Barcelona 1-0 Real Madrid | EL Clasico, Ronaldo, Benzema & Marcelo
Monday, 30 November 09, 03:18 AM · Comments (77)
"I haven't seen Real much this season but they played very well. We were made to suffer because we had to play against a great team with great players."
That was Barcelona's captain Carles Puyol, who had one of his best games ever. If it wasn't him, we would have won. He saved his team many times by blocking balls from Marcelo and Higuain. I loved his spirit and he was truly outstanding last night.
We were very good as well although I don't like the fact that Barca controlled the game and had more ball possession than we did. We just seemed more dangerous and had we had the ball more often, we would have made a lot of damage.
It was evident that Pellegrini's team is improving, even little by little. I have said many times before that patience, faith, hard-work and consistency are crucial and I hope last night's performance convince those doubters everywhere.
However, to say that Real Madrid played very well last night is an exaggeration. To say that Pellegrini didn't make a mistake here or there or all of our players had an outstanding game is very subjective.
So, here are a few things I would like to mention:
No Benzema
Pellegrini started with Casillas, Ramos, Pepe, Albiol, Arbeloa, Lass, Alonso, Marcelo, Kaka, Ronaldo and Higuain. He used a 4-3-1-2 formation with Kaka behind Ronaldo and Higuain and Marcelo helping Arbeloa on the left to contain Messi.
It wasn't a bad formation and I understand that Higuain has been in amazing form, but I thought we would have been more effective had we started with Benzema and Gonzalo together.
First off, Benzema is someone who is very good with the ball. He has pace, powerful shooting and is physically strong and I'm very convinced that he would have made a lot of damage to Barcelona had he received the balls Marcelo and Higuain had.
When he came on in the second half for Ronaldo, he was very active and did create danger. He had a good goal-scoring chance but his ball went over the bar. He also used his talent to keep possession and create chances for his teammates, and that's why I'm convinced he should be a starter.
If you think he isn't playing to his full potential, that's right, just give him more time (we did give time to Gago, right?) and see what he will do.
Marcelo on the left instead of Ronaldo
As I mentioned above, Manuel used Marcelo plus Arbeloa on the left to shut down Messi and to prevent Alves from attacking so often. It worked to some point, and Marcelo actually went forward and attacked, but he wasn't having a good day at all.
The Brazilian, as the case with Higuain, has been in fine form as of late, but he was really bad last night. Not because he failed to score from that fantastic chance in the first half, but because he gave away a lot of balls to Barcelona and was both defensively and offensively ineffective. It was like we were one man down.
Effectiveness is a word that I probably overuse, but it is what describes a great player or team. We lacked effectiveness last night and so did Marcelo.
So I think Manuel should have reacted quickly. He should have immediately taken him off as he was not helping us at all. If I were him, I would have sent in Benzema and moved Ronaldo to the left.
Ronaldo was great
Considering that he hadn't played in something like two months, Cristiano Ronaldo gave a fine performance at the Camp Nou despite the booing, laser, and the hatred expressed by the home fans. He had a clear chance in the first half which Victor Valdes amazingly blocked and was a constant danger to Barcelona.
And to those who are complaining and thinking that Pellegrini was dumb to take him off, here is what you don't know. Ronaldo couldn't have started If Manuel didn't take some risks. Club doctors had told him that Ronaldo would only be able to play for no more than 60 minutes, and last night's game was not a normal one. It was physical and mental.
They were worried about his lungs not ankle. If you are a soccer player you'd understand that.
Had Ronaldo been in his best shape, would he performed better?
Absolutely!
But, was starting him a good decision?
Yes, although a tough one, but again he should have played on the left instead of Marcelo. We would have been more stronger that way.
What else to say?
Well, we should be proud of our performance. We are no Inter and we fought. Thanks to Xavi and Iniesta, Barcelona had an excellent midfield. And thanks to Ibrahimvoic, they had an effective man upfront who scored five minutes after he went in.
A draw would have been fair, right?
Yes, right, but Barcelona deserved to win.
What's next now?
Well, Almeria is next and we are still in a good position. We are just two points behind in the league and we still have another Clasico to play at the Bernabeu.
Keep the faith.
Hala Madrid!
