Opened this one to distract people from all the bs happening on other threads.

We need to jump straight into a win after that poor draw. I predict us thrashing Espanyol at home, but I want to see some changes, like playing Kovacic a bit more and starting either Jese or Vasquez on the wing. Also Danilo should be left at home, or in anypossible way far from Madrid.

A usual back four with Marcelo, Carvajal, Ramos and Varane. A midfield of Kovacic, Kroos and Modric, in which later on we give Casemiro a time off the bench and in attack start an inform Benzema, with Jese/Vasquez and Ronaldo 'supporting' him.

Predicted lineup

I predict a 3:0 win.

It would be nice to see Kovacic start honestly and I too expect to see a big win from the one that got away last week. Ugh, Ronaldo. We really need him to get back to form. UCL coming up and we really shouldn't mess around with Italian teams in KO rounds.

I honestly don't think we stand a chance of winning the CL this year. I don't want us to be delusional and completely detached from reality like 99% of the other fans.

We need to start preparing for next season because this one is lost already I'm afraid. We lost it the day we appointed Rafa.

First things first, damage control: Danilo must never, ever wear the white of Madrid again, under any circumstances. If Z uses him again, he'll lose my faith and support. He can toy with the rest of the squad and play whoever he wants. Just not Danilo. Please.

Yeah, I am in total disagreements on that opinion. We have as much as a chance of anyone honestly and I would be quite disappointed if we don't put our very best foot forward, both players and staff.

I don't ever expect the UCL, any fan base that expects UCL glory is being unfair to themselves and the club in general. I do expect us to perform how a club like Real Madrid should perform and for Ronaldo to show why he is considered one of the best players of his generation.

The Demon of Carthage wrote:I honestly don't think we stand a chance of winning the CL this year. I don't want us to be delusional and completely detached from reality like 99% of the other fans.

We need to start preparing for next season because this one is lost already I'm afraid. We lost it the day we appointed Rafa.

First things first, damage control: Danilo must never, ever wear the white of Madrid again, under any circumstances. If Z uses him again, he'll lose my faith and support. He can toy with the rest of the squad and play whoever he wants. Just not Danilo. Please.

Meh. You're among the favourites to win the CL, like every year. I think it's more delusional to claim you don't 'stand a chance' of winning it.

As for Danilo, what's with the overdramatization. As if Danilo will 'never, ever again' play for you, after you just bought him. pls
Don't think Zizou will be able to keep your faith and support if your demands are this melodramatical

best RB according to whoscored too

I'll tell you what, we'll give you 8m + The 'best RB according to whoscored' and give us Alaba. I'm sure you'll find this offer pretty generous since you seem to be holding Danilo in such high regard and have leaped to his defense many times.

Don't thank me, just remember this gesture the next time we want a player from you.

Hans, you should start to be worried. Word is mutiny amongst Bayern players, plus Robben and Lewa leaving this summer. Ribery has to during the end of his career as well. Wouldn't be surprised to see Thiago follow Pep. Xabi also has to be close to retirement. Mueller is constantly with offers to discard. So go ahead and take Demon's offer for what you claim is the best RB.

For the record I agree with Demon. We can hope we put on a good showing and advance in CL as Zidane works to prove himself and get this team better than it was under Rafa. But this team has fundamental flaws that have been exposed. We can hope for good results, but it certainly can not be expected esp. against the top teams.

The Demon of Carthage wrote:I'll tell you what, we'll give you 8m + The 'best RB according to whoscored' and give us Alaba. I'm sure you'll find this offer pretty generous since you seem to be holding Danilo in such high regard and have leaped to his defense many times.

Don't thank me, just remember this gesture the next time we want a player from you.

Give us 8m and Danilo and you can have Rafinha. Alaba is not a RB.

Also, I guess you know what I think of whoscored ratings, and I won't get tired to repeat this instance to remind everyone of their worth.

