Real Madrid

[champers]

casillas was dropped by murry media blaming a fall out but then ancellotti didnt use him 4 his first season. fall outs with dropped players are day 2day stuff @ clubs. tales generally seeem 2 emerge up when the clubs r in poor form or emerge when theres no other stories around and fans swallow it, unbelievable!!! historically madrid are used to winners, but you have to do it in style murrys overall style wasnt attractive hence the white hanky treatment he delivered wns but that in itself wernt good enuf. like moyes was never in amillion years gonna succed at man utd, he just d idnt have the utd mentallity, 1-0 up he would have defended it, utd tradionally would have slung on an attacker and gone for it, moyes ,, play not to lose nah wrong mind set 4 utd, murry, wrong mind set 4 madrid.

Blinkered view rijit.

You've been listening to carmine too much. RM ain't been winning consistently in recent years. Barcelona have been all over them. Now they've got At Madrid on their @rse too.

Check out Ancelotti end of this season.

Yes, Real Madrid were rubbish in the Champion's League last season. Particularly awful in Munich.

[Chicog]

You realise you are talking to an empty shell?

[champers]

I thought you were ignoring him?

[alfieconn]

Gareths other side

[Chicog]

I thought you were ignoring him?

Unfortunately, Ignore does not stop you seeing quoted posts.

But it seems the issue has been resolved.

[carmine]

casillas was dropped by murry media blaming a fall out but then ancellotti didnt use him 4 his first season. fall outs with dropped players are day 2day stuff @ clubs. tales generally seeem 2 emerge up when the clubs r in poor form or emerge when theres no other stories around and fans swallow it, unbelievable!!! historically madrid are used to winners, but you have to do it in style murrys overall style wasnt attractive hence the white hanky treatment he delivered wns but that in itself wernt good enuf. like moyes was never in amillion years gonna succed at man utd, he just d idnt have the utd mentallity, 1-0 up he would have defended it, utd tradionally would have slung on an attacker and gone for it, moyes ,, play not to lose nah wrong mind set 4 utd, murry, wrong mind set 4 madrid.

Blinkered view rijit.

You've been listening to carmine too much. RM ain't been winning consistently in recent years. Barcelona have been all over them. Now they've got At Madrid on their @rse too.

Check out Ancelotti end of this season.

Yes, Real Madrid were rubbish in the Champion's League last season. Particularly awful in Munich.

Yes he does talk a load of toss doesn't he. I also love to know how he defines "winning consistently" in recent years. I'd have thought finishing in the top two in your league, reaching CL semis and winning Copa Del Rey's would suggest a very reasonable degree of consistency.

Actually what Ancelotti has done is given the fans the style of football they crave having had to put up with the turgid rubbish Mourinho was putting out and delivered then their tenth european cup in the process.

[mjj]

Judge Ancelotti after this season. In his first season at Chelsea he won us the double and we played great football, but in the second season when teams knew how to stop us, he had no plan B. It was painful to watch - same mistakes again and again.

[carmine]

Judge Ancelotti after this season. In his first season at Chelsea he won us the double and we played great football, but in the second season when teams knew how to stop us, he had no plan B. It was painful to watch - same mistakes again and again.

Thats fair enough but my comment was addressing the stupid comment regards Madrid's "inconsistency." And on top of that as we all know, Barcelona were head and shoulders above everyone for a period of time.

Knowing the way Real Madrid operate the only thing to stop Perez sacking Ancelotti at the end of the season is if he wins the CL again.

Still remember Capello getting the boot having just won the league!!

[jellydog]

Thank you Valencia !!!

[salty]

Not much good for Barca as they lost to Real Sociedad. Jordi Alba og in the 2nd minute. As usual Barca huffed and puffed but they seem obsessed with trying to walk it into the net. Good day for David Moyes.

[jellydog]

Not much good for Barca as they lost to Real Sociedad. Jordi Alba og in the 2nd minute. As usual Barca huffed and puffed but they seem obsessed with trying to walk it into the net. Good day for David Moyes.

Neither Messi or Neymar in the starting eleven where three points would have put Barca at the top of the table. Luis Enrique seems an unusual chap at times.

[jellydog]

No goals from the big guns and RM loses to Villarreal 1-0. Always pleasing.

[jellydog]

Press conference called in Madrid and the rumor is that Rafa is out and one would think Zidane is in.

[StevieH]

4 points off the top of the league, in the last 16 of the champions league, just scored 18 goals in 2 matches. utterly laughable, pathetic farce of a football club.

[jellydog]

[StevieH]

so as they always want to sign each year's ballon d'or winner they appoint a former player who has literally never managed a club. their pathetic vanity knows no bounds.

[rijit]

if Benny boy wants an immediate return, note he's waited b4, but Swansea looks a good fit to me, spainish connections and ? hours from his gaff in Liverpool

[SantiSuk]

Rafa will survive. I don't diss anyone who doesn't survive at RM. Below Blatter (admittedly way below), Perez appears to be the biggest c in football. Zidane has as good a chance at success as anyone, including you or I, in the Santiago Bernabeu circus.

