Real Madrid is on the brink of arguably their biggest week of the season to date. First up, after the international midweek, Sevilla visits the Bernabeu. Real fell to the Rojiblancos at the Sanchez Pizjuan earlier this season. Los blancos, who still remain two points astray of Barcelona, risk going a tragic five points back with a loss because the Blaugrana are unlikely to misfire against 14th place Almeria. Next up, the Wednesday fallowing the Sevilla match, Lyon comes to town where we have it all to do ladies and gentlemen. If we fail to beat the French outfit by 2 goals then it will be more than half a decade in which we have not advanced from the Round of 16 in the Champions League. Let the criticism pour on the Capital if that happens. Our summer spending will be looked upon as a failure and the words "you can't by trophies" will never stop ringing around in our heads. I don't even want to get into that argument but there is a lot of things I want to discuss. I really wanted to start doing the video discussions for this article but I was experiencing technical difficulties. Perfect, on make or break week.
The biggest question is player fatigue and rest. We're just coming off the Tenerife trip, our most important players have internationals in the midweek. Sevilla comes to visit on Saturday and 4 days later we have Lyon in the Bernabeu to decide our Champions League fate as we know it. I guess if we're talking about resting players, we have to set out our priority. Is it La Liga or the Champions League? I want la decima as much as anyone but I'm certainly not going to sacrifice being 2 points of Barca domestically either. So can we afford to rest players during the Sevilla game so they are rested for Lyon?
Perhaps those players that are not called up for internationals could play a more significant role against Sevilla. Players like Guti, Granero, Mahamadou Diarra, and Benzema and Drenthe if they are fit in time. Obviously Xabi Alonso would have to take place from start to finish because he is suspended for the Lyon match but some would say that he shouldn't play a big part because the team needs to practice without him to keep out Champions League hopes alive. The plus side is that we have a midfield surplus in the team if everyone is healthy, Guti, Granero, Lass, Diarra, Xabi Alonso, Kaka, Van der Vaart, and Gago, not to mention Mosquera who has earned several selections. That's nine midfielders not including Marcelo who plays there at times. I'm not going to get into who should play where and why until I do the pre-match thoughts because I don't know who will be fit for those matches yet and because I'm still turning over these things in my head.
At the back we will just have to go with the Ramos-Albiol-Garay-Arbeloa set up. We really don't have any options do we? Metzelder is made of glass, Marcelo can't defend well enough to handle Sevilla's Navas (he's suspended for Lyon so no worries there). With the Spain team as well established as it is, Arbeloa probably won't play a big part against France and should be as well rested as the Brazilian Marcelo. I thought that Tenerife's attackers sometimes were unmarked particularly in our own area but I can't exactly contribute that to Albiol and Garay alone. I give a lot of the credit to Tenerife themselves for throwing 7 bodies at a time at least when attacking in the second half. But I am a fan of the Garay/Albiol center back partnership. Garay made a few last ditch efforts to stop onslaughts the other day and had an assist.
Up front, its Higuain or Raul, who got one at the weekend (hell yeah!), if not both (depending on what formation we play) if Benzema can't get fit. I'm puzzled to the extend of his injury. I know it's the Madrid plaguing sports hernia that Guti and Kaka have endured this season but I haven't seen anything (unless it's escaped my eye) that has told me how long he will be absent. His layoff worries me because even though we are in March now, he really hasn't shown his best yet I don't think. I feel as if he has a long way to come.
My number one concern is that our internationals escape their untimely friendly matches unscathed. I just finished up watching Brazil's 2-0 win over the Republic of Ireland, and Kaka didn't seem to pick up any injuries. Thank goodness because he's had a great run of form lately. Shut up haters. We'll have to wait on everyone else but arguably our internationals are our most vital players.
I guess it's only a matter of time before these questions are answered. I'm sure that Pellegrini has had these topics swirling around is his pool of thoughts. I know I have. I'm really glad I have break starting immediately after I finish class on Friday, because I'm going to be stressing hardcore over these matches and don't want my roommates to feel my wrath (evil laugh, kidding..) I will be saying a few prayers this week.
HALA MADRID!