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alright sound good Adam Bader 
77 Madridistas have commented on "Barcelona 1-0 Real Madrid | EL Clasico, Ronaldo, Benzema & Marcelo" · Add yours
Benz can be another Gago....itz better not to give him a starting position ,better make him realize that life is not easy at madrid.make him fight for starting 11 position n i'm sure he'll improve
I did not find VDV name in your this blog that was surprising.
Reply to Madridfan_India:
Don't give him a starting position? Why did you sign him then, just for the bench to warm? Who to starts instead? The inconsistent Raul or Marcelo?
Reply to Adambader:
single striker formation with higuain..4-2-3-1
cr9.kaka,vdv ...
benz needs to be made to fight bck 4 his starting position which will surely lead to benz's improvement + RM's attack improvement.
Of all new aces brought this summer others have already proved themselves while he has not yet.
n plz don't compare with him to gago about chances.
gud luck Adam.
guys benzema is very good player even with his recent form he is better than some others...i think we ve improved cause raul is benched that s the fair truth!one more thing i watched the replay of barcelona s goal and i think it was offside what do u think??
Reply to lambros:
can't comment on whether he was offside or not..i agree since raul has been benched we have improved.itz time Raul realizes this n retire with respect. n i never said benzema is a bad player hez one of d best talents in this world but hez out of form at madrid tat worries me.
Barca's victory was pure luck...
Benzema imo would have done way better than Higuan as a lone striker. Since he can drop down and hold the ball longer to wait for his flankers to come.
thanks adam ,well thought out ! i am with you on the give em a break front ! still coming together, and doing well despite the problems .but we are getting there, higuain has been a star of late and on the whole i thought most of the first half was ours ?i do think a draw at least though would have been fair,although i appreciate barca lifted by the goal and got to give them that (sticks in throat)
btw pepe here has escaped his well deserved criticism .....
hez d one responsible for ibra goal n almost 4 messi's goal in closing mins.
Reply to Madridfan_India:
Well, Gago has had more chances in the last two years even though he has rarely impressed.
Plus, Benzema has a record backing him.
Reply to Madrid4Life:
I agree.
Benzema and Higuain should hav started along with Ronaldo at the end
After a really long time, i saw madrid attacking and striking fear in the hearts of the catalans. Only sore point is we did not score. Apart from that, there was nothing that barcelona could do to contain kaka. Man he was the man for us. Cristiano played good as well considering that he was coming off an injury. And a splendid job by Pellegrini to choose an attacking mindset and employing the pressure tactics. Barca were stumped by a long mile through out the match. I have a good feeling going forth it should be a good season for los blancos. Because unlike last year, it was not a capitulation. And unlike the previous years, our opponent were not meek. It was a perfect dual. And Pellegrini has proved how bold he can get, courtesy the way we played yesterday. any other team would have looked to pack the defence and midfield and come off with a draw rather than a drubbing. Instead we chose to attack and catch them on the brink. A very satisfying feeling although we lost. We lost a battle, but the war is not over yet.
Reply to IndianGalactico:
i agree with u mate....it was a gr8 performance..i doesn't care about people who say Madrid fails against big teams..all i want to say them is give this team few time..after last night match press has praised madrid..it shows signs of improvement in team.KaKa was man of the match for madrid..Itz just the beginning of season.so other 'BIG' teams watch out 4 this madrid team ...
Hala Madrid.
adam, I think both teams played to their strenghts and therefore it's almost impossible to have more possession! madrid never have lots of possession, even against low caliber teams we onl have 55%..we are built to play fast ballsup front, and that's the reason why we don't keep the ball.alfredo relano wrote before the match that this fact is the difference between real and barca..kaka and ronaldo are players who take risks and loose the ball 8 of 10 times, but twice there is a chance for goal! xavi and iniesta play differently..that is a reason why it's difficult to beat barca even against ten men..they only wanted to keep the ball, had no necessity of scoring..lady luck was not dressed white yesterday..
the most important thing is that we have a defense we can rely on..the goals will come with these players we have! hala madrid!
