Does the interest in Neymar make sense if ultimately ZZ wants Mbappe?
Zidane sack watch - 19/20
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Does the interest in Neymar make sense if ultimately ZZ wants Mbappe?
I actually think there's reasons for Zidane concern: not about Pogba, but the midfield really lacks depth. But the squad has enough quality to challenge for the title, minimum.
Zinedine Zidane the player is remembered as one of the worlds greatest players. Right up there beneath Maradona and Peles pidestals. Gareth Bale will be remembered as a really, really good player.
As a player, Zidane has achieved much more than Bale by sheer influence on the football night sky and the players that came after him.
And i say this as someone who thinks Zinedine Zidan the manager is a right a**hole.
I don't see it. Even leaving midfield aside, the forwards are also much better in Barcelona. You just cannot compare Benzema, Hazard and the likes with Messi, Suarez, Griezmann, Dembele. There is much difference in terms of potential to create goals.
Barcelona has a stronger starting 11 overall, no discussion. But Madrid has some fantastic individuals at their disposal, most of them would be starting at any team in the world. They are not forming a team unit, though.
The quality is there, the end product is not (at least yet).
Dembele is probably the most over rated striker in the world. He's a tube. But apart from that I agree with your post
Madrid could play with
Hazard - Benzema- L. Vazquez
Kroos - Casemiro- Modric
Marcelo - Ramos - Varane - Carvajal
--------------Courtois-----------------
tomorrow and nobody would get surprised.
Out of those players the ones with more ability to score goals are Marcelo, Ramos, Hazard and Benzema. Two of those are defenders and the other two are more known for their playmaking ability than for their capacity to score.
Let's say Marcelo can score 5 goals next season, Ramos 10, Hazard 15, Benzema 25 in all competitions (I am being generous)
Those are 55 goals. A team that wants to compete for the title needs around 90 goals only in the league, while having a solid defense. Since Madrid don't have a solid defense, they would probably need around 100-110.
While some of the other players in the squad can create goals I don't see them covering the huge gap there.
To sum up, the squad as it is at the moment needs at least one "crack" upfront and a better midfield as well.
Dembele is probably the most over rated striker in the world. He's a tube. But apart from that I agree with your post
Had I not included him I wouldn't be overrating him, hence making your point less correct
Not much, especially when He had not thought of him for his system, and seeing that we are his second choice after Barsa, but if he does not come here he goes to Barcelona.
Neither Zidane nor Pogba assure us of Mbappé in 2020, even if he does not renew
The defense is pretty good, mate. A lot of top teams would kill to have the defenders you have at your disposal. And the overall squad is quite good. You are mainly underrating your current players because the sum of the individuals are not building a good team.
Among all the hyperbole about Barca's strikers, last night highlighted just why both the Madrid teams will still have a chance - even Real, if they get their act together. Valverde is a really poor manager and tactician. Barca are now basically Messi FC, to a much greater extent than Real were ever CR7 FC. With the Neymar deal probably off (Coutinho gone and Barca don't have the money), Barca are now going to need Messi to show up for every single game.
Zidane has been massively more conciliatory in the last few days. Of course, the risk is that the damage is done, but he's nothing if not a smart cookie. I'd not be surprised to see Bale figuring at least on the bench, but the interesting one really will be James. James rescued and / or won a lot of games for Real in his last season in Madrid. With him, it's all about application and where his mind is. Also, playing James does mean that unless he's played wide right, the midfield configuration changes - and there's a loss of defensive effort. It'll be one to watch out for. I'm not convinced that he'll be "back in the fold" regardless of what his fanboys demand. He adds a dimension, but is probably best left for the tier-2 games / as a last resort to change things if chasing a goal.
I don't place much stock in the rumours of Jovic going out on loan. If nothing else, Flo's ego will ensure this doesn't transpire. Also, leaves the club too short on central striker options! He's going to be backup, but will stay.
Ultimately, what'll define the season is likely to be how Zidane handles the squad now. Could go either way. We saw with Mourinho last season the effects of a manager that alienated players in pre-season. Winning them back was impossible for Jose. if Zidane can manage that and can get himself to focus on the task at hand rather than the power battle with Flo, there's still hope. I don't think Real will win the title (Messi generally stays fit for the most part), but there's a chance there if Barca stick with Valverde...
Zidane has been massively more conciliatory in the last few days. Of course, the risk is that the damage is done, but he's nothing if not a smart cookie. I'd not be surprised to see Bale figuring at least on the bench, but the interesting one really will be James. James rescued and / or won a lot of games for Real in his last season in Madrid. With him, it's all about application and where his mind is. Also, playing James does mean that unless he's played wide right, the midfield configuration changes - and there's a loss of defensive effort. It'll be one to watch out for. I'm not convinced that he'll be "back in the fold" regardless of what his fanboys demand. He adds a dimension, but is probably best left for the tier-2 games / as a last resort to change things if chasing a goal.
I don't place much stock in the rumours of Jovic going out on loan. If nothing else, Flo's ego will ensure this doesn't transpire. Also, leaves the club too short on central striker options! He's going to be backup, but will stay.
