its high time madrid issued a hands off warning to benitez frm trying to sign our youth players. hes being trying for almost every whiz in our B team like juanfran, de la red etc.. theres no way we r gonna sell them to liverpool or ne other club. however if ne la liga outfit asks for loan i think we shud talk
I agree with this statement 100% and i bout madrid would have bring up some great tallant just to selll tham and the get bigger elsewhere they all all great talant and thair future llok brihgt and if the club keep than and the hit the senior them it will be crazy
I really admire Benitez, but the way he is trying to get Spanish youth players is questionable. He recently stole Barragan from Sevilla by offering his dad a job(?!?), so that the whole family would move to Liverpool and, you know, Barragan would find himself a new club which would definitely not be Everton. After the whole Barragan family was in Liverpool, then he approached Sevilla to talk compensation, if they'd care for any.
What's so wrong about Benitez going for Madrid's youth players? Lord knows, they might actually get to fight for a starter's spot in a competitive league. There's nothing wrong with letting youngsters go if they don't have a chance of getting playing time. Unless you want the Guti scenario to repeat itself.
There's nothing wrong with approaching Madrid saying "I'm interested in Javi Garcia" and then negotiating for him. That's cool, and a good opportunity for these players. My problem is with Benitez approaching Javi Garcia's dad, offering him a "job", then moving the whole family to Liverpool and THEN contacting Madrid asking if they'd want some peanuts for the player they just stole, knowing well that the player is now theirs and Madrid need to take whatever they Liverpool offers for him. That's what they did with Barragan, and, however legal it was on paper, is not a very honest way to work.
I agree with that, but a) I respect Benitez so I didn't expect this from him, while I don't expect much from Abramovic and co. b) this is a RM thread and so far the only one to approach RM for youth players in such a fashion has been Benitez.
If you have been reading AS lately, there is right now a revolt happening in the B team that just got into 2nd div. There are about 7 or 8 players looking into leaving the club right now, including all of Real Madrid's major youth players, particularly Juanfran, who has been very open about ("I am looking for another club"), Soldado, and De La Red. The reason? Luxemburgo has not taken a single one of them into the A team not even for preseason training, something that's never, ever happened before. Honestly, I do not see a reason for this. This generation of players is way better than the one that we had during the Zidanes and Pavones policy. After all, these players have reached 2nd div. Not only that, they look a lot more promising. Juanfran is to be one of our NT stars soon, that's how much projection he has, very likely after the next WC. With a bit of luck if he moves to Zaragoza (they are after him), or another 1st div. team, he could even make it to the WC which is his aim. Soldado has been tried in a game I think, he is breaking goal scoring records (like Portillo before him, and Raul before them), and this is a physically strong striker (unlike Portillo). He deserves 1st div. play right now, or at the least a loan. Problem is, Real Madrid wants to keep them all in 2nd, even without loans. Also to note is the fact that it seems that Real is open to placing foreign players for the B team, older players so they are also strong in 2nd div., therefore defeating the purpose of this team to be for their youth and to develop their future team base. Pretty soon, this mission could be given to Real Madrid C, who knows. Pretty soon, Real Madrid will play with 2 or 3 Spanish players.... Is it really that hard to see for some that these B team players do not have any options, that their time in Real is probably going to be a waste in their careers?. They are there, they are showing to be very unhappy (guys, it's in the news), and they see it that way. Why not?, do you really think that Cesc would have the future he has know if he had stayed in Barcelona? This is exactly what our B teamers are looking for: the future that their own club cannot give them. Look at Guti, Etoo...I'd do the same. I hope Benitez takes not one, but 4 or 5 of them to Liverpool. Hey, Florentino can always buy them back later. Even though what he should have been doing is bringing Benitez to Real....
our youth policy is a shambles, and I hope that some of our young talent gets out. How ridiculous is the fact that these players have seen little to mostly NO first team action?? Its selfish to want these players to stay at Real , just to win in the second divison. either bring them up, or let them have succesful careers. anything less is simply wrong.
