Real Madrid CF Discussion

[Spike]

41 minutes ago, SirBalon said:

It’s strange but hardly anyone gets the feeling that Zidane is a great coach and look at the honours he’s taken Real Madrid to. 

One has changed how football and it's tactics are perceived while the other hasn't. 

[SirBalon]

2 hours ago, Spike said:

One has changed how football and it's tactics are perceived while the other hasn't. 

But without going into all that mate.

having won what he’s won already should be having him in all the football journals as one of the great managers but for some reason he’s not giving off this aura and this exact thing has actually been debated in Spain for example.  Why is he not giving off that sensation!

[Spike]

11 hours ago, SirBalon said:

But without going into all that mate.

having won what he’s won already should be having him in all the football journals as one of the great managers but for some reason he’s not giving off this aura and this exact thing has actually been debated in Spain for example.  Why is he not giving off that sensation!

Because much like Carlo Ancelotti, he hasn't done anything radical or shaped a club in their respective images. Both very capable managers but not among the greatest.

[SirBalon]

5 hours ago, Spike said:

Because much like Carlo Ancelotti, he hasn't done anything radical or shaped a club in their respective images. Both very capable managers but not among the greatest.

True. But there have been many great coaches that haven’t set a revolutionising philosophy in football terms or created something where others had to create something in return to defeat it.

Helenio Herrera who was a football innovator both as a player and as a coach doesn’t get the recognition coaches get these days and that’s just because football wasn’t the media run business it isn’t today and the global football community didn’t exist.

Yes it’s true he invented catenaccio, that abhorrent mindset to defend (many idiots give Sacchi the credit for that way of playing) a match and plan to hit a team’s weaknesses due to wanting to attack and score goals.  But it was revolutionising and it was successful, it was something never seen before, yet nobody talks about him except for those that really know their football history.

[Cicero]

Rumors Icardi has passed a medical. Out of the blue this one or probably just bs. 

[SirBalon]

22 minutes ago, Cicero said:

Rumors Icardi has passed a medical. Out of the blue this one or probably just bs. 

I heard a rumour connecting Icardi to Real about a week ago but ignored it.  I am shocked to be honest... A La Masia  player at Real Madrid!!! 

[SirBalon]

Shock horror! Apparently and allegedly Florentino Pérez has been in contact with the Germany national team Joachim Löw so as to enquire about the possibilities of obtaining his services as head coach after the World Cup in Russia. 

[SirBalon]

11 minutes ago, Cannabis said:

I thought Zidane had the job for life?! This is confusing!!

Obviously this is just a rumour and last night after Real’s horrible performance in the Copa del Rey against third division Numancia, he was asked about his future and he said he had only just signed a new contract at the club. He did also add that nothing is certain in football.

[Guest]

Don't think Low is cut for Real Madrid yet.

He's only managed at international level and while he's done excellently, club football is a different beast. Real Madrid is a bad place to start I'd say. You have an overwhelming expectation and huge ego's to manage.

Correction: It appears he has managed at club level, but it hasn't been in over 12 years and they weren't very big clubs anyhow.

[God is Haaland]

On 5.1.2018 at 05:05, SirBalon said:

It’s strange but hardly anyone gets the feeling that Zidane is a great coach and look at the honours he’s taken Real Madrid to. 

It's because of they way Real play. They rarely really dominate the midfield/possession even against teams like leganes or alaves. A lot depends on the individual class of their players, like Ramos heading one in in extra time after a perfect cross/corner from Modric or Kroos. Casemiro is extremely important for the defense and when we played them under Tuchel, it looked like we countered their tactic perfectly. However Varane, Ramos and Nacho were killing Auba in the 1v1s and they even kept Dembele quiet. 

I suspect the training quality is really poor at Real atm. The pressing resistence is not bad, but by far not as good as it could be with all the quality in their squad. Their pressing on the other hand is really bad, maybe because not all players participate, probably because they don't practise it often enough.

What RM were really good at is forcing goal against deep sitting opponents, especially when the opponent is one man down and parking the bus. RM know how to use the full width of the field and get shot on target from a crowded box. Imo their defense is underrated, too. They don't defend that well as a team, partly because of the bad pressing which I already mentioned, but Nacho, Varane, Casemiro, Ramos and Carvajal rarely lose the important duels.

Anyway RM are now just 1 point a head of rank 5 with one fewer match played. Should they sack Zidane, who do you think are the most likely to replace him?

