La Liga - 2014/15

jojojo said:
I wondered if he might go for a three of Khedira/Modric/Kroos but they've not played much together, so it would be an experiment - perhaps not the game for it.
Click to expand...

You never know, didn't Khedira start in the CL final even though he was short of match fitness. Alonso was suspended but yeah you can't bet against Khedira playing this time despite him just recovering. Maybe push Pepe up into defensive midfield to play as an enforcer like what Mourinho did but don't think Ancelotti has ever done that before. I think they really need a bit of defensive and physical presence in the middle of the pitch to disrupt Barca a wee bit.

Just wondering if there is going to be a bit of pressure from 'upstairs' on Ancelotti, to play Real's glamorous summer signings James and Kroos in such a massive game.
 
Joga Bonito said:
You never know, didn't Khedira start in the CL final even though he was short of match fitness. Alonso was suspended but yeah you can't bet against Khedira playing this time despite him just recovering. Maybe push Pepe up into defensive midfield to play as an enforcer like what Mourinho did but don't think Ancelotti has ever done that before. I think they really need a bit of defensive and physical presence in the middle of the pitch to disrupt Barca a wee bit.

Just wondering if there is going to be a bit of pressure from 'upstairs' on Ancelotti, to play Real's glamorous summer signings James and Kroos in such a massive game.
Click to expand...

On the Pepe suggestion you mentioned there...Ancelotti played Sergio Ramos in midfield last season for his first clásico! It didn't go well at all though, as he admitted himself yesterday.

He also said he wasn't making the same mistake in naming his line-up early again, but didn't rule out there being a surprise inclusion again.
 
Bob Loblaw said:
Shame about the stupid broadcasting laws that means Sky can't show the first 15 mins live.
Click to expand...

This - outdated and increasingly irrelevant nannying fecking-up choices for fans, it's the way of modern football.

This clasico will be interesting for me - I've long been on the side of Barca in these games since Real started the Galacticos bullshit again, but I think I'll switch sides the second Suarez jogs onto the pitch :mad: :D
 
Bob Loblaw said:
One of the best teams to watch or one of the best in terms of ability, success etc.? Because I don't see how anyone could argue they're one of the best ever when they had such a miserable (in relative terms) league campaign...

Fair enough if it's the former, though.
Click to expand...
One of the best to watch and a very formidable team as well. I understand they didn't have an era of domination -- or even a season of domination, but in terms of talent ceiling, that team is up there for me. The speed/ferocity at which they counter attacked was just incredible to watch. Real last season, Bayern 12-13, Barcelona the time before that and Arsenal's unbeaten team are my personal top 4 teams from what I have seen. Arsenal would be the weakest of that lot, but relative to the other big teams in their invincible season, they were superb to watch.
 
zing said:
One of the best to watch and a very formidable team as well. I understand they didn't have an era of domination -- or even a season of domination, but in terms of talent ceiling, that team is up there for me. The speed/ferocity at which they counter attacked was just incredible to watch. Real last season, Bayern 12-13, Barcelona the time before that and Arsenal's unbeaten team are my personal top 4 teams from what I have seen. Arsenal would be the weakest of that lot, but relative to the other big teams in their invincible season, they were superb to watch.
Click to expand...

Fair enough, don't disagree with that. When they're on form they're near enough unstoppable, that's true. I generally prefer possession football but it's hard not to like counter attacking football too at the speed Real Madrid do it at.
 
Bob Loblaw said:
Fair enough, don't disagree with that. When they're on form they're near enough unstoppable, that's true. I generally prefer possession football but it's hard not to like counter attacking football too at the speed Real Madrid do it at.
Click to expand...

There was a beautiful balance to their front 6. They had age on their side and everything to dominate.. and Perez went and fecked it up by selling di Maria and buying Kroos.

Really would've been great to simply see them play by replacing Alonso with a good defensive midfielder and leaving the rest of the front 6 unchanged -- except for maybe Benzema.
 
What's the actual reason for Sky not being allowed to show the first 15 minutes?
 
Mogget said:
What's the actual reason for Sky not being allowed to show the first 15 minutes?
Click to expand...

No live football can be shown in the UK (except during international breaks and a few other occasions) from 2.45pm to 5.15pm on Saturday. Apparently it's to stop lower league attendances falling...can't see the logic personally - match going fans are going to go regardless of what's on TV surely?
 
Bob Loblaw said:
One of the best teams to watch or one of the best in terms of ability, success etc.? Because I don't see how anyone could argue they're one of the best ever when they had such a miserable (in relative terms) league campaign...