Our hardest defeat was at Bernabeu!So we have to start from there!Yesterday we showed that we can do it well!Hala Madrid
I can't understand you guys saying CR9 was great,i believe he was AWFUL not because of that chance he missed,but because he was thinking that he's the best player on the field,just how many times did he try to pass the ball by his back heel? and every time he failed,also he tried to cross the ball Quaresma's style and failed too,i mean this is not Arsenal or Chelsea this is Barcelona,i hope he play normal next time unless we thrash Fashalona then he can do whatever he like
Marcelo instead of Arbeloa, CR9 instead of Marcelo, and Benzema as striker.. much more POWER and striking.. CR9 fooled Puyol at the beginning of the game... WOW... is not easy to leave Puyol behind like that.. Higuain was not ready for El Clasico... Raul would have been better... Hala Madrid!!
I think Pellegrini deserves more credit than he is getting. The first half was almost perfect. Barcelona were cacking themselves, and were limited to a couple of cross shots. We, on the other hand, were in possession and teasing their defence apart thanks to the work of Lassana,and the technique of Alonso.
Good work Pellegrini!
Ronaldo was a constant headache for the Barsa defence. Kaka was constantly trying to drive the team forward. Alonso was picking his passes, and Higuain was constantly tring to speed past the last defender.
Just that the ball refused to go in. Just like against AC Milan. Good performance not reflected in goals.
A draw would have been a fair result. I think Barcelona can consider themselves lucky to escape with a draw, really.
I would still like to see Real Madrid picking their passes more quickly. Too much faffing around with the ball, running with it into closed odwn spaces. The passing needs to be crisp in order to exploit our greater speed on the break. What's the point in having the likes of Higuain, Ronaldo and Kaka, if you are not going to release them early?
As for Marcelo he did not have the awful game that people here are saying. He played an effective and crucial role in helping to stop Alves. How many times did Alves get forward? Once.
Marcelo lacked a bit of precision - but that can happen to anyone. He did a good job.
Just that the ball refused to go in.
nice article! the formation was 4-2-3-1 mate nd Higuain played upfront as a lone striker r tht s how we started.. i would have played d same formatioon too but would have started ron on d left just like u said nd played higuain on the right with Benz upfront nd Kaka down the middle! i expected pellegrini to do the same
if there is one thing that he has to change then it will be over dependence on marcelo! Marcelo has to be dropped from the stating line up! we certainly lack width in one flank sometime or the other in a game. we either have to use higuain as a winger or must buy one in jan! although arbeloa finds it a bit odd to play as LB he is doing a decent job! hope we win next time! until then... Hala Madrid!
Well Madrid Fans?? Im a neutral fan and after watching el derbi, i am fascinated and intrigued.
I think madrid could have won this game in the first half. The counter attacks are phenominal with CR9 and Kaka linking up. If you guys had have had a little luck in front of goal... who knows
But we all know barca can hold possession after scoring and managed to hold on.
But after last years shambles at the bernabeau, what a dramatic improvement.Fans need to get of pellegrini's back and give the guy a break.
I think you guys are being overly critical of RM performance. On another day, they could have won 2-1. And barca were visibly stunned with the pace and directness of RM counters
Ronaldo and kaka were clearly a handful and dont forget most papers gave puyol man of the match so does that not say he saved their bacon so to speak??
I think madrid have finally shown that they are not at an inferior level. Cant wait for the return at home.
As for possession stats?? Barca had a lot more but as someone else pointed out, RMs style is not the same as barca at all and there is a huge impetus on getting the ball forward quickly in a much more direct style. Quite similar to last seasons Juande Ramos team that was great on the counter but was never going to be dominating possession in most matches.
Pelligrini's team's style really is intriguing. I thought his villareal tactics were more south american style with a lot of possession and patience. But this team are so direct it seems almost based on an english style of directness
A lot of successful teams are great at counter attack away from home but will RM fans be happy at bernabeau if the team uses counter tactics
I will answer.. NO!
I agree with your review. But I think that Kaka didn't play as well as he should have! I like Kaka but I just didn't think he was that good in the match. It's ok if you disagree with me but that's just how I feel! And I agree, having been injured for so long, Ronaldo played really well. In fact he was better than most of the players. Good review!
