And zidane inherited a team that won CL just two years prior, goes both ways
Zidane sack watch - 19/20
- Thread starter JoaquinJoaquin
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Zidane has equally been competing with two teams that are also declining far worse then Madrid (Barcelona/Atleti) and his team is still better then them talent wise.
They're declining worse because they don't have Zidane, the 2nd part is debatable.
Didn't Guardiola inherit a team that won the CL in 2006? I don't follow your point, Guardiola has never managed successfully a team through it's decline, that's what Zidane is currently doing. We have seen both managers manage a top team during their prime and their trophy cabinets are both full.
When it comes to Pep, I've always felt the bulk of his success is not down to his tactics, but more to the talent he's had at his disposal. It's extremely hard to fail when you've got the GOAT, and one of the greatest midfield combo in world football supplying him. Next Bayern, we all know the deal, and then City with half a billion at his disposal. Zidane has also benefited from an incredible team, even if that team was struggling mightily when he took it over, you know the talent was always there and their poor performances were more down to a clash with the manager at the time, Rafa Benitez.
I'm just more impressed with what Zidane has done this season, putting his young but stellar reputation as a manager on the line to come back to a Madrid side that everyone thought was too poor and past it. He's second of the league by a point behind Atletico, beat Liverpool twice and Barcelona in the span of a couple of weeks with a multitude of key injuries, I actually think what he's doing this season is more impressive to me than anything Pep's done in his managerial career. I would like to see Pep take on a challenge the way Zidane has in his second stint with Madrid.
I'm just more impressed with what Zidane has done this season, putting his young but stellar reputation as a manager on the line to come back to a Madrid side that everyone thought was too poor and past it. He's second of the league by a point behind Atletico, beat Liverpool twice and Barcelona in the span of a couple of weeks with a multitude of key injuries, I actually think what he's doing this season is more impressive to me than anything Pep's done in his managerial career. I would like to see Pep take on a challenge the way Zidane has in his second stint with Madrid.
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guaridiola’s is a lot more full and managing a team in decline is much easier when the league is at its worst in the last 15 years. Zidane is a phenomenal coach but Barca have been in crisis while pep deal with a far tougher Madrid
if there was ever a time to manage a team in decline in la liga it would be now.
Eh. League isn't exactly any weaker than it was in Guardiola's first two seasons, it just doesn't have that barcelona side in it
much easier to win it now than back then
You see that's why I didn't judge any of them and just said it was a different context. Here you are essentially trying to make the point that managing prime Xavi, Busquets, Dani Alves, Messi, Piqué and Iniesta was harder than managing a team without Ronaldo and with your key players declining. I could entertain the comparison with Zidane between 2016-2018 and if you want to give the edge to Guardiola fair enough but I'm not going to compare directly what Zidane currently has to do with significantly weaker players and what Guardiola did with all time great players in their prime, for me that's just silly.
significantly weaker
it’s a much weaker league too, Barca are on their third coach in the last year alone.zidane still has the best midfield in the world, a top 5 keeper, a top 3 striker and solid depth. He’s done well managing the injuries but if there was ever a time to manage a decline this would absolutely be the season when his rivals are in shambles
So the current Real Madrid squad is equivalent to the one they had in 2016? So we are going to pretend that Barcelona are in a worse shape? You have no shame.significantly weaker
zidane still has the best midfield in the world, a top 5 keeper, a top 3 striker and solid depth. He’s done well managing the injuries but if there was ever a time to manage a decline this would absolutely be the season when his rivals are in shambles
are you kidding me?! He’s still got a damn good team you’re acting like he’s taking Leicester of 2016 to a title. Barca are in absolute crisis and had their worst start to a season since 1988 and on their third coach in the last year alone.
zidane still has a team with solid depth, top 5 keeper, top 3 striker, and the best midfield in the world. These are facts. And once again if you actually followed la liga you would see that the league is in rough shape right now. Much easier to manage a decline when your biggest rival is in their biggest decline than it is when you’ve got mourinho’s Madrid on the other side or a far better Barca side.
zidane is a phenomenal coach, he’s done well so far this season but the hyperbole around this season is quite bizarre
He's not going to win the league because of the very simple reason that half his squad is either injured or extremely exhausted and at the verge of getting injured due to the extreme effort they made in the last games. That means Zidane will likely prioritize the Champions League, competition where quality wise Madrid has the third or fourth best team out of the remaining sides, which means it is very likely he will win nothing at the end of the season.
No I said that he had a far weaker team than the one he had in 2016-2018, you are the only one indulging in hyperboles with imagining a reference to Leicester, I didn't qualify his season outside of saying that it was a different context to prime Barcelona/Real Madrid. But because you are so defensive about Guardiola, you seemingly can't read a very simple and mild comment.
Why? If anything it was easier for barcelona to win then, given their qualitative advantage against the competition. The year of the treble they had the worst real madrid post 06 as their big domestic competition
I'll give you 09/10, for all that real madrid were a weird team - the alcorconazo, going out to OL in the champions league - they did pick up 96 points in the league - though i would posit that real madrid side doing so well in the league was more of an indictment of the league's strength in depth than anything...
nope you’re way off, re-read what I wrote. I’ve said several times zidane is a phenomenal coach, you keep spouting nonsense as though he’s dragging a bunch of bums to the top. I’ve said many many times on here, even when Barca were ahead of Madrid and gone undefeated in the league in 2021 up until a week ago that this was the worst La liga in a long time. If there was ever a time to manage a declining team it would when you’re biggest rival is also in a massive decline.