Bobby
Solid article... This next week, as you put it, is "make or break".
ReplyDeleteIt's got me worried but more excited. I can't imagine the mood I'll be in if we win both..
ReplyDeleteConsoling article Bobby, consoling in as much as there's someone else who is ultra paranoid about the next two games. CL however must be prioritised over Liga as it's held at the Bernabeu and of the past failings that for me is a no brainer. My hopes of playing without Xabi in Tenerife unsurpisingly didn't happen bar the last 8 or so minutes and a drop in line cutting passes was immediately noticed and as you say it's not viable to try without him against Sevilla. I'll discuss some Lyon possibilities when you post the blog as I was wondering whether to go for something radical like move Ramos up to Xabi's spot but let's see how they come back from today's friendlies. Albolea by the way, looks like he might start at left back, so Del Bosque evidently has been watching him in that role as Capdivila is less of a defensive LB
ReplyDeleteI wish the friendlies had been scheduled for the week after Lyon but there you go
Labomba
Great article Bobby.Im also worried and exited surely we can break this CL jinx.Ive got to agree with Labomba about prioritizing the Cl over the Liga.As for people saying " you cant buy success " clubs buy players , players form teams , teams win trophies that has and will always be the way of football and the only thing that separates clubs is the amount of money they are either willing or able to spend in fact even youth team players nowadays are bought from other clubs sometimes even from other countries . So us Real fans should not be taken on a guilt trip by fans of other clubs weather this team wins anything or not.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the ocmments guys. Gabe. I'm not guilty at all we're priveledged. Just shows our desire to succeed to achieve for the club for the fans and the crest. Labomba, I know that Xabi Alonso is the glue that holds everything together (ask liverpool lol) As for the ramos Idea in his spot, I don't hate it. But Marcelo is suspened so maybe Lass rightback Arbeloa left? We'll get into that more as these fixtures approach I suppose.
ReplyDeleteI dont think you feel gulity Bobby I was just saying that bcoz of all the coments practicaly all Real fans have to enduer and especialy this season.Well lose alot of creativity with the lack of Alonso I also want to see Lass at right back with M.Diarra in midfield either Granero or VDV could deputise for Xabi.Hopefuly we can get an early goal to bring Lyon out of what will probably be their defensive shell.
ReplyDeletehaha i know gabe. I didn't mean to accuse u of calling me guilty. I was just saying it anyway :p
ReplyDeleteEarly goal will be key. Esentially one goal in 90 minutes will do, it will atleast get us to extra time. but all and all we need 2 goals
Don't know if you saw the France Spain friendly Bobby but if you did you will see that Xabi had an excellent game as a deep playmaker (which surprise surprise is what he is) and partnered well with Busquets as DM, don't know why this can't be replicated with Lass, Pellegrini take note. Lass on the other hand, was poor. No creativity whatsoever in midfield, but the usual late tackles including a heartstopping tackle on his team mate Alonso and a shove in the penalty area on Navas. Alonso outclassed him in MF. So on to Lyon, I think as suggested by another poster VDV in a deeper role for Xabi is the more likely option Pellegrini will take, but I still feel Ramos can play the ball out as creatively but with the necessary defending speed. Don't know if you can read Spanish but you could translate this page http://www.as.com/futbol/articulo/futbol-higuain-triunfo-virus-fifa/dasftb/20100304dasdaiftb_12/Tes as it runs down how all RM players faired. Not objectively at all as it's AS
ReplyDeleteLabomba
PS am pissed off as everyone else manages to post on this page under a name but it never lets me and I have to use anonymous
ReplyDeleteHaha sorry Labomba. I wish I could figure out the comment deal. I really dont have any control over it. But I know its u.
ReplyDeleteBut I did catch a bit of the France Spain game. Ramos lights one up. I was unclear to why Xavi didnt start. del Bosque said he would be in the line up. it would have been all La liga based players from 3 different clubs if that had been the case. Cesc kinda disrupted that. Interesting. I also thought Navas was good after coming on. We'll have to keep an eye on the slippery winger this weekend.
As for the article, my spanish is decent. I'll definately make out what I can. But Xabi alonso Busquets was a good partnership..