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ShadowChaser · Post time 6-4-2008 03:04 PM

Koeman Showed Players No Respect - Helguera

Iv醤 Helguera believes that Valencia coach Ronald Koeman showed the players a lack of respect when he criticesd them in front of the press earlier this week.

Iv醤 Helguera believes that Valencia coach Ronald Koeman showed the players a lack of respect when he criticised them in front of the press earlier this week.

The veteran defender was particularly unhappy that the Dutchman singled out the central defenders, stating that they were a long way from international standard.

With Koeman claiming that he felt the players only played for themselves and not the team, Helguera has decided to speak out.

"It bothers me that he talked about not having national team players at the back. Firstly by the fact that he did not tell me directly and secondly because he told the press," he explained.

"It is a lack of respect for the players who, it seems to me, gave everything on Sunday not to lose. I do not think it is right to come out and speak so badly about the squad.

"If I had spoken to the coach privately and he had said it to me then I would have said the same thing to him then. I think it is unfair and shows a lack of respect."

Helguera is also concerned about his chances of being offered a contract extension at the club after Koeman chose to criticise him in public.

"We having a very difficult season and to be a professional you have to keep moving forward. You do not know what will happen next term, so you have to give everything now and then wait and see," he continued.

"Koeman can say what he wants about others because they have long-term contracts.The club can then sell them if Koeman does not want them. But he has to be professional with everyone.

Lucas Brown, Goal.com

ShadowChaser · Post time 6-4-2008 03:05 PM

04/04/2008 13:14
Albelda: I Cannot Face Cup Final

David Albelda believes that it would be better if he did not attend the Copa del Rey final with Valencia as he could not face celebrating with the board and Ronald Koeman.

The Spanish international shed more light on his situation at Mestalla and stated that he does not think that it was just the coach that decided to freeze out himself, Santi Ca駃zares and Miguel 羘gel Angulo.

Valencia meet Getafe in the Vicente Calder髇 later this month in the final of the cup and Albelda could go, but he thinks it would be better if he stayed at home.

"I am at the disposal of the club. The situation is complicated because I have not been in the dressing room for three months," he said.

"I do not see much sense in me going as I am not going to be able to celebrate properly. I do not want to stand next to the coach or with the board if they do not want me.

"My desire is to see the team win the Copa del Rey. One thing is the club and another thing is the problems that I currently have with those in charge."

Albelda then reflected on who made the decision to remove him from the squad and stated that he now has no relationship at all with Koeman.

"Nobody has convinced me that it is a sports question. If it as the coach's decision, the board allowed it and agreed to it. It was a decision that was arrived at by consensus," he continued.

"I think that they should have told Koeman that we could leave in the winter transfer window. I think that removing three of the squad's best players was a decision taken too lightly and without thinking about the consequences.

"We are not the mafia of the changing room. I have never questioned the decision, just our form.

"We have had no contact, no solutions and not relationship with him."

Lucas Brown, Goal.com

ShadowChaser · Post time 6-4-2008 03:05 PM

05/04/2008 13:01
La Liga Preview: Murcia - Valencia
Who: Murcia (19th, 26pts) vs Valencia (11th, 39pts)
When: Sunday 6th April 2008, 17:00 CET
Where: Nueva Condomina, Murcia

Murcia and Valencia both come into their match at the Nueva Condomina on Sunday on the back of generally poor form and in need of the three points on offer.

Los Pimentoneros surrendered an early lead to go down 3-1 away to Deportivo last weekend, while Valencia suffered an embarrassing 3-0 home defeat to Real Mallorca.

Valencia were comfortable 3-0 winners when the two sides met earlier in the season at the Mestalla thanks to a double from David Villa and a single strike from Ivan Helguera.

Now Or Never

Time is fast running out for Murcia to put together a run of results to overcome the seven point deficit that separates them from Primera Division survival, and coach Javier Clemente will believe that a game at home to beleaguered Valencia might just be the right time to start the comeback.

The signs had looked promising for Murcia following their 4-0 demolition of Espanyol in Clemente's second game in charge, but any high spirits were soon deflated by their loss to Deportivo last weekend, where they threw away an early lead and put in a decidedly abject performance considering their situation.

Clemente has a lot of work to do to turn around the fortunes of a side that has won just one of their last twelve league games, losing ten of them, and it is hard to see how he hopes to succeed, unless Ivan Alonso, Henok Goitom and Fernando Baiano suddenly start banging in goals on a regular basis.

The experienced coach has always favoured well organised, tactically solid teams over attacking flair and individual exuberance, and it is clear that it would usually take some time for the players to get in tune with such a regime: time that Clemente doesn't have.

There have been sporadic signs of improvement in the three games since he took charge, but Clemente will know that his team needs a minor-miracle if they are to avoid the drop and that obtaining three points at home to Valencia on Sunday is crucial if they are to have any chance of doing so.

Reverting To Type

After a brief revival, Valencia have slipped back into the form that powered the long winless run after Koeman took charge, with their Copa del Rey antics probably the only thing keeping the Dutchman in his position until the end of the season.

