Real Madrid CF Discussion

[SirBalon]

Jorge Sampaoli in an interview on Argentinian tv this morning;

”Mauro Icardi is very close to signing for Real Madrid”

@Daedalus

[Eco]

3 hours ago, SirBalon said:

Jorge Sampaoli in an interview on Argentinian tv this morning;

”Mauro Icardi is very close to signing for Real Madrid”

@Daedalus

Good. He's lost respect fron most Interistas after his stupid book and calling out the Ultras. Not to mention his talent is there but I find his effort pretty poor at times.

[SirBalon]

There’s a report this morning on various of the main Spanish sports portals that is supposed to be leaked information.  Apparently when Barcelona had finally agreed with Liverpool for the transfer of Philippe Coutinho, the English club made Barça wait just over a week because they were supposedly scanning the market and Liverpool apparently set their eyes on Real Madrid’s young Asensio as the replacement.  Asensio has a buy-out clause of over €700m so obviously they weren’t going to just come to an agreement with the player and totally buy out his contract.  Instead Liverpool had been tipped off that there are a number of disgruntled players at the club with Asensio and Isco being in the mix.

Ever since Gareth Bale came back from injury it’s been back to basics with the old “BBC” being the ever presents in the first team selections by Zinedine Zidane.  That reduced one slot in midfield so as to make that front three prong... Long before had Asensio been relegated to the bench after his glorious start to the season and then Real’s best player in the first half of the season (the only player on a high level) Isco, had also been demoted to sitting on the sidelines to watch the games.

So Liverpool turned into the sly fox sniffing around for a wayward chick so to speak which is cunning from them and forced Real Madrid’s President (Florentino Pérez) to act quickly in an unusual manner which sounds a lot like promises and something that isn’t usual in high end football.  The president allegedly spoke to the two of them and told them that the only reason Benzema, Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo would be first team choices if fit was because they were being made showpieces because at least one would definitely be departing at the end of the season.

Now, this has a lot of logic behind it because there’s been a lot of speculation surrounding the possible departure of all three and the only reason one of them didn’t leave in the summer or even the January transfer window is because Zidane himself put his head on the chopping board and told the president to swing the axe because he would go due to the fact he would be staying loyal to all those that got him to where the club are which is three Champions League titles in four years... Very understandable and very honourable from Zinedine Zidane who is thought to coach with a mentality like when he was a player and that gives a lot of credence to the rumour of him giving Florentino Pérez this ultimatum.  Obviously this also seems to mean Zinedine Zidane himself will be gone this oncoming summer of logic is united to it all with this rumour on the “BBC” being dismantled.

[Carnivore Chris]

On 17/01/2018 at 07:00, SirBalon said:

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.

 

 

Who is Inma plata Fernandez? Is she a mate of yours? If so, you need to introduce us.

 

 

 

 

Edited February 12, 2018 by The Rebel CRS

[SirBalon]

Latest breaking news on MARCA states that Gareth Bale has been told by the club that they will be listening to offers for him and that he’s been put on the market. According to a leak from inside the club (not a leak in their constantly renovated stadium toilets), Bale’s credit is finished at the club and that a squad restructure will occur this summer.

So where could Bale be going!

Man Utd?

Chelsea?

Back to Spurs with Kane going the other way?

[Cicero]

Swansea 

[bozziovai]

On 2/22/2018 at 18:22, SirBalon said:

Latest breaking news on MARCA states that Gareth Bale has been told by the club that they will be listening to offers for him and that he’s been put on the market. According to a leak from inside the club (not a leak in their constantly renovated stadium toilets), Bale’s credit is finished at the club and that a squad restructure will occur this summer.

So where could Bale be going!

Man Utd?

Chelsea?

Back to Spurs with Kane going the other way?

i feel sorry for Bale.   when he is healthy he is very deadly.   his sprint speed is just phenomenal but sadly he has a very frail body.   now, madrid fans such as myself is smiling that he is back on form but is expecting in two or three weeks time that there'll be news of Bale getting injured again.

but damn, such a very bad season RM is having.   it's like a kid who's thrown his puzzle pieces on the floor and can't figure out which pieces link up ....

