La Liga 2017/18

@RoyH1 spanish law works against the medium/small clubs with mandatory buyout clauses
 
I apologize as I haven't checked your other posts. However, the point is still the same. The economical bleed of talent in Spain is due to:
30% TV deal.
70% value of the league.

It would continue without a hitch with a better TV deal . Which is no excuse for a better deal, mind you. Heavy changes in Spanish federation are required, though, to change the value of the league.
True. The league is poorly managed and could do much better with adult leadership.

@RoyH1 spanish law works against the medium/small clubs with mandatory buyout clauses
Agree. Compare it to the PL where any English player from a mid table side is worth in excess of 30 million.
 
The only thing I don't quite like about Premier League would be the restriction for players outside of Europe, like Arsenal with Campbell and Vela had to loan them to Spain where they were doing very good all while having Chamakh and Bendtner as their strikers lol.

Aside from that Spain keeps producing players and teams might not have as much money but prices aren't as inflated in Spain, even in Bundesliga Kroos was cheaper for Real Madrid than a lot of british players half as talented and they can still bring players from South America, and those clubs are really the ones who are shafted.
 
@carvajal

i think a couple of things are coming together at the moment. Its a new development, that a club like PSG (maybe City will follow their example, but we'll have to wait and see) has more pull than Barca (Neymar) and Real (Mbappe). Its certainly going to be interesting to see how this is going to develop over the next few years. That might be affecting the mindset that "Barca&Real get who they want". Still, there are enough top players out there and Neymar was imo an one time thing that won't happen again, while it is not even clear that Real would be better off with Mbappe (at least in the short run). Currently Real is at their very peak, so I don't see how anyone could argue, that they are declining. Barca is struggling a bit, but thats not just down to losing Neymar, but down to many bad signings, while their core-group is ageing. Atletico was a bit stronger in the past seasons, but they have somewhat the same problem that Barca has: Their transfer decisions were very hit-and-miss, while Simeone struggled to refresh the ageing core of the team; especially in midfield. They have all the tools for another great group of players, but these transitions are always difficult. What is happening to Barca&Atletico is fairly natural and has little to do with money.

So the question is, if the clubs that are 4-8 (Sevilla, RSSS, Valencia, Villarreal, Bilbao) are losing players, that they want to hold onto. Overall I don't see a big drain of talent this season. The only player that Sevilla really wanted to keep and lost was Vitolo but he stayed in the league. Musacchio went to Italy, Berchiche to France, Camacho to Germany and Roque Mesa went to England. Only Mesa and Camacho are players who "followed the money" and could have played for better teams otherwise. The same happened in the past. I find it quite interesting that despite all the money the EPL didn't attract many players, that would otherwise play in la liga.
 
@carvajal

i think a couple of things are coming together at the moment. Its a new development, that a club like PSG (maybe City will follow their example, but we'll have to wait and see) has more pull than Barca (Neymar) and Real (Mbappe). Its certainly going to be interesting to see how this is going to develop over the next few years. That might be affecting the mindset that "Barca&Real get who they want". Still, there are enough top players out there and Neymar was imo an one time thing that won't happen again, while it is not even clear that Real would be better off with Mbappe (at least in the short run). Currently Real is at their very peak, so I don't see how anyone could argue, that they are declining. Barca is struggling a bit, but thats not just down to losing Neymar, but down to many bad signings, while their core-group is ageing. Atletico was a bit stronger in the past seasons, but they have somewhat the same problem that Barca has: Their transfer decisions were very hit-and-miss, while Simeone struggled to refresh the ageing core of the team; especially in midfield. They have all the tools for another great group of players, but these transitions are always difficult. What is happening to Barca&Atletico is fairly natural and has little to do with money.

So the question is, if the clubs that are 4-8 (Sevilla, RSSS, Valencia, Villarreal, Bilbao) are losing players, that they want to hold onto. Overall I don't see a big drain of talent this season. The only player that Sevilla really wanted to keep and lost was Vitolo but he stayed in the league. Musacchio went to Italy, Berchiche to France, Camacho to Germany and Roque Mesa went to England. Only Mesa and Camacho are players who "followed the money" and could have played for better teams otherwise. The same happened in the past. I find it quite interesting that despite all the money the EPL didn't attract many players, that would otherwise play in la liga.
I know that Barsa and Madrid will be fine Pedro. They'll always be prowling near the top.
I am not too worried about comparisons with other leagues,coefficients or Europe competitions, simply the level of la liga: Dembelé is not Neymar and Bale is not Mbappé.
The other day I watched a Levante-Deportivo and was terrible,not what I expected in a first division game and I guess that there are many teams in the same situation,lacking something extra in the midfield or the attack.
I thought how great would be a Rafa Benítez in the bench or Jesé in the attack,or Athletic with Herrera,Monreal and Llorente or even Sevilla/Valencia being able to bid for Alexis,Aubameyang,etc.
The teams will work well with the leftovers, will use wisely the money,will buy new talent and will sell them again after 1 or 2 years.
It's inevitable to assume that model but tiresome.
 
