La Liga Superthread 2009/10

therecklessone

La Liga General Discussion Thread Aug 1st 2009

This thread is for team talk, rumours, and general debate pertaining to La Liga. This thread is open for all users to post in. There are no preferences for fans of any team, there are currently Superthreads for a number of Spanish teams if you wish to restrict your discussion to those teams.

Please note the following Rules:

1. NO MATCH DISCUSSIONS
- Match threads will be created for matches/match weeks where required.
- Match discussion will be deleted.

2. Major stories:
- When a major story occurs, please post in the specific thread
- We will merge/split discussion on requests
- We may delete discussion that continues here while a tangent thread is in progress.

3. If you wish to post in this thread please show some respect for the league and fans of clubs who play in the league. You can be critical without being insulting.

4. Users who repeatedly ignore these guidelines will receive warnings/bans.

eZe^

BEST LEAGUE IN THE WORLD!!!
:pac:
:pac:
:pac:
:pac:


Messi - Ronaldo - Kaka...


That's the 2009 - 2007 World Player of the Year award winners...

Eire-Dearg

Can't wait for La Liga this season, it's gonna be quality!

Predictions:

1. Barcelona
2. Real Madrid
3. Sevilla
4. Atletico

Copa Del Ray: Real Madrid.

GLaDOS

What are Madrid's first few fixtures like?

Be interesting to see how the superstars adapt.

eZe^

Nice to have Zaragoza back in the Primera! Hate Tenerife though...

Hilarious that Higuain is being treated so badly, rate him up with Aguero and Benzema easily tbh... Would love him at Barca...

Mr. Guappa

eZe^ wrote: »

Nice to have Zaragoza back in the Primera! Hate Tenerife though...

Hilarious that Higuain is being treated so badly, rate him up with Aguero and Benzema easily tbh... Would love him at Barca...

Its unreal the amount of class players who look to be on the fringes at Real.. Higuain, van der Vaart, Sneijder, Ruuuud, Negredo, Huntelaar! Just shows what a mismanaged club it is.. thats why its always Barca for me in Spain! Gonna be very interesting to watch this season though!

angel01

Should be a great season, last year, I didn't get the chance to see too many matches unfortunately, I hope to change that this year

Really looking forward to seeing how all the new players play and should be interesting to say the least!

eZe^

angel01 wrote: »

Should be a great season, last year, I didn't get the chance to see too many matches unfortunately

Here's a synopsis...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eyos2IGeOzE

jesus_thats_gre

So, does anyone know whether the broadcast quality of La Liga games on Sky is expected to improve this season? Both the sound and picture quality, even on HD, is generally way inferior to that of PL games.

SlickRic

all about barca.

real still have the same problems from what i can see. you can have all the superstars in the world, but with no steel, you're going to struggle to actually win things in modern football.

it's frightening how mismanged that club is.

however, they could easily prove me wrong. if they do, i reckon it'll be down to a lot of 4-2s, 4-3s, 5-3s, etc.

eZe^

16 goals and 34 assists last year in all competitions... Truly phenomenal.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Od1RLA7xFGg

Jizz....

fillmore jive

eZe^ wrote: »

Nice to have Zaragoza back in the Primera! Hate Tenerife though...

Oh yeha, the Zaragoza fans are a reeeeeeeeeal bunch of nice lads:rolleyes:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQv4aIXaGQ4

FreeOSCAR

IMO Best player in the world.

JPA

fillmore jive wrote: »

Oh yeha, the Zaragoza fans are a reeeeeeeeeal bunch of nice lads:rolleyes:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQv4aIXaGQ4

That's a horrible video I have to say.

Mr Maroon

You might want to bookmark this post so you can laugh at it in a few month's time but...

I predict that neither Barca or Real Madrid will win the league.

JPA

Mr Maroon wrote: »

You might want to bookmark this post so you can laugh at it in a few month's time but...

I predict that neither Barca or Real Madrid will win the league.

Shouldn't you say who will?

flahavaj

Mr Maroon wrote: »

You might want to bookmark this post so you can laugh at it in a few month's time but...

I predict that neither Barca or Real Madrid will win the league.

Espanyol?:pac:

Mr Maroon

Sevilla perhaps.

gimmick

No team will come close to Barca or Real this season. I think there was a 15 point difference between 2nd and 3rd last season. It will similar this time round.

Hopefully Atleti can push on a bit and compete and Sevilla will cause problems, but neither will be top 2.

