The "I'm Watching _____" Thread

I'd roughly agree with that, except I think you underrated Mascherano; and I certainly think this is a contributing factor to why they pipped you in the league; but for the CL you get to put out your first team for key games - and we both agree your first team in marginally better. Yes, yours may have been less fit because they had less rotation in the league, but these are top players who a) should be able to get themselves up for big games and b) should be appropriately conditioned by the club to hold their fitness at key points in the season. Your club has so so much CL experience and should be able to handle this, not doing so is more the fault of management and attitude of players than squad depth.

Pretty much that. Imo, Umtiti is better than Varane.

Having MSN doesn't help if Iniesta can't run and gets injured once per month & the tactics have been horrible the whole season. I will always miss Lucho the man, the person, the fan, he is even more a cule than Pep. I love him. The players respected him very much. But as a coach, i am glad he is gone. He was what we needed after Tata Martino but in his 3rd year, in so many months, he couldn't fix the problems.


Andre Gomes has immense talent but he does have confidence problems and also our style this season and Lucho didn't help him.

Don't you see how it makes our eyes roll a little bit when, back in the day you had Xavi-Iniesta on top form and undoutbly the best midfield pair on the planet, you put everything down to Pep tactical brilliance, and now real Madrid don't even have the best midfielders on the planet, just better than yours, you say it's all down to the players...?

We have been eliminated by Atletico 2 seasons ago because of the fitness problems but this season it wasn't the case. We simply weren't good enough in the away games where teams would press us.

Messi has been a fucking midfielder this season, more than ever, but it's not enough. Roberto RB also didn't help.

Sir Didier Drogba;3990684 said:

Don't you see how it makes our eyes roll a little bit when, back in the day you had Xavi-Iniesta on top form and undoutbly the best midfield pair on the planet, you put everything down to Pep tactical brilliance, and now real Madrid don't even have the best midfielders on the planet, just better than yours, you say it's all down to the players...?

Click to expand...

Pep played the best football ever with those players. All Real Madrid does is cross and hope. Zidane is doing the same thing like Ancelotti, who started this at Madrid, and Benitez. It's the same style with small differences like:

Ancelotti had Alonso as DM with Modric and Di Maria CMs. Won UCL. Then Kroos DM with Modric and James (I said at the start of the season that this would never work and I was right). Trophyless. Kroos finished that season the second most dribbled player in both La Liga and UCL.

Benitez started with a 4-2-3-1 Modric Kroos double pivot and Bale as a 10. Then moved back to Kroos DM and Modric James CMs. We trashed them at Bernabeu and moved up to 12 points in La Liga.

Then came Zidane. He only changed 1 thing: Casemiro in the starting XI and he would rest the players more.


Real Madrid have won this season 17 points in the last 10 minutes in La Liga. This was all luck (especially in some games) and because they were fit enough to keep the pressure and play so intense every game in the last minutes. It's easy to do this when 2/4 games per month their starting XI is Kovacic James Isco; Asensio Morata Lucas.

If it was more than that, they would do it every single season. But it was the first Liga they won since 2011/2012. 5 years.

Perhaps Barcelona should have focused on depth and player development instead of spending so much money on Neymar and Suarez? You spend so much money on redundant players, but you let your youth players who are good enough to play for Barcelona leave for nothing. La Masia is still producing top pros, but you don't give them any chance, instead you go after just as good players from abroad. How come Grimaldo didn't get a chance? Sandro Ramirez? You could say Thiago never really got a full shot either. You should sell one of MSN this summer.

You became obsessed with BEING Real Madrid and trying to do what they do, but you are never going to beat them by doing exactly what they do because they have more money. You can win with less good players who you develop yourself. Barcelona is still the best talent production line in the world, yet with your obsession with galacticos lately you don't trust any of them.

This is what Barça has always been. Cruyff, Laporta and Pep were just accidents.

Barca has never been a top club except under those people.

Exactly my point, the case is that the old socis vote for that shit.

I wish they die soon

Holy shit Cheik Tiote just passed away. RIP.

I liked him.

how come footballers that die young are usually black?

Only 30

His wife is expecting a child this week apparently. Very sad news. Was a good solid player.

Check out some awesome goals scored in FIFA 17: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9Ftfmw8SQM

Sky is the limit for Dani Ceballos. What a player. Meanwhile Barça getting linked with fucking Paulinho for 40M and that Lucas Lima guy.

Watch Madrid paying his ridiculous 15m release clause

I hope you buy Paulinho so players think there is a way back from China and we can sell them more players for more money

Paulinho is very good though, still instrumental for the brazilian NT.

Fucking garbage

when I heard you were linked with him I assumed it was for free and still thought it was a bad deal.