Good post as usual, Iberian. You can also add the piece that with the acquisition of Diogo, the club might as well sell Mejia (another promising youth player) - they play the same positions. Some youth players have gotten plenty of opportunities and have nothing to complain about. That would be Pavon, Raul Bravo and Borja. Has Borja's move to Ossasuna been confirmed? Here is my issue - RM used to do a pretty good job of loaning out the youth players. Mejia should have been lent out last year and Juanfran should be lent out this year. Luxa is also wrong in not inviting the youth players to "try-out" for the A team. The fact that Luxa played Borja & Celades before Guti & Mejia has always concerned me. Time for Perez to get involved?
That's not true. Diogo is a RB who can conceivably play LB and help out in MF. Mejia is a natural CD who has played RB on occasion (and not very well, I might add) because there was no one else for the job. Mejia's fate was sealed last season when we signed Samuel and Woodgate. Diogo's arrival changes nothing. Mejia was available last season when we had no RB, and Palencia, Arbeloa and Bravo (?!?) were chosen over him. Diogo will deputy for Salgado, Beckham or RC, never for a CD.
Well I have seen reports that Diogo is "comfortable" in all defensive positions. I have not seen him play, so I bow to your greater knowledge. I thought Mejia played well at RB, but your opinion is obviously in sync with Luxa's. Heck, even Celades was played at RB before Mejia. Meh. I have long advocated that Mejia be the first off the bench to play CD, but obviously Pavon gets that call. Even after acknowleding your point, I am not sure that it changes mine - RM needs to sell or loan out Mejia at this point.
I'm not sure Diogo can play CD, I've never seen him play there, but I've seen him play RB and various MF positions. He probably can, but I think he'll be far more useful elsewhere, which is why I think Mejia can get playing time if Samuel leaves and we don't get Ramos. In any case, you are counting with Woodgate as a starter, but I still have about a million question marks around a guy that hasn't played a game since May 2004. I agree that Mejia should leave to bring his career back into focus, but I don't really think it's that difficult for him to play if he stays.
Diogo plays in Roberto Carlo's position, doesn't he?. I read an interview with his coach in Uruguay in AS, in which he mentioned playing Diogo in the Midfield for "minutes"....in the Uruguayan league(who cares). I think that him playing in the midfield is a bit off. He will have enough trouble getting minutes off Roberto, who is still in great shape. The coach didn't say anything about CD, and I haven't heard such thing either. It seems it is LB or Midfield (Left-center), where AS placed him for some reason in that lineup from another post....they suggested that Luxemburgo would play him there to add more to the defensive midfield, since Diogo has good defensive qualities. I wonder where that leaves Gravesen, or Guti who excelled at these this year. Let's see what happens, but I would think that Diogo is not going to play much this year. Roberto is not likely to start loosing form, he looks strong as always, and in the mid he has Pablo Garcia, Gravesen, Beckham, Guti (if he doesn't leave), and even Davids (if it happens that Real takes him from Inter in an exchange with Figo, as Marca was saying yesterday). What you have left for him is either LB or nothing. To me, I would not agree with Diogo getting minutes anywhere in the midfield if we have Guti, Gravesen, Raul, Zidane, and even people like De La Red sitting at the bench or looking for another team. If he is here to gradually replace Roberto Carlos, to give him a rest or healthy competition for the spot, let's see it. I don't think this year he is going to play much though. Diogo is young, does not know La Liga, he has to adapt, and also show how much technique and play he's got in him (and he is no mandatory star signing). I don't know much about him, do you?, I mean, a signing like him should have been normally seen as one to add depth to the bench and a player with projection for the future...everybody is making him a starter already. If I wanted a starter, a replacement for Roberto with a higher chance of success I would have gone after Lahm, let's say, or Ashley Cole to make sure. What I am trying to say is that for this "I don't knows", "maybes", or "probably in a year or two", you have the B team. If not, you spend your money accordingly. Or you should. I really hope though that Diogo is everything the "experts" in the press say he can be. Florentino needs at least this smaller signings to work out.... Mejia is part of a generation of youth players that admittedly didn't turn out too well. I think that the current one, however, deserves more attention (they are proving it) and it is not fair to judge these by what the others did without even giving them a chance. In other words, the Pavones and Zidanes policy shouldn't be forgotten because it didn't work one time with certain players. Benitez seems to think so as well. I still say let him take whatever he wants, maybe this way at least the NT will benefit somewhat in the future.