[Panna King]

Terrible result, Bale was awful again,  not sure how long Zidane will keep his job.

[SirBalon]

26 minutes ago, VanPaddy said:

Terrible result, Bale was awful again,  not sure how long Zidane will keep his job.

As long as they're in this season's Champions League, Zidane will keep his job for now.

[carefreeluke]

On 2/22/2018 at 11:22, SirBalon said:

Latest breaking news on MARCA states that Gareth Bale has been told by the club that they will be listening to offers for him and that he’s been put on the market. According to a leak from inside the club (not a leak in their constantly renovated stadium toilets), Bale’s credit is finished at the club and that a squad restructure will occur this summer.

So where could Bale be going!

Man Utd?

Chelsea?

Back to Spurs with Kane going the other way?

No thanks!

[Panna King]

39 minutes ago, SirBalon said:

As long as they're in this season's Champions League, Zidane will keep his job for now.

I think Bale will go, seems so average and Zidane has no confidence in him.

[Machado]

Why weren't Ronaldo, Kroos, Modric and Marcelo called? That's Real Madrid's core really.

[God is Haaland]

7 hours ago, Machado said:

Why weren't Ronaldo, Kroos, Modric and Marcelo called? That's Real Madrid's core really.

Kroos is still recovering from a injury he inherited last CL match. Really looks like RM didn't care about Espanyol at all. The were probably thinking about PSG even during the match.

Edited February 28, 2018 by BartraPique1932

[SirBalon]

16 hours ago, carefreeluke said:

No thanks!

You don't like the recent suggestions do you mate! 

[Cicero]

Can see Bale only going to PSG 

[SirBalon]

15 hours ago, Machado said:

Why weren't Ronaldo, Kroos, Modric and Marcelo called? That's Real Madrid's core really.

Cristiano was saved for the PSG game, Kroos is carrying some sort of muscular issue and had Marcelo played Espanyol would’ve probably scored earlier and more than one mate. 

Plus it’s not as if they haven’t messed up plenty of games this season with all three you’ve just mentioned playing. 

[bozziovai]

i'm only dreaming -------------- RM winning the UCL again but finished 5th in the league.

[God is Haaland]

@Machado @SirBalon @bozziovai @The Rebel CRS Where's Benzema heading?

[SirBalon]

54 minutes ago, BartraPique1932 said:

@Machado @SirBalon @bozziovai @The Rebel CRS Where's Benzema heading?

As things stand nobody knows what’s going yo happen at Real this summer. But you can be damn sure there’s going to be a revolution in terms of changes. They’re keeping their cards close to their chest without the press being able to ascertain what’s in the pipeline... This is a first in Spanish sports press investigation. 

[bozziovai]

2 hours ago, BartraPique1932 said:

@Machado @SirBalon @bozziovai @The Rebel CRS Where's Benzema heading?

months ago there was a rumor that Arsenal is interested in Karim.

the way i see Benzema is he forgot his main role as a striker and that he needs to score.   HIs effectiveness to assist ronaldo has altered his mentality.     That blunder against PSG when he was on a break one on one with the goalkeeper but he send the ball miles away from the goal clearly shows his confusion.   

 

but the biggest question for me is will Zidane stay or go.    if they take Mauricio Pochettino i don't think the players will listen to someone who hasn't won anything.    

[SirBalon]

2 hours ago, bozziovai said:

months ago there was a rumor that Arsenal is interested in Karim.

the way i see Benzema is he forgot his main role as a striker and that he needs to score.   HIs effectiveness to assist ronaldo has altered his mentality.     That blunder against PSG when he was on a break one on one with the goalkeeper but he send the ball miles away from the goal clearly shows his confusion.   

 

but the biggest question for me is will Zidane stay or go.    if they take Mauricio Pochettino i don't think the players will listen to someone who hasn't won anything.    

I don't think it works that way in reference to elite players not wanting to listen to coaches that may have not won something yet.  As a coach Zidane hadn't won anything when he took over although on that one we could easily go down the route of his status as one of the great players of all time.  Even so, there's been various examples of coaches that haven't been great players or won much as a coach if anything and have gone onto do great deeds.

on the Benzema note... You've answered your own question mate.  His persistence (from wherever it's been generated) to feed Cristiano Ronaldo has in the end been his undoing and I would even go as far as to say (with exception of the Valbuena-Gate case), this affected his form for France too.

