The new Anelka
Karim Benzema
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik (@Rood) and Jamie (@Vault Dweller) are here to talk about United's dreadful home defeat at the hands of Big Ange's Tottenham Hotspur. Should this have been the end of Ten Hag? How long does he actually have left? And does Nik finally want ETH out?!
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Dunno' - I wasn't there
Marca says 20k and they seldom play anything Madrid down, TVE (BBC equivalent) says about 14k and most of the ordinary press are using the about 15k idea. It looked similar to the (daytime) presentation for Albiol.
I think Benzema may have a harder time than the others unless he hits form fast in the pre-season. The Madrid fans are delighted to get him but they like Higuain and Raul.
He looked lost during the presentation and man what a fecking circus these R.Madrid presentations are, fecking circus.
Benzema: I turned down United and Barca
Fri 10 Jul, 09:00 AM
Karim Benzema revealed he rejected advances from the likes of Champions League finalists Barcelona and Manchester United before opting for his "dream" move to Real Madrid.
Benzema established himself as one of Europe's hottest properties during his time at Lyon, for whom he scored 54 competitive goals in the last two seasons, and he was regularly linked with some of the continent's biggest clubs. before Madrid has a 35million euros bid accepted for him last week.
When asked what other teams were keen on him, Benzema said: "There were quite a few clubs that contacted me like Manchester (United), Inter Milan and Barcelona, but I decided to come here."
He added: "Real Madrid are an excellent club. I've dreamt about playing here since I was 15 years old.
"Florentino (Madrid president Perez) spoke to me about the team and the project that he wanted to create. I wanted to play at Real Madrid anyway so he didn't have to convince me of hardly anything."
Benzema is the the fourth new arrival to be unveiled by the Spanish giants since Perez returned to the presidency at the start of June, following in the footsteps of Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka and Raul Albiol.
An estimated 90,000 people turned up for Ronaldo's presentation at the Bernabeu on Monday, while around 55,000 were in attendance for Kaka's unveiling last week.
The amount of people that watched Benzema's presentation on Thursday night was considerably less than those two players, with around 20,000 in the stands, but the Frenchman was still delighted with his reception and immediately endeared himself to the fans by repeatedly kissing the Madrid badge.
"It was very exciting. Real Madrid fans have a special relationship with the players and I am very grateful for that," he said.
"I felt some strong emotions today and that's why I kissed the badge."
There it goes again: The snub.
Fri 10 Jul, 09:00 AM
Karim Benzema revealed he rejected advances from the likes of Champions League finalists Barcelona and Manchester United before opting for his "dream" move to Real Madrid.
Benzema established himself as one of Europe's hottest properties during his time at Lyon, for whom he scored 54 competitive goals in the last two seasons, and he was regularly linked with some of the continent's biggest clubs. before Madrid has a 35million euros bid accepted for him last week.
When asked what other teams were keen on him, Benzema said: "There were quite a few clubs that contacted me like Manchester (United), Inter Milan and Barcelona, but I decided to come here."
He added: "Real Madrid are an excellent club. I've dreamt about playing here since I was 15 years old.
"Florentino (Madrid president Perez) spoke to me about the team and the project that he wanted to create. I wanted to play at Real Madrid anyway so he didn't have to convince me of hardly anything."
Benzema is the the fourth new arrival to be unveiled by the Spanish giants since Perez returned to the presidency at the start of June, following in the footsteps of Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka and Raul Albiol.
An estimated 90,000 people turned up for Ronaldo's presentation at the Bernabeu on Monday, while around 55,000 were in attendance for Kaka's unveiling last week.
The amount of people that watched Benzema's presentation on Thursday night was considerably less than those two players, with around 20,000 in the stands, but the Frenchman was still delighted with his reception and immediately endeared himself to the fans by repeatedly kissing the Madrid badge.
"It was very exciting. Real Madrid fans have a special relationship with the players and I am very grateful for that," he said.
"I felt some strong emotions today and that's why I kissed the badge."
There it goes again: The snub.
How many times can the same quotes get rehashed?
heh, frankly I have to just laugh at most of the youngsters who "pick" Real over us. They have a history of buying in superstars, underusing their youth and generally not giving the youngsters a chance to make it.
We have Fergie, and a pretty well established record of buying in and developing younger players.
I can understand going to Madrid for the weather, or for the money. But to try to claim that its for footballing reasons is pretty pathetic in my eyes.
We have Fergie, and a pretty well established record of buying in and developing younger players.
I can understand going to Madrid for the weather, or for the money. But to try to claim that its for footballing reasons is pretty pathetic in my eyes.
hmm...I disagree with that. Madrid have just bought 2 of the best players in the world and some other very good prospects. Despite this they already had a lot of class players. So any young player will be moving there to play with some of the best, to gain experience. They aren't a bad team, and could easily steal the title this season.
Interestingly he did not say WHEN United made contact with him... it could have been a year ago ..
Shouldn't this thread be locked?
Delete it I reckon.
there is a big appeal to play with kaka and ronaldo....
i think the zidane factor works in reals favour as well
i think the zidane factor works in reals favour as well
Good for him, I hope it all goes horribly wrong, and you end up washing floors in a Madrid flophouse Ya ****.
its not that they are a bad team etc, but they havent been the best team or anything like that for at least the last 2 years. just because they are splashing the £££'s shouldnt instantly change that.
lots of younger players in particular probably *remember* Madrid as a brilliant club, and the successful years, but they have changed and gone downhill since then. Perhaps the next generation of players will remember how amazing United were during their childhood, and everyone will suddenly dream of playing for us.
