Penal Madrid

[Fati_Future_BallonDor]

Nah, Marcelo is the best attacking fullback in the history of the CL. Just watch his performances v Bayern or AM.

Alves as a offensive + defensive force is the best overall, though. And a monster workrate in his prime too.

naah difficult, prime Alves was a joy to watch. He was unplayable on the right side but I understand your point, peak Marcelo was also pure class. In the CL Marcelo was better, thats for sure but overall I would rate Alves a bit higher.

That wasnt Marcelo vs Bayern, that was Bayern vs Marcelo. What a performance from him. Ronaldo scored the hattrick but Marcelo was the best player at that night.

I feel like he lost the motivation after Ronaldo left Madrid.

 

[BarcaOG]

I reckon Juve could get one good season out of him with CR

 

[Neeraj]

I think Alves was a better fit or us, and with us, he became a monster, one of the best of all time. However, I'm not sure if Alves would have seen the same level of success without Messi. Alves' main skills were the 1-2's and balls being dinked over with Messi. I think Marcelo had everything though, he was a sensational dribbler, made tremendous penetrative passes, had crosses and of course, shoot as well. I do think Alves was better defensively than Marcelo. It's a tough one.

 

[El Gato]

Nah, Marcelo is the best attacking fullback in the history of the CL. Just watch his performances v Bayern or AM.

Alves as a offensive + defensive force is the best overall, though. And a monster workrate in his prime too.

BTW didn't Alves recently shit on Bartomeu for selling him too early?

Here
https://www.marca.com/en/football/barcelona/2020/11/06/5fa55e3122601d433c8b45c2.html

Dani Alves: Barcelona had an identity before, now they are a commercial team

Having left an indelible mark on football, particularly with how the position of right-back is seen, Dani Alves will always have a connection with Barcelona, yet the Brazilian has admitted that the club has lost their identity, instead becoming a commercial team.

The Josep Maria Bartomeu era is over, yet the consequences of it will be felt for years to come, and one casualty of that regime was actually Alves who found it impossible to continue at the club, feeling disrespected during the process of renewing his deal."

Before, Barcelona had an identity. They've lost that," Alves explained in an interview with RAC1. What makes Barcelona different is their style and their values; in life you shouldn't try to be what you are not."

Barcelona are now trying to be a commercial team, instead of being a team with their own personality." When pressed further on what he meant by this, the former Sevilla defender outlined the transfer policy in recent years and how it has damaged what the Blaugrana should stand for.

"They wanted to let me go without even talking to me. I love that club, I wasn't going to sign for anyone else, it seemed disrespectful towards me, of course, when there was a sanction they came to talk to me."

I feel like he lost the motivation after Ronaldo left Madrid.

Motivation isn't the ideal word, but there's part of that too. Players are motivated in the sense that they still want to win and they still try. But they're not going out to kill themselves all the time. CR's stubbornness in refusing to acknowledge any limits makes players overperform. And he's resilient - which is just huge for Real ability to bounce back after conceding, our remontada % has gone down so hard, partly also because you just knew CR would find a way to score against a parked bus. Marcelo said in the Player's Tribune piece how much an effect he had on the mentality of the locker room. Something along the lines of "when you hear a player like Cristiano say he has butterflies in his stomach ahead of the 2016 Undecima final, it puts you at ease".

 

[Fati_Future_BallonDor]

Motivation isn't the ideal word, but there's part of that too. Players are motivated in the sense that they still want to win and they still try. But they're not going out to kill themselves all the time. CR's stubbornness in refusing to acknowledge any limits makes players overperform. And he's resilient - which is just huge for Real ability to bounce back after conceding, our remontada % has gone down so hard, partly also because you just knew CR would find a way to score against a parked bus. Marcelo said in the Player's Tribune piece how much an effect he had on the mentality of the locker room. Something along the lines of "when you hear a player like Cristiano say he has butterflies in his stomach ahead of the 2016 Undecima final, it puts you at ease".

+1

 

[Andresito]

Varane was apparently subbed off as a precaution. Ramos as we know because of hamstring problems. Although Lucho said Madrid shouldn't worry, can't find that quote now though.

