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The 2018-2019 Football Thread
- Thread starter Lord Blackadder
- Start date
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Terrible news; my condolences for those who lost their lives in the crash.
Meanwhile, MLS, the final day of the regular season saw Columbus Crew win 2-1 at home, locking up a playoff spot. We face Rooney and DC United away this week. Columbus stumbled into the playoffs in poor form, I expect us to get dumped out easily by DC. I will be much happier when we finally get full confirmation that the team are staying in Columbus.
El Clasico was a complete blowout, Real are nowhere without Ronaldo - as always, they played like a collection of individual superstars while Barca had a system. The hapless turncoat Lopetegui will be unceremoniously discarded and Conte brought on board, by the looks of it. Now the focus will be on obtaining Neymar to fill that Ronaldo-sized hole.
Oh, and that was definitely a dive by Martial against Everton. The ref chose to award a penalty yet not book Gueye? Weird (the fact that Gueye was on a yellow clearly influenced the ref there). In my opinion both payers contested a 50/50 ball, Gueye won it, Martial THEN tripped over Gueye's leg and threw himself theatrically to the ground. No foul, dive, yellow for Martial. Apart from that, Man Utd probably deserved the win.
Meanwhile, MLS, the final day of the regular season saw Columbus Crew win 2-1 at home, locking up a playoff spot. We face Rooney and DC United away this week. Columbus stumbled into the playoffs in poor form, I expect us to get dumped out easily by DC. I will be much happier when we finally get full confirmation that the team are staying in Columbus.
El Clasico was a complete blowout, Real are nowhere without Ronaldo - as always, they played like a collection of individual superstars while Barca had a system. The hapless turncoat Lopetegui will be unceremoniously discarded and Conte brought on board, by the looks of it. Now the focus will be on obtaining Neymar to fill that Ronaldo-sized hole.
Oh, and that was definitely a dive by Martial against Everton. The ref chose to award a penalty yet not book Gueye? Weird (the fact that Gueye was on a yellow clearly influenced the ref there). In my opinion both payers contested a 50/50 ball, Gueye won it, Martial THEN tripped over Gueye's leg and threw himself theatrically to the ground. No foul, dive, yellow for Martial. Apart from that, Man Utd probably deserved the win.
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Very sad news indeed; unsurprising given the way the crash happened, but a genuine loss to Leicester, both city and club.
my condolences to all Leicester fans, stay strong.
Real Madrid have formally fired Julen Lopetegui - I'm not sure that there will be all that much sympathy for him after the manner of his appointment - or the way in which he an others handled it - over the summer, which had the effect of leaving Spain in the lurch at the World Cup - and directionless - as the competition opened.
Elsewhere, Manchester City lead Spurs by a goal to nil.
Elsewhere, Manchester City lead Spurs by a goal to nil.
I fully expected Spurs to lose, but they gave a decent account of themselves.
The league table is still tight at the top, but I fear that Man City will eventually pull far, far away into the distance. They are clearly the best team and have depth. Though it could be funny if they fail limply in Europe again.
Meanwhile, Sergio Ramos has indicated the Perez's (currently stalling) desire to bring in the authoritarian figure of Conte could be resisted by the players - he has implied that more compliant, chummy managers like Zidane and Ancelotti are what he and the other over-mighty star players want:
"Asked about the prospect of a manager like Conte with mano dura – an iron fist – arriving at the Bernabéu, Ramos replied: “Respect is earned, not imposed.” [source]
Respect...how many red cards has Dirty Ramos accumulated in his career again? What's that? 24? Twenty. Four. Twice as many as legendary tough guy Vinnie Jones. Real's is a toxic culture in which nearly every manager is a scapegoat who is crushed between the hammer of the flashy, showman, populist club president and the anvil of the spoiled, entitled superstar players - who are never punished for sabotaging a manager.
I don't feel sorry for Lopetegui - his ambition/greed/dreadful timing led him to his own destruction - but it is an astonishing fall from grace. Just a few months ago he was set to take a strong Spain team to the world cup, and now he has just burned two of the biggest bridges in Spanish, indeed world, football, accomplishing nothing for himself in the process apart from a (presumably) fat payout. There is nowhere to go from here but way, way down.
The league table is still tight at the top, but I fear that Man City will eventually pull far, far away into the distance. They are clearly the best team and have depth. Though it could be funny if they fail limply in Europe again.
