Topic: Spanish Football

[L8Craig]

Real Madrid certainly need to freshen up their side. They have world class players but there doesn't seem to be much pace about the squad?

Modric, Kroos, Isco, Bale, Ronaldo all don't shout pace to me? So are they all relying on their world class abilities to pass and shoot too much?

2016 and 2017 they were a rock. Ramos was the captain who scored many of important goals for them. Marcelo looked the best LB in the world. Carvajal was unbelievable. Ronaldo undeniably the worlds best player.

Now. What has happened? Because I don't think it is Zidane's tactics.

I wouldn't mind trying to buy Kovacic from them though if Can went.

[Thats So Dimitar]

Real Madrid certainly need to freshen up their side. They have world class players but there doesn't seem to be much pace about the squad?

Modric, Kroos, Isco, Bale, Ronaldo all don't shout pace to me? So are they all relying on their world class abilities to pass and shoot too much?

2016 and 2017 they were a rock. Ramos was the captain who scored many of important goals for them. Marcelo looked the best LB in the world. Carvajal was unbelievable. Ronaldo undeniably the worlds best player.

Now. What has happened? Because I don't think it is Zidane's tactics.

I wouldn't mind trying to buy Kovacic from them though if Can went.

One of these is not like the others

[L8Craig]

When I’ve seen Bale play for Real Madrid he’s played a similar role to Coutinho when he was at us.
When I think of pace I think of Salah and Mane, one on one with players, balls over the top and they can
Use their pace to beat the offside trap.

I don’t watch Real Madrid every week, and Bale has been injured for a while but the only Pace goal I’ve seen him score for them was when he ran around Bartra on the half way line and went on to score.

Bale, Benzema, Ronaldo. Powerful players but it seems like they could do with a tricky South American in their attack.

Who knows. Benzema may come back and Real may win every game till the end of the season and finish 2nd.

[SamAteTheRedAcid]

the only Pace goal

Is this a real thing outside of GoT and SteveO's demented bitterness now? Pace goals? Fuck that.

Bale is quick, you can't accuse him of lacking pace, and the comparison with Coutinho is just weird and wrong.

[SamAteTheRedAcid]

Also, its plainly obvious what has happened to Real - little investment in the first team, players going stale after winning back to back CLs, its the natural decline of a team that had peaked - what do you do when you've won it all? Refresh or decline. They didn't change it up so they've declined.

[elpistolero7]

Real Madrid certainly need to freshen up their side. They have world class players but there doesn't seem to be much pace about the squad?

Modric, Kroos, Isco, Bale, Ronaldo all don't shout pace to me? So are they all relying on their world class abilities to pass and shoot too much?

2016 and 2017 they were a rock. Ramos was the captain who scored many of important goals for them. Marcelo looked the best LB in the world. Carvajal was unbelievable. Ronaldo undeniably the worlds best player.

Now. What has happened? Because I don't think it is Zidane's tactics.

I wouldn't mind trying to buy Kovacic from them though if Can went.

They were average in 2016, and had the luckiest route to the CL final, and were not the better side in the final either. Flukiest CL win since Chelsea.

[elpistolero7]

Also, its plainly obvious what has happened to Real - little investment in the first team, players going stale after winning back to back CLs, its the natural decline of a team that had peaked - what do you do when you've won it all? Refresh or decline. They didn't change it up so they've declined.

The Morata and James sales were just stupid. They left themselves with no depth up top.

Asensio is top draw, but Isco is not a winger, and Vazquez is bang average.

[L8Craig]

Is this a real thing outside of GoT and SteveO's demented bitterness now? Pace goals? Fuck that.

Bale is quick, you can't accuse him of lacking pace, and the comparison with Coutinho is just weird and wrong.

I’d say Bale was more powerful than raw pace. He doesn’t exactly use his pace to beat a man and score.

Real Madrid seem to have had the same template for years. The two creative mids. Ronaldo/Bale/Isco behind Benzema.
I don’t think replacing Benzema with Kane would even make them elite again.

Look at PSG. Cavan I still up top but add Neymar and Mbappe and they look like they could win the champions league just with them 2 changes. Obviously 2 world class players but they are ultimately better than a Ronaldo and Bale at this moment in time and if they went to Real would have them winning La Liga.

[idontknow]

Is this a real thing outside of GoT and SteveO's demented bitterness now? Pace goals? Fuck that.

It's like mimicking a mannerism for so long and so well you can't stop doing it and have to unlearn it.

[pinky]

Real Madrid will always create chances, and scoring goals seems the main problem at stake now, so I guess adding someone like Kane alone would sort out many things.

Also the media talks about Neymar, who seems to have agreed a clause to go to Madrid for the right offer, and Hazard as potential signings. Just one of those two would add a lot in terms of creativity and goals.

Two stars and two or three signings in key positions and that's all. Madrid's problem is a mixture of temporary complacency and easily identifiable lackings in the squad, but the rest of the lot haven't turned out to be shit from one day to the other.

[pinky]

They were average in 2016, and had the luckiest route to the CL final, and were not the better side in the final either. Flukiest CL win since Chelsea.

