Today’s news is leaning a bit towards Sports’ version of possibilities, although doesn’t seem anything happening re Mbappe. PSG did announce a new coach today and he did meet with Neymar (as Sports had said). The other big factor is it’s a choice betwwen Nadrid and Man U and that PSG want a player in return. Much more interest in Pogba than Bale!

Perhaps a Asensio Neymar Ronaldo could work, although none, other than Neymar is a true winger nor a true CF. It just seems odd to me, but what di I know?

Isco is just as good if not better than Hazard... would be the same dilemna. The position he'd play in requires more playmaking than scoring and from lower positions. I don't think either Isco or Hazard are build for that.

One thing though.... Hazard has MUCH MUCH better vision than Isco in terms of passing. Isco gets tunnel vision a lot. He's great on his primary target; but doesn't see beyond a tight radius yet. It's normal since he's used to playing around the box... didn't need that skill.

@Bill... rumor is Flo is annoyed that Barca is more galactico than Real Madrid. He wants Neymar-Ronaldo-Mbappe with Mbappe as the 9. That's the vision.

Oh Sports, I can see the interest re MBappe, I just doubt that both Neymar and Mbappe can be available. You are the only source mentioning even the possibility.

Side note- no way will Neymar want to press like Tuchel will inevitably want him to.

sportsczy wrote:Isco is just as good if not better than Hazard... would be the same dilemna. The position he'd play in requires more playmaking than scoring and from lower positions. I don't think either Isco or Hazard are build for that.

One thing though.... Hazard has MUCH MUCH better vision than Isco in terms of passing. Isco gets tunnel vision a lot. He's great on his primary target; but doesn't see beyond a tight radius yet. It's normal since he's used to playing around the box... didn't need that skill.

Isco is as good or better than Hazard based on their seasons playing at Real Madrid with Ronaldo, Benzema, Modric, Kroos, Marcelo, Ramos etc and respectively at Chelsea with Kante, Fabregas, Morata and Costa ? Note please that Hazard has never played for a decent attacking team. He's much better than Isco

I don't think I can stomach watching Hazard dribble sideways as he, once again, struggles to cope with matches that aren't against fodder teams. As Hala mentioned, no thanks. He can stay in London.

Sportsczy did not lie. PSG just announced Tuchel as their coach. TBH I too believe PSG was just an engineering move to Madrid

Tuchel to PSG was not exactly a state secret. That was a rumour since March.

futbol_bill wrote:Oh Sports, I can see the interest re MBappe, I just doubt that both Neymar and Mbappe can be available. You are the only source mentioning even the possibility.

Frankly, I'm reconsidering my stance regarding Mbappé. He was surprisingly mediocre against us.

I was really, really impressed with Neymar though, but Mbappé was ghosting through both legs like a gentle butterfly with nothing to offer.

Of course, judging him from two games alone is unfair, but I already know he's not a 180m player.

It doesn't matter though, both him and Neymar are staying put at PSG. Especially Mbappé. He's made his choice, now he has to live with it.

Doc wrote:I don't think I can stomach watching Hazard dribble sideways as he, once again, struggles to cope with matches that aren't against fodder teams. As Hala mentioned, no thanks. He can stay in London.

Just like Modric was shit in England

No one ever said Modric was shit in England. He certainly didn't dribble sideways whenever things get difficult for him. Hazard, however, literally performs the same way for Chelsea and for Belgium. Or we just gonna ignore his "performances" now?

Hazard is fine in London, he doesn't need the pressure of having to compete week in/week out in Madrid.

DoC... they played Mbappe at the only position he'd never played before = right winger. Changing sides is actually quite difficult. Since he was 18 and just turned 19, it kind of put him off and he couldn't find a rhythm. When he did find a rhythm, this happened end of Jan:



Kept him out a bit and was playing injured through the end of April (cervical strain issues; neck was jammed).

I don’t think you remember what people were saying about Modric Doc. I remember Mole being one of the biggest haters, claiming he never stepped up in big games.

Then he showed us what he did vs Man United and the rest is history!