Fair enough if it's the former, though.
Click to expand...
I am not claiming that this Madrid team is one of the best ever teams for one second, I would rather wait until the end of the season before I judge it and even then I doubt I will be considering it to be one of the best ever. But context is needed. La Liga last year was very competitive and not many teams would have been winning double or trebles in that league last year. There would have been teams that were lesser or equal to this Madrid team that would have won their league as well as the CL due to their leagues being weaker. I'm not saying this Madrid are as good as either, but both Inter's and Barca's treble were won in weak leagues. Trophy haul is also not the only way to judge a teams greatness as Barca 10-11 won only two titles compared to Barca in 08/09 which won three but 10-11 is considered better by most and rightly so. They were also denied a treble in 10-11 by Madrid due to them being more much competitive than they were in 09. Style and the manner in which teams win are also very important in determining how good a team was. The league is extremely important of course, but the difficulty of the league has to be taken into account also. Not many teams would have been winning doubles or trebles in La Liga last year and I do not think Pep's Barca would have either.
 
Raul Madrid said:
I am not claiming that this Madrid team is one of the best ever teams for one second, I would rather wait until the end of the season before I judge it and even then I doubt I will be considering it to be one of the best ever. But context is needed. La Liga last year was very competitive and not many teams would have been winning double or trebles in that league last year. There would have been teams that were lesser or equal to this Madrid team that would have won their league as well as the CL due to their leagues being weaker. I'm not saying this Madrid are as good as either, but both Inter's and Barca's treble were won in weak leagues. Trophy haul is also not the only way to judge a teams greatness as Barca 10-11 won only two titles compared to Barca in 08/09 which won three but 10-11 is considered better by most and rightly so. They were also denied a treble in 10-11 by Madrid due to them being more much competitive than they were in 09. Style and the manner in which teams win are also very important in determining how good a team was. The league is extremely important of course, but the difficulty of the league has to be taken into account also. Not many teams would have been winning doubles or trebles in La Liga last year and I do not think Pep's Barca would have either.
Click to expand...

Fair enough. Personally I think the most important competition for a team to prove how good they are is the league, but that's just my personal opinion. I think if you look at Champions League winners over the past decade or so there's quite a few average sides who managed to put a good cup campaign together. Can't think of any team who's managed to fluke a league win though.

It's not the only factor in determining a side's greatness, as you say, but for me it's the biggest factor.
 
Bob Loblaw said:
Fair enough. Personally I think the most important competition for a team to prove how good they are is the league, but that's just my personal opinion. I think if you look at Champions League winners over the past decade or so there's quite a few average sides who managed to put a good cup campaign together. Can't think of any team who's managed to fluke a league win though.

It's not the only factor in determining a side's greatness, as you say, but for me it's the biggest factor.
Click to expand...
It is definitely true that there is more luck involved in the CL but at the same time it provides a different kind of test for teams mental resolve and fortitude. Inter won 5 leagues in a row but they were not considered one of the best in the world until they won the CL. Obviously Porto, Liverpool and Chelsea were not the best teams in the world they years they won it (ie had the highest peak level or played the most dominant football) but they showed the resolve and fortitude that I mentioned as were very organised and made the most of their strengths as well as rode their luck at times. I would consider Milan one of the best teams of the 2000s because they always went very far in the CL and won it twice as well as lost a final and I am sure that most people would rate them over Inter as well. Madrid also won two leagues on the bounce in 07 and 08 but were far from being one of the best teams in the world (As shown by their failures in the CL. Those losses were due lack of quality, lack of composure, being out-thought and in some case being overwhelmed physically and being outran and outlasted throughout the 90) . This team since 10/11 is much, much better despite having less leagues to show for it and that would have been the case if we didn't win the CL last year also. For me the CL is the ultimate test in club football and it has also decided the Balon D'or winner over the last few years also (ie the top scorer or best player in the competition has won it) and I am sure that it will continue to do so.
 
Suárez starts for Barcelona.

Ramos in for Varane and Carvajal in for Arbeloa, Real Madrid unchanged otherwise.
 
Bob Loblaw said:
Suárez starts for Barcelona.

Ramos in for Varane and Carvajal in for Arbeloa, Real Madrid unchanged otherwise.
Click to expand...
Where did you see that Suarez starts? I've seen that Pedro starts. Xavi is in too in the team I've seen.
 
Barcelona line-up (official): Bravo - Alves Pique Mascherano Mathieu - Xavi Busquets Iniesta - Suarez Messi Neymar
 
Think Luis Enrique has picked excellently. Pretty much exactly what I'd pick, toss up for the partner to Masch though between Piqué and Bartra.
 
Surprised Suarez starts. Will be interesting to see how their front-3 operate.
 