[SirBalon]

18 minutes ago, BartraPique1932 said:

It's because of they way Real play. They rarely really dominate the midfield/possession even against teams like leganes or alaves. A lot depends on the individual class of their players, like Ramos heading one in in extra time after a perfect cross/corner from Modric or Kroos. Casemiro is extremely important for the defense and when we played them under Tuchel, it looked like we countered their tactic perfectly. However Varane, Ramos and Nacho were killing Auba in the 1v1s and they even kept Dembele quiet. 

I suspect the training quality is really poor at Real atm. The pressing resistence is not bad, but by far not as good as it could be with all the quality in their squad. Their pressing on the other hand is really bad, maybe because not all players participate, probably because they don't practise it often enough.

What RM were really good at is forcing goal against deep sitting opponents, especially when the opponent is one man down and parking the bus. RM know how to use the full width of the field and get shot on target from a crowded box. Imo their defense is underrated, too. They don't defend that well as a team, partly because of the bad pressing which I already mentioned, but Nacho, Varane, Casemiro, Ramos and Carvajal rarely lose the important duels.

Anyway RM are now just 1 point a head of rank 5 with one fewer match played. Should they sack Zidane, who do you think are the most likely to replace him?

Good post from the tactical side of things and there are some factors you’ve written about that the media has echoed in Spain. But there’s more from some journalists that are very close to some of the Real Madrid players and they’re saying that Zidane doesn’t vary his game plan for each individual game and that the resistance training practically doesn’t exist.  But don’t read too much into anything that may seem like they’re bitching about Zidane because they love him and they’re the ones that are keeping him in the job unequivocally and unanimously.  Florentino Pérez has been hesitant to wield that axe he keeps in the top drawer in his office desk and due to the revolt that occured when Ancelotti (another they loved) was fired, he’s having to bite his tongue.

The pressing is indeed terrible, the players want to win games in the first 10minutes because they’re anxious and the midfield is all over the place. Kroos, Modrić and Casemiro are awful this season with Marcelo being the worst of the lot and Ramos getting booked or being sent-off in record numbers (I think he’s already broken world records in that sense). Only Isco has been the shining light on amazing form before Asensio was strangely ostracised and having his confidence broken. Infact all the players brought in the summer are hardly getting a chance which is a far cry to how Zidane administered the whole squad last season especially the second half of the campaign where the “second string” were playing better quality football than the first XI but where all were winning games, sometimes well and sometimes in injury-time because not everything was roses by a long stretch last season and many forget this due to the fact they done the La Liga title and Champions League double.

There’s a lot wrong there and the problem is that nobody knows who could be brought in.  Florentino Pérez wants Pochettino but the Spurs coach won’t go yet.  Apart from him the only option is to bring back Mourinho and THAT all the Barcelona fans are hoping will happen... That or Zidane being kept on.

[God is Haaland]

14 minutes ago, SirBalon said:

Good post from the tactical side of things and there are some factors you’ve written about that the media has echoed in Spain. But there’s more from some journalists that are very close to some of the Real Madrid players and they’re saying that Zidane doesn’t vary his game plan for each individual game and that the resistance training practically doesn’t exist.  But don’t read too much into anything that may seem like they’re bitching about Zidane because they love him and they’re the ones that are keeping him in the job unequivocally and unanimously.  Florentino Pérez has been hesitant to wield that axe he keeps in the top drawer in his office desk and due to the revolt that occured when Ancelotti (another they loved) was fired, he’s having to bite his tongue.

The pressing is indeed terrible, the players want to win games in the first 10minutes because they’re anxious and the midfield is all over the place. Kroos, Modrić and Casemiro are awful this season with Marcelo being the worst of the lot and Ramos getting booked or being sent-off in record numbers (I think he’s already broken world records in that sense). Only Isco has been the shining light on amazing form before Asensio was strangely ostracised and having his confidence broken. Infact all the players brought in the summer are hardly getting a chance which is a far cry to how Zidane administered the whole squad last season especially the second half of the campaign where the “second string” were playing better quality football than the first XI but where all were winning games, sometimes well and sometimes in injury-time because not everything was roses by a long stretch last season and many forget this due to the fact they done the La Liga title and Champions League double.

