Transfer Rumours | Tactics | Who to buy/sell etc

Versatility is a skill that not everyone can have. So instead of going into the season with a natural back up you want us to try our hand at transforming a RB? that doesnt make sense.

In any case, i think the club keenly understands the importance of doubling positions, and that's why they signed Odriozola. They wont let Theo leave without replacing him, that i am sure of.

Kovacic wants to leave so he doesn't matter but if Theo wants to stay, why isn't it possible he actually improves under Lope? Not like he is some random pleb in the park. He is playing at the highest level of football, I am sure he can improve somewhat to be useful to the club.

Arby sometimes played LB when he was at Liverpool. Like once or twice so it wasn't new to him. We have never seen Dani play LB and it isn't a plug and play position. Hell, has Dani ever played on the left side before (that was a bit of humour btw)? Point is, leave Theo here, see how he develops and hope for the best. I am sure Madrid can do that rather simple approach.

Theo had a horrible attitude on France U20 NT... remember that he just didn't show up for the U20 WC. they had to track him down and he was on a beach. Never told the coaches that he was refusing the selection DESPITE having played every game with them leading up to that event.

When i read about what he did and his response... i basically wrote him off a bit. Doesn't seem to have all his marbles straight.

Theo has been fine in madrid attitude wise, really nothing to complain about. It's his quality that matters for us. I think he looks too limited technically but we will see

Aren’t we reacting to the Marca story that Theo was going to be lent out?

It’s kind of funny that with Zidane in charge, we were talking about Theo being retained and all of Vallejo, Llorente, Caballos being lent out / sold and now with change of coach, it’s exact opposite,

Note - I purposely don’t include the undeserved promotions that Zidane made from last year (Mayoral and Achraf).

I wonder what Kovacic is thinking, if he thought he was good enough to make a dent in the starting line ups and play much more maybe his attitude would be different. In my mind most of what he offers revolves around his speed but with the midfielders and configurations we can have i wouldnt be too worried about losing Kovacic and nor do i think we will exactly go for someone else as the club will probably stick to what we already have.

If Ceballos really has the talent necessary then he should shine with Lopetegui, i don't like seeing him play in attacking midfielder zones and roles because he doesn't look like anything special to me and we wouldnt play him like that either so its useless. As already mentioned he would have to be able to play as an interior similar to a Xavi for example, be able to distribute the ball well in order to have a chance here. I remember a Spanish journalist called Abel Rojas talked wonders about the kid and i respect his opinion so i still have some hope he saw something of Ceballos in Betis which was indeed indicative of a high talent ceiling. I have not been convinced.

Theo is lacking technically and especially in the agility department, hes a bit of a "tronco" and i noticed this since the moment we were linked with him, we should never buy players who aren't already without doubt securely competent in those terms, like Odriozola is for example. Having said that Theo may become good, especially if he can become a good defender and become efficient and smart with what he does.

MTO, your Fede may very well become the replacement if Kovacic does leave!

I’d say Ceballos is the replacement. Assuming Lopetegui has found the keys to Zidane’s dog house

Mayoral and Ashraf were promoted due to:
-  Mbappe deal falling through and not having a backup
-  Theo and Nacho were the backups, not Ashraf.  However, either Carvajal or Marcelo or both were hurt consistently so you needrf a 5th fullback for cover.
- We didn't buy a replacement for Pepe so Nacho was also the 3rd CB.

Had nothing to do with deserved or undeserved.

Freeza wrote:I’d say Ceballos is the replacement. Assuming Lopetegui has found the keys to Zidane’s dog house

From all reports, Zidane took the keys with him so Lope may have to break the door down.

Doc wrote:

Freeza wrote:I’d say Ceballos is the replacement. Assuming Lopetegui has found the keys to Zidane’s dog house

From all reports, Zidane took the keys with him so Lope may have to break the door down.

Did we ever find out what he said or did?

Still think it's wild to debut, score a brace, and never play more than 5 minutes with the first team again.

Sports insists he was not putting effort into whatever training schedule Zidane and his team had running. Personally, I think after seeing Madrid capitulate so early in the season to lose the league in November, Zidane could not give a shit about rotation and player development. He needed wins and needed them asafp (you know what the f stands for) so any young player at Madrid kicked a lot of rocks that season. Including Ceballos.

So whatever he did was never gonna matter as Zidane never really cared for any of the youngsters the club brought in. What made matters even worse was the CDR exit to Leganes. Uff, they all got buried alive together.

never just give all the benefit of the doubt to a single party in this type of situation. Zidane had no problems relying on Nacho, Vasquez, Asensio or Kovacic when he came to Madrid. They all played big games for us. I could argue that if Ceballos did not play as much has to do with what he gave Zidane in training. He doesnt exactly have the reputation of a quire boy

Sure, I don't necessarily doubt the training part but I am of the real belief that it didn't matter as Zidane needed results and depending on young players for results is never an ideal thing. And no one can tell me otherwise when I saw with me own eyes Zidane not giving a shit about Llorente, Theo and Ceballos. None. Don't particularly blame him for the first two though.

i actually liked kovacic's football, at one point the season before last it seemed he was the only one willing to make a forward pass, his biggest issue is he's still a jack of all trades, and without consistent game time you'll end up not mastering any one role properly. i wouldn't mind if he leaves for his own sake, to develop his game better

i would need to see more from ceballos this season, so far i've not been impressed. but this is a new slate with new management and we need all the help we can get from anyone. i wouldn't mind james coming back, though not as a starter, having him on the bench would help our depth

According to a Portuguese source called Record, we are interested in Brazilian/Porto left back Alex Telles

Talking about left backs lol

I don't get why we insist on trying to get anyone from Valencia, they hate us. Usually, that "hate" is on a fan level but this has extended to a management and board level & has been going on since I was a child. Pretty sure it has been going on since Tito was a child too. Nothing new really.

Valencia is owned by Peter Lim
Peter Lim is part owner of Gestifute with Jorge Mendes'
Jorge Mendes and gestifute are part owners of Wolverhampton

This is the next level of third party ownership.

I'm hoping we try and get Martial.