Thursday 10 December 2015 12:42, UK
What did we learn from Gary Neville's first game in charge of Valencia? We take a look.
Ultimately, Gent's win over Dynamo Kiev meant Valencia would have been heading for the Europa League win, lose or draw at Mestalla on Wednesday night. Even so, new boss Gary Neville would have wanted to see more positives than he got from his side's 2-0 defeat to hitherto winless Lyon.
"We must take the defeat on chin and realise it is unacceptable to lose at Mestalla," Neville told reporters afterwards. "It's not something we can take lightly." He's saying the right things but supporters will need signs on the pitch too if they're to be won over.
They had some on Saturday under caretaker boss Voro amid a raucous atmosphere in holding Barcelona to a 1-1 draw, but this was always going to have a different feel. "We played on the counter-attack the other day because of that situation but every opponent is different," said skipper Dani Parejo ahead of the Lyon game.
I believe in possession, of course I do, but I also believe in counter-attack.
Neville agreed. "I think there's a fascination with playing style these days, you asked Dani if we'll play possession or counter-attack," he said on Tuesday. "Can we not play both? I believe in possession, of course I do, but I also believe in counter-attack."
As it turned out, Valencia had 55.5 per cent of the ball against Lyon but it seldom felt like anything approaching dominance as it was the visitors who posed the greater threat. The build-up play from Neville's men was too sterile and lacked the cutting edge shown by Alexandre Lacazette and Maxwel Cornet.
Indeed, Los Che goalkeeper Jaume Domenech was forced into making several stops in one-on-one situations both before and after the break. According to Opta, the French side fashioned more clear-cut openings than in any of their other Champions League games this season.
Much of the home side's opportunities came from set-pieces with Shkodran Mustafi hitting the woodwork from a corner and then having a goal disallowed in similar circumstances soon after. Neville refused to blame the referee, perhaps mindful of the fact that his side created little else.
Having made only two expected changes from the team that got a result against Barcelona, supporters didn't get too much of a clue as to his future plans. However, the inclusion of Rodrigo De Paul, left out by predecessor Nuno Espirito Santo, was evidence of the "clean slate" he'd promised.
De Paul looked bright on the left flank and it's understandable why he might prove a crowd favourite, but Neville could well be concerned about his defensive contribution. Valencia's full-backs were left exposed throughout due to a lack of wing support and it proved costly for Cornet's opener.
Nevertheless, it was some strike - finding the top corner of the net - and left Lyon able to pick Valencia off in the second half. By that stage, Neville had switched to 4-4-2, giving returning striker Alvaro Negredo some much-needed minutes after two months out of the team.
Is that an indication of a possible system change in the not-too-distant future? Neville had been coy beforehand, only saying: "There is the chance for us to play with two strikers at some point." We'll know more soon. In a sense, that was the story of the night.
"Two days isn't much to cram into your head his idea of play," Parejo had said of his new coach on the eve of the game. But with a sceptical crowd, Neville will need to get those ideas across soon if he's to avoid further questions about his unexpected arrival.
After Voro had rallied the team against Barca, former Valencia heroes such as David Albelda and Santiago Canizares were quick to advance his case in favour of Neville's. Only wins will quieten those calls and Eibar on Sunday would be a good time to start.
