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I hear it's all the rage for FBGs to move there.
AFAIK, he's there for a few months in like Valladolid or somewhere in Castile doing something related to school, but he'd obviously be the one to answer this best. It's a shame I left before a) the USMNT played at the Bernabéu, and b) DP rolled through town.
Congrats on the CL. Atletico plays attractive football and has a lot of interesting players. Aguero will no doubt be on Chelsea's short list this summer, not to mention, Barca, Real Milan and a host of other teams. Playing in Europe next year will help them keep him IMO.
Thanks, GB. I would agree that they play a fun form of football, likely to drop 2+ goals on any team they face, but jsut as likely to let in 2+ as well. I was pelased the way they held steady all year. The last two years they had started off decently and then faded down the stretch with injuries and fatigue.I sure as hell hope that Aguero sticks around. It'll take a pretty penny to buy him away, especially after they sold off Torres last season. He and Forlan combined to be a pretty good duo up top, and I like the support from the midfield too with Maxi coming on quite well as a unifying force at Captain.I was somewhat impressed with Camacho and less so with Raul Garcia. Maniche is ncie to have around, and Simao and Cleber Santana bring things that the others don't. I think that Atleti need some help at Center D though, and maybe on the left defense too. Antonio Lopez is good, but I'm not a huge fan of Pernia. Leo Franco has proven to be adequate in the net this year, and when he was out Abbiati did well enough.There are rumors that Javier Aguirre (the manager) might be gone at the end of the season though. I think his contract runs out then, and they haven't renegotiated it yet. He's waiting for the season to end I think before any announcements are made. Some people are speculating that he's ready to take over a team in his native Mexico.
I hear it's all the rage for FBGs to move there.AFAIK, he's there for a few months in like Valladolid or somewhere in Castile doing something related to school, but he'd obviously be the one to answer this best. It's a shame I left before a) the USMNT played at the Bernabéu, and b) DP rolled through town.
I've mentioned to you in the past that I'd like to live there for a few years. I wanted to study abroad in Barcelona through my school's program but I crammed undergrad into 3 years and didn't get the chance to study abroad. One of my friends went and he had a blast.
This is no doubt going to be one of the more interesting offseasons in recent years. A lot of the top teams are looking to overhaul their roster - Milan, Barca, Inter, even Chelsea (with a new coach likely waiting in the wings). And teams like Real are always looking to break the bank for 1-2 huge signings. Never saw Camacho play but he is rumored to be an Arsenal target.
This would be correct, but only for just under two months and yes Vallodilid for the most part.I hear it's all the rage for FBGs to move there.
NOOOOOOOOOO!!!My Atletico is back in the CL for the first time in 12 years, and now that they have all this success, there's all these rumors about getting raided by English teams. AHHHHHH! NOOOOOO!
Why cant Torres and Villa play together up front? It seems like theyd complement each other tremendously. If I could only pick one Id go with Torres. Raul should NOT be in the starting 11 this summer. Spain has an abundance of striking options and his role as the country's Talisman is long gone. This could be Spains best team in quite some time (though dont we say that about them every two years)?
For a friendly, Raul and whoeverFor the Euros.....Torres and Villa....I love the way they each play, and their somewhat contrasting styles could work very very well together.
Unfortunately, thats what European Football has become - a clear dichotomy between the uber rich and everyone else. Disclaimer: Chelsea Fan here from the Pre-Roman days.
Spain has done a 4-4-2 most of the time, although I've seen them with a lone striker as well. Torres and Villa IMO don't really play that well along side each other from the times I've seen it. Furthermore, I think Guiza has every right to be there as Villa does.
true, but this isn't a recent development. Euro football has been about the haves and have-nots for as long as I can remember.
You are so on. How about a month-long avatar bet to further sweeten the bet too...$1.00 Fulham finishes 13th or higher. You got the stones?Totally agree with the first part... Bullard and McBride would have kept that team out of the bottom three most of the year.Second part... out of the bottom three, but just barely. They just don't have enough class on that team- especially at the back- to push into the middle of the EPL.Well deserved for Fulham. Won three of their last five. They wouldn't have been in this position with a healthy Bullard and McBride all year long. I see them in the middle of the table next year.
Some say that Kaka is better then Ronaldo and both Kaka and Alves would be cheaper to obtain. Dont see why they would break the bank for Ronaldo.If United did sell Ronaldo, they could take the money and restock the talent base and buy the next Ronaldo. Selling Becks netted them Ronaldo. I dont think it happens but you never know. If he did leave it would be a sad day but if spent wisely they could reload and not miss too much of a beat.
