It's a fact...... if argentina manages to qualify for the WC , MESSI not gonna play the way he played last time for BARCA....the same is gonna be true for ronaldo or KAKA....many top players are targeting more towards world cup glory than their clubs this year...it's always been like that... ronaldinho after a cracker of a season was very quiet the season before 2006 WC. KAKA didn't have an outstanding season before the 2006 WC.he did well seasons before that and after the WC.....you can see the same pattern from many of the top players in the world....
JUVENTUS has signed FILEPPO MELO at the central DM role...he has started almost every match.he was a stand out in every match this season. he also did some stupid mistakes opnce or twice like yesterday....but he was a stand out in every single match he played for the charector he showed...xabi is supposed to be much much more talented than him.....but he's not controling the matches...not winning the balls or not even releasing the ball the way he's supposed to be..t two similar players ,just started with a new team....different results...
I backed what I said with paragraphs of information, you then pick out one sentence (because your argument is shit and you have nothing) and try to make a 'zinger'. I'll repeat, the worse mistake of the last match was when Raul allowed a player who has scored many headers on us in the past to have a free header. This occurred when we not only were getting our footing back in the game but were putting something together and on the verge of possibly winning (at worst keeping our draw). You pathetically criticized everyone of relevance except Raul and Guti. To the point where you bash Benzema as if he costed us a goal. Then you tried to throw out a pathetic excuse to why Raul played shit and why your bashing of everybody except them isn't shit. Get the ******** out of here. Posters like you are the worst. Heavens forbid posters give due criticism to your favorite, but you're free to attack and point fingers at any and every other player. Oh and admitting a player was shit after somebody calls you out for your nonsense is hardly giving a player criticism. Especially when you line up rubbish excuses to why they were playing that way. Does that mean he'll be a stand out for us? Xabi was one of the best in the world with Liverpool last season, how has it turned out for us so far?
Are you serious? , you have used argentina as an example but they have a crackhead manager called Maradona. Of course, messi wont play the same way if you have a manager(shouldnt be even fit to call that!) that doesnt understand tactics and selecting personel. You only have to watch the 2006 WC games that argentina played (youtube is your friend!) and messi played like he did at barcelona. Why dont you talk about 2002, why 2006, why ronaldinho or kaka?, when ronaldo was brilliant for club and country, winning everything that season (2002)! Did you see the team they took the world cup(2006?)? Players were selected for reputation, not because of form. As a result, the team just relied on their individuals when things looked pear shaped, in contrast, you can see the current brasil under dunga is, more of a team than individuals compared to the 2006 squad.
One more thing, I think it was Guti who didn't close down the Sevilla player. Casillas was yelling at him after Renato headed it in.
Ronaldo was injured and out most of the season before 2002 WC ..it was a gamble which Scolari took...he arrived fresh for the WC and it payed off.. Rivaldo also had injury problem in the 2002 season was rested and came to the WC ....and he was the pillar of the WC success for Brazil in 2002... I agree about 2006 WC team....current RM looks like the same...Lots of talented players..But do not know how to play together...
I meant to say that Messi will not play for BARCA this year like he did the past season...He will not take unnecessary risks and get injured...He may try to reserve all energy for the WC...provided they qualify... That means Barcelona may not be the same unbeatable team this year...Lots of players will be looking forward to the WC glory...
On AS' front page you can see a discussion between the 2 during the game where Guti doesn't give a shit where Casillas wants to position him.
They take it from each player's point of view, so first you see everything Casillas says, and then what Guti says mixed with some of what Casillas says: Casillas: "You're standing there alone, dammitt! Only you will go there (as in he's covering ground that doesn't need to be covered) you're alone over there! You're not doing anything there. There's nobody there! Fantastic (sarcasm)" Guti: "There are 4 players over there already (other Madrid players actually covering players) What? What? I'm alone here? Well shut up!" When you mix them both together to form the conversation you get this: Guti's a bitch.
I still dont know what you are trying to prove Top players love winning and gaining titles for both club and country, this includes players who play in the CL and for 99.9% this is a top footballers dream. It is pretty silly to assume that players are reserving their energy for the WC. If they dont have form then there wont be a WC to play in, end of story, unless you have are an automatic starter (like under maradona) regardless of form. Everything at the world cup is all to do with various variables and preparation.
Kaka's direct playing style has always caused a lot of missed passes and lost possessions. It was true with Milan and with Brazil. I don't believe he has changed much. His ball control was never the greatest (like a Zidane). But his pace is still there. He hasn't lost much.
Yeah, I noticed that during the game. Casillas got frustrated because Guti just blew him off through 'rank' I'm guessing.
