Krasid:
Real madrid has made the semis in the last 7 years.

Oh ohkay...

AdisaOwala:


Even if it can be argued that the competition is more intense in the EPL, we shouldn't forget that Madrid never spent Millions 'pon millions only to finish 5th, 6th etc in laliga

If I am not Mistaken, Real Madrid have made the Semis of the CL atleast 4 times in the last 6 years.

The first meaningful player we bought was in 2014 and we didn't keep him.. If we can achieve that then we are onto something

GloryIsaac:
So Zidane has been a R.Madrid coach for how long and already has 2 Champions League trophy while Wenger still has 0...

You still found a way to bring wenger in to this

dubylhover:


that's what they said about peps barca,that anybody can coach them to greatness...
but you'd have to admit,there is a bit of zizou magic there

They don't watch madrid games. They only read comments on nairaland and goal . Com.

Zizou is a tactical genius. I've realised he is very good at countering formations

GloryIsaac:


Being unable to displace Benzema is as a result of seniority which is maintained at Madrid, performance wise, Morata should have started ahead of Benzema...

You don't know how madrid plays.
Benzo provides fluidity at the front.
He has better link up than morata.
It's not like morata's not good, but he cannot create chances like how benzo will.

You might not really get it, but try and watch our games closely

AdisaOwala:


Even the inclusion of Casemiro alone stabilized the team tactically....

Another manager might have attempted to shoe-horn the expensive James Rodriguez into the side (probably at the expense of the Brazillian) but Zizou knew exactly how he wanted his team to play & went all out to actualize his plans.

The likes of Lucas Vasquez, Asensio etc were also given opportunities & they quite impressed...

memory of this particular issue as concern that casemero case fit they wrong,but Benitez was killed for using the guy in the starting 11.

happy for Madrid,i wish say juve win am to keep the curse alive till Utd break am,but juve no try at all.

raumdeuter:
afrodoc2 elampiro and those guys who are pissing in Madrids nostrils

How is that pissing contest going

Your memory is failing you. Elampiro and I were the ones kicking against the pissing contest scheme. Better enter ferry and look for SailorXY.

joeace2020:


This madrid is now looking like the barca of 2008-11. They just win win win. Siasia would have coached them and still be winning trophies. I really don't see any tactical masterclass with this Madrid team besides having a group of magicians from the back to the front.

Bro are u serious......like seriously?

EmmGee:
You still found a way to bring wenger in to this

EmmGee:

They don't watch madrid games. They only read comments on nairaland and goal . Com.

Zizou is a tactical genius. I've realised he is very good at countering formations

I know this is in relation to the galactico thing i said earlier. Listen when before Pep came and when he was through with barca he had promoted over 22 players from Barca B and used the likes of Eto, Peak henry who was bought the season before. Milito who was already top class, Pique who was top class from united, Alves, Keita, Hleb, Ibrahimovic who we are now hailing as a god, peak Mascherano, David Villa, Chygrynskiy, Abidal and so many more star players who played some of the best ootball from 2006(pre guardiola) -2012. Most of whom were not all cheap.

In as much as it is easy to say anybody could have coached that Barca and won everything, it wasnt entirely true. Tata Martino did not win any major trophy despite having a solid squad that went over 16 matches unbeaten into that season. He failed despite the star quality. So credit to Zidane for the amazing work he has done. But he's also had star quality amased over the years of purchasing some of the biggest names in football that he could call on at several points of the season. Ramos who was purchased as a record amount for a teenager at the time, the ever present Ronaldo who we know what he cost, Bale, Marcelo who was called 'the jewel of Europe when they got him', Modric who for £33 million in 2011 after Tottenham's champions league exploits wasn't cheap, Kroos had won the world Cup with Germany in 2014 and didn't just mark attendance there, he was the assist leader for the tournament. Isco didn't come cheap too after helping his Malaga team qualify for their first champions league and scoring in their defeat of Madrid heading to the semis.

I still maintain my stance that only recently have we begun adding quality to our squad. If Van Gaal hadn't torn the whole house down to bring in average Joe's, we would have added the guys we bought last summer and become one of the most feared teams in Europe but now we are building a new galactic from scratch and only when we get too many star quality to call on to can we really challenge on all fronts and dominate in this modern era.

Imagine a mixture of those star names with the new ones Mourinho has started bringin in. People are crying blue murder but when someone shines in England or anywhere and Madrid or Barca come to snap them up for some crazy sums, we keep shut and start wondering why they have turned champions league to their plaything.

