Real Madrid v. Athletic Bilbao Sunday, January 22, 2012 21:30 Santiago Bernabeu Squad List: Goalkeepers: Casillas, Adan, Mejias Defenders:Pepe, Ramos, Marcelo, Coentrao, Arbeloa, Albiol, Varane Midfielders: Kaka, Ozil, Granero, Alonso, Altintop, Callejon, Lass Forwards:Cristiano Ronaldo, Higuain, Benzema Well, time to move on and try to stay on track in La Liga against an Athletic Bilbao side that seems to be on a bit of an uptick. On a happier note, our Captain will be making his 600th appearance for the Club on Sunday. Well done Iker.
No Carvalho I guess. Sahin is still... a bit raw. Bilbao aren't a shabby side either. So I can definitely understand why.
Has Jose addressed the whole Sahin issue? I can understand him not starting, or not being subbed on, but not getting into squad lists?
I think Sahin is finished. There is more to those rumours. I initially thought it was BS and Mou or Sahin would address it but nothing has been said.
Naive question here, but has Mourinho ever really integrated a youngster into one of his squads? Including at Chelsea, Inter or Porto?
David(e) Santon at Inter. I cant remember at Chelsea or Porto. EDIT: Santon was an attacker originally but Mou converted him to Defence and can now play anywhere along the back 4.
Trolling aside, we can suggest that Deco and some members of the Porto squad were developed from relatively lesser-known talents maybe? I'm not really sure what he did at Chelsea either in terms of youth talent either because it was mainly a buying situation. Buying players in their early twenties doesn't really count either. EDIT: Isn't Santon gone from Inter now?
Just last week Mou made mention of Sahin briefly. He said (and I'm paraphrasing) that it's just hard to find opportunities for him. He also suggested that the player might be dealing with some lingering fitness issues because of his long layoff. Now when I was calling him a punk and all that in his thread I was trolling a certain Turkish fanboy and the German yahoos but the rest of ya'll don't really believe these rumors do you? Look at the camera shots after Callejon scored the game winner at Mallorca, as the camera pans to Mou giving instructions to Alonso (?) look who is there with the biggest smile on his face thoroughly excited for his team and teammates. It's a small thing but for a player who is allegedly unhappy I thought it was telling. And I think he understands his situation, he might not be pleased but I think he gets it. Before the return leg of the Ponferradina game I mentioned I thought this season was a wash for Sahin barring some kind of injury disaster and I think that is still true. I also don't think that's necessarily a bad thing, he'll just have to bide his time, take the minutes as he can get them and then give it a go next year with the benefit of a full preseason under his belt. Mou wanted him here there is no doubt about that and in the bits I've seen of him I believe the player has the character and the will to be successful. We all just need to be patient and I know it's hard because it's a player whose skillset we could desperately use at this point but remember patience is a virtue.
As long as Jose doesn't compare Sahin with Zidane or Maradona in a presser, I'll still have hope that Nuri will play regularly for us some day.
Sorry, when Mou gives the instructions to Pepe (I just looked it up) on a piece of paper, there is Sahin with the biggest, cheesiest grin on his face just as hyped as the rest of them fools. I thought it was sweet
I had a dream yesterday that Barcelona lost and Real Madrid went 8 points clear. GO ME! Hope it comes true. Lol.
No, Santon was not loaned out under Mourinho. That happened last season. I thought Mourinho did as good a job as possible handling Balotelli. I loved Balotelli at Inter, but most of the disciplinary measures Jose took against him were completely reasonable.