Cicero 5,265 Posted September 14, 2020 Share Posted September 14, 2020 Just got injured too. Real fans are going to give him hell Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluewolf 7,161 Posted September 14, 2020 Share Posted September 14, 2020 I really hope things pick up for him.... What a waste it would be if going there has condemned him to being injured and stuck on the bench all the time.. Not had a great start has he.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spike 5,086 Posted September 14, 2020 Share Posted September 14, 2020 On 12/09/2020 at 10:56, El Profesor said: Hazard seems to gain weight very easily. They're not happy about it in Spain. He has always been thicker 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cicero 5,265 Posted November 30, 2020 Share Posted November 30, 2020 Hazard out for a few weeks with a hamstring injury. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Profesor 1,457 Posted January 22, 2021 Share Posted January 22, 2021 The La Liga era is over. Barcelona and Real Madrid will have to learn to operate in a different way. It always felt inevitable. Spain's economy isn't developed enough to support the best football teams in the world and La Liga was too slow to build a worldwide viewership in comparison to Premier League. Barça and Real Madrid will need better coaching and scouting to compete on a continental level, after all the money won't come up so easy. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subscriber Viva la FCB+ 2,546 Posted January 22, 2021 Subscriber Share Posted January 22, 2021 5 minutes ago, El Profesor said: The La Liga era is over. Barcelona and Real Madrid will have to learn to operate in a different way. It always felt inevitable. Spain's economy isn't developed enough to support the best football teams in the world and La Liga was too slow to build a worldwide viewership in comparison to Premier League. Barça and Real Madrid will need better coaching and scouting to compete on a continental level, after all the money won't come up so easy. Honestly this makes alot of sense. Haaland again is the perfect kind of player they would be targeting but I havent really heard or seen any rumblings. I thought the same of Havertz and they where seemingly never in on him. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Profesor 1,457 Posted January 22, 2021 Share Posted January 22, 2021 3 minutes ago, Viva la FCB said: Honestly this makes alot of sense. Haaland again is the perfect kind of player they would be targeting but I havent really heard or seen any rumblings. I thought the same of Havertz and they where seemingly never in on him. Definitely. If they had cash, Haaland would be a target. Like Jovic was. There's something wrong with Real's finances and their different behavior in the transfer market is a reflect of this crisis. Also, some years ago, Hazard would already have been shipped off to another club. Instead, he will be getting every chance to prove himself there because Real can't really afford anymore players of his talent. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator Stan 18,349 Posted January 22, 2021 Administrator Share Posted January 22, 2021 1 hour ago, El Profesor said: The La Liga era is over. Barcelona and Real Madrid will have to learn to operate in a different way. It always felt inevitable. Spain's economy isn't developed enough to support the best football teams in the world and La Liga was too slow to build a worldwide viewership in comparison to Premier League. Barça and Real Madrid will need better coaching and scouting to compete on a continental level, after all the money won't come up so easy. I saw rumours Barcelona have asked for another massive bank loan to 'avoid bankruptcy'. Mad to think leagues with such big teams could be in such jeopardy. Maybe going back to the coaching of youth and scouting will profit in the long-term. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carnivore Chris 2,606 Posted January 22, 2021 Share Posted January 22, 2021 (edited) 11 minutes ago, Stan said: I saw rumours Barcelona have asked for another massive bank loan to 'avoid bankruptcy'. Mad to think leagues with such big teams could be in such jeopardy. Maybe going back to the coaching of youth and scouting will profit in the long-term. The covid crisis is the main issue. The amount of money lost from fans not being in stadiums is huge. Last time I went it was 74 euros for the ticket and that's the medium price range, which shows the level of money lost. Not to mention the money spent during the games themselves, on all the merchandise sold on the stalls outside, food and drinks in the little bar, etc. It's a huge loss. Saying that, it may be a blessing in some senses as Barcelona are shit at spending money unless it's on the real big stars anyway. More players like Pedri and Ansu and less players like Griezmann and Coutinho could work out well in