Zidane watch

GatoLoco

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Don't see the need for this thread to he bumped. He's not come back to a great team by any stretch of the imagination. After a great run in Europe (under him), Madrid are now a team that is half past it and half Yong and Learning. And their one major Galactico signing has been injured/unfit for most of the season. Keeping that in mind, and the situation they were in when he took over, losing to City and being neck and neck with Barcelona is fine. Look at their team now and it's a far cry from how things were 3 years back. I'd argue that they have it worse on paper than Barcelona as well, who should be favourites for the title.
This is absolutely spot on.

Many of the best players in this squad have been at the top of their game for almost 10 seasons now (in the worst of cases), players such as Marcelo, Modric, Bale or Isco. Others have had a very good season considering the circumstances, Ramos and Benzema, but I suspect they will be there soon as well. There were notable absences in Hazard, Kroos and Asensio yesterday...

City is a mature team with depth and quality that has invested a lot of money in improving the squad for many years now. I'd say yesterday's game is nothing to be surprised about.
 

Daysleeper

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Don't see the need for this thread to he bumped. He's not come back to a great team by any stretch of the imagination. After a great run in Europe (under him), Madrid are now a team that is half past it and half Yong and Learning. And their one major Galactico signing has been injured/unfit for most of the season. Keeping that in mind, and the situation they were in when he took over, losing to City and being neck and neck with Barcelona is fine. Look at their team now and it's a far cry from how things were 3 years back. I'd argue that they have it worse on paper than Barcelona as well, who should be favourites for the title.
Madrid have far far more depth than a Barca. This is comfortably the worst Barca side of the last ten years. Messi was also gone the first two months of the season. Madrid spent a ton of money over the summer, 300 million euros. If there ever was a time to win la liga for them it is now.

I don’t think Zidane should be fired but he’s been very overrated this season.
 

giorno

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I think he's doing a good job, but i'm not sure he's doing a great job. This season has been a roller coaster, from mediocre, to bad, then slowly getting up to good, then briefly great and now back to fairly mediocre...

Not much he can do about the lack of firepower, we just don't have the players right now, but the tactical discipline and focus that were the basis of our excellent defence have been lost over the last month

Against City every single chance they had and dangerous situations they created were down to big mistakes from us
 

caid

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I think he's doing a good job, but i'm not sure he's doing a great job. This season has been a roller coaster, from mediocre, to bad, then slowly getting up to good, then briefly great and now back to fairly mediocre...

Not much he can do about the lack of firepower, we just don't have the players right now, but the tactical discipline and focus that were the basis of our excellent defence have been lost over the last month

Against City every single chance they had and dangerous situations they created were down to big mistakes from us
City are good at forcing mistakes tbf. I think stabilising the team and competing is about the best you could have asked for, you were a lot worse before he came back. Its not a vintage Madrid side by any stretch
 

giorno

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City are good at forcing mistakes tbf. I think stabilising the team and competing is about the best you could have asked for, you were a lot worse before he came back. Its not a vintage Madrid side by any stretch
But that's the point, they didn't force those mistakes, we just made them. At most the early Gabriel chance and his goal you could maybe say were forced, or at least the kind of mistakes that can happen normally against a team with that much quality. But the rest was just us fecking up on our own


Agree with the rest of your post
 

giorno

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How has Vinicius Jr been this season ?
Hit and miss, same as last season really. Zidane's management of him has been puzzling at times, but ultimately he's still just a 19 year old kid with potential, nowhere near ready for real madrid
 

giorno

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You have to question him and whether the players are playing for him anymore.
Nah, not really. We always start slow with him in charge

Still, two games in a row where we have zero intensity or urgency. Something needs to change, fast
 

Dansk

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You have to question him and whether the players are playing for him anymore.
Why, though? He's a club legend and he won the CL three years in a row for them, as well as La Liga last season. What reason would they have for rebelling?
 

Berbaclass

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Why, though? He's a club legend and he won the CL three years in a row for them, as well as La Liga last season. What reason would they have for rebelling?
Have you seen their last two games? Their attitude has been terrible.
 

Mb194dc

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Sacked by Christmas or rousing second half come back from 3 - 0?

Poch is waiting in the wings flushing eyelashes if Perez does decide to pull the trigger.
 

Berbaclass

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Nah, not really. We always start slow with him in charge

Still, two games in a row where we have zero intensity or urgency. Something needs to change, fast
So he doesn’t need to be questioned but something really needs to change, fast...
 

