Real Madrid CF 2013/14

Apparently the club are blocking the Di Maria sale. I guess we'll see.

Jaime wrote:Apparently the club are blocking the Di Maria sale. I guess we'll see.

Who is block what? Who is pushing for the transfer?

Super Progress wrote:

Jaime wrote:Apparently the club are blocking the Di Maria sale. I guess we'll see.

Who is block what? Who is pushing for the transfer?

Monaco & PSG were both interested in the summer when the Bale signing looked imminent and everyone assumed it would be Di Maria, and not Ozil, that was going to leave. The rumour turned up a couple days ago saying that Monaco were prepared to offer 40m for Di Maria and that they player wanted to go. The next day the story was that Real Madrid were not interested in selling him in January and Ancelotti in his press conference today confirmed that Di Maria would not leave in the January window. Ancelotti acted surprised and said that if Di Maria is unhappy "his office door was open". Ancelotti also said that next summer it (Di Maria's situation) could be a different story.

It would be interesting to know how much of this is true, if Di Maria is really that unhappy because all along Ancelotti has praised his willingness to stay and fight for his place. He did not look happy when he was substituted against Xativa.

I guess we will see how things turn out.

Ronaldo wins the World Soccer POTY award. Since 1997, the player winning the World Soccer award has also won the Balon d'Or all but twice.

In depth analysis by Marca today explaining the improvement in Real Madrid in the last month or so.

To summarise: Khedira OUT, Alonso IN!

their has been no improvement just playing a lot of home games where you always played well and some easier away games.

Spoken like a true cule.

Thought we played really well in the beginning and if Ronaldo hadn't missed those two chances I think we would have probably won it. But I knew this was a hard place because Osasuna get ahead everything completely changes with their fans behind them. Once again our defence led us down. I wanted to give Pepe another season to see if he changed but he seems to have deteriorated almost as fast Albiol before him. We desperately need Varane back. We can live with Ramos but only if he is next to a calmer player like Varane. Nice to see Isco prove crucial again. Mourinho would never have used Carvajal+Marcelo against Osasuna.  

Bale was useless. In these sorts of game he has to find a way to make a contribution because there is little room for transitions. 80% of La Liga games won't be a problem but the few times we run into real opposition or tough spots he can't play like this. Part of the problem is his positioning on the right which he still struggling with when he doesn't have space. It was telling against FC Copenhagen that he made much more of an impact once he was on the left. Ancelotti should move him there much more often and especially because he has the speed and ability to deliver good crosses which will serve us well. So I blame Ancelotti primarily for not realizing this yet.

SER reporting that Alonso is not going to renew his contract for personal reasons.

Yet another sloppy game and resembled the Osasuna game to some degree. We look in control but we are incapable of defending properly. Ramos once agains fucks up and for both goals. This should have been an easy game yet we were made to suffer because this team clearly has no respect for defending.


Number of clean sheets: 4

Games with more than 1 goal conceded :6

Compared to Barcelona and Atletico:

Barcelona:8
Barcelona:3

Atletico:8
Atletico:1!!!!*


I don't understand why the media in Madrid can't put focus on the fact that the defense is not holding up or that this is the crucial issue and not whether Bale, Di Maria, Isco or some of the young players are getting chances or performing. Way too little is made of this big problem we have. Getting Varane back won't help either even if he is much better than either Ramos and Pepe. Marcelo gets away with being way too sloppy and he doesn't seem to connect as well anymore with Ronaldo either. Marcelo should be forced to stay back more and be more attentive and also try to keep width more instead of going inwards. Carvajal is much better in this regard. Benzema is scoring more goals now but he still seems a bit lethargic and not able to hold up the ball or beat his marker. I don't get why Benzema has to play the entire game either. Ancelotti got the subs right though for both Carvajal and Jese were needed and glad to see Jese score.


*Diego Simeone   

Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti is confident that the club will "reach an agreement" to extend Xabi Alonso's contract.

The 32-year-old's current deal is due to expire at the end of the 2013-14 season but a two-year extension is in the pipeline.

With club captain - but current second-choice goalkeeper - Iker Casillas's future also up for question, the Italian is in no doubt over the two World Cup winners' situations.

"Casillas's situation is very clear. He will play in the Champions League and in the cup as well," Ancelotti told the press. "As for Xabi Alonso, I think that we will find a solution and reach an agreement between the club and the player."

The Madrid boss also declared his certainty as to how quiet the January transfer window would be for his side, explaining: "There is nothing new regarding that. No players are leaving and we're not going to sign anyone. The window is closed for us."

Speaking after the Spanish side's winter friendly victory over Paris Saint-Germain, Ancelotti also lent his support to Cristiano Ronaldo's campaign to win the Ballon d'Or.

Asked if the Portuguese was the man for the prize, the Italian replied: "Yes, he's playing very well."

Morata to Arsenal? Possibility? Good player?