Meanwhile, Sergio Ramos has indicated the Perez's (currently stalling) desire to bring in the authoritarian figure of Conte could be resisted by the players - he has implied that more compliant, chummy managers like Zidane and Ancelotti are what he and the other over-mighty star players want:
"Asked about the prospect of a manager like Conte with mano dura – an iron fist – arriving at the Bernabéu, Ramos replied: “Respect is earned, not imposed.” [source]
Respect...how many red cards has Dirty Ramos accumulated in his career again? What's that? 24? Twenty. Four. Twice as many as legendary tough guy Vinnie Jones. Real's is a toxic culture in which nearly every manager is a scapegoat who is crushed between the hammer of the flashy, showman, populist club president and the anvil of the spoiled, entitled superstar players - who are never punished for sabotaging a manager.
I don't feel sorry for Lopetegui - his ambition/greed/dreadful timing led him to his own destruction - but it is an astonishing fall from grace. Just a few months ago he was set to take a strong Spain team to the world cup, and now he has just burned two of the biggest bridges in Spanish, indeed world, football, accomplishing nothing for himself in the process apart from a (presumably) fat payout. There is nowhere to go from here but way, way down.
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Yes, Manchester City were certainly a lot better than Spurs - and that, in itself, is telling, (though Spurs failed to take the few chances that they squeezed out - at that level, such carelessness will be punished), but I still think that they will be pushed more this year in the Premiership (by Liverpool, probably, and possibly Chelsea) tha was the case last year.
I read that in the Guardian yesterday. At one level, it serves Lopetegui right - he should have stuck with Spain, or, at the very least, insisted on doing the thing properly with respect - but it is, indeed, very funny that the players (yes, I chuckled reading the comments attributed to Ramos) would prefer someone more simpatico than the "mano dura" likely to be wielded by someone such as Conte.
For that matter, Conte (but I understand that there are issues connected with his departure from Chelsea) would probably be excellent for them - they - arrogant, entitled, spoiled superstars as you so rightly say - do need a bit of very tough love, rather than further indulgence.
Actually, it is telling that Zidane got out when - and in the manner - he did. That should have sent a signal worth heeding.
In this case I think that Conte burned one or two bridges at Stamford too many. Courtois being one and if it's true that Hazard is on his way to Madrid only under the premise that he doesn't have to play under Conte again in his life I guess that Ramos is more of a spokesman than anything else.
It was clear that Zidane realized that he was tremendously overperforming...he'll never have that level of success at any other club again. He left while he was on top, massively burnishing his reputation in the process. But he saw where the club was headed - possibly may have even been tipped off by Ronaldo that a move was on the cards - and he would do well to stay away from management now.
Conte might not be a great choice for Real. He is passionate but can also be vengeful, chippy, unfiltered...if hired his reign could easily end with a dramatic explosion. In the meantime, though, I'd love to see him lay down the law on Dirty Ramos and his spoiled clique of superstars.
The excellent Second Captains podcast did an episode on Monday (episode 1303) with an insightful and entertaining takedown of Real, Lopetegui, Perez, and Ramos. They noted that Ramos is a player who is playing on reputation as much as actual skill these days - tactically indisciplined, entitled, controlling the dressing room, bullying youth players - and that the team truly are suffering badly without Crispy Ronaldo.
twietee's point is interesting too - Courtois left Chelsea toget away from Conte, and Hazard wants to go to Real. A Conte move to Real is a disaster for Courtois (c.f. Mourinho and Juan Mata), and probably not Hazard's first choice.
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Also, not that I really want to "defend" Ramos, but if it's true, and I've read that quite often now, that Perez really thinks about hiring Mou...I'm almost upset personally and I have no horses in this race.
In fact I had a great time watching the classico.
In fact I had a great time watching the classico.
Yes, but Mourinho also burned bridges at Stamford Bridge; moreover, it is not only managers that have burned bridges there - sometimes, the owner was a little too brutally involved in sending managers at speed over that bridge.
I don't necessarily see a dramatic departure from Chelsea as a black mark in a manager's career - irrespective of whether he jumped or was pushed - unless (as is the case with Mourinho) this is a part of a wider pattern of behaviour.
Moreover, with a lot of attention on the owners of other clubs (Manchester United, Manchester City, the tragic death of Leicester's owner, the state of Arsenal), what seems to be less realised is that while Sarri is currently doing an excellent job in Chelsea, the legal residency position of Roman Abramovich in the UK is unclear, which means that he may not be able to devote quite the attention to Chelsea's affairs that used to be the case. Bear in mind that they have postponed plans to expand the stadium.