In 2016 Zidane broke the record for consecutive wins in Spain ever, that doesn't seem average to me.

[disgraced cake]

They were average in 2016, and had the luckiest route to the CL final, and were not the better side in the final either. Flukiest CL win since Chelsea.

2017 as well. That 2nd leg against Bayern Munich (in the quarters, I think) was a disgrace. I'm absolutely convinced the ref was on the take. Should have gone out that night.

[elpistolero7]

Real Madrid will always create chances, and scoring goals seems the main problem at stake now, so I guess adding someone like Kane alone would sort out many things.

Also the media talks about Neymar, who seems to have agreed a clause to go to Madrid for the right offer, and Hazard as potential signings. Just one of those two would add a lot in terms of creativity and goals.

Two stars and two or three signings in key positions and that's all. Madrid's problem is a mixture of temporary complacency and easily identifiable lackings in the squad, but the rest of the lot haven't turned out to be shit from one day to the other.

Biggest problem is the midfield is overplayed, and isn't performing to last year's standards.

The CL was as much down to Modric and Kroos as it was Ronaldo. They're the ones who made it tick, and grease boy was there with the world class tap ins and penalties. Ramos not scoring in the 94th minute every time they are in trouble makes a difference too. Guy had the most clutch goalscoring form of any defender ever last year.

There's an article on marca about how madrid had 11 goals in the last 5 minutes of games last year...to 0 this year. They're a lot less clutch.

[elpistolero7]

2017 as well. That 2nd leg against Bayern Munich (in the quarters, I think) was a disgrace. I'm absolutely convinced the ref was on the take. Should have gone out that night.

They were fantastic in the knockouts last year, the year before...just look at their draw compared to Atletico's...and the level of flukiness in the final. Chelsea levels of undeserved. At least Chelsea played big teams on their way to the title!

[elpistolero7]

In 2016 Zidane broke the record for consecutive wins in Spain ever, that doesn't seem average to me.

That was in 2016-17, I'm talking 2015-16, when Zidane took over post Rafa being sacked.

Average Roma team, Wolfsburg, Man City (they barely got over the line though City were shit that season, had 66 pts in the PL) were their knockout opponents.

They never deserved 3 CL's out of 4. Crazy amount of luck.

[pinky]

That was in 2016-17, I'm talking 2015-16, when Zidane took over post Rafa being sacked.

Average Roma team, Wolfsburg, Man City (they barely got over the line though City were shit that season, had 66 pts in the PL) were their knockout opponents.

They never deserved 3 CL's out of 4. Crazy amount of luck.

When Zidane took over post Rafa being sacked Madrid managed to get 11 points more than Barcelona in the last 8 games. That was part of the record. I even recall Klopp being asked about the Real Madrid-Villarreal game that  had finished 3-0 saying Madrid had looked extremely solid to him.

I won't argue about the level of the rivals in CL, but I do recall Madrid being vastly superior to City in the semifinals, despite the not so impressive scores. They were not as brilliant as 2014 or 2017 in CL sure, but average? Very far from it.

[The G in Gerrard]

Sociedad take lead against Barca in 11th min. Great.

[LFC when it suits]

1-0 Sociedad. The gap would only be 6 points if Barca lose this which they won't.

[elpistolero7]

Even though he's left, the magic of the great Moyseh remains. He changed them forever.

Irramendi, Irramendi?

[SamAteTheRedAcid]

Mad header for the goal

[SamAteTheRedAcid]

Barca have been shite for 25 minutes here.

At least you'll be able to see a decent footy team on MotD tonight, eh Phil?

[Gerry Attrick]

Sociedad are definitely Barcelona's bogey team.

[LFC when it suits]

Ref to Barca's rescue. Goal ruled out.

[SamAteTheRedAcid]

Ref to Barca's rescue. Goal ruled out.

Not a foul was it. Rakitic throws himself down.

[Gerry Attrick]

2-0. Gorgeous ball from Canales.

[AndreTheMidget]

Get the fuck in!!

[LFC when it suits]

Not a foul was it. Rakitic throws himself down.

Didn't look to me. But it's 2-0 now anyway.

[Barneylfc∗]

Sociedad are to Barca what we are to City 

[Gerry Attrick]

I think Graham Hunter is co-commentator on mine. Have to say that he's pretty good. 

[Gerry Attrick]

2-1 now. Paulinho with it.

[Gerry Attrick]

Fucking hell, what a goal from Suarez.

[Samie]

Gerry you told me he was finished. 

[Gerry Attrick]

Gerry you told me he was finished. 

Not finished, but he's definitely on the way down in my opinion. Still capable of a moment of brilliance though.

[Funky_Gibbons]

Fucking hell, what a goal from Suarez.

Remember him scoring one like against Stoke in the cup.

[Gerry Attrick]

How simple was that? Unbelievably sloppy from Sociedad.

[hixxstar]

2-3 to barca,,

[RobbieRedman]

What a gift! Awful from the goalie. 3-2 Barca

[Gerry Attrick]

Are you fucking kidding me? What a freekick from Messi. Unreal.

[Barneylfc∗]

Have that

[Bootleorbust]

Absolutely ridiculous from Messi