Who are Real Madrid going to pick up next?

[El Cangri]

Who are Madrid going to pick up next?

Henry, Owen... and make me despise Real even more?

[Quaresma]

Deco

[sinner78]

Originally posted by Quaresma
Deco

I'll eat my hat if they sign deco.
surely a defender is next.

[Spartak]

Originally posted by sinner_ronald_monk
I'll eat my hat if they sign deco.
surely a defender is next.
Haven't you learned anything Sinner? Defenders don't sell shirts. That's all Real care about. My guess is it will be one of Totti, Henry, Owen, or Van Nistelrooy.

[bkn0528]

Originally posted by Spartak
Defenders don't sell shirts. That's all Real care about.

Uh, I think they care about winning and more than anything they care about winning with style, i.e. attack attack attack. I wish they would sign a quality central defender or defensive midfielder, but everyone thinks they're going to pick off Owen, Henry, or Ruud. Who knows, but I bet they take a midfielder and move Helguera back to defense.

This is almost too stupid to comment on, but Figo, Zidane, Ronaldo, and Beckham do a hell of a lot more than just sell shirts. If you want to argue that Real Madrid care only about attacking, fine. But if you really think that those last four major signings by Florentino Perez were only for marketing purposes you must be high. Great players sell shirts. Perhaps you'd like to argue that Beckham is not a great player and was just brought in to sell shirts. If so, I'd bet that you have not seen Madrid play this year, as he's been one of their best and most consistent players so far.

[Spartak]

Originally posted by bkn0528
Uh, I think they care about winning and more than anything they care about winning with style, i.e. attack attack attack. I wish they would sign a quality central defender or defensive midfielder, but everyone thinks they're going to pick off Owen, Henry, or Ruud. Who knows, but I bet they take a midfielder and move Helguera back to defense.

This is almost too stupid to comment on, but Figo, Zidane, Ronaldo, and Beckham do a hell of a lot more than just sell shirts. If you want to argue that Real Madrid care only about attacking, fine. But if you really think that those last four major signings by Florentino Perez were only for marketing purposes you must be high. Great players sell shirts. Perhaps you'd like to argue that Beckham is not a great player and was just brought in to sell shirts. If so, I'd bet that you have not seen Madrid play this year, as he's been one of their best and most consistent players so far.
FYI, I've probably seen as much of Real this year as you. And your right, Beckham has impressed me alot. He is playing better because he has so much time on the ball. He gets more space because defenders have to worry about Figo, Ronaldo, Zidane, Raul, and Roberto Carlos. They are on TV every week. Let me ask you this. If Real bought Chivu this year instead of Beckham would they be better, worse, or about the same?

And Real's defense is already so thin that Helguera is already playing in central defense.

[bkn0528]

Helguera is moving back and forth between central defense and midfield depending on who is available for a particular game, although when everyone is available Queiroz has been playing him in midfield.

Who knows how a team with Chivu instead of Beckham would do? They would be better defensively, but Beckham's vision and passing ability have opened new possibilities for Madrid's attack. The signing of Beckham was made before Makalele demanded his pay raise, and there was a move to sign a good, young central defender (Milito) in the works that was squashed at the last minute. Even after that Madrid tried to sign Ayala.

I can't think of anyone, besides the spanish sports dailies AS and La Marca, that has said that Madrid OUGHT to sign Henry or Owen or Van Nistellroy. Everyone knows that Madrid OUGHT to sign a defender or at least a defensive midfielder. And it is about six months before they are going to sign anyone. We are getting a little ahead of ourselves.