BTW: does this thread mean the existing La Liga thread is over?

fillmore jive

Tbh I can't really see Real Madrid being too much of a threat in La Liga next year. Considering the amount of media attention they've received lately and the high profile players brought on, the CL is gonna be their main goal. Also they haven't exactly been setting the world alight with their pre-season friendlies. There's always a chance that they might sneak a Copa del Rey in, but that could go to anyone in all fairness. It's gonna be another year on top for Catalonia's finest:D.

Mr Maroon

Michel Salgado has ended his spell at Real Madrid after 10 years with the Spanish club.

The 33-year-old defender, who moved to the Bernabeu from Celta Vigo in 1999, has been released by mutual consent despite having one year remaining on his current deal.

Salgado enjoyed a great deal of success during his decade with Real, winning four Primera Division titles and twice lifting the UEFA Champions League among other trophies.

"Real Madrid would like to thank the until-now captain for his commitment and behaviour during 10 consecutive years of exemplary service to the club," said a statement on the club's official website.


Sky Sports

Warper

Barca's front 5 for the forthcoming season - Xavi, Iniesta, Messi, Henry and Ibrahimovic - it's a Carslberg team.

Cant wait to see Ibra in La Liga - I havn't seen that much of him as Serie A was virtually non-existent on TV the past few years (btw nice one ESPN).

Real's front 5 - Ronaldo, Kaka, Benzema, Alonso and who??? I presume they will have Diarra as the defensive midfielder who is an outstanding player.

gimmick

Warper wrote: »

Real's front 5 - Ronaldo, Kaka, Benzema, Alonso and who??? I presume they will have Diarra as the defensive midfielder who is an outstanding player.

I would hardly call Alonso an attacking player, more a deep lying midfielder. Raul will most likely be an automatic starter for the season to come and it is hard to see how they could leave out Higuain, considering he was the one who pretty much sigle handedly kept them in the title chase last season.

I think Gago should get some game time this season as well for them. Excellent player anytime I have seen him.

I would imagine Real will line up as follows

.............Casillas...............
Ramos......Albiol.......Garay.....Arbeloa

...............Alonso...............
Sneijder........................Kaka

Benzema.........Raul...........Ronaldo

Scary looking team. The defense leaves all sorts of questions to be answered. I would imagine Pepe will replace one of the centre halves on available again. Personally I would have Higuain ahead of both Raul and Benzema. Alonso is a vital signing for them.

That being said, if you look at how Barca are likely to line up, Real are 2nd best in most areas

.....................Valdes......................
Alves..........Puyol..........Pique.........Maxwell/Abidal
..................Yaya Toure.................
......Xavi......................Iniesta
Messi...........Ibra.............Henry

Thats just incredible.

Then we look at their benches. Reals iis arguably stronger considering I have left out RVH, VDV, Robben, Guti, and many more

Barca - Pinto, Abidbal/Maxwell, Marques, Keita, Bojan, Busquets, Pedro
Real - Dudek, Drenthe Higuain, Diarra, Marcelo, Gago, Metzelder

Warper

I dont see how Real can leave out Diarra - they will need at least one ball-winner and Alonso is not a ball-winner so Diarra would have to play alongside him.

gimmick

Which one, "Lass, or Momo? Either way, Gago is a better option than both.

tdv

gimmick wrote: »

Which one, "Lass, or Momo? Either way, Gago is a better option than both.

Gago is better on the ball than both but, both of them are better ball winners than Gago. And they have Alonso now so I can't really see a place in the team for Gago.

Warper

gimmick wrote: »

Which one, "Lass, or Momo? Either way, Gago is a better option than both.

Lassana. Initially I baulked when they paid Pompey something like £16m for him but he has proved to be one of their best players. He is in a similar mould to Makelele and I would definitely have him ahead of Gago.

gimmick

Disagree. He looked ok, but a player in his position should have helped the defense more. Reals defense , even during their excellent run, was appalling pourous. If Real are to have genuine CL and/or La Liga aspirations this season, he cannot be the midfield anchor.

Davaeo09

I see Barca finishing on top again, some 8 points ahead of Madrid.

top 6 being

Barca
Madrid
Ath M
Sevilla
Espanyol
Valencia

I can see Madrid making a laughing stock of the bottom teams but will lack the defensive capability to cope against stronger teams. Which will make for an interesting battle between them and Athletico for second place

I think Iniesta will really benefit from Ibra's arrival, Iniesta is brilliant at passing on the ground , but nearly even better at lob's, Ibra's poaching instinct will shine at Barca this season. If Messi can stay injury free this could also be his best season yet. Full of confidence after the mouth watering trebble and having won over all the critics.Pique will be aclaimed as one as the best deffenders in the world this season. Also, watch Henry give his all into what will probably be his last season at Barca

Copa will be Madrids.

