sports, are you really going to say, you were confident when as time went on it stayed at nil nil? cos we've all been watching this team this season. its like a song, as it goes on, we know the next lines, or verse. when the game isn't looking like a small team massacre, with the opponents making mistakes, we all know we're not going to get 3 points (except maybe the roma psg games). we knew atleti would press, and then park the bus. we all knew this, there's no way in hell they'll open up, they're much smarter than that, and don't have the players to do so.

this is my point, we have depth (excluding the cf position where for some reason we knowingly went in without buying a co-cf), but its been used poorly. nobody has any incentive to play, lol. they all know they'll start, there's no competition among each other, and they lack ideas; its a boring side, cos when we can't counter, we can't do anything else.....this is an embarrassment. messi was out for close to two months, and we still did rubbish....hell, we got battered without him in clasico.....that speaks volumes. and now we've become atleti's whooping boys as well

watch us beast against levante. i've seen levante play, they may be low on the table, but if they're smart, they'll get a point off us. they can be very aggressive too, so the players shouldn't think it will be another malmo just like that

I disagree with pretty much everything sportsczy said. We lost, on our own turf, against a team who has been struggling to score goals lately and couldn't even beat PSV. Then three days later, they come to the Santiago Bernabeu and leave with three points. They have a horrendous record against La Liga big teams this season: excluding the early game against Sevilla at the beginning of the season, they lost twice against Barça, twice against Villareal and lost to Sevilla not too long ago. They even couldn't beat Rafa's Madrid for god's sake.

What I saw today from Atlético was the furthest thing from a "damn fine team", they were a pathetic, bus-parking team. We should feel ashamed we lost to them. With or without Bale and Marcelo.

I'm saying that we can only play one way and that, without Bale, Marcelo and Benz, the likelihood of us being able to implement the only way we can physically and athletically play was going to be a longshot.  I thought we did decently well in the first half.  The game was completely even.  They had one chance and we had one.  To start the second, Ronaldo missed and Griezmann made his... that turned the game.  Since we can't play any other way and 2 out of 3 forwards play for Castilla ()... that was that.

You can't put lipstick on a pig and make her look like a supermodel.

And no, we don't have backup for Marcelo and Bale.  James has been pathetic, Jese is very limited.  Danilo did well but is nowhere as creative as Marcelo.

Watching this and other games, I agree with tito when he says that Madrid are mentally weak(the players). I think that is the biggest difference between this team and previous successful Madrid teams(and the Barca team of the past few years). This is an extremely competitive league at the top and to win, you need champion players with champion mentality. I look at the Madrid squad and I dont see any players with a champion mentality. I dont see any tough as nails competitors. You look at our squad over the past few years and its been filled with supreme competitors.
The only Madrid player who is even remotely a great competitor is Ramos but then he is just not that great a player.

alexjanosik wrote:Watching this and other games, I agree with tito when he says that Madrid are mentally weak(the players). I think that is the biggest difference between this team and previous successful Madrid teams(and the Barca team of the past few years). This is an extremely competitive league at the top and to win, you need champion players with champion mentality. I look at the Madrid squad and I dont see any players with a champion mentality. I dont see any tough as nails competitors. You look at our squad over the past few years and its been filled with supreme competitors.
The only Madrid player who is even remotely a great competitor is Ramos but then he is just not that great a player.

we've got a few. carvajal, marcelo, ramos, modric, ronaldo ... probably james...

kroos, benzema are pussies, they lack fire ...

since mourinho left the players lost every bit of fire he instilled in them.

That weak mentality you're referring to can only be eradicated by a world class motivator. Z isn't one and neither is Rafa.

Mourinho inherited the same Madrid team that couldn't get past Lyon in the last 16 of the CL, made a few tweaks and turned them into champions. This doesn't mean that I want him back, everybody knows I don't want him anywhere near Madrid. But I wouldn't dare take away what belongs to him by right.

The team we have right now has many CL winners in case you didn't notice (Ronaldo, Benzema, Bale, Ramos, Marcelo, Modric, Carvajal,...) They are elite and they know it. But the team is poorly set up and completely disorganized.

Our problems can be narrowed down to the following:

1. Lack of continuity, especially when the coach deserves it and there's nobody else better on the market.

2. Destabilizing the team every single summer by selling important players and buying players we don't really need.

3. Giving some players too much power, making them "unsubbable" and relieving them of defensive duties.

4. Lack of aggressiveness in defense. Our players don't want to get their hands dirty and they're very delicate and soft when they're trying to win the ball back.

But if you really want to trace back the plague to its source, Florentino is your guy.

I recognize all the problems you mention.I am sure you guys are more qualified to speak on the structural and tactical problems. I am just highlighting one problem and it is a very critical one in my view. As I mentioned, this is a tough as nails league at the top and to win you need champion players(skill) with a champion mentality. Where I disagree with you is that the motivation comes solely from the coach. A coach can make a difference to an extent but a player either has that mentality or not(imo ofcourse).
Take a look at our squad. You look at Alves and Suarez. Both are supreme competitors and as great as any I have seen. Then you also have the likes of Iniesta, Masch, Busquets, Rakitic,Neymar who are also great competitors. They all love to compete.
When I look at the Madrid squad I dont see any great competitors bar Ramos. I respectfully disagree with valk on the names he mentions. Marcelo, Carvajal, Modric , CR etc dont strike me as great competitors. Throwing tantrums on the pitch and taking shots from impossible angles doesnt make a great competitor imo. How many of the players you mention can take a game by the scruff of the neck when the going gets tough? More importantly, how many can do that week in week out, month in month out, year in year out against a relentless Barcelona and Atletico?

In that sense, the tables have kind of turned. Madrid used to be mentally very strong and we used to be weak. Now it is the other way around.

alexjanosik wrote:In that sense, the tables have kind of turned. Madrid used to be mentally very strong and we used to be weak. Now it is the other way around.

Kinda. We used to have footballers like Raul Gonzalez, Fernando Redondo and Fernando Hierro. Legit winners and leaders.