Pellegrino Gets the Sack

After a string of poor performances in the league, manager Mauricio Pellegrino was given the sack by the Valencia board. This decision followed a stunning 5-2 defeat in Saturday's game against Real Sociedad which saw Valencia blow an early lead. The rout at the hands of the relegation candidates was the final straw for the Valencia board who surely had Pellegrino under scrutiny after lackluster form in La Liga. Defeats at the hands of weaker teams such as Mallorca, Betis, and Levante certainly did Pellegrino no favors and another blowout against direct rivals Malaga had to have been seen as a major setback by the board. The 4-0 blowout by Malaga, which came back to back with the most recent debacle against Real Sociedad, was proof enough for the board to show Pellegrino the door. Still, Pellegrino was left feeling sour and in his final press conference stated that his firing purely reactionary, the result of hot heads after a painful defeat. Pellegrino pointed to the fact that Valencia was still four points off of a fourth place finish, a season objective, challenging for first place in their Champions League group and already having qualified for the knockout round, claiming that these facts showed he was indeed a capable manager and that the team's recent form was only temporary setback. However, there is no arguing that Valencia could already be in fourth or even third place had the team performed better against inferior opposition, putting them in a position to challenge for the league title in a season in which Real Madrid and Barcelona are showing that they are indeed mortal. 

 

The question now is who will be Valencia's new manager. Three names come to mind immediately: Potchetino, Emery, and Guardiola. Mauricio Pochettino was recently let go by the Espanyol board after a series of disappointing performances from Barcelona's "other" club. Still though, the Argentine manager has had some very impressive seasons with Espanyol in the past and has a healthy amount of La Liga experience. Valencia's former manager, Unai Emery, is also available after an unsuccessful stint in Russia with Spartak Moscow. The Basque manager had great success with Valencia during his five years at the club and takes the plaudits for rebuilding a squad after the departure of marquee names such as David Villa, David Silva, Raul Albiol, and Juan Mata. And then there's Josep Guardiola. A pipe dream, of course, but the former Barcelona manager has been linked with every major club in the footballing world and will surely be on Valencia's radar. 

Honestly, none of these managers are very good or plausible options for the managerial opening at the Mestalla. Pochettino is a good manager, but he didn't impress at all this season with Espanyol and perhaps his genius has run out. He’s a good manager, but a risk at best. Emery has recently departed the club, his contract running out only last summer. He would be the best option though; he knows the club, the players, and La Liga and would be a great fit, but of course bringing him back would show weakness and mismanagement by the club, which of course the board cannot do. Guardiola is a pipe dream at best. He is obviously a very talented manager, but his salary alone is a stumbling point for the club, never mind the "step down" Guardiola would be taking by switching from giants Barcelona to Valencia; and that is probably a good thing. Guardiola doesn't particularly play a style of football that Valencia fans appreciate and that the club can currently accommodate. His arrival would mean yet another rebuilding phase for a club that plainly cannot afford it, having only recently rebuilt a strong squad. A mute point, of course, but if and when Guardiola gets thrown in to the rumor mill that is best argument for not bringing him on board.

What is certain is that Voro, a coach at Valencia, will be caretaker manager until the club can arrange new management. Honestly, this sack came at the exact right moment for the club. Not to bash Pellegrino, but if there was a time to let him go, that time is now. As Pellegrino said, the club is still four points from fourth place, a position the club can certainly recover from with the right direction. Had Pellegrino been allowed to continue there was a big possibility that that deficit would only get bigger, putting Valencia in an even more precarious position. Now, with new management, Valencia can dig themselves out of that hole and push for a Champions League position again. This is a scary and exciting time for Valencia fans as they await their new manager and better things to come. Hopefully President Llorente and Sporting Director Braulio can build on their near immaculate record of inspired signings and bring real talent to the Mestalla. Amunt!

written by David Wall