La Liga 09/10

[Mag in Aberdeen]

Going to Malaga on hols in October, will probably try and see a game, will they stay up Village Idiot/Messi? Will it be easy to get tickets?

 

They have a somewhat tricky calendar, but all their games against relegation rivals are at home, I think they'll manage it since there only is one more relegation ticket in play, imho, Valladolid and Xerez are certainties.

 

You should be able to get tickets with ease during match day at their ticket offices, unless it's some very high demand game against the likes of Barcelona or Madrid

 

Cool, sounds good, cheers

[Village Idiot]

Howay Getafe. I like to see them do well - always struck me as a bit of an underdog team. I've liked them ever since they were cruelly knocked out of Europe by Bayern a couple of years ago. Athletic Bilbao as well, (as well as Barca for their ridiculous football generally).

 

Chuffed for Bilbao, they were really somewhat struggling to stay up these past seasons but this one will be a much calmer one, with even a chance of playing in Europe again.

 

I love that Almería has climbed so much in the league since they got Juanma Lillo as manager. He's one of my favorite gaffers in Spain.  

[Village Idiot]

Horrendous dick move by Florentino, who's taking Rubén de la Red to court to get a disability ruling for him and be able to rescind his contract (he suffers from a yet to be fully diagnosed hearth dolence). To their credit, the team captains (Casillas, Raúl and Guti) have sided with the lad and refused to sign their health insurances for the year as protest.

 

Now I have painted Raúl in a good light, father forgive me 

 

 

 

This just in. Spanish Labour court has not given a disability ruling to De La Red, so Real Madrid will have to pay him the entirety of his contract. 

 

Also, Barça has had to pay €40m to the taxmaster after being found guilty of tax evasion (that was under our board of 15 years ago, though!).

[LooneyToonArmy]

Horrendous dick move by Florentino, who's taking Rubén de la Red to court to get a disability ruling for him and be able to rescind his contract (he suffers from a yet to be fully diagnosed hearth dolence). To their credit, the team captains (Casillas, Raúl and Guti) have sided with the lad and refused to sign their health insurances for the year as protest.

 

Now I have painted Raúl in a good light, father forgive me 

 

 

 

This just in. Spanish Labour court has not given a disability ruling to De La Red, so Real Madrid will have to pay him the entirety of his contract. 

 

Also, Barça has had to pay €40m to the taxmaster after being found guilty of tax evasion (that was under our board of 15 years ago, though!).

 

Any link? If that's true, justice exists... at least in this case.

[Village Idiot]

Horrendous dick move by Florentino, who's taking Rubén de la Red to court to get a disability ruling for him and be able to rescind his contract (he suffers from a yet to be fully diagnosed hearth dolence). To their credit, the team captains (Casillas, Raúl and Guti) have sided with the lad and refused to sign their health insurances for the year as protest.

 

Now I have painted Raúl in a good light, father forgive me 

 

 

 

This just in. Spanish Labour court has not given a disability ruling to De La Red, so Real Madrid will have to pay him the entirety of his contract. 

 

Also, Barça has had to pay €40m to the taxmaster after being found guilty of tax evasion (that was under our board of 15 years ago, though!).

 

Any link? If that's true, justice exists... at least in this case.

 

It's on today's Marca paper edition, but it's not on their website. I guess it will get posted there in the Spanish morning.

 

And if you mean the tax thing, it has been posted in Barça's treasurer twitter (I sort of know him since he actually lives in NYC). To be honest, Josep Lluís Nuñez already got done by the taxmaster in his private businesses, so it is not surprising that his stewardship of Barça would have been surrounded by similar irregularities. He still did a lot of good.

[jdckelly]

Horrendous dick move by Florentino, who's taking Rubén de la Red to court to get a disability ruling for him and be able to rescind his contract (he suffers from a yet to be fully diagnosed hearth dolence). To their credit, the team captains (Casillas, Raúl and Guti) have sided with the lad and refused to sign their health insurances for the year as protest.

 

Now I have painted Raúl in a good light, father forgive me 

 

 

 

This just in. Spanish Labour court has not given a disability ruling to De La Red, so Real Madrid will have to pay him the entirety of his contract. 

 

Also, Barça has had to pay €40m to the taxmaster after being found guilty of tax evasion (that was under our board of 15 years ago, though!).

good for de la red, do they still have no clue whats wrong with the lad?

[Village Idiot]

Not that I know of.

 

All in all poor lad, he was genuinely talented. Although I can see Real Madrid's side, they are paying a salary to a worker that can't perform what he was signed for. But it's bad PR, particularly when he is one of your own.

 

They should maybe offer him a coaching position. They guy hasn't actually sit on his arse these two years and has collected a number of coaching badges already.

[Guest kingdawson]

Village with Henry most probably leaving in the summer, do you think there's any chance Guardiola will go for Luka Modric to play that aml role (so him on the left, Zlatan centre and Messi right)?

