Real Madrid C.F. 2009/10

Polaroid's injury seems to be evolving well so it seems he has a decent chance to make the Sevilla match. Helps that we are playing Sunday. Arbeloa and Metzelder back available for selection as well.

Today we received further proof (as if any was needed)......


Spain never win anything with Raul




TEARS

Rio de Janeiro

Madriz = FAIL

Headline of AS:

VILLARATO

Well, Madrid did well to get to the very end, but it was obvious that it wasn't going to go to another European country since London has it next. I'm happy for Brasil though, getting the World Cup in 2014 and the Olympics 2 years later is a great achievement. It gives an excuse to visit my Brasilian friends as well

I'm shocked that Raul's amazing English monologue didn't help though. He worked really hard for it


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AcGeHslwHdo

golsud wrote:Rio de Janeiro

Madriz = FAIL

Where have you been?

I bet Floro is on the phone right now trying to renegotiate the debts... oohhhh what might have been.. ACS and Real in glorious Olympic government financed spending spree

Hem fet un.. wrote:I bet Floro is on the phone right now trying to renegotiate the debts... oohhhh what might have been.. ACS and Real in glorious Olympic government financed spending spree

Maybe this was Florentino's plan for financing the big transfers.

The bid for 2016 was clearly undermined by that f*cking cule Zapatero. If it had been Aznar Madrid would have got it. You clearly need some proper facial hair to win something like this.

Jaime wrote:The bid for 2016 was clearly undermined by that f*cking cule Zapatero. If it had been Aznar Madrid would have got it. You clearly need some proper facial hair to win something like this.

This is true. I'm sure the Olympic committee saw that a foreign policy socialist wimp like Zapatero couldn't take care of the Olympics. If Florentino was president we would have gotten it

Jesus Christ, please tell me thats a photoshop Torrente!

Well, kas mentioned it in the jornada 6 thread. Ronaldo missed out through injury. We will definitely miss his finishing prowess but if Graner o comes in and plays well we may keep the ball better? Ah...silver linings. Of course given that Raul missed the match against Marseille he is sure to start tomorrow. Another hat trick perhaps?

CONVOCATORIA:

PORTEROS: Casillas y Dudek.
DEFENSAS: Sergio Ramos, Pepe, Marcelo, Albiol, Garay, Metzelder y Drenthe.
CENTROCAMPISTAS: Diarrá, Guti, Granero, Van der Vaart y Xabi Alonso.
DELANTEROS: Raúl, Kaká, Higuaín y Benzema.

Ramos----Pepe--Albiol----Marcelo
---------------Alonso
--------Granero----Lassana
----------------Kaka
-----------Benz-----Higuain

would be a nice lineup in Ronaldo's absense. Maybe even bring VdV in for Kaka.

Calidad wrote:Ramos----Pepe--Albiol----Marcelo
---------------Alonso
--------Granero----Lassana
----------------Kaka
-----------Benz-----Higuain

would be a nice lineup in Ronaldo's absense. Maybe even bring VdV in for Kaka.

Lassana is out so we will surely lack in central midfield allthough I don't Sevilla are that strong in that area any more like they were with Poulsen-Keita. But it is more to help the team not get overrun by Sevilla still can play that aggresive game at home. For once I will actually advocate using Diarra.

Ramos---Pepe---Abiol----Marcelo

Higuain---Alonso---Diarra---Granero

-----------Kaka------------------

-------------Benzema--------------

We need players who are more willing to work the other way plus we can free Kaka to do other stuff. Also having Granero+Higuain on the wing Alonso has 3 players who can help retain the ball which will outbalance Diarra's terrible passing.

I was saying earlier in the week this is a game that might just suit Diarra. He clatter into Romaric, Duscher, Zokora and the like freeing up Alonso and the rest to play some football. Could work. Or it could be a disaster. We'll see I guess.

TM wrote:Jesus Christ, please tell me thats a photoshop Torrente!

Sorry to inform you that it's 100% real

I agree about good old Mamadou. I think he would be important mainly in the first 25 minutes, because this is when Sevilla is going to be all over us. If you survive the first 25 minutes in the Sanchez Pisjuan then you have a good chance of getting something there.

Marca's predicted lineup:


--------------------Casillas

S. Ramos-----Pepe-----Albiol-----Marcelo

-------Granero----Alonso----Guti H.

-------------------Kaka

------------Raul--------Benzema

I would have stuck Diarra instead of Guti in there. Just to combat the physical nature of Sevilla's midfield.

Maybe, but Guti has been particularly good form so far this season. It does seem like an XI more suited to the Bernabeu than away from home but I good for Pellegrini. Hopefully this means the team will really go for it right from the start.

Jaime wrote:Maybe, but Guti has been particularly good form so far this season.

Yeah. That's predominately been coming off the bench in the second half. To score goals when the oppositon have tired.

I guess we'll have to wait and see.

TM wrote:

Jaime wrote:Maybe, but Guti has been particularly good form so far this season.