Such a shame that the ultimate football money-machine is having a tough time!

[jellydog]

Rafa will survive. I don't diss anyone who doesn't survive at RM. Below Blatter (admittedly way below), Perez appears to be the biggest c in football. Zidane has as good a chance at success as anyone, including you or I, in the Santiago Bernabeu circus.

Such a shame that the ultimate football money-machine is having a tough time!

A quick read on Florentino Perez and the dictatorial nature of his reign as RM president. I see the Zidane move as a way of his rolling the dice and insuring he'll be able to win the next election. Reading the article he reminds me of Erdogan in Turkey.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/explained-real-madrid-president-florentino-6891942

[StevieH]

if Benny boy wants an immediate return, note he's waited b4, but Swansea looks a good fit to me, spainish connections and ? hours from his gaff in Liverpool

swansea's a bugger of a drive from the wirral.

i'd take some time out if i was him. he's been utterly hosed by this farce of a club and it's a shame because they were his alma mater. wasn't doing a bad job at all but his face just never fit, it's strange just how unpopular a manager he is given what a gentleman he is as well.

could see him heading into international management at some point which i think might suit him down to the ground.

[jellydog]

if Benny boy wants an immediate return, note he's waited b4, but Swansea looks a good fit to me, spainish connections and ? hours from his gaff in Liverpool

swansea's a bugger of a drive from the wirral.

i'd take some time out if i was him. he's been utterly hosed by this farce of a club and it's a shame because they were his alma mater. wasn't doing a bad job at all but his face just never fit, it's strange just how unpopular a manager he is given what a gentleman he is as well.

could see him heading into international management at some point which i think might suit him down to the ground.

Good call that I would guess. Depends on whether he is completely fed up, and he might be. Going international is a bit like retiring or "giving up", and some managers put if off until they're older than Rafa.

[StevieH]

if Benny boy wants an immediate return, note he's waited b4, but Swansea looks a good fit to me, spainish connections and ? hours from his gaff in Liverpool

swansea's a bugger of a drive from the wirral.

i'd take some time out if i was him. he's been utterly hosed by this farce of a club and it's a shame because they were his alma mater. wasn't doing a bad job at all but his face just never fit, it's strange just how unpopular a manager he is given what a gentleman he is as well.

could see him heading into international management at some point which i think might suit him down to the ground.

Good call that I would guess. Depends on whether he is completely fed up, and he might be. Going international is a bit like retiring or "giving up", and some managers put if off until they're older than Rafa.

yeah he's only 55, not old by managerial standards at all. maybe he'll head back to valencia where he is unconditionally loved. there should be a vacancy there in the summer when ratboy neville gets the england job after hodgson has another tournament debacle.

[jellydog]

if Benny boy wants an immediate return, note he's waited b4, but Swansea looks a good fit to me, spainish connections and ? hours from his gaff in Liverpool

swansea's a bugger of a drive from the wirral.

i'd take some time out if i was him. he's been utterly hosed by this farce of a club and it's a shame because they were his alma mater. wasn't doing a bad job at all but his face just never fit, it's strange just how unpopular a manager he is given what a gentleman he is as well.

could see him heading into international management at some point which i think might suit him down to the ground.

Good call that I would guess. Depends on whether he is completely fed up, and he might be. Going international is a bit like retiring or "giving up", and some managers put if off until they're older than Rafa.

yeah he's only 55, not old by managerial standards at all. maybe he'll head back to valencia where he is unconditionally loved. there should be a vacancy there in the summer when ratboy neville gets the england job after hodgson has another tournament debacle.

Multiple ironies in this RM-Valencia-Neville-Rafa-Zidane situation.

[StevieH]

madrid should just make ronaldo manager and have done with it.

i look forward to zidane giving ronaldo some technical advice and being told where to shove it by the ludicrously vain one.

[jellydog]

madrid should just make ronaldo manager and have done with it.

i look forward to zidane giving ronaldo some technical advice and being told where to shove it by the ludicrously vain one.

Indeed. An interesting situation with "I don't take shit I dish it out" Zidane versus a collection of annoying divas like Ronaldo, Pepe, Ramos and Benzema. If Zidane survives the season it could be an eventful summer transfer market for Real Madrid.

[rijit]

madrid should just make ronaldo manager and have done with it.

i look forward to zidane giving ronaldo some technical advice and being told where to shove it by the ludicrously vain one.

Either that or be rid, perhaps thats what they realised, benny boy wasn't ever gonna be in position to be strong enuf to be move ronaldo and get a reasonable financial return without damaging the club ie. The board. maybe zidanes the sacrificial lamb??? Just a thought.

Sent from my GT-I9000 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[StevieH]

think perez is the real power there and always has been. the manager has never really held much sway. they'll shift ronaldo on when they're ready, probably to PSG, and the manager won't have a say in the matter. like most madrid managers zidane's just the latest puppet. but it's bizarre given that they're one of the biggest, if not the biggest, clubs in the world and they've just appointed a bloke with literally no managerial experience.