There’s a lot wrong there and the problem is that nobody knows who could be brought in.  Florentino Pérez wants Pochettino but the Spurs coach won’t go yet.  Apart from him the only option is to bring back Mourinho and THAT all the Barcelona fans are hoping will happen... That or Zidane being kept on.

Thanks for the detailed and interesting reply. Is there no talk about Tuchel at all? I don't consider him to be a perfect choice, because he can't deal with problematic characters the way Pérez would want him to, but he drew twice against Real with an inferior squad, and I wonder if this caused any long-lasting impressions.

Edited January 13, 2018 by BartraPique1932

[Spike]

On 1/8/2018 at 16:37, SirBalon said:

I heard a rumour connecting Icardi to Real about a week ago but ignored it.  I am shocked to be honest... A La Masia  player at Real Madrid!!! 

He isn't La Masia though?   I thought he was on Barcelona B 

[SirBalon]

11 minutes ago, BartraPique1932 said:

Thanks for the detailed and interesting reply. Is there no talk about Tuchel at all? I don't consider him to be a perfect choice, because he can't deal with problematic characters the way Pérez would want him to, but he drew twice against Real with an inferior squad, and I wonder if this caused any long-lasting impressions.

Tuchel hasn’t been mentioned but Löw has although until the end of the World Cup that one would be impossible. Tuchel wouldn’t be a bad choice but at Real Madrid you don’t only have to be a tactical coach but fundamentally a man that understands and can mollycoddle massive egos.  I think they’ll keep him (Zidane) on until the PSG game hoping that can be sorted.

[SirBalon]

7 minutes ago, Spike said:

He isn't La Masia though?   I thought he was on Barcelona B 

He isn’t an entirely La Masia product but he did stay at La Masia and that’s why he’s referred to in that manner and more so if ended up at Real Madrid where they’d smother that in their faces from the Barcelona end press.

[God is Haaland]

Real are going to spend this summer like they've never done before.

1. They play like crap atm
2. World Cup
3. They've never had more money, because they won the CL 3 times within 4 years and sold some really good players and in case they sack Zizou, they are going to sell some more.

Edited January 15, 2018 by BartraPique1932

[Cicero]

They should sell Ronaldo and Bale in all honesty. 

[SirBalon]

7 minutes ago, BartraPique1932 said:

Real are going to spend this summer like they've never done before.

1. They play like crap atm
2. World Cup
3. They've never had more money, because they won the CL 3 times within 4 years and sold some really good players and in case they sack Zizou, they are going to sell some more.

They also practically didn’t spend last summer. Yeah, they’ll soend big alright and there’s stories of a €400m bid for Neymar which would definitely mean Cristiano Ronaldo leaving.  He won’t stay where a player that’s searching to be number one is playing in the same team as him. 

[Carnivore Chris]

C.Ronaldo has been awarded La Liga player of the month for December. Is it Spain's version of April fools at this time of year?

Edited January 16, 2018 by The Rebel CRS

[SirBalon]

1 hour ago, The Rebel CRS said:

C.Ronaldo has been awarded La Liga player of the month for December. Is it Spain's version of April fools at this time of year?

Spain’s equivalent of April’s Fools Day is on the 28th of December and it’s called Día de los Santos Inocentes.  

I read about the award for December for Cristiano Ronaldo and I think even Real Madrid fans thought it was a joke.  But how many undeserved awards has he had though?

[SirBalon]

12 hours ago, The Rebel CRS said:

C.Ronaldo has been awarded La Liga player of the month for December. Is it Spain's version of April fools at this time of year?

These are some of the social media reactions to Cristiano Ronaldo being awarded the best player award for the month of December... Some of them are actually from Madrid fans and Madrid based media like Deportes Cuatro presented by none other than Manolo Lama.

 

[Storts]

Bale has been superb since returning from injury, getting a lot of plaudits. They’ve absolutely missed him when he was out 

[Spike]

Theo
Asensio
Isco
Vazquez
Mayoral
Llorente
Vellejo
Ceballos

Will all have magnificent careers.... just not at Real Madrid.

[Spike]

Zidane's preferential treatment of his fellow French-Algerian compadre is a cancer that Real cannot afford anymore.

[Danny]

On 23/01/2018 at 20:39, Storts said:

Bale has been superb since returning from injury, getting a lot of plaudits. They’ve absolutely missed him when he was out 

Can't remember who it was against but that screamer he scored when Ronaldo dived for a penalty and Bale picked the ball up and curled it top left hand corner.