La Liga Matchday 18 | Osasuna vs Real Madrid

I would've created a better thread if I had more time, but I realized that the game had already started. Sorry guys.

Anyway, I hope our guys don't drop any points today, and more importantly I hope Lopetegui gives us a lifeline and beat those thugs on Tuesday.

Hazard is pointless. Just get him out. Does nothing useful in the attacking third. Oh and Marco "i have never beaten a player in my life" Asensio is absolutely useless

This game smh

We got absolute fleeced by Chelsea

Mendy is terrible. Gosh get out, you are playing against us

Funny when ZZ started benching Vini because Benz wanted so we look slow, lethargic and predictable.

I’m a bit ashamed to say that I enjoy watching Dortmund more than I enjoy watching my favorite club these days, but the difference in entertainment level is substantial. Just look at how they created their chances today.

The Demon of Carthage wrote:Anyway, I hope our guys don't drop any points today

Thanks guys, so proud of you for not letting me down!

Thimmy wrote:I’m a bit ashamed to say that I enjoy watching Dortmund more than I enjoy watching my favorite club these days, but the difference in entertainment level is substantial. Just look at how they created their chances today.

You want Madrid to score from open play and for our strikers to be as good and ruthless as Haaland? Well, sure if you want to reach for the stars.

Forget Mbappe. We need Haaland like yesterday

Every big club seems to want Haaland, so I’m not counting on us getting him, but more importantly, Pochettino reportedly wants Pogba at PSG

I would be nice if we had a ruthless striker, but wingers with end product are needed, as well. We are so passive in the final third. It’s like we’re just waiting for the opponent team to mess up, rather than attempt to carve through them.

Even a friggin Giroud type would’ve been a welcome sight right now. Someone who has a reliable talent for scoring that doesn’t depend so much on form or being in the right place, mentally. Haaland ticks all of those boxes, but I’ve stopped hoping that we get these top, transfer targets. If PSG get Pogba, maybe that increases the likelihood of us getting Mbappe - provided he wants to come here.

@thimmy, those r some ruthless goals u posted. Reminds me of us with ozil di Maria et al

I miss the days of Ozil’s telepathic communication with CR7. I don’t miss his inconsistency, though. Even before he was frozen out at Arsenal, his problem was still inconsistency and a rather underwhelming workrate.

I still don’t understand why we sold Di Maria. His stay at Man United was clearly a black hole in his career, but he’s been one of PSGs standout performers for a long time now.

It was obvious Thimmy. These players play a dangerous game when they constantly demand higher salaries. Once they get beyond their actual worth demand or in the case of DiMaria constantly year after year demands, the club is open to offers, even if the play, of late may warrant some increase.

I’m tried of hearing how the club failed to retain him, when it’s a fact that DiMaria’s outrageous constant demands are the reason.

As to he being one of PSG outstanding performers!!, how much of his time there has been as a bench player?

Ah, right. I’d forgotten about the wage demands. Serves him right then. I really don’t know why he hasn’t been a starter for longer stretches of time when he’s been in form. I think he’s a substantially more productive player than Draxler. I can only assume it’s because he’s one of PSG’s senior members at this point in time.

If only Flo had signed someone better than James, we wouldn’t be against the DiMaria move.

As to his bench role at PSG, did you really expect him to start over Mbappe, Neymar and Cavani? For the most part most of his starts have come after Cavani left.

titosantill wrote:@thimmy, those r some ruthless goals u posted. Reminds me of us with ozil di Maria et al

Odegaard was on the bench. Why wasn't he used?

The constant passing the ball around with no penetration cannot be the only solution against teams that sit back.

The players weren't even trying to shoot! It was crazy.

You would think it's icy, wet. Shoot as much as possible, put the keeper under pressure.

There were so many opportunities to have a shot on goal, but the players seem hesitant.

It was a frustrating game.

@futbolbill, I know or I dont want to believe that u believe di Maria sale was about saving money. It isnt a big deal or anything but by no principle of elementary math, even if we ignore 20 20 hindsight does that even remotely add up.

Tito, it wasn’t about saving money, it was Flo refusing a player’s demand for unreasonable salary, particularly after said players had almost annually asked for more and the way he went about it, he would get off the plane in Buenos Aires and cry about how poorly he was paid.

As I said earlier, it is a dangerous game some players play when they ask for an unreasonable salary, particularly when it is an almost annual occurrence and at a club that has a salary ladder discipline.

The mistake made was thevreplacement.

i think i might be the only fan who has no problems with player's asking for what we consider 'unreasonable' salaries.