The only victories Los Che have achieved in their last nine games in all competitions have been against Spain's 'big two', defeating both Barcelona and Real Madrid by 3-2 scorelines within a space of three days, while losing to Espanyol, Sevilla and Mallorca, and drawing with Recreativo, Getafe and Deportivo.

Their 3-0 home capitulation to Mallorca last weekend saw the Mestalla crowd rightfully display their frustration at the performance of the team, and Koeman has done little to persuade anyone that he is the man to lead Valencia in the long-term, let alone next season.

The players seem split in their loyalty towards Koeman, with some players such as David Silva backing the Dutchman, while Ivan Helguera has openly criticised him for not offering enough support to the squad, and Koeman has himself admitted that he does not enjoy a great relationship with all of the players.

Such disharmony can clearly be seen in their disjointed performances on the pitch, because while there is certainly enough talent in the side to at least be pushing the top six, Valencia currently find themselves just six points clear of the drop zone and in need of a win on Sunday to end their poor run and stop their slide down the table.

ShadowChaser · Post time 6-4-2008 03:06 PM

FORM

Murcia

Recent Matches Match Result Date Championship
Deportivo - Murcia 3 - 1 30/03/2008 LA LIGA
Murcia - Espanyol 4 - 0 23/03/2008 LA LIGA
Recreativo - Murcia 4 - 2 15/03/2008 LA LIGA
Murcia - Getafe 0 - 3 09/03/2008 LA LIGA
Betis - Murcia 4 - 0 02/03/2008 LA LIGA
Murcia - Valladolid 0 - 1 24/02/2008 LA LIGA

Valencia

Recent Matches Match Result Date Championship
Valencia - Mallorca 0 - 3 30/03/2008 LA LIGA
Real Madrid - Valencia 2 - 3 23/03/2008 LA LIGA
Valencia - Barcelona 3 - 2 20/03/2008 COPA DEL REY
Valencia - Sevilla 1 - 2 15/03/2008 LA LIGA
Valencia - Deportivo 2 - 2 09/03/2008 LA LIGA
Espanyol - Valencia 2 - 0 01/03/2008 LA LIGA

ShadowChaser · Post time 6-4-2008 03:07 PM

TEAM NEWS

Murcia

Clemente is unable to call on Francisco Gallardo and Curro Torres through injury.

Cesar Arzo, Stephane Pignol and Jose Maria Movilla are all expected to come into the side as the experienced coach makes three changes from the side that lost at Deportivo last weekend.

Probable Starting XI: Carini, Pignol, Arzo, Mejia, Pena, Kabous, Movilla, De Lucas, Abel, Aquino, Alonso.

Valencia

Los Che are definitely without David Villa and Hedwiges Maduro through injury, while Vicente and Marco Caneira are also doubtful.

Carlos Marchena returns from suspension and Raul Albiol from injury, and the pair are likely to re-form their central defensive partnership, consigning Ivan Helguera and Alexis Ruano to the bench.

Probable Starting XI: Hildebrand, Miguel, Albiol, Marchena, Moretti, Banega, Baraja, Arizmendi, Silva, Mata, Morientes.

PREDICTION

As is usually the case when two teams go into a match desperately in need of three points, a draw seems like the most probable outcome on Sunday. Murcia will attack Valencia from the off in order to try and further unsettle their confidence, but even if they do concede early goal, Valencia have players capable of getting themselves back into the match, although, on recent showings, not much more than that.

Murcia 1-1 Valencia

Nick Dorrington

ShadowChaser · Post time 6-4-2008 04:32 PM

04/04/2008 17:03
Koeman: The Reactions Are Extreme

Valencia coach Ronald Koeman believes that the highs and lows of the club are greatly exaggerated and feels that the reaction to their recent poor form has been extreme.

Valencia have endured an indifferent run of results in recent weeks, culminating in their humiliating 3-0 defeat at home to Real Mallorca last weekend, a result that left them just six points clear of the bottom three.

Such form has seen plenty of criticism fall at Koeman's door, but the Dutchman feels that a lot of the results has been blown out of proportion, stating that he has "never" seen anything as exagerrated as the reactions "during my time in Valencia."

He did admit that he could understand the supporters' frustrations following the defeat to Mallorca, but insisted that he is the right man to take the club forward.

"If they want to blame the trainer they can, but I am not going to change my stance because I believe that it is working here and has worked to success at other clubs," he affirmed.

Koeman described Valencia as a "complicated" club and seemed to indicate that it may not be the Valencia board that decides his future at the end of the season.

"There are two parties who can decide on my continuity. On one side the club, and on the other side myself. I am calm at the moment and if I want to continue we will discuss it at the end of the season," he asserted.

Finally, Koeman was asked about Ivan Helguera's comments that suggested that the Dutchman shows little respect to the players, to which he revealed that it is always unlikely to have the full support of the dressing room.

"I do not have the support of all twenty-five, but certainly of more than five of them," he concluded.

Nick Dorrington