Yeah. That's predominately been coming off the bench in the second half. To score goals when the oppositon have tired.

I guess we'll have to wait and see.

I agree. When he's started Guti has ranged from mediocre to decent, he's only been truly good when coming in as a sub.

I also worry about having Guti in during those first 25-30 minutes when Sevilla will be all over us. Having Guti there strolling around and playing with no intensity is a big risk IMO, especially since Lass won't be there.

And I really hope Higuain starts ahead of Raul. We need some quick players to counter fast against Sevilla.

Torrente wrote:

TM wrote:

Jaime wrote:Maybe, but Guti has been particularly good form so far this season.

Yeah. That's predominately been coming off the bench in the second half. To score goals when the oppositon have tired.

I guess we'll have to wait and see.

I agree. When he's started Guti has ranged from mediocre to decent, he's only been truly good when coming in as a sub.

I also worry about having Guti in during those first 25-30 minutes when Sevilla will be all over us. Having Guti there strolling around and playing with no intensity is a big risk IMO, especially since Lass won't be there.

And I really hope Higuain starts ahead of Raul. We need some quick players to counter fast against Sevilla.

Yep. Neither Granero nor Alonso's game is to reterive the ball, they're there to do the next step.

Diarra is some what good at getting the ball back, and the midfield predicted lacks physical presence.

Guti

So I guess it's good that we have a two-week break now so Pellegrini can reflect on what he needs to do next. What are people's early season conclusions? Mine are:

-Pellegrini needs to define a system and not rotate so much. Changing the system constantly and rotating 3-4 players every game has been a problem. I think the rotations are a good idea, but the way Pellegrini is doing them you get the feeling that the players have no clue what he wants.

-We simply can't control games, no matter what the opposition is. Getting beaten in possession in the Bernabeu by Tenerife says it all. There's little fluidity to our game and all our goals have been either individual or on the counter. Same story as last season.

-Higuain should be getting more minutes than Raul or Benzema. Higuain hasn't had a great start to the season, but at least with him you can always count on some danger being created, and he never shies away from the sames. We all know Raul is finished while Benzema fades for long periods of games too often. I also think this could help Benzema relax a bit, since asking him to be the star striker at such a young age and having just gotten to Spain is not good for him.

-Pellegrini's 4-2-2 is failing partly because he's using Ronaldo and Kaka as interiores, when in fact they are forwards (especially the former). In Villareal he had the likes of Cani and Cazorla in these positions, and they are much better when operating deeper in the field. So rather than looking compact, the team often splits into a 4-2-4, which is a problem we had with Juande Ramos. This is why I think Pellegrini should consider playing only one of Higuain/Benzema/Raul at a time while always playing two of Granero/VDV/Guti. Pellegrini could then give Ronaldo more freedom to roam around in attack where he's most effective and we would have a better transition from defense to attack.


In Pellegrini's defense, we've been very unlucky with injuries and individual players have often failed to perform. Kaka has mixed some great games with some very mediocre ones, Benzema has been a ghost for long periods, and since coming back from injury Alonso has been a disaster. And of course, 7 wins out of 8 is hardly a catastrophe.

I have faith that Pellegrini will get the best out of this squad, but I think he needs to start making some tough decisions (the Raul one being the most obvious). Hopefully these 2 weeks will help him work out a solution to get us back on track.

Torrente wrote:This is why I think Pellegrini should consider playing only one of Higuain/Benzema/Raul at a time while always playing two of Granero/VDV/Guti. Pellegrini could then give Ronaldo more freedom to roam around in attack where he's most effective and we would have a better transition from defense to attack.

Something wrong here - assuming your midfield is Diarra+Alonso, and you play Ronaldo plus one of the 3 strikers you listed, and then 2 of the 3 midfielders you listed, where does Kaka go?

Also, assuming Granero starts...that leaves one of VDV or Guti. The latter, as you point out yourself, can't start every game. VDV is not really part of the team and will probably be gone in January.

Yeah, I meant to say 2 of Kaka/Granero/VDV/Guti at all times. Because right now we're generally playing with a midfield of Lass/Alonso/Kaka/Ronaldo. While one could say that Lass/Alonso is similar to Senna/Eguren, Kaka/Ronaldo are not really like Cani/Cazorla or Ibagaza/Pires in that the latter can operate deeper as CMs when required. The four interiores that Pellegrini used were also better for the quick passing football he used in Villareal, while Kaka and Ronaldo are more direct players who thrive when they are close to the penalty area.

This is why I think Pellegrini should sacrifice a striker in order to get a better transition from defense to attack. This would allow Kaka and Ronaldo to play with a freer role in attack and would speed up our play IMO.

Pellegrini would also be wise to keep giving VDV some chances given that Granero is still unproven while we are all aware of Guti's problems.

I still die laughing ever time I see Torrente's avatar.

Jaime wrote:

I still die laughing ever time I see Torrente's avatar.

He looks like Mickey from Snatch!