Raul Madrid said:
I am not claiming that this Madrid team is one of the best ever teams for one second, I would rather wait until the end of the season before I judge it and even then I doubt I will be considering it to be one of the best ever. But context is needed. La Liga last year was very competitive and not many teams would have been winning double or trebles in that league last year. There would have been teams that were lesser or equal to this Madrid team that would have won their league as well as the CL due to their leagues being weaker. I'm not saying this Madrid are as good as either, but both Inter's and Barca's treble were won in weak leagues. Trophy haul is also not the only way to judge a teams greatness as Barca 10-11 won only two titles compared to Barca in 08/09 which won three but 10-11 is considered better by most and rightly so. They were also denied a treble in 10-11 by Madrid due to them being more much competitive than they were in 09. Style and the manner in which teams win are also very important in determining how good a team was. The league is extremely important of course, but the difficulty of the league has to be taken into account also. Not many teams would have been winning doubles or trebles in La Liga last year and I do not think Pep's Barca would have either.
Click to expand...
Why should the 10-11 barca side be considered better than the 08-09 team?
 
Been a while since I've seen Barca approaching a big game with 3 natural forwards and Xavi and Iniesta in midfield. Fabregas was getting shoehorned into the lineup in the past 2 seasons. Very curious to see if Xavi can handle the intensity of such a game.
 
Feck's sake those teams are insane. I'm giving Real the edge though. Kroos is the man to watch.
 
Bob Loblaw said:
Probably (I'm only guessing) from the right but drifting in, like Neymar on the other side with Messi dropping deeper and playing them in.
Click to expand...
Yeah, I expect that too as I can't see Messi being moved. Did Suarez played a similar enough role at times for you last season or am I imagining that?
 
sizzling sausages said:
Yeah, I expect that too as I can't see Messi being moved. Did Suarez played a similar enough role at times for you last season or am I imagining that?
Click to expand...

He had freedom go wherever he wanted but yeah spent a lot of time out wide. He had a great season at Ajax playing on the right too I believe.
 
RooneyLegend said:
Why should the 10-11 barca side be considered better than the 08-09 team?
Click to expand...
They dominated matches much more than the 08/09 team did and won much more convincingly, giving their opponents barely a sniff and this was taking into account that opponents were adapting much more to stifle them than in 08/09. Messi, Iniesta, Pique, Busquets etc all had their best seasons and Xavi was as influential as ever although not as much as in the final third as he was in 08/09. They also overcame tougher opponents domestically and in Europe. Madrid were much tougher in the league, cup and CL that year. Only United in the final were weaker. Arsenal were tougher than Lyon and that Madrid team was better than Chelsea in 08/09. You are the first person I have met that has questioned that they were at their best in 10/11 tbh.
 
On paper, this may be Barca's best attacking trio ever.

They've always had great forwards but I can't think of a better attacking line. Romario and Stoichkov were good but Messi, Neymar and Suarez are something else, on paper at least. I can't wait.
 
Treble said:
On paper, this may be Barca's best attacking trio ever.

They've always had great forwards but I can't think of a better attacking line. Romario and Stoichkov were good but Messi, Neymar and Suarez are something else, on paper at least. I can't wait.
Click to expand...

Shame they didn't get Henry at the peak of his powers, he joined just as Ronaldinho started going off the boil and Messi started to emerge as a first teamer. Had Henry, Eto'o, Ronaldinho and Messi at one point, that would have been unstoppable.
 
Treble said:
On paper, this may be Barca's best attacking trio ever.

They've always had great forwards but I can't think of a better attacking line. Romario and Stoichkov were good but Messi, Neymar and Suarez are something else, on paper at least. I can't wait.
Click to expand...

Bar Messi.. other two are not on the same level as Romario or even Stoichkov yet...

Laudrup supplying to those two still trumps this trio for me. Could change if Neymar justifies his hype and Suarez continues his form from last year
 
Must be one of the oldest Barcelona XI in the recent times. Think their average age is around 29 which is quite high.
 
Pepe vs Suarez....thinking of betting for a Pepe red card :smirk:
 
crappycraperson said:
Bar Messi.. other two are not on the same level as Romario or even Stoichkov yet...

Laudrup supplying to those two still trumps this trio for me. Could change if Neymar justifies his hype and Suarez continues his form from last year
Click to expand...

This barely happened though. Foreigner rules meant that only 3 of Koeman, Stoichkov, Romario, Laudrup could play and Laudrup was the one who was out of favour with Cruyff which is why he ended up at Madrid.
 
crappycraperson said:
Bar Messi.. other two are not on the same level as Romario or even Stoichkov yet...

Laudrup supplying to those two still trumps this trio for me. Could change if Neymar justifies his hype and Suarez continues his form from last year
Click to expand...

Good point. Because of the rule for foreigners Cruyff rarely played Romario, Stoichkov and Laudrup. He prefered initially Romario, Laudrup and Koeman. They struggled in the league though, so Stoichkov displaced Laudrup and they became champions on the last day. Shame because Romario, Stoichkov and Laudrup had the potential to be one of the best attacking trios in the history of the game. Laudrup left after that season (93/94) for he wanted to be a regular starter.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.