When the fixtures for the start of the season were first made available to the public, many Valencia fans had feelings of concern with the degree of difficulty attached to the August and September matches. Five games into La Liga and it seems those worries were warranted. Valencia are currently firmly rooted at the bottom of the table with a measly one point from a possible fifteen. A mediocre pre-season coupled with an uninspiring summer transfer window gave an indication that the team would struggle early on, especially after struggling at the end of the last campaign when the team limped over the line to avoid relegation. Ironically, the thing that saved them from the drop was a strong start last year.

No marquee signings like Nani or Edison Cavani headed to the Mestalla this time around, with the major news being the transfer of the Georgian goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardshvili, who signed for Liverpool, only to be loaned back out to Los Che for the immediate future.

Valencia did push the boat out financially with the purchase of Rafa Mir but he consequently got himself into legal troubles (off the pitch) and is now facing a similar plight to which Santi Mina endured a few years ago.

The other signings Valencia made seem to be players for the future with none of them being household names. Luis Rioja is a likely starter, having shone for Alavés last year, whilst Dani Gómez (Levante) Germán Valera (Atlético Madrid) Enzo Barrenechea (Aston Villa) and Maximiliano Cuafriez (Clemont Ferrand) will undoubtedly have to wait for injuries, or shine in training before getting their La Liga chance.

Valencia still remain without Gayà and Diakhaby at the back, making the decision to loan out both Cenk and Comert to Real Valladolid a strange one.

Then, no sooner had that news hit the tabloid papers about Mir, Hugo Duro sustained an injury just a few games in that took the two major protagonists of the Valencia strike force out of play for a while. Hindsight is a wonderful thing, but allowing Alberto Mari to head out on loan to Real Zaragoza for the season may now look like a costly mistake.

Valencia CF were given FC Barcelona at home as the first game of the new La Liga, a fixture that had a double-edged sword. It could kick start the season with a famous win, or put you immediately on the back foot. Unfortunately, it did the latter despite the hosts taking the lead through Duro… Barça replied with two goals, to edge the game for the Catalans.

Vigo was next and the game with Celta mirrored the Barcelona game. Valencia scored first before relinquishing goals, and the points to the Galicians.

A midweek loss in Bilbao was followed by a goalless draw with local neighbours Villarreal.

Game five took Los Che to Madrid and a match up with Atlético Madrid. The team from the capital have bought well in the summer and are seen by many as serious contenders for the title this year. They have signed up Le Normand and Lenglet to shore up the defence, replaced Saul with Conor Gallagher in midfield. They have spiced up the attack with the very underrated Sørloth and also signed the very impressive Alvarez from Manchester City, who is more than capable of at least equalling the goal scoring tally of Alvaro Morata, who has returned to Italy.

It took Valencia 88 minutes to get a shot on target but by that time the hosts had the points in the bag and eventually ended up 3-0 winners.

The lack of confidence in the team is prevalent and the coach needs to find a quick remedy to prevent the Valencia fans suffering a long frustrating season. The forthcoming matches offer that opportunity. Back to back home matches with Girona and Osasuna should yield points. Real Sociedad away is next after that and they have started almost as badly as Valencia. Leganés away and Las Palmas at home (in Mestalla) complete the next cluster of matches.

A better understanding of Valencia’s true situation will be reflected after that and it could be the criticism already been levelled at the team is too harsh and that a relegation battle does not lie ahead. Failure to produce in these games would well and truly imply that Los Che’s La Liga fate is strongly at risk.

Better news for the city is the start and progress Levante UD have made in La Liga Hypermotion. Three wins and two draws from their first five games has left them at the top of the table, and taking seven out of nine points off Sporting Gijon, Eibar and Cartagena away from home is in itself a notable achievement.

Managing to hold onto the Georgian international Giorgi Kochorashvili was a master stroke and he has started well at club level. He also scored the only goal in the match for his country in the recent European Nations encounter with Albania. The re-signing of Morales from Villarreal is also proving productive, and he has seamlessly fitted back into the Levante colours.

Some more tough matches lie in waiting for Los Granotas but they are more than capable of maintaining their unbeaten league status for a good few more games yet.

Both Valencia and Levante have made a poor start to La Liga F. The Valencia ladies have just bagged one point from the first two games, whilst Levante have drawn a blank from both their matches.

Finally, a bonus of sorts for Valencia fans. The team have agreed to play the Mexican National team in the North American country during the next international break.

The match will take place on October 12^th at the Estadio Cuauhtémoc in Puebla, a venue that was used in the 1970 and 1986 World Cup Finals.

Used by Uruguay mostly in the group stages in 1970, the ground does not hold great memories for Spaniards, as it was there that Spain got knocked out on penalties by Belgium in the quarter finals of the 1986 World Cup.

The official Valencia website states they will use the trip to get closer to fans on the other side of the Atlantic and that Mexico is a territory that is part of the club´s international expansion project. Andrés Guardado was the last Mexican to play for the club before moving on to Bayer Leverkusen in January 2014.

Report by John Howden

Article copyright ‘24/7 Valencia’

 Valencia CF

Valencia CF v Girona: Sept 21 18.30h

Valencia CF v Osasuna: Sept 24 19.00h

Real Sociedad v Valencia CF: Sept 28 18.30h

CD Leganés v Valencia CF: Oct 4 21.00h

Levante UD

Real Zaragoza v Levante UD: Sept 21 21.00h

Levante UD v Almeria: Sept 29 14.00h

Levante UD v Oviedo: Oct 6 18.30h