Valencia have, at this point, one of the most reptitive stories in La Liga over recent years. Los Che continue to feel the threat of relegation season in, season out, but little seems to jerk them into action to avoid a repeat the following year. Carlos Corberan is facing a decisive spell to see if he can stave off the familiar cycle.
The pattern has been that Valencia will look less than impressive, end up sacking their manager in the middle third of the season, and then riding the reactionary wave to safety in the final weeks of the year. That has repeated itself since Gennaro Gattuso took over, through Ruben Baraja and to date with Corberan, whose job has been called into question already this season.
Normally, the bounce towards safety has some of its spring provided by young, fresh talent, as evidenced by the likes of Giorgi Mamardashvili, Javi Guerra, Cristhian Mosquera, Cesar Tarrega or Diego Lopez. Players who not long before they were saving Valencia were thinking about finishing their education, or what tools may be able to help to write my paper.
Now, with Valencia sat 17th, only out of the relegation zone on goal difference, Corberan’s future could well be decided by what he inspires before the Christmas break, when he himself took over from Baraja last season. Before La Liga has its festive break, Valencia face just one side in the European places – Atletico Madrid – and several that will be equally concerned about the drop as Valencia are. Putting some distance between themselves and the relegation zone will be important, but so will showing signs of improvement.
No doubt the former West Bromwich Albion manager will be conscious that the new General Manager Ron Gourlay was not in situ when he was appointed. Gourlay appears to have been granted power to organise Valencia as he wishes, provided it stays in budget, and Sporting Director Miguel Angel Corona has already felt the consequences of that.
When Corberan took over last season, his side looked confident on the ball and fierce in the challenge, providing a headache for any side in the division. Even if their squad is far from full of quality, they are a side that can score goals, and dotted throughout are players that have shown they have at least top-half ability. That side has only been evident in all too rare glimpses this season.