Ultimately, what'll define the season is likely to be how Zidane handles the squad now. Could go either way. We saw with Mourinho last season the effects of a manager that alienated players in pre-season. Winning them back was impossible for Jose. if Zidane can manage that and can get himself to focus on the task at hand rather than the power battle with Flo, there's still hope. I don't think Real will win the title (Messi generally stays fit for the most part), but there's a chance there if Barca stick with Valverde...
He should go after Ruben Neves. It baffles me that nobody has been linked with him this summer
There is something weird going on at Wolves and Mendes. When there is absolutely no rumors at all it usually means the agent wants to keep it that way.
His agent is Mendes and he must have a path in mind for his client, probably made it clear to everyone he's not moving this summer. It's better for him to stay at Wolves this season and he'll have no shortage of suitors next summer.
Well they have a great chance to get a head start on Barca at least.
Has he been sacked yet?
This topic will surely age well!
I stand by this
As suspected he'll be o.k once they start playing majority of La Liga teams again.
Yet more proof pre season means nothing.
Using Bale today(who played a great game)
can be interpreted as having no idea what he is doing, or that he is able to rectify and give opportunities to everyone who trains well.
I am also glad that he has discarded the 532. I hope he won´t use it again when Hazard returns
can be interpreted as having no idea what he is doing, or that he is able to rectify and give opportunities to everyone who trains well.
I am also glad that he has discarded the 532. I hope he won´t use it again when Hazard returns
One game.
A lot of luck played today in Real winning the game
Luck as in getting an undeserved red, right.
One might argue that the team played even better afterwards, but that just shows the character of the team, not luck.
Was it really undeserved? The guy literally went for his leg without any intention of playing the ball - you could hear the guy screaming thats how painful it was
1st goal suspicion of foul - No VAR review at all
Mistake in Real defence Celta equalize - VAR review takes the goal (was really close)
Wonder save from Courtious - close range header.
Wonder goal from Kroos to make it 0-2
A lot of luck
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Literally no intention, never a red. How loud he shouted is absolutely irrelevant. An even worse situation happened in the 2nd half against Celta, no VAR, no nothing.
"suspicion of foul" right.
And it was the right call, still you wrote it as some kind of favor
That's a page from Pep's book, in one of Clasicos he was literally talking about how a right call could've gone wrong and changed the outcome of the match, to which Mou replied, there are 3 types of coaches, 1. Object against the wrong decisions (wrong in their view) 2. Do not object 3. Object against the right decisions, and how they could've gone wrong = Pep
That was against Real, and it was wrong, yet you counted it in your list
Keeper does a great job, it's due to luck?
Kroos scores a goalazo, and it's luck?
If we were to recount every goal by that metric "wonder save", "wonder goal" etc., every result would change, what nonsense. You wanna count how many "wonder saves" Ter Stegen has pulled off? Should we count them as goals?
Sure.
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Gareth Bale's game today
I don’t have a dog in this fight but the lack of respect towards Zidane is simply staggering considering what he has achieved.
This Voodoo magic of Zidane is back
Not sure which game you guys watched. The one in my screen had 4 shots at goal from Celta vs 11 from Madrid.
So Bale's a first-teamer again now? Would make sense, he is very good....
Wow @GatoLoco I was just laughing at Giftlord's post, nothing more. As I said earlier in this thread Zidane is Top 3 best coach in the world right now for me, so I expect this season to be successful for his club.
Bale has proven that Zidane is bobbins.
Sorry then. It's quite hard to discern irony at times on Internet. You know, Poe's Law and all.
What, he went through 90 minutes injury-free? Bale is the most overrated footballer of the modern era.
Wow.... I mean, he has scored in 2 champions league finals, has 3 medals on that comp alone, he has a whole host of other medals and has about 78 goals in 150 odd games. Not bad for a player who was always in the shadows as per Ronaldo’s request. He was sensational at Tottenham and had a pretty good start to life in Madrid. Injuries have been a problem but to say he’s the most overrated in this modern era is ludicrous. Pogba and Neymar deserve that title.
Absolutely, it's an absurd statement. I'd also note that Bale's arrival was when Madrid started winning and pushing to even higher levels, his arrival sparked a performance boost across the board, and he has delivered goals at a very good rate and scored very important goals in Madrid's history.
He's scored some crucial goals, and has a inflated honors list, but frankly he was a disappointment in the league for Madrid, and inconsistent in the CL, not to mention his wretched injury record. He's got pace, agility and athleticism in spades, but his technical ability is below what I would expect for the most expensive player in the world. It's a style that plays well in the PL but not so much on more technical leagues like La Liga.
As for the CLs, think Real win them without Bale, but doesn't without Ronaldo, without Ramos, without Kroos-Modric-Casemiro axis and without Marcelo - Carvajal on the flanks. He withered against Bayern, against Juve, against Barca, but somehow scoring in the final against Atletico and Liverpool absolves him of all blame. Think Bale has been a peripheral figure throughout, but he's British so he's automatically prone to media exposure and hence overrated.
Dunno about that
Bale has been meh week in week out in La Liga, but he's scored in the final so he's worth every penny. Yeah ok.
You know, a Belgian fan that seldomly watches Liverpool might make the case that Origi is one of the most important Liverpool players because he scored two against Barca in the semifinal and one in the final.