Exclusive: Guti Selección?

Real Madrid arrives back to the capital late Saturday night from their first win at Deportivo La Coruna's Estadio Riazor in 19 years. As the players emerge from the bus, they are met by a swarm of supporters, all of whom sing proudly "¡Guti Selección!" Real Madrid's bad boy has done it again. A sublime performance and an assist that will always be remembered elevate the veteran to the status of sainthood for the week in the capital city. It's been bumpy road for Guti this season. The spat with new boss Pellegrini, the sending off at Sevilla, the Alcorcon misery, the transfer out speculation, and the nagging injuries have all put the number 14 into hot water amongst supporters. Guti has always lurked in the shadows at Madrid, often times scapegoated for his temper and questionable off field activities, falling in and out of favor as the world's best players and coaches arrive and depart from the club he has been at all his life. He rarely ever sees the credit but remains as faithful and as passionate as any player I've seen. Some wanted him gone this season, never to don the shirt again, choosing to ignore his footballing genius in favor of new talent and short goodbyes. Others saw past the media frenzy that has surrounded the footballer's life and kept the faith even when his establishment in the first team was optimistic at best. Real Madrid - The Offside writer, Corey, published an article called Guti: The Disgraced Son a little over a month ago. It was a very good piece that took an inside look at the man and if he would be called upon again in a crucial time of player absences to rescue los blancos in their time of need. Many hated the idea but just a month later the new cry is for Guti to be called up to Spanish National Team for this summer's World Cup in South Africa.

Los-merengues.com has quotes from all major media sources in Spain hailing the former Madrid Academy player's performance this past weekend and tipping him for La Furia Roja. Deportivo manager, Lotina, who stated that Madrid would struggle without Cristiano Ronaldo earlier in the week, was mesmerized by a different kind of footballer on Saturday, an artist rather than assassin. He said "...he (Guti) must take part in the World Cup." Guti has not played for the national team since 2005. We are talking five years here. He has also never played in a major competition internationally. No one will be able to creep into Spanish National Team coach, Vincente Del Bosque's head to unearth if he is considering calling up the Real Madrid playmaker unless he comes out and mentions the subject to the press but let's take a look at the pros and cons of the call up.

Vincente del Bosque is a Madrid man. He served at the club since 1964. He coached los blancos briefly in 1994 and then again in 1999-2003, winning two European Cups, both of which Guti was a part of. So Del Bosque knows of the talent Guti possesses. Statistically, Del Bosque fancied Guti. In those 4 seasons (excluding 1994) Guti made 124 league appearances, scoring 24 goals as a creative midfield player. Guti possesses and unhuman-like passing talent and vision that prove to be a lethal combination that can cut up defenses at any given time. In a previous article, I mentioned the 2007-2008 season home match against Valladolid in which Guti had 4 assists and 2 goals in a 7-0 win (the remaining goal was also set up by Guti with a long through ball from within his own half). At 33 years old, Guti has the experience at a top level. Though he lacks international call ups, he has played at a premier level his entire career, being part of Madrid's senior team since 1995. Guti would also relish the chance to be given the opportunity to play in a World Cup. Anyone who watches him play knows the intensity and passion he brings to the game. His veins bulge from his neck while he screams during a goal scoring celebration. He has gotten into his fair share of scuffles do to his aggressive nature. If you watched closely to the Deportivo game on Saturday, Guti collapsed to his knees yelling into the leaking Galician night sky, both arms raised with joy, seconds after Karim Benzema scored in the 90th minute to make the score 3-1, quite the theatrics for an insurance goal that he played no significant part in. He has an unmatched desire to succeed. Guti is also notably good from a dead ball situation. He can deliver corners, various set pieces and has an eye for top corners on free kicks. What makes him even more unique from set a play is that he is left footed which can add an extra element to free kick situations.

We all know that Spain has arguably the best center midfield in the world. The amount of options in the center of the park is an embarassment of riches. It boasts players like Xavi, Iniesta, Marcos Senna, Xabi Alonso, Fabregas, ect. Is there room for Guti? Guti is Madrid's Xavi. It is said that Guti is not a great starter but an excellent super sub. Perhaps he could act as a primary relief for Xavi or whoever else and still add the cutting edge passing to the squad. If Spain does well in their group and feel comfortable, why drain vital players with the knockout stages ahead? Guti can do just as good of a job as anyone, still get time, and relieve those who are tipped to be established starters in the National team. Also take a look at some the Spanish midfield players I listed. Apart from Xabi Alonso, none are very sizely. Guti stands at 6'1 and would add height to a short midfield.

Well I've certainly described the pros but what about the cons? It would certainly be a last minute call up to a team that doesn't really need any major help. Matter of fact, they are one of the two heavy favorites, the other being Brazil, to win the tournament. Spain has a core group of players who won Euro 2008 and really haven't lost anybody since. Not only would the team have to mold with Guti but visa-versa. Guti has been at Madrid all his life and playing alongside Barcelona's Xavi and Iniesta, who are mortal enemies to Real Madrid in the club footballing world, might be hard to adapt to. What makes you think bringing in Guti would be beneficial to the team's already established chemistry? He is a character after all. Guti is a strong personality. He has been seen engaging in a couple on-field disputes with his teammates at Madrid. The Madrid man lets his temper get a hold of him at times and has a history of being sent off. Not to mention he can be bothered by outside sources. Guti is hated amongst many crowds outside the safety of Real Madrid's Santiago Bernabeu and has been seen blowing kisses and sticking out his tongue at opposition supporters while walking to the tunnel. Fans at the World Cup won't be any kinder. The playmaker, as I mentioned is 33 years old, not exactly in his prime. This makes him more prone to injury and less likely to play a complete 90 minutes in midfield. How useful can an injured player really be?

This debate raises a lot of interesting questions I'm sure del Bosque is turning over and over in his head. Can Guti's Madrid performances put on a strong enough campaign to seal him a place in his country's national team? Is this Guti's last chance to cement himself amongst Spanish footballing folklore? Could he finally emerge the hero after being the victim of so much negativity throughout his career? Will he go out on a bang or will this idea of Guti Haz, Spanish National Team player, fade into the forgotten history of "what ifs?" I for one am amongst those singing "¡Guti Selección!" I want nothing more than to see another Real Madrid player in the Spanish team that has perhaps the greatest chance to win of any Spanish team to ever entered the World Cup. I want one of our own to succeed. Let's see if del Bosque will inject anymore blanco into La Furia Roja.

Let's hear what you all think.

Bobby

The Curse is Broken

At last! Oh thank the good lord at last! It took us nearly two decades but we have finally taken the Riazor. No Ronaldo. No Higuain. No Problem. Sorry the post is a little late. I was celebrating the victory. This was the first time I had ever personally experienced this Galician triumph and it was everything I dreamed of and more. Benzema with a brace. About time! Kaka, though goaless, I thought was lively and much better. Those are question marks that turned to check marks against Depor. Let's hope we can keep them there. I even guessed the starting line up, good omen?