Hlebagone wrote:Morata to Arsenal? Possibility? Good player?

He is a good young striker. Still a little green but he is going to be Spain's '9' someday. He's already said he isn't interested in leaving. Maybe he would go on loan but apart from Benzema he's the only proper striker on the books so I would even be surprised if that happens.

Super Progress wrote:Yet another sloppy game and resembled the Osasuna game to some degree. We look in control but we are incapable of defending properly. Ramos once agains fucks up and for both goals. This should have been an easy game yet we were made to suffer because this team clearly has no respect for defending.


Number of clean sheets: 4

Games with more than 1 goal conceded :6

Compared to Barcelona and Atletico:

Barcelona:8
Barcelona:3

Atletico:8
Atletico:1!!!!*


I don't understand why the media in Madrid can't put focus on the fact that the defense is not holding up or that this is the crucial issue and not whether Bale, Di Maria, Isco or some of the young players are getting chances or performing. Way too little is made of this big problem we have. Getting Varane back won't help either even if he is much better than either Ramos and Pepe. Marcelo gets away with being way too sloppy and he doesn't seem to connect as well anymore with Ronaldo either. Marcelo should be forced to stay back more and be more attentive and also try to keep width more instead of going inwards. Carvajal is much better in this regard. Benzema is scoring more goals now but he still seems a bit lethargic and not able to hold up the ball or beat his marker. I don't get why Benzema has to play the entire game either. Ancelotti got the subs right though for both Carvajal and Jese were needed and glad to see Jese score.


*Diego Simeone   

Haven't actually seen a full match since the CL fixture against Copenhagen. Like the looks of Jese against Celta though. Gonna have to watch the second half of that one I think!

A shame that Alonso is injured again, because he was really making a difference coming back.

I think we have to be patient. It took a good six months for Zidane to settle into Spanish football and Real Madrid when he first came so given the new manager, the new players, a style of play it is always going to take some time. Like I said in the other thread, March is going to be a decisive month. In the meantime, we are alive in all the competitions so to me that is PROGRESS.

Great to see Jese perform but I don't think he will solve our problem defensively. We are still too easy to play through and no matter if Alonso plays or not we still don't have a sufficient structure to protect the defence. I would like to see Ancelotti go back to Isco on the left and Ronald upfront a little more for games where we need to watch it because we get killed easily on the wings. At the moment of course there is no disastor and the results are acceptable as long as we don't lose track of Barcelona and Atletico until we meet them. Can't wait for Varane to come back.  

7 seven years since Marcelo made his debut in Riazor.....and still has not learned to mark an attacker at the far post.

Xabi is gonna renew his contract for two more years!

So what do we make of Di Maria's 'gesture' when coming off in the Celta Vigo game?

I don't think the gesture itself is the end of the world. He claims it was "innocent", I have my doubts, but that is neither here nor there. Players have reacted worse to the Bernabeu in the past. What worries me is that at the beginning of the season the player seemed like he was willing to fight for his place and that is why Di Maria stayed and not Ozil but now it seems like increasingly Di Maria is the guest of honour at his own pity party. Meanwhile, someone like Jese is coming in and taking advantage of his opportunities. So I would be surprised if Di Maria is around next season.

Alonso       

That is our most important signing this year


Why were fans booing Di Maria?

I hope Di Maria stays but I don't consider it to be such a bad thing what he did. Our fans don't really deserve that much respect considering how little they show the players. Nobody works as hard as Di Maria among our attacking players.

I don't really know the reason the fans were whistling when Di Maria exited. Some people were even suggesting he made the gesture towards Ancelotti. Di Maria still maintains that he was simply "adjusting" himself.

Coentrao going on loan to man utd apparently. Real shame, if anyone's gotten a bad treatment by the Madrid press it's him.

Excellent game by Modric yesterday, a few bad misses by CR7 though.

congrats Ronaldo for the WPOTY Award

BUT

Ramos Defender of the year, thats a joke

Deluded F*ck™ wrote:Excellent game by Modric yesterday, a few bad misses by CR7 though.

Modric has maybe been the most consistent player we've had over the last 12 months after Ronaldo. Really ever since that Champions League tie against Man Utd last year, he has gone from strength to strength.

Kroos wrote:congrats Ronaldo for the WPOTY Award

BUT

Ramos Defender of the year, thats a joke

Who should win it then, Van Buyten?

Boateng
Dante


Ramos is an freaking liablity in every game i`ve seen him

Kroos wrote:Boateng
Dante


Ramos is an freaking liablity in every game i`ve seen him

Meh, nobody really cares about defenders anyway.

Cristiano wrote:

Glen Folds' Five wrote:Sell us Modric please.

NO.

He will be a beast next season.

 

Jaime wrote:

Kroos wrote:Boateng
Dante


Ramos is an freaking liablity in every game i`ve seen him

Meh, nobody really cares about defenders anyway.

   

It's about the best footballers ffs.