Pepe is injured which makes the CB selection alot easier. This will be an easy win. Yet another confidence booster after a poor game in the previous week as per usual

Betis was not the game to put Danilo back in, he is just not good enough. Also Pepe-Varane combo just does not fly would have preferred a Varane-Nacho combo in defence, they have not been bad this season together. James just needs a couple of good games lets hope this is one of them

Word on the Valdebebas is that, James will be given a more important role this match, to prove his worth.

I say we can expect 2 assist from James tomorrow.

For a couple of weeks now, Carvajal feels tightness in his hamstring the day after games...  he still practices really hard but the coaches are keeping an eye on it since Dani is not the type to manage himself.  After losing his job to Danilo earlier, he has no intention of ever taking himself out... it's up to the coaches.

Money time isn't in Jan/Feb...  it is in March/April.  But we're behind in La Liga.  It's going to be tough to manage.  We really need Danilo or even Arbeloa to step up.  Dani can't play every game and certainly not 90 mins every game without significant risk just because of his style of play.

Nacho should be Dani's backup. He's capable imo

Could you please give us reliable sources stating that Carvajal has been feeling tightness in his hamstring?

And while you're at it, could you please explain to us, tiny brains, why does Carvajal, who hasn't played at all this season, have to be rotated after just two games and a half? And with whom? A simpleton who doesn't even know how to cross.

No seriously, let's stop making excuses for Z already. As long as Carvajal is fit, he must play. There's barely half a season left with no CDR games. Carvajal doesn't need to be rotated if he is not injured. And if, god forbid, something happens to him, we can always count on Nacho and Lucas to take the reins. They, at least, track back and know how to cross.

I repeat, Danilo must never, ever wear the white of Madrid again.

I think many here have known for years that i was a youth product at AS Cannes and i am the same age as Zidane.... have no contact with Zizou although we were teammates for one season.  But I was closer with Bettoni as he was also a teammate and he coached in AS Cannes later. More importantly, i am still friends with a couple of really close friends of Bettoni's.  So right now, i can get some really good info.

I asked someone a few days back who would know why they would rotate Dani out in an away game....  while not rotating any other of the starting XI.  Didn't make sense to me.  The answer i got today (or last night rather) is exactly as i posted.  Remember that Dani was coming back from a hamstring injury.

You can believe or not...  just posting things i hear.

I think DoC just dislikes Danilo with the passion of a thousand suns and a moon that anything other than "Carvajal is dead and Madrid isn't allowed to register a dead person" would fly for him.

sportsczy wrote:I think many here have known for years that i was a youth product at AS Cannes and i am the same age as Zidane.... have no contact with Zizou although we were teammates for one season.  But I was closer with Bettoni as he was also a teammate and he coached in AS Cannes later. More importantly, i am still friends with a couple of really close friends of Bettoni's.  So right now, i can get some really good info.

I asked someone a few days back who would know why they would rotate Dani out in an away game....  while not rotating any other of the starting XI.  Didn't make sense to me.  The answer i got today (or last night rather) is exactly as i posted.  Remember that Dani was coming back from a hamstring injury.

You can believe or not...  just posting things i hear.

You didn't even have to tell me "you can believe or not". I think you're a decent and credible member and I wouldn't allow myself to have the indecency and discourtesy to cast doubt upon your story.

But you must keep in mind that a story this big wouldn't stay below the surface with vultures like Marca and AS being even closer than your friends to Z. I'm not impugning your friend's story, I'm just saying that, logically speaking, it doesn't make sense. Z chose Danilo, and then in the second half replaced him with Carvajal after he noticed first-hand how horrendous he was. If Carvajal was truly feeling some sort of discomfort (after the previous game), Z wouldn't have risked him.

Anyway, I hope Z has learned from that mistake and won't be dumb enough to repeat it again.

Doc wrote:I think DoC just dislikes Danilo with the passion of a thousand suns and a moon that anything other than "Carvajal is dead and Madrid isn't allowed to register a dead person" would fly for him.

