Josep Maria Bartomeu

[Richard.H]

Real are also level with a Barca in a shambles and heading out the CL last 16 for second season running after finishing third last season.

Lets not go over the top about how great they are.

They are level with Barca because they are clearly rebuilding their squad. Their star transfer and supposed replacement for CR in Hazard has been injured for more than half the season. Their only goal scoring threat so far has been benzema. Their other main striker in asensio just returned

 

[El Gato]

You introduced two new players in your starting 11. Hazard (whos comparable to Griezmann - in my opinion a better player though) and Valverde (like Frenkie for us). Rest is pretty much even. Its only been a somewhat decent season for you (and us as well), because the other team is just as bad.

We sacrificed a GOAT before he hiked the salary ladder and reinvested the money made on him. You didn't.
We sent at least two players on loan with a clear vision that by the time they come back, should they improve, there'll be a spot for them. You didn't.
We bought three Brazillian kids and all look money in one way or another, so either we'll play them or make money on them. You settle for one who made it through La Masia.
We, reluctantly and while exercising financial caution because we could have got him the season before, bought a 'Galactico' who was clearly needed in that position and had good reasons to come. You bought a player who plays in a Messi position and the reason he cited was 'to experience a different brand of football'.

Don't mean to beat my own drum here, but come on, the two are far from the same. If not in results, then in strategy.

 

[Luftstalag14]

RM has the exact same problem in Marcelo, Kroos, Modric, Ramos, Bale, Varane, Carvajal and the likes. The problem is RM won 4 CLs while Barca won 1.

They have replacements for most of those players though:

Marcelo (Reguilon and Mendy), Kroos, Modric (for midfielders they have Valverde, Casemiro and Odgaard and perhaps even Kubo, plus they might sign Camavinga and Ruiz), Ramos (he is hard to replace, I reckon, not only as a CB but as a leader of their club) , Bale (they have Vinicius, Rodrygo, Lucas Vazquez etc. and they are going to go for Haaland or Mbappe or perhaps both, the bottom line is, they won't miss Bale as they haven't been dependent on him at all), Varane (he is only 27, has a few years left), Carvajal (Hakimi and Odriozola).

 

[JamDav1982]

They are level with Barca because they are clearly rebuilding their squad. Their star transfer and supposed replacement for CR in Hazard has been injured for more than half the season. Their only goal scoring threat so far has been benzema. Their other main striker in asensio just returned

Not really rebuilding all that much. Same older core in team.

Their line up is more or less same as last season and bar Hazard no signing has really broken into the starting eleven proper bar Valverde/Hazard in years.

They are buying a lot but still playing bulk of same players.

 

[Luftstalag14]

Yes, Real Madrid managed everything so much better that Barcelona won everything in Spain every season.

Table is about to be turned.

Logically it just doesn't make sense that we will keep this winning record with this squad and the way we are playing.

 

[JamDav1982]

We sacrificed a GOAT before he hiked the salary ladder and reinvested the money made on him. You didn't.
We sent at least two players on loan with a clear vision that by the time they come back, should they improve, there'll be a spot for them. You didn't.
We bought three Brazillian kids and all look money in one way or another, so either we'll play them or make money on them. You settle for one who made it through La Masia.
We, reluctantly and while exercising financial caution because we could have got him the season before, bought a 'Galactico' who was clearly needed in that position and had good reasons to come. You bought a player who plays in a Messi position and the reason he cited was 'to experience a different brand of football'.

Don't mean to beat my own drum here, but come on, the two are far from the same. If not in results, then in strategy.

Ronaldo does not have same ties to Real as Messi does to Barca. It is not even close.

He also wanted to leave and add to his CV another league win in another country.

Real will have a hell of a lot of rebuilding to do as well.

Both are as low on quality as have been for more than decade.

 

[mc_lovin]

We sacrificed a GOAT before he hiked the salary ladder and reinvested the money made on him. You didn't.
We sent at least two players on loan with a clear vision that by the time they come back, should they improve, there'll be a spot for them. You didn't.
We bought three Brazillian kids and all look money in one way or another, so either we'll play them or make money on them. You settle for one who made it through La Masia.
We, reluctantly and while exercising financial caution because we could have got him the season before, bought a 'Galactico' who was clearly needed in that position and had good reasons to come. You bought a player who plays in a Messi position and the reason he cited was 'to experience a different brand of football'.

Don't mean to beat my own drum here, but come on, the two are far from the same. If not in results, then in strategy.

