Should Capello stay or go?

The question which has been asked again and again throughout the season. But now that the league is over and Madrid are champions, it's the most adequate time to ask it. I always said even in the moments were I flipped out at Capello that I still wanted him to finish the season, and most Madrid fans felt that way. 5 months ago I couldn't wait for him to f@ck off, but I still thought it would be a mistake to replace him. Thankfully Calderon didn't take the easy way out and kept Capello. But personally, I think we should look for a new coach for next season, and I will explain why.

But first, I'll go over Capello's virtues for this season:

-Team spirit is back. No coach has achieved this since Del Bosque left, and although it took him several months, Capello has gotten the players to feel "el amor de la camiseta" once again.

-Thr gutsy decision of getting rid of Ronaldo has proven Capello right over time. Most Madrid fans wanted Capello's head after that decision, but Ruud's emergence has softened the Ronaldo blow. Still, it must be pointed out that this could have greatly backfired if Ruud had gotten injured, given that we had no number 9s besides him, but the Greek Gods have been with us this season.

-Capello's signings have proven to be very good in the long run. Ruud, Diarra, Cannavaro, and Emerson have started performing when it counted the most. And although Reyes has been a big disappointment, he was the hero last night.

-And although there is truth to the "Barca lost the league more than Madrid won it" line, we could say the same about the last 2 years in which Barca won the league, where they had no competition whatsoever. It wasn't like when Madrid was winning the league a few years ago, having to compete with Valencia, Deportivo, Real Sociedad, etc.

-Despite our awful performances throughout the season, let's take into account that in the last 14 games, we only lost 1, drew 2, and won the rest, also averaging 3 goals per game. These 13 games included a draw in the Camp Nou, and wins over Valencia, Sevilla, and Zaragoza. No one gave us a chance with that tough end of the season lineup, but the team passed the test with flying colors.



However, there's too many things that I did not like that Capello did.

-First, there's the doble pivote. Capello just hasn't learned that this does not work. The number of times that we fucked up the first half because of this and had to launch an epic comeback are infinite. Capello doesn't seem to understand that ultra-defensive formations don't work in Spain.

-Despite Capello's substitutions in the Mallorca game, the lineup was a confirmation that Capello's defensive instincts are very much there to stay. In a game we had to win, he plays the doble pivote as well as Salgado as RB. This is unforgivable and it was obviously doomed for failure. No pace in the right wing with Becks and Salgado, no creativity in the center of the field with Emerson and Diarra, and no pace up front with Raul and Ruud. The fact that a top coach does not seem to spot something so obvious really boggles the mind.

-Capello's gamble with Baptista nearly cost us the season IMO. So Capello got rid of Baptista, who was one of our best players in the last 12 games of last season, because he bet on Cassano and Raul. This really backfired. With Raul, he kept playing him no matter how Cr@p he was and in Cassano's case, he didn't give him enough chances.

-The Robinho case is also hard to believe. Struggling in the bench in the beginning of the season, Robinho finally got into the starting lineup after great performances against Kiev and Barca, only to go back in the bench 2 games later for no apparent reason. Thankfully Capello finally got his act together and kept Robinho as a started, but I still don't like how he treater Robinho.

-The Raul case is even more unbelievable. Here's a player who's been a ghost in most games of the season, and somehow seems to play nearly every minute of every game. The "he scored in every important game" line is wildly exagerated. He didn't score against Valencia at home, against Barca away, against Zaragoza in any game, nor against Sevilla in any game, nor against Villareal. His game against Mallorca embodied his whole season - invisible and causing no danger to the opposition. He did "defend" well though, something Capello seems to love.



Of course, the problem here is that the Del Bosque ghost is still looming in the background. We all remember what happened last time we fired a coach after winning silverware. But I honestly think that Capello has served his purpose, just like 10 years ago. He put us back in the right track and now it's time to get an offensive coach to take over the team and get Madrid playing the way we should. This season, most Madrid fans would traded pretty football for silverware. Now that we won the league, it's time to go back to our beautiful attacking football, which is part of the soul of Real Madrid.

This is a new Era for Madrid now, I don't know if Capello is up to leading it

Cappello did a decent job so why he has to go is beyond me... Maybe the Madrid logics...

He made a deadly sick animal healthy again...

The winning coach is always right

You need to get rid of Capello, he has won you some silverware which what everyone wanted, now get someone in who plays football.

Its a bit like when you havent had sex for a while and you go with an ugly girl, not because you want to but because you need it and you want to get your confidence back up. You dont stick with her, you find someone more attractive.

Ricardo Jol wrote:Cappello did a decent job so why he has to go is beyond me... Maybe the Madrid logics...

He made a deadly sick animal healthy again...