Dude, I told you that I won't/can't compare the two contexts. You not only can't understand this simple idea but also manages to make up what I said or think repeatedly it's almost amazing. As I already told you, I won't compare Guardiola at Barcelona with Zidane and his current context. If that upsets you and you deem it being an hyperbole, tough luck.
Which is exactly what Guardiola got in his first season
Also, worst la liga in a long time? It's not any worse than the last two seasons honestly. It's not any worse than 08/09, apart from the best team being worse.
Honestly, aside from the 11-17 period which really was incredibly strong at every level, the main difference between this season and, say 10/11 is barcelona and real madrid are significantly worse. Which fair enough, having to beat 90+ points to the title is much certainly tougher than winning now, but ultimately that's all it is - beating one great team to the title is harder than beating none, but it's a league: strenght in depth is more significant in terms oc how hard it is to win it - and it's really not much different now than it was in Guardiola's time
Huge respect for Zidane. Artist as a player and in two spells at Real Madrid with and without Ronaldo the results speak for itself. As much as people expect wonderful football from his teams I actually think he's got more of a Mourinho doggedness about him in that when he gets written off he digs up a good run of form and Madrid remain in contention for the big titles.
Don't see why it wouldn't work elsewhere. Not sure he'll come to the prem but seems a good fit for Juventus in the coming years and France are talking about wanting him aswell so he won't be out for work very long.
Still makes me chuckle either this thread or another one was created on the back of a pre season friendly.
Don't see why it wouldn't work elsewhere. Not sure he'll come to the prem but seems a good fit for Juventus in the coming years and France are talking about wanting him aswell so he won't be out for work very long.
Still makes me chuckle either this thread or another one was created on the back of a pre season friendly.
That pre-season friendly had Florentino Perez open a Zidane sack watch thread to be fair
Any other Barca (pre Setien) from the last ten years would walk this league, any other Madrid as well.
someone mentioned zidane having as many leagues as pep, you then brought up managing during the decline. You continue to act like he’s dragging a bunch of bums to the top. You clearly don’t watch the league and that’s fine, but this season of la liga greatly benefits from having one of the worst Madrid and Barca sides
It's factual, he is managing them through the decline, won a league title and is doing a good job this year with a CL semi final and still in the title race. So in a different context he has a chance to match Guardiola's league total. Now you take that as you want and you can put akk the hyperboles that you want too. Just don't quote me.
He’s also had a top 3 striker, a top 5 keeper and the best midfield in the world. These are the facts, period.
And no one argued against it which makes your point a bit hollow.
His net spend since 2016 is not that much more that Man United’s. Barcelona’s total outlay is also more than City’s, though they have a smaller net.
https://www.espn.co.uk/football/blo...ost-most-money-on-transfer-market-cies-report
In that time Man City have won 2 league titles (soon to be 3), the FA Cup (may soon be 2) and three league cups (may soon be 4). United have won the Europa league and the league cup. It’s not just about money.
Also those other City managers may have got to spend what Pep has if they’d been more successful and stayed in the job longer.
Madrid doesn't have the best midfield in the world.
Any? What's the cut off for either? 08/09 for barcelona and 09/10 for madrid? I'm not so sure 18/19 barcelona would walk this league either. Or real madrid of the past two seasons either
2019 Barca would absolutely walk this league no question. I’d say any team from the last ten years of Madrid or Barca would do it. This is a dire year of la liga but so much decline at the top it makes for a more interesting title race.
they absolutely do
No, you immediately brought up 2016 Madrid which had nothing to do with current Madrid who still have several world class players
This is the best real madrid side since 17/18
That is why Koeman is perfect for themReal’s DNA is about winning, Barsa’s is about playing nice and complaining...
they really should send Mendy a thank you gift for giving them the chance to complain after the clasico 
disagree there but you obviously follow them more closely than I do although the team I watch the second most after Barca is Madrid (keep your friends close and...)
but I find this Madrid side to be rather toothless but zidane has done well with the makeshift defense. They remind me more of a mourinho side lately (sitting deep as oppose to 2012 mourinho)
We were just as toothless last season, and Modric and the young players were worse
Courtois was better, but on the whole, aside from a short period when hazard got fit before the injury, this season's team has been better
And obviously it's much better than the 18/19 one that couldn't do anything well
Courtois was better, but on the whole, aside from a short period when hazard got fit before the injury, this season's team has been better
And obviously it's much better than the 18/19 one that couldn't do anything well
I'd put Kroos-Modric-Casemiro on the same level as Xavi-Iniesta-Busquets. Different style, maybe less enjoyable, but very, very effective and a lot of grit.
Agreed but they aren't at their peak now.
Of course, just look at their ages. Still Modric is amazing, Kroos has superb passing ability and Casemiro is the enforcer any team needs. If their injury free they will do some damage to Chelsea and in the final.