The thing that gets me really mad is the ref, i'm not saying we lost the game because of him BUT dani alves should have seen a yellow if not red for that lashing out against the side ref he literally raised his fist to the ref wanting to punch him i have no idea how he got away with that how can a player do that to a ref and not be punished. and keita's had at least 8 fouls 3 of which stopped counter attacks and he saw no yellow but 1 small foul on messi by arbeloa and he gets a yellow. Busquets first foul on ronaldo was absolutely a yellow he came in from the back to the heels i don't care if it was in the first 10 minutes or the last 10 minutes it was a yellow. He was easily swayed by the basura players. This is supposed to be spains number 1 ref he is going to represent them in the world cup what a shame. He did a trashy job in the costa rica v uruguay game and he did a trashy job in this game as well.
Reply to alex:
good observation i noticed tat during the match but forget to comment on it..the referee was not at all neutral,he was almost like 12th man to barca bloody sob
Reply to MadridistAli:
Come on...give him a little break..he has just come out of injury and he was trying to play his natural game...those are the tricks why we paid the Red Devils so much cash...That is the reason he is the most expensive player. I believe you don't really like him, but he is a Madrididsta and he tried his best, when the ball was in his feet we could see the Farca defence were not comfortable at all that says a lot about his presence on the field. Come on rather than criticizing any player on the Squad I think a lot of factors need to be considered. I know some players excel under criticism...but if you want to do so...let it be constructive.
I am loving this rising phase...."THE RISE OF THE GALACTICOS"
Hala Madrid!!!
Reply to Abijeet:
"THE RISE OF THE GALACTICOS" I love that phrase! And its so true i jus hope the team continues gettin more familiar wit each other and helpin each other out on the feild especially defensevly like we did in elclassico! I jus loved the look of terror and fear on the faces of barca fans any time madrid heads 2wards there box,PRICELESS!!!!!!MADRID4LIFE!!!!!!!!!!!!!
emm nobody mention the fact higuain was fould so clearlyy...just before the pass to dani alves and he cross for the goal... i just watch the highlights again...that is lame that ref was poor i though!
all these people say barca this and barca that...real madrid had them shiting there pants! real madrid figured them out...or may i say pellegrini figure them out. wait till next time ona good day madrid couldv won that easy
Reply to W335Y09:
it ws collective players + pelle figured thm out.....as some one here said "THE RISE OF THE GALACTICOS"....
this match performance is a slap on face to critics of Madrid
Reply to Caracoleo:
nice comment, agreed 100%
Reply to Caracoleo:
I agree about everything you said...but I would add some slight things...
I think that in big matches it would be better to play VDV and play Marcelo in 'normal' ones.
Also, I am quite worried about BOTH Raul and Benzema. I always said Raul should be benched when he is in poor form and I think Benzema should be too. I really hope both get better soon because if we do well in the champions league...Higuain can't play every game. I think once again they should be played more frequently in less important games such as the game against Marseille (benz to start) and Raul start atleast one or two consecutive games in the league. We simply can't let them rot.The same goes for Drenthe,Gago,Garay,Granero and VDV.
You probably all know that I don't like Ronaldo but I try to give credit where it is due...he had an 'ok' game and I can't understand why he was called horrible. Although he didn't have an awesome game he could easily be the difference maker at any time.
On another note Messi has been awarded the Balon D'OR and he got more then twice the votes Ronaldo got who came in second...with Xavi third. I think it was quite fair but I can't understand the big difference in votes between Messi and Ronaldo...
Sure we can yell about Dani Alves and how he should have been sent off-----but-----to be fair Lass should have gotten a card in the first half for one of his many challenges
Sure we can say RM should have won, and if it was not for Pyuol, it may have been 3-1----but----Barca had many chances as well including Messi at the end and a missed header by ?Piqué?
The fact is, Barca were down to 10 men for 31 min and the "galacticos" not only di not score, but still lacked posession, as well as allowing the better chances fall to the te from Catalonia.
Wow!! This is nice one:
LINK
It has often been suggested that coaches at RM are pressured to play Raul. And other interference in team selection.
So I am shocked that Raul is being benched so often.
Van Nistelrooy and Raul linked up well together but since that hasnt been the first choice for some time now, RM have failed to find that great cohesion between front players
Benzema seems unhappy with Raul so i wouldnt play them two together. Ronaldo has been brought in i believe to be a striker as kaka is the advanced attacking midfielder.
Higuan is much unloved by many fans but i believe he is very underated.
