How did he do vs Barca?
Valencia is an average team, probably the weakest defense in Liga.
he played crap in most of the big games. Lyon game didn't help either.
2009
Arbeloa 4.5m GOOD - underrated, quiet solid appointment
Kaka 65m CACKA - hysterical flop, decent games smattered between reams of shite, injured a lot too... way overpriced
Ronaldo 94m GOTTAHANDITTOHIM - overpriced but a fantastic season, especially at the end there where he really grew a set
Alonso 30m GOOD - not bad, not great, but good... certainly overpriced
Albiol 15m ALBILOL - now I know why valencia agreed to sell
Benzema 35m PAEDO GANGSTER MISFIT - but very young and very talented, would be a flop if sold now ala chysus, needs time
Granero 4m MEH - meh
2010
Canales 4.5m OOO BOY - brilliant bit of business
di Maria 25m LOLWUT - could produce, but... very strange and overpriced
Pedro Leon 10m SHREWD - the arbeloa of 2010
Khedira 12m DOESMARCELONOTEXIST? - um, yeah
well khedira makes sense if marcelo is to play at LB, but you know what I think of marcelo at LB, hence my reaction to the khedira signing.
for me, marcelo was the breakout of last season from LCM. he'd be great there in mourinho's system too. so much energy and skill, and no need to worry about dodgy positioning as much.
but eh, it is what it is.
granero is just a meh signing. he's been okay, but he's also looked tremendously out of his depth at times.
david luiz?mourinho has asked for another striker, claiming that madrid cannot play 10 months with only 2 strikers - benzema & higuaín.
he also ruled out the signings of a. cole, gerrard & carvalho.
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tricky, very tricky. there is not much time left to sign a striker and a defender. maybe they wasted too much time trying for maicon. we'll see.
any suggestions as to who these two players could be in the end?
my striker guess is negredo or fernando llorente (i posted an alledged interest from real the other day). as for the defender, i have no idea. assuming of course, maicon & thiago silva are finally, definitly staying at their respective clubs.
If you think Granero was meh, that I will take that as a compliment. For his price, and for what he can offer as a squad player it is a lovely signing. Reason I say that is because when he is offered to play where his strengths lie, he has contributed a lot and contributed significantly. Before he was deployed as a deep CM, he was whipping in amazing corner kicks and was up there for the amount of assists. Besides Ronaldo, he is the only player on the field who is able to make a late run and create danger on goal. His finishing was shit though.
His passing isn't what you'd expect from Xavi but his ability to keep the ball moving is great and unlike Kaka, he doesn't lose the ball. He can actually turn his back to a defender and protect it. He is a useful squad player and I rely on him a lot more on VDV who to me is synonymous with giving up (sorry, but a couple of nice late goals don't do it for me, not to say, I don't mind eating humble pie).
With Kaka out, Marcelo will see playing time, he will be Mourinho's Essien/Muntari/Mikel. Although not from the middle of the pitch, but from the side.
Albiol is good Meta
and what does Khedira has to do with Marcelo ? totally different players play in different positions even if Marcelo is a midfielder Khedira is not an LCM
Khedira will play CM or DM he will partner Xabi in 4-2-1-3 or 4-2-3-1 or even 4-4-2 .. in those 3 formations he is one of the 2 in the central midfield .. do u want to tell us that Marcelo-Xabi is a good option ..
Charles Manson my friend ..that's not right
striker is easy. alvaro negredo is your answer. typical mou striker.
defender is a bit tricky. chygrinskij?