It was such a great triumph. I don't want pick out the negatives but it must be done. I can't ignore them. I just want to get them out of the way. Moan of the match goes to Marcelo. Everyone was on key except him. He is never sound defensively but he wasn't even acceptable on the offensive end. I can't even blame Ramos for giving away the penalty because Marcelo had it taken off him in his own end. We should have never even been in that situation to begin with. He needs to improve. To continue with the negatives, I was so let down not to see one Castilla player at all even though we had a a firm 2-0 lead on the match during the primary substitution window. It looked like we were about to get a chance to view a cantera player for a few seconds but the final whistle blew before he could make it on to the pitch. One sub? All Drenthe did was get fouled. That is just dissapointing. Especially because around the 55th minute the standard of play dropped and a change was needed. First half was a lot prettier than the second half. We had 14 shots first half compared to Depor's 3, 2 of which we blocked and 1 of which was off target.

I'm not going to rain on the parade. Why should I? It rained at the Riazor all match. When I look at the hero of this match, I think Guti. Guti Guti Guti. He was awesome. He looked inspired. I'm not just saying that because of his breathtaking assist (which I will get to in a second) but he was sparky, he really carried the team. He must have drawn half a dozen fouls by himself. As for his assist, what class! We always knew he was inventive, we knew he has incredible vision but this even surprised most of us. He is in one on one with the goal keeper. He draws him in until the keeper goes to ground. WITHOUT LOOKING he heels the ball straight back into the path of an oncoming Benzema who tucks home a much needed confidence boosting goal. It was nothing short of a masterpiece, a goal I will never forget.

Another huge positive, is we are starting to show our team depth again. We had spells during the first half of the season where team depth shown through in dark spots and it continued to do so during the Deportivo match. I know many people didn't want to see Raul start but I thought the golden boy put in a very good shift. Yes, he should have scored from the chance early in the first half but he worked as hard as the 22 year olds and I felt his presence in the squad regardless if he scored or not. I was happy to see him donning the armband once again. Well played. Speaking of depth, Pirata is starting to make himself more of a statement everyday. It's not that fact the Granero is proving himself good enough for the white shirt but he is putting some heat on the whole midfield because he is making a valid claim for a starting position. He popped up and got the early goal which is always a huge bonus when playing away from home and a mega bonus when at the Riazor. Kaka, still not on his best, but much better I tought, he created havoc. He wandered freely which made him difficult to pick up for the Deportivo defenders. He constantly pulled them out of position. He provided the ball to Guti which ultimately lead to Benzema's first goal. Him and Guti could prove to be a deadly combo. Think about it. If Kaka can pull defenders out of place and Guti can use his vision and defence slicing talent to play tantalizing balls into the holes left by misplaced defenders, we could be in some serious business.

Karim Benzema! Finally. The striker has Guti to thank for the generous gift. This "regalo" did more for the number 11 than people might think. It gave him the goal we have all been waiting for from the kid, but it was more than a goal. It was world of pressure of the Frenchman's shoulders. He needed the confidence boost badly. On top of that goal, he got one at the end of the game, after the pressure had amounted from Riki's penalty that Casillas was unlucky not to have done better with. This too will help out Benzema's form. Nothing will help cure bad form like two goals that helped your team win at a ground they haven't done so at in nearly 20 years. He must have slept well Saturday night.

It was nice to break the curse, and it was a big deal to Madridistas everywhere but sadly it was just a game that kept pace with rivals Barcelona. They beat Gijon 1-0 at Gijon where Madrid only managed a goalless draw earlier this season. Madrid have two very winnable league matches ahead of them with Espanyol at home next weekend and last place Xerez away the fallowing matchday before meeting Lyon at the Stade Gerland on the 16th of February. Barcelona have a notably more difficult task with Getafe at home and then having to travel to the Spanish capital to take on Atletico while we are at Xerez. We can pray for but not expect dropped points from the blaugrana.

Yes, the curse is broken. Instead of saying Madrid have not won at the Riazor in 19 years, I can truthfully say Madrid have not won at the Riazor in 1 day. It feels good. Let me know what you think and thanks for reading! Hala Madrid!

Bobby

A Crucial Battle of Wounded Armies

"...fate rarely calls upon us at a moment of our chosing" - Optimus Prime
Corny? yeah probably, but fitting. Real Madrid are facing a test at ground where they have not won in 18 seasons, the year 1991 to be exact. Madrid won that match date 3-0 with goals from Hierro, Michel, Butragueno. I was 2 years old, before I could comprehend football, or it's meaning. A win at this northwestern stadium is a concept I have never known. Madrid will take a pack of wounded warriors into battle in the city of La Coruna without their top gunners Higuain, Ronaldo (Ronaldo has been included in the squad list but I find it unlikely that the board will appeal his ban for both matches), and a fist full of other casualties including Garay, Lass, Gago, Diarra, and Rafael Van der Vaart. Two and half of which are regular starters. This is a match Madrid must win. If Madrid lose against Deportivo on Sunday and Barcelona beat Gijon, we could fall to what could be a fatal 8 points back from the Catalans.

Goal scoring optimism is at a low. Our two main threats to Deportivo's goal, Benzema and Kaka, have been notably off form in their first half of a season season in white shirts. With so many player staying behind, Pellegrini had no choice but to bring up four Castilla players. Defender Mateos, midfielder Mosquera, and strikers Rodrigo and Raul Ruiz have been thrown into the squad list. Mateos will most likely not see the Riazor from an on-field vantage point because if back line can stay healthy, Pellegrini will want to stick with the most experienced back four as possible, especially because we are away from home and even more so because it's the Riazor. However, it may be inevitable that the remaining three may see the pitch because of our lack of substitution options for midfield and forwards. Raul will definitely see the field, maybe the golden boy will provide a spark. Aside from Mosquera, I expect all the midfielders to start. For once in a long while I think that maybe, just maybe, Pellegrini's starting XI and my own XI could be the same. Obviously due to lack of options.



As you can see, the new glass man taking over for Robben, Metzelder, though a center back, is not my first option in the position. He hasn't played in centuries and this isn't the match to get your form back in. I simply have plugged in Sergio Ramos into the center back position, moved Arbeloa to right back, his natural position, and put the young Brazilian Marcelo at left back. Even though Marcelo is a left back by trade, we all know he's not great at it when it comes to the defending aspect, but he's played a lot more than than Drenthe this season and Drenthe is no better at defending. With no Lass, Gago, or Diarra, the only option Pellegrini has (if he wants to stick with the formation he has been sporting lately) is to pull Guti back alongside (or just in front) of Xab Alonso. I've always preferred Kaka to play the poaching position he has cemented himself in the Brazil national team as so I got him there, probably always will. Finally, Pellegrini has no choice but start Pirata. Granero has been great since joining Madrid and deserves minutes. He continues to impress me every time I see his feet touch the turf. No brainer on the Benzema top striker deal. Common now Karim, we need a performance from you this weekend, I've asked twice already in as many weeks. On the left I'm unclear as to what Pellegrini will do. If he is trying to make up for the pace and 1v1 skills that will be missed by CR9, Drenthe is a clear choice but I'd rather see Raul. Here is why. Raul is left footed; so he is ideal for the left. Raul works his back end off everytime he comes on and has impressed me more than Benzema has in the last few games with just a fraction of the time. Numero Siete has the experience and is a leader amongst the group. Give him the time until his legs are failing then bring Drenthe on in his place to run at tired defenders late in the match.

