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HuntysCousin View Drop Down
Jack Charlton
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote HuntysCousin Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 Apr 2018 at 11:44pm
Originally posted by Green Devil Green Devil wrote:

Originally posted by HuntysCousin HuntysCousin wrote:

Delighted for Valverde, hes been waiting for a really big job with a while. Obviously the CL went to sh*te (and he'll learn from that), but he deserves a lot of credit for the domestic campaign they've had

Atleticos transfer embargo and Real not focusing too much of their energy on retaining La Liga (not to mention their lack of investment in replacing some top players) gave Valverde a dream platform to win the title.

They won't get it as easy next season I'd imagine.

Still fair play, he has done very well and seems a likeable character. 

I fully agree, I expect both Madrid teams to put up better challenges next season. To go unbeaten over the season (to date) after being humiliated in the Super Cup deserves respect though (and I hate giving credit to Barca). They too will need to invest well in the summer though to keep up.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Zinedine Kilbane 110 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 Apr 2018 at 6:54am
Originally posted by Green Devil Green Devil wrote:

Originally posted by HuntysCousin HuntysCousin wrote:

Delighted for Valverde, hes been waiting for a really big job with a while. Obviously the CL went to sh*te (and he'll learn from that), but he deserves a lot of credit for the domestic campaign they've had

Atleticos transfer embargo and Real not focusing too much of their energy on retaining La Liga (not to mention their lack of investment in replacing some top players) gave Valverde a dream platform to win the title.

They won't get it as easy next season I'd imagine.

Still fair play, he has done very well and seems a likeable character. 

Why would Real not focus on the league?
They were the favourites and won the double last season.
Some crazy logic on this forum Confused


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Green Devil Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 Apr 2018 at 10:16am
This is coming from the very person who said Real are nowhere near as strong squad wise as they were last season! Only last week we were debating when you choose to not reply to my post which basically explained it, yet you’re now confused as to why they haven’t been anywhere close to repeating last seasons achievements LOL

I’ve been over and over this countless times already on this forum and explained it in great detail as to why Real didn’t push hard to win La Liga.

It’s like bloody Groundhog Day.....

Real shipped out 4/5 big players in the summer and choose to bring in young and inexperienced players from the likes of Betis/Atleti etc and promoted young lads from the B Team. 

Zidane decided very early on to start rotating his top players for La Liga games as their squad simply isn’t strong or deep enough to do what they done over 60+ matches like last season. 

It’s extremely easy to grasp, players like Ronaldo/Modric/Marcelo/Kroos etc are easier to keep fresh for a CL campaign in a squad that lacks depth than over a 38 game La Liga push. 

I called this back in September that Real wanted the CL and would focus on winning that over La Liga if push came to shove as Zidane no doubt knew the limitations in his squad.




Edited by Green Devil - 30 Apr 2018 at 10:24am
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote MC Hammered Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 Apr 2018 at 10:25am
GD, Real have the strongest squad in La Liga by a distance.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Green Devil Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 Apr 2018 at 10:31am
Originally posted by MC Hammered MC Hammered wrote:

GD, Real have the strongest squad in La Liga by a distance.

No that would be Barca Big smile

If you’re telling me players like Mayoral, Hakimi, Cabellos, Hernandez etc would play 10+ games each this season for Barca I’d be very surprised.

Real in midfield have the greatest depth, in defence or attack they are threadbare.


Edited by Green Devil - 30 Apr 2018 at 10:34am
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote HuntysCousin Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 Apr 2018 at 10:39am
Originally posted by Green Devil Green Devil wrote:

Originally posted by MC Hammered MC Hammered wrote:

GD, Real have the strongest squad in La Liga by a distance.

No that would be Barca Big smile

If you’re telling me players like Mayoral, Hakimi, Cabellos, Hernandez etc would play 10+ games each this season for Barca I’d be very surprised.

Real in midfield have the greatest depth, in defence or attack they are threadbare.

Barca absolutely do not have the strongest squad, most of their subs are not good enough. Valverde has been slaughtered for not rotating over the course of the season, but he has had no choice
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Green Devil Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 Apr 2018 at 10:42am
Forgive me here but Zidane has been fleeced by the media too throughout the season?

And to counteract that Zidane hasn’t the squad to challenge on all fronts either given his squads limitations.




Edited by Green Devil - 30 Apr 2018 at 10:43am
"He drives two Ferraris; I think he's a very lucky lad to have 50 caps for Ireland,"

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote BrendanD88 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 Apr 2018 at 12:15pm
Madrid's strongest starting 11 would probably be Navas, Carvajal, Ramos, Marcelo, Casemiro, Modric, Kroos, Isco, Asensio and Ronaldo so that would leave  Kovacic, Bale, Benzema, Vasquez, Casilla, Nacho and Hernandez on the bench then you would still have the quality young talents of Ceballos, Vallejo, Llorente, Hakimi and Borja Mayoral to come in, if their squad wasn't strong enough to compete on all fronts they would never of let James leave on loan, Madrid have the strongest squad in Spain by some distance.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Green Devil Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 Apr 2018 at 12:36pm
Cillessen is by far a better keeper than Casilla.

