Shocking miss. Some poor defending from that CB.
La Liga - 2014/15
- Thread starter jojojo
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How can any other player than these two realistically expect a chance at Ballon d'Or?
Maybe not at a BdO level (as far more than just on-field performance comes into play here, ie. reputation, popularity & PR, politics, etc.), but there have been plenty of occasions where they have been outshone by others. The international stage for one. But also closer to home, last season's La Liga there were several equally or more consistent performers IMO: Diego Costa, Vela, Gabi, Rakitic, Koke, Godín, Keylor Navas, Modric were all more consistent and influential. Di María (2nd half of season anyway) and Messi were at least on the same level. While it was nice (and deserved) to see Vela represented in the LFP's Best Forward award top-3 in place of Messi, it's a farce that Cristiano won it, because Diego Costa was head and shoulders above both of them in the league. Unfortunately for Atléti that wasn't the only farce, no recognition whatsoever for Godín, Juanfran, Gabi or even Koke (Iniesta was chosen ahead of him and Rakitic for Best Attacking Midfielder, possibly the biggest farce of all) and Arda; neither domestically or internationally. Various "official" teams of the season barely containing any Atlético players as well.
I think the style of play has A LOT to do with it. Madrid play counter attacking football at breakneck speed. Often defenders are left scrambling as they go in on goal and end up fouling them. Also Madrid seem to take players on more and bring about fouls. Then of course on top of that you've got someone who can literally get a penalty without being fouled
Very likely yes, a good proportion of pens will have come from handballs, which is a bit of an obsession in Spain (for example, a couple of seasons back the refs were issued a guideline that every handball was to be cautioned, no matter intentional or not; that has since been abolished though), but that's the same for Barça. What does seem to happen a lot more in RM's favour is being awarded penalties that were actually fouls outside the box (I can recall a couple, Getafe twice a few seasons ago, Sevilla, Barça last season), which would indeed seem to suggest that the pace of their counters is very often the cause of penalties being conceded against them.
Wtf, that Sociedad player wears his own socks
Although Sociedad are better defensively under Moyes, they're dreadful to watch. Especially in comparison to recent seasons.
Cruyff isn't an issue TBF. He will talk, he always talks. Infact Laporta was hinting towards Mou recently if he becomes president again.
There was a meeting between Mendes and Laporta recently but he denied it had anything to do with Mourinho. Mendes represents alot of people in the football world. Also Mourinho has publicly hinted that he wants to stay at Chelsea for many years and prefers english football. I can't see it happen myself but stranger things have happened.
ah yes, the free flowing masterful Sociedad that Moyes took over. He's ruined them within a few weeks
ah yes, the free flowing masterful Sociedad that Moyes took over. He's ruined them within a few weeks
In fairness they weren't free flowing this season before Moyes. They're bereft of any attacking ideas away from home.
That's why he's so easily the best player I've seen. He could be a great pure number 10/midfielder if he wanted to. I've never seen a player so creative and part of the "engine" be so lethal infront of goal.
That was kind of my point, thinking your implication was that Moyes had made them dreadful to watch. If they weren't so dreadful there would not have been a vacancy. You can understand concentrating on getting the defending right when you were sinking to relegation zone.
As for Busquets, as I think he was being criticized earlier, he was genuinely brilliant a few years back. His touch, decision making was absolutely superb. He was probbaly just after xavi and Iniesta as far as Central midfielders. Like a lot of Barca players he's had a very dramatic decline. It doesn't help whwn the club is obsessed with hiring managers who arent that accomplished and hence have a high probably of being duds.
I have no idea what happened to Busquets. It's not the first time this season he dwells too long on the ball and ends up getting his pocked picked. I understand when players decline due to age. I understand when players lose pace. But a 26 year old who was renowned for basically never giving the ball away even when heavily pressed looks clumsy now. Perplexing. Scholes recently said Barca players look bored. Wonder if it's really that simple.
