The Spanish Football Thread

Original post by jam277

Barcelona's slow start was also caused by rotations in the squad, because Enrique wanted the team to be fresh. Also I guess Suarez not being in form after being back caused a bit of the early mid season slow down.

Best collection of attacking individuals yeah, defensively I don't think they're anything great player wise, just down to a more successful team philosophy(aka Rakitic moving wide and the forwards pushing higher up to pin back defences on counters).

Well, I actually have faith in Rafa to actually win the Copa Del Rey. No faith in him to win a league title with Barcelona around atm. Especially with the news that he's making Bale the main point of the team in the centre and moving Ronaldo to a wing position again, could alienate Ronaldo there. De Gea coming in in the summer means that he'll sort out the goalkeeper hashups. It all depends on the transfer window. But a ST and DM for Real, things don't look as set for Barcelona.

Absolutely. Their rotations definitely hampered them early on in the season. A different XI for 29 games on the bounce was hardly the solid foundation on which to build a league campaign. They've changed that around, though, along with their playing style.

Under Enrique they seem much more content to withstand pressure and hit teams on the break and counterattack rather than just go at teams from the outset and get-go.

Reply 7962

Original post by Mackay

Absolutely. Their rotations definitely hampered them early on in the season. A different XI for 29 games on the bounce was hardly the solid foundation on which to build a league campaign. They've changed that around, though, along with their playing style.

Under Enrique they seem much more content to withstand pressure and hit teams on the break and counterattack rather than just go at teams from the outset and get-go.

I think his rotations early on meant that the team were fresh for the second half of the season. I think the best 11 was quite clear from the start of the season, maybe question marks on Mathieu vs Mascherano. Supposedly Lucho Enrique is a fitness freak, so I think his constant rotations was deliberate. Won't be surprised if he does that next season(albeit to a smaller extent).

Also near the end of games in particular they just go more defensive(e.g. vs Bilbao), think it's probably a tactic to conserve energy mid game, rather than pressing for the ball all the time to retain the ball, and it's better than doing Barcelona 12-14 and not pressing while using a high line/possession game and being suspect to counters etc.

Find this Barcelona team more interesting to watch than under Guardiola.

Reply 7963

Pimped Butterfly

1

Original post by jam277

Barcelona's slow start was also caused by rotations in the squad, because Enrique wanted the team to be fresh. Also I guess Suarez not being in form after being back caused a bit of the early mid season slow down.

Best collection of attacking individuals yeah, defensively I don't think they're anything great player wise, just down to a more successful team philosophy(aka Rakitic moving wide and the forwards pushing higher up to pin back defences on counters).

Well, I actually have faith in Rafa to actually win the Copa Del Rey. No faith in him to win a league title with Barcelona around atm. Especially with the news that he's making Bale the main point of the team in the centre and moving Ronaldo to a wing position again, could alienate Ronaldo there. De Gea coming in in the summer means that he'll sort out the goalkeeper hashups. It all depends on the transfer window. But a ST and DM for Real, things don't look as set for Barcelona.

Suarez hasn't actually been at peak goalscoring performance at any point this year. Missed sitters galore in the winter and even against Sevilla recently, causing dropped points. So rotation or no rotation, had he been at peak, and actually played for the first few months, (which he could well be next season, after his 'adaptation' period this year) Barca would be much better off than Madrid.

Well Mascherano has always been a borderline world class CB, maybe definitely with a competent partner. Pique is definitely world class when motivated. Alba is top 3/4 in the world, and Alves, motivated once again, is the best fullback on the planet. Bravo is tricky to assess but he seems pretty damn good. Player by player, they're better than Chelsea, better than Atleti and maybe even better than a Neuer-Lahm-Boateng-X-Alaba Bayern line up. So yeah, the defence plays a part in it being the best collection of individuals of my life time.

Not going to go into a repeat of the Rafa discussions. I would question the point in trying to predict a domestic cup in Spain; it'll come down to one match (maybe one tie), 9 months in the future, with countless unpredictable factors like injury, form, other competitions etc having a large bearing on the match.

Reply 7964

Original post by Bubzeh

Verratti will sign for Madrid.

Madrid will win everything domestically.

Madrid will beat Chelsea 4-0 in the Champions League Final.

Barcelona will finish 5th in the League.

I hope so. I don't like Barcelona.