Let it go man, let it go.
You're making a big deal out of nothing. Not even sure why you care.
Benzema might move from Madrid so this might be useful then.
You're making a big deal out of nothing. Not even sure why you care.
Benzema might move from Madrid so this might be useful then.
Completely agree with you, man!
Do the people entering the stadium pay? I'd expect so! They're just trying to cash in on their fans in any way possible!
I think Ronaldo and Kaka where Free so they could make it a big spectical.
All marketing ploys.
Free entry.
It's not a standard thing that Madrid do all the time. When Beckham came they did an open house at the training ground but nothing like this. The monster unveilings were the relaunch of the Real Madrid brand - I kid you not! Barca did something similar with Henry a couple of years ago to take their fans minds off Madrid winning La Liga.
I watched a trailer for an interview with Perez in which he describes the Ronaldo event as incredibly moving and that that he (he=Perez, not Ronaldo) would remember it with pride all his life. The odd thing was, he appeared to mean it - it was a bit like watching Jack Walker at a Blackburn match - very strange.
As for the brand relaunch thing - going by the press coverage - it worked,
It's certainly distracted the Madrid fans from sulking over Barca's treble.
i wasnt that desperate for Benzema in the first place really. We all know who my prefered striker is!
Oh right no I wasn't talking to you, Chirag had posted right after you about getting this thread closed again but then deleted his post!
And yeah, I'm pretty sure we all know who your favourite striker is.
And yeah, I'm pretty sure we all know who your favourite striker is.
.....oh
For pete's sake, Walrus. Manucho just isn't going to make it at United...
Yeah.. I didn't realize that I posted the same message twice.. So It was best to remove it.. I too thought you were talking to him..
I was only asking for the thread to be locked because a Mod/Admin did the same thing for a few threads as soon as their transfers were confirmed.. Leaving a foot note that said move all your conversations to the football forum..
I guess Brwned was right.. (look above)
I would love for this to happen But I just think Real would be crazy to let him go so quickly unless they plan on buying another striker (possibly David Villa) The chances of this happening are very slim..
I would love for this to happen But I just think Real would be crazy to let him go so quickly unless they plan on buying another striker (possibly David Villa) The chances of this happening are very slim..
Can't see it happening at all in January, but you never know in the summer.
I think Benzema's be an excellent signing for us, I really do, but I'm getting more positive about this Berbatov-Rooney partnership again so I'm not really sure I want him right now. If they start to click more and more as the season goes on I'd be against signing him, I think.
Well he is young, and I think Rooney-Benzema would be a monster of a partnership, I really do. But like Brwned said, Lets give this Rooney-Berbatov partnership some more time.
Especially as the last couple of games have shown good promise.
Err....if Fergie was going to get Benz I'll take him in an instant, will be much better than that myth partnership between Wayne and Berba but it's not going to happen. People forget he initially had to partner Raul which is not ideal, he seems to work so well with Higuain. He's just getting settled in Madrid and he's been impressive for them of late, hitting form before the Xmas break conveying he's adapting.
Journalists are just bored.
Journalists are just bored.
yeah... i cant see why madrid would want to sell him after less than 6 months especially as if benzema hugain and ronaldo can get a good understanding with each other that is a frightening from 3 to have bearing down on you
yeah I agree with this.
The Berba Rooney partnership just won't work. If we could get Benzema we could have our strikeforce set for 10 years!
But Benzema won't be leaving Real any time soon.
dont think it will happen
berbooney for now
hopefully one of the kids will step up in a couple of seasons time
very unlikely
berbooney for now
hopefully one of the kids will step up in a couple of seasons time
very unlikely
Agreed
However, we're very much dependant on Rooney at this moment for goals. I'd be seriously concerned if Rooney was out for a period due to injury. Benzema would be a very good addition. I'd even say a front three of Rooney, Benzena and slightly withdrawn Berbatov would work well together.
United need to get him if he is available, he would be a fanfeckingtastic signing
-But he was frustrated when the Spanish giants gazumped his £20m bid, signing Benzema for £25m in an incredible spending spree that also saw them land Kaka and Xabi Alonso.-
The fee was roughly £30m when converted. It's amazing that months later journalism still gets facts wrong.
The fee was roughly £30m when converted. It's amazing that months later journalism still gets facts wrong.
Benzema would have been ace in tandem with Rooney or Berba. But that's that....
Absolutely. It'd have to be in a 4-3-1-2, or something similar, though. It'd basically be how Real Madrid play with Berbatov in for Kaka and Rooney in for Higuain. Two very talented strikers who get across the pitch well and open up space and a very talented playmaker in behind.
Obviously never going to happen because we play with width, but I do think it'd work if you had Anderson on the left and Fletcher/Hargreaves on the right, both playing on the wings before and having the energy to cover the ground like Marcelo and Diarra.
Nice to see such patience being shown by our fans.
Most matches they seem to be on a completely different wavelength to each other, especially that Hull game contrary to people who got ecstatic on here. Meh, a season and a half later is it going to click? Or are going to keep seeing this 'potential.'
I would take Benzema in an instant if he was available and for the right price Fergie was willing to also in the Summer.
Benzema is a striker who constantly plays on the shoulder of the defence, he's offside quite a bit because of it. It would be perfect for Wayne to work off.
Patience or not, I want a Benzema
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