Valencia are searching for a coach, and the process is taking longer than a club in trouble would like. New sporting director Braulio Vazquez, who recently arrived from Osasuna, is running a casting of candidates to replace Carlos Corberan, and his first two names have already fallen away.

Both Ernesto Valverde and Jose Luis Mendilibar, experienced La Liga hands, were sounded out and both indicated they do not intend to return to coaching in the short term. That leaves Braulio moving down his list, with Mexican veteran Javier Aguirre now reported to have passed a first stage of talks. Aguirre is said to have shown confidence and willingness in an initial conversation, while asking for a few days.

Braulio did not arrive alone. At Osasuna, his right-hand man Cata has now stepped up into the sporting director role there, a clean example of a succession plan working the way it should when a key figure leaves. Braulio's own first big call at Valencia, the coach, is the one that will define his early tenure.

The most instructive voice in the whole saga belongs to the players. Midfielder Guido Rodriguez, who has grown into a leadership figure in the squad, laid out plainly what he believes the group needs, and his diagnosis reportedly lined up with Braulio's thinking. The gist: a coach who knows La Liga, who can connect with the squad, and who will not arrive with grand experiments. No inventions. Just competence and clarity.

That is a remarkably grounded wish list, and it is worth sitting with. A struggling group of players did not ask for a big name or a revolutionary philosophy. They asked for someone who understands the environment, communicates, and keeps it simple. When a team is under pressure, the appetite for reinvention drops and the appetite for reliability climbs.

There is a health note in the mix too. Guido was training away from teammates after a knock picked up in Vitoria, though he is expected to be available on Sunday against Real Sociedad. A leader who is also a doubt for the weekend is exactly the kind of complication a caretaker setup does not need, and it underlines why Valencia want the permanent decision settled.

For US coaches, the takeaway is about what players actually want from a new leader. When you take over a struggling team, whether that is a winless U13 side or a high school program that has lost its way, the instinct is to install everything you believe about the game in week one. The Valencia players are telling you the opposite works better. Show them you understand their world, communicate clearly, keep the early asks simple, and build trust before you build a system.