Regarding Mbappe he isn’t the first yougster to not perform in a big game. Wouldn’t look into it. Since I don’t watch the French League though i have no idea how his season was in general though. That’s how you should truly rate a young player imo

Mole's opinion can be quite interesting when it comes to players and if he never rated Modric when at Tottenham, I could believe that. But I can't recall anyone saying Modric was shit (Hazard ain't shit either btw). However, since this isn't about Modric and about Hazard, I still hope Madrid stays away from him. He is living a very comfortable, hassle free life where he can continue to ghost through slightly challenging matches and no one (important) is on his back and beat up PL fodder and be considered a top player.

While being paid millions too and living in London. Beautiful.

i don't want hazard, i've never been impressed, i certainly wasn't impressed in the game against barcelona, i've always considered willian a better footballer.

Well whether or not Sports’ story re Neymar and Mbappe turn out to be true or not, we desperately need two new forwards with Bale gone (and hopefully Benz, although there is little probability of that) I call Sports’ version plan A and suggest Salah and Icardi as plan B.

Doc wrote:Mole's opinion can be quite interesting when it comes to players and if he never rated Modric when at Tottenham, I could believe that. But I can't recall anyone saying Modric was shit (Hazard ain't shit either btw). However, since this isn't about Modric and about Hazard, I still hope Madrid stays away from him. He is living a very comfortable, hassle free life where he can continue to ghost through slightly challenging matches and no one (important) is on his back and beat up PL fodder and be considered a top player.

While being paid millions too and living in London. Beautiful.

http://www.goallegacy.net/t29945-song-and-modric?highlight=modric

exactly the same used to be said about modric. now, he is the one of the best and most decorated mids of all time. i find it unbelievable that people watch the likes of asensio (average) and Isco (great but not that all) and say no to someone like Hazard, who is a much superior talent stuck in a team with no aspirations lead in the last 5 years by the 2 most defensive in world football.

I'd like to see Isco how would do in this team

Courtois
Ivanovic Cahill Terry Azpilicueta
Fabregas Matic
Willian Oscar Isco
Costa

while being coached by Maureen


he would be closer to 60 G+A than to Isco in this Madrid team

Val, watch the world cup and tell me afterwards that Hazard is better than Isco!

If we sign two forwards it's going to stunt Asensio no? I think it's also something the club is looking at. Pushing Asensio to be a starter and signing another "star"

So let's say in a very conservative scenario where we sign Hazard because he is more available than players like Salah or Nerman, we would play Hazard-Cristiano- Asensio or if we sign a CF, like Lewandowski then we would play Cristiano-Lewy-Asensio.

I personally don't think he has earned being a starter yet but he could use more playing time. I am all for bringing more competition to the squad so maybe not sign a galactico but another great player that will fight it out with Asensio for a starter rôle.

I've started to wrap my head around the Neymar signing. And this is how I am thinking about it: Think of the number of times people have pushed to have Bale and Ronaldo as the strike partnership? Too often- meanwhile, anyone with a brain has noticed they don't have complementing skillsets. Neymar on the other hand would at least be a better fit, no?

Given our recent formations/tactical set ups, the following would be an improvement, I think.



That would mean Bale to be sold and Benz to either leave or warm the bench.

Personally, I think there are better solutions, but in the confines of what is coming up in the rumor mill, I can live with that.

futbol_bill wrote:Val, watch the world cup and tell me afterwards that Hazard is better than Isco!

I don't need to watch the WC to know Isco performs way better than Hazard. He does with Madrid ever so often. And Hazard and Isco's talent isn't exactly a grand distance as nothing much separates them in terms of technique. Performance wise though, it's like night and day.

Madrid can count on Isco to show up, Chelsea fans still waiting for that big game performance.

I would take Isco over that sideways-dribble king any day. It's not even a debate as far as I'm concerned.

Kindly keep him in London where the demands and expectations aren't anywhere near as high as Madrid. He would get buried alive with criticism within two days into his contract here.

I think a problem with the 4312 is how you defend and we saw the team exposed in this regard multiple times this season. 4312 doesn't allow you to defend in 442 and it exposes Kroos and Modric to have to cover Marcelo and carvajal a great deal. As a scheme it's not very practical when you defend deep.

Another example of a conservative summer would be signing Hazard and Icardi. It gives us another n9 who can actually score if CR is out and the type of final 3rd player we miss in terms of dribbling, yes even if it's sideways.

Dribbling with no end product is the same as no dribbling, Nick.

I'm all for Icardi, but Hazard is not worth it imho.