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Bernd Schuster's Angry Mob
"A pathetic image that doesn't invite the minimum of optimism" - No, Barcelona based Sport hasn't been assessing La Liga Loca's career prospects, but instead is in full editorial rant mode after Real Madrid's somewhat unorthodox pre season, culminating in a five goal thrashing by a super charged Sevilla in the Supercup.
When La Liga Loca headed off to pastures new to smell the footballing airs, elsewhere, Guti was king of hill at the Bernabeu, after a dazzling display against mighty Lokomotiv Moscow. Two weeks and defeats to Hannover 96, PSV, Deportivo, Sevilla (twice) and Betis have now lead to stories of Guti to Newcastle, of all places.
Certainly his case has not been helped by the double Dutch purchases of Royston Drenthe and Wesley Sneijder. But still, his situation could be a lot worse. He could be Fernando Gago (twenty four million euros!)
The hype poured onto Bernd Schuster earlier this summer has now turned to bite him in his Teutonic arse, in fine mixed metaphoring style. "He is in a sea of doubts" laments Marca. "Barça Smell!" declares AS, trying to ignore a pre season that has been one of Real's worst for years.
As most football fans know, pre season results aren't worth a hill of beans but that has not stopped the backlash against poor old Bernd, who is starting to understand that he isn't in Kansas anymore. Well, Getafe.
"Can't you all find another theme?" questioned Schuster pointlessly on Sunday night, after the press repeated the "why don't you drop Raul?" topic. "One day his luck will change and he'll start scoring", claimed Bernd, already starting to sound like all his predecessors.
One man who already looks every euro worth his 30 million fee is the tiny headed Pepe, who has already spat at and headbutted opposition players, given away a penalty, conceded five goals at home and got himself sent off. And the season hasn't even started.
It is a very different story in Sevilla, who have now won five trophies in fifteen months, "even Lopera would applaud", claim AS quite incorrectly. Sevilla president, del Nido, still refuses to let all the success go to his head and declared modestly that, "we are the best team in Spain. Only, we know how to win".
La Liga Loca senses a Nelson style "Ah ha!" at the pint sized prezzie, should his pomposity prevent him from keeping his claws on the supposedly departing Juande Ramos and Dani Alves.
All seems to be fairly quiet in the Barcelona camp, with the only uncomfortable noises coming from Deco's direction. The success of Yaya Tourè (or is it Touré Yaya) in midfield has left only two positions for Deco, Iniesti and Xavi to fight over, in a mighty midget death match.
"If I don't have a place here, then I'll go", moaned Deco, already conceding defeat. And this attitude received a swift public retort from Samuel Eto'o of all people. "If one day, I'm on the bench, it doesn't matter", commented the Cameroonian, a player who enjoys sitting on it so much, he once refused to come off.
The only real doubt in the Barcelona camp, seems to be over a possible repeat of the star heavy Real Madrid demise. "I hope the same thing that happened to them, doesn't happen to us", said Xavi.
Meanwhile, AS have been doing their very best to find cracks in the Barça dam. "Ronaldinho arrived for training six minutes late!" declared the paper, last week, "with no explanation!"
Valencia made the curious move of paying a good ten million euros too much for Racing Santander's 'giganton', Nikola Zigic, to add to their already scary array of attacking talent. And Arizmendi.
And the Mestalla men are still making eyes at Rafael Van der Vaart at Hamburg, whose wife certainly seems keen on a move to Spain, "I'm afraid, especially for my son, when Rafael is not at home," admitted a lady who has clearly never heard of the Valencia "fires" festival, where Spanish parents let their five year old darlings blow their own hands off with fireworks, once a year.
Athletic Bilbao and Getafe ignored the 'friendly' aspect of their pre season matches by scrapping with opposition teams on tours, in matches that were eventually abandoned.
Top scorer in pre season has been...wait for it...Villarreal's Guille Franco with nine efforts - mostly against one side though. And it has been a fine summer for the Yellow Submarines, despite the loss of Ayala to Zaragoza.
And speaking of want away Argentineans, Manuel Pellegrini's men are still trying rid themselves of Riquelme. Boca want him on loan, but Villarreal are only interested in cold hard cash for the midfielder.