Ya as a player you should demand as much as possible, it's not like theres a salary cap anyway. Di maria was probably are most important player for the 2014 UCL

titosantill wrote:i think i might be the only fan who has no problems with player's asking for what we consider 'unreasonable' salaries.

You’re entitled to that view, but Club is also entitled to not accept demand, particularly if it is outside of their opinion of salary ladder.

Bottom line is the letting go of Di Maria is on player not club!

Why is it on the player when it was the club that failed to deliver on a promise they made to ADM


https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/european/angel-di-maria-hits-out-real-madrid-real-refused-pay-me-what-i-m-worth-unless-i-managed-win-ballon-d-or-9716648.html

halamadrid2 wrote:Why is it on the player when it was the club that failed to deliver on a promise they made to ADM


https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/european/angel-di-maria-hits-out-real-madrid-real-refused-pay-me-what-i-m-worth-unless-i-managed-win-ballon-d-or-9716648.html

This is the first time hearing about it. I thought ADM left because he asked for an unreasonable salary.

Problem now is, and according to the article you posted, it's his word against Perez.

You have the president who says:

Florentino wrote:Real has always respected contracts. Di Maria had financial requests that I considered legitimate but we couldn't satisfy them. I reiterate that we made him the best possible offer. With the exception of Cristiano Ronaldo, Di Maria would have been the highest paid at Real Madrid. Had we accepted his financial demands it would have created an unbalanced treatment that would have put the club's stability in danger.

And then you have ADM who says:

I know what he said. That never happened, I never made those demands. I never asked to leave Madrid, it wasn't my decision either. No one even told me they wanted to sell me, not even my agent. I was in very good form having won the Champions' League and I was only going to improve. But they said to earn the sort of money Ronaldo is earning I would have to become a better player. I would have to win the Ballon d'Or at least once or become the best player at the World Cup. I'm not even sure why Perez said that because I didn't ask for it. I just think it is an excuse because Madrid have been criticised for selling me. Anyway, I don't know Perez. I think he is a very difficult person and I don't have a relationship with him

Unless we have someone else from their close circle (beside his agent) to confirm what he's claiming, I'm afraid there's no way we can know for sure who betrayed the other between the two.

How about asking what he demanded from Man U as a barometer. This guy for years got off the plane in Buenos Aires at season end, held an impromptu press conference to whine about how badly he was treated and needed a pay increase.

I say his version of events was pure BS.

you get what you negotiate. up to you to know your worth and present that, also up to the club to be able to counter and also find an offer that best suits them. no harm no foul- club and adm did what they felt was best for them

the final case i'll make for di maria though is; when a player plays out of position for a whole season (not like an attacking mid moving to striker or a defensive mid playing center back); but a totally new role from winger to central mid, where he is even doing some defensive duties.....he deserves a pay rise and even half of the salary of the guy who he is keeping on the bench, who was the original central mid

end of my adm point....as far as wages, a player should ask for as much as they can during contract talks cos nobody but you or your agent will fight for you. you're making 2 pounds and its time for talks, if u have the performance to back it up, ask for ten. worst that'll happen is club will say no and u both will renegotiate for something that suits both parties. which i think is what ramos is doing, and rightly so

if u do good kid or loyal club guy during contract talks u end up like scottie pippen in the last dance ; dude was a team captain and even some role players where making more than him

Perez is adamant about the wage hierarchy I'll give him that. He doesn't treat players differently to eachother. He will have a wage bracket where he thinks you fit in and if you want to move to the next wage bracket and he doesnt want you to he'll show you the door. Had no problem showing the best player in history the door when his demands where too high or our current captain. ADM was just one of the many players that have gotten the sharp end of the stick during contract negotiations

Regarding the who said what between Perez and ADM. The only facts are that ADM was promised a wage increase, the club offered him one. How much he demanded/was promised/was offered is i am afraid just heresay. Though the fact that he namedropped Ramos and Ramos never moved to dispel the comments tells me to believe his version of events

This is most probably a case of the club lowballing him into a Castilla level contract when he signed with a promise of a wage increase depending on his performances. The club probably offered to move him up to Lucas' bracket when he found out how much players on his level where making and he wanted the same as them only for Perez to think he was greedy for not accepting the breadcrumbs the club was offering him. Very reasonable request, but here there should have been a compromise but Perez sold him and bought James instead and we all know how that experiment turned out.

In the end both the club and ADM moved on and nobody i think has really regretted the decisions made. The club won multiple CLs and ADM is the best player in his team tha5 he helped take to the CL final while winning multiple league titles and hitting paid what he thinks he deserves. But you can't help but think "what if" how many CLs could we've won if he stayed. This is similar to Barca losing Neymar imo