It will never happen. Why would the richest club in the world, who are arguably the best in the world right now, sell their best player?
that's football.As B Maverick pointed out, Man U made a killing off of the Beckham transfer. They sold him, made a ton of money, and bought Ronaldo for cheap. If they sell Ronaldo while his stock is extremely high, they can find another 17-year old kid (for example) who will be the next star. And they can make a ton of money doing it.....Without Ronaldo, Man U still finishes 1 or 2 in the EPL, IMO.
I doubt CRolaldo's value will ever be higher than it is right now (or will be this July if he performs well in Moscow on 5/21 and in Euro08 in June). ManU loves to promote from within its own program and to acquire and develop young inexpensive talent (to buy low and sell high). In contrast, it seems Real prefers to buy superstars at their absolute peak (Beckham, Ronaldo, Zidane, Figo, R. Carlos, Cannavaro, Van Nistlerooy). Therefore, although this is just one of many rumors we always hear this time of year, this does strike me as a plausible transfer.Steve Tasker for Prez said:kerpow said:that's football.As B Maverick pointed out, Man U made a killing off of the Beckham transfer. They sold him, made a ton of money, and bought Ronaldo for cheap. If they sell Ronaldo while his stock is extremely high, they can find another 17-year old kid (for example) who will be the next star. And they can make a ton of money doing it.....Without Ronaldo, Man U still finishes 1 or 2 in the EPL, IMO.
That's debatable since Arsenal was sitting on 83 and I don't think they'd be in a CL final without him. The other huge difference between him and Beckham is that he's young and just now entering the prime of his career whereas Beckham was 28. Plus he's better than Beckham ever was.Steve Tasker for Prez said:kerpow said:that's football.As B Maverick pointed out, Man U made a killing off of the Beckham transfer. They sold him, made a ton of money, and bought Ronaldo for cheap. If they sell Ronaldo while his stock is extremely high, they can find another 17-year old kid (for example) who will be the next star. And they can make a ton of money doing it.....
Without Ronaldo, Man U still finishes 1 or 2 in the EPL, IMO.
You'd make me get rid of my talisman? That's harsh.You are so on. How about a month-long avatar bet to further sweeten the bet too...$1.00 Fulham finishes 13th or higher. You got the stones?Totally agree with the first part... Bullard and McBride would have kept that team out of the bottom three most of the year.Second part... out of the bottom three, but just barely. They just don't have enough class on that team- especially at the back- to push into the middle of the EPL.Well deserved for Fulham. Won three of their last five. They wouldn't have been in this position with a healthy Bullard and McBride all year long. I see them in the middle of the table next year.
I agree that a repeat of the EPL title and the trip to the CL finals would prob not be made without Ronaldo. And between Ronaldo and Becks, Ronaldo is the better player now then when Becks was sold so I dont see that it happens within the next couple years. Ronaldo can still get better. United's MO is selling off players right after they peak. It will be interesting. Nani and Anderson have the potential to be the next big things too. United is loaded but the best player on the best team wont go anywhere anytime soon.That's debatable since Arsenal was sitting on 83 and I don't think they'd be in a CL final without him. The other huge difference between him and Beckham is that he's young and just now entering the prime of his career whereas Beckham was 28. Plus he's better than Beckham ever was.Steve Tasker for Prez said:kerpow said:that's football.As B Maverick pointed out, Man U made a killing off of the Beckham transfer. They sold him, made a ton of money, and bought Ronaldo for cheap. If they sell Ronaldo while his stock is extremely high, they can find another 17-year old kid (for example) who will be the next star. And they can make a ton of money doing it.....
Without Ronaldo, Man U still finishes 1 or 2 in the EPL, IMO.
Perhaps this is true, but could Glazer's financial problems motivate Man U to listen if a big club like Madrid makes a huge offer for Ronaldo? I saw this article recently and found it interesting: Man U money problems? Of course, it always seems like these big clubs find a way out of their money issues, but in the current economic climate, things could change.I agree that a repeat of the EPL title and the trip to the CL finals would prob not be made without Ronaldo. And between Ronaldo and Becks, Ronaldo is the better player now then when Becks was sold so I dont see that it happens within the next couple years. Ronaldo can still get better. United's MO is selling off players right after they peak. It will be interesting. Nani and Anderson have the potential to be the next big things too. United is loaded but the best player on the best team wont go anywhere anytime soon.That's debatable since Arsenal was sitting on 83 and I don't think they'd be in a CL final without him. The other huge difference between him and Beckham is that he's young and just now entering the prime of his career whereas Beckham was 28. Plus he's better than Beckham ever was.Steve Tasker for Prez said:kerpow said:that's football.As B Maverick pointed out, Man U made a off of the Beckham transfer. They sold him, made a ton of money, and bought Ronaldo for cheap. If they sell Ronaldo while his stock is extremely high, they can find another 17-year old kid (for example) who will be the next star. And they can make a ton of money doing it.....
