Wish I had more time to blog today, but once again the Real World is stepping in and messing my life up ...

So tidbits it is ...

- We play a game today. A game, you say? Yes, Valencia CF isn't just your favorite soap opera, but a soccer club that plays actual matches.

Today, it's the UEFA Cup (known eloquently as the Euro Vase by the Guardian journalists)
against Belgium's Club Brugge.

The secretary of the Board of Valencia, Jose Pastor, has summarized the meeting of the governing body of the entity, held this Wednesday: "The only agenda item referred to a report that the president has taken on the following two matters: the efforts surrounding the sale of plots of the Mestalla and linked to financial institutions.

Some news today after yesterday's reports of impending doom for our Beloved club ...

- Vicente Soriano may have found a way out of this mess ... imperative word being maybe.
According to a report in Las Provincias, the Old Mestalla's buyer is allowing Valencia CF to show their agreement to Bancaja in order to obtain more funds for the club.

If you haven't read today's Spanish tabloids, here's the main crux of the news: Valencia CF, as an entity, are in deep trouble.

If Valencia don't come up with 50 million Euros by December 31st, the club may have to declare bankruptcy.

We all knew this day might come. Now here we are, a month away from what could be one of the darkest moments in club history.

Yesterday's 3-2 win against Real Betis is the type of game champions need to win.

And win we did, although in usual nervy fashion.

We scored two goals in the first 20 minutes to take seeming command of the match only to watch it slip away. Juanma pulled a goal back for the Sevilla side 11 minutes after the break and Achille Emana equalized from the penalty spot not long after.

Happy Thanksgiving to all of the American Valencia followers ... and to anyone out there that likes stuffing their face full of food! It was an enjoyable holiday full of grub, merriment and joy.

One of the reasons the holiday turned out so well was the 4-0 bashing we gave to Norway's Rosenborg last night.

Everything is going just fine with Valencia CF these days.

Or not, depending on how you look at it.

On the one hand, we have the best striker in the world in David Villa.

We have David Silva on the come back trail.

We're in 4th place in Spain, a mere 5 points from the leader FC Barcelona.

Goal.com's Arjun Miglani may call himself a football fan/journalist, but based on his assessment of yesterday's 0-0 draw between Valencia and Sevilla, I'm not so sure of the former.
Here's Mr. Miglani's take on yesterday's match ...

Both these sides harbour ambitions of challenging for the title, but, on the basis of this performance, that appears to be an unrealistic goal.

Some quick ones before today's match-up against Sevilla FC ...

- Goal.com thinks it'll be a wide open affair ...

Games of this calibre are usually very open and attack minded. With both teams level on points, it's the winner who will have the last laugh. Remember, the Pizjuan is an extremely difficult stadium to play in, especially with the fans right up to the pitch.

So here we are, the beginning of our deadly stretch of matches against the big boys of La Liga.

First up? The Sevillistas of Andalucia: Sevilla FC.
This promises to be a good game. Sevilla are tied with us in points at 23 and are a well-oiled machine, with deadly strikers Luis Fabiano and Frederic Kanoute up front and Adriano and Jesus Navas running up the wings.

Curro Torres.

He's played many roles with Valencia CF since signing for the club in 1997.

He's been loaned out to various teams, played for the B team, kept the locker room in order, bar backed at Manolo El Del Bombo's and served non-alcoholic beer at the Mestalla.

But seriously .

That was bad. That was pathetic. That was ... Koeman-like?

Ok, maybe I'm going too far.

Last night's 3-2 loss to Villa's Sporting Gijon was a game we had to have. We can ill afford to lose points, what with this brutal schedule ahead of us in the league ...
11/23 - Sevilla
11/30 - Betis
12/6 - Barcelona
12/14 - Espanyol
12/21 - Real Madrid
1/4 - Atletico
1/11 - Villarreal
1/18 - Athletic Bilbao

Factor in Copa Del Rey, UEFA Cup and international matches for our top players and we're talking a glut of games in a short period of time.

A quick post before today's match-up against Sporting Gijon.

Gijon aren't a particularly sexy club. They finished 3rd in Spain's Second Division last season and were promoted for the first time in 10 years.

They're currently languishing in 14th place, eleven points behind Los Che.

Valencia CF have the best fans in the world.

At least that's what team president/owner Vicente Soriano thinks after the club sold out of their new club memberships.

Valencia wanted 2,600 new members to raise badly needed funds.
"Our supporters have proven again that they are the best in the world," Soriano said.

Great win against Getafe this Sunday for our Beloved.

I thought the contest was a hard-fought affair. The match had nine yellow cards and one red to Roberto Soldado for a headbutt on Carlos Marchena (more on that later). This speaks volumes about how hard-core this game turned out.

Getafe had no answers for our fiery defense and quick counter-attacks.