The deck is still in play

What is known about Singapore the day after Valencia’s defeat to Las Palmas, which left the black and white team bottom again, and the incidents around Mestalla where police set up a security cordon so players could access the car park to collect their cars two hours after the end of the game, what was said to be known about Singapore the next day was that Kiat Lim, son of Peter Lim and director of Valenciahe likes Jay-Z’s rap because it was his reaction on social media, the image of a car navigation with the song “Jigga What/Faint” on the screen. He didn’t seem that worried.

What we know about Valencia the next day is that no one is going to call Singapore to tell them Ruben Baraja has been sacked. Quite the opposite. The coach has the confidence of the club’s managers in Spain, that is, Javier Solis, corporate director, and Miguel Angel Corona, sporting director, convey to president Laihun Chan that Baraja has no reason not to continue his career. In this sense, the President and Corona were on Tuesday in the sports town of Paterna after training. Their arguments boil down to two factors: first, Baraja is not the only one to blame for the sports disaster, nor is he the problem; Secondly, Baraja maintains a high locker room percentage.

Baraja obviously has other factors to consider in his continuity, or rather in how little it is questioned behind the club doors. Some intangibles, such as his legendary aura and, to a certain extent, his shield status due to this, as well as some tangible assets, such as his settlement. We must not forget that Baraja extended his contract in June last year until 2026, then he already had a contract until 2025, and firing him now would mean paying him between five and seven million. But what was said or what was said The main arguments made focus on the fact that they continue to see Pipo not as a problem, but as a solution.

Schedule: Getafe, Real Madrid and Espanyol.

Valencia scored only 6 points out of 30, recording the worst result in their history, reaching the 10th round of the championship. Only Leganes has scored fewer goals (7 for the Black and Whites, 6 for Madrid) and is the sixth team to concede the most goals (16). When assessing the work of a coach, club managers are guided not by form, but by content, which, “of course,” must be improved. But it is believed that against Las Palmas, for example, there were eight scoring chances in the first half and only one was successful, and two Hugo Duro and Guerras against one against Cillessen speaks volumes. And these feelings were repeated in other games, although in some it was also clear that the team’s image was a concern (Celta, Atlético, Real Sociedad…).

Baraja’s merit is not eternal, and he himself knows it. “Now you can call yourself Baraha or whatever your name is, and these are the results…” – he said before the game with Leganes (one point from six since then). Yes, Baraja has three league games before the next international break and I agree with those who see him as the solution: Getafe, Real Madrid (at Mestalla) and Espanyol. During the break they will play Parla in the Cup, where Valencia do not have to win. The club believes that there is time to turn the situation around, more than there was two years ago when Baraja arrived. But the points must begin to increase in order to quickly approach the 40/42 mark needed to escape.

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