Football Season 2017/2018 & 2018 Summer Transfers

[Jessicka]

Nothing against Portugal as a RM fan I am. However, from every 2 other quotes I've gotten off Valeron, I'm 99.9% -as a Durex would- certain he was indeed talking about Ramos.

OT: Piqué said it was the first time in 9 years he felt under Real Madrid. He also said, as well as Alba, that they thought Real Madrid was going to play with 2 up top and not 3 which end up bending them over as they acknowledged. Honestly, Barça players are going at Bartomeu and I was surprised at the tactical bash now. Valverde sacked before xmas?

The way the Barca players looked, I wouldn't be surprised. It took till Pique going off in the second half to do something about it, so in a way it was a forced change that made them better. Madrid could have won five or six nil last night and probably would have with a stronger line up. Even compared to how well Madrid dominated Utd in the Super Cup, they looked even better again; that's just the level Madrid are at right now.

Be interesting to see how Barca do against different opposition. Fair to say, Madrid look like they'll walk everything this season.

[Deleted]

Yeah, there's been a lot of that talk. Presumably Dembele to fill Neymar's role in the front line and Coutinho to plug one of those gaps in midfield. I didn't see much of Barca outside the Champions League last year - do any Spanish fans we have in here think that Dembele + Coutinho makes them a better team than Neymar on his own?

Barcelona has a bigger issue now. Identity crisis. Do you really think Paulinho, André Gomes, Digne, Vidal, Deulofeu and so on are part of the DNA they got? Piqué said it the best when he stated he hasn't feel inferior to RM in 9 years (since he is in Barcelona). Coutinho and Dembelé will definitely help win them games, titles on the other hand is a big question mark as they lost Neymar and haven't properly reinforced the team in 3 years.

Their problem is not a Neymar problem (not everything at least)... is a planning issue. Real Madrid has done it better squad wise we got good young talent (Toni is 27!!!) and each year we acquire more. We lost Morata and James but Zizou is happy with the team we got without any flashy signings (Although Perez can fuck me over last minute with that enhanced fax of his and get Mbappé).

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The way the Barca players looked, I wouldn't be surprised. It took till Pique going off in the second half to do something about it, so in a way it was a forced change that made them better. Madrid could have won five or six nil last night and probably would have with a stronger line up. Even compared to how well Madrid dominated Utd in the Super Cup, they looked even better again; that's just the level Madrid are at right now.

Be interesting to see how Barca do against different opposition. Fair to say, Madrid look like they'll walk everything this season.

Many people were expecting a complete bash. Personally, I'm not hyped for this RM team because I know what we are capable of doing and I know what Zidane will do during the season. We got a squad with 16-17 players that would be starters in many many top tier teams in Europe right now. It is our time now, it has been for the last 4-5 years with 3 CL. However, now we are asserting some dominance over Barcelona and last time that happened -as Piqué said- was nine years ago.

[DrMcNinja]

In other news, some newspapers are saying Dembele and Coutinho are going to barça.

And here I am still waiting for Barca to strengthen their defense...

[Deleted]

And here I am still waiting for Barca to strengthen their defense...

They have spent money past couple of seasons doing that: Semedo, Vermaelen, Umtiti, Digne, Vidal (tho he's not a RB he played as a RB in Sevilla and won titles which made him likeable to fill Dani Alves position). I believe the problem is the midfield -ever since Xavi left- as it cost them games last season.

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Suarez 4-5 weeks off with a knee injury.

[WarBringerPT]

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Suarez 4-5 weeks off with a knee injury.

Karma. He should get x games ban on top of that due to diving. Anyone should.

[DrMcNinja]

Karma. He should get x games ban on top of that due to diving. Anyone should.

Wouldn't really matter since he'll sit out those games banned AND injured, no?

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They have spent money past couple of seasons doing that: Semedo, Vermaelen, Umtiti, Digne, Vidal (tho he's not a RB he played as a RB in Sevilla and won titles which made him likeable to fill Dani Alves position). I believe the problem is the midfield -ever since Xavi left- as it cost them games last season.

Shit, I almost forgot about Vermaelen's existence. Barca has a knack for sending players off on loan after they return from injury only to be sold after coming back from loan.

[WarBringerPT]

Wouldn't really matter since he'll sit out those games banned AND injured, no?

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Shit, I almost forgot about Vermaelen's existence.

No no, he should have the 4-5 weeks injured AND THEN x games banned. Divers would learn not to fake penalties that way.

[DrMcNinja]

No no, he should have the 4-5 weeks injured AND THEN x games banned. Divers would learn not to fake penalties that way.

You mean like Ronaldo?

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Sanchez is MIA again at Ajax. Assume Tottenham will have him soon.

[Deleted]

I don't think it matters. Every diver should get fined and banned. Kinda like the NBA did and is doing in terms of flopping. It should be a FIFA matter and not an every individual league bylaw.

[Jessicka]

I don't think it matters. Every diver should get fined and banned. Kinda like the NBA did and is doing in terms of flopping. It should be a FIFA matter and not an every individual league bylaw.

That would require FIFA admitting a problem.

[Deleted]

That would require FIFA admitting a problem.

Yah, well wishful thinking

[WarBringerPT]

You mean like Ronaldo?

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Sanchez is MIA again at Ajax. Assume Tottenham will have him soon.

Any diver. You dive, you get suspended. I'm just talking about suarez due to the "obvious" dive he did in the 1st game, but any diver should be punished.

[SLSAMG]

You mean like Ronaldo?

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Sanchez is MIA again at Ajax. Assume Tottenham will have him soon.

Yes, we get it. Ronaldo dives, almost everyone dives (some more than others)... Nobody plays the game with integrity.

At least he's not biting players left and right.

And I agree with @WarBringerPT - divers; regardless of who they are, need to be punished severely. Repeat offenders should get longer bans.

[Norganon]

So the shortlist for FIFA best player of 2017 includes 7 RM players, including Dani Carvajal, good to see he's finally getting recognition.

[Tommy T]

Talking of cunts, Diego is going to run down his contract for the next two years.

Not really what we need. Antonio's text message has caused all kinds of problems and while I back his stance on Costa, it was the wrong way to go about it.
It's the Eva Carnerio of 2017.

[Valeron]

I hope this means the end of Costa for the national team as well.

[AschTheDead]

Curse of chelsea. Conte will be sacked. With Mourinho the fall started with medic, with conte it will be costa.

[Deleted]

Costa is capable of saying nothing happened and have an awesome season or shit bricks.

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I hope this means the end of Costa for the national team as well.

Yes, please

[Tommy T]

Curse of chelsea. Conte will be sacked. With Mourinho the fall started with medic, with conte it will be costa.

An all too familiar pattern which is getting extremely tiring.

I think retaining the title is up there with back to back champions leagues at the moment.
The level of effort teams put in to beating you nowadays.

Part of me thinks it's just Chelsea being Chelsea, but you can't ignore the fact that everyone wants to beat the champions.

[RobertoCarlos]

It's pretty obvious what's going on at chelsea it's happened twice in a row. The manager wins the league then that says to the board the squad is great then when the manager asks for reinforcements in areas for the next season they get told to sling it.

The board pulls the strings on transfers and the sooner managers learn thats how it goes there its gona keep happening although im sure its fun to just blame the manager and fire them