Corberán admits Valencia in danger zone after Celta thrashing
Valencia boss Carlos Corberán faces mounting pressure after another heavy defeat, claiming 'the numbers are dangerous' as his side slumped to a 5-1 hammering at Celta Vigo.
Valencia manager Carlos Corberán cut a forlorn figure as he attempted to make sense of his team’s latest capitulation, acknowledging the precarious position they find themselves in after another heavy defeat.
Result doesn’t tell the whole story… or does it?
Corberán was at pains to suggest the scoreline wasn’t entirely reflective of the match, while simultaneously accepting full responsibility for the hammering. It’s a proper tricky one for the gaffer, who’s clearly walking a tightrope between defending his players and facing the harsh reality.
“The numbers speak for themselves,” Corberán admitted in his post-match comments. “These are dangerous numbers we’re having.”
The Valencia boss pinpointed a critical moment when the game slipped away from his side. With the score at 2-1, Valencia were pushing for an equaliser when Diakhaby’s error led to El Abdellaoui making it 3-1 on the counter-attack. From there, the floodgates opened.
Goalkeeper crisis compounds problems
Adding insult to injury, goalkeeper Julen Agirrezabala suffered what appears to be a serious hamstring problem between the third and fourth goals. With all substitutions already used, Valencia were forced to continue with their injured keeper, making a bad situation even worse.
Corberán described the injury as “serious” and indicated they’ll know more about recovery time in the coming days. This goalkeeper crisis is the last thing Valencia need while already struggling at the wrong end of the table.
Mounting pressure
When asked if saving Valencia would require a miracle given their current form, Corberán didn’t shy away from the gravity of the situation:
“The numbers we’re having aren’t good. We’re aware of the difficulty and that we need to change the dynamic.”
The defeat leaves Valencia firmly in the relegation dogfight, with Corberán acknowledging the pain felt throughout the club: “We’re Valencia, we know the demands and what we represent, and when we don’t perform well, we’re deeply hurt.”
The Spanish manager now faces a massive challenge to turn things around at Mestalla. For a club of Valencia’s stature, these results are simply not acceptable, and the pressure gauge is rising by the week.