"Just dislikes Danilo" implies that I don't like the way he runs or talks or eats. What I don't like, what makes my skin crawl and blood run cold, is his pathetic performances. I'm sure you agree with me on this point.

If you really think I'm being unfair to him, please I'm all ears. Maybe I'm missing something. Maybe whoscored is right. But whatever it is, I'm open to be proven wrong and happy to admit that I was.

Marca and AS and all the other media are only allowed during specific times...  most practices are completely closed.  Many managers (like Mourinho for example) make injuries completely confidential unless the player isn't capable of practicing so it's impossible to hide that since there's an open portion to each practice.  

I can give you many many many examples of injuries that were hidden until after the season...  when it was revealed.  It's very common.  Why would you let the competition know about a weakness if you don't have to?

Besides, Carvajal isn't injured. He just needs time for the area that healed from injury to restrengthen. It's especially important for injuries like hamstring ones. If it gets aggravated again, he's out at least 2 months.

I will remind you DoC that Marcelo played far worse than Danilo did as early as 2 years ago... I just think Danilo is a bit overwhelmed by Madrid and lost confidence. I don't think it's fair to just bury him after 6 months.

I have read about Carvajal the same thing.

The problem with Danilo is that atm he cannot do anything right, we are caught on counters on our right side, he cannot defend properly, often makes mistakes on marking his players, and the thing that I hate the most about him, when he crosses, I've counted just 4 crosses out of millions he has done that could somewhat be called proper crosses.

sportsczy wrote:I will remind you DoC that Marcelo played far worse than Danilo did as early as 2 years ago... I just think Danilo is a bit overwhelmed by Madrid and lost confidence. I don't think it's fair to just bury him after 6 months.

The difference is that Marcelo came as a 17-18 yo with a bright future, had to learn, and came cheap. Danilo on the other hand came as an established right back with a hefty price tag.

Also Marcelo back in the day actually showed glimpses that he has talent and will, I haven't seen Danilo in Porto, but for so much that I have seen, he isn't that special.

Another thing is that Marcelo came when we had an aging Roberto Carlos, Danilo came as a replacement for a player that most Madridistas think is the best RB atm, and is a Cantera product

Yeah but Marcelo was benched as early as Carlo's first season... he only got his job back when Coentrao got injured. This was when Marcelo was 24 and Danilo is also 24.

Danilo was extremely good at Porto.

I just don't like giving up on guys that I know can player after just 6 months. Not saying Danilo will pan out... but i think he can become a good rotation player if he regains confidence. Compared to Porto, he looks like he's scared out there.

True. But for some reason Marcelo will always be replaced my a more defensive left back, some coaches have found a way to cover the gap that Marcelo leaves at left back, but for that sacrifice you get an extraordinary winger/wing-back/dribbler/extra man in the attack.

While on the other hand we may find a way to cover Danilo on the other wing, but I fail to see what he can do. I know he looks scared, but as far as Carvajal is concerned, I think we had a great right back, we only needed a backup/cheap/reliable right back

Yeah i mean there's no doubt Carvajal should start. But Danilo can be very useful if he can play good enough right back and, more importantly, learns how to be a CB some. He's big enough to be a CB which is nice. Once Pepe moves on, we may have a guy who can backup both the right back and CB positions... so it opens up an extra spot on the roster.

In my perfect scenario, that's how he develops.

I agree with everything StrugaRock said. Some players, even when they play bad, they still show you that they can develop and hone their skills.

Problem with Danilo, aside from lacking raw talent and the innate skills of a fullback, is that he's lazy. He's not even willing to show us that, even though he plays bad, he's at least doing everything he can to improve. The guy rarely ever tracks back. His work rate is insanely low. It's like he's playing for free or something.

I think he's the kind of player who you only play in CDR games. And since we're not in that competition, I think he shouldn't play at all, at least for the remainder of this season where we're not allowed to drop points anymore.