El Gato - San Iker Casillas

He returned to the bench today but I don't see him playing a big part in the run in to the end of the season, unless Lopez gets injured or has a huge drop in form. Barring any unforeseen circumstances I can't see him starting any match of importance this season.

Yeh, it would be unfair for Lopez to be randomly dropped.

However maybe Casillas should get sub appearances in league games.

Happy birthday, Captain !

Did we ever give Adan sub appearances in games?
I don't think so.

Besides once Mou leaves this drama will be over and more than likely Lopez will leave because I doubt he's going to want to stay on the bench if another coach comes in and favors Iker.

First agenda of the press and fans will be to get Iker in the starting XI once we get a new coach.

Why should Lopez leave? Casillas has been off form most of this season, I wouldn't be at all surprised if the next coach benches him. To be honest it would even be better if Casillas is sold completely, he's grown into an institution instead of the best goalkeeper in the world. Anyway Happy Birthday to him.

Happy Birthday Captain.

Happy birthday legend

I doubt Lopez is sad for being backup for Iker. He was already a bench guy at Sevilla and I'm sure his wallet is ten times bigger now and the sub seat is much more comfortable than in Sanchez Pizjuan. I'm sure at this point of his career it's more important for Lopez to get as much cash and trophies as possible rather than thinking about getting play time. He is not gonna get into NT anyway and I don't think there are many big teams currently who wants to have a good (not WC) gk as their starter.

And if we managed to keep someone like Dudek as a backup then keeping Lopez shouldn't be a problem either.

buddytaller wrote:Why should Lopez leave? Casillas has been off form most of this season, I wouldn't be at all surprised if the next coach benches him. To be honest it would even be better if Casillas is sold completely, he's grown into an institution instead of the best goalkeeper in the world. Anyway Happy Birthday to him.

I guess someone is "a little bit" bitter from Mou sacking? It's super good idea to sell a club legend and a player who on form is twice the player Lopez is. You happen to have other brilliant ideas?

Everybody has to leave one day, I just feel like Casillas' time is due, just like Raul and Guti in 2010. It's time to make new legends. Maybe he'll prove me wrong and be the best keeper in the world again but I doubt that.

@Buddytaller

By the way I didn't say he should leave, but we all know how Lopez has been performing for us and to say "good" is an understatement. He has been phenomenal for us. He's a great and top keeper.

Problem is you can't have two "top" keepers. With this spotlight Lopez is getting (and if it continues) he might even get a call up to Spain once more.

Everyone is under the assumption that Casillas is bench due to drama with Mourinho and although that may have been the case during the whole Adan- Iker - Mou debacle, that isn't the case anymore.

Lopez is our undisputed starter atm and rightly so. But with the introduction of a new coach the first battle cry from spainish press and madrid fans will be to "bring back Iker"

You really think that if the situation comes to that, Lopez will stay? He's smart and has probably got offers already because everyone can see this happening.

Lopez will leave in the summer. Personally I'd like Almunia to be Iker's backup

Casillas:

"Mourinho tomó las decisiones que creía adecuadas para el club y hay que respetarlas. Yo no tengo nada en contra de él,no me ha maltratado. No tengo ningún problema con él, le deseo toda la suerte del mundo en el Chelsea"

Good on Iker, even if he doesn't mean it. My only comment would be, where was this when it was all actually happening?

maybe he was told to stay quiet?? because he didn't actually say anything before that

Zealous wrote:Good on Iker, even if he doesn't mean it. My only comment would be, where was this when it was all actually happening?

I'm sure he said something like this when Mou benched him :

"It's coach's decision and i respect it".

Or maybe he is a smart person and knew that speaking would only add oil on fire? oh well

The issue is over and done with. Mou's gone, Iker's back to being first name on the team-sheet. It worked out well.

I just hope he's back to his best on the pitch.

Mou doing us an unlikely favour in motivating Iker

Mou

Mou is already old news... all that matter now is that Iker be back to top form next year.

Still the best

are you kidding me? he didn't even save one penalty shot.

Really? someone else in goal and it wouldve been 2-0 to italy by half time

MadridiCanada wrote:are you kidding me? he didn't even save one penalty shot.

so he has to absolutely do that to be the best?? his habit of saving penalties in all shootouts has really spoilt people smfh

most of italy's misses were due to spoiled chancse by over aged strikers, rather than spectacular saves by iker.

I don't think his saves in that game were amazing either. He had a solid game but nothing else.

He looked very un-Ikerish during the penelty shootout. Not half as confident as he usually is.

most of the penalty shots he didn't even jump far, for some he just stood there and watched them go in.

if that was Neuer... ya