Champions league may just go to Chelsea tbh with either Barca or United finishing second.



Games to watch
Barca Madrid ofc...
Madrid vs Athletico will also surely be a cracker too

fillmore jive

Davaeo09 wrote: »

Champions league may just go to Chelsea tbh with either Barca or United finishing second.

I wouldn't write Madrid off in Europe. Think they're due a lot more than people give them, and although they probably won't win the CL, I'd say they could manage to reach the final. Leave aside their defense, cos even Barca's defense last year was very patchy with injury and lads missing matches cos of yellow cards etc. but it didn't cause them any hassle:D

gimmick

Davaeo09 wrote: »

Games to watch

Any Atleti at home if the previous season is to go by. Goals galore almost guaranteed.

fillmore jive

Anyone know if Sky Sports are still gonna La Liga this season? Got the magazine in the post this morning and it says nothing about it.

Eire-Dearg

fillmore jive wrote: »

Anyone know if Sky Sports are still gonna La Liga this season? Got the magazine in the post this morning and it says nothing about it.

I was positive there will be La Liga next season...

Headshot

out of interest how much is it for tickets for the El Clasico

probably nearly impossible to get them

gimmick

^ I tried to get them for last season. Unless you are a Barcelona member you will probbaly have to go the tout route. I was looking at €392 per ticket for the top of the top tier, so decided screw it. I would imagine it is similar for the Bernabeu.

Anyone know if Sky Sports are still gonna La Liga this season? Got the magazine in the post this morning and it says nothing about it.

Nada mentioned on the sky sports website either.

JP Liz

Its all about Real and Barca cant really see any other team going for the top besides them

gimmick

Apparently Sky Sports have not yet renewed their deal with La Liga. This is worrying at this late stage. I would be shocked though if some UK carrier does not take the rights. ESPN seem to have every league apart from Spain, maybe they will make a late bid?

Slash/ED

Where'd you get that from, Gimmick? This is definitely worrying at this stage...

gimmick

Just some other forum from some fella who is usually not wrong on these things. The fact that is is not mentioned on the sky website, or the latest sky magazine kind of proves it at the moment.

Hopefully it will be sorted soon.

gimmick

UK broadcasting rights to show games for the 2009/10 season in Spain's La Liga are currently still up for grabs, Digital Spy has learned.

Sky Sports has historically owned the UK rights to show action from Spain's top division, but the broadcaster's previous deal with the league expired at the end of last season.

As discussed on Digital Spy's broadcasting forum, this means that La Liga rights for the coming season are currently available, with a number of parties thought to be in the running.

Action from the top Spanish league is now an increasingly attractive property for broadcasters due to the recent high spending by Real Madrid and Barcelona in the transfer market, which has seen superstars Cristiano Ronaldo and Zlatan Ibrahimović move to La Liga.

Alongside Sky Sports, ESPN is also expected to be interested in securing the rights for its recently launched ESPN sports channel. Along with the 46 Premier League and 30 Scottish Premier League games previously owned by Setanta, the Disney-owned firm has also secured rights to show games from the German Bundasliga and Serie A in Italy. At the start of the month, ESPN UK also carried games from Real Madrid's pre-season tour of the US and Canada.

On top of this, the Disney-owned sports broadcaster has recently secured a sub-licence agreement with Gol TV in the US to broadcast La Liga games for American viewers on its ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes channels.

While not commenting directly on the La Liga rights situation, an ESPN UK spokesman said: "As we continue to say, we are interested in rights where they are available and where they make business sense.

"But as we've not confirmed whether we have or have not bid, clearly we have no comment on this new speculation."

Even though Sky Sports has more Premier League games available for its subscribers than ESPN, it now lacks the European football coverage of its rival. This may mean that securing La Liga rights will become a greater priority for the broadcaster.

hmm. Kind of hope ESPN does get it, as they have a great amount of football already, and its alot cheaper than what Sky is.

ro2

The last time the rights were up for renewal it went on very late too, so I wouldn't read too much into it.

ESPN have enough football for one channel. Unless they start a second channel, it's probably better if Sky get the rights.

Headshot

when is the deadline ?

JPA

Headshot wrote: »

when is the deadline ?

