Penal Madrid

El Gato

Villarato!
But that's not how the mechanics of modern football works, to my observations at least. Fan-disappointment, continuous negative media calls for action like firing the coach, buying galacticos etc. If Barca have success in the meantime, then I'm sure not fans, media, players, coach or board of Madrid will be calm and say "it is very normal". They will run amok and buy/fire/etc. to calm the masses, imo. But interestering to see what happens, if it comes true.

I didn’t say it’s real, but it’s what fans ‘have to’ be. Or ‘ought to’ be, if you like. Fanbases of big teams are full of success & dopamine addicted numbskulls who need their football appetite to be appeased. They’ll lead the outrage while those who love the institution no matter how infrequent the trophy haul is, will stand by and wait for the next time. Barca will also suffer the decline once Messi is out, the gap will close. It’s actually sooner than we think. Atleti will smell blood if Felix stays healthy and shows boldness. Why do you think Simeone just signed a new deal again? He wants to see if he can sit this Messi pre-retirement period and push players toward the edge, even if they’re just not good enough yet. But after he’s gone? Could very well be an even planefield. It’s their best shot at dynasty creation. Fans are behind it and don’t feel entitlement like Barca and Madrid contingents do.

And Gaspart years do not correspond to a period of lack of success. They’re analogous to voluntary years of mismanagement and near-total fall from institutional grace, one where people laugh at the way you manage the club instead of respecting its policy. The Milan or the Arsenal, and one could argue the prestige of these teams is almost irrecoverable in a certain way, Milan has certainly tipped over the edge and is trying to climb back out the abyss (which won’t happen) while Arsenal are hanging by the Premier League’s finance thread but have nothing serious going for them. NOT the “GOAT is gone, we are rebuilding, time will come again, so let’s build the stadium first” period.
 
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BarçaBarça

New member
I didn’t say it’s real, but it’s what fans ‘have to’ be. Or ‘ought to’ be, if you like. Fanbases of big teams are full of success & dopamine addicted numbskulls who need their football appetite to be appeased. They’ll lead the outrage while those who love the institution no matter how infrequent the trophy haul is, will stand by and wait for the next time. Barca will also suffer the decline once Messi is out, the gap will close. It’s actually sooner than we think. Atleti will smell blood if Felix stays healthy and shows boldness. Why do you think Simeone just signed a new deal again? He wants to see if he can sit this Messi pre-retirement period and push players toward the edge, even if they’re just not good enough yet. But after he’s gone? Could very well be an even planefield. It’s their best shot at dynasty creation. Fans are behind it and don’t feel entitlement like Barca and Madrid contingents do.

And Gaspart years do not correspond to a period of lack of success. They’re analogous to voluntary years of mismanagement and near-total fall from institutional grace, one where people laugh at the way you manage the club instead of respecting its policy. The Milan or the Arsenal, and one could argue the prestige of these teams is almost irrecoverable in a certain way, Milan has certainly tipped over the edge and is trying to climb back out the abyss (which won’t happen) while Arsenal are hanging by the Premier League’s finance thread but have nothing serious going for them. NOT the “GOAT is gone, we are rebuilding, time will come again, so let’s build the stadium first” period.

Fair enough, I was only descriptive, you were talking about how it ideally looks. And I agree with you - fans need to be less doomsday and more backing of the club no matter what (not mindlessly without criticism, but more calm like you said). But it's getting rare these days.

It will be very interesting to see what happens when Messi retire. I fear that Neymar is not the answer for Barca, but we will see. Simeone is a great coach and could challenge a Messi-less Barca and post-Ronaldo Real way more than earlier, but I'm still not convinced that club has what it takes. As you point out Felix needs to be world class, even top-3 player in the world for Atletico to claim the league/CL even once in a while, and his success with other attackers isn't that great actually.

2021 will be key for Barca - if we get Victor Font we will see a whole other direction, with more investments in La Masia and less commercial thinking (buying Brazilian/Japanese/South American because of market purposes). If we bet on La Masia and turn more Cruyff-like once again I actually have a bit of hope that fans will be a little more patient, and the drama-element will diminish to a more healthy level.

Real will find their soul after Zidane leaves at one point, I think. Zidane has become darker, more confrontations, target particular players and a little less class. Great coaches are out there and if you land Pochettino I wouldn't worry about Atletico threatening the city-rivalry, tbh. He is great and could build Real again long-term, which I don't see Zidane doing.
Maybe you get Mbappe, and then Felix and Atletico can go home, imo.
 