On what basis Costa was 'head & shoulders' above Ronaldo in league? Ronaldo's stats show 31 goals, 9 assists in 31 games. Costa's show 27 goals and 3 assists in 34 games. A wide forward having that kind of stat than a striker can no way be 'head & shoulders' below. If it is midfielder, yeah we can't compare purely in terms of goals but if Costa, a striker, was that much better, it should reflect in stats, simple as. Don't tell me how he brought others in game etc, because that these big 2 do anyway on regular basis.
In the end, whether it is Atletico last season, or Germany in world cup or Bayern a year ago, it was a collective effort where many players shone and did very well. That doesn't mean those players were better than Ronaldo & Messi individually. Atletico aren't doing too bad without Costa even replacing him with someone of lesser skills in Mandzukic. RM and Barca however, will become considerably worse if Ronaldo & Messi were to leave. Imagine a Real side replacing Ronaldo with Bale (a very good player) and hoping for 18 games winning streak. Impossible.
Poor moyes, Villareal take the lead.
Watching last 3-4 minutes and too many long balls from La Real.
Apparently he has pubalgia and it has been hampering him for some time so perhaps that is why he has not been performing at his best for quite a while. Barcelona were supposedly hoping it would not need surgery (ie it would get better with rest and physio) but that does not seem to be the case.
what a goal that was. 2-0 Villarreal.
Cue a giant anti-moyes wankathon
Cue a giant anti-moyes wankathon
Sociadad getting well beaten
Could have been 4 or 5 nil to Villareal. Two shots by Vietto hit the post and other chances.
Vietto looks a talent.
Brilliant goal!
Moyes' team are dreadful though
Moyes' team are dreadful though
It's 3-0 to Villareal. Welcome to La Liga Moyes.
It's a rout. Notice how sky have started showing all the sociedad games now? Probably won't be for long
Villarreal too good for Sociedad today. Moyes has some work to do.
Risky move from Moyes, if he gets sacked after 15-20 games at Sociedad he will have lost all credibility he has left.
Nah if he fails he will just say he didn't adjust quickly enough to Spanish culture etc. He will still be highly regarded by any mid table to lower club.
Moyes concedes quatro goals
4 games in, scoring no goals in 3 of them.
They used to show them regularly last season too.
he obviously saw this coming hence learning to count to 4.
Any Real Sociedad foro goes into meltdown quotes?
He was asked about it in a press conference not that long ago and claimed that he is completely fine and over his hip problems. But then again he probably won't publicly admit that he might have physical problems even if he does have physical problems. He certainly doesn't look allright.
Don't know about crosses but zero attempts on goal it seems
Sorry but I don't agree with that at all, or at least not with the Messi and Ronaldo part. They are being judged on their own standards that they set, and compared to the other players and their own individual standards. Are you seriously going to tell me that judging them both from the same level, that Vela was better then Messi last season? He had a great season for his own standards, Messi had a poor one for his own standards, but that's not how you judge them. You judge them from the same standard when discussing personal honors and Messi's 'poor' season was still way better then how anyone else performed apart from Cristiano Ronaldo. It does effectively rule out anyone else winning it while those 2 are playing, as it should though. Nobody else comes close to those 2 productivity wise even when they have poor seasons. Best player rewards aren't made to make some people feel good and recognize the players who improved a lot and had great personal seasons. They're made to recognize the best player in that year (or best forward, best midfielder, best defender, etc. ). It's not fair to compare the players to their own previous standards and rule one out like Messi because his worse year still beats Vela's great year.
Also farce that Ronaldo won it? Please. He scored more goals then Costa, and had more assists playing as a wide forward, compared to Costa is a striker. He had a great season individually, but he has never been a patch on Ronaldo and never will be. Ridiculous to say otherwise.
In the sequence I saw, he was asked if he'd refused to have surgery. With an intro like that, most players would deny it. That doesn't make it true of course. But it still seems to fit with the generally sub-par, not quite as fast, not quite as solid performances we've seen.
Ah, allright. I haven't seen the live presser myself, only the quoted bits.
I read somewhere that Moyes is trying to sign Januzaj on loan.