Real Madrid C.F. 2009/10

I think Metzelder, van Nistelrooy, and Gago can definitely go at any time.

Garay who I thought looked very shaky in preseason and the beginning of the campaign has settled down and is looking alright. Much better than Metzelder anyhow. Between him and Ramos and Arbeloa we should really have enough cover. And Pellegrini has been calling up Juanan quite regularly to train with the first team so even in the case of extreme emergency he could be used and I promise he couldn't do worse than Metzelder has done this year.

Gago, although I theoretically still believe in his potential, has shown no progression this year and even regression. As Torrente says, he can't function in Alonso's role and if he to be employed more strictly as DM he is behind Lass and Mahamadou. Even in January with ACN I don't care, I think we can make do with Alonso and Lass for a few weeks, especially with no Copa del Rey and no CL fixtures.

And van Nistelrooy, well, he has played zero part in the campaign so we certainly won't miss him. I said we should have sold him in the summer and kept Negredo and he can still go. Especially with CR9 being used as a striker he is even further down the pecking order. Thanks for 06/07 but RVN is just too old.

Guti and Drenthe can go to, they really serve absoluely no purpose.

As far as VDV, I'm inclined to agree with Torrente. He has actually shown some signs that he gives a f*ck this year and of course we all know he has ability. He should definitely stay till the end of the year as he provides a suitable backup for Kaka. Now, if all he is concerned about is the WC and he wants to leave, he can go. I only want players that want to be here. But assuming he is content, I'll keep him.

Diarra can go next summer if we buy a more suitable replacement. He really is a joke if you compare him to someone like Yaya Toure but at least he can clatter into people when needed.

I think it's a good thing Negredo left instead because in Sevilla he's getting minutes and he will keep progressing. My belief was that first Raul's place on the bench had to be established before Negredo came, and I think I was right. It took nearly 3 months for that to happen, and with Ronaldo playing as a forward Negredo would be 4th or 5th choice had he stayed. Next year Negredo can come back and we'll be nicely settled with a spot for him, in addition to Benzema and Higuain, with Ronaldo alternating at times.

Regarding VDV, partly why I'm very opposed to his departure is that I'm not entirely convinced by Granero yet as he's been too inconsistent for me. I have full confidence in Granero's talent, but I get the feeling that we will only start to see his full potential emerging on a consistent basis next season. He's still 22 so he still has some time to develop. So with Granero low on form and VDV gone, Pellegrini might have no choice but to resort to Raul as an enganche if Kaka gets injured again

Torrente wrote:I think it's a good thing Negredo left instead because in Sevilla he's getting minutes and he will keep progressing. My belief was that first Raul's place on the bench had to be established before Negredo came, and I think I was right. It took nearly 3 months for that to happen, and with Ronaldo playing as a forward Negredo would be 4th or 5th choice had he stayed. Next year Negredo can come back and we'll be nicely settled with a spot for him, in addition to Benzema and Higuain, with Ronaldo alternating at times.

Regarding VDV, partly why I'm very opposed to his departure is that I'm not entirely convinced by Granero yet as he's been too inconsistent for me. I have full confidence in Granero's talent, but I get the feeling that we will only start to see his full potential emerging on a consistent basis next season. He's still 22 so he still has some time to develop. So with Granero low on form and VDV gone, Pellegrini might have no choice but to resort to Raul as an enganche if Kaka gets injured again

Assuming he is even around next summer.

I think Granero has been fine. He's not had any more inconsistent than anyone else. He was the one bright light at the beginning of the season imo. He hasn't had the opportunities since Alcorcon but I believe if he gets a run into the team again there is no reason he can't replicate his September form.

But back to VDV I think he has shown a lot of determination to keep fighting even when he was more or less cast off in the summer. Players like him and Marcelo who go through a period of being absloute sh!t and then turn things around show a lot of mental strength and that is a key ingredient to being successful in the Bernabeu.

LISTA DE CONVOCADOS

Porteros: Casillas y Dudek.
Defensas: Arbeloa, Pepe, Sergio Ramos, Marcelo, Albiol, Garay.
Centrocampistas: Gago, Diarra, Lass, Drenthe, Xabi Alonso, Van der Vaart, Granero.
Delanteros: Raúl, Benzema, Higuaín.

Marcelo's picked up an injury so Pellegrini has called up Marcos Alonso!