It all depends on formation of course but in a 4-1-3-2 who are the 2 up top? Ronaldo and who else?
If 4-3-3 is employed, the 3 up top could be Higuan , benzema , and ronaldo
Raul is a legend and club captain for long time and unfortunately i think its time for him to be on the bench.
Pelligrini has been quite strong i imagine when it comes to interference in team matters by his sparing use of Raul
Can you madristas fill me in if you have heard these rumours of players having to play cos the board say so. Outside of madrid, this has been discussed by many fans as a possible reason for madrids recent downturn in silverware by myself and other friends.
Any truth to these stories??
And what combination of forwards best suits the team in 4-1-3-2 and in 4-3-3? Thanks
PS. wENGER SOLD DIARRA FOR 2MIL 18MTHS AGO???????????
Reply to Bond:
I'm glad Valdano is publicly backing Pellegrini. It should give him a bit of confidence and the freedom to shape the team as he sees fit.
But it is a funny quote - praising Pellegrini for bringing on Raul 10 minutes before the end as a demonstration of 'courage' and 'ambition'.
In fact this was our most disappointing period of the match. We were unable to make the extra man count, and Barcelona didn't suffer nearly as much as they should have. It was almost like the sending off of Busquets affected us more then them!
This is another Pellegrini will have to work on: Being more lethal and really going for the jugular. No mercy!
Reply to alcatraz:
You said it - they are rumours. Perez stays out of the dressing room. Although he would want a bloody good reason for Ronaldo or Kaka being dropped!
Best formation? Everyone has their own ideas. Personally I think a 4-5-1 would work best in European games. But I think I am in the minority here.
What I don't want to see is Kaka sidelined to the wings just so all the 'stars' can get on the field at the same time.
Alonso and Lassana are unmovable. That means that Critiano takes up one of the wings, and either Granero or Marcelo or possibly Higuain take the other wing.
Up front you would have Kaka and Benzema or Higuain.
Reply to Caracoleo:
Anybody else have an ideal formation on the back of this promising display in the Nou Camp?
Reply to Caracoleo:
Just get Marcelo off, and play Ronaldo on the wing. Kaka behind Benzema and Higuain.
Reply to Adambader:
This is a very adventurous and brave formation. Remember, Marcelo helps out at the back as well as doing damage up front.
Cristiano and Higuain leave Arbeloa and Ramos to face their destiny alone!
I think it is a hard choice: A little bit of extra defensive security with Marcelo, or a blitzkreig attack featuring Ronaldo, Kaka, Higuain and Benzema.
Reply to Caracoleo:
I think Arbeloa can do a better job alone; the reason Marcelo helped him out in the Clasico because Messi and Alves were on that side.
My formation looks offensive, but I think it is worth a try, and maybe we'll use it against Almeria. It would be interesting to see how much damage we can do with Higuain, Benzema, Ronaldo and Kaka all playing.
My dream Real Madrid formation:
-------Casillas---------
Ramos___Pepe___Albiol___Arbeloa
_____Xabi___________Lass
___________Kaka_________________
___Higuain_____________Ronaldo
_____________Benzema_____
pretty much a 4-3-2-1
Reply to Adambader:
Kaka is out vs Almeria and as of right now is doubtful vs Marseille because of a groin injury
Reply to Madridista09:
Hi Adam, nice to to be able to make my first comment on your blog!
I agree 100% with the lineup. I do feel that the fomration can vary from match to match depnding on circusmtances: which to me is testament to how good that lineup is. It can be a 4-3-3, 4-5-1 (which is either a 4-2-3-1 or a 4-3-2-1), a 4-4-2,a 4-4-1-1 or even Pellegrini's dysfunctional 4-2-2-2!
I've posted my thoughts on the match on my blog, so feel free to click on my name to read through them.
But all in all, though the result is not what we wanted, I really believe that the team fired a warning shot into the air last Sunday for all the world to hear: This Madrid team, once it snaps into gear will mow anything that gets on its way down onto the ground... including Barca.
In due time (and it won't be long), I believe it will happen. Watch out all Madrid doubters! Especially the Blaugranas...!