As for the opposition, we can't call ourselves the only ones with absences. They too are missing crucial players. The most notable of all is Filipe Kasmirski, who tragically broke his leg in Deportivo's last fixture against Bilbao. The defender is Depor's leading goalscorer at a surprising low 3 goals. It's amazing that the Galician side has catapulted themselves into 5th place. Deportivo is also missing Angulo, Mista, Guardado, Sergio Gonzalez, and Lassad. So essentially it will be a test of team depth for both sides. Nonetheless is should prove to be a good encounter.

One thing I am most excited for about this match is say we see two Castilla players added as subs and win the match. We will have won a vital match in persuit of the title without Ronaldo, and with 7 cantera players. Just a thought. I know how important "home grown" is for some people out there. Maybe it will put a sock in a few mouths for a bit. Madrid beat Deportivo at the Bernabeu 3-2 in a back and forth game back on the first match day of the season but this will hardly be a resembling match when it comes to personnel. Kaka, Benzema, we need you now more than ever.

HALA MADRID

Bobby

The Void Left By Ruud

Ruud van Nistelrooy was a striker that made me leap off my couch more times than I can possibly count. In his years spent at Real Madrid, he was a revelation. The Dutchman scored 59 goals for Real Madrid since he arrived from Manchester United in the summer of 2006. His Madrid downfall happened to be his long term knee injury last season that ended his campaign leaving him with only 7 goals for the season. When Madrid brought in high profile goal scorers the fallowing summer by the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka, and Karim Benzema, Ruud was forced to watch his new teammates early in the season because he was still in the recovery process. When he finally did return, he rose to the occasion and took his chance. He was given 15 minutes to impress Pellegrini against Xerez. He did just that. He had an assist and scored a goal. However, he injured himself again in the process and La Liga never saw the Dutchman again. Through fitness problems that still exist and tonsillitis that kept him out of action in the latter part of the fall campaign, he was never able to burst back into the Real Madrid first team. We will always cherish the time RVN spent in a white shirt. We won two La Ligas during his first two seasons. Perhaps the squad would have been better off if he would have been healthy for the whole of his third season. Good luck at Hamburg. From myself and all sane Madridistas, Gracias.

Now the question looms. With a striker's spot open on the mighty Real Madrid, who fills it and when? There are several options. In actuality, when you are Real Madrid, only few options aren't possibilities. I'm going to review them, give you my opinion, then you can make your own personal decision.

The most recent policy has been to buy big. A blind man could see Madrid spent hundreds of millions of Euros this past summer to bring in the cream of the crop. Does Madrid opt for a David Villa, a Luis Fabiano, or someone of similar caliber? Hey don't get me wrong. Whoever is scoring goals in a white shirt is more than welcome by me. However there could be negative consequences if we buy big again. We already have Higuain, Benzema, and Raul. We all know currently, despite his injury, Higuain is on fire. Benzema has lacked form lately. He looked to be hitting stride before the winter break but I think the pause broke his momentum. He has been floating around ever since. Raul hasn't started since the beginning of the season. With a new big name in the camp one of these names would be weeded out. Higuain looks to have established a solid place as the starting striker. So ultimately Raul or Benzema would be the player to lose out. Benzema, I think still has along way to come. I would hate to see him ride the pine, get unhappy and leave. Then later on, when he is scoring goals somewhere else, we look at him as one of those players that we should have never let go. So that leaves Raul. Can we really do that to Raul? We have parted ways with loyal players so poorly in the past so many times, I might cry if we just weeded Raul out. I want him to retire in white. He deserves it. I've always felt that way about it.

We have several players out on loan that we could be brought back in the summer. This would avoid shoving one of our already established players out off to the side. The team is constantly talking about how they need time to gel, a big name might set back this "gelling" process even more so. Negredo or even Castilla striker, Szalai could be options to bring back and fill that spot. They have already been part of the team or trained with the team so the are familiar with the players, training staff, and surroundings. Not to mention, everyone would love so see a Madrid cantanero succeed in the first team. Szalai was just loaned to Mainz this transfer window and is yet to even have a fair chance to make his mark there. Negeredo is 24 years old and has been loaned out to Almeria twice, and now is on loan with Sevilla. In his two seasons with Almeria he totaled 29 goals but this season with Sevilla he has only managed 5. It's a little challenging for spots up top at Sevilla with the like of Kanoute and Luis Fabiano as fellow strikers but Negredo has started 14 league games. He is popular amongst many Madrid faithful despite never getting a true chance. Also, there are players within the system who reside with Castilla that could possibly fill the void. There are some promising prospects but are they ready for first team action yet? I would love to see a Castilla player step up to the challenge and make that spot his own. Pellegrini has made an effort to bring up Castilla players to play with the first team on a regular basis this season.

The third option I would consider would be an investment. Why not by small? We bought Higuain when he was 19 and look how he has turned out. I know the Hazard kid isn't technically an out and out striker and I bet he wouldn't sell cheap but he is a threat to any opposition's goal mouth. There is also that "next Drogba" character who plays somewhere in Belgium (his name escapes me at the moment). I say putting scouting to use and buying someone young and promising could pay off.

I'm going to give you my opinion straight. I don't want to buy big again. I say we run with the already enormous amount of talent we have. Big names would just set back an already adapting team. The latter two of my choices would be the best decisions for me. Ethically, I can't bump Raul out with a big name. It would hurt me too much. And I'm not ready to give up on Benzema in only half a season where he hasn't started the majority of the matches. I am more patient than that. My favorite decision would be to pull back Negredo. He is a Madrid product. He is quality enough to pick up the slack if someone is injured and can also pose a threat for a starting spot if any one of our strikers is lacking form. He seems to fit the equation. Not to mention he is 24 and has room to improve. My second favorite option would be the by small and mold an already talented player into gem with the first team, just like we did with Pipita.

That's what I think but what do you think? I'd be interested to hear your thoughts. There could be options I may have over looked? Or maybe you would want to see a David Villa, Drogba,Torres,or some other Galactico amongst the camp? Anyway you put it, there is a spot to be filled at Real Madrid. One more time, thanks Ruud. (Clapping hands)

Bobby

Relieved, Not Satisfied: Real Madrid 2-0 Malaga

At the end of the day, the three points is what really matters but I was not best pleased by Real Madrid's performance today. As a Madridista, we naturally hold our team to the loftiest of standards and it's sad to say that we pulled more negatives from this home win than positives in my eyes. I'm gonna get down to business and start with the not so pretty side.