2 minutes before the first game starts. From out point of view anyway. :pac:

gimmick

I was just onto Sky, as I want to price getting back sky sports and haggle prices etc. When i mentioned Spanish football, they guy on the phone said that ESPN have all Spanish league coverage this season, and Sky will only have a small portion.

I want to see that confirmed on ESPNs website before subscribing, but just passing on the message.

Headshot

gimmick wrote: »

I was just onto Sky, as I want to price getting back sky sports and haggle prices etc. When i mentioned Spanish football, they guy on the phone said that ESPN have all Spanish league coverage this season, and Sky will only have a small portion.

I want to see that confirmed on ESPNs website before subscribing, but just passing on the message.

sky will probably have the madrid and barca matches,ESPN will have the rest

Slash/ED

I hate Skys coverage of everything except La Liga, so this is a bit crap. Especially if it means neither side carries a weekly highlights package, revista was a great show

Zatman

I thought on the Sky ad with Mourinho they mention Spanish football for the new year.

I think it will be a good season this year. I was expecting Espanyol to be dark horses for CL before the Jarque tragedy and if Zaragoza get Negredo and their act together they will finish top 8.

Champions- Barcelona
Surprise team Valencia- People are writing them off but they still have talent like Villa, Silva, Mata etc.
Surprise player- Jermaine Pennant- He will thrive in La Liga IMO
Biggest flop-Benzema or Zlatan
Relegated- Xerez, Tenerife and Deportivo(usually a big team goes down)

Warper

See Barca are taking on Man City tonight in a friendly - should be a pretty open game with Ibra probably his debut. Barca are the best team in the world right now and it should be a good lesson for City

gimmick

Good article about David Villa

David Villa: the born goalscorer the giants failed to net
| Sid Lowe

The most extraordinary thing about David Villa this summer is that Real Madrid were not prepared to pay €40m to sign him
After all of the to-ing and fro-ing, rumours, counter-rumours and deals reported to be done, David Villa looks to be staying put. Remarkable as it seems, one of the most talked about commodities in the summer transfer market is expected to line up for Valencia against Sevilla when La Liga begins at the end of August, rather than Real Madrid, Barcelona or, indeed, in the Premier League.


The rumours may rumble on with Manchester City, Liverpool and Manchester United all supposedly still looking to sign the striker yet Villa himself has confirmed he will not be appearing in the Premier League. English clubs always suspected that he had no intention of joining them in any case.

Chelsea's representative, Juan Cruz Sol, emerged from Mestalla earlier this summer and threw in the towel, insisting: "Villa wants to go to Madrid." Negotiations between Madrid and Valencia ultimately broke down over money with the Valencia president, Manuel Llorente, insisting that Villa was not for sale unless someone makes a "scandalously scandalous" offer but that should not offer renewed hope for the Premier League.


There is nothing to indicate that missing out on moves to Madrid and Barcelona will change Villa's mind. "I have made a decision," he has said, "and that decision is that I will play in Spain next year. I am not going abroad."
For the Premier League, it is a huge pity. Make no mistake, Villa is one of the best strikers in the world. Possibly the best – and he will be looking to prove it when Spain play Macedonia tonight.


Asked whom he preferred out of Kaká and Ronaldo, the Spain coach, Vicente del Bosque, replied: "Villa." Of course he would say that, but he had a point. The most extraordinary thing about the transfer battles involving Villa this summer is not that Valencia wanted more than €40m (£35m) for Villa after Madrid had spent €94m on Ronaldo but Madrid were not prepared to pay it. But then, the club's director general, Jorge Valdano, said: "There are players who generate money and players who only have a footballing value."

Villa is a miner's son whose father was involved in two serious accidents in his home town of Tuilla in the principality of Asturias, famous for the 1934 revolution. His grandmother was called Libertad (Liberty) and her father was nicknamed Trotsky. But he is not mediático. "There are players who have done half of what he has done and been treated like stars," says one of his former colleagues privately. The "unlike Villa" goes without saying. "But," he adds, "in the end, David's stats are incontrovertible."

That is true. But the stats have always been hugely impressive and it has taken a remarkably long time and, fundamentally, a European Championship success with Spain – for Villa to be recognised. It is striking that this is the first summer that there has been a real auction for him.

Although Real Oviedo turned him down for being too small as a kid and Pepe Acebal, who gave him his debut at then Second Division Sporting Gijón, recalls that he initially lacked the stamina to have a real impact and had to be given his chance bit by bit, Villa's capacity for work was "unrivalled". A local derby stands out in which, as a 19-year-old, he tore Real Oviedo apart. He scored 18 league goals in his first season for Sporting, 20 in 2002-03.