And now it's time to get a new animal trainer who not only gets the animal to do things such as catching a stick and bringing back, but more amazing things such as backflips and jumping through a hoop of fire

Rez wrote:You need to get rid of Capello, he has won you some silverware which what everyone wanted, now get someone in who plays football.



Its a bit like when you havent had sex for a while and you go with an ugly girl, not because you want to but because you need it and you want to get your confidence back up. You dont stick with her, you find someone more attractive.

Great analogy!

The thing that worries me the most is that if we do sack Capello we have to start all over from scratch. It means new players, time required for everyone to get on the same page, and there is a distinct possibility that the postive things that Capello has achieved (dressing room harmony, compromise, fighting spirit) will disappear. I vote for continuity for the moment. The other thing is Capello was not sounding very optimistic after last nights victory. He even said he felt like he didnt have the backing of Calderon so maybe he will wash his hands of the whole situation anyhow.

Should I stay or should I go now?
If I go there will be trouble
An if I stay it will be double

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1Gn0e7kvTA

In other words after you shagged the ugly girl you could become too confidence so you try to get the most beautiful girl in your bed....

And you fail dramatically again...

Ricardo Jol wrote:In other words after you shagged the ugly girl you could become too confidence so you try to get the most beautiful girl in your bed....

And you fail dramatically again...

No you just go back to your normal level.

When you have gone without for a while, you try to hard (you get the desperate look, the look that never ever gets girls) and your confidence drops, so you cant get the girls you normally/used to get.

Once you have had your way with the ugly girl, your confidence is back and you no longer have that desperate look in your eyes. Then you can go back to getting the type of girls you always had.

Besides a club like Real should be getting the most beautiful girls.

Jaime wrote:The thing that worries me the most is that if we do sack Capello we have to start all over from scratch. It means new players, time required for everyone to get on the same page, and there is a distinct possibility that the postive things that Capello has achieved (dressing room harmony, compromise, fighting spirit) will disappear. I vote for continuity for the moment. The other thing is Capello was not sounding very optimistic after last nights victory. He even said he felt like he didnt have the backing of Calderon so maybe he will wash his hands of the whole situation anyhow.

That's true, but the way I see it there should be (and there most likely will be) a massive clearout of players, regardless of who is the coach. Roberto Carlos, Beckham, Diego Lopez, Pavon, Bravo, Minambres, Mejia, and Cassano are either sure or almost sure to leave. On top of that, I think Raul, Helguera, Emerson, and Salgado should follow them out of the door.

So next year we will have a very different squad anyway. I think the key is to replace a lot of the players who are leaving with Castilla players. Nieto, De la Red, Soldado, Torres, Codina, and possibly Javi Garcia can be taken to the first team. We need as many home grown players as we can to keep up the team spirit. After that, we make a few signings of young, hunry players like Diego and Quaresma and maybe one big signing, and we'll be all set with a coach like Schuster or maybe even Del Bosque again. I think that if Capello stays, we'll end up buying more players who are nearing their 30s and we won't make too much progress in the attacking department.

Torrente wrote:

Jaime wrote:The thing that worries me the most is that if we do sack Capello we have to start all over from scratch. It means new players, time required for everyone to get on the same page, and there is a distinct possibility that the postive things that Capello has achieved (dressing room harmony, compromise, fighting spirit) will disappear. I vote for continuity for the moment. The other thing is Capello was not sounding very optimistic after last nights victory. He even said he felt like he didnt have the backing of Calderon so maybe he will wash his hands of the whole situation anyhow.

That's true, but the way I see it there should be (and there most likely will be) a massive clearout of players, regardless of who is the coach. Roberto Carlos, Beckham, Diego Lopez, Pavon, Bravo, Minambres, Mejia, and Cassano are either sure or almost sure to leave. On top of that, I think Raul, Helguera, Emerson, and Salgado should follow them out of the door.

So next year we will have a very different squad anyway. I think the key is to replace a lot of the players who are leaving with Castilla players. Nieto, De la Red, Soldado, Torres, Codina, and possibly Javi Garcia can be taken to the first team. We need as many home grown players as we can to keep up the team spirit. After that, we make a few signings of young, hunry players like Diego and Quaresma and maybe one big signing, and we'll be all set with a coach like Schuster or maybe even Del Bosque again. I think that if Capello stays, we'll end up buying more players who are nearing their 30s and we won't make too much progress in the attacking department.

You are right there is likely to be a rather large overhaul regardless of who is there. Believe me, I am the first in line of madridistas who want to see more attacking football. I'd just like to see a combination of good football with the fighting spirit and determination that Capello instilled in the players. Del Bosque did it, can Schuster? Schuster would be a bit of an experiment...I guess only time will tell.