Ronaldo sent off... again. How do I even describe my disappointment. It's an all around bad feeling for so many different reasons. First of all, for those who think the referee was being harsh, the red card was well deserved. Ronaldo blatantly, out of frustration from being grabbed, threw his elbow into Mtiliga's nose. He simply let his emotions get the best of him. That's the second time Ronaldo has been sent off this season in La Liga. The season is only half way through and he's only played in half the games because he was injured. So two red cards in a quarter of the games played. We can't have him being sent off once every 5 games or so. He needs to control himself. Essentially he has hurt the team even more than you may know. Next week we have Depor at the Riazor, a ground where we haven't won in 18 years (depressing? just a little). Now we have to go and take three points from the Galician side who are enjoying not a bad season without our notably most influential player. Deportivo are no joke, they are tied on points with Mallorca who are in forth but sit in fifth due to goal differential. The triumphed over Bilbao at home 3-1 this weekend. But what bugs me the most about Ronaldo's marching orders is that it was so unnecessary. We are up 2-0, he had already escaped Mtiliga, the game is all but over, he's already made himself the hero with two very good goals, and he transforms himsself into a villain by an act of stupidity. So disappointing.

Benzema yet to find his feet and the net again. I really thought he was going to seize this opportunity to shine due to Higuain's injury but we just haven't seen it yet. Higuain is still sure to miss the match at Deportivo so Benzema has one more chance to grab headlines but it will be his toughest test out of the 3 games Pipita was set to miss, especially now that Ronaldo is now suspended. The Riazor is a violent atmosphere and Benzema needs to stand out. We played a 4-5-1 formation at home today with Benzema as the loan striker with Kaka being the one to join in late. So almost like a 4-4-2 only Kaka was not considered a striker but an attacking midfielder. He maybe needs more help up field? Benzema didn't do anything to really impress me today. It's not that I thought he played poorly, like he did at San Mames, but I just don't feel like he played well either. He's in a bit of a striker's funk. His best positive that came out of the match was he was involved in the build up that lead to Ronaldo's first goal. It was a pleasure to see all three of our top signings this summer combine to put us in the lead. Benzema to Kaka. Kaka with a low cross to the incoming banana boots of Ronaldo who one timed it at ease into the net. Pretty football, but it came out of no where.

The tempo of today's match was just off rhythm. Despite winning 2-0 we never really found a dominance. We often times tried to rush. Malaga did a pretty decent job closing down channels and pressuring us in the first half but the two goals in such quick secession noticeably broke their spirits. Even after 90 minutes, I never felt like we settled in. I'd like to see us be more patient and possess the ball more. Take the pressure off ourselves.

Another deep concern of mine is what happened to Garay? I must have missed it. Just before half time blew, I flipped over to the Milan Derby and when I came back after watching some of that, Arbeloa was on the right, Marcelo had come in at Left back, and Sergio Ramos now occupied the center back position alongside of Albiol. I really hope Garay isn't injured. If anyone could help me out, I'd be pleased.

This match makes us 10 out of 10 at home. Unbeaten with all wins, the best in La Liga when it comes to home records. However it's our away form we need to worry about. I'll will give it up for Ronaldo, his second goal was a beauty. The Malaga defense will be asking questions of themselves because, how the world's most expensive player finds that kind of space in the middle of the park is shocking defending. I thought Guti played well, assist to Ronaldo's wonder goal. I'm still requesting more of Kaka but he was a wee bit better today, had an assist too. Granero was great again after coming on. I thought he had found a piece of cheese in that top corner but a great save denied him. Raul worked his tail end off after coming in as usual but the fact that Ruud Van Nistlerooy got to say his goodbyes was a touching moment. Gracias Ruud. We will always be thankful. Don't quote me on this but he might have the best goal/per minute ratio in La Liga this season . He played 15 minutes and scored 1 goal. La Liga hasn't seen the Dutchman since. Just a joke but truth behind it.

Bottom line is we need to improve. Deportivo will not role over like Malaga. The only player that has scored goals for us in the last 270 minute won't be playing and we'll also be missing our leading goal scorer of the season, Pipita. It will be a wall to climb but we must keep pace with Barca. They don't look to dropping points anytime soon. They have Sporting Gijon away next on their fixture list. Although, it is a place where los blancos failed to pick up 3 points in the fall, Gijon sit in 10th place and shouldn't cause a threat to the Catalans who are playing as well as ever lately. It will be a much easier week on me knowing we didn't lose at the weekend but in the back of my mind I'll still be asking questions.

Bobby

A Fueled Argument Against the Recent Hatred of Real Madrid

I have directly traveled to Blanco Bonito from a very highly rated sight by myself, The Offside. I'm a big fan of the writing's by the Real Madrid section's author, known as Corey. Great stuff. Check it out http://www.real.theoffside.com/. However I was sparked into anger when a commenter had the nerve to directly insult, Real Madrid, it's players, and it's fans. He was a late-middle aged man from Bilbao who has supported the Basque club all his life. "...i pity you" was the trumpet sound that prepared me for battle. Instead of trying to explain to you what he said, I might as well let you read it for yourself.

Athletic Fan

"Edit Message

I am 34 years old, I have lived in Bilbao all my life, so like most of you who live in Spain, I have been following Spanish Football since the day I was born. In my experiences I have met plenty of RM fans. Most of the fans I have encountered do not have the right attitude towards life.
If you are one of those fans who say “RM is my religion”, or something like that…Then I pity you.

You will never experience the true joy of football, NEVER. Sure, your teams as a whole lot of trophies, but the joy of success is not the best joy of all. Especially if nobody appreciates what you do. Last weekend, we Athletic Bilbao fans beat a team that spent 300 M E on world class players. We beat that team with mostly academy players. We never have a lot of success other than the rare league title, but what we do have, is respect.

There are these multi-millionaires that have the money, control, power, but nobody, not even their family respects them. I don’t know about you, but “I’d rather have a soul than success.” I would never choose the life of having a lot of money, a wife who married me just for the money, kids who don’t respect me. I would always prefer my current life. Average income, but a family who respects me and appreciate what I do.

Get that idea in your head, and now imagine the best possible outcome of this season for RM. Let’s say RM win La Liga by a large margin, and dominate everyone in Europe and win the Champions League. Let’s say the next year, RM go on to win the treble, heck, let’s make it 6 trophies like FC Barcelona did in 09. Do you think you will gain any respect or appreciation? Absolutely not, no matter what you achieve, people will always, and rightfully so, point to the fact that you spent 300 M E. Then what is the joy of winning these tainted trophies? People will always remember the 300 M E that you spent, and most importantly, people will never look up to you, never respect you. I’m a big admirer of AC Milan, Barcelona and Manchester United, for example. They are not as successful as RM, but they are clubs people will respect. The whole world admires Barcelona for winning 6 trophies with what was it..7 academy players? People will respect AC Milan. When Messi won the Ballon D’or, the sent him congratulations. In return, Barcelona coach Pep dedicate his CL win to an AC Milan player. This is the idea of respect, something RM will NEVER have.

When we beat your team stuffed with superstars worth 350 M with academy players, we too, gained some respect. This is the true beauty football..and life. If you are not respect nor appreciated, then the success you have means nothing."

Infuriates me every time I read it. Here was my immediate response in the heat of the moment, which I will add to below.