At Zaragoza, in his first season in the top flight, he was named the revelation of 2003-04. He got 39 in two years and has not stopped since. He became Valencia's best ever debutant with 25 in his first season. And last season he equalled the club record, held by Mario Kempes, with 28.

With Spain, for whom a call-up was long overdue, he was top scorer at Euro 2008, despite missing the final and most of the semi-final. He got three at the 2006 World Cup, even though Luis Aragonés inexplicably withdrew him before the hour mark in all three of his starts. And as Villa himself says: "I make an effort to be ready, fit and alert in the last 15 minutes – that is when most goals are scored."
This season, undisputed at last for Spain, he has scored 13 in 12 internationals, reaching 31 in 48 caps. He is just 13 behind the country's all-time top scorer Raúl. And he has played over 50 games fewer.

When he missed a penalty against South Africa in the Confederations Cup, it served only to confirm that he is fallible. The sensation did not last long: 23 seconds later, he made amends with a brilliant goal. It came from a familiar source: out of nothing. The mind was cast back to Valencia's trip to San Siro: one Internazionale defender complained that Villa had "made us look like idiots, all on his own".

The key to his game is movement, says Acebal – desmarques de rotura, the ability suddenly to shake off defenders, made him stand out. Just ask England's centre-backs who never seemed able to fathom where he was in Seville earlier this year. "He had great technical qualities. His first touch was superb and, although you can never be sure someone will make it, you could tell he was talented. He makes very clever diagonal runs, breaking away from defenders," Acebal says. "And he invariably made the right decisions. He is very intuitive."

Then there is the coolness, the precision in front of goal. "He's very ambitious but extremely calm," adds Valencia's assistant coach Juan Carlos Carcedo. "He is never nervous; he exudes confidence."
According to his international team-mate Xabi Alonso, Villa "is a born goalscorer: quick, clever and strong, superb with both feet". The ambidexterity is a product of a broken femur when he was a young boy: with his leg in plaster, Villa was thrown the ball by his dad over and over and he kicked it back with his unplastered (weaker) leg. He is, Alonso continues, "a striker who barely needs a second to release a shot". Even if it is on the halfway line: his best came against Deportivo de La Coruña, when he hit a 50 yarder … on the turn.

He has scored free-kicks, headers, volleys, chips and screechers. There is a certain obsessiveness about him. "I can't remember every goal," he says, "but if I sat down with a pen and a piece of paper, I'm sure I'd remember most of them." There are a hell of a lot to remember. There are 168 league goals, despite not playing for one of the country's very best sides. Valencia have finished fifth, 10th, fourth and third in the seasons Villa has spent there; Zaragoza were 12th twice. Over the last five years, only Samuel Eto'o has scored more goals than him. And Eto'o only has six more – in a team that racked up 129 more than Villa's sides. Then there's the fact that for most of that time he has taken Valencia's corners and free-kicks – and however good a player is he can't head in his own crosses.


And that's the thing: it is not just about the goals. Villa is an exceptional footballer – "a phenomenon, the best in Europe", says the five-times Pichichi winner Quini – who has played as a centre-forward, on the left of a front three, behind the striker or in a typical 4-4-2. And he has succeeded in all of them. He has helped his team succeed in them all.
"I like him best between the two centre-backs because that gives him the greatest options when it comes to making runs but it doesn't matter to him. For a striker he is remarkably lacking in ego," says Acebal. "If he sees a one-two, he'll take it rather than shoot. He is very intelligent." Carcedo agrees: "Strikers are defined by the goals they score but Villa has a wider repertoire. He drops to the wing, opens the game out for others, is quick and incisive and has an eye for a pass."
It is no exaggeration. In his first season at Valencia, he provided more assists than anyone except Pablo Aimar; in 2006-07 he gave more assists than anyone in the whole of La Liga. He is not just a striker, he is an attacker – "the complete attacker", according to Michael Robinson, the former Liverpool player and now Spain's most significant television pundit. "Villa," he says, "has absolutely everything." Except, as yet, the cheerleaders his abilities deserve.

Warper

Good article - ya its amazing Barca didn't get him and Real paid €35m for Benzema yet wouldn't pay €40m for arguably the best striker in the world.

gimmick

I think it is summed up by

"There are players who generate money and players who only have a footballing value."

Stupid IMO