Ernesto Valverde the New Valencia CF Manager

This morning it was announced that Ernesto Valverde would replace Mauricio Pellegrino as the new Valencia CF manager. This announcement will come as a slight surprise to those of us who thought a longer, more contemplative process would follow the sack of Mr. Pellegrino, with multiple names thrown in and about the club. Such a quick selection can only mean that either the VCF board had been greatly disillusioned with Pellegrino for some time and had been weighing their options as to who should replace him if necessary, or that the club has made a quick fire decision and pulled in a coach as soon as possible. One thing is for sure, and that is that Valverde will be the club's manager until June of 2013.

 

In this writer's humble opinion, I think that a bit more time and thought should have been taken in selecting a new manager, but that being said, Valverde is not a bad choice. In my last piece, concerning the sacking of Mauricio Pellegrino, I speculated that Valencia would be courting three different coaches, and that these names would be the front runners in what I thought would be a drawn out transfer saga. Instead, Valencia has, in three days, changed management without any speculation or drama to speak of. Perhaps, though, the drama can be found in the pick. Ernesto Valverde is a talented manager, no doubt, but his credentials are not what I would call glittering. It is true he took Athletic Bilboa to a fifth place finish, that he took Espanyol to a UEFA Cup final, and that his Olympiacos team was dominant in Greece. However, if you look carefully at these facts, you might worry that Ernesto Valverde is a manager of circumstance. For example, Espanyol and Athletic were both much stronger teams back in the early 2000s (when Valverde coached them) than they are now. Athletic was expected to finish in the upper half of the table, and a fifth place finish only barely surpassed many pundits’ expectations. Espanyol going all the way to the UEFA Cup final and losing on penalties is indeed an incredible feat, but it has to be said that he had a healthy Tamudo, a young Luis Garcia and Verdu, and Kameni between the sticks. A squad with that kind of talent should be creating waves in Europe. Olympiacos has always been one of three big players in Greece, and Valverde’s arrival there cemented their position as number one. Finally we come to Valverde's only failure as a manager, his direction of Villareal. When Manuel Pellegrini left Villareal for a disappointing stint with Real Madrid, it was Valverde who came in to replace him, and it was under Valverde in which this largely successful club found itself in 10^th place, earning him the sack. Now, I think it would be harsh to put all the blame on Valverde for the Villareal failure. Pellegrino's departure under questionable circumstances and the media circus surrounding him and his best players did Valverde no favors, and it is well worth noting that the club began to collapse internally around this time, culminating in their relegation to the second division at the end of last season. This, for me, all but proves that Valverde is a manager of circumstance; meaning that he takes the existing structure at a club, does little to change it, and only extends their run of form. If the club structure is strong, the players are talented, and the fans are committed, the club can be successful, as were Athletic Bilbao, Espanyol, and Olympiacos, but if the club structure is weak, the players are stressed, and the fans disillusioned, then the club will decline, as did Villareal. Valverde isn't the kind of manager you bring in to shake things up; he’s the kind of manager you bring in to keep the status quo.

In that respect, Valverde would have been an excellent choice to bring in after Emery left over the summer. He would have kept Valencia plugging away, winning points, prize money, and exposure for the club until a real marquis coach would become available; as has been the case with literally every other club he has managed (Valverde has never coached a team for more than two years consecutively). Now though, the club finds itself in a precarious position. One step in the wrong direction could mean disaster, but a step in the right direction could mean unparalleled success. I have my doubts that Valverde is the kind of manager who is willing to make that kind of decision, seeing as how he's seemingly always been shown the direction he’s supposed to take. That coupled with the fact his Champions League coaching has been poor (Valverde took Olympiacos to the Champions League group stage but has never surpassed that phase) puts some big question marks over this new coach. That being said, there is no doubt he is a good manager and I seem to remember Villareal putting in some impressive performances with him at the helm, so this pick is not all bad. I still would have preferred Valencia take some time to pick someone more experienced;  a charismatic coach like Emery or Benitez, because it is with these kinds of coaches established teams perform at their best. Hopefully Valverde will set Valencia on the right track, and even if he doesn’t win any medals, if he can get Valencia back to their winning ways, I will view this change as a success. Amunt, Valverde, and amunt Valencia!

written by David Wall