Let me add for those mentioning Benitez. There will always be occasional flops like Benitez and Martino but it doesn't remove the star quality their teams possessed.

EmmGee:

They don't watch madrid games. They only read comments on nairaland and goal . Com.

Zizou is a tactical genius. I've realised he is very good at countering formations

bro,exactly,tho I haven't personally seen d touch,I know there must n something he does differently

EmmGee:

You don't know how madrid plays.
Benzo provides fluidity at the front.
He has better link up than morata.
It's not like morata's not good, but he cannot create chances like how benzo will.

You might not really get it, but try and watch our games closely

I tell people that benzema is the perfect striker for Madrid..the was Madrid plays,they need a no9 who knows how to drift out and link up play well,cos of ronaldo,you need to satisfy hos ego..Madrid needs a top 9 who wouldn't start dragging goals with ronaldo and benzema is just a perfect mould for that character,d other striker who might fit that pattern a bit is lewandowski,cos he's also a very good player aside goals

raumdeuter:
afrodoc2 elampiro and those guys who are pissing in Madrids nostrils

How is that pissing contest going

Actually na Sailor dey piss for Madrid's face....

SIRcumalot:

memory of this particular issue as concern that casemero case fit they wrong,but Benitez was killed for using the guy in the starting 11.

happy for Madrid,i wish say juve win am to keep the curse alive till Utd break am,but juve no try at all.

with inverted wingers that plays as full backs

LoRdCaT:
Ode, Man u has been more dominant in England than Madrid has been in Spain

Is that so?? I'm not gonna bother posting anything. Bros go and check very well.

Domestically or in Europe & The World, Madrid is the biggest team in the World and United doesn't even come close. No one does actually.
The only thing United get pass Madrid na money!

Lordcat your fellow man u fan don reply you.

from d finals yesterday,juve had a very good first half,they pressed well,but it seemed like Madrid were afraid to play,when d second half started we saw a different Madrid,total domination and annihilation,isco holding the ball well,modric making d drives and kroos making d simple but effective passes,juventus decided to play an open game against Madrid in d second half and that was their downfall...

now why I'm saying this is because of our supercup,any Manu fans that honestly expects mou to just be open like juve all in the name of attacking is on a long thing..I see us being. Bit laid back,mayb he'd use Herrera to mark isco...hopefully we should get fast attackers cos that's how we can beat Madrid...juves attack was too slow,their transition from defence to attract too slow..

heck look at Madrid,just 3 passes and they are in front of your box,we are definitely miles behind them,but I think mou would b a little bit defensive against Madrid..cos to be honest with the way our team is,if we go out and attack too much they'd murder us

GloryIsaac:


Being unable to displace Benzema is as a result of seniority which is maintained at Madrid, performance wise, Morata should have started ahead of Benzema...

Nah, bro. I used to have this thought but the events of the past few weeks have changed all that.

Nepotism might be among the reasons why Zidane chooses Benzema over Morata, but Benzema does a job that Morata can't do for Madrid.

Benzema is a team player, one who's ever ready to drop his goal ambitions so his team and especially Cr7 can shine. Benzema hustles up front, dragging defenders wide, using his strength and power to put pressure on the defenders of oppositions which provides a perfect avenue for Ororo who walks around the pitch without doing much defensive work to spring up at deadly positions to break oppositions' hearts.

Ororo is getting old and rarely does any defensive work (even in his younger days he was like this but not this bad), he's now more like counter-attacker, a predator stalking his prey ready to pounce at the deadliest moment. Benzema provides the perfect weapon to distract defenders from focusing on Ororo thereby giving Ororo the perfect chance to act as a false 9 and keep scoring.

Morata can't do all these. He has a healthy return in terms of goals this season, but having Ororo and Morata on the same pitch all the time means those aforementioned attributes I listed up there will be lacking in Madrid's games. Morata can't link up play like Benzema does. Morata would be bullied off the game easily unlike Benzema. Benzema has sacrificed his goals for Ororo to shine.

dubylhover:


I tell people that benzema is the perfect striker for Madrid..the was Madrid plays,they need a no9 who knows how to drift out and link up play well,cos of ronaldo,you need to satisfy hos ego..Madrid needs a top 9 who wouldn't start dragging goals with ronaldo and benzema is just a perfect mould for that character,d other striker who might fit that pattern a bit is lewandowski,cos he's also a very good player aside goals

