La Liga 2011/12 Season Thread

Things are about to get even worse for Villarreal - Nilmar already suffering injury trouble this season, and now Rossi is potentially out for 4-6 months!

I don't think Garrido has much time left, the word is that the team had to provide a respectable performance against Madrid yesterday (which they didn't, 3-0 down in 30 mins) and beat Rayo solidly on the weekend. Plus he had a bizarre post-match interview where he rapidly mumbled a load of gibberish. Check out Sid Lowe's Guardian column for the English version.

"Too good to go down" ?

Well, he has pretty much got it spot on.

They are really weak at the full back position which as he points out is a really important position in the 4-4-2 with interiores that they play. Neither De Guzman nor Camuñas are really good enough for Villarreal imo. They still have a pretty good spine in the team: Diego Lopez, Gonzalo, Musacchio, Bruno, Borja Valero, Cani, Nilmar, Rossi. But again, with injuries they don't have a good enough squad to overcome it. Who is going to be the striker now? Gerard Bordas (the 30 year old who just got promoted from the B team THIS YEAR)?

But clearly a change in manage can work. Villarreal were pretty low in the table (can't remember if they were THIS low) when they sacked Valverde early on and Garrido took over.

Anti-Progress wrote:Well, he has pretty much got it spot on.

They are really weak at the full back position which as he points out is a really important position in the 4-4-2 with interiores that they play. Neither De Guzman nor Camuñas are really good enough for Villarreal imo. They still have a pretty good spine in the team: Diego Lopez, Gonzalo, Musacchio, Bruno, Borja Valero, Cani, Nilmar, Rossi. But again, with injuries they don't have a good enough squad to overcome it. Who is going to be the striker now? Gerard Bordas (the 30 year old who just got promoted from the B team THIS YEAR)?

But clearly a change in manage can work. Villarreal were pretty low in the table (can't remember if they were THIS low) when they sacked Valverde early on and Garrido took over.

This is very important aspect for me as well. I was always quite critical about Angel, but now without him and Capdevilla it looks way worse. At least Angel was going up and down the pitch, providing width and giving some additional options for central midfielders/interiores. Now with Zapata and Catala starting as full backs this doesn't exist anymore.

Marca claiming that there are rumours coming out of England that Rafa Benitez could be the new manager of Villarreal.

Last two results of Jornada 10 from yesterday:

Espanyol 1-0 Betis
Athletic 3-0 Atletico

Table is as follows:

1 Levante 23
2 R. Madrid 22
3 Barcelona 21
4 Valencia 18
5 Sevilla 17
6 Espanyol 15
7 Málaga 13
8 Athletic 12
9 Rayo 12
10 Betis 12
11 Osasuna 11
12 Atlético 10
13 Mallorca 9
14 Zaragoza 9
15 R. Sociedad 8
16 Getafe 7
17 Sporting 7
18 Villarreal 7
19 Racing 5
20 Granada 5

I think Laudrup would be a good choice for Villarreal

He can't manage another la liga team this season though.

Pep decides to fuck around with the starting lineup again. No Iniesta, Xavi, or Cesc...so Thiago is the only one to provide creativity from midfield

Valdés
Alves,, Abidal, Mascherano, Adriano
Thiago, Keita, Busquets
Villa, Messi, Cuenca

fcb wrote:Pep decides to fuck around with the starting lineup again. No Iniesta, Xavi, or Cesc...so Thiago is the only one to provide creativity from midfield

Valdés
Alves,, Abidal, Mascherano, Adriano
Thiago, Keita, Busquets
Villa, Messi, Cuenca

Hardly a problem at home to Mallorca with Messi on the pitch. I could play instead of Thiago it wouldnt make a difference.

Who would have thought Kaka > Ozil this season?

Good win for Villarreal yesterday but now they've lost Cani too (six weeks). This could get ugly.

Anti-Progress wrote:Who would have thought Kaka > Ozil this season?

Ozil form is shocking at the moment. Di Maria however is playing great now and with some amazing assists.

Didn't Mourinho once say that Ozil can play at Madrid for 10 years?

Is this a temporary blip?

Di Maria, from what I have seen, has been amazing.

Real Madrid for the title this year!

Hard to say about Ozil. He was good last year although often failing on the biggest occasions (i.e. Barcelona). This year he has been failing on all occasions. Wesley Sneijder was gone after two years. If you wear the #10 big things are going to be expected and a lot of players can't take the pressure.

Di Maria started the season rather indifferently but he's really looking like the best version of himself. Some of his assists lately have been amazing. Even a couple of Guti-esque through passes.

Forza Italia!Forza Milan! wrote:Didn't Mourinho once say that Ozil can play at Madrid for 10 years?

Is this a temporary blip?

Di Maria, from what I have seen, has been amazing.

Real Madrid for the title this year!

I certainly think it's a blip. The problem with Ozil has not just been his performances in big games but rather his general playing style. He is too absent during games compared to what he produces. This despite the fact he had a very good first year. That becomes especially critical when we play in the big games where we need our Nr.10 to come up with at least something. Ultimately I have high hopes for him but at Real Madrid we can't wait that long.

Re: Di Maria
What Jaime said is spot on.

Milan for Cl(but only if they keep Cassano in the team)

Sevilla 1-2 Granada

7-1

Going to be a fascinating game tonight: Athletic vs. Barcelona. Bielsa vs. Guardiola.

No Villa?

Athletic:
Iraizoz
Iraola, Javi Martínez, Amorebieta, Aurtenetxe
Ander Herrera, De Marcos, Iturraspe
Susaeta, Llorente, Muniain


Barcelona:
Valdés
Alves, Piqué, Mascherano, Abidal
Busquets, Xavi, Cesc
Adriano, Messi, Iniesta


Villa and Alexis on the bench in case firepower is needed later...Pep decides to pack the team with all the ball-keepers to try and overcome Athletic, who will undoubtedly pressure intensely all over the pitch.

seems a 3-4-3


---Masch---Pique--Abidal

------------Busquets

--Alves------------------Xavi

------------Cecs

---Iniesta----Messi-----Adriano

GOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLL

Athletic have scored. It's not surprising. The defenders backed off too much. Barça's lines are too spread apart, and the game is not under control. Exactly what Bielsa would have wanted.

Ander!

Wow! What an un-Barcelona goal to equalise

So far the game is very open and end-to-end, just like Bielsa wanted. Need to push the lines closer together, and get Xavi-Iniesta back in control of things.

Athletic playing a dangerous game too - allowing Messi yards of space to run at their defense every time he gets the ball.

F*ck off Wenger!

Pitch is getting worse and worse now with all the standing water...almost impossible for either side to pass the ball properly.

Frustrating 2nd half so far, just 15 mins to go but the conditions have fucked everything. Little football being played now, just a lot of scrappy end to end moves, which is suiting Athletic perfectly. They don't need to score, Barça do.

OMG this is fucking ridiculous. Mascherano with an utterly idiotic concession of a corner (from the halfway line! ) and then a messy goal from the corner.

So far in big games this season:

Barcelona 2-2 Milan
Barcelona 0-0 Sevilla
Valencia 2-2 Barcelona
Barcelona 5-0 Atletico
Athletic 2-1 Barcelona (9 mins to go...but apparently Barça haven't won any game this season where they conceded first)

The signs are clear...it's just like the 2006-2007 season under Rijkaard. The away record and away performances have been shit too.