Bobby

"Athletic fan, We’ll let you have your moment in the sun, but we support a club we love. u support a club u love. Just because Our club decided to spend millions of euros on world class players doesn’t mean I;m going to abandon my love for my club. Apparently world class players is a bad thing to you? Okay you beat us. I congradulate you. you earned the win. These players are at this club because they are the best at what they do and thats what the club wants for our fans. We don’t care what anyone else thinks about us. It’s easy to hate the successful. We aren’t winning titles for Bilbao. We don’t win titles for Barca. We don’t win titles to earn respect. We win titles for Madrid and madridistas all over the world. Don’t wanna respect us? dont have to, it’ll just add fuel to the rivalry fires.

You wanna know what I think? You finally crawled out of ur basque cave because u finally have something to brag about on a big club stage. Nothing but basque players. how conceded. At madrid we accept all players, all nationalities. Anyone who will earn this club and its beautiful fans victory is welcome to wear the white shirt. If you think about it, we’re smart. We haven’t broken any rules, we’re playing by the same rules you are. Just historically, and currently despite your recent win, we just do it much better. And I garuntee you that everybody on this team’s family can’t be more proud of their son or brother, or grandson, or father for wearing the shirt of the greatest club this world has ever seen.

I have respect for what you do at bilbao. but just beause you have a different philosphy doesn’t make you any better than us Madrid supporters. In a way it makes you worse for being ethnocentric. And as for acting as doctor phil… I’m pretty sure u can’t even name wives of 5 of our players, let alone know if they love them or not.

I appologize if this post seems iltempered corey, but I’m not going to have anyone disrespect my club or it’s players.

“If you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say it at all” – Mom

In conclusion Athletic fan, we’ll see you at the Bernabeu."

It sounds a little harsh but believe it or not, I'm not done there. I'm proud of this club. I will have no one talk down upon it when I can have a say about it.

People love to hate the successful. Madrid has earned success, which earns prestige, which ultimately earns respect. People disagree with our big buys this summer because we attempted to "buy trophies." Let's get one thing straight. Madrid is a club owned buy it's supporters. We were not bought out buy a rich billionaire to fund us for these players. The people of this club ELECTED a president, Florentino Perez, because we knew he could bring us the best in the world. Someone give me a good reason why you wouldn't want the caliber players that Madrid possesses. If we wanted to fail, we would have elected a bum. If Madrid were the ones that would have one 6 trophies last go-around, I can guarantee you Barcelona would be spending big to match us as well. Ibrahimovic cost 45 million plus Samuel Eto'o who was valued just under the price for Ibra. Effectively Barcelona spent about as much for Ibra as Madrid did for Ronaldo.

As for Athletic Fan, I do respect the philosophy of your club. Fielding a line-up of all Basque players and mainly academy products and still managed to be one of the three teams in La Liga to never have been relegated (the other two being Madrid and Barca) is certainly impressive. However, as I mentioned, we have never broken any rules to get to the point we are at. You are capable of doing all the things we do; your philosophy just prohibits you to. Saying your way is better is just ethnocentric. I personally find your club's policy a little out dated, too exclusive. You limit your resources by a considerable amount (that's an severe understatement). You overpremote nationalism of a region which only stirs up trouble in the long run not only in football but politics. Your customs, language, and your culture are no longer frowned upon by the Spanish government which was ruled by Franco (an Atletico Madrid Supporter) way back in the sands of time. I actually find them very interesting. Sounds like a fascinating place to live. But I am shut out from your club because I'm not of your origin.

For all you know, you could be more successful than ourselves at Madrid. Or you could have been the ones to thwart our triumphs in the past by allowing yourselves to invest in talent outside your backyard. It would make for more healthy competition in La Liga. Two Horse race in Spain gets old to a lot of people. With the standard Athletic have upheld with academy based players, they could be a force with extra talent, another Barca, combining home bred talent with world class players from not only outside of the Basque region, but outside Spain all together. The possibilities are endless. This could be why Madrid has 31 La Liga titles, Barcelona has 19, and then the only other team never to have been demoted to the second tier has only 8, the last of which in 1984. However, I still admire your traditional policy, but your philosphy at Athletic Bilbao makes you no better than Madrid.

On a personal level you had no reason to attack the fans of Real Madrid, the players of Real Madrid, and especially they families of our players. You don't know them on a personal level. That was very childish.

You may not have respect for us, but you do fear us, or the comment would have never been written. You should fear us. We are the most successful club your country, Europe, and the globe has ever seen. We are the great Real Madrid. You noted that our success means nothing if no one appreciates it and once again you have failed yourself there. Every Madridista in the world will and does appreciate it. I have a soul and success; I cherish them both. You wouldn't be complaining if you were in our shoes. You are just complaining cause you can't fit in them.

HALA MADRID!

Bobby

Daniele De Rossi? Why? & The Canales Front

So it's late at night and go on to peruse the latest football news via the Internet and ultimately, against my greater judgment, I end up on Goal.com to see what they may have plagiarized or muckraked off any not creditable source. We, Madrid, seem to be the media frenzy already, usually in a negative way. More people want to see us fail than succeed so they decide to toss as much flammable ingredients to the fire as possible. I have one word for these people, "haters." Simple as that. Anyhow I came across an article on Goal.com about Daniele De Rossi to Real Madrid?

Uhhh wait... So I tried clicking the article and it's under maintenance so I'm hoping someone hacked their system under the influence of some foreign chemical unbalance and decided to sabotage the website by publishing the link (highly unlikely). I went to Catholic school (even though I'm not Catholic, long story) as a youngster but I would pray to several different gods just to make sure this didn't come true. De Rossi?

Wait! The page decided to load and it is a measly 5 sentence article... pathetic again from Goal.com. Why would you even publish that on your top stories? It is true that President Perez is a fan of de Rossi (one of the few bits of information available in the article) and tried to sign him in his first presidency and that Calderon was also interested but the price tag was a little hefty. But in all honesty where would fit another defensive/holding midfielder with Xabi Alonso and Lassana Diarra amongst the squad and a returning Mahamadou Diarra this week sometime because Mali was knocked out of the ACN. Don't forget Gago is still lingering around somewhere too. Sure, De Rossi has a pretty nice long range shot, but Xabi Alonso has been known to score from midfield. It's gonna take a little more something special that what De Rossi possess to get me even vaguely interested. I've been really down on him ever since he threw that awful elbow into Brian McBride in the last World Cup. Not to mention he would cost a fortune and already stated he wanted to finish his career at Roma. I know Kaka said he wanted to finish his Career at Milan but De Rossi is certainly no Kaka, despite what people have been saying about the Brazilians form lately. For me, it would be an absolute ludicrous decision if it ever amounted to buy him.

Let's switch gears. It's no secret that ever since Sergio Canales superb double performance in Racing Santander's 2-1 win over Sevilla, all eyes have been transfixed him. The teenager has said that at the moment he wants to wear the green and black. However, that's not enough to stop the super sharks (big clubs) from circling around the tank waiting for their chance to attack this fresh young talent. Santander president, Francisco Pernia, has spoken about the issue and mentioned that big clubs including English outfits, Manchester City and Chelsea, as well as ourselves, and several other big clubs have revealed interest. He seemed in favor of the loan back idea that the boy's father has considered. In which a club will buy Canales and then loan him back to Santander for a set period of time, most likely 1 or 2 seasons. Then after that period is up he joins with the club that bought him. This is what Real Madrid did with Garay for those of you who are unaware.

