Consistency and stability haven’t come easily to Valencia in recent years. The presence of Voro, saviour-cum-caretaker coach, has been the one thing to bank upon during a tough era at Mestalla.
There have been managerial changes aplenty, each coach arriving with a contrasting style and level of experience, while also wanting to mix things up by changing the playing staff to match his own philosophy. It's been muddled, chop-and-change, haphazard. This campaign, however, feels different, with the arrival of Marcelino bringing positivity and a sense of forward planning.
Voro had been forced to step into the caretaker void on three occasions since November 2015, as Peter Lim continued to gamble on coaches boasting untapped potential. Gary Neville, Pako Ayestaran and Cesare Prandelli were three short-lived recent appointments, which left Valencia heading into the summer in a state of flux.
There's no such risk with his latest choice, who has simply asked for financial resources and trust in order to achieve the task of returning Valencia to Europe. There's a calm assurance to Marcelino, and he's already been guaranteed two years' work at Mestalla - something his predecessors weren't afforded.
Confusion has long reigned supreme at Valencia, but expectations didn't waver. In fact, they are perhaps the one thing that hasn’t depreciated since the departure of Unai Emery five years ago. Yet Marcelino is absolutely at peace with that.
Valencia fans have long been stereotyped as demanding, but Marcelino can more than match them. In fact, he’ll ask for even more from his group, to the point where his approach is almost intrusive in their lives off the pitch.
Diet is key, as is working hard on the training field, wholeheartedly buying into the Marcelino philosophy and watching your weight. Any mistakes, whether they take place on a matchday or perhaps during an adventure into the city at night, will be held firmly to account. For a long while, there hasn't been this sense of a regime pulling together, where individuals will be discarded if they don't follow Los Che's trajectory. Now, there's a galvanising spirit.
New purchases Gabriel Paulista, Jeison Murillo, Geoffrey Kondogbia and Goncalo Guedes offer competition in all the right areas, with Kondogbia in particular addressing the midfield balance; Dani Parejo and Carlos Soler like to affect the game offensively, whereas the newly-signed Frenchman can offer a more reserved and midfield option if required. Marcelino’s 4-4-2, which laid the foundations for past and contemporary success at Villarreal, has prevailed an hour down the coastline.
Carlos Soler and Dani Parejo will act as the main playmakers, with the likes of Martin Montoya, Jose Gaya, Nacho Gil and Toni Lato more than capable of affecting the game in the final third from full-back. Simone Zaza grabbed the all-important goal in Los Che’s opening-day La Liga victory over Las Palmas, when his powerful running was complemented by Rodrigo Moreno’s commitment to the more intricate side of the hosts’ build-up play.
Aside from the foibles and strengths of the system, Friday night served as a window into Valencia’s future. Their personnel was not at full strength, nor was the play at the stage of ‘automation’ that Marcelino desires - the 52-year-old likes his players to go through the motions to the point where they conduct passages of play via muscle memory - but the concept was plain to see. Work hard, work for the collective, and results will come.
As a whole, Valencia looked sharp. A full pre-season of Marcelino regulating their exercise, diets and mentality appears to have bred a competitive spirit at Mestalla.
Las Palmas’ visit marked the return of the hosts’ Curva Nord atmosphere to support the team, following a long period of protest against the board. The mood around the club feels positive, something that has all too often been a sign of a false dawn for Valencia’s fan base.
This time around, though, it feels genuine. Marcelino’s system is already taking shape, with his personality clear for all to see during Los Che’s opening-day win. The Spaniard is a coach who won't settle until everything is perfect. Just as the search for perfection is endless, so too will be his attempts to achieve it.
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