This season Valencia Club de Fútbol is currently enjoying their 99th year of existence and after the revival of last season in which the club once again qualified for the Champions League, much excitement was set in place ahead of this campaign.
However, twelve games in, it is safe to say it has not gone to plan for manager Marcelino and many sportsbooks such as www.novibet.co.uk may well start offering some serious value on the former Sevilla leaving his post sooner rather than later if he cannot repeat last season’s top four.
After all, Valencia firmly believe themselves to be one of La Liga’s bigger players having won the league title six times.
They were also the last side to break the Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid monopoly lifting the title in 2003/04.
Since then, three third places have been the highest return and a two-season stint in the bottom half of the table as recently as 2015 – 2017 was a serious cause for concern.
Even Gary Neville was drafted in to try to save the club from their mid-table plight, but it was no good until current boss Marcelino was instilled in May 2017.
Twenty-wins followed and nineteen goals in all competitions by former Bolton Wanderers player Rodrigo ensured Valencia returned to Europe’s elite competition with a top-four finish.
All was rosy then and hopes high for 2018/19 but two wins in twelve games have left many Valencianistes scratching their heads as to what on earth has gone wrong?
The answer is quite simple.
Goals.
Considering the Bats have netted just eight times all season, it is remarkable they are as high as 15th in the table.
No one has scored less than Valencia this season, even bottom side Huesca have managed to score ten goals this season.
Last season’s star man Rodrigo has netted just once in 839 minutes of playing time while Chelsea loanee Michy Batshuayi has netted just twice in 677 minutes and proven a major disappointment to date.
Valencia’s plight is even more remarkable when you consider their summer transfer activity.
Winger Goncalo Guedes, Geoffrey Kondogbia, Batshuayi, and Kevin Gameiro all looked like acquisitions that would do clubs such as Real Madrid proud but so far it has just not gelled.
That is not to say they won’t because Marcelino has undoubtedly gathered a squad of considerable talent but as the recently sacked Fulham manager Slavisa Jokanovic has just found out, if your expensively assembled squad does not hit the ground running, there is every chance you will not be in the hot seat when they do start to click.
Surely it is only a matter of time before Valencia climb up the table again, but will Marcelino be given the time to be the one to do it for a second season in a row?
Only time will tell.