"Madrid don't give money away so when they call Racing, that's because they are in some way interested in going down that road," -Pernia

Hopefully the opportunity so sign this kid falls into the right hands and by the right hands I mean our hands. Giving him two years back where he is comfortable and getting regular first team time will develop him into an even hotter commodity. And by the time his loan spell is up, he will be ready to tackle a bigger task. At Madrid we can put him on a trampoline aimed in the direction of greatness. It's the perfect place to create your legacy for any Spanish player (and by Spanish player, I mean a player that actually considers himself as Spanish and regualry speaks Spanish. Im not trying to get under anyone's skin here...Barca, Bilbao, Depor and others... easy now). He is a Santander native. However there is connection between the northern Spanish city and Real Madrid. King Alfonso XIII, who granted Real Madrid it's "Real Corona" (royal crown) loved spending his summer holidays in Santander. For those of you who didn't know, Santander also has a corona on it's logo. The king even built the Palacio de la Magdalena as his Santander residence. Hardly football related but interesting.

These were just a couple thoughts I had while suffering through my spells of insomnia. It's about 4:15 am. I have class in a few hours. Goodnight readers. Hala Madrid.

Bobby

Frustration at its Peak: Athletic Bilbao 1-0 Real Madrid

To say that I am disappointed, sad, angry, frustrated, or let down are all understatements. I really don't know where to begin, so expect an unstructured rant-like review. You have to give props to Bilbao though. They executed their game plan perfectly. Banged and crashed until they got a goal early and then sat back and just defended with 10, and a lot of times 11 behind the ball. The worst part is Madrid must have been in on the plan because they gladly let it happen. This will be sure to add to an already blazing political/football fire. The rivalries burn on...

Madrid didn't even complete a pass before Athletic scored the only goal of the match from a free header the Lassana Diarra so kindly flicked on from a corner for Bilbao's none other than Llorente, who nodded the ball at ease past Casillas and into the net. San Mames erupted like volcano. Perhaps that was the sound of an alarm clock for Real Madrid. Los blancos decided maybe it was time wipe the sleepys out of their eyes and decide to show up. Too little too late though. If you want to be a championship winning team you have to wake up before you walk out of the tunnel at least. Real went on to dominate the rest of the match. Shot after shot was peppered away by Biblao's goalkeeper, Gorka Iraizoz, who must have went to church twice this week because he was blessed, no less than inspired by the lord today, easily my man of the match.

I wouldn't be so crushed about this game if we would have played as poorly as we did at Osasuna, but Madrid had 31 shots. The football was crisp, it was inventive, there was lots of energy, desire, but there was no goals. Madrid had 71% of the possession. We plugged away time after time only for the ball to be recklessly slashed or bombed away by a red and white striped player. They weren't even clearing balls up toward Llorente, the target forward, most of the time. They were just shooting missiles over our back line for the center backs to collect and restart the attack. After the goal was scored in the third minute, the Basques never even had another shot on target. Bilbao just frustrated us to the point of no return. You could clearly see the fluster on Madrid's faces, particuarlly Ronaldo who tried to take matters into his hands a few too many times. He even let the crowd get to him when he faked throwing a ball toward them.

I'm contemplating sending Pipita a "Get Well Soon" card, but then I changed my mind and went with a "Get Well Now!" card instead. Benzema was just absent today. He had his one effort that dinked off the post but other than that, I think Raul played a bigger part in the match and he came on in the 77th minute. As for other poor performances, I can't help but point the finger at Marcelo, shocking. He just got bullied by big Basque players all match. He looked like a marble in a pinball machine bouncing off everything he got near. I would have made the Guti for Marcelo substitution much earlier. For as soon as Guti came on, he created a unique combination which lead to one of our better chances. It was nice to have Ramos back in the line up. He had some buzz about him today. Lass... not so much. I've seen much better performances from him. Other than that. I really don't have much to complain about the players did well minus the opening three minutes. Kaka perhaps is still just a step behind. Maybe should have done better on that half volley from inside the area the went just wide of the near post and definately should have done better with the square ball accross the box.

Here is where I saw an issue. Bilbao fouled us 20 times. I would have to say at least 90 percent of those fouls were in the attacking half considering that's were about 90% of the game was played (for you math geniuses that's 18 fouls but of course this is an estimate). That gives us 18 set plays to work with. Now add another 9 corners to the equasion. That's 27 set plays that we we got nothing out of. At the beginning of the year, defending set plays was a big problem. Now it may be the attacking set plays that we should be capitalizing on that present a problem. I can hardly remember us scoring from a set piece situation in La Liga other than Garay's winning header at Valencia. Hopefully I have overlooked some. I didn't like free kick play with Ronaldo to Xabi Alonso. your at the edge of the area. Just have a go. Although that same play did work for Guti and Sneijder against Atletico Madrid a couple years ago; it didn't have the same result tonight. The Ronaldo run over and Guti shot was better, at least that one was on target. I was in a grim mood after the final whistle, only to hold back frustration tears when Barca smashed Sevilla 4-0 in a slow boring game that seem to drag on. Sevilla looked awful. Five points back looks mighty depressing from my angle.

In the end, I waited for this match all week and was mortified at the result after seeing the quality of play that Madrid produced. It just kills me to know that if we would have been awake for the first 3 minutes, we would have at least taken a point despite our lack of scoring. A team that looks so promising also looks so frustrating because of the expectations us Madridistas hold our players too. However, if you want the best, you can't expect anything less.

Bobby

Options Despite Injuries

Injuries are a part of football. Every team experiences them. When they decide to happen is a variable, but the fact that they do happen is a constant. Madrid have suffered injuries to key players this season. This summers biggest signings have both spent spells out of action. Ronaldo was sidelined for nearly two months. Kaka is just getting over an injury that kept him out for several weeks. Pepe is done for the season with a crucial ACL tear. Guti, Ruud Van Nistlerooy and Metzelder have spent the majority of the season training in the gym, separate from their teammates. Now the cruel issue strikes again, this time in the form of Higuain and Van der Vaart. Can Madrid cope?

Pipita is Madrid's leading scorer at the moment and is on fire when it comes to talking about form. He played 90 minutes on Sunday where he curled a beauty into the top corner with his left foot and set up the young Granero who replaced the injured Van der Vaart in los blancos' 2-0 triumph over Mallorca. To much dispair, the 22 year old Argentine will be spectating his team's matches due to a hamstring injury that will keep him off the pitch for 3 weeks. Rafael Van der Vaart looks to be headed in the same direction with his calf tear which will see him sitting next to Pipita, apart form action, for around the same time. Van der Vaart had been filling in for Kaka who made his return to a snowy Bernabeu this past weekend. Perhaps just in time..

The injuries the team have suffered this season have given other players a chance to shine. In Pepe's absence, Garay has been outstanding. Van der Vaart also proved his worth in Kaka's absence. With Ronaldo out, we needed another attacking midfielder with winger like qualities. Marcelo was pulled out of left back, where he played mostly in the beginning of the campaign and did a tremendous job, especially for playing out of position. Two goals and five assists for the crafty Brazilian thus far. Arbeloa has much to benefit from Ronaldo's injury as well. With Marcelo moved up the flank, a left back spot was up for grabs. He seems to have made the position his own and really come out of his shell in the past couple games. What does this all prove? Real Madrid are a whole team with depth that few teams can match. Barcelona haven't had nearly the injury troubles Madrid have this season yet we've kept pace with them time and time again only two points astray of the Catalans.

