Penal Madrid

El Gato

Villarato!
We're not nearly as attractive as is made out. Everyone knows we have issues and can be got at.

And we won't be if we continue to overplay the 15/16 midfield core, the same CBs and even the same rotation options for years on end.

Exhibit A starting in an hour.
 

Morten

Senior Member
We're not nearly as attractive as is made out. Everyone knows we have issues and can be got at.

And we won't be if we continue to overplay the 15/16 midfield core, the same CBs and even the same rotation options for years on end.

Exhibit A starting in an hour.

Not for much longer, i think.
 

Birdy

Senior Member
Spain needs its trough in popularity to make the next peak happen. Germanic intensity will mark this decade rather than the cult of personality and finesse. Not this cross width heavy game that absolutely doesnt suit the strike force Real have. We have the same amount of headed shots as Huesca. Talk about tactical revolution..

In time things will be better. Most finesse heavy sides will have resurgence. At the moment it's Milan, Leicester, PSG and Atalantas of this world that will carry this mantle and they'll lead the fight vs the German pedestrian style spreading across Europe.

Interesting prophecy.
But could you elaborate more on what you mean by 'German pedestrian style'?
And which teams do you include in the 'Germanic intensity' camp?
 

El Gato

Villarato!
Interesting prophecy.
But could you elaborate more on what you mean by 'German pedestrian style'?
And which teams do you include in the 'Germanic intensity' camp?

Broadly any team, with direct German influence or without, who embrace the modern needs on press to try and get on the level, more than kind of shunning away from it like some of the older school do i.e. OGS, Lamps, Mou, Zidane, Conte.

Not a fan of it. I don't know how to articulate it well right now. There are some elements of the game I miss in teams who keep this trend up i.e. drawing free kicks towards the middle. The idea that players who aren't that special by themselves and are able to succeed by playing for each other is both kind of romantic but also sort of unimpressive.
 

Birdy

Senior Member
Broadly any team, with direct German influence or without, who embrace the modern needs on press to try and get on the level, more than kind of shunning away from it like some of the older school do i.e. OGS, Lamps, Mou, Zidane, Conte.

Not a fan of it. I don't know how to articulate it well right now. There are some elements of the game I miss in teams who keep this trend up i.e. drawing free kicks towards the middle. The idea that players who aren't that special by themselves and are able to succeed by playing for each other is both kind of romantic but also sort of unimpressive.

Interesting...
I would like to hear more whenever you feel able to articulate it in more detail.

I guess you think Klopp is the founder of that 'germanic' version, with people like Nagelsman, Tuchel, Ten Hag, Flick, Marco Rose and other Germans following suit?
I guess also from active managers people like EV, Ancelotti, Allegri, Simeone belong to the older school, right?
Strange that you group Lamps and OGS in the older school. Seems to me that the teams they are building follow the 'Germanic' influence.
I wonder where do you think Pep belongs? And pochetino?
 
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El Gato

Villarato!
Interesting...
I would like to hear more whenever you feel able to articulate it in more detail.

I guess you think Klopp is the founder of that 'germanic' version, with people like Nagelsman, Tuchel, Ten Hag, Flick, Marco Rose and other Germans following suit?
I guess also from active managers people like EV, Ancelotti, Allegri, Simeone belong to the older school, right?
Strange that you group Lamps and OGS in the older school. Seems to me that the teams they are building follow the 'Germanic' influence.
I wonder where do you think Pep belongs? And pochetino?

Neither of the two strike me as coaches stressing winning the ball back high up ASAP upon loss. Or at least Lampard isn't nearly as effective at doing so if that's his goal hence they're so lacklustre. OGS certainly isn't - MU are bang average at doing so, they're some of the biggest overperformers in the league kind of fortunate with forwards producing from silly chances and have been quite reactive against most bigger sides they played that I've seen. Only perhaps 2nd or 3rd to Everton and Southampton in terms of where they are.
Pep is playing with his ideas around, but haven't watched City enough this season to tell how much more similar than different he's becoming. Ancelotti also shows some flexibility.
Pochettino is also balancing between the two, his issue I think is mostly in decisions and the lack of ideas in certain moments, but it might be redeemable. He seems to learn on failure to some extent. It's not like he did all that well vs big sides in EPL, I think their only fixture under him where both teams go at each other and he has a pretty positive record is City. Very patchy vs London teams, don't think he even has a win vs Klopp, got rolled by Allegri and the dead-man-walking Hiddink.
Simeone.. dunno, not made up my mind. I think he's certainly reactive and fails when has to be on the front foot, loves to win by causing a battle that frustrates opponents, one he doesn't necessarily always need to have given the talent at his disposal.

I don't know what it is yet, I need to watch more of them, but I think there's something about the managers who came up in France and Italy of late. The likes of Rudi Garcia, Pioli, Gasperini, Sarri even despite the Juve episode.. I think they'll be the right kind of antidote going forward. Certainly not the horrendous dogmatism of Conte, Mourinho. I for one would be curious to see if the marriage between BVB and Sarri is something both sides would fancy. Though can't remember an Italian to ever succeed in Germany (not counting Carlo)
 
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BarcaOG

Banned
i meant you both predicted losing to bilbao. honestly when it was 90+ and 1-2 i thouhght: no way. real will equalize. they alwasy do.
 

El Gato

Villarato!
Like I said then, the moment these pussies saw their offensive leader come off, it was done. Despite Ramos emergency CF klaxons

Also it's Bilbao. We don't like playing them. They don't like playing us. They're a semi-regular points loss.
 

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