However, while I'll grant that Conte may not be the easiest to work under, or with, arrogant, entitled, utterly spoiled and indulged superstars may need someone to set standards and lay down clear instructions as to what needs to be done. For that matter, I doubt that Guardiola is all that easy to work under, either, although he is an outstanding manager.
I'd imagine that Ramos would find it hard to take instructions from anyone, at this stage, which means he - and the team - both need to signal where authority and power lie.
Excellent and thought-provoking post.
Zidane timed that beautifully, but so perfectly that inevitably, one had to ask questions of what was really going on.
Yes, I can well imagine that the team are unbalanced (and not just lacking a reliable scorer and outstanding footballer) with the departure of Ronaldo. (That also sends its own message).
@twietee's points are also worth noting and are well made.
Oh, I think you misunderstood me there a bit. I agree with what you wrote but in this specific case: if Hazard really opposes to play under Conte again (that says quite a bit about Conte to be honest, if that rumor is true of course) that may be a very serious reason for Perez to re-consider.
After all Real does have to bring in a superstar player next summer, better 2-3 and Hazard certainly will be one if not THE one transfer object (who knows what's already dealt in the backrooms..) and as such has an extremely powerful say in that regard.
Perez is a political animal, not a football-savvy sporting director. He buys the players that please the braying mob of glory-hunting fans - not the pieces he needs to build a proper team. They win because they have massive resources, but they rarely use them efficiently.
Fair comment, and I take your point.
Re temperament, perhaps not, but - I would love to see the appointment of someone (as manager of RM) who could impose discipline and authority on that dressing room. Now, whether that person is Conte, I cannot say.
And, in fairness, re Hazard, he never gave the impression of falling into the "spoiled brat" category, so, one would have to take his testimony and thoughts on this subject a little more seriously than one might those offered by others.
Not sure I can follow..
You don't need to be football savvy to know that Hazard would be a good addition to the club. In terms of pleasing the mob, making the worldwide headlines and in terms of improving the team (tremendously).
As a political animal he would be just the right kind of guy not to hire Conte - despite him being eventually just the right kind of manager - I'm not so sure myself there though - because of the reasons mentioned. But this is quite some speculation on my part (same goes for anybody elses atm) of course.
Sure. If all you buy are world-class superstars (or near-superstars), your chances of buying a player who is a good addition to the club (at least on paper) are going to be pretty high.
My response was simply to remark that Perez does not make footballing decisions based on footballing expertise. He works only with proven elite talent, and he operates as a political figure, first and last. So when he brings in a superstar and the club wins something, it has nothing to do with Perez thinking in terms of building a better team. It is instead based on the assumption that the simplistic 'Galacticos' model will always produce trophies, while also pleasing the mob. The only thing required to keep up this charade is a virtually endless supply of money and some flashy showmanship. So far it has worked more often than not, though it has resulted in a club that is fundamentally dysfunctional.
As for Conte - he is a very good manager, and I have to assume that he would be able to win things with Real, assuming he was able to keep the dressing room on his side. That, of course, is a fairly big 'iF'.
At the moment, Real withoutRonaldo look markedly inferior to Barcelona, and possibly Atleti as well...Perez is going to have to pull a rabbit out of his hat in the next couple transfer windows in order to keep the operation going...
But I never suggested otherwise? Still can't really follow but yep, I think we agree (?).
Where I disagree to a bit is that Real Madrid clearly left the "Galacticos" strategy from around 2000. Who was the last superstar they've added to their rooster? Quite a while ago. One may even argue that it was a mistake not to bring in one last summer as to keep the fire and pressure within the team up.
I do think we agree. And yes, you can make an argument that the "Galacticos" model is, if not gone, at least substantially softened in the way it is implemented.
Still Perez keeps himself in office though continual flashy signings - not through building "systems" over time like those being implemented at Man City, Liverpool, Barca, and elsewhere. Also, Real are said to be seriously plotting to bring Neymar onboard. You can't get any more Galactico than that.
I came across a fascinating article in The Financial Times called "How To Scout A Football Team" by Murad Ahmed which is about the Watford football club; an intelligent and interesting read.
Happens every halloween - at least one footballer ends up in some sort of racist costume.