I'd fancy Sevilla keeping their players as well, but that's not going to happen. I just tried to argue that nothing really changed this year with the exception of neymar/mbappe. It's too early to fully understand the longterm impact. I also don't really see that the bottom table teams are any weaker now, but I don't follow them closely.
I think there is significant overlap between the player-base of the Italian and Spanish league (and France). If Italy manages to step up again (Milan&inter finding old glory, while the other clubs maintain their quality), we'll see much more pressure on the Spanish upper-midtable sides to keep/find top players.
 
Match 3: 8/11 Sept
This weekend's games. From the BBC, so all times are UK.

A Barcelona derby, a (less well known) Madrid derby - the first time Leganes have played Getafe in Liga 1, a good looking match in Valencia, and an early kickoff for Real Madrid.

FRIDAY 8TH SEPTEMBER
Leganés 20:00 Getafe

SATURDAY 9TH SEPTEMBER
Real Madrid 12:00 Levante
Valencia 15:15 Atletico Madrid
Sevilla 17:30 Eibar
Barcelona 19:45 Espanyol

SUNDAY 10TH SEPTEMBER
Deportivo La Coruña 11:00 Real Sociedad
Athletic Bilbao 15:15 Girona
Celta Vigo 17:30 Alavés
Villarreal 19:45 Real Betis

MONDAY 11TH SEPTEMBER
Malaga 20:00 Las Palmas
 
Espanyol, vomit. The footballing equivalent of that guy in the office that spends his entire day logging everyone else's behaviour so he can rat them out to the bosses to get a pat on the back. Jobsworth FC.
 
Espanyol, vomit. The footballing equivalent of that guy in the office that spends his entire day logging everyone else's behaviour so he can rat them out to the bosses to get a pat on the back. Jobsworth FC.
:lol:
 
Leganes 1-2 Getafe in the end.

Leganes missed a penalty along the way.
 
Leganes 1-2 Getafe in the end.

Leganes missed a penalty along the way.
An absolutely ludicrous penalty. I don't even like VAR the way it works now, but gods the spanish league needs it desperately. The quality of the refs is absolutely disgusting
 
An absolutely ludicrous penalty. I don't even like VAR the way it works now, but gods the spanish league needs it desperately. The quality of the refs is absolutely disgusting

And goal line technology.
 
I think all big leagues are going to introduce soon. The bundesliga is useing it and they'll solve most of the teething troubles during the next few seasons. Once it runs fairly smoothly, others will follow.
 
Finally Theo(LB and Marcelo in the middle?)and Llorente.Ceballos in the bench.I guess because he played with the under21.
Asensio didn't score with Spain,so I demand his weekly super goal :D
 
Stokish goal, Real ARE missing Bale, Ronaldo, and Isco Mr C0-commentator. Get your arse in gear
 
Finally Theo(LB and Marcelo in the middle?)and Llorente.Ceballos in the bench.I guess because he played with the under21.
Asensio didn't score with Spain,so I demand his weekly super goal :D
Why are so many players being rested? Just rotation or anything else. The CL game for Madrid is an easy one so don't get the logic behind it.
 
Despite the scoreline, Real's attacks look very dangerous.
 
Why are so many players being rested? Just rotation or anything else. The CL game for Madrid is an easy one so don't get the logic behind it.
For the international games I guess.Anyway he already said that there will be many rotations during the season.
Some players(Theo,Ceballos,Llorente or Lucas) hardly have played.
 
Really slow performance, Carvajal and Benzema have been rubbish, this two left backs experiment isn't working either.
 
Benzema injured and Mayoral is not in the bench.Let's see Bale.
 
Benzema off for Bale. This is looking difficult for Madrid as there aren't a lot of goals in this team
 
Really slow performance, Carvajal and Benzema have been rubbish, this two left backs experiment isn't working either.
Yes,Zidane should do something with Theo-Marcelo in half time
I would change Theo to the right or substitute one of them