****************************

MARCOS ALONSO, SAGA DE MADRIDISTAS
La noticia de su convocatoria le ha convertido en el hombre más feliz del mundo. Marcos Alonso lleva sangre futbolística corriendo por sus venas. No en vano, su abuelo es el mítico Marquitos, defensa del Real Madrid que ganó las primeras Copas de Europa, y su padre es el también ex futbolista de Primera División, Marcos Alonso. El lateral izquierdo es un futbolista muy completo que a sus 18 años (cumple 19 el 28 de diciembre) es un pilar básico del Real Madrid Castilla.

En edad aún juvenil, la pasada campaña, contó casi toda la temporada para las convocatorias del Castilla. Con la llegada de Alejandro Menéndez, Marcos ha mantenido su titularidad como lateral izquierdo. Su buena zancada y la potencia de su disparo son dos características de su fútbol; la pasada jornada contra el Universidad de Las Palmas (3-2) fue el encargado de abrir el marcador con un gran disparo.



http://www.realmadrid.com/cs/Satellite/es/1202806976491/noticia/Convocatoria/Marcos_Alonso_se_une_a_la_convocatoria.htm

Ugh. Marca reporting Kaka will be out until February!

Marca's predicted XI against Valencia:

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

S. Ramos-----Pepe-----Albiol-----Arbeloa

------------------X. Alonso

-------L. Diarra-------------Drenthe

------------------v.d. Vaart

---------Higuain----------Benzema


Drenthe.

He will inject some speed into that slow midfield. To Pellegrini

TM wrote:He will inject some speed into that slow midfield. To Pellegrini

To a slow midfield.

Pepe could be out 3 to 6 months with torn ligaments in his knee.

who is his replacement?

metze or do you have others?

is metze injured too?

Garay will be the 1st choice alongside Albiol now.

One of our best games of the season in a very tough away fixture with Polaroid and Kaka missing

The only thing that pissed me off was that Pellegrini risked everything by putting in the corpse again. VDV looked tired but it was obvious that Granero had to be the man coming in. Instead we're left without a midfielder and got overrun for 10 minutes until we scored the third goal. Just like against Patetico, the Raul substitution nearly got us to drop points again. I'm at the stage where I'm wishing Raul would get injured so we don't have to put up with all this bullshit

It also looks like Casillas needs some pressure in order to start performing again. He's had too many awful games since last season, probably his worst run of form since 2002. It doesn't help that it's been too long since he's the undisputed number 1, and with Dudek next in the pecking order he knows he can do all the mistakes he wants without getting benched. When Del Bosque benched Casillas and put in Cesar in 2002 it brought Casillas back to life. Not sure if Adan is ready to take that responsibility though.

In this first half of the season we have played Away to Villereal, Barcelona, Seville, Valencia and Atletico Madrid. So theoretically atleast in the second half of the season the tough games will be at home with the team also improving as the season goes on.

Actually we have got Derpo Away first game of the second half of the season.

Confirmed: Pepe out for six months

With Metzelder always injured there is bound to be chaos here.

Torrente wrote:Confirmed: Pepe out for six months

With Metzelder always injured there is bound to be chaos here.

Not really you got garay, ramos can play there and if worst comes to worst then lass.

Torrente wrote:Confirmed: Pepe out for six months

With Metzelder always injured there is bound to be chaos here.

Ugh. Horrible news. Garay has been good but Pepe is just a different class. Valdano has said we might sign someone but I can't think of anyone decent who will be available for all competitions. Probably have to make to with Garay, Sergio Ramos, and Metzelder in an extreme emergency.

Xabi Alonso will be missing against Zaragoza after collecting his 5th yellow card.

Santi Claus wrote:Xabi Alonso will be missing against Zaragoza after collecting his 5th yellow card.

This is the player we really have to be scared of losing. Not good news with Pepe being out for so long. It seems like it has been forever we have been able to play the same defence in several games in a row. With that said I haven't been that impressed with Pepe this season. For somebody who has a fine touch on the ball he has been poor in build up. Hopefully Abiol can keep injury free so Garay and him can form some sort of stable part of the team.

According to Marca, we may be signing brasilian right back Jonathan in light of Pepe's injury. If we are going to buy a full back, then why not buy a left back, send Arbeloa to the right, and then push Sergio Ramos to the middle????? Is it really that difficult?