 

I've just started to think about it and i'm getting rather scared tbh

[jdckelly]

Village with Henry most probably leaving in the summer, do you think there's any chance Guardiola will go for Luka Modric to play that aml role (so him on the left, Zlatan centre and Messi right)?

 

I've just started to think about it and i'm getting rather scared tbh

he'd fit in well there tbh but it would take a hell of a transfer fee to get levy to sell I'd say

[Village Idiot]

Village with Henry most probably leaving in the summer, do you think there's any chance Guardiola will go for Luka Modric to play that aml role (so him on the left, Zlatan centre and Messi right)?

 

I've just started to think about it and i'm getting rather scared tbh

 

No. He isn't a big name here and has never been linked to us.

 

Our most spoken targets for that area are Silva, Ribery and Di María. Another usually mentioned option is shipping Iniesta there permanently with the signing of Cesc.

 

Modric is a great player, but on the evidence of this season I'd like somebody a bit more direct. Currently only Messi runs at players in our team.

[Guest kingdawson]

Village with Henry most probably leaving in the summer, do you think there's any chance Guardiola will go for Luka Modric to play that aml role (so him on the left, Zlatan centre and Messi right)?

 

I've just started to think about it and i'm getting rather scared tbh

 

No. He isn't a big name here and has never been linked to us.

 

Our most spoken targets for that area are Silva, Ribery and Di María. Another usually mentioned option is shipping Iniesta there permanently with the signing of Cesc.

 

Modric is a great player, but on the evidence of this season I'd like somebody a bit more direct. Currently only Messi runs at players in our team.

 

Good. He was linked to you lot before he came to us, and he's a Barca fan.

 

Out of those options i'd go with Ribery before Cesc tbh. Not saying he's a better player but he's more direct and no point shifting Iniesta out of position for a whole season (i know he's played that role before but still).

[Guest kingdawson]

Village with Henry most probably leaving in the summer, do you think there's any chance Guardiola will go for Luka Modric to play that aml role (so him on the left, Zlatan centre and Messi right)?

 

I've just started to think about it and i'm getting rather scared tbh

he'd fit in well there tbh but it would take a hell of a transfer fee to get levy to sell I'd say

 

Yep Levy would ask for a ridiculous fee for him.

[Village Idiot]

Village with Henry most probably leaving in the summer, do you think there's any chance Guardiola will go for Luka Modric to play that aml role (so him on the left, Zlatan centre and Messi right)?

 

I've just started to think about it and i'm getting rather scared tbh

 

No. He isn't a big name here and has never been linked to us.

 

Our most spoken targets for that area are Silva, Ribery and Di María. Another usually mentioned option is shipping Iniesta there permanently with the signing of Cesc.

 

Modric is a great player, but on the evidence of this season I'd like somebody a bit more direct. Currently only Messi runs at players in our team.

 

Good. He was linked to you lot before he came to us, and he's a Barca fan.

 

Out of those options i'd go with Ribery before Cesc tbh. Not saying he's a better player but he's more direct and no point shifting Iniesta out of position for a whole season (i know he's played that role before but still).

 

He developed his career there actually, mostly because he couldn't get many games in the centre with Xavi and Deco. But he is a diminished player in the wing in my opinion.

[ponsaelius]

Village with Henry most probably leaving in the summer, do you think there's any chance Guardiola will go for Luka Modric to play that aml role (so him on the left, Zlatan centre and Messi right)?

 

I've just started to think about it and i'm getting rather scared tbh

 

No. He isn't a big name here and has never been linked to us.

 

Our most spoken targets for that area are Silva, Ribery and Di María. Another usually mentioned option is shipping Iniesta there permanently with the signing of Cesc.

 

Modric is a great player, but on the evidence of this season I'd like somebody a bit more direct. Currently only Messi runs at players in our team.

 

Good. He was linked to you lot before he came to us, and he's a Barca fan.

 

Out of those options i'd go with Ribery before Cesc tbh. Not saying he's a better player but he's more direct and no point shifting Iniesta out of position for a whole season (i know he's played that role before but still).

 

He developed his career there actually, mostly because he couldn't get many games in the centre with Xavi and Deco. But he is a diminished player in the wing in my opinion.

 

I've always disliked seeing Iniesta out wide. Barca always look better with Xavi and Iniesta in the centre together imo, I've seen games where Iniesta has started outwide and later been shifted centrally and subsequently the game has changed trememndously in Barca's favour. Just looks so much more comfortable there.

 

Do you not think the left wing spot would be better filled by an out and out forward player rather than a winger/attacking midfielder? I mean Henry is no winger and he has played that position the last couple of seasons. I know the versatility of say Silva for example would mean he'd have little trouble slotting in on that side, but I always it feel it would be better to have a bigger goal threat there.

 

What about Luis Suarez as an option there, scoring goals for fun in Holland (aye ana) cutting in from the left flank. Probably not as technically adept as say Silva but boy can he strike the ball. Guess it would be a gamble though, there's a chance he's not really of the highest quality.

 

 

 

 

[Village Idiot]

I agree with you.