Reply to Madridista Mac:
.... sorry... for those interested, my blog is at LINK
Reply to Caracoleo:
With the team progressing like this, I hope we don't bring any established stars this January. Having said that, it is also true that we lack depth in our squad. I mean, if any of our first team player gets injured, the whole game-plan, style changes. It was evident during Cristiano's absence, when we became a totally different side. Each player in starting XI is assigned a specific task, and when he is absent our substitutes seem to be unable to fulfill the void. If you consider Cassilas, Pepe, Albiol, Arbeloa, Lass, Alonso, Higuain, Kaka, Ronaldo and Benzema as our starting XI, playing a specific style of game, except Van Der Vaart and Garay, we don't have have a reliable substitute who can come and continue the same style of play. Maybe I should include Granero and Marcelo too, but they are different type of players. I know it's impossible to bring another Ronaldo, but atlest we should have someone who can come in for him and continue the game. This is the difference between our squad and that of Barcelona.
I hope that we address this issue in our transfer policy.
Reply to Bond:
agreed mate...i think ppl(pele,valdano,zidane,perez) at madrid must have realized this and must have short-listed players for winter transfer market
Reply to Bond:
*Add Ramos in starting XI.
Reply to Bond:
I'm not sure there's such a thing as a substitute for Cristiano, Kaka & Xabi Alonso. They are that expensive and that important for the simple fact that there's no one like them out there.
I think team depth is ok already... (guys like Granero, Diarra V1.0, Van Der Vaart, Raul & Van Nistelrooy would walk into the starting lineup of most teams) all that's missing is better gelling for the squad... And a better grip on how the team plays from the coaching staff to allow us some dynamism to still win games and play well (albeit differently) if we lose these top players to suspensions or injuries.
In essence what we need is time...
Reply to Madridista Mac:
I think you didn't get what I mean. Having quality players in bench doesn't mean we have depth in the squad. The thing is we should have substitutes who have similar attributes to that of our best eleven. If you play Van Nisterlooy and put Kaals Jan as substitute then you can say you have depth in squad. But RVN or Raul can never continue the style achieved with Benzema and Higuain in the pitch. Our starting team is very flexibe and dynamic. You can play Ronaldo as striker and put Benzema or Higuain as substitute. Look, here's the depth. But what about winger? Who will play Ronaldo's part?
Depth is what Barcelona have. Messi is injured- it's okay, Iniesta can move up and Keita can play in Iniesta's position. Or, let Iniesta play his own role and bring Pedro in for Messi. It's just one example. Guys like Bojan, Pedro, Busquets, Keita, Maxwell can always come in without much affecting their style. They may not have the class like that of starters, but their team has a system in which they can fit to fulfill vacuum if created.
Look at the evidence. Our team was flying, scoring goals and winning with huge margins. Ronaldo got injured; AC Milan (recall what their form was then) defeated us in our own home. Now, compare the situation to that of Barcelona. They didn't have their best two players in a do or die game against Italian champions. Yet, they had players (Pedro and Keita) who came in to play the same game and thrash opposition two nil.
As you said (and I also said the same), we can't not have another Ronaldo. But if we have somebody like Jovetic in squad, we will certainly have a decent backup.
If you want best out of our players, I can't think of a system where all our players can fit. Yes, we don't have problem with starting lineup but we certainly lack players who can substitute a starter without affecting our game.
I'll like to see Vanisteroy playing mo minutes lets see if he still has it. Cos that would add a lot of diversity to the attack so if the higuain benzema dual aint working u can take either one off than slot in Vanisteroy and please neva put raul and Vanisteroy in at the same time it so slows down our attack!!!!!!PELEGRINI PLEASE!!!!!!
has anyone followed Balázs Dzsudzsák? he is a player who real madrid aare interested in..he is a left winger, but can play on the right as well..he's 22 from Hungary..I don't know more, but he is successful with Eindhoven..
Reply to ludwig Hasbauer:
I don't know much about Dzsudzsák, but he was the man of the match in PSV's 4-3 win over Ajax this year; he scored 2 goals (maybe some assists too). If I am not wrong, he can play as striker as well, pretty much like Jovetic.
I am saddened and angry at the injury of Kaka. I said he would suffer from burn out, and I think this injury is a product of the burden he has had to shoulder since Cristiano's injury.