 

[El Gato]

Injured: Carvajal, Fede, Odriozola (could be on his way back) + potentially Varane, Ramos
With Covid and no negative test reported yet: Casemiro, Hazard, Militao (should be on back) + concerns that Modrić was near carriers during NT break

We have Villarreal away and 4 days later we have Inter at San Siro, the latter being more of a must win. Inter AFAIK only has Kolarov out with Covid.

Vs Villarreal we will and probably should play a reserve CB of some description to save Ramos and/or Varane for the CL. Midfield becomes more of a concern if Casemiro doesn't get the negative test results.

 

[Andresito]

Injured: Carvajal, Fede, Odriozola (could be on his way back) + potentially Varane, Ramos
With Covid and no negative test reported yet: Casemiro, Hazard, Militao (should be on back) + concerns that Modrić was near carriers during NT break

We have Villarreal away and 4 days later we have Inter at San Siro, the latter being more of a must win. Inter AFAIK only has Kolarov out with Covid.

Vs Villarreal we will and probably should play a reserve CB of some description to save Ramos and/or Varane for the CL. Midfield becomes more of a concern if Casemiro doesn't get the negative test results.

Casemiro is back in training, isn't Carva back too?
Pablo Ramon the most talented CB of Castilla just recently got an injury that'll keep him out until 2021.
Modric just played 200 minutes with Croatia, might not be the most fresh at 35.

How could a potential lineup look vs Villarreal? Lucas Vazquez CB?

 

[El Gato]

Varane supposedly only a knock on his shoulder so he'll likely play. Ramos might be saved for this one considering Inter.
IMO Vazquez - Militao/Nacho - Varane - Mendy and then back to normal (+Odriozola I'd hope) for Inter. Midfield something like Case (if tests negative) - Modrić/Odegaard - Kroos and Hazard (if negative) - Benzema (likely to be back) - Asensio up top.

I'm honestly more concerned with midfield anyway. No Fede will be disastrous for us unless Odegaard really really really explodes out of nowhere right now. Can't be back to CKM or shoehorning Isco as a starting trio.

Carva was back in light training but I doubt he'll be back by mid December.

 

[El Gato]

Mendy reportedly trained at CB today

Pahaha

 

[El Gato]

Hazard + Militao both available for Villarreal.

 

[kattanib]

I guess I was one game too early in predicting Madrid loss against Inter. What a horrendous team and sadly isn?t future oriented either. If Madrid future stars are Varverde and V. Jr then winning La Liga would be impressive honestly.

 

[El Gato]

If Madrid future stars are Varverde and V. Jr then winning La Liga would be impressive honestly.

If these guys are so mediocre, let's hear who these proper future stars are, I'm all ears. Name one midfielder in Valverde generation that is better than him right now. And matter of fact, a winger in their generation that has more impact on the game than Vini. Let's discuss.

 

[kattanib]

If these guys are so mediocre, let's hear who these proper future stars are, I'm all ears. Name one midfielder in Valverde generation that is better than him right now. And matter of fact, a winger in their generation that has more impact on the game than Vini. Let's discuss.

Valverde is good, but your sole main future star being a CM is crazy for a club like Real Madrid .. where is the future CAM? ST? Winger?

As for V Jr I have no comment other than what his experienced french teammate said about him. Any decent hardworking winger with decent IQ would be a better option than V Jr, and that person doesn?t have to be Fati special

 

[El Gato]

Valverde is good, but your sole main future star being a CM is crazy for a club like Real Madrid .. where is the future CAM? ST? Winger?

As for V Jr I have no comment other than what his experienced french teammate said about him. Any decent hardworking winger with decent IQ would be a better option than V Jr, and that person doesn?t have to be Fati special

Well you're probably quite lonesome in assuming that a) Real will not have other attacker stars and that; b) they won't be main star. Or somehow turning having Valverde into a negative.

Taking Benzema opinion as something worth any consideration when he was being a straight up cunt talking behind his teammates' back in front of him in a foreign language... Likewise, no comment.
You're avoiding the answer too - which winger in that generation impacts the game more than Vini? Not 'any decent...', give an example. Fati as we've already begun to see isn't going to be a winger. Any other players that visibly change the game every time they come on?