El Gato

Villarato!
Largely sure. One thing tho.

Real will find their soul after Zidane leaves at one point, I think. Zidane has become darker, more confrontations, target particular players and a little less class. Great coaches are out there and if you land Pochettino I wouldn't worry about Atletico threatening the city-rivalry, tbh. He is great and could build Real again long-term, which I don't see Zidane doing.
Maybe you get Mbappe, and then Felix and Atletico can go home, imo.

Less class? What has he done that wasn’t classy? Does this go back to this argument of his ‘mistreatment’ of James, Llorente or Bale when he simply told them they’re not necessarily his profile? I find the line of reasoning very odd. Help me understand what you mean. Managers are absolutely entitled to being allowed to shape the team in their vision. This means having hard conversations and often removing players with habits and style you don’t like. Confronting reality and trying to convince Bale his presence is a hindrance to the team isn’t lack of class. He seems to prefer Isco over James, which albeit a pretty big gamble with James being a far more reliable player, which has to be accepted. He likes a run-around destroyer type CDM in Casemiro akin to those he played next to (Makelele or Deschamps) rather than a field general in Llorente. All personal preferences. He’s also very clear on the Navas-Courtois situation. Don’t know where this lack of class notion comes from. In fact, Llorente for instance said Zidane and coaches were very clear and honest with him and there seem to be no hard feelings.
 

El Gato

Villarato!
2 days ago James announced with a muscular problem. Today Isco out. That is 7 muscular injuries since 8th July. Absolute pisstake. And happens 3rd year in a row.
 

BarcaOG

Banned
everyone's getting injured these days! im sure it has to do with the hectic and gruelling schedule top players at top clubs have to deal with...pre season tours all over the world, pre season tournaments, random super cups, season long CL campaigns, season long league challenges, plus international friendlies, qualifiers and tournaments in between...its madness
 

BarçaBarça

New member
Largely sure. One thing tho.



Less class? What has he done that wasn’t classy? Does this go back to this argument of his ‘mistreatment’ of James, Llorente or Bale when he simply told them they’re not necessarily his profile? I find the line of reasoning very odd. Help me understand what you mean. Managers are absolutely entitled to being allowed to shape the team in their vision. This means having hard conversations and often removing players with habits and style you don’t like. Confronting reality and trying to convince Bale his presence is a hindrance to the team isn’t lack of class. He seems to prefer Isco over James, which albeit a pretty big gamble with James being a far more reliable player, which has to be accepted. He likes a run-around destroyer type CDM in Casemiro akin to those he played next to (Makelele or Deschamps) rather than a field general in Llorente. All personal preferences. He’s also very clear on the Navas-Courtois situation. Don’t know where this lack of class notion comes from. In fact, Llorente for instance said Zidane and coaches were very clear and honest with him and there seem to be no hard feelings.

Fine, less calm, then. I feel like rising above the drama/personal "fights" with players through media is the sign of a coach in control and earlier added to Zidanes aura. Now that he is more confrontational it diminishes the feel around him as no longer so untouchable/always on top/classy. I feel like no one would question him before and respected his decisions in silence, now that he speaks about his decisions in the media (some very reasonable, like getting rid of Bale), it's not the classy way, imo.

Llorente etc. I don't think he handled poorly, and the Bale-saga is ultimately Florentinos fault, like not getting Pogba is as well.
 

Luftstalag14

Culé de Celestial Empire
Despite relatively stagnant revenues (however Real Madrid expects significant increase at the end of this season since their new Adidas deal will kick in, bringing an additional 50m at the very least), Real Madrid still had a post-tax net profit of €38.4m after the 18/19 season, which is a 23% increase. In comparison, ours was only at €4.5m last season which was a 60% decrease. Goes to show how well Real Madrid is managing their expenses.

http://www.sportspromedia.com/news/real-madrid-profits-revenues-2018-19-season
 

El Gato

Villarato!
Poor form, hyperextension on the knees. If they're doing explosive exercises to get them ready for impacts on the field, there are much safer ways to do it.
 

EdmondDantes

New member
Just seen that Zidane decided not to start Modric today and full on switched to a 4-4-2.

What the fuck?


Isn't he their best player by far?
 

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