Betis & Setién 
Also, I'm sorry, but the fact that they have a player called Moron still amuses me.
Also, I'm sorry, but the fact that they have a player called Moron still amuses me.
La Liga 2018/19
- Thread starter jojojo
- Start date
On the opposite, they have become solid at the back. Need to find the right balance between defence and attack.
Valverde won't be sacked this 2018 unless Barça are out of the ChL, which seems unlikely.
The board and the team captains have expressed several times that the main objective this season is the ChL, La Liga being expendable other than the mandatory 2nd-4th spots.
The board and the team captains have expressed several times that the main objective this season is the ChL, La Liga being expendable other than the mandatory 2nd-4th spots.
I'm having a problem with the way priorities are set at Barcelona. Some clubs are different than others, and while Real Madrid usually don't win the league in the same season when they win the Champions League, we are the opposite. But it's more than just history and statistics - we've never managed to become champions of Europe without conquering our league and being considered the best team in Europe or at least in the top two or three teams, and I think that has to do with the style of play. Today, I wouldn't put us in the Top 5 and we're not winning the Champions League playing like this.
While we have names on the pitch that have already won and are more than capable of winning the Champions League, we don't have the manager to do it. Valverde is suited to the league format, as the boring grind week in and week out should bring us just enough points to beat anyone else even while playing awful football, because Messi. In the Champions League, it's much more difficult and you need to be mentally strong, tactically at least a little unpredictable and take advantage of your chances, all this while playing against the best teams. We can't win in that environment with this approach and I think this season will end badly if we decide to prioritize a competition that we are unlikely to win.
Pique said putting all of our eggs in the CL basket would be stupid and I agree with that. Let's not forget that no one really starts the season thinking "nevermind the league, the Champions League is our goal," instead clubs are forced into prioritizing the CL after they lose the domestic title race. Real Madrid didn't give up on La Liga and bet everything on the CL because they don't care about La Liga, they did it because they realized the league was out of reach halfway through the season.
I will not flatter Valverde by thinking we're doing the same as Madrid. The season's just started, we're simply playing poorly, end of.
Man I love Joaquin, we're going to miss him when he retires unless he becomes a pundit/coach
"If I had what Messi has... I'd have retired 8 years ago"
"If I had what Messi has... I'd have retired 8 years ago"
For some reason Valverde deeply dislikes Malcom (as a player). Not even in the bench for the Spurs match! Right now Munir is Barça's 4th attacker!
Sell him to Man Utd this Jan.! He's a young rising top Winger!
Sell him to Man Utd this Jan.! He's a young rising top Winger!
Juankar who used to play for Betis then Malaga always had my cracking up. Still does to this day.Betis & Setién
Also, I'm sorry, but the fact that they have a player called Moron still amuses me.
Strong claim it is.
Just to clarify, Zidane is a coach that joins after the Benitez fiasco and does better than all his rivals in 3 Champions Leagues and 2 Leagues during the time he spends there.
What has Lopetegui done to be better than Zizou?
Indeed.
Atletico perform well against Real and surely the Champions League hoodoo could end especially since last time it was a Ronaldo hat-rick that settled it and the two finals were settled with a last minute equalizer in a game Atletico (who were already missing Arda) lost Costa after 5 minutes and then a post in a penalty shootout in a 1-1 game in which Real's goal was offside.
Same for a potential Real vs. Juventus match-up. You don't have Ronaldo's hat-rick last season you probably see Juventus progress.
They are clicking after a poor start now. They look more solid this season.Betis & Setién
Also, I'm sorry, but the fact that they have a player called Moron still amuses me.
2 defeat in a row for Bilbao. Bit of a crisis for them atm.
Yet took points off Barca and Madrid.
Typical Berizzo, his sides are huge game raisers yet he loses plenty of winnable games
Yeah, even last season Bilbao did the same. They drew against Madrid in Bilbao.