Bernd Schuster's Angry Mob
"A pathetic image that doesn't invite the minimum of optimism" - No, Barcelona based Sport hasn't been assessing La Liga Loca's career prospects, but instead is in full editorial rant mode after Real Madrid's somewhat unorthodox pre season, culminating in a five goal thrashing by a super charged Sevilla in the Supercup.
When La Liga Loca headed off to pastures new to smell the footballing airs, elsewhere, Guti was king of hill at the Bernabeu, after a dazzling display against mighty Lokomotiv Moscow. Two weeks and defeats to Hannover 96, PSV, Deportivo, Sevilla (twice) and Betis have now lead to stories of Guti to Newcastle, of all places.
Certainly his case has not been helped by the double Dutch purchases of Royston Drenthe and Wesley Sneijder. But still, his situation could be a lot worse. He could be Fernando Gago (twenty four million euros!)
The hype poured onto Bernd Schuster earlier this summer has now turned to bite him in his Teutonic arse, in fine mixed metaphoring style. "He is in a sea of doubts" laments Marca. "Barça Smell!" declares AS, trying to ignore a pre season that has been one of Real's worst for years.
As most football fans know, pre season results aren't worth a hill of beans but that has not stopped the backlash against poor old Bernd, who is starting to understand that he isn't in Kansas anymore. Well, Getafe.
"Can't you all find another theme?" questioned Schuster pointlessly on Sunday night, after the press repeated the "why don't you drop Raul?" topic. "One day his luck will change and he'll start scoring", claimed Bernd, already starting to sound like all his predecessors.
One man who already looks every euro worth his 30 million fee is the tiny headed Pepe, who has already spat at and headbutted opposition players, given away a penalty, conceded five goals at home and got himself sent off. And the season hasn't even started.
It is a very different story in Sevilla, who have now won five trophies in fifteen months, "even Lopera would applaud", claim AS quite incorrectly. Sevilla president, del Nido, still refuses to let all the success go to his head and declared modestly that, "we are the best team in Spain. Only, we know how to win".
La Liga Loca senses a Nelson style "Ah ha!" at the pint sized prezzie, should his pomposity prevent him from keeping his claws on the supposedly departing Juande Ramos and Dani Alves.
All seems to be fairly quiet in the Barcelona camp, with the only uncomfortable noises coming from Deco's direction. The success of Yaya Tourè (or is it Touré Yaya) in midfield has left only two positions for Deco, Iniesti and Xavi to fight over, in a mighty midget death match.
"If I don't have a place here, then I'll go", moaned Deco, already conceding defeat. And this attitude received a swift public retort from Samuel Eto'o of all people. "If one day, I'm on the bench, it doesn't matter", commented the Cameroonian, a player who enjoys sitting on it so much, he once refused to come off.
The only real doubt in the Barcelona camp, seems to be over a possible repeat of the star heavy Real Madrid demise. "I hope the same thing that happened to them, doesn't happen to us", said Xavi.
Meanwhile, AS have been doing their very best to find cracks in the Barça dam. "Ronaldinho arrived for training six minutes late!" declared the paper, last week, "with no explanation!"
Valencia made the curious move of paying a good ten million euros too much for Racing Santander's 'giganton', Nikola Zigic, to add to their already scary array of attacking talent. And Arizmendi.
And the Mestalla men are still making eyes at Rafael Van der Vaart at Hamburg, whose wife certainly seems keen on a move to Spain, "I'm afraid, especially for my son, when Rafael is not at home," admitted a lady who has clearly never heard of the Valencia "fires" festival, where Spanish parents let their five year old darlings blow their own hands off with fireworks, once a year.
Athletic Bilbao and Getafe ignored the 'friendly' aspect of their pre season matches by scrapping with opposition teams on tours, in matches that were eventually abandoned.
Top scorer in pre season has been...wait for it...Villarreal's Guille Franco with nine efforts - mostly against one side though. And it has been a fine summer for the Yellow Submarines, despite the loss of Ayala to Zaragoza.
And speaking of want away Argentineans, Manuel Pellegrini's men are still trying rid themselves of Riquelme. Boca want him on loan, but Villarreal are only interested in cold hard cash for the midfielder.
