Well when I say really good I mean comparatively as our other striker that started, Riviere looks like great fun but an awful footballer.

Moody to leave Palace. Him and Mackay must be in trouble!

Darren: Rodrigo and Gomes already in, Cancelo, a young highly rated rightback, coming in today and a deal for Enzo Perez rumoured to be in the works.

I don't watch Benfica that much but I think Perez and Rodrigo could be pretty good players for Valencia from what I've seen.

For sure, a huge upgrade on the current players. Would be crucial in getting a champions league spot.

What's the vibe around the club at the moment? A positive one can have a big influence on the team. It's all be negative at Valencia for a long while.

Cautious optimism! It has just been depressingly pessimistic especially in the last five or so years since Madrid and Barca have pulled away and the club has sunk into midtable mediocrity! If we get fourth place this year, all Valencia fans will be over the moon!!!

Wont be easy though with Athletic and probably Soceidad in the way.

Cautious optimism is certainly a lot better than what's been going on the last few years.

I wonder whether Sevilla could mount a challenge as well? Maybe not all the way but it's usually pretty competitive around those spots each year.

Other than banega and deulofeu who they signed?

Yeah Sevilla too although I don't think they have enough quality and will fall short. You have no idea the feeling we have heard in the past few years! The feeling of being on the brink of bankrupcy so many times, seeing your best players sold every season while the team gets less competitive every year. Do you have an idea how it felt knowing Postiga would be our main striker last year?! That was absolute rock bottom really.

Yeah they probably don't have enough quality but I think Emery has done really well there and might help them put up a challenge - very underrated manager.

Do you have an idea how it felt knowing Postiga would be our main striker last year?! That was absolute rock bottom really.
--------

It's not funny Darren


Forgot Emery is their manager. That guy can work some magic alright! Had us punching above our weight for a while.

Sorry, I had to laugh because Postiga is such a joke.

Yeah how come he left Valencia? I can't remember.

His magic had began to wane in his last days and he had fallen out with a number of players. To this day, I blame him for losing Isco the way we did. He just never wanted to play the kid!

BTW that kid Paco has been given the number 9 shirt. Hope that means he will be the main striker next year. I rate him very highly.

Yeah that must be so frustrating for the fans. Especially when you consider the amount of money he ended up going for as well.

Though it's hard to say whether he'd have had the same success at Valencia that he had working with Pellegrini.

Funny enough on fansites, they are more angry at the player yet he was rotting in the lower leagues with the B team. Pele did help speed up his development though I have to say but since I saw the kid when he was 14/15 I had no doubt that he would be a top player.

Yeah that's fair. It's a shame to see his season at Real tail off. I don't think signing James and Kroos will do much for his Real career either. Wouldn't surprise me if he's sold in the near future. Sadly I suspect that will be to Man City.

He needs to get out of there ASAP. I am pretty sure too he will end up at City. Hope he succeeds wherever he goes and fulfills his immense potential.

Yeah me too. I'm off now, mate. Catch you later.

Thanks Andy. You guys seem to have a good scouting network. Ayoze did very well for Tenerife last season, but it's only Spain's second division and I can't remember him being talked about much outside of the islands.

As for Sevilla, they've lost Rakitic and Moreno but they've reinforced quite a lot this off-season. Here's a full list of Spanish transfers.

First column is players in, the ones marked with an asterisk being on loan. The ones in small print are returning loaness, some of them won't be in the squad by now but moved on to other clubs.

On Rodrigo, there's something about him that reminds me of Soldado, only I think he's got a bit more quality about him. Should get quite a few goals for Valencia.

Wump, how have Valencia set up so far? He and Alcácer both playing together?

And on Emery, from what I recall part of the trouble was the deluded expectations of Valencia fans. Even though you were having to sell your best players off you continued nailing down third spot, but they somehow felt you ought to be competing with the big 2.

Getafe are going to be an unstoppable force this season. They've signed Yoda!

I haven't watched any pre season matches but from the reports he seems to be coming in from the left with Paco upfront but the coach has said he wants to play two upfront and he is in the market for a target man.

Emery hadd started to lose it imo. Performances were really poor. Even relegation fodder teams were playing us off the park. The defending was dreadful too! Of course it didn't help that we were losing players but we were poorer than we should have been.