1 formation that's been working so well for us and not risk it with stupid formation changes against dangerous teams like Mallorca.
Anyways Cezar and Feghuoli and Alba are out of the squad due to injuries, while Tino Costa, and Maduro will be given a rest. Dealbert did not found his way in the squad again and this leads me to believe that he and coach Emery are not on good terms.
I hate when the team suffers due to player-coach misunderstanding, but there is not much anyone can do. Bad news is that Alba got injured during our last match and that is a big blow to us, as we only have Mathieu on the left back position.

Valencia CF squad:

Goalkeepers: Miguel Ángel Moyà, Vicente Guaita

Defense: Miguel Brito, Marius Stankevičius, David Navarro, Ricardo Costa, Jérémy Mathieu

Midfielders: Mehmet Topal, David Albelda, Éver Banega, Manuel Fernandes, Joaquín Sánchez, Pablo Hernández, Juan Mata, Vicente Rodríguez

Strikers: Chori Domínguez, Roberto Soldado, Aritz Aduriz
Technical:
Formation: 4-2-3-1
Line-up: Moya; Miguel, Navarro, R. Costa, Mathieu; Joaquin, Topal, Banega, Vicente; Chori, Soldado.
Tactics: Frequent crosses from the wings, final third center through balls, deep laying defensive midfielders and second attacker positional changes.
I feel that Emery is going to experiment with more through balls in this game coming from the center of the field, because he will want to break the tough Rangers defensive line in any way he can, and crosses did not show to be effective against them, so this will be a chance for small experimentation.

Result prediction:
Valencia CF 2-0 Real Zaragoza
We should have enough firepower to overcome Zaragoza who are sitting in the bottom of the table and in the process not receive a goal, as it would really be important to have a good defense against Rangers. Some may expect bigger victory, but I think even if we lead early 2-0 we should slow the game and conserve strength for the Champions League match against Rangers.

Blog news

As you can see I've updated the theme for the blog, the previous theme was too dark, not very inviting and also wasn't very Valencia like. Ultimately wasn't too use friendly and so I changed it. I've also been working on new pages like VCF fixtures calendar that will show games played with link to reports and rating for the team in that particular match, as well as upcoming matches, I have a page about the new Mestalla with info and pictures about it, was working on a flash rating system for players, so its an automated process and not manual one, but turns out blogger doesn't really support this and ended up being more manual labor so I'm looking at other ways of doing that, I'm also working on a squad page and will slowly but surely start adding them one by one as they are complete and I want to make it stylistic and not just have tons of text.

In few hours(hopefully) I'll have the match preview up and I'm also looking at ways to standardize the match previews and reports and not be so different every time i post them, though so far I have not been able to pinpoint the best way.