Topic: La Liga 10/11

[Una cerveza, por favor]

To quote Garstonite who started last season's thread - With the speed of Madrid's business dealings, I'd say now is a better time than any to start this season's La Liga thread.

All La Liga talk in here?

[LegendsLost]

So without David Villa and likely David Silva.. where are we expecting Valencia to finish?  (assuming they continue to service their money issues)

[Xxavi]

So without David Villa and likely David Silva.. where are we expecting Valencia to finish?  (assuming they continue to service their money issues)

If Isco becomes next Messi, they might finish still in top 4. Otherwise, they will be certainly below Sevilla and may be some other teams.

[lfc_fan2005]

Who's coming up then? Sociedad, Levante, Hercules, Cartagena, Betis, Elche all have a chance.

Race for third will be interesting, you would expect Sevilla, Villarreal, Atletico and Valencia to challenge, and their will almost certainly be some surprise team like Mallorca this year. Personally think it could be Villarreal or Atleti, unless Sevilla get in a top class new manager.

[lfc_fan2005]

Paco needs to replace Villa at Valencia, 6 goals in 4 games at the under-17 tournament! I don't think they will be too bad, they should still have Mata and Pablo on the wings, and Dominguez is a also a very good player.

[jotirori]

Can't see Valencia finishing in the top 4 now that they have lost 2 of their strikers, and probably David Silva and Banega too.

   Only 1 more player to leave according to their president.And furthermore, Silva will not leave for 30m.Accorfing to their president.

[Juan Loco]

I know there's issues with  Betis' fans, but I hope they and Sociedad go up. I love watching the Seville derby games, even if it's just for the car-crash aspect of it.

[rafathegaffa83]

It will be interesting to see how some of La Liga's more indebted clubs (Mallorca, Valencia, Atletico) fare in 10/11. Additionally will last season's massive points haul by Barcelona and Real Madrid be repeated, or was it merely a one-off. The top two look like they will strengthen even more, but I think at some point their spending will stop (probably next summer), as Spain's financial crisis and 'austerity packages' could end up limiting their credit.

As for Valencia, replacing Villa's goals will be a massive issue for Unai Emery. Aside from a few defenders picked up on Bosmans, they only spent about €5m last summer and that was all on a goalkeeper (Moya) who hardly ever played. So far this summer they seem to be picking up a fair few midfielders on free transfers as well as Mehmet Topal. He should be a good pick-up, but they need a decent forward. I won't be surprised if Emery departs at the end of next season to another big club.

[mildale]

Barca will win it again, Mourinho will be gone by the summer. It's an endless loop.

[slickman]

More interested in who will take the other European spots, we know the top 2 will finish with 100 points each.

[Xxavi]

I also read news saying that arabs sheikhs want to buy Malaga. That could save them.

[MidwestWool]

I also read news saying that arabs sheikhs want to buy Malaga. That could save them.

I heard a lot about the same too. Some Qatar-based investment is coming in for Malaga.

[Rotation]

Glorified SPL

[BazC]

I reckon Real Madrid will win it. There's been a piece of cigarette paper between Barca and Real for the last 2 seasons. One or two games will change it. That's a bad miss, a lucky goal, a bad refereeing decision etc. It's nothing.

[ceros]

Barcelona people, do you know how this affects the club? http://www.as.com/futbol/articulo/ayuntamiento-barcelona-recalifica-terrenos-miniestadi/dasftb/20100528dasdasftb_34/Tes

Do you get all the cash now or you have to wait or there's no cash but a different sort of improvement for the club? What's the score with this?

[Una cerveza, por favor]

Jose Mourinho will be presented as new coach of Real Madrid this Monday, May 31, at 13:00 pm in the Royal Box of the Bernabeu.

[Spanish Fan]

I reckon Real Madrid will win it. There's been a piece of cigarette paper between Barca and Real for the last 2 seasons. One or two games will change it. That's a bad miss, a lucky goal, a bad refereeing decision etc. It's nothing.

A piece of paper and seven titles.

[BazC]

A piece of paper and seven titles.

Barca won 7 league titles in 2 seasons? Impressive.

(I thought it was quite obvious I was talking about the league... cup competitions like the CL and Spanish Cup are a whole different kettle of fish, as are the trophies you can only win after having won something- the Super Cup and World Club Championship).

[lfc_fan2005]

Barca won 7 league titles in 2 seasons? Impressive.

(I thought it was quite obvious I was talking about the league... cup competitions like the CL and Spanish Cup are a whole different kettle of fish, as are the trophies you can only win after having won something- the Super Cup and World Club Championship).

The league wasn't even close in 08/09 though.

[BazC]

The league wasn't even close in 08/09 though.

Maybe, but it's all swings and roundabouts. I think in the 3 seasons before 09/10 Barca have finished 10 points ahead, level and 10 points behind Real.

Real pushed Barca most of the way in 08/09 and all the way in 09/10. Barca will have their work cut out going for a third in a row. Although getting Villa in (massive improvement on Ibrahimovic for that team), with the possibility of Fabregas as well, you'd think Barca will be well equipped when it comes to the start of the season.

I guess the only certainty is of Barca and Real being way ahead of the rest of them.

