Last seen marking their return from September's international break with a 1-1 stalemate at home against Motherwell, the Dark Blues have failed to win any of their first five top-flight appearances and they have put just a trio of points on the board. Getting this weekend's fixtures underway sat down in 11th-place, the former Carlisle boss has a major job on his hands.
Starting with the hosts, while Valencia might have gained a string of immediate plaudits following Carlos Corberan's arrival at the Mestalla back in December, the Bats have largely struggled to find any real fluidity since opening up the new campaign. Putting in a toothless performance last weekend as they eventually fell to a 1-0 loss at the hands of Osasuna, the former West Brom boss has seen his squad muster just a sole point from either of their first two La Liga showdowns.
