La Liga 2014/15 Discussion Thread

dreamers75

How was it only 3-1 :O

gosplan

Andersonisgod wrote: »

A Xavi clone is badly needed. I don't think anybody needs to see Song and Busquets start in the same midfield again. The pressing really did not occur tonight at all, you can only assume there's been a certain amount of tiredness after the mid week victory.

Don't you mean something like 'the indomitable blugrana force, weary from lashing themselves against the Manchester rocks played like sh1t'

dfx-

Corholio wrote: »

Most Spanish teams dont and havent had the courage either. Odd you'd single out English teams when they might only play them once or twice a season, if at all.

They do, just that they're not as good at it or holding onto it as say Sociedad, where Barcelona haven't won since 2007..

Midtable Getafe going 2-0 up was a recent example...hit and miss Valencia was another

klose

How good are vela and griezmann though? Excellent stuff from la real, shame that their best player(s) will probably be sold again in the summer.

764dak

dfx- wrote: »

Is it some sort of secret? Shock news: Team can lose, like anyone else, including Bayern Munich :eek:

What is remarkable is Sociedad's courage to attack Barcelona which has been the best way to beat them for the past five years. English teams don't have that courage.

English teams are intimidated by Spanish teams.

Corholio

dfx- wrote: »

They do, just that they're not as good at it or holding onto it as say Sociedad, where Barcelona haven't won since 2007..

Midtable Getafe going 2-0 up was a recent example...hit and miss Valencia was another

Your picking a few from probably over a hundred fixtures, the vast majority of them being Barcelona dominating. For every match last night there's about six 4-0 hammerings.

Moneymaker

Griezmann has been one of the most under-rated players in Europe for years now. He is a class act.

Pique was simply dreadful and has been for about 2 years now for the most part.

Glico Man

Moneymaker wrote: »

Griezmann has been one of the most under-rated players in Europe for years now. He is a class act.

Pique was simply dreadful and has been for about 2 years now for the most part.

Since he got together with Shakira really. I forgave him in the early stages, because lets face it... Shakira!!, but he really needs to get his act together. And for the love of god Barça, sign a new centre back in the summer. Or, just play Adriano there I suppose. He can play anywhere.

Schwiiing

Moneymaker wrote: »

Griezmann has been one of the most under-rated players in Europe for years now. He is a class act.

Pique was simply dreadful and has been for about 2 years now for the most part.

Utd let him go back to Barca without much of a fight for 5 million and kept Johnny Evans. Says it all really.

Nuri Sahin

Osasuna 1-0 Atleti

Fine finish on the volley.

What a finish! 2-0 now.

Andersonisgod

Schwiiing wrote: »

Utd let him go back to Barca without much of a fight for 5 million and kept Johnny Evans. Says it all really.

With comments like this you'd almost be forgiven for forgetting that since then Gerard Pique has been at the heart of 4 La Liga's, 2 Copa Del Rey's, 2 World Club Championships, 2 European Championship's, 2 Champions League's and a World Cup! Not to mention the numerous personal honours he has received in that time.

CSF

Andersonisgod wrote: »

With comments like this you'd almost be forgiven for forgetting that since then Gerard Pique has been at the heart of 4 La Liga's, 2 Copa Del Rey's, 2 World Club Championships, 2 European Championship's, 2 Champions League's and a World Cup! Not to mention the numerous personal honours he has received in that time.

And he shags Shakira.

Johner

Looks like its going to be a good weekend for Real.

klose

Aleti bottling it again! Ossasuna is a tricky place to go it seems.

Nuri Sahin

Dat Pamplona magic, yo!

3-0 and it's not even HT, surely game over now.

Schwiiing

Andersonisgod wrote: »

With comments like this you'd almost be forgiven for forgetting that since then Gerard Pique has been at the heart of 4 La Liga's, 2 Copa Del Rey's, 2 World Club Championships, 2 European Championship's, 2 Champions League's and a World Cup! Not to mention the numerous personal honours he has received in that time.

Spain and Barcas success is built on their midfield dominance of possession. When that midfield isn't on song and the defence comes under pressure they're shown up as quite poor as Bayern proved last season and Sociedad proved last night. Pique is 27 and is far from the level of Terry Vidic Ferdinand were at that age. I wouldnt have any of Barcas central defence in the Utd team. Valdes either for that matter.

Turtwig

In fairness to Pique. Fergie thought he was an excellent defender. It's in his book. His admiration for the player. Pique was excellent at times. His 2009 performance in the UCL final being but one example.

Moneymaker

Andersonisgod wrote: »

With comments like this you'd almost be forgiven for forgetting that since then Gerard Pique has been at the heart of 4 La Liga's, 2 Copa Del Rey's, 2 World Club Championships, 2 European Championship's, 2 Champions League's and a World Cup! Not to mention the numerous personal honours he has received in that time.

So what about his form in the past 2 years then?

Or will you continue to answer questions with absurd hyperbole?

Did you watch the game last night? Pique was the worst player on the pitch.

Andersonisgod

Schwiiing wrote: »

Spain and Barcas success is built on their midfield dominance of possession. When that midfield isn't on song and the defence comes under pressure they're shown up as quite poor as Bayern proved last season and Sociedad proved last night. Pique is 27 and is far from the level of Terry Vidic Ferdinand were at that age. I wouldnt have any of Barcas central defence in the Utd team. Valdes either for that matter.

Ironically I wouldn't have Vidic, Ferdinand, Jones, Evans or Smalling ahead of Pique and I'd probably only have Vidic (who ia leaving in the summer) ahead of Puyol, Bartra or Mascherano. While I most certainly would not have De Gea ahead of Victor Valdes.

Andersonisgod

Moneymaker wrote: »

So what about his form in the past 2 years then?