I share the same fears with you. The main problem is that even though I believe Capello should be fired, the lack of potential replacements is worrying. I would hate it if we got Mourinho (who's Capello Jr. anyway) and there are still question marks over Schuster, despite what he's done with Getafe. Can he cut it in the big stage? Obviously we don't know.

If we could get Hiddink or Ancelotti, I would fire Capello in an instant. Unfortunately it would be mission impossible to sign either one at this moment. The choiced to replace Capello seem to come down to Mourinho, Schuster, or Del Bosque, and none of them feel my heart with confidence. However, at least with Schuster we know that he would give young players a chance and would bring a more modern approach to football that we are severely lacking.

You see, neither Hiddink nor Ancelotti really convince me. Hiddink was a disaster the first time he was here and I don't think Ancelotti's teams really play that much more offensively that Capello's. If we were going to get someone I would prefer a manager like Victor Fernandez or Juande Ramos although both of them would still be somewhat of an experiment in terms of their lack of experience at a big club.

In Hiddink's case, he's a completely different coach now than he used to be when he coached us. What he achieved with South Korea, PSV, and Australia is truly impressive. I think that with a second spell with Madrid he would be very successful.

Ancelotti is something of a pragmatist as well, but his teams do play very good football. Also, he's an expert when it comes to the CL, which should be our priority for next season IMO. 3 CL finals in 5 years speaks for itself.

Real will be foolish to let Capello go... a new coach always represents risk, and will involve in a large scale change of personnel... again!!

But I think Capello should quit... he derserves better than the treatment he has got... unfortunately there are no big clubs looking!

bluenine wrote:

But I think Capello should quit... he derserves better than the treatment he has got... unfortunately there are no big clubs looking!

He should join a mid table club and see if he can build for the future.

bluenine wrote:Real will be foolish to let Capello go... a new coach always represents risk, and will involve in a large scale change of personnel... again!!

But I think Capello should quit... he derserves better than the treatment he has got... unfortunately there are no big clubs looking!

If Ramos leaves Sevilla he might well go there.

Their a pretty big club in the grand scheme of things

Torrente wrote:In Hiddink's case, he's a completely different coach now than he used to be when he coached us. What he achieved with South Korea, PSV, and Australia is truly impressive. I think that with a second spell with Madrid he would be very successful.

Ancelotti is something of a pragmatist as well, but his teams do play very good football. Also, he's an expert when it comes to the CL, which should be our priority for next season IMO. 3 CL finals in 5 years speaks for itself.

You make good points about Ancelotti but he isn't available I don't suppose. I think for Hiddink, managing the national team is a bit different from club. His PSV teams were ok I guess. But if he is the only alternative, I think I'd prefer to stick with Capello.

Parks lives wrote:

bluenine wrote:

But I think Capello should quit... he derserves better than the treatment he has got... unfortunately there are no big clubs looking!

He should join a mid table club and see if he can build for the future.

I hope you're not comparing a mid table club in '86 to a mid table club now.

CL money for the big boys makes just a slight difference

And as Parks will be quick to point out, Man U always had one of the biggest crowds, so presumably were generating high income, all through the 70s and 80s even when they got relegated

Jaime wrote:

Torrente wrote:In Hiddink's case, he's a completely different coach now than he used to be when he coached us. What he achieved with South Korea, PSV, and Australia is truly impressive. I think that with a second spell with Madrid he would be very successful.

Ancelotti is something of a pragmatist as well, but his teams do play very good football. Also, he's an expert when it comes to the CL, which should be our priority for next season IMO. 3 CL finals in 5 years speaks for itself.

You make good points about Ancelotti but he isn't available I don't suppose. I think for Hiddink, managing the national team is a bit different from club. His PSV teams were ok I guess. But if he is the only alternative, I think I'd prefer to stick with Capello.

i think hiddink is the perfect solution to take over from capello.
first of all his teams always has a lot of morale but can also play some good football. the psv side he led to the cl semis played great football compared to what he had and just great in generel. i dont want ancelotti since i know that he is being questioned in italy for his tactical knowledge. i would love shuster aswell since he has the same things as shuster with great morale and a good balance between attack and defence. his getafe team hasnt scored much but it is obvious when you see them that they can play football.
but if capello stays it wouldnt be the worst that has happened since i think that he has done his and our future coach the biggest favour; removing the pressure and spotlight. no more blanco and this will help alot when we are going to build a team.

Capello should stay - Real need continuity.

haha

Knowing Capello, if anyone can win the EPL with Newcastle United, he can!!

Parks lives wrote:

bluenine wrote:

But I think Capello should quit... he derserves better than the treatment he has got... unfortunately there are no big clubs looking!

He should join a mid table club and see if he can build for the future.