La Liga - 2015/2016

[Snow]

He's accomplished the most out of any manager over the last 5 years. If Jose can be called the best manager and not "best defensive manager" 6 years back, then so can Simeone presently. What he has achieved at Atletico is simply astonishing.

Jose is completely different than Simeone. He has yet to repeat his success whilst José has done so in multiple facets. 6 years back SAF was the best manager.
Atlético have scored less goals than Eibar this season, a team with a 6k stadium and a less turnover than the Jackson Martinez purchase. Their attack has been as good as our very heavily criticized attack. In 15 games out of 27 they've scored 1 or less goals.

I'm always a bit reserved regarding managers that gain their success based on players accumulated by their predecessors. He's in his 4th whole season with Atlético and in the current squad you've got Carrasco, Oblak and Gimenez that are good purchases with Griezmann being the best albeit the most straightforward purchase.

His accomplishments are great but he's not the best manager out there.

 

[prarek]

Jose is completely different than Simeone. He has yet to repeat his success whilst José has done so in multiple facets.

I bet if he had spent the ridiculous amount of money Jose spent and had those expensively built squads like Chelsea, Inter and Real Madrid he would just as easily win atleast as much trophies as Mourinho won. Mourinho has never had to face odds like Simeone. Even Avram won the CL with Chelsea.

 

[jojojo]

Wrote the midweek fixture post. Didn't hit the reply button. Doh.
So, one day later...

Tue 1 Mar 2016 - Spanish La Liga

• Atletico Madrid 3 - 0 Real Sociedad
• Las Palmas 4 - 0 Getafe

Tonight's games:

• Athletic v Deportivo de La Coruña 19:00 (all times UK)
• Celta de Vigo v Villarreal 19:00
• Málaga v Valencia 19:00
• Sevilla v Eibar 19:00
• Levante v Real Madrid 20:00

Thursday

• Granada CF V Sporting de Gijón 19:00
• Espanyol V Real Betis 19:30
• Rayo Vallecano V Barcelona 20:00

 

[RobinLFC]

Las Palmas seem to be on quite a roll at the moment, two straight wins and they were unlucky not to get something out of their home game against Barcelona as well. It was the first time I've watched a game from them but they impressed me, they're out of the relegation places into 15th place now, not bad.

 

[FCBarca]

Maybe, but I think the clauses are only for training with the first team. Anyway good news, he has now several months to test new players

Yeah, still gotta be strange though for fellow castilla players to see Odegaard get minutes when others have shown more. More so when you consider some of the issues the player had with Zizou with the youth team

 

[PedroMendez]

Las Palmas seem to be on quite a roll at the moment, two straight wins and they were unlucky not to get something out of their home game against Barcelona as well. It was the first time I've watched a game from them but they impressed me, they're out of the relegation places into 15th place now, not bad.

I had high hopes for Araujo, but sadly he disappointed me.

 

[Snow]

I bet if he had spent the ridiculous amount of money Jose spent and had those expensively built squads like Chelsea, Inter and Real Madrid he would just as easily win atleast as much trophies as Mourinho won. Mourinho has never had to face odds like Simeone. Even Avram won the CL with Chelsea.

He was always the underdog with Inter and his net spend was low and he had to replace a lot of players. The competition back in Italy wasn't as big because of the scandal but his CL feat hasn't been repeated winning it with Porto and Inter.

 

[Gol123]

He was always the underdog with Inter and his net spend was low and he had to replace a lot of players. The competition back in Italy wasn't as big because of the scandal but his CL feat hasn't been repeated winning it with Porto and Inter.

His spending at Inter was ridiculous. Its a myth that he spent little there.

 

[prarek]

He was always the underdog with Inter and his net spend was low and he had to replace a lot of players. The competition back in Italy wasn't as big because of the scandal but his CL feat hasn't been repeated winning it with Porto and Inter.

Inter were already the defending Serie-A champions when he was appointed and they had by far and away the best team in a league that was at its weakest. He was only the underdogs against Barcelona in CL. That Porto CL win was the easiest in CL history. Beat United after dodgy referreeing and then Lyon(quater), Deportivo(semi) and Monaco(final) with Porto is not exactly a giant killing feat. Simeone would have won the CL with that route without breaking a sweat.