Without Ronaldo, Man U still finishes 1 or 2 in the EPL, IMO.
RM's fan base in Madrid would probably like having him on the team because it ups their talent level in the attacking midfield, and he's a big name. Some RM fans probably think he's a crybaby and a "marica" (search for the translation yourself) of sorts. The Spain-Portugal rivalry pretty much only goes in one direction... the hate flows from west to east if you catch my drift. The Spanish have more issues with the Italians and French than with the Portuguese, but that's another subject altogether.But in reality, this is for the fans OUTSIDE of Spain and Madrid. This is to sell shirts and merchandise in South America, Asia, and the rest of Europe. This is to bring a "Galactico" back to RM, who has been sort of without a HUGE name (like Ronaldinho and Henry in Barça, and Drogba at Chelsea, etc.) It's an attempt to reclaim some of that mojo that they had in the early 2000s.I would agree though that Kaká or Alvés is a better investment if your goal is to win CL and La Liga on a regular basis.Steve Tasker for Prez said:
Hmmm I assumed it would be shown live...
Nope. In the U.S. it is pay-per-view. But it's also at 10 a.m., which is several hours before I wake up as a night worker.
Damn, I missed the game. Anyone watch? Look for Pavel Pogrebnyak to garner some interest from other european leagues. He dropped 10 goals in the tourney and didn't play in the final.
Tuesday night: http://msn.foxsports.com/soccer/story/6360600FA Cup on Fox Soccer Channel 2008
That competition is dead to me after Bayern screwed the pooch!Actually it completely slipped my mind. I'll have to look for a replay.
thank you sir.
Just caught the last 30 minutes....Zenit clearly the better side in those 30.....
While it's debatable whether or not they still would have finished 1-2, I think it's a very valid point that United doesn't need Ronaldo to be among the best in Europe (not just England).Case in point....United record at Old Trafford this year was 17-1-1. More importantly, their goal differential was 47 goals for and 7 against. Ronaldo is great, but Ronaldo doesn't play much defense. On the road, they were no slouches either, going 10-4-5 while outscoring their opponents 33-15.I agree that a repeat of the EPL title and the trip to the CL finals would prob not be made without Ronaldo. And between Ronaldo and Becks, Ronaldo is the better player now then when Becks was sold so I dont see that it happens within the next couple years. Ronaldo can still get better. United's MO is selling off players right after they peak. It will be interesting. Nani and Anderson have the potential to be the next big things too. United is loaded but the best player on the best team wont go anywhere anytime soon.That's debatable since Arsenal was sitting on 83 and I don't think they'd be in a CL final without him. The other huge difference between him and Beckham is that he's young and just now entering the prime of his career whereas Beckham was 28. Plus he's better than Beckham ever was.Steve Tasker for Prez said:kerpow said:
Without Ronaldo, Man U still finishes 1 or 2 in the EPL, IMO.
While it's debatable whether or not they still would have finished 1-2, I think it's a very valid point that United doesn't need Ronaldo to be among the best in Europe (not just England).Case in point....United record at Old Trafford this year was 17-1-1. More importantly, their goal differential was 47 goals for and 7 against. Ronaldo is great, but Ronaldo doesn't play much defense. On the road, they were no slouches either, going 10-4-5 while outscoring their opponents 33-15.I agree that a repeat of the EPL title and the trip to the CL finals would prob not be made without Ronaldo. And between Ronaldo and Becks, Ronaldo is the better player now then when Becks was sold so I dont see that it happens within the next couple years. Ronaldo can still get better. United's MO is selling off players right after they peak. It will be interesting. Nani and Anderson have the potential to be the next big things too. United is loaded but the best player on the best team wont go anywhere anytime soon.That's debatable since Arsenal was sitting on 83 and I don't think they'd be in a CL final without him. The other huge difference between him and Beckham is that he's young and just now entering the prime of his career whereas Beckham was 28. Plus he's better than Beckham ever was.Steve Tasker for Prez said:kerpow said:
Without Ronaldo, Man U still finishes 1 or 2 in the EPL, IMO.
If you add that all up, United's goal differential was an astounding 80-22. United is so deep on their bench that guys like Saha, Anderson and Nani ( :X ) barely saw regular time. Without Ronaldo, United could still field Rooney and Tevez who are both more than capable scorers.
This being said, yes it would SUCK losing a 23 year old ultra-talented midfielder who can dominate the game. These guys don't grow on trees. I believe Ronaldo will be at United for a long time, as Ferguson has said so much that Ronaldo is not going anywhere.
