The Demon of Carthage wrote:Poor Zidane. He's going to be exposed in a brutal, horribly uncomfortable sort of way this season.

I mean, I admire his courage for going back to a wrecked ship after a near-perfect spell, but I don't think he used the funds wisely.

After spending nearly 300m, this team is almost identical to last year's, albeit with a stronger bench and an upgrade in Hazard. I can't really say it's enough to compete.

I wish him all the luck in the world, but I'm having a hard time picturing this team playing in a CL final or lifting La Liga trophy.

I'm of course open (and I hope) to be proven wrong later, but I'm already preparing myself psychologically for another trophyless season.

DoC - none of the signings are Zidane’s. They were all in the works before Zidane decided to return. He however could have Vetoed them! What he decided was
- what bench players would go plus Bale
- that he could get the starters plus a couple of others back to their top form!!
- that he only needed Pogba!!!!

I also don’t believe going after de Beek was his idea, but looks like he accepted it as another bench player!

BarcaLearning wrote:Just wanna ask what the Real fans think or want their lineup to be this season? Starts next week I think. So happen ins and outs but at the same time Zidane looks like sticking with a lot of the old guards as well and clearly out so many youngsters? Are you happy with your transfers so far?

Also what do u think about us and Atletico and your chances for the league? Would that be your main objective? Or the CL or what would be your realistic objective this season? I read some thinks Atletico have the better than u now with Joao Felix etc., so what do you guys think?

I don't know about the rest of this GL crowd, but I and I believe most spanish madridistas are not happy. The problem isn’t the signings, they all look good, it is Zidane.

He insists is is going to revive the unmotivated aging starting lineup and will place all of the new signings except Hazard on the bench. While theoretically the squad is stronger, that starting lineup has looked pathetic. The biggest hole is the midfield to which nothing has been done because Zidane insisted on only Pogba and we have ended up with nothing other than De Beek. To make matters worse we have 3 Spaniards on team Nacho, Lucas and Carvajal who have declined drastically and we can’t sell them now as we are at the minimum for Spanish content rules. While we don’t a backup for DM, Llorente’s sale makes Atleti stronger!

As to Barca and Atleti, we already saw how well we fair in comparison to Atleti and yet they will get better. Both clubs have much much better lineups than us!

Flo and Zidane have said, our objective this year is to be competitive! My translation of that is no trophies again this year. I suspect the real meaning is hopefully the internal competition will see some of the starters replaced!

Lol, we don’t have to wait, we’ve already seen what will happen. Zidane isn’t as good as he is proclaimed to be nor is Lopetequi as bad as seemingly everyone said. Results with these aging, unmotivated starters are comparable. The problem is the squad, not the coach and secondarily Zidane’s stubbornness to stick with dame starters.

So as far as this season, la liga will be a 2 horse race between Barca and Atleti while RMad being comfortably competitive (lol) in 3rd place. Both clubs will go far in CL while RMad will struggle to make it to knockouts! Our only hope is Zidane plays the B team, which is better than A team, in Copa!

Plus you haven’t mentioned Odriozola, who is recognized, at least in Spain, as offensively ok, but poor defensively.

I feel Carvajal has to have the ability in him. It seems to me that like the rest he has become complacent and really needs someone, who he will listen to, tell him how crappy he is playing. Kind of like the lecture, Ramos gave to Odriozola a week or so ago. I doubt if the heart issue is the root of this, but then again I never thought if that until Doc brought it up. What is puzzling to me is the play or degradation of not only Carvajal and Nacho. With the play of Lucas, Isco and Asensio, at least last year, we are in trouble as we are at or very close to it with the spanish content rules. Basically means we can only replace them with Spaniards! It’s too bad they didn’t pick up the option on Hermoso!

I’M really having doubts about Zidane. Mind you these recent stories may be BS, but they report that Zidane is not impressed with Jovic not Vinícius. Jovic to be lent out for a year and Vinicius being offered to PSG as part of a Neymar deal.

First he sticks with aging starters and sends away Spanish youth and now this. I guess no one is acceptable to him unless they are French!