[jellydog]

think perez is the real power there and always has been. the manager has never really held much sway. they'll shift ronaldo on when they're ready, probably to PSG, and the manager won't have a say in the matter. like most madrid managers zidane's just the latest puppet. but it's bizarre given that they're one of the biggest, if not the biggest, clubs in the world and they've just appointed a bloke with literally no managerial experience.

I think Perez is gambling that Zidane's forceful personality will light a fire, and then provide some oomph to a squad that only looks motivated when they can be flat track bullies. He also can soothe the fans who have been rebellious lately and calling for not only Rafa's head but Perez's as well. If nothing more he can pull the wool over some eyes for a while with the big Galactico Zidane move.

All of which rests on RM beating Barcelona as well as other top tier teams in La Liga. I expect Barca and Atletico Madrid have other ideas.

[StevieH]

find myself wanting atletico to win it every time now just to piss on the chips of the established order pair.

[StevieH]

rory smith's article on it is good.

Gareth Bale may quit after Real Madrid sack Rafael Benítez

http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/public/football/article4656565.ece

Gareth Bale is considering his future at Real Madrid after the Spanish club confirmed the dismissal of Rafael Benítez, their coach, and appointed Zinédine Zidane as his replacement last night.

Bale is believed to be intensely disappointed by the departure of the former Liverpool manager only seven months after he took charge at the Bernabéu. The world’s most expensive player had previously informed Real’s all-powerful president, Florentino Pérez, that he had a good working relationship with the 55-year-old and that he felt the team, four points behind Atletico, their city rivals, at the top of La Liga, were moving in the right direction.

Quite how deep the 26-year-old’s discontent runs will be of particular interest to Manchester United, his long-term suitors. As revealed by The Times last month, the Old Trafford club have spent weeks trying to establish a framework for a deal in case Bale becomes available, most probably this summer. Any move, though, would still face significant roadblocks: as well as his £300,000-a-week wages, United would have to find sufficient funds to meet Pérez’s asking price. Given his unwillingness to sell, that could start as high as £150 million.

The Real president took to the podium at the Bernabéu just before 8pm local time last night to confirm Benítez’s exit, the 11th time that he has sacked a coach since he first took the reins at the club in 2000. It was, he said, “a difficult decision, particularly for me”, to part company with Benítez, a lifelong Real fan and both a player and a youth coach in the Spanish capital.

Pérez had not spoken to Benítez to inform him that his services were no longer required before he appeared on stage with Zidane.

The 43-year-old Frenchman — wearing a powder-blue blazer, surrounded by his family and promising to give “everything in my heart” to help the club to “win something at the end of the season” — spent a season as assistant to Carlo Ancelotti before taking charge of Castilla, Real’s B team, in 2014.

“We have the best club in the world and the best fans in the world,” Zidane said in a brief, halting statement. “I will try to do my very best for this team so that we win something at the end of the season. It is an important day for me, one of a lot of emotion, more than when I signed as a player, but that is normal. What I can say is that I will give all of the heart I have for this club.”

Pérez was quick to praise his new coach’s qualities, insisting his “knowledge of what it is to be out there, in front of the Real Madrid first team”, will help him to deal with what he admitted is a “complicated post”.

“This is your stadium and your club, and you have our complete confidence and support,” Pérez told Zidane. “Madridismo is at your side. As president, I am proud to have you with me, because for you, the word impossible does not exist.”

He was substantially less forthcoming on why he and the club’s board — who met in an emergency session

yesterday afternoon — had decided to act now, referring only to Benítez as a “great professional and a magnificent person”.

That was not enough to save him. He had been under pressure ever since Real lost 4-0 to Barcelona in El Clasico in November and, despite winning their previous two games 10-2 and 3-1, seeing his team held to a 2-2 draw by Gary Neville’s Valencia on Sunday night delivered the final blow.

Benítez had been reassured by José Ángel Sánchez, Real’s director general, in the immediate aftermath of that draw that he retained the full support of the club’s board. The same message was delivered yesterday morning. Only when Pérez called a press conference did Benítez know his fate was sealed, despite a number of senior players informing the president by text that they were happy with Benítez’s approach.

Pérez’s concerns, though, were growing, particularly in regard to James Rodriguez, the Colombia playmaker. Before November’s Clasico, Pérez suggested to Benítez that “nobody would blame him” if they lost to Barcelona with Rodriguez in the side. The coach duly picked the Colombian and Real duly lost.

Then, Pérez was good to his word, calling the squad together to inform them that from that point on Benítez had absolute autonomy over team selection and that nobody was an automatic choice. Though relations with many members of the squad have been strained at times this season, Pérez’s intervention seemed to work. Those in the dressing room noted an improvement in morale.

Benítez was warned again last week, though, that Rodriguez — signed for £57 million and a crucial part of Real’s marketing strategy in Latin America — should be considered a key player. His decision to choose Mateo Kovacic, the Croatia midfielder, against Valencia brought him into direct conflict with Pérez. Failing to win that game meant it was a battle he was destined to lose.