He plays in Michel Salgado's position, although word is he can play on the left if needed. Diogo is young and if his fulfills his potential he could eventually take Salgado's spot. We finally appear to have a solid backup for Salgado. Michel isn't getting any younger and he will benefit from more rest in the coming season(s). Hala Madrid
Diogo is a RB, not a LB. He can sub in for RC, sure, in case of an emergency, but we you should see him playing RB and RM, not in the left. He has not been bought as, or expected to be, RC's substitute.
Diogo is similar to Javier Zanetti in terms of his playing style and where he plays. He is PRIMARILY a RB. However, he can also play on the right wing and in the back of the midfield if needed. His future at Real Madrid is as a RB. As far as LB is concerned, Real should have bought Del Horno (Too late), but now may have to wait for another good young LB to emerge. I would just put Solari back there when needed for now, its not like R.Carlos defends.
It makes less sense to me then if Diogo plays in Michel's position. I just haven't seen this one. Why then are we also after Ramos?, are we really going to play him as CB, his second position instead of in his primary?. Is Real really going to let another year pass without giving Roberto Carlos competition and another option for his position?. He will too age or get injured, and we should have an option. Between Ramos and Diogo, I'd put money on Ramos, it makes more sense. LBs we've been needing for a while now, and I don't see anybody on the future signing's list (also, I don't understand why AS put Diogo on the CM on the left side). What a mess. I guess that if there is anything positive about Diogo's signing is that now Sevilla may have to lower their demands on Ramos, since we don't need him as bad, but I think everything here looks a little backwards.
Ramos's PRIMARY position is CB, where he has played half this season and all the previous ones in Sevilla B. He is over 6' tall, big and strong, and he can't really cross or find spaces like a real RB is supposed to do. He played RB this season because Sevilla's RB/RM (Daniel Alves) is not very good at actually defending, so Caparros promoted him so that his RB wouldn't cross the midfield line, and so his RM (Alves) could do whatever he wanted. He plays RB in the NT because, frankly, there's no one else (except Puyol, and he is needed in CB too). In any case, Ramos will have a 15-year-long career as a CB occasionally patching the RB when needed. That's why Perez wants him.
I don't know, I've seen Ramos play, and Alves, and Reyes, and Puyol. They can play in other positions well, but I consider their primary the one that they have been brought up with. Alves and Ramos have been RBs more than anything, and they are very good at it. They do a lot more damage on the side. Alves is more a control player, he was the captain in the brazilian youth teams and he was the one to put the team on his back, the true boss, going up and down, through the midfield, the sides, taking all the shots in dead ball situations, giving the assists... Alves needs freedom and Caparros does not let anybody move even though he produces good results. Puyol is a great CB, but we all loose when we don't let him attack. Reyes (also one with problems with Caparros), likes to play AM more than anything else and couldn't (just as a related example). To me, Puyol, Alves, Ramos are better as RB, Reyes as AM, and all of them with a certain freedom so they can shine. They produce everywhere, but I think they are a little bit victims of coaches who play with a blackboard and a very rigid tactical book. I said this before, would Ramos really be better this year than a Samuel who may have already adapted to the Liga and who is naturally a CB, being that he has still a very limited experience as CB?. Ramos and Puyol are similar players, I see them as natural RBs who are more gifted as defenders and on the ball than most other defenders (they can get out of the box with the ball under control) and who have been made CBs to compesate for the needs of their teams. It's just a matter of taste and opinion I guess.
I repeat, Ramos has only played about 20 games as a RB in Sevilla, but around 15 as a CB in Sevilla A and something like 50 as a CB in Sevilla's lower divisions.
As I said, it is just a matter of opinion, I like him better as RB. Btw, his idol is Salgado, that should tell you something.