Here is a brief FM20 team guide of the Valencia squad, their club structure, relationship any potential managers will have with the board, expectations and possible tactics any FM manager can use.
Here is a brief FM20 team guide of the Valencia squad, their club structure, relationship any potential managers will have with the board, expectations and possible tactics any FM manager can use.
About the club
Valencia are a professional football club that ply their trade in the La Liga. They are the 3rd most supported team in La Liga behind the 2 giants.
Valencia are a fairly consistent team regularly qualifying for the champion’s league. They were back to back finalists of the UEFA Champion’s league in 2000 & 2001 eventually losing both games.
Board Expectations
Valencia are in the UEFA Champion’s league this season, so the minimum requirements from the board would be;
- A top 4 league finish (automatic qualification to the champions league)
- Making the semi-final of the Copa Del Rey
- Making it to the knockout stages of the UEFA Champion’s league.
There will not be any specific football philosophies required by the manager. The transfer war chest is nearly empty as Sevilla have already spent over £70m in the transfer market with a remarkable 10 purchases. The wages will be split amongst these buys as well.
Valencia are blessed with excellent training facilities and a very good youth set up. The club regularly provides International players to Spain and most of the other foreign players are also capped Internationals.
Squad, Formation and Tactical Style
Valencia usually employ a vertical tiki-taka style of football with a constant movement of the ball. However, against superior attacks, they are also known to go with a fluid counter-attacking style of football with the emphasis on crosses from wide areas.
A traditional 4-4-2 is what works best for this Valencia squad enabling all the key players to play in their favoured positions. This formation also helps them to switch up tactics depending on how the game is being played and can dictate the tempo of the game.
A rough example of what your line-up would look like in a 4-4-2 formation is as follows;
- Jasper Cillesson as a regular keeper
- Mouctar Diakhaby & Ezequiel Garay as the 2 central defenders.
- Jose Gaya & Daniel Wass as the 2 wing backs with increased crossing instructions.
- Geoffrey Kondogbia as the holding midfielder, his partner Dani Parejo as the deep-lying playmaker.
- Goncalo Guedes & Carlos Soler as the left and right wide midfielders respectively. Guedes needs to push further forward while Soler should tuck in and be narrower.
- Rodrigo & Maxi Gomez as the 2 strikers with the former playing as a Defensive forward and Gomez is a more advanced forward role.
There is a lot of versatile young talent in the squad and you can alter the formation as you see fit. In cup games, you can give wonderkids Kangin Lee & Ferran Torres a go.
Key Players
1. Dani Parejo
Parejo is the club captain and is a constant threat from central midfield. He has a superb passing range and often pops up with important goals. He also takes very good set pieces.
2. Jose Gaya
Gaya is a highly sought after wing-back and his crossing delivery is second to none. His fitness is crucial in getting favourable results.
3. Jasper Cillessen
Cillessen maybe a new signing but Valencia have splashed out £23m on the Dutch goalkeeper. They are confident in his ability to pull off some big saves and keep in the hunt for Champion’s League spots.
4. Goncalo Guedes
Guedes is a versatile attacking player who can play in multiple positions. The Portuguese international will pop in with important goals throughout the season.
Weaknesses
- Team Chemistry may be a problem initially with many of the squad players being new and you could let crucial points slip away by the time the squad gels.
- There was a lot of chaos in Valencia with the sacking of a crowd favourite manager and there is growing discord between the fans and the board. This could affect the mentality of the players.
- You will be helpless if bigger clubs want to poach away your talent and could leave you with gaping holes in the squad.
Potential Transfers (in)
Despite Valencia having a well-rounded squad, you could do with a few additions;
- Inigo Martinez
- Iker Munian
Potential Transfers (Out)
These players may be surplus to requirements at the club or may not be of the expected quality.
- Ezequiel Garay
- Francis Coquelin
- Gabriel Paulista
Young Prospects
There are a few exciting young prospects in the ranks who have the potential to be some of the best players in the league. A few examples are;
- Kangin Lee (CM)
- Ferran Torres (MR, AMR)
- Mouctar Diakhaby (CB)
- Carlos Soler (CM, MR)
FM20 Team Guide & Tactic - Valencia
To summarize, Valencia are a solid club for most FM managers. Will you as a manager be able to keep hold of their amazing prospects and take Valencia to greater heights?