[bozziovai]

9 hours ago, SirBalon said:

I don't think it works that way in reference to elite players not wanting to listen to coaches that may have not won something yet.  As a coach Zidane hadn't won anything when he took over although on that one we could easily go down the route of his status as one of the great players of all time.  Even so, there's been various examples of coaches that haven't been great players or won much as a coach if anything and have gone onto do great deeds.

on the Benzema note... You've answered your own question mate.  His persistence (from wherever it's been generated) to feed Cristiano Ronaldo has in the end been his undoing and I would even go as far as to say (with exception of the Valbuena-Gate case), this affected his form for France too.

 

but we're talking about real madrid here.   the club where players  thinks they're better than the coaches.      it's still fresh in my mind when Guti and Ramos disrespected Manuel on that Copa Del Rey loss and that animosity of Ronaldo towards Rafa.  And yes, with Zidane, him being a newbie coach can be disregarded but when it comes to his prestige that would be enough to gain the respect from his players.       There's been rumors about them talking to Low, maybe, just maybe Low can handle the reigns.

 

back to benzema, i don't know, i can't agree that his transition from a striker to a provider was the reason for his omission from the France team.    His slump in form only started last season and got worst this year.    When he was at his clinical best Didier chose to snub him due to "morals" him being involved in that s3x tape.

 

as for the revolution.   it would be hard for them build a young team coz most of the promising stars is either snapped up by other clubs or they chose to stay in their current team.

[SirBalon]

2 hours ago, bozziovai said:

 

but we're talking about real madrid here.   the club where players  thinks they're better than the coaches.      it's still fresh in my mind when Guti and Ramos disrespected Manuel on that Copa Del Rey loss and that animosity of Ronaldo towards Rafa.  And yes, with Zidane, him being a newbie coach can be disregarded but when it comes to his prestige that would be enough to gain the respect from his players.       There's been rumors about them talking to Low, maybe, just maybe Low can handle the reigns.

 

back to benzema, i don't know, i can't agree that his transition from a striker to a provider was the reason for his omission from the France team.    His slump in form only started last season and got worst this year.    When he was at his clinical best Didier chose to snub him due to "morals" him being involved in that s3x tape.

 

as for the revolution.   it would be hard for them build a young team coz most of the promising stars is either snapped up by other clubs or they chose to stay in their current team.

Pre being omitted from France squads due to the ongoing case with Valbuena, Benzema had been whistled and booed at the Stade de France for over three years.  It's true in part that the refusal to sing La Marseillaise (the French national anthem) had much to do with the speedy disaffection growth towards Karim Benzema, but it was his lack of goals for France which were the main factor and here we're talking about a period back in the day where he was still scoring prolifically for Real Madrid.

In France they were accusing him of being lazy and the reality of the matter and the manner in which Benzema plays can lead you to believe he is lazy.  Infact he has many similarities with Arsenal and Germany's Mesut Özil in this sense because when you watch him live at the ground you do get the sense that he isn't all that bothered about things until the ball arrives at his feet.  There is a big difference that has to be taken into account when comparing this particular detail with both Benzema and Özil, which is that one plays up front where you CAN (and most do) hang around and wait (Griezmann doesn't do this though) for the ball by maintaining yourself or searching for the most dangerous position by adjusting your runs in the expectancy of receiving the right ball to do damage whereas in Özil's case he's a midfielder and a midfielder that doesn't run and cover kilometres is a drag and a drain on his team for which they will suffer in major games.

Where am I going with this?

Well the reason I've added all that is because everything has a part to play in Benzema's slow decline and it has nothing to do with age in his case.  All of these factors in many analysts opinions have suffocated his game and at the end of the day he is (or should be) a high end elite athlete... You can't play for clubs or survive at clubs of the stature of Real Madrid and be part of an obvious slow cooking decline.  The reasons he's stayed at Real Madrid in recent years is (everyone is in agreement with it) because firstly he was the perfect worker and provider for Cristiano Ronaldo (Cristiano loves playing with him and he's been vocal about this) and then when Zinedine Zidane arrived as head coach, he has been protected because he's of Algerian decent which although sounding extreme, this is something that's well known especially after the leaked chat Zidane had with Álvaro Morata last summer before the young Spaniard made the decision to force his move elsewhere which ended up being Chelsea.