[Spanish Fan]

Barca won 7 league titles in 2 seasons? Impressive.

(I thought it was quite obvious I was talking about the league... cup competitions like the CL and Spanish Cup are a whole different kettle of fish, as are the trophies you can only win after having won something- the Super Cup and World Club Championship).

But the fact that Barcelona played 10 games or more extra during both  seasons helped Madrid who had to focus just in La Liga whereas Barcelona had to deal with more competitons. In Italya something similar has happened and Roma have finieshed closer to Inter than they really are. Having said that Real Madrid have closed the gap this season.

[Grushko]

Jose Mourinho will be presented as new coach of Real Madrid this Monday, May 31, at 13:00 pm in the Royal Box of the Bernabeu.

Makes me want to fucking puke.

[jotirori]

I like the At.Madrid future signings if they definetely get  L.Filipe and Granero.

[buchigo!]

are the ones buying malaga the same one linked with us? so that's another ship sailed then?

[matchyg]

I don't like Real Madrid now. I liked them last season.

[ceros]

It's probably been mentioned elsewhere but yesterday it was reported that Higuain will stay with Real Madrid until 2016.

[Beni]

I also read news saying that arabs sheikhs want to buy Malaga. That could save them.

Sounds like this could be true....http://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/spain-primera-division/news/1005232/Sheikh-buys-Malaga

[ceros]

Rumour has it, Javi Martinez is the box-to-box player Mourinho is looking for and Javi, in Austria, far from stopping all speculation has said something like "this is not the time to talk about possible transfers, there will be time to talk about it after the WC".

Damn you Martinez, stay with us

[thegoodfella]

Rumour has it, Javi Martinez is the box-to-box player Mourinho is looking for and Javi, in Austria, far from stopping all speculation has said something like "this is not the time to talk about possible transfers, there will be time to talk about it after the WC".

Damn you Martinez, stay with us

Or come to us!

Just don't sell your soul to the devil.

[Una cerveza, por favor]

It's probably been mentioned elsewhere but yesterday it was reported that Higuain will stay with Real Madrid until 2016.

3.5 Million a year. Still nowhere close to Benzema's but still double of what he was on. Love the guy.

[ceros]

Or come to us!

To your next door neighbours more like! City have sent some people over to Austria to check him out. Apparently they want him too.

Hope it's all just paper talk designed to make Athletic fans' summer a misery.

[jotirori]

Rumour has it, Javi Martinez is the box-to-box player Mourinho is looking for and Javi, in Austria, far from stopping all speculation has said something like "this is not the time to talk about possible transfers, there will be time to talk about it after the WC".

Damn you Martinez, stay with us

   You will be very lucky if you could keep him for 1 more season...and you know it. No worries you will keep 'bart'  for 2-3 years at least .By the way what os h
   is Muniain clause?

[ceros]

The truth hurts jotirori, don't be so cruel.

There was talk of an eighteen million clause for Iker Simpson but I'm not sure if that's already in place or not. I think they wanted to wait until he had played a certain number of games in la liga.

[Bilbao Lions]

Javi Martinez is going nowhere, he said it very clear last week in digital +: I am very happy at Athletic and I don´t want to move, I am not interested at all in any media report.  I don´t know if you can say it clearer than that. Florentino said on the radio as well that Javi is a great player but Madrid have other preferences. If you give credit to everything you see on the media you go mad, the only thing I know is that club has made very clear that whoever wants Javi, will have to pay the 30 millons of his buy out clause or 36 from next summer. It seems a lot to me when Barca has just paid 40 millions for the best striker in the world.

[Bilbao Lions]

The truth hurts jotirori, don't be so cruel.

There was talk of an eighteen million clause for Iker Simpson but I'm not sure if that's already in place or not. I think they wanted to wait until he had played a certain number of games in la liga.

Hi ceros, it is 30 millions already for Munian as well, they made him a new contract a few months ago.

[ceros]

Ezkerrik asko, Bilbao Lions.

Wow, how did it go from talk of 18m (end of 2009) to 30? I mean great news for us but it seems a tad exaggerated, he's only 17! Must be earning a fair bit to have agreed to such a huge clause.

[ceros]

Javi Martinez is going nowhere, he said it very clear last week in digital +

Yes, saw that video a couple of days ago.

My kid nephew just sent me an email saying that ETB (Basque television) just said the Man City thing is, pretty much, a done deal. Dont know what ETB's reliability is like these days but it wasn't in the habit of rumour spreading when I used to watch it.

[Bilbao Lions]

Yes, saw that video a couple of days ago.

My kid nephew just sent me an email saying that ETB (Basque television) just said the Man City thing is, pretty much, a done deal. Dont know what ETB's reliability is like these days but it wasn't in the habit of rumour spreading when I used to watch it.

It seems they are coming with the clause, so if that is the case, it will be Javi who decides.

[Una cerveza, por favor]

Racing Santander sign Miguel Canales - 15 year old, brother of Sergio, to youth squad.

[Una cerveza, por favor]

Florentino Perez upon being asked whether Madrid would try to sign Messi -

"Messi is the second-best player in the world after Ronaldo and it would not be a good thing to have both in the same team,". "That way there is more competition."