None of those feats compare with Simeone taking a midtable La Liga team who had finished top 4 only thrice in two decades and even got relegated in between. Make no mistake Atletico were a midtable team, they were no Valencia. Simeone won the league with no outside investment, reached CL final. Everyone thought it was impossible. No one thought winning CL with Inter was impossible, difficult but not impossible. And Simeone won the league against two of the best teams in the world. That same year Barcelona won the CL and Real Madrid won the next one. Mourinho has won more titles overall but none of his single season achievement(or his achievement with any single club) even comes close to what Simeone has done with Atletico.

Winning the league with Atletico is way more impressive than winning multiple titles with expensively assembled squads in different clubs imo.

 

[Snow]

Inter were already the defending Serie-A champions when he was appointed and they had by far and away the best team in a league that was at its weakest. He was only the underdogs against Barcelona in CL. That Porto CL win was the easiest in CL history. Beat United after dodgy referreeing and then Lyon(quater), Deportivo(semi) and Monaco(final) with Porto is not exactly a giant killing feat. Simeone would have won the CL with that route without breaking a sweat.

None of those feats compare with Simeone taking a midtable La Liga team who had finished top 4 only thrice in two decades and even got relegated in between. Make no mistake Atletico were a midtable team, they were no Valencia. Simeone won the league with no outside investment, reached CL final. Everyone thought it was impossible. No one thought winning CL with Inter was impossible, difficult but not impossible. And Simeone won the league against two of the best teams in the world. That same year Barcelona won the CL and Real Madrid won the next one. Mourinho has won more titles but none of his single season achievement even comes close to what Simeone has done.

Winning the league with Atletico is way more impressive than winning multiple titles with expensively assembled squads in different clubs imo.

Two decades from when? 3rd in '92, won the league in '96, 4th in '08 an '09 and twice recent winners of the Europa League.

I guess Pochettino or Ranieri are about to become the best manager in the world then soon.

 

[prarek]

Two decades from when? 3rd in '92, won the league in '96, 4th in '08 an '09 and twice recent winners of the Europa League.

From 2016. Fine even going further 5 years it's still hugely impressive. And one of those Europa titles was with Simeone.

I guess Pochettino or Ranieri are about to become the best manager in the world then soon.

Sure why not? As soon as they win the premier league against the two best teams in the world(we will leave out the two best teams in the world part as they are not even in the league) and reaches the Champions League final beating a team like Barcelona or Bayern and maintains a certain level in the following years. Then we will talk.

 

[Snow]

From 2016. Fine even going further 5 years it's still hugely impressive. And one of those Europa titles was with Simeone.



Sure why not? As soon as they win the premier league against the two best teams in the world(we will leave out the two best teams in the world part as they are not even in the league) and reaches the Champions League final beating a team like Barcelona or Bayern and maintains a certain level in the following years. Then we will talk.

Atlético "only had to beat Barcelona" and then didn't even win the CL. Doesn't count you know.

 

[prarek]

Atlético "only had to beat Barcelona" and then didn't even win the CL. Doesn't count you know.

Reaching the final beating teams like Chelsea and Barcelona with vastly inferior resources is probably harder than winning it with Porto beating teams like Lyon and Monaco.

 

[Snow]

Reaching the final beating teams like Chelsea and Barcelona with vastly inferior resources is probably harder than winning it with Porto beating teams like Lyon and Monaco.

You're arguing in favor of Simeone doing well in the CL by beating Barcelona with inferior resources why Mourinho did the same and won it with Inter and won it with Porto with much inferior resources than Atlético had. All to try and argue that Simeone isn't just a very good manager who has done exceptionally well with Atlético but the greatest manager in the world.

I'm saying he's a very good manager that has done exceptionally well and he's the best out there at organizing a defense but I don't think he's the best in the world no matter how you spin it.

 

[prarek]

You're arguing in favor of Simeone doing well in the CL by beating Barcelona with inferior resources why Mourinho did the same and won it with Inter and won it with Porto with much inferior resources than Atlético had. All to try and argue that Simeone isn't just a very good manager who has done exceptionally well with Atlético but the greatest manager in the world.