Digne, Vermaelen, Vidal, Semedo etc are Barca’s first in line in terms of back up in defence. 

Next in line for Real as back up in defence are Hernandez, Hakimi and Nacho. 

Real are stronger than Barca in midfield in terms of back up no question.

Pablo Alcacer in terms of a back up striker is good as you would get around Spain. Real at times need to use Bale as a Centre Forward but in reality he’s a winger.

Real let James go because he simply didn’t perform consistently enough in his spell there and their main motive in the transfer market for the most part is to buy young homegrown talent, which for the most part is unproven to an extent.

Anyhow I’ve done this argument to death since last summer, I’m not saying anymore Big smile
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Zinedine Kilbane 110 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 Apr 2018 at 1:06pm
GD, I said they were not playing as well as last season. 
I never once mentioned the squad was weaker.  Sure they only got rid of players they wanted to.

IMO they could still go for both the league and champions league.
They were prob 3/1 to win the league and at least 6/1 to win the champions league at the start of the season.
It wouldn’t make sense to prioritise the champions league over the league considering they had a less chance of winning it.
The board would never allow that.


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote The White Cafu Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 Apr 2018 at 1:28pm
5/6 to win the league at the start of the season.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote MC Hammered Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 Apr 2018 at 4:11pm
An article today in the BBC 

"The Champions League exit at Roma has been widely blamed on a lack of rotation by coach Valverde, who has been accused of over-playing crucial men such as Iniesta, Suarez, Busquets, Gerard Pique and Lionel Messi with the consequence that they were jaded for the latter stages of the campaign.

The flipside, however, is that Barca would have struggled to pick up so many points in La Liga if Valverde had regularly left out those key performers, considering the sharp drop-off in quality between those players and their replacements in reserve."

Here's another from Guillem Ballbag last month saying that this is the worst Barca squad in the last 10 years.

https://tribuna.com/fcbarcelona/en/news/2666002/


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Zinedine Kilbane 110 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 Apr 2018 at 4:23pm
Originally posted by The White Cafu The White Cafu wrote:

5/6 to win the league at the start of the season.

Even with AM transfer ban and Barca new coach that’s very short.
This was a great chance for Real to defend the league which they have only done once since the 90’s.
It’s surprising how poor they have been as defending champions.

The poor league form will cost Zidane his job.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Green Devil Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 Apr 2018 at 4:30pm
We all know Gulliem is an absolute spoofer LOL

Interesting point here but maybe it’s a case of both Barca and Real currently just not having the squad depth to compete on all fronts? Think a strong argument can be made given how Barca ran away with La Liga and Real look to be on course to win the CL?

I think in Barca’s case it was down to bad recruitment and probably in Reals not enough recruitment was done on perhaps adding a big name or two?

Anyhow, it is a football forum where opinions will always differ so good to see a healthy debate with strong cases made on both sides! 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Green Devil Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 Apr 2018 at 4:31pm
Originally posted by Zinedine Kilbane 110 Zinedine Kilbane 110 wrote:

Originally posted by The White Cafu The White Cafu wrote:

5/6 to win the league at the start of the season.

Even with AM transfer ban and Barca new coach that’s very short.
This was a great chance for Real to defend the league which they have only done once since the 90’s.
It’s surprising how poor they have been as defending champions.

The poor league form will cost Zidane his job.

But as I keep saying it’s the CL that motivates Real like no other as a club, they are obsessed with the competition.

It has to be factored in too that Barca spent the bones of €300m since last summer, Real didn’t. Granted they lost Neymar but Coutinho/Dembele aren’t bad alternatives.

If Real win the CL his job will be safe, bookmark this.


Edited by Green Devil - 30 Apr 2018 at 4:34pm
"He drives two Ferraris; I think he's a very lucky lad to have 50 caps for Ireland,"

Eamonn Dunphy on Glenn Whelan
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote MC Hammered Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 Apr 2018 at 4:57pm
Yeap, there's nothing wrong with looking at the merits of both arguments. 

It's a shame to watch the Pep inspired model of Barca dissolve though. They have gone down the route of signing big name players at the expense of academy grads, although I'm not sure if the last few batches of La Masia talent have been great vintages. Also, the Barca playing style certainly isn't really as distinct from other brands as it used to be. 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote SuperDave84 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 Apr 2018 at 5:08pm
Originally posted by MC Hammered MC Hammered wrote:

Yeap, there's nothing wrong with looking at the merits of both arguments. 

It's a shame to watch the Pep inspired model of Barca dissolve though. They have gone down the route of signing big name players at the expense of academy grads, although I'm not sure if the last few batches of La Masia talent have been great vintages. Also, the Barca playing style certainly isn't really as distinct from other brands as it used to be. 


Well, you lose Xavi and it becomes a very different style. A player who touched the ball 100, 150, 200 times a game leaving the club is going to change the style quickly and noticeably.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Zinedine Kilbane 110 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03 May 2018 at 8:39pm
Barca v Real is on this Sunday at 7.45

Real SHOULD give Barca the guard of honor as champions as is tradition but they said they wont do it.

Barca are still unbeaten in the season so lots to play for.

Didnt realise La Liga wasnt on sky next year. Some small digital company bought the rights.

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