 

We are greatly missing Henry's contribution this year. Pedro has stepped up incredibly, but he's still nowhere a player like Henry was last year. He contributed 19 goals from the wing, which is incredible, highest goalscorer in Europe from that position I think. That's why I have changed my opinion on Silva. Great player, but not a goalthreat. I'd cream my pants if we got somebody like Torres to play there, or Villa. It will also solve the problem that we really have nobody to replace our CF when Ibra's out/drops form (we have had only one reliable CF since god-knows-when, I remember Ronaldinho playing there when Eto'o was out and we didn't replace Larsson).

[LooneyToonArmy]

cracking 2nd goal by Messi. 3rd was not too bad either.

 

Zlatan?     

 

At least he scored from the spot in the end

[Village Idiot]

Well, if he misses chances is way better than if he doesn't have them at all. His movement and linking up play was far better today than the past weeks.

 

Messi was unreal though, at moments you could feel the panic Zaragoza had when he got the ball, he usually got triple-teamed in midfield!

 

In other news Mallorca made his home form work again and thumped Atlético 4-1 

 

They are again in a CL spot, with 11 games to go. Can they keep it? Thing is now they will have the "easy" games away, and some very tough cookies coming at home (Valencia, Barcelona, Real Madrid).

[AliGupter]

I'm not sure what would have happened had Zlatan missed the penalty, he probably would have retired on the spot...

 

For a player so (unjustly) arrogant, he has some serious confidence issues right now. I think that goal will probably be the turning point now. Although, I have seen him miss 2 open goals this season...

 

Mallorca won't get 4th, won't win many (if any) of the away games, and as you say, now have tough games at home.

[Village Idiot]

Sevilla's manager Manolo Jiménez has been sacked today after drawing 1-1 with Xerez at home, with an injury time equaliser for the away side.

 

It's the first manager they sack in 11 years.

 

[Segun Oluwaniyi]

Sevilla's manager Manolo Jiménez has been sacked today after drawing 1-1 with Xerez at home, with an injury time equaliser for the away side.

 

It's the first manager they sack in 11 years.

 

Any particular reason they've done the deed, now? They're still in good position for a CL spot. Is it due to with the loss to CSKA? Bit harsh if that is the case.

[Neil]

Sevilla's manager Manolo Jiménez has been sacked today after drawing 1-1 with Xerez at home, with an injury time equaliser for the away side.

 

It's the first manager they sack in 11 years.

 

Any particular reason they've done the deed, now? They're still in good position for a CL spot. Is it due to with the loss to CSKA? Bit harsh if that is the case.

 

Not harsh at all: the twats screwed me out of £50. Not a harsh enough punishment for doing that, IMO.

[Village Idiot]

Sevilla's manager Manolo Jiménez has been sacked today after drawing 1-1 with Xerez at home, with an injury time equaliser for the away side.

 

It's the first manager they sack in 11 years.

 

Any particular reason they've done the deed, now? They're still in good position for a CL spot. Is it due to with the loss to CSKA? Bit harsh if that is the case.

 

He has been questioned for a few games already, some of his selections in key games (like CSKA) have been puzzling. But overall Sevilla have declined as the season has advanced so I guess they want a shot in the arm to make sure they qualify for the CL. And failing to qualify against CSKA was a big blow. They have ambitious plans for growth (new stadium, international expansion, etc...) and progressing in the CL would have been a great platform.

[Village Idiot]

Luís Aragonés has finally refused Sevilla's offer and Antonio Álvarez (former assistant of their former manager) will be interim manager.

[Guest Treks]

Two Massive games on the weekend. Barca away to Mallorca who have the second best home record in the league. Something like 14 wins from 15. Only side to beat them at home were Sevilla who had Negredo sent off earlier on, if i remember correctly. If Barca play like they did against Osasuna on Wednesday they will be beaten. Fail Madrid host Atleti in the second Madrid derby of the week. Madrid seem to ship goals in for fun lately but luckily players such as Higuain and CR are in rich goal scoring form. As much as i would like Atleti to win i just can't see it happening. Will probably end like 5-2 to Fail.

 

Hopefully Barca can escape the islands with 3 points and i fancy Ibra to make it 3 goals in last 3 games. Then its on to London for the mouth watering tie with Le Arse.

[Neil]

Two Massive games on the weekend. Barca away to Mallorca who have the second best home record in the league. Something like 14 wins from 15. Only side to beat them at home were Sevilla who had Negredo sent off earlier on, if i remember correctly. If Barca play like they did against Osasuna on Wednesday they will be beaten. Fail Madrid host Atleti in the second Madrid derby of the week. Madrid seem to ship goals in for fun lately but luckily players such as Higuain and CR are in rich goal scoring form. As much as i would like Atleti to win i just can't see it happening. Will probably end like 5-2 to Fail.

 

Hopefully Barca can escape the islands with 3 points and i fancy Ibra to make it 3 goals in last 3 games. Then its on to London for the mouth watering tie with Le Arse.

 

It'd be a decent bet to stick some money on, say, 4+ goals in the Madrid derby.