Some papers have argued that he hasn't delivered the goods. I disagree. He's been our most incisive and consistent attacking player. He hasn't scored may goals, but he makes the keeper work more than anyone else. And his work rate has been phenomenal.
He should have been rested more. But Pellegrini's rotation plan obviously didn't apply to Kaka.
Now we HAVE TO play Van Der Vaart. A player who we have seen very little of now becomes suddenly very important.
The so called rotation plan was nothing more than a scheme to give Raul game time. Because of him Van Der Vaart has played so little - and now we have to rely upon him.
I hope we never see another fake rotation plan again at Real Madrid.
s
sigh, god bless kaka!! hala madrid!
im glad to see most of madridistas backing the coach and the team after the "unlucky" el classico. however, i would like to pick on Pepe as the one to critisize. He is just not consistent enough to be our bone at the back like Puyol at barca. regarding individual ability such as man on man marking or tackling, i dare say Pepe would be far to reach John Terry and Nesta(the Lazio one)'s level. however, he struggle every once in a while. sometimes he led us to big trouble with just 1 or 2 tiny mistakes. He needs to pay more more more and more attention on positioning and recovering. otherwise, we won't be able to win any tiny or beat any big team. sometimes, our opponents can pass the ball really easy into our deep area when albiol is not playing, this is not right, this is sth we need to aim at, and this wouldn't happen for teams like Chelsea and Juventus. I really hope to see pepe being a consistent defender cuz i kinda look up to him.
Reply to DynastyofRealMadrid:
I find criticizing Pepe very unfair. He's practically the only one defending most of the time while Albiol's napping or Sergio's in the other half. Pepe is our best defender and might I say Pepe tackles just as well as anybody in the world. He's fast, agile, tall, all the things you would want a defender to be.
I admit he shut off for Ibra's goal but our defence is a piece of shit without him. Albiol has little pace and can't really play the big defender. Ramos has too much work to do and well, Marcelo just sucked balls while defending. (thank God for Arbeloa) He had one bad game and you're murdering him, give him a break.
Reply to TheAngelOfMadrid:
did u forget the most important milan game
Reply to TheAngelOfMadrid:
i am murdering him with one game?? u should give me a break mate!! read my comment again b4 u say this. In my opinion, Pepe's individual ability as a defender is among the top 5. I am a portuguese and i couldn't find a reason for me to intentionally pick on him for one single mistake. he appears strong most of the time but what i was CRITISIZING ABOUT IS HIS TINY MISTAKES THAT COST US A LOT. HE IS NOT PAYING ENOUGH ATTENTION SOMETIMES. Lucio and even rio ferdinand have the similar types of problem even though they are great in individual level. Pepe is way faster and tougher compared to ricardo carvalho but the later never would let his man go like Pepe sometimes did. And albiol IMO is very consistent even though he is not as "skillful" as pepe at individual level. So i personally found ur "napping" critism extremely unfair. I don't blame anyone for the lost but i just expect some improvement in the future. and dude, plz stop exaggering something by using some term like "murdering" a player since i never did. Who doubts Pepe's individual ability?? but i don't think i did anything wrong by saying that HE SHOULD TRY HARD TO AVOID THE SIMILAR KIND OF MISTAKES FROM OCCURING AGAIN. this is some low class mistake that a world class defneder would have made. and this is not the first time we witness it. The Kun Aguero play at madrid derby was also awful. im not sure if u know about this or not. Pepe starts his career out as a striker and this is why he's got the ball control skills and pace. But he still gotta learn more about positioning, he can be better than john terry when he is in form but all of a sudden he can become a "day dreaming" defender. we need to see his consistency, it's extremely important esp agsainst big teams.