When you change your game so radically from one thing to another, you end up becoming that.  Benzema is a technical forward, one that has great ball skills coupled with good body strength which has served him well during his younger years.  But all of this messing around and becoming submissive whilst also adding his personal issues off the field has turned him into the current example we have which unfortunately isn't good enough for Real Madrid and also his national side, France (this, even without the Valbuena issue).  Benzema is human, and as a human being when you do something for too long, it becomes part of your nature.

[bozziovai]

3 hours ago, SirBalon said:

Pre being omitted from France squads due to the ongoing case with Valbuena, Benzema had been whistled and booed at the Stade de France for over three years.  It's true in part that the refusal to sing La Marseillaise (the French national anthem) had much to do with the speedy disaffection growth towards Karim Benzema, but it was his lack of goals for France which were the main factor and here we're talking about a period back in the day where he was still scoring prolifically for Real Madrid.

In France they were accusing him of being lazy and the reality of the matter and the manner in which Benzema plays can lead you to believe he is lazy.  Infact he has many similarities with Arsenal and Germany's Mesut Özil in this sense because when you watch him live at the ground you do get the sense that he isn't all that bothered about things until the ball arrives at his feet.  There is a big difference that has to be taken into account when comparing this particular detail with both Benzema and Özil, which is that one plays up front where you CAN (and most do) hang around and wait (Griezmann doesn't do this though) for the ball by maintaining yourself or searching for the most dangerous position by adjusting your runs in the expectancy of receiving the right ball to do damage whereas in Özil's case he's a midfielder and a midfielder that doesn't run and cover kilometres is a drag and a drain on his team for which they will suffer in major games.

Where am I going with this?

Well the reason I've added all that is because everything has a part to play in Benzema's slow decline and it has nothing to do with age in his case.  All of these factors in many analysts opinions have suffocated his game and at the end of the day he is (or should be) a high end elite athlete... You can't play for clubs or survive at clubs of the stature of Real Madrid and be part of an obvious slow cooking decline.  The reasons he's stayed at Real Madrid in recent years is (everyone is in agreement with it) because firstly he was the perfect worker and provider for Cristiano Ronaldo (Cristiano loves playing with him and he's been vocal about this) and then when Zinedine Zidane arrived as head coach, he has been protected because he's of Algerian decent which although sounding extreme, this is something that's well known especially after the leaked chat Zidane had with Álvaro Morata last summer before the young Spaniard made the decision to force his move elsewhere which ended up being Chelsea.

When you change your game so radically from one thing to another, you end up becoming that.  Benzema is a technical forward, one that has great ball skills coupled with good body strength which has served him well during his younger years.  But all of this messing around and becoming submissive whilst also adding his personal issues off the field has turned him into the current example we have which unfortunately isn't good enough for Real Madrid and also his national side, France (this, even without the Valbuena issue).  Benzema is human, and as a human being when you do something for too long, it becomes part of your nature.

yeah,  him being the same as Zizo as algerian descent is common knowledge.    but unfortunately for me, i haven't seen any game of France with Benzema so i don't have a say on the matter.     

Regarding "lazy" players, the one i can think of was Berbatov.  Damn !!  He was lazy as fack, he don't run as much as any player and barely helps in defense but his positioning was spot on.

 

it's fun when it lasted though, the look on the defenders face when up against benzema thinking that he will shoot but he'll pass it to Ronaldo for a tap in is amusing coz for sure, especially with this talk about Robert Lev that Benzema is going out this summer.

[bozziovai]

new system.   it was effective.   Benzema played well that game, an assist for the 2nd goal and what the fack is he doing with the 3rd goal playing as a winger. haha.  but damn, the defense was abysmal.    The 2 last goals of Girona was soft it was due to Keylor's awful positioning , especially that last goal,  he could have been brave enough to jump in for the ball ...

Edited March 19, 2018 by bozziovai