My hopes for the season were not all that ambitious really. I wanted a clear improvement in play across the season, I wanted us to be less reactionary, for us to get better on the ball and be much less reliant on the counter-attacks and I wanted a clear idea about what kind of team we were trying to build. And I wanted a hell of a lot less drama. Trophies could wait. So in general Carlo has fulfilled my hopes and I am pretty happy, with some caveats of course
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As for the defense. In the center of it we're rocking. Pepe is having a great season, Sergio is more or less back to his best, Varane is regaining fitness, Nacho has done very well when called upon. The communication with López is still lacking but that's on him as much as on the cbs. The fullbacks are a different story. We neeeeed width, esp. against teams like Atleti. Starting with both Arbeloa and Coentrão was an own goal that could be seen coming miles away. Coentrão needs to get back into match fitness after a very stop-start season, so I can understand starting him, even if I would have prefered it to be against someone else than Atleti. But not at the same time as Arby. Arby gives no width what so ever, he takes all pace out of play when on the ball and Bale is pretty useless without someone behind him to make runs and create space. Starting Arbeloa and a not-quite-match fit Coentrão at the same time was just as dumb as starting Sergio in mf against Barca. No more of that please. And Arbeloa needs to cut shit like this
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I completely agree with you on the goalkeeping issue. Lopez is a good goalkeeper, I'm sure. But he's simply not one of the world's best GK. However I had expected Ancelotti to put him back in goal at the start of the season, yet he did not do that, I wonder why.
People always take Mourinho at his own evaluation. So expect the Daily Mail et al., to spend their time crediting him for the find of a player he was actively irritated we signed.
"I defend my players..." Nope. You don't. You just claimed that Madrid's players spent all their time in front of the mirror. You're short, so I presume you are upset they were blocking your view of it.
"I'm humble..." Stop. Please.
"I found Varane..." You spent 18 months sending him to the stands because you wanted someone else and were resentful about Zizou's role at the club. Zizou left after less than a year. A year after he did Varane signed with your agent and then he got to play.
rikayla and I used to really, really, really lament that such a talented kid wasn't being used. So she can back me up on the timeline as I'm too lazy to Google the bloody thing. He essentially played when the back-line was decimated. Mourinho was, like as not, ready to put an out-of-form Carvalho in a big game (like the clasico at home in the copa del rey in 2012 where we
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The lunch I think Jenny is refering too was not with Ultras, it was with an informal group of journalists and twitter users dubbed "la Yihad Moudradista", a name Siro López, among others, have taken too with gusto. It took place in March last year or there abouts and I don't think Diego López was involved, it was Arbeloa and Xabi who arranged it
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Woah, Barca certainly ARE doing their bit, aren't they? Just woke up, and saw the result :).
I have a tendency to belligerent optimism ;). I 'spose another factor is that I've just started a new job, after a Very Long Time in my previous job (same company - I'm chosing redeployment over redundancy). I guess that right now I don't have energy to spare on worrying about the title campaign, LOL. Plus, WE'RE JUST AWESOME.
Agreed about Isco. Bale seems to be have been allowed quite a bit of leeway to play himself into form, but Isco hasn't seen many chances. It hasn't been great to watch. I'd like to see how a midfield three of Modric-Illarra-Isco would work. It would prob. be missing some strength, but maybe that could be made up with the mobility it would add. No reason not to try it in a match like the one against Elche. And Xabi needs rest, he really does.
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As for the defense. In the center of it we're rocking. Pepe is having a great season, Sergio is more or less back to his best, Varane is regaining fitness, Nacho has done very well when called upon. The communication with López is still lacking but that's on him as much as on the cbs. The fullbacks are a different story. We neeeeed width, esp. against teams like Atleti. Starting with both Arbeloa and Coentrão was an own goal that could be seen coming miles away. Coentrão needs to get back into match fitness after a very stop-start season, so I can understand starting him, even if I would have prefered it to be against someone else than Atleti. But not at the same time as Arby. Arby gives no width what so ever, he takes all pace out of play when on the ball and Bale is pretty useless without someone behind him to make runs and create space. Starting Arbeloa and a not-quite-match fit Coentrão at the same time was just as dumb as starting Sergio in mf against Barca. No more of that please. And Arbeloa needs to cut shit like this ( ... )
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Lopez is a good goalkeeper, I'm sure. But he's simply not one of the world's best GK.
However I had expected Ancelotti to put him back in goal at the start of the season, yet he did not do that, I wonder why.
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Does he still think that ppl think he was the one that brought Rafa to RM? Somewhere in Madrid, Zizou is cackling.
Happy anniversary!
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"I defend my players..." Nope. You don't. You just claimed that Madrid's players spent all their time in front of the mirror. You're short, so I presume you are upset they were blocking your view of it.
"I'm humble..." Stop. Please.
"I found Varane..." You spent 18 months sending him to the stands because you wanted someone else and were resentful about Zizou's role at the club. Zizou left after less than a year. A year after he did Varane signed with your agent and then he got to play.
rikayla and I used to really, really, really lament that such a talented kid wasn't being used. So she can back me up on the timeline as I'm too lazy to Google the bloody thing. He essentially played when the back-line was decimated. Mourinho was, like as not, ready to put an out-of-form Carvalho in a big game (like the clasico at home in the copa del rey in 2012 where we ( ... )
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this legendary shade
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I have a tendency to belligerent optimism ;). I 'spose another factor is that I've just started a new job, after a Very Long Time in my previous job (same company - I'm chosing redeployment over redundancy). I guess that right now I don't have energy to spare on worrying about the title campaign, LOL. Plus, WE'RE JUST AWESOME.
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Agreed about Isco. Bale seems to be have been allowed quite a bit of leeway to play himself into form, but Isco hasn't seen many chances. It hasn't been great to watch. I'd like to see how a midfield three of Modric-Illarra-Isco would work. It would prob. be missing some strength, but maybe that could be made up with the mobility it would add. No reason not to try it in a match like the one against Elche. And Xabi needs rest, he really does.
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