Or will you continue to answer questions with absurd hyperbole?

Did you watch the game last night? Pique was the worst player on the pitch.

He was fine last season, at times one of the better players when the bad run started. He had a superb Euro 2012, his partnership with Ramos at the back was crucial and it was fantastic. He's had good games this season, granted last night wasn't one of them.

Moneymaker

Andersonisgod wrote: »

He was fine last season, at times one of the better players when the bad run started. He had a superb Euro 2012, his partnership with Ramos at the back was crucial and it was fantastic. He's had good games this season, granted last night wasn't one of them.

That's simply not true.

Anyway, Atleti bottling it again :mad:

Advantage Real now, great weekend for them.

Amirani

Terrible result for Atleti.

Turtwig

NiallSparky wrote: »

Terrible result for Atleti.

It's been a really crappy weekend for Sport for me. Every team I wanted to win lost.
Atleti. Everton, Ireland, Italy, Swansea.

dfx-

Corholio wrote: »

Your picking a few from probably over a hundred fixtures, the vast majority of them being Barcelona dominating. For every match last night there's about six 4-0 hammerings.

There are plenty more examples. I'm also not saying that if you attack them, you win. Of course Barcelona will win the overwhelming majority of games either way...

MisterAnarchy

Just in case people might get caught out the Madrid derby is on at the highly unusual time of 4pm GMT this Sunday .

gimmick

Christ, I stop looking at this thread for a few weeks and its decided that Pique is shíte?

He has been pretty impressive all this season. He has had some poor games, last Saturday most notably, but he is still a colossus in defense.

A bad player does not win the list of trophies he has. That is a bare and simple fact. Yes, he is lucky to have a good midfiedl ahead of him at all times, but he also has to back them up for when a pass goes astray or when a team is on form counter attacking wise.

Sure, he probably is not in the top 5 category in the world, but he is not a poor player. Nor is he only average. He is a top class centre half, who would most likely get into the team of any of the prospective last 8 of the CL.

Moneymaker

gimmick wrote: »

Christ, I stop looking at this thread for a few weeks and its decided that Pique is shíte?

He has been pretty impressive all this season. He has had some poor games, last Saturday most notably, but he is still a colossus in defense.

A bad player does not win the list of trophies he has. That is a bare and simple fact. Yes, he is lucky to have a good midfiedl ahead of him at all times, but he also has to back them up for when a pass goes astray or when a team is on form counter attacking wise.

Sure, he probably is not in the top 5 category in the world, but he is not a poor player. Nor is he only average. He is a top class centre half, who would most likely get into the team of any of the prospective last 8 of the CL.

****e is probably the wrong word, but he's the weak link in the side imo. And has been for some time now.

gimmick

Pique is a better player when Mascherano is not next to him. he was very solid with Puyol at his side.

If anyone is the weak link its Mascherano, not that he has done badly at all at CB.

Turtwig

An awful lot of people seem to be mistaking Pique under pressure for Pique bad defending. His form this season has been very solid. Ok, I didn't see the Sociadad game but in general his form has been good. If a striker doesn't get any service from the midfield we don't fault their performance as harshly. Yet when a defender get's no cover from his midfield we fault the defender like mad. It's bizarre. Pique would be a first choice centre back in most teams no question. Just because he get's exposed more doesn't mean he's awful. What matters is why he's getting exposed and, as far as this season has being concerned, it's mostly not his fault.

Turtwig

Moneymaker wrote: »

****e is probably the wrong word, but he's the weak link in the side imo. And has been for some time now.

Mascherano and Messi, and possibly Alves, are the weak links at the moment. Masch keeps getting his position and lines wrong. Messi just don't put in any effort and he's far too static. If busquets is out of position or slightly off peak form Barcelona's defence crumbles like dominoes.

Moneymaker

Jernal wrote: »

Mascherano and Messi, and possibly Alves, are the weak links at the moment. Masch keeps getting his position and lines wrong. Messi just don't put in any effort and he's far too static. If busquets is out of position or slightly off peak form Barcelona's defence crumbles like dominoes.

You're right about Busquets in fairness, Bayern games last season and Spain v Brazil spring to mind. If he has a bad game its usually bad news for Barca, he's critical to their side.

I think playing a double pivot against stronger sides would be a smart move for both Spain and Barca. Spain normally do that with Xabi Alonso and Busquets but neither man(especially Xabi) is mobile enough to cope vs pacy attacking players. Not having Martinez alongside Busquets against Brazil was a terrible blunder.

Johner

Madrid derby is about to kick off, should be a cracker.

IvySlayer

Benzema 1-0

Real are a machine

Johner

Only took Atletico 2 minutes to bottle it this time.

Andersonisgod

The wheels are coming off the Atletico wagon.

Turtwig

Atletico
*cries*

Johner

Costa has already lost the head.

Johner

Should be a red card for Atletico.

Johner

This game is mental already.

Lucas Hood

Blatant penalty.

whatawaster

Clear penalty. Terrible refereeing

Corholio

Ramos put his foot in but doesnt touch Costa. Ref got it right.

Johner

What was the ref thinking, definite peno.

Johner

Corholio wrote: »

Ramos put his foot in but doesnt touch Costa. Ref got it right.

Looked like he caught him to me, although I am watching on a stream.

Agueroooo

The PL needs Diego Costa.

retalivity

anyone watching this on bein sports? commentators are hilarious

shiibata

Corholio wrote: »

Ramos put his foot in but doesnt touch Costa. Ref got it right.

This Gerry Armstrong...

Lucas Hood

retalivity wrote: »

anyone watching this on bein sports? commentators are hilarious

Especially loving the Moe-Dric pronunciation .

Johner

Fully deserved! 1-1!

Mars Bar

1-1!