I do worry about us to be honest. We are in very poor form where as Real as you said are on fire.
Still, I am confident. 1-1 Wed, 0-0 two weeks. Pool through on agg. :D
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I do worry about us to be honest. We are in very poor form where as Real as you said are on fire.
Still, I am confident. 1-1 Wed, 0-0 two weeks. Pool through on agg. :D
Sorry for not replying but I didn't get an email reminding me about this thread.Quote:
Originally Posted by Poor Student
It was - I think - Phil Ball in When Saturday Comes in the post EC issue (July or August). Ball has written Morbo and White Storm and criticised Jimmy Burns's book on Barcelona as basically 'Barca good. Real very, very, bad'. Hardly a contrarealista. Raul, according to Ball, was walking around in a strop in Germany two years ago. Aragones had a belly full of him and wanted a team that, in Ball's words, 'got along together'. Ball suggested that Raul was the only 'nationalist' in the team. In contrast Fabregas was too young to care, Xavi couldn't care less, and all Puyol was interested in was listening to the Ramones. Ball also mentions an incident where Raul publicly undermined Aragones. It explains why Aragones put up with a lot of pressure not to have him in the squad.
As for fascist apologist, Raul (along with Figo and Salgado) is pictured in the Ultra Sur fanzine posing with what is at best a peculiar distortion of the Spanish flag. Photos I saw were published in 'Diario de un skin', Antonio Salas' diary of his undercover investigation into Spanish neo nazis.
The article cannot be found on the WSC website.
Real Madrid..
With the national team being so amazing, it is shocking to see how poor it's greatest club have become. Too many overhyped overated players on their books and a shadow of the great Zizou lead team of 2001.
Spain : Casillas, Sergio Ramos, Capedevilla, Puyol, Marchena, Senna, Xavi, Iniesta, Silva, Villa, Torres..
Madrid: Casillas, Sergio Ramos, Heinze, Cannavaro, Pepe, Gago, Sneijder, Diarra, Robben, Raul, Huntelaar..
I think Madrid always had a good say in the national team, now it's a poor look out.
And I personally wouldn't have Sergio Ramos anywhere near my squad if I were manager of Spain.
So really it's just Casillas.
Where did it all go wrong??
Because they lost to an English team ?Quote:
Originally Posted by Pike B
Come on
They've gone out at this stage of the competition the last few years but I suppose if it's not against an English team it doesnt count
Incidentally they still went on to win the league over the mighty Barcelona the last 2 seasons despite not making it to the last 8 in Europe both times.
What are you babbling about man?? Show me where I said anything about an English team?Quote:
Originally Posted by gustavo
I am simply saying that in comparison to previous generations, this Madrid side have very little bearing on the National team. Thats my point. In plain English. Stop looking for an arguement.
I had enough of that yesterday off your chums in the CL thread.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Pike B
It's a discussion forum
People discuss things
Not looking for "arguement"
Fair enough Gus. Your an ok member from what I can see, but if you want to discuss something then discuss what I post, not what you asume I'm thinking. Contrary to popular belief I am actually intelligent!! :DQuote:
Originally Posted by gustavo
My point as I stated above was not that Madrid are crap cos they lost to my beloved Reds, but simply weaker than the team my hero Zizou played in, and not anywhere near the influence on the great Spainish national team we see today.
Thats it!!
Well fair enoughQuote:
Originally Posted by Pike B
These things are cyclical though
I mean Liverpool only have 1 English player active in the England squad as far as I can see and they are doing ok!
Very good point. But then England are nowhere near Spain in terms of quality in my opinion. As the recent friendly suggested.Quote:
Originally Posted by gustavo
It's the way of the game these days I suppose, for top clubs to be full of foreigners.
Still, Madrid can continue as they are if it means Spain keep playing as they have for the last two years. I have never been so impressed with a national side over so long a period.
Maybe France 1998-2000.
From the first leg, Real Madrid had three Spanish players in the starting line up and a Spanish manager that took over from a German midway through the season. Liverpool had FIVE Spanish players in the starting line up and a Spanish manager that's been there almost four years.
Maybe Yugoslavia from 1987-1992, they won the youth cup in Chile in 1987, lost on pens to Argentina in 1990. Obviously it all fell apart in late 1991, but the team finished top of the group and knocked out Euro 92 winners (Denmark) in qualification. In every tournament since at least two of the ex-nations have qualified. (1998 Serbia/Montenegro & Croatia, 2000 Slovenia & Serbia/Montenegro, 2002 Slovenia & Croatia, 2004 only Croatia (but they had knocked out Slovenia in the playoff), 2006 Croatia & Serbia / Montenegro, 2008 - only Croatia...Quote:
Originally Posted by Pike B
It's pretty impressive. Also you have to doff your hats to the West German / United Germany team in the early 1990s...
No doubt..Quote:
Originally Posted by cfdh_edmundo