Now for what to do now... The obvious replacement for Higuain is Karim Benzema. We payed 35 million for the kid and he hasn't found a regular starting position so far this season. He had mentioned to the press that he was happy at Real but disappointed with not starting lately. He commented that this was a learning curve for him. Well now is time for him to prove his worth. Pipita has big shoes for Benzema to fill but I'm confident he can do it. He is a world class striker and this is a task that he can handle.

Easy fix there but as to the VdV injury, it gets a little more complex. Those who are looking for a simple solution would say just stick Kaka in his place now that he has returned. BUT Pellegrini started the pair of them last match. The boss has favored a 4-2-3-1 as of late which means there is still a whole to be plugged. What we are really focused on here is the "3" area of the formation. We'll call it the attacking midfield. If Pellegrini wants to stick with this formation, there are quite a few options he has to choose from..

1. At the weekend, when the Number 23 went down, we brought in the Number 24, Granero. This could be my favorite option. I am so impressed with this guy. He is a rare talent, so composed on the ball, very instrumental. He is still young and still has so far to go. He managed scored against Mallorca (Maybe should have had another). Not to mention, it would be great to see another Madrid-made player out there. I'm getting sick of hearing about this Barca "home grown" business.
-------------Casillas-------------
Ramos--Albiol---Garay--Arbeloa
---------Lass----XA-------------
Ronaldo-----Granero-------Kaka
-----------Benzema--------------

2. Pellegrini usually uses Kaka on the left flank but he could easily be put into the center of the attacking midfield where he could poach behind the striker, like the role his plays for the Brazilian national team. That way either Marcelo or even Drenthe, two technically gifted and naturally left footed players could play on the wing because Arbeloa has seemed to have beaten them both out in Pelle's eyes for the left back spot.
-------------Casillas-------------
Ramos--Albiol---Garay--Arbeloa
---------Lass-----XA------------
Ronaldo----Kaka-Marcelo/Drenthe
------------Benzema-------------

3. Do I dare say his name? Guti still has a role to play on this team whether people like it or not. If you are a Madrid fan, you know he is extremely talented. Who remembers when Guti tore apart Valladolid 2 seasons ago? Something absurd like 2 goals and 4 assists in a 7-0 thrashing. The spare goal he also started the attack with an amazing ball into space. If we put him as the center attacking midfielder he might even be more happy; his defensive responsibilities would be limited (I just laughed at that). However, this veteran can slice and diced a defense into peaces. But for the sake of beautiful football, have a look.. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWawC873aic (Music wouldnt have been my first choice lol)
-------------Casillas-------------
Ramos--Albiol---Garay--Arbeloa
---------Lass-----XA------------
Ronaldo-----Guti-----------Kaka
-----------Benzema--------------

Tell me what you think. Have some ideas of your own? Let's hear'm!

Bobby

Reaction to a Winter Wonder: Real Madrid 2-0 Mallorca

I was unable to see the match yesterday, sadly. I was traveling all day and was only able to get updates through various text messages. I wasn't the one driving so it's not like I could just check my phone every 10 minutes to see what was going on. I checked like every 10 seconds instead. However, my nerves settled a little bit when I got the text "Marca Pipita!" from a friend shortly after the match had started.

I wish I could analyze the match but having not seen it would make things rather difficult, wouldn't it? I did see the highlights and read the match reports. It appears that through the snow, Madrid dominated the match. There were a couple chances here and there from the islanders from what I understand but, correct me if I'm wrong, it could have easily been 3 or 4 to none.

I hate to see Benzema left out of the start XI so often but with the formation we are running and the form the Higuain has been in, there really isn't any other choice. Higuain has been just brilliant. In our two goal game, he had a thriller of his own and an assist which sat very kindly for the Pirate, Granero who smashed his volley in from close range. He was unfortunate not have another goal. The goal keeper made a tremendous save on a bullet he fired from around the edge of the area.

I was very much under stress when I got the text that told me Van der Vaart had gone off through injury, but my smile was salvaged when I heard that Granero would be the one to replace him. I've been an enormous Granero fan since his first few minutes back in a white shirt. This boy is so promising. I hope his playing time increases with the temporary absence of Van der Vaart. As to what VdV's injury actually is, I'm unclear. Goal.com reported that Madrid confirmed he would be out of action for 3 weeks with a hamstring tear but the Real Madrid official website contradicts those reports. Realmadrid.com says "the Dutchman has a strain on his left calf muscle."

I was a bit puzzled on that note though. I expected the young Granero to start the match which left me pondering my spare time in the car as to what the line up and formation was for the early kick off. I tinkered with it over and over in my brain until finally coming to the conclusion that it must be a 4-2-3-1. I believe i was correct. However, I must admit I was unsure who was sitting along side Xabi Alonso. It was an interesting choice in Gago. I've never hid my feelings about Gago. I never thought he had the quality to be a starter at this club. Because I missed the match, it is impossible for me to rate his performance but if anyone else would shed some light on the subject for me, I'm all ears. Goal.com gave Gago a 7/10 and mentioned that he distributed the ball simply. He doesn't look a bad player when does that. It's when he tries to over-do it, he gets himself into a bit of trouble.

Nice to see Kaka was back in action. I know he had the assist to Higuain's goal. Other than that, I can't tell you anything else about his performance (again input would be great here). There was a rare Guti spotting as well! He came on for Xabi Alonso late in the match. I was hoping we might get a glimpse of the veteran despite what people may think about his personality. Xabi Alonso's niggle is said to be nothing serious , just a bruise.

It is quite amazing that I'm this far into a reaction article and I haven't even mentioned Ronaldo's name yet. It's not that I thought he played poorly. I can't tell you how he played. He'll obviously be disappointed not to have scored. He always is. I saw that he had a few chances. Things just didn't go his way yesterday. Happens to everyone.

In the end it was a great win, a vital win, that keeps us at pace with Barcelona, who spoiled my day yesterday. I was just receiving a text that read "...barca is on espn and they look terrible, its still 0 0 though," when Messi, who ultimately scored a hat-trick, put the Catalans up at Tenerife. It eventually ended up in a slaughtering at 5-0 but from the highlights, Tenerife should have gone up at least a goal if they took their chances before Barca woke up.

Real Madrid have a difficult trip away to Bilbao next weekend. There is always a new test for los blancos but I'm convinced that we can rise to the challenge every time. Barca will have to try and do what they couldn't earlier in the week and that's beat Sevilla at the Nou Camp. Plenty of action to look forward to in coming times. That's all I have for now. If anyone would put some insight to crucial details I may have missed, you are more than welcome too.