Think they have missed Aduriz as a focal point up front, he eventually came on last night. I much prefer Williams out wide. He is not a striker to me. Problem is of course is finding another Aduriz. The constant changing of CB's can't help, they are conceding far too many goals. Sometimes it is Yeray and Martinez, sometimes Yeray and Nunez, Yeray and Martinez. Then Nolaskoain has come into the picture and Nunez has been shunted aside at times. I wonder if he will bring Herrerin back in goal for his experience. They also pick up too many bookings for my liking. Maybe that is Spanish referees, I don't know. They really need to get things sorted. As has been said it is great playing well in the big games, but the manager has to keep the intensity up for the lesser games as there are far more of them.
You forgot the draw at camp nou...
Stuani seems to have really found his place at Girona, another two goals for him, although they lost the game.
So it's Piatek (8 goals) v Stuani (8 goals) v André Silva (7 goals) for the European Golden Shoe in the early going this season.
So it's Piatek (8 goals) v Stuani (8 goals) v André Silva (7 goals) for the European Golden Shoe in the early going this season.
6 hours without scoring
We needed to make big changes in the summer. The only big change we made was selling the guy who made it all work. Actually, losing the two guys who made it all work. Lopetegui doesn't help himself either with his lineups. What is the purpose of Nacho at LB? We have no penetration. Bale might het won us this game, but seriously, Asensio should start every game while Isco is out. The whole point of not breaking the bank for Hazard was to give him a real chance...
And please play Mariano. At least he's a pest for the defenders, devours every blade of grass and chases every ball like his life depends on it. More likely tl flrce a mistake on their defenders than Benzema who right now is about as useful as a third testicle on an arsehole
Stuani seems to have really found his place at Girona, another two goals for him, although they lost the game.
So it's Piatek (8 goals) v Stuani (8 goals) v André Silva (7 goals) for the European Golden Shoe in the early going this season.
If you go back to last August Stuani's goal record per game is mental, probably not far off Messi or Ronaldo level.
Pipi Estrada said that the club begin to see impotence in Lopetegui
Even scoring the match is not good. It smells more and more to Benítez.
You are right about Nacho.In many of his decisions and changes he has been too defensive
Madrid's passing from midfield area is abysmal, keep on hitting it long to the keeper or an Alaves defender.
oh dear Bye Julen
Yeah, a goalkeeper, that's what we needed
Madrid will still finish 2nd regardless.. or not?
Alaves 3rd place, joint with Barca and Real Madrid. Their first La Liga win over Real Madrid since 1931. Abelardo has been doing a good job for them
Lopetegui LOL.
He's completely out of his depth. The job is simply too big for him.
He's completely out of his depth. The job is simply too big for him.
Blimey I was watching the end of this, saw Alaves had a corner in 95th minute and just assumed they'd keep the ball in the corner bit to close out the 0-0 so turned off and watched the end of the Bayern-Gladbach game.
Clearly not!
Clearly not!
Alavés the Spanish 18-19 Watford...
ThibautC is such a pointless signing. It's like they have to sign someone for the sake of it
God! I thought Real looked so fecking good without Ronaldo, with the players finally free to express themselves at their best, instead Lopetequi is not gonna eat panettone like we say in Italy
Varane lost on that corner. And we were willing to pay over £100 million to sign him?
we say "comerse el turrón"God! I thought Real looked so fecking good without Ronaldo, with the players finally free to express themselves at their best, instead Lopetequi is not gonna eat panettone like we say in Italy
.At this rate let´s see if he reaches All Saint´s dayWhy did they buy Courtois when they had a very good keeper instead of focusing on other areas of the pitch ???
Because Perez cant sign his dream boy De Gea instead? Are you really taht surprised when every summer major talking point is wheter De Gea move or not. Glad thry went with Courtois
Yes I am because this is the summer they lost Ronaldo and this was the opportunity to reinvest with quality players. Going for a keeper they didn't need was madness.
And going for Mariano, Vinicius and Odriozola too, nice prospects for the future but they were mad to think Benzema without Ronaldo would start to score 30 or 40 goals a season or Bale would somehow stop being injured because Ronaldo didn't let them shine.