Koeman demands improvement
Valencia need a change in attitude to end their poor run of form, coach Ronald Koeman said after their 3-0 home defeat to Athletic Bilbao in the Primera Liga on Sunday.
"We have hit rock bottom. We have quality players who are not performing to their best. The team lack courage and aggression, we will have changes for sure," the former Netherlands international said.
Koeman was brought in to replace the sacked Quique Sanchez Flores at the beginning of November, but has failed to make the impact the board had perhaps hoped for.
They have since lost their chance of progressing in the Champions League with a 2-0 home defeat to Rosenborg Trondheim and a goalless home draw with Schalke 04. As the bottom side in Group B their chances of making the UEFA Cup are very slim.
The former Barcelona player steered Valencia to a 3-0 home win in his first Primera Liga game at the helm, but has since seen the side lose to Bilbao and Racing Santander.
They are sixth in the standings, eight points behind leaders Real Madrid.
When he was presented Koeman said it was important that Valencia's notoriously fickle fans enjoyed themselves and that he got the balance right between entertainment and results.
The Mestalla's angry reaction to Sunday's defeat indicated there is still much work to do.
Koeman, who is Valencia's fourth coach in three years since the departure of Rafael Benitez to Liverpool, has a contract until 2010.
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