Bobby

Crucial Absences and About Time Returns

Mallorca will be a vital test for Real Madrid on Sunday. The Islanders are currently enjoying a good run of form and an evenly great first half of the season as they sit pretty in La Liga's 4th place spot. Real Madrid will miss Sergio Ramos and Lassana Diarra through suspension while Kaka is expected to return along with veteran Guti who has been surrounded by fallout controversy with Manuel Pellegrini this season. He has always been a strong personality. However, it appears that Pellegrini is the one who holds the reigns and has a firm grip over the squad.

Perhaps the most crucial absence of weekend will be right back, Sergio Ramos because it will stir up more trouble than you might think. Here's why. Usually there are two possible replacements for the Spanish international. There first of which is Alvaro Arbeloa. However, for those who have been fallowing the club, Arbeloa has been playing left back since mid November. The second replacement Pellegrini uses for Sergio Ramos is Lassana Diarra. Although he is a midfielder by trade, Pelle has slipped the number 10 into the right back spot on several occasions. As I already mentioned, Lass is also suspended. So what to do...

1.) An obvious option would be to move Arbeloa, who was truly inspired against Osasuna, to right back and slide Marcelo or Drenthe into the vacant left back position. However many people are life-threateningly against putting either of them at left back because they both lack defensive qualities.

2.) Another option would be to give a go to a youth player. Many have tipped Marcos Alonso who was on the squad list to Valencia, to do a job, but the match against Mallorca may be a little too much pressure to throw him into. As mentioned above, Mallorca are in good form this season and with the title race being so close, this may not be a chance we want to take. Perhaps he could get minutes against a team that are not pushing for a place in European football next season.

The absence of Lass is not as vital considering there are plenty of midfielders that can do the job for Real. There are many options, Granero, Gago, or Guti, who hasn't played since the beginning portion on the season. There is much controversy between supporters on whether or not they would like Guti to return. There is a great article on http://www.real.theoffside.com/ (where you can also find a great Mallorca preview) regarding the Guti situation. I know Guti is tremendously talented. Butespite the spats between him and the coach, if we need him, we need him. I'm not going to hold a useful player out of the squad because we don't get along when the title is within two points. If I were Pellegrini, (if there is still a grudge or dispute still at hand, I'm not sure, its been a quiet topic), I would put relationship matters aside to earn 3 points. Then rebuild the relationship because in the end the two may need each other to achieve the same goals.

On another note Kaka will be returning. He was not selected by a coaching decision by Pellegrini last weekend because he had hardly trained and needed more time to get up to speed. Whether or not he will start tomorrow is unsure because Van der Vaart has done a sufficient job filling in for the Brazilian playmaker. On another note Garay, trained in the gym today. Hopefully he is available for the squad list. The team is already stretched at center back due to the season ending injury to Pepe. Maybe we will see the return of Metzelder if Garay is not fit. If not Metzelder and not Garay, we don't even have to option to push Sergio Ramos back into that spot. Castilla's Juanan has been in training this week with the first team. Seeing as he was born in Palma de Mallorca, I'm sure he is chomping at the bits to get on the field. This presents the same concern as did the Marcos Alonso, too crucial a game?

This is the line up I suspect Pellegrini to go with given that Garay is healthy.

------------Casillas------------
Arbeloa-Albiol-Garay-Marcelo
Ronaldo-Alonso-Granero-VDV

------Benzema--Higuain------

I don't expect Kaka to start. I could be wrong. I have been before, but I think he will be an early second half sub for Van der Vaart who has been playing regularly in his absence. Granero is in place of Lass. I think that Pellegrini will choose the "Pirate" because his ability to handle the ball at relative ease and his composure in possession.

Now here would be my starting XI.

------------Casillas------------
Arbeloa-Albiol--Garay-Marcelo

-------Alonso---Granero-------

VDV---------Kaka-----Ronaldo
------------Higuain------------

I continue to preach that Kaka's best position is the poaching spot behind the striker(s), the same role he plays for Brazil that he triumphs in. I have Ronaldo on the left, but as always he is free to roam, so Marcelo will be the one getting forward on the wing the majority of the time. The other side is just the opposite. Van der Vaart will play more of a fixed role on the right wing where Arbeloa won't be charging forward as much (unless he reconstructs his Osasuna performance). Higuain is the is the forward in whom Ronaldo will join on a regular basis. Benzema would replace Higauin early to mid second half.

Sunday will certainly test the depth of Real Madrid's depth in back line and somewhat in the midfield. Madridistas everywhere will be anxiously awaiting the return of Kaka. Can Marcelo defend at left back? The Mallorca team is full of former Madrid cantaneros and will be a vital match for our pursuit of the trophy.

Bobby

In the Wake of a Disappointing Weekend

I try not to bring it up but Real Madrid did fail to take the La Liga lead because of their away stalemate in Pamplona against Osasuna. I try to exile myself from the footballing world after disappointment but a rare occasion made me grin when I glanced at the headlines unintentionally. Okay fine you got me, I was curious of the Barcelona vs Sevilla Copa del Rey 1st leg result which happened to finish 2-1 to the Andalusians at the Nou Camp if you happen to miss it! I have two favorite teams, Real Madrid C.F. and who ever is playing Barcelona. So when I discovered they lost at home I was more than thrilled.

Then again a Copa del Rey anything just reminds me of our miserable exit but the joyful thought of frowning Barca players almost evens it out. Sadly, the first thing I thought of when I saw the result was "they probably didn't start their best XI." I was right. Valdes, Puyol, Pique, Xavi, Henry, and Ibrahimovic all started on the bench. On the contrary, Messi, Iniesta, Pedro, and Davi Alves did all start. So not their best starting line up but it included some quality Barcelona players including 2009's trophy boy, Messi. However, Ibra was introduced at half when the score was still tied at zero for Pedro. Busquets was brought into the match at 66 minutes for the rarely seen Gabi Milito after the young Diego Capel scored the opener on 60 minutes. Guardiola seemed to boost his offense by adding Xavi to the mix in the 70th minute. I didn't see the match but maybe Xavi was the boost Barcelona needed to draw level because a Zlatan Ibrahimovic goal brought the game to 1-1 on 74 minutes.

This is where it becomes interesting to me. Barcelona now had a fair experienced line-up on the field. Only a minute after drawing level. Diego Capel, who looks more and more promising everyday, drew a penalty which was converted by Alvaro Negredo. They say that you are most vulnerable after scoring but this is Barcelona we're talking about, with the momentum from a goal only a minute before hand. This Sevilla side only had 14 senior players on hand for the match and managed to get out in front of Barca, and climb above them after being equaled deep into the second half. That's an impressive result. Now the Blaugrana have to go to Sevilla (Us Madrid fans know that it's difficult to win there because of our loss to them 2-1 earlier this season in La Liga) and win by 2 goals. The scoreline 2-1 to Barca will send it to extra time and penalties if needed. A 1-0 result to the Catalans will still put Sevilla through on away goals.

I know this doesn't directly affect Real Madrid, but it affects their fans. As other Madrid fans, I don't want to see another trophy in Catalonia for a long... uhh wait.. well ever again. Because we blew our chance to stop them in the Copa del Rey so shamefully ourselves, whoever is going to step in and take the responsibility is a friend of mine. It really did a lot for morale on a Tuesday when Real Madrid was not even scheduled to play.

Bobby