I'm saying he's a very good manager that has done exceptionally well and he's the best out there at organizing a defense but I don't think he's the best in the world no matter how you spin it.

I never said he was the best in here. Mourinho did not have less resources than Simeone. That's bull. Look at the teams they faced also. Porto were hardly even underdogs against Lyon or Benfica. If they were then i don't think it was by much.

 

[prarek]

Cop puts Malaga in front against Valencia.

 

[prarek]

It will be difficult now. Malaga can be a tough nut to crack. They're sitting back and playing on the counter.

 

[prarek]

Chance for Valencia from corner but Kameni saves from point blank range.

 

[prarek]

Haha what a freak goal! Alcacer crosses from the right and Kameni turns it into his own net! Howler. 1-1.

 

[Skorenzy]

Kameni like I've always said about him - a GK who can look world class one minute and completely clueless the next. What a way to score an own-goal, he practically spiked that cross into his own net... amazing.

 

[Skorenzy]

Haha what a freak goal! Alcacer crosses from the right and Kameni turns it into his own net! Howler. 1-1.

Hah, one week you're stopping a Cristiano penalty, the next you're getting your volleyball and your football appointments mixed up.

 

[prarek]

Hah, one week you're stopping a Cristiano penalty, the next you're getting your volleyball and your football appointments mixed up.

What a spectacular own goal.

 

[prarek]

Great entertaining first half.

 

[Skorenzy]

Meanwhile, Aduriz puts Athletic two-nil up v Depor - that's goal 28 of the season for him.

 

[prarek]

 

[Skorenzy]

What a spectacular own goal.

Inexplicable is another adjective I'd add to that sentence

 

[prarek]

Meanwhile, Aduriz puts Athletic two-nil up v Depor - that's goal 28 of the season for him.

He's getting younger every day.

 

[bucky]

 

[Hojoon]

 

[FCBarca]

Kameni like I've always said about him - a GK who can look world class one minute and completely clueless the next. What a way to score an own-goal, he practically spiked that cross into his own net... amazing.

Spot on

 

[DomesticTadpole]

He's getting younger every day.

At this minute he is younger than Rooney.

 

[prarek]

At this minute he is younger than Rooney.

 

[prarek]

Switching over to United v Watford for a while.

 

[Skorenzy]

Amazing curved through pass from André Gomes to set up Cheryshev, whose finish is unerring. 2-1 to GNev's boys! Didn't see that coming after the first 40 minutes - Gary owes Kameni a big thank you.

 

[prarek]

Amazing curved through pass from André Gomes to set up Cheryshev, whose finish is unerring. 2-1 to GNev's boys! Didn't see that coming after the first 40 minutes - Gary owes Kameni a big thank you.

Missed the goal. Cheryshev has made a big difference to the offense in all the games so far.

 

[prarek]

Watching United Watford and Ighalo just went close with a deflection. Is anyone surprised by how good he has been in the premier league? 14 goals already this season. He didn't score that many in 3 seasons in La Liga lol.

 

[prarek]

@Skorenzy Did Malaga just go down to 10 men?

 

[prarek]

Rodgrigo on for Feghouli just had a decent chance put through by Alcacer.

 

[Skorenzy]

Watching United Watford and Ighalo just went close with a deflection. Is anyone surprised by how good he has been in the premier league? 14 goals already this season. He didn't score that many in 3 seasons in La Liga lol.

Yeah, I noted that as well back back when he'd reached 11-12 goals or something which also fit that criterium - the fact that he's still "only" on 14 a couple of months later seems a probable indicator of a one-off six-month confidence run. Then again, that Granada side has seen some talented individuals - if never quite a team -, among others Brahimi, El-Arabi etc. Gotta hand it to those Pozzos and their scouting network.

 

[Skorenzy]

@Skorenzy Did Malaga just go down to 10 men?

Don't know, I actually also switched to the Utd-Watford game, hah. However, the Internet tells me that there hasn't (yet) been a player sent off in the Málaga-Valencia game; the Internet also tells me Arsenal are bottling it at home against Swansea at the moment - though I didn't really need the Internet for the latter.