Dembele with a half volley for 90th minute goal that should win it.
Barcelona’s attacking patterns look very much like ours. Really struggle to create clear cut chances. Bug dependency on balls in from the wing, but with a packed descends already in place

Two good lineups for Classico. Excited cant believe Busquets is still playinf

Benzema with a gorgeous back heel finish on the Vasquez cross to put Real 1-0 up. Hala Madrid

Love Benzema so much. Really intelligent player.

That was a really good drive from Vinny

What a run from Vinicius, wow!

2-0!
Barca could be a world of trouble. Messi playing like Ngolo Kante. The midfielders are burdening him with too much work

2-0 already. Zidane showing his knack for big game team management once again.

The technical quality of these teams feels so foreign. I might stop watching our stuff if we get knocked out of Europa.

jelbana wrote:

What a run from Vinicius, wow!

Such a brilliant player.

Claudius wrote:

The technical quality of these teams feels so foreign. I might stop watching our stuff if we get knocked out of Europa.

It's incredibly depressing.

Having a strong midfield pivot with modric and kroos is unfair

What was impressive about that first goal was both the vision (from Kroos on) and the fact that everybody desperately showed for the ball. This is actually an issue with our team. Our players don’t hustle to get themselves open for each other. It’s part of why we lack fluidity

Watching Zidane doing so well at the club he’s a massive legend at got me wondering if Henry could hit it off similarly with us.

No.

Certainly not now after this disaster. Instead of Arteta maybe but to follow him.

Henry was such utter world class that he could probably work out as manager for an already great team like Real. Even the biggest egos would listen to him because he'd still be the king on the training pitch. We need the opposite though. We need a manager who can unlock unplunged depths in players that for the most part aren't extraordinary.

Everything I've seen from Henry as a manager so far suggests that he tends to get frustrated with limited players when they aren't good enough to meet his standards. Just imagine Henry watching Laca run at 1 mph and then almost missing the goal like he did against Spartak midweek. He would have broken something in the dugout and gotten himself banned from the grounds for the rest of the season.

It sounds like he also had dressing room issues at Monaco. One of the things he did when arrived there was signal a move to youth and he made Tielemans his charge from the Belgium national team the captain. Apparently this caused a lot of resentment amongst the more senior players that this child had been imposed on them.

As you say, he has no patience for nonsense, and club management is just like management anywhere else. You need to manage people and bring out the best of them both in the short run and long run

I would not be surprised if Henry ends up having a similar managerial career to the likes of Van Basten / Gullit.

Henry's death-stare would be on overdrive watching our lot as manager.

Ridiculousness.

That was the second Copa del Rey final Athletic lost in a week or something. Such quick thinking and impressive ball control from de Jong on that goal.

De Jong looks so much like Rakitic in that move. Love that pull back.

Mirth wrote:

Ridiculousness.

This angle is great

Just saw these stats on Messi. Don't think we will see another one like him again. Fucking insane

He's consistently letting others take penalties when on a hattrick since a hattrick isn't really that special for him.

He would probably be on 40+ goals every season if he took all the pens like Ronaldo.

The fact is his assists stats are also insane in those seasons says all about him. GOAT

Villareal down 2-1 to barca. They look decent, will cause us problems.. There defense has been really poor though, both goals self-inflicted... hopefully barca will give them the run around in 2nd half

After weekend's results, its getting very tight at the top and setting up a very interesting title race with 5 matches left.

Atletico's handy lead has pretty much evaporated and they are hanging on the top spot with 73 points.

Real are second on 71 points and Barcelona at third are also on 71 points (but with a game in hand on Real and Atletico).

Sevilla have an outside chance as they are 4th on 70 points.

Title race in Spain and France is insane.

Clrnc wrote:

Title race in Spain and France is insane.

Spain is absolutely crazy. Top 4 within 3 points. It would some story if Sevilla won it

Top 4 race in Italy also nuts. 3rd, 4th and 5th all on same points.

Claudius wrote:

Clrnc wrote:

Title race in Spain and France is insane.

Spain is absolutely crazy. Top 4 within 3 points. It would some story if Sevilla won it

Should watch the Lyon vs Lille match last sunday. Superb match. Had Lyon won it (they were leading 2-0), there would only be 2 points between the top 4.

Anyway I think Monaco might just win it, they are in a ridiculous run of form under Kovac.

jones wrote:

Kovac is a class coach. Monaco looked like complete shit at first, were ridiculously unlucky for a couple months and look at them now. Started eight months after Arteta, this is his first stint abroad too.

Massive props to the ex-spurs man Paul Mitchell (Monaco sporting/recruitment director) too. He has put together a quality side.

Clrnc wrote:

Claudius wrote:

Spain is absolutely crazy. Top 4 within 3 points. It would some story if Sevilla won it

Should watch the Lyon vs Lille match last sunday. Superb match. Had Lyon won it (they were leading 2-0), there would only be 2 points between the top 4.

Anyway I think Monaco might just win it, they are in a ridiculous run of form under Kovac.

Lens will be the king makers this season. They have been the surprise of the season so far after getting promoted from Ligue 2 (currently 5th in the table) and are extremely difficult to beat.

Each of the title contenders have to play them before the end of the season.

Monaco have the tougher run-in. They also have to play Lyon away from home.

If Monaco win the French League, what a career Cesc Fabregas would have (great anyway but this would be 3 titles in 3 countries). How important is it for Monaco to have a proven winner in their squad, could make the difference in the run in.

jones wrote:

Fabregas doesn't even start for Monaco. If you wanted to pick a player who's important for them it would be Volland or Ben Yedder but the whole team is very well balanced and organised.

Yes, but he must be an important and respected voice in the dressing room. The guy has basically won everything apart from the CL.