50 replies to this topic

[BrewCrew]

Watching Real play DZ right now. They just went up 3-0 after only 8 minutes!!! No Di Maria, Ronaldo, Marcelo, Pepe, Iker, Kaka, etc.  This team is amazing. It would be extremely tough to play a team like this down the line in the CL. I'm still upset we didn't have a go at Ozil. He makes this team go.

[Snedger]

I'm with you. There are so many great players that we could well have had. I watched Napoli tonight and they've got about 4 players who would walk into our first eleven.

Real, Napoli and City break like lightning and we break like treacle on a cold day. And Ozil tonight and Modric last night, watching a player control a midfield like that is a dream. Despite City's defeat, Silva looked awesome tonight. I'm suffering some severe green eyedness this week. And I dread tomorrow.

[The Moos]

For me the strange thing isn't that they are playing some damn fine football and scoring loads of goals, the real surprise is that it's Mourinho - who focused on defence at Chelsea - who is the manager. Why couldn't he make us play like this?

[barak81]

The Moos, on 22 November 2011 - 10:09 PM, said:

For me the strange thing isn't that they are playing some damn fine football and scoring loads of goals, the real surprise is that it's Mourinho - who focused on defence at Chelsea - who is the manager. Why couldn't he make us play like this?

He did when he had the players.

I can only conclude that when people say we where over defensive and so risk averse that we played dower football under Jose did not really watch us. When we had Robben, duff  and cole we where playing fantastic football and banging in goals for fun. And against big teams as well, liverpool, barca, munich, untied... and we put smaller teams to the sword.

The thing is that for me that team that Jose had was a complete footballing team, a great defensive line and work ethic that didnt conceade goals but deadly going forwards.

Over time robben left, duff lost form and cole got injured, these players where replaced by SWP and malouda, players who turned out to be not up to it. At real Jose now has these players in abundance so he can reproduce the goods.

[The Moos]

barak81, on 22 November 2011 - 10:19 PM, said:

He did when he had the players.

I can only conclude that when people say we where over defensive and so risk averse that we played dower football under Jose did not really watch us. When we had Robben, duff  and cole we where playing fantastic football and banging in goals for fun. And against big teams as well, liverpool, barca, munich, untied... and we put smaller teams to the sword.

The thing is that for me that team that Jose had was a complete footballing team, a great defensive line and work ethic that didnt conceade goals but deadly going forwards.

Over time robben left, duff lost form and cole got injured, these players where replaced by SWP and malouda, players who turned out to be not up to it. At real Jose now has these players in abundance so he can reproduce the goods.

I blame my poor memory.
Even though I saw almost every game when Mourinho was here I still only remember the strong defence and the ability to win 1-0 in tough games. Of course there was the odd game I remember when we scored a few goals against good opposition, but my memories of them are few.
Still, I love a great defence so perhaps I cherished those 1-0 games more than others.

[Myles_91]

I said from the start that IMO Real will win La Liga, still backing Barca for CL though and Bayern as outsiders.

No English team will get close. Us and Arsenal will make it to the 1/4's but thats it

[barak81]

The Moos, on 22 November 2011 - 10:27 PM, said:

I blame my poor memory.
Even though I saw almost every game when Mourinho was here I still only remember the strong defence and the ability to win 1-0 in tough games. Of course there was the odd game I remember when we scored a few goals against good opposition, but my memories of them are few.
Still, I love a great defence so perhaps I cherished those 1-0 games more than others.

Real dont win by 4 or 5 goals every week and the league is a poor stranded. I could add the westborm game when robben made his debut Norwich where we scored one of the best goals that season

Just to add some more weight to the facts... we scored 72 goals in Jose's first season. United got 58.  more then united!! aresnal did score 87  but conceaded 36

In our next season we scored 72 again and untied also did, no one else came close.

[Katon]

barak81, on 22 November 2011 - 10:50 PM, said:

Real dont win by 4 or 5 goals every week and the league is a poor stranded. I could add the westborm game when robben made his debut Norwich where we scored one of the best goals that season

Just to add some more weight to the facts... we scored 72 goals in Jose's first season. United got 58.  more then united!! aresnal did score 87  but conceaded 36

In our next season we scored 72 again and untied also did, no one else came close.