Don't have faith in Chelsea to make anywhere past the R16 so I'd take a 4-0 beating in the final to a clearly superior team.

Reply 7965

Undisclosed 15

18

The Copa America is a big disadvantage for barca going into next season with Messi and Neymar playing in it

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 7966

Original post by Pimped Butterfly

Suarez hasn't actually been at peak goalscoring performance at any point this year. Missed sitters galore in the winter and even against Sevilla recently, causing dropped points. So rotation or no rotation, had he been at peak, and actually played for the first few months, (which he could well be next season, after his 'adaptation' period this year) Barca would be much better off than Madrid.

Well Mascherano has always been a borderline world class CB, maybe definitely with a competent partner. Pique is definitely world class when motivated. Alba is top 3/4 in the world, and Alves, motivated once again, is the best fullback on the planet. Bravo is tricky to assess but he seems pretty damn good. Player by player, they're better than Chelsea, better than Atleti and maybe even better than a Neuer-Lahm-Boateng-X-Alaba Bayern line up. So yeah, the defence plays a part in it being the best collection of individuals of my life time.

Not going to go into a repeat of the Rafa discussions. I would question the point in trying to predict a domestic cup in Spain; it'll come down to one match (maybe one tie), 9 months in the future, with countless unpredictable factors like injury, form, other competitions etc having a large bearing on the match.

True for first two paragraphs.

Same could be said for predicting who will win the CL or whatever cup there is yet that's constantly done? My reasoning was that I don't see Real winning La Liga(for reasons already stated), see them struggling in CL(although hard to predict) so they'll try and win something.

Reply 7967

Original post by Undisclosed 15

The Copa America is a big disadvantage for barca going into next season with Messi and Neymar playing in it

Posted from TSR Mobile

Well Suarez I think is still banned right? Suarez should be fine for the start of next season, if they keep Pedro and use Munir and Rafinha early on again, then any fitness issues would not affect their title defence too much, while Messi and Neymar try to find fitness and form early on next season.

Reply 7968

Pimped Butterfly

1

Original post by jam277

Same could be said for predicting who will win the CL or whatever cup there is yet that's constantly done?

Yeah, no doubt. It is pretty futile in my opinion to predict something like the FA cup at the outset of the season - but I've already given reasons for why the CDR is especially worse. The CL is slightly different because we now have a world in which there's 3 European teams that are all going to make it to the semis in 8/10 seasons. And predicting a competition with 4 teams in it isn't as outlandish as predicting one with 32, or more. Plus there's no factor of 'other competitions', teams prioritise the CL.

Reply 7969

Holy ****. Just seen Neymar's showboating from last night. All kicked off didn't it.

Reply 7970

Icecream1

15

Original post by Bubzeh

Verratti will sign for Madrid.

Madrid will win everything domestically.

Madrid will beat Chelsea 4-0 in the Champions League Final.

Barcelona will finish 5th in the League.

If Carlo was still in charge then maybe but they better make it quick with their ban imminent.

We shall see how Madrid do but I'm sure Rafa will have a hard time with the dressing room.

Do you have the lottery numbers for next week? Should be easy if you can predict next season's final.

Barca outside of the CL places? Alright then some top trolling.

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 7971

jit987

13

Original post by Mackay

Holy ****. Just seen Neymar's showboating from last night. All kicked off didn't it.

Not showboating. It's a way to get past a player :P :wink:

lol

Reply 7972

Seemed to me that the Bilbao players were incensed with the showboating and perceived lack of respect from Neymar, rather than any dive by him as the Sky commentators suggested.

Reply 7973

Rk2k14

Original post by Mackay

Seemed to me that the Bilbao players were incensed with the showboating and perceived lack of respect from Neymar, rather than any dive by him as the Sky commentators suggested.

Seems the other way around. He tried the trick and failed, then flung himself to the floor. I think thats what pissed the Bilbao players the most as he had the audacity to drop to the floor and then smile at them :biggrin:

Reply 7974

Original post by Rk2k14

Seems the other way around. He tried the trick and failed, then flung himself to the floor. I think thats what pissed the Bilbao players the most as he had the audacity to drop to the floor and then smile at them :biggrin:

I'm unsure. Definitely would be more pissed off by that trick than by any hilariously bad dive.

Reply 7975

Rk2k14