Not that im defending Guti, but he should have been subbed after the 1st half, you could see his head just wasnt there anymore... Just goes to show MP made a big mistake by leaving Guti on the pitch...
When we last won the CL in 2002 and I don't remember any of Zidane, Figo, R. Carlos et cetera reserving any energy for the World Cup. Also in the leadup to the WC Ronaldo was recovering from the back to back knee surgeries and I think he played all of 3-4 games for Inter in 3-4 months. Of course Zidane ended up missing the WC becuase of fitness, Figo was not at his best for Portugal, and because of fatigue Raul was benched in the loss to S. Korea. So it might be true that a long season in two competitions can effect WC form it doesn't mean the players are going to hold back in the CL knowing they can win it when in the World Cup you can lose the opening game and be out of the competition for good (Portugal, France 2002).
Please, this happens a million times per game. All you have to do is check through game footage if they score on us on a set piece, or save yourself the exercise if they don't. Anyone that's ever defended a corner kick knows that keepers are at best, unbearable, and, at worst, obnoxious SoBs. I personally think it's Iker's fault, for not knowing how to swear properly. My high school keep would make him blush.
Also I want to weigh in with some criticism of Xabi Alonso. The only reason that he warranted the price we payed for him is that it was understood that he would not need time to adapt a new league or culture and that he was the finished product. If we thought he was going to need time to adjust or develope and what not we would have stuck with Gago and Sneijder. Benzema is the opposite we need to give him time to adjust and develope because half his price tage was on the potential to succeed factor. As for criticism of Kaka. We could have stuck Ronaldo out there with Raul and Guti and they wouldn't have been able to keep up with him either and in return his performance would have suffered. Still Kaka coulda', shoulda' done better.
I think it's Iker's fault for underestimating the danger that particular patch of grass Guti was covering could pose, if the ball had bounced there I'm sure it would have gone into the goal without any player having to touch it.
you guys need to chill. despite how badly we played collectively, it took one horrendous and childish error by Marcelo (to wait for the ball to drop instead of attacking it and heading it out) to allow the 1st goal, and another fundamental set piece error by Albiol and Guti for the 2nd, to beat us....in their home town, with the game of their year so far. had we Lass, CR9, Arbeloa (who everyone forgets), and had Pellegrini made some better tactical adjustments, we would have won the game. It's a good learning experience and the season is still very long.
He did. One would expect that a 35 mio € man would be at least able to hit a ball from that PERFECT pass he got from Raul .
Damn, 68 pages because our first loss. Yesterday's game wasn't as bad as most people here make it to be. Its true we werent playing beautiful football but we are finally keeping the ball longer than previous games, although it was mainly in the second half. What really cost us the game was our wing play. Pellegrini likes his team to play a narrow game, and there is nothing wrong with that, except Sevilla are very very dangerous on the wings. Most posters apparently completely lost hope in Marcelo and "forgot" his previous promising showings because of yesterday. I am not saying he was okay yesterday, in fact he was utter shit, but is it because he really sucks? I dunno, he was faced with Jesus Navas, one of the best wingers in the world and he was also asked to provide width up front. So not only does he have to deal with Navas, he also had to be chasing him most of the time during counter attacks. Not very smart from Pellegrini. Of course, that horrible mistake in the first goal didn't aid Marcelo's cause at all. Kaka in my mind was our biggest disappointment. Today was his day to shine when the spotlight was finally not placed on CR9 and he barely made an impact, positive that is. Lost too many balls and kept the ball far too long. How many times were we racing with the ball in counter attacks when Kaka decides to run into opposition players trying to do the impossible. He did create one or two good chances though. Raul, as usual, was also bashed because of our first defeat. Its true his shit marking cost us the game but you cant ignore how well he kept possession with his back to goal, creating chances that never materialized. I think that is something we have been missing with a 4-2-2-2. That strong presence in the opponents box would have worked well had someone like RVN or Negredo played in Raul's place. Not that Raul failed in his role, only he wasnt strong enough to get closer to the goal and score himself. One last point, I really like Pellegrini's man management skills. Any other coach would have taken Guti out at half-time when he seemed to lose focus. Pellegrini however give him a good talk that obviously made him play levels better in the second half (not good enough though). We shouldnt really lose hope from games like these, normally we would get completely overrun and crushed (see previous away Sevilla games) but yesterday we put up a really good fight. It was one heck of a game, one of the best games in some time, but we Madrid fans have 0 points to show for.
Sorry if this has been talked about already, but what was Pepe's celebration all about on Sunday after he scored?
Xabi Alonso has been terrible so far. M. Diarra did better in the minutes hes played than Alonso so far this season. Also i would have carded a couple of morons in the match thread for excessive stupidity.