F@cking hell, it's a bad injury and he's an important-ish player, but judging by some of the Madrid players' comments on Marca's cover today, it sounds like he was Beckenbauer and has died

You'll be fine with Garay in there, there's really no need to sign someone. But then again, that wouldn't be the Perez way would it

Santi Claus wrote:

Credit where it's due, that's very clever from AS. Genuine

kas wrote:F@cking hell, it's a bad injury and he's an important-ish player, but judging by some of the Madrid players' comments on Marca's cover today, it sounds like he was Beckenbauer and has died

You'll be fine with Garay in there, there's really no need to sign someone. But then again, that wouldn't be the Perez way would it

Yeah, I mean Garay has done well enough so far. The thing is, assuming that Pepe is going to make a full recovery, we would just be buying a player for 6 months a la Huntelaar and that doesn't make any sense. Like I said, if we are going to buy anyone it should be a left back. Or we could just (shocking, I know) give Marcos Alonso a chance. The kid is 18, is first choice in Castilla, first choice in the Spanish U20s.

kas wrote:F@cking hell, it's a bad injury and he's an important-ish player, but judging by some of the Madrid players' comments on Marca's cover today, it sounds like he was Beckenbauer and has died

You'll be fine with Garay in there, there's really no need to sign someone. But then again, that wouldn't be the Perez way would it

Well considering that Garay and Metzelder haven't had the best of luck with injuries I understand it but like Jaime said it would just be a another Huntelaar mistake.

Santi Claus wrote:

kas wrote:F@cking hell, it's a bad injury and he's an important-ish player, but judging by some of the Madrid players' comments on Marca's cover today, it sounds like he was Beckenbauer and has died

You'll be fine with Garay in there, there's really no need to sign someone. But then again, that wouldn't be the Perez way would it

Yeah, I mean Garay has done well enough so far. The thing is, assuming that Pepe is going to make a full recovery, we would just be buying a player for 6 months a la Huntelaar and that doesn't make any sense. Like I said, if we are going to buy anyone it should be a left back. Or we could just (shocking, I know) give Marcos Alonso a chance. The kid is 18, is first choice in Castilla, first choice in the Spanish U20s.

I agree. It doesn't make sense to go and buy another CB because it will cause problems in the summer when we have Pepe/Albiol/Garay already there (I would guess Metz will be gone by then). Buying an LB for the future would not be a bad choice but that would mean buying a class LB, and how many of them are there in the market? Vargas seems like a reasonably choice but Fiorentina is likely to ask for a fortune and he isn't elligible to play the CL. Even though he's played in midfield lately I think Vargas is solid enough in defense, even if that is his weakest aspect. Don't even bother thinking about Marcos Alonso, he will not get any chances unfortunately.

I also think that Ramos is the best choice we have at the moment to cover for Pepe. I like Garay, but he's a bit slow for such a high line and Albiol isn't exactly lightning quick. I'm not sure if this defensive pairing will work in the long run.

There is one tactical problem that Pellegrini would have to deal with if let's say Vargas plays as LB, Arbeloa is moved to RB and Ramos as CB. The balance was working well because we had one attack-minded fullback (Ramos) playing behind a DM (Lass) while having a defense-minded fullback (Arbeloa) playing behind an offensive CM (Marcelo). If this big switch takes place, we would be left with a very offensive left wing and a relatively defensive right wing. Arbeloa is decent going forward but he doesn't have Ramos' stamina to bomb up and down the flank.

Torrente
Fiorentina found out that Vargas couldn't play as a full back and that is why they moved him up as left winger which really suits his quality. Physically he can't be moved around but don't know if he would be the best choice as a full back especially considering the point you make with regards to the tactical problems it would create. It would be better simply to try out Marcos Alonso and see what he can do.

Marcos Alonso

is this the same guy that i saw playing for spain U-19 or something, if so

Super Higuain wrote:Torrente
Fiorentina found out that Vargas couldn't play as a full back and that is why they moved him up as left winger which really suits his quality. Physically he can't be moved around but don't know if he would be the best choice as a full back especially considering the point you make with regards to the tactical problems it would create. It would be better simply to try out Marcos Alonso and see what he can do.

The most logical thing to do would be:

Buy Canella, put Arbeloa at RB and move Ramos to CB.