Reply to DynastyofRealMadrid:
albiol is slow and who tell u this type of defender is suitable for man-on-man marking???i found the thiago silva and nesta pair so great lately since THEY CAN PROTECT EACH OTHER WELL, and this is why we need a pair of CB's. This is some basic knowledge about football. two CBs with pace wouldn't promise u with a solid backline. but sometimes even two "slow" guys can form a tough backline with good positioning skills on recovering. for me, Pepe or ramos + albiol are the perfect pair we can form with this squad. and the slow pace wouldn't necessarily lower albiol's class. Hierro wasn't faster than albiol and imo the former is still 1 of the best "sweeper" at all time because he is able to "read" the game with his anticipation ability. this is also a very importnat for a CB IMO besides pace. And i think albiol is a already mature enough in this end at the age of 25
with stars player that are more strong and even more expensive than baca,i don't think real should be beaten..
marcelo is bad that night.but i wonder why pellegrini don't change him?
higuain?not best choice for el classico.make raul or benzema as the striker.i bet we will get 3 goals..
ronaldo perform well and pellegrini shoul worked on teamwork between kaka and ronaldo..
hey, i changed from man utd fan to real fan.its all bcoz ronaldo..
hala madrid,viva ronaldo!!
(hope pellegrini read this though..)
ooh,4get one.real should considering to buy defnder in the next transfer season..
its good to the team and the club reputation..
i think,they should have ramos,terry,pepe and ashley cole as their defender..hmm..
Reply to FI:
tat'll be gr8...
Reply to DynastyofRealMadrid:
Don't have a cow mate. I never said Albiol was bad, he's a great defender. All I said was he can't play the big defender because he's slow. He's the one who stays back, like you said, sweeping the ball. Like Cannavaro, you can say, but your criticism of Pepe was harsh.
"i am glad to see most of madridistas backing the coach and the team after the "unlucky" el classico. however, i would like to pick on Pepe as the one to critisize. He is just not consistent enough to be our bone at the back like Puyol at barca. regarding individual ability such as man on man marking or tackling, i dare say Pepe would be far to reach John Terry and Nesta(the Lazio one)'s level."
Well, saying, "I would like to pick on Pepe" isn't just. And then I don't get what you mean by saying, "he would far to reach." I'm guessing you had a typo but I thought you meant he's far away from Terry or Nesta's individual ability which is not true. I know Pepe makes some silly mistakes but the way you wrote your comment, you were making him sound like a bad player.
M bored with this stuff Adam write something new(plz....)
Adam,Corey,Mark and I did a weekly podcast recapping the match, LINK[dot]com/ybkkaw4
Reply to Kevin:
Kevin, why are you in a hurry? I was going to post it.
Reply to Madridfan_India:
I know. I was waiting to get something
I read what Madridfan_India wrote sorry
OFFICIAL Lineup for Almeria
-------Casillas-----
Ramos---Albiol---Pepe---Arbeloa
-----------Xabi-----------
Granero----------------Marcelo
-----------VDV----------
------Higuain----Ronaldo
Other news:
Perez to bid 50M for useless Cesc. How about some nice 30M on Phillip Lahm for Left Back????
Reply to TheAngelOfMadrid:
i got ur point mate, i wasn't even thinking he was bad at all. he is one of my favorite defender. what im tryna say is that i would expect him to pay more attention to avoid those tiny mistakes which would blocking him to reach the highest level. what i said might be misled too. I was meant to say "Pepe would NOT be far to reach terry....." the missing NOT did distort the meaning completely. i apologize about that!!
I'm dying to see Adam Szlai, Acuna, Alipio, Enzo, and Cristian on the first team. If you guys havent watched Cristian he's David Moreno II
Reply to Madridista09:
At last VDV is in,i hope he proves himself more to Pellegrini and what's wrong with Benzema
Hala Madrid!!
Reply to Madridfan_India:
There you go, NEW POST LINK
Reply to Adambader:
Thank you Kevin & Adam...
Kaka played at the top of a midfield diamond for milan. So to get the best out of him, i believe he should be the employed centrally behind the 2 strikers.
With the attacking talent this team has it would be possible to have kaka ronaldo higuain and benzema but to have this luxury in attack, its bound to sacrifice some defensive credentials.
Ive mentioned before that ronaldo played striker in his record breaking 42 goal season for most of the games and i think RM would be mad not to give him that advanced role. But if he did play as part of a front 2 with benzema kaka could play just behind them as an advanced midfielder and higuain can go out on the wing
But one of the defensive midfield combo of lass and alonso would have to be sacrificed to do that to fit all this attack in a 4-1-3-2
Pelligrini has a good headache really with all the players at his disposal
On Paper, the forward line of Ronaldo + Kaka + Higuain + Benzema is almost impossible to shut down. Kaka and Benzema are under performing.