Dont get me wrong, I hate our strategy, but Reals has yet to bear fruits as well. Hakimi and Odegaard are not sure bets. Neither are Fati or Trincao and the likes. We will see how things turn out, and financially I agree with you, but betting on talent is a dangerous game.

 

[Luftstalag14]

Real are also level with a Barca in a shambles and heading out the CL last 16 for second season running after finishing third last season.

Lets not go over the top about how great they are.

This season they are not great, certainly but understandably so. They lost Ronaldo, they are in a rebuild. We? We still have got Messi, albeit older and slower and less effective but the point is it is kind of pathetic to see a Barca side led by Messi struggling to get ahead of a Real Madrid side during their rebuild.

 

[Morten]

Table is about to be turned.

Logically it just doesn't make sense that we will keep this winning record with this squad and the way we are playing.

Logic doesnt enter into it, its just destiny.
At the exact time Barcelona finally became mediocre, RM decided to become shite as well, so you will still win everything as usual.

 

[te amo barca]

They have replacements for most of those players though:

Marcelo (Reguilon and Mendy), Kroos, Modric (for midfielders they have Valverde, Casemiro and Odgaard and perhaps even Kubo, plus they might sign Camavinga and Ruiz), Ramos (he is hard to replace, I reckon, not only as a CB but as a leader of their club) , Bale (they have Vinicius, Rodrygo, Lucas Vazquez etc. and they are going to go for Haaland or Mbappe or perhaps both, the bottom line is, they won't miss Bale as they haven't been dependent on him at all), Varane (he is only 27, has a few years left), Carvajal (Hakimi and Odriozola).

They had ?replacements? like Hernandez, Vallejo, Llorente, Kovacic and Ceballos who all failed. The Brazilian wonder kids may flop easily. Their squad and depth are mediocre.

Forgot to add Isco to the old core. That guy is also dead.

 

[JamDav1982]

This season they are not great, certainly but understandably so. They lost Ronaldo, they are in a rebuild. We? We still have got Messi, albeit older and slower and less effective but the point is it is kind of pathetic to see a Barca side led by Messi struggling to get ahead of a Real Madrid side during their rebuild.

They lost Ronaldo and bought Hazard this season.

They will still have to replace Ramos, Marcelo, Kroos, Modric and Benzema before long if they want to get back to being a top top team.

To be fair they also earned a bit of credit as to not having to win due to their CL success. Whle Barca are shit scared of trying to rebuild and piss off Messi when only got a few years left.

 

[Morten]

They lost Ronaldo and bought Hazard this season.

They will still have to replace Ramos, Marcelo, Kroos, Modric and Benzema before long if they want to get back to being a top top team.

People keep bringing up Kroos, but he is only 30, so he should have a few years more left before it starts going downhill.

Also, Hazard isnt a Ronaldo replacement, even though they technically play in the same position.

 

[Luftstalag14]

They had ?replacements? like Hernandez, Vallejo, Llorente, Kovacic and Ceballos who all failed. The Brazilian wonder kids may flop easily. Their squad and depth are mediocre.

Forgot to add Isco to the old core. That guy is also dead.

Just because those failed it doesn't mean others will fail (even though some will fail, definitely). If you think their squad depth is mediocre I don't know what ours is. Mediocre times 5?

 

[Luftstalag14]

They lost Ronaldo and bought Hazard this season.

They will still have to replace Ramos, Marcelo, Kroos, Modric and Benzema before long if they want to get back to being a top top team.

To be fair they also earned a bit of credit as to not having to win due to their CL success. Whle Barca are shit scared of trying to rebuild and piss off Messi when only got a few years left.

Hazard has either been subpar for them or injured, he hasn't been a factor for them this season at all.

Yes they will need to replace those old guards but as I said above, they already have the replacements lined up, many of whom have been tested and proven in first tier leagues such as La Liga and Bundesliga. And again, of course there is no guarantee those replacements will work out well for them but at least they have something. We? An AM in Pedri and a winger in Trincao, what else? So many holes to be filled and we are not even talking about replacing the likes of Messi, Suarez and Pique etc.

 

[JamDav1982]

Hazard has either been subpar for them or injured, he hasn't been a factor for them this season at all.

Yes they will need to replace those old guards but as I said above, they already have the replacements lined up, many of whom have been tested and proven in first tier leagues such as La Liga and Bundesliga. And again, of course there is no guarantee those replacements will work out well for them but at least they have something. We? An AM in Pedri and a winger in Trincao, what else?

They dont have replacements lined up at all. Certainly not currently at the club bar Valverde.

Every young player Real buy folk make out is the second coming and most have then failed.