the future. Edited January 22, 2021 by Carnivore Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Profesor 1,457 Posted January 22, 2021 Share Posted January 22, 2021 8 minutes ago, Stan said: I saw rumours Barcelona have asked for another massive bank loan to 'avoid bankruptcy'. Mad to think leagues with such big teams could be in such jeopardy. Maybe going back to the coaching of youth and scouting will profit in the long-term. I agree. This is what Serie A clubs did. Sure, Serie A is not the powerhouse it was in the 90s, but the overall quality of the league has really improved a lot compared to where it was 10 years ago. And on a much more sustainable model, which is good. 5 minutes ago, Carnivore Chris said: The covid is the main issue. The amount of money lost from fans not being in stadiums is huge. Saying that, it may be a blessing as Barcelona are shit at spending money unless it's on the real big stars anyway. More players like Pedri and Ansu and less players like Griezmann and Coutinho could work out well. Covid is an issue, but in my opinion it has only accelerated a process that would happen anyway. The structural conditions for long-term financial domination were never there. Barcelona and Real Madrid can´t compete with Premier League clubs financially in the long run. La Liga is just way behind PL in worldwide viewership, sponsorship and TV contracts. Both clubs will need to operate more like Bayern, getting the most promissing players in their domestic football at an earlier age and developing them into world-class players, instead of attracting the very best players in the world and paying huge sums for them. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator Stan 18,349 Posted January 22, 2021 Administrator Share Posted January 22, 2021 2 minutes ago, El Profesor said: I agree. This is what Serie A clubs did. Sure, Serie A is not the powerhouse it was in the 90s, but the overall quality of the league has really improved a lot compared to where it was 10 years ago. And on a much more sustainable model, which is good. Yep it's taken a lot of time for that division to start getting up to a competitive level and I hope it continues for a few years. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carnivore Chris 2,606 Posted January 23, 2021 Share Posted January 23, 2021 (edited) 16 hours ago, El Profesor said: The La Liga era is over. Barcelona and Real Madrid will have to learn to operate in a different way. It always felt inevitable. Spain's economy isn't developed enough to support the best football teams in the world and La Liga was too slow to build a worldwide viewership in comparison to Premier League. Barça and Real Madrid will need better coaching and scouting to compete on a continental level, after all the money won't come up so easy. All leagues are like this now though, as the Premier league has become the NBA of football unfortunately. There is talk of the Serie A, but I personally believe it's terrible compared to what it should be. The quality is closer to the MLS than the Serie A of the 90s and it's become more competitive due to Juventus declining. C.Ronaldo is their only top player right now. These clubs themselves can no longer compete for the big money signings in the long run. We won't be seeing Mbappe going there or Haaland, for example, that is for sure. La Liga will become more open now itself and that's not because of quality, but due to a lack of it. It's exciting to watch but I've never known it to be so devoid of world class stars. I would say the Bundesliga is full of young talent and should, in theory, be about to step into a great era. However, other than Bayern, the other 17 clubs are simply warming players up ready to move to the Premier League. They can't compete with these ridiculous TV deals and foreign investors. It will only become significantly worse and especially since the covid crisis. This is also why a European Super league will inevitably be formed, as clubs will break off in an attempt to create a league which can compete financially with the Premier league, which itself is a Super League. Football will never be the same again and VAR has destroyed it itself. It was an awful decision to implement technology in this sport. It doesn't work. Edited January 23, 2021 by Carnivore Chris 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeadLinesman 5,938 Posted January 23, 2021 Share Posted January 23, 2021 When people say it’s a dream to play for these clubs, is it the history or the weather? Or a combination? They seem to be able to always pull in the talent, even when they’re doing shite. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carnivore Chris 2,606 Posted January 23, 2021 Share Posted January 23, 2021 (edited) 19 minutes ago, DeadLinesman said: When people say it’s a dream to play for these clubs, is it the history or the weather? Or a combination? They seem to be able to always pull in the talent, even when they’re doing shite. Well it's been snowing lately I'd say a mix of history, size, lifestyle..the problem isn't attracting talent anymore, but the lack of funds to actually purchase them. However I think Barcelona are going the right direction. Pedri, Dest and Ansu have the potential to be real stars and spending big money on crap has been the club's main downfall in recent years. Coutinho and Griezmann especially were terrible signings really and cost the total of 250 million or so the money has been invested terribly. Pedri has been the best signing in years, he was 17(18 now) and was purchased for around 4 million. De Jong was also a great signing and a few years of rebuild could work out well, although the club will now have to take a new approach due to financial crisis. Similar to how Bayern function, as Ricardo mentioned. What people forget also is that the team under Pep and Enrique were special sides, there was always going to be a drop when Xavi, Puyol, Iniesta and Alves retire, Messi ages and Busquets and Alba decline(not to mention players like Suarez, Villa, Eto'o and Neymar over the years). It was a once in a lifetime era for the club and football runs in cycles. Edited January 23, 2021 by Carnivore Chris 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny 2,200 Posted January 23, 2021 Share Posted January 23, 2021 14 minutes ago, DeadLinesman said: When people say it’s a dream to play for these clubs, is it the history or the weather? Or a combination? They seem to be able to always pull in the talent, even when they’re doing shite. The weather must come into play, but Real Madrid are the biggest club in the world by a large margin. United are the global brand but there's a reason why Ronaldo couldn't wait to move to Madrid, 30 something league titles at that point and a European pedigree unmatched by any club in the world. Away from honours and the weather, I do think how the game was viewed in England vs Spain would have some sort of effect. It's only recently the mentality of the English football fan has leant towards technique rather than muscle, highlighted by Freddie Kanoute's observation of his time in England vs Spain, in England they applaud a hard tackle or chasing down the ball pointlessly and in Spain they applauded the intelligence of conserving his energy. Mourinho's comment too about how surprised he was when people celebrated winning a corner in England, that blood and guts mentality. The very best have always played in Spain and they've been appreciated completely there too, and that appreciation goes down to the technically gifted, intelligent players that aren't the world beaters. Then aside from that historically a lot of the best players came from South America, Brazil and Argentina....and Real Madrid and Barce are two biggest clubs on that continent. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny 2,200 Posted January 23, 2021 Share Posted January 23, 2021 @DeadLinesman you get a very different calibre of player when you're one of the biggest foreign clubs in Brazil than when you're one of the biggest foreign clubs in Norway Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeadLinesman 5,938 Posted January 23, 2021 Share Posted January 23, 2021 8 minutes ago, Danny said: @DeadLinesman you get a very different calibre of player when you're one of the biggest foreign clubs in Brazil than when you're one of the biggest foreign clubs in Norway 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Profesor 1,457 Posted January 23, 2021 Share Posted January 23, 2021 6 hours ago, Carnivore Chris said: All leagues are like this now though, as the Premier league has become the NBA of football unfortunately. There is talk of the Serie A, but I personally believe it's terrible compared to what it should be. The quality is closer to the MLS than the Serie A of the 90s and it's become more competitive due to Juventus declining. C.Ronaldo is their only top player right now. These clubs themselves can no longer compete for the big money signings in the long run. We won't be seeing Mbappe going there or Haaland, for example, that is for sure. La Liga will become more open now itself and that's not because of quality, but due to a lack of it. It's exciting to watch but I've never known it to be so devoid of world class stars. I would say the Bundesliga is full of young talent and should, in theory, be about to step into a great era. However, other than Bayern, the other 17 clubs are simply warming players up ready to move to the Premier League. They can't compete with these ridiculous TV deals and foreign investors. It will only become significantly worse and especially since the covid crisis. This is also why a European Super league will inevitably be formed, as clubs will break off in an attempt to create a league which can compete financially with the Premier league, which itself is a Super League. Football will never be the same again and VAR has destroyed it itself. It was an awful decision to implement technology in this sport. It doesn't work. Great post, Chris. I agree with most, except for Serie A. Give It a chance. The football played there at the moment is probably the most interesting in continental Europe. Italian coaching has dramatically improved. The likes of De Zerbi, Inzaghi, Gasperini all make their teams play a football that really is pleasant to watch. Also, the level of scouting is great, lots of otherwise unknown players come to Italy and develop into really good players. It's not the league it was in the 90s, but it's really entertaining. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carnivore Chris 2,606 Posted January 23, 2021 Share Posted January 23, 2021 12 minutes ago, El Profesor said: Great post, Chris. I agree with most, except for Serie A. Give It a chance. The football played there at the moment is probably the most interesting in continental Europe. Italian coaching has dramatically improved. The likes of De Zerbi, Inzaghi, Gasperini all make their teams play a football that really is pleasant to watch. Also, the level of scouting is great, lots of otherwise unknown players come to Italy and develop into really good players. It's not the league it was in the 90s, but it's really entertaining. For entertainment I think all the top 5 leagues are still, including the French league, which is often underlooked. La Liga has been very entertaining this season itself. But my worry Ricardo is that whenever a player shines now, they are likely to move to the same league and it has made football quite tedious in this regard. The entertainment is there, but quality is lacking compared to the past in many leagues. With this said, do you not think football in general is going through a "transition period"? I think the sport is currently lacking the big stars we are used to witnessing. The plus side is that I can't remember the last time there were so many quality teenagers, so it'll only be temporary. Anyway, I hope AC Milan win it, I've always preferred them over the likes of Juve and Inter. Fiorentina was always my favourite Italian team but AC are the one I've always had admiration for. I was actually thinking of starting to watch more South American football again as I've enjoyed the Copa Libertadores. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Profesor 1,457 Posted January 25, 2021 Share Posted January 25, 2021 On 23/01/2021 at 16:07, Carnivore Chris said: For entertainment I think all the top 5 leagues are still, including the French league, which is often underlooked. La Liga has been very entertaining this season itself. But my worry Ricardo is that whenever a player shines now, they are likely to move to the same league and it has made football quite tedious in this regard. The entertainment is there, but quality is lacking compared to the past in many leagues. With this said, do you not think football in general is going through a "transition period"? I think the sport is currently lacking the big stars we are used to witnessing. The plus side is that I can't remember the last time there were so many quality teenagers, so it'll only be temporary. Anyway, I hope AC Milan win it, I've always preferred them over the likes of Juve and Inter. Fiorentina was always my favourite Italian team but AC are the one I've always had admiration for. I was actually thinking of starting to watch more South American football again as I've enjoyed the Copa Libertadores. I agree. It will be interesting to see what will happen when Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. They´ve dominated the sport for so long. I don´t think there´s anyone capable of filling the gap both will leave. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cicero 5,265 Posted February 4, 2021 Share Posted February 4, 2021 Hazard on the verge of being labeled the worst Real Madrid signing ever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny 2,200 Posted February 4, 2021 Share Posted February 4, 2021 So he'll turn into one their best players ever then Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spike 5,086 Posted February 4, 2021 Share Posted February 4, 2021 4 hours ago, Danny said: So he'll turn into one their best players ever then I don't think that is how it works Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny 2,200 Posted February 4, 2021 Share Posted February 4, 2021 4 minutes ago, Spike said: I don't think that is how it works Tell that to Luka Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spike 5,086 Posted February 4, 2021 Share Posted February 4, 2021 1 minute ago, Danny said: Tell that to Luka You see the difference is Modric was always good for them, Madrid fans are just spoiled brats that will complain about every player. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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