I've always been a fan of Saha, and I think Tevez is one of the best in the world. Rooney + those two + another transfer (who they undoubtedly would bring in) = possibly the #1 strikeforce in the EPL....
Saha wont be there much longer. His injury history will make him history. The guy cant stay on the pitch for very long. I would be surprised if they do not sell him off (like Alan Smith).While it's debatable whether or not they still would have finished 1-2, I think it's a very valid point that United doesn't need Ronaldo to be among the best in Europe (not just England).Case in point....United record at Old Trafford this year was 17-1-1. More importantly, their goal differential was 47 goals for and 7 against. Ronaldo is great, but Ronaldo doesn't play much defense. On the road, they were no slouches either, going 10-4-5 while outscoring their opponents 33-15.I agree that a repeat of the EPL title and the trip to the CL finals would prob not be made without Ronaldo. And between Ronaldo and Becks, Ronaldo is the better player now then when Becks was sold so I dont see that it happens within the next couple years. Ronaldo can still get better. United's MO is selling off players right after they peak. It will be interesting. Nani and Anderson have the potential to be the next big things too. United is loaded but the best player on the best team wont go anywhere anytime soon.That's debatable since Arsenal was sitting on 83 and I don't think they'd be in a CL final without him. The other huge difference between him and Beckham is that he's young and just now entering the prime of his career whereas Beckham was 28. Plus he's better than Beckham ever was.Steve Tasker for Prez said:kerpow said:
Without Ronaldo, Man U still finishes 1 or 2 in the EPL, IMO.
If you add that all up, United's goal differential was an astounding 80-22. United is so deep on their bench that guys like Saha, Anderson and Nani ( :X ) barely saw regular time. Without Ronaldo, United could still field Rooney and Tevez who are both more than capable scorers.
This being said, yes it would SUCK losing a 23 year old ultra-talented midfielder who can dominate the game. These guys don't grow on trees. I believe Ronaldo will be at United for a long time, as Ferguson has said so much that Ronaldo is not going anywhere.I've always been a fan of Saha, and I think Tevez is one of the best in the world. Rooney + those two + another transfer (who they undoubtedly would bring in) = possibly the #1 strikeforce in the EPL....
AnotherSaha wont be there much longer. His injury history will make him history. The guy cant stay on the pitch for very long. I would be surprised if they do not sell him off (like Alan Smith).
. It's too bad too, I'm not sure he ever really got a chance to be that top guy. For a while he was always playing behind Rooney and van Nistelrooy, etc. You think he'll land with a lower EPL team (think Portstmouth, Villa, etc - not necessarily those teams, but teams at that level) or go back to France?
Didn't the defensive CM position used to be Cambiasso's forte? He's probably getting older now though.I just like Tevez because he is small and crazy. His playing style reminds me of my own....that's why I'm a fan....
CletiusMaximus said:
Oh, and if you missed the UEFA Cup final, you didn't miss much. Gers had some chances, but did not look very threatening to me. Zenit kind of sleepwalked through the first 60 mintues or so, and then started playing some really wonderful football. The passing on both goals was outstanding.
and the defending very poor.CletiusMaximus said:
I think he will go back to the French league although I wouldnt rule out a lower EPL team. He is a good player and given time will score goals. He just hasnt been healthy for United and like you said, was stuck behind some great players and prolific scorers.AnotherSaha wont be there much longer. His injury history will make him history. The guy cant stay on the pitch for very long. I would be surprised if they do not sell him off (like Alan Smith).
I've always been a fan of Saha, and I think Tevez is one of the best in the world. Rooney + those two + another transfer (who they undoubtedly would bring in) = possibly the #1 strikeforce in the EPL....
Tevez, IMO, is a pure goal scorer. He isnt fancy, he works his #### off and has the strength to hold people off. He is going to run people over and score. He doesnt have the prolific talent of a van Nistelrooy, but he could develop into that kind of player. Both need the service to score but you put them in the box and they will turn you and slot it home. Neither are going to be a guy like Henry that can beat three people and the keeper. But Tevez can be a great scorer.
Translation: Deco has announced that he will not continue with Barça for next season. During a promotional act, the Portuguese player attacked the Barça leadership and signaled that he didn´t want to continue where he's not wanted. "I'll go to England or Italy I'm sure. It won't be in Spain because the only club that is on Barça's level is Madrid (Real) and I'll never go to Madrid.Analysis: Deco is a good talent and it looks like he can now be had on the cheap from Barcelona since he doesn't want to stay around. I think it's likely that he'll get picked up by José Mourinho, wherever he lands, which points to Milan (AC). Could any of the top tier English teams use him?