72 goals is less than two goals a game; Real are currently scoring more than three per game. I'll grant you they're playing in an overall weaker league, but even in our best years under Jose our attack was merely very good rather than completely terrifying as theirs currently is.

[Spiller86]

He's got a better squad now for a start. Ronaldo is a force of nature, he scores a goal a game by himself. Also agree that they're in a weaker league, but he has improved as a manager. He is more flexible in my belief. To be honest our league is probably stronger now than when he was here. The next tier are stronger than they were then.

I was most impressed with Sahin last night. His first start and he didn't look the slightest bit overawed. Picked up where he left off at Dortmund.

[footballoholic]

And they are 6 points clear after last night. Now if Barca are supposed to be the greatest team ever...

Classico is sure going to be fun.

Edit: Our young keeper Courtois got sent off for Atletico in that derby unfortunately. Also that Godin fell who we keep getting linked to was total crap.

Edited by footballoholic, 27 November 2011 - 03:46 AM.

[Spiller86]

Yep, good to hear. Did Lass play? Also how did Sahin do?

[Zola]

Madrid are I oolong like a real power hourse this year.

Definitely worthy of a bet in the champions league

[Seven Times]

I seriously wouldn't be too happy about going through against Valencia.


There's having faith I know, but there is also being realistic.

[footballoholic]

Spiller86, on 27 November 2011 - 06:49 AM, said:

Yep, good to hear. Did Lass play? Also how did Sahin do?

Lass seems to be playing RB at the moment, not sure why. He does a pretty solid job there as we've seen him do for us.

Didn't see Sahin, think he was on the bench. Some luxury player that.

[barak81]

I think we are going through and lets be honest we are going to get madrid. Because what is the CL about.. correct Money and what create money? Yap - Drama.

Will there be anything quite more dramatic then AVB v Jose. The master v the apprentice with the masters old club...bla bla bla yadda yadda yadda.

if we go through against valencia put your money on it because UEFA will make it happen.

Only things to be hopefull for:

a) Genk are actually ubeaten at home in the CL arn't they? the drew with us and valencia and are a very different proposition at there gaff.

b) If it does happen the press confrence is going to be intesting.... which I guess is UEFA's point.

[youlots]

Spiller86, on 23 November 2011 - 07:31 AM, said:

He's got a better squad now for a start. Ronaldo is a force of nature, he scores a goal a game by himself. Also agree that they're in a weaker league, but he has improved as a manager. He is more flexible in my belief. To be honest our league is probably stronger now than when he was here. The next tier are stronger than they were then.

Pithy & accurate summation.

[Davey Baby]

barak81, on 22 November 2011 - 10:50 PM, said:

Just to add some more weight to the facts... we scored 72 goals in Jose's first season. United got 58.  more then united!! aresnal did score 87  but conceaded 36

In our next season we scored 72 again and untied also did, no one else came close.

Those were our back-to-backs.

Then we bought Ballack and Shevchenko and Jose adopted the diamond, which has never worked for us.

[Davey Baby]

barak81, on 27 November 2011 - 11:26 PM, said:

a) Genk are actually ubeaten at home in the CL arn't they? the drew with us and valencia and are a very different proposition at there gaff.

They're sh*t mate. We were particularly sloppy to let them draw.

If we get Real we're going out. We literally don't have a prayer.

[barak81]

Davey Baby, on 28 November 2011 - 12:26 AM, said:

Those were our back-to-backs.

Then we bought Ballack and Shevchenko and Jose adopted the diamond, which has never worked for us.

It's quintesetialy italian!! of course it wont work!!
to be honest i just prefer football that uses the full width of the pitch.

[barak81]

Davey Baby, on 28 November 2011 - 12:28 AM, said:

They're sh*t mate. We were particularly sloppy to let them draw.

If we get Real we're going out. We literally don't have a prayer.

Didnt they draw with valencia as well?

Regarding real agreed..... however.

Surly not even roman can expect us to be able to compete with real or barca at the moment? we are 2 seasons of making the right moves (including keeping our manager) with are squad from being european power houses again. This is nothing to be ashamed of, it happens to every team. Its just important to be realistic about where we are and have a clear focused plan of how we are going to get to where we want to be