Very true. Benzema of Lyon was more goal oriented, but he had to drop those ambitions for Ororo to shine and for the system to work perfectly coz we all know Ororo guarantees more goals than anyone who's not answering Messi. Benzema does his job well and he's not required to score much goals especially if Ororo is on fire.

sinizia:


Very true. Benzema of Lyon was more goal oriented, but he had to drop those ambitions for Ororo to shine and for the system to work perfectly coz we all know Ororo guarantees more goals than anyone who's not answering Messi. Benzema does his job well and he's not required to score much goals especially if Ororo is on fire.

yea,that's one thing people fail to understand,I keep on hearing things like he's not scoring enough,he's lazy,but watch his all round play,I normally love listening to what coaches say about players,and ancellotti said benzema is d perfect striker for this current Madrid...when ronaldo first came,higuain scored more than him,what was the reward?he was sold,so I think benzrma has accepted his fate that he won't b d highest goal scorer,so he makes up for it in his general team play and drifting in and out for ronaldo to enter

Lana1:
Is that so?? I'm not gonna bother posting anything. Bros go and check very well.

Domestically or in Europe & The World, Madrid is the biggest team in the World and United doesn't even come close. No one does actually.
The only thing United get pass Madrid na money!

...if he is talking about the last 10years..

dubylhover:


yea,that's one thing people fail to understand,I keep on hearing things like he's not scoring enough,he's lazy,but watch his all round play,I normally love listening to what coaches say about players,and ancellotti said benzema is d perfect striker for this current Madrid...when ronaldo first came,higuain scored more than him,what was the reward?he was sold,so I think benzrma has accepted his fate that he won't b d highest goal scorer,so he makes up for it in his general team play and drifting in and out for ronaldo to enter

strikers these days are about dribbling and drifting left and right. Shebi na the same thing una dy use judge hazard ?

lordfalcao:
strikers these days are about dribbling and drifting left and right. Shebi na the same thing una dy use judge hazard ?

I no understand you oo..I no call hazard oo

dubylhover:


I no understand you oo..I no call hazard oo

but na Wetin I wan know na. How can a striker not be doing his primary job but be judged by dribbling and drifting left and right as what he brings to the table. But when a winger does the normal stuff wingers do, we shout goals and assist..

Krasid:
Real madrid has made the semis in the last 7 years.

A "record" you forgot to add

lordfalcao:
but na Wetin I wan know na. How can a striker not be doing his primary job but be judged by dribbling and drifting left and right as what he brings to the table. But when a winger does the normal stuff wingers do, we shout goals and assist..

he still scores 20+ goals every season...

dubylhover:


he still scores 20+ goals every season...

while playing up to 50+ matches shebi ? Hazard wey no play that much have 90% of his goals.. So I dont understand


Even this season guy man couldn't still hit 20 in an attacking team like Madrid..

After last night james rodriguez and Gareth bale really need to re evaluate both their foot balling lives!

Funlord2:



After last night james rodriguez and Gareth bale really need to re evaluate both their foot balling lives!

Zidane has shown that he can be trusted to make the right footballing decision rather than an emotional or PR driven decision like starting an unfit Bale in his home country or playing a lazy James over cheaper home grown talent.
If (but it is a big if ) Bale in particular can stay fit he is a world beater.

The Bale ship is sailing pretty quickly. For a very long time, he has been my dream winger but he's 28 now and for someone whose game relies heavily on pace and strength, physicality in general, he would be on the downward spiral very soon, if he isn't already and it will be a steep one.

Ronaldo had to evolve and depend more on his football brain when he lost that part of his game.
Bale is not someone I see as being capable of that.

We would be better off throwing part of the money at the likes ousmane dembele or pulisic.
Bale would be a bad investment, at his current price and potential wages unless something happens and his value drops drastically.
And we no suppose dey help Madrid clean their mess up.

If we're taking anyone from Madrid I'd rather we take Morata or verane than James or Bale

One of our greatest undoing was allowing Modric and Bale leave England too easily.
We probably should have fought a bit harder.. That's part of what poor sailor was trying to pass across with the whole pissing thing Wey Una no wan give am peace for so.

afrodoc2:


Zidane has shown that he can be trusted to make the right footballing decision rather than an emotional or PR driven decision like starting an unfit Bale in his home country or playing a lazy James over cheaper home grown talent.
If (but it is a big if ) Bale in particular can stay fit he is a world beater.

Too unfit and too expensive for someone who may go missing when you need him the most during the season!

Asides from that he is the answer to our left and right wings but it's a gamble I won't support the club in taking