Morty_

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You have to question him and whether the players are playing for him anymore.
No, the players turning on Zidane is not a thing, thats not the issue here.
Lack of quality, poor tactics, other factors, but its not because he doesnt have respect anymore.
 

United Junkie

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Oh my God, he must be fuming. What the feck happened to Madrid?! Cadiz was a feck up but this is just straight out humiliating for Madrid. Whats going on Madristas on redcafe?
 

King7Eric

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I'm totally out of the loop here, can anyone please tell me why Real are playing at their training ground?
 

Berbaclass

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No, the players turning on Zidane is not a thing, thats not the issue here.
Him seemingly not being able to motivate them is though. They’ve not been great for a while IMO.

A few narrow wins against 10 man Betis and Vallodolid now Cadiz and Tonight. He absolutely deserves to be questioned.
 

Champagne Football

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Real are missing a few big names indeed - Carvajal, Sergio Ramos, Hazard....then Kroos and Benzema started on the bench perhaps to be rested.

The problem at Madrid is that the squad players don't seem to be doing the business yet - Odegaard, Vinicius Junior, Jovic, Mendy, Militao etc
 

Redplane

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Lay

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The last thing that is said is that the diagnosis of the ankle was wrong.
He keeps recovering. The next scheduled date, end of November
Where does he list in the worst signings of all time?
 

Nani Nana

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CR7's shadow looming large above that Real team.

It is not just they failed to replace him adequately, the player meant to lead the team is not even fit to play.

Several Real players who came in after CR7 have questionable attitude off the pitch. His professionalism is missed. An attribute scouts overlook in favour of sheer talent and stats.
 

carvajal

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There is a growing group of fans who are fed up with Zidane.
Many times for decisions that people do not fully understand, such as constant rotations, or insisting with players who are not well, or simply not getting the appropriate performance from others.
Then we are in a point where we have a coach who keeps winning titles but who plays really badly.
Madrid have to attack, score goals and give a show.
Good defensive work does not satisfy the fan for long.
Then we find ourselves, I think, in the situation that the culés lived with Valverde. They win, one way or another, but the style is terrible.

It does not matter if the squad is good or bad, the question is whether another coach can propose a better game with what is available, and whether another coach is capable of obtaining a better version of certain players.
Wouldn't Achraf be worth for this Madrid, instead of changing Mendy to the right? Couldn't we have bought some cheap subtitute for Casemiro in the past?

Rodrygo plays today, and perhaps he will spend a month on the bench now, however Modric, who should rest, does not stop playing. Jovic played today but maybe he won't until Christmas and no one would be surprised.
As against City in the Champions League, when he did not use Vini for a minute when we had to win.
I do not know if he wants to toughen certain players based on disappointments or is purely a matter of hierarchies.

It is clear that there are players who are not good enough, but there is no plan beyond the "press after loss and maintain intensity"
I respect him a lot, and I don't tend to respect the coaches too much, but if he leaves tomorrow I wouldn't care.

Where does he list in the worst signings of all time?
I have known an immense amount of flops. He could be on the podium with Kaká, but let's give him a little more time, let's see what happens with that ankle
 
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Lay

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Kaka didn't live up to expectations but he at least got on the field! 29 goals in 120 games isn't horrific if not underwhelming for his talents
 

FootballHQ

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Didn't they start last season with a poor start in CL. Still got through the group although got knocked out in last 16.

Get the feeling it's a bit like Barca for them in CL, their key players are well over 30 and it's tough to compete on both fronts when you've got the core of the side like that.
 

Pretzels81

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Poch will sign for Madrid before 20-21 ends. If Barca beat them this weekend the wheels will start rolling, fast.
 

giorno

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There's two trophies we haven't won with Zizou on the bench: the copa del rey and the europa league. Let's get them!

@carvajal
 

United58

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Kaka didn't live up to expectations but he at least got on the field! 29 goals in 120 games isn't horrific if not underwhelming for his talents
He was sadly finished due to his knee injury and a shadow of the mid-00s monster he'd been for Milan at Madrid.
 

carvajal

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There's two trophies we haven't won with Zizou on the bench: the copa del rey and the europa league. Let's get them!

@carvajal
I see that you have also been thinking about the Europa League :lol:
About Zidane ...I'm about to get off his train Giorno...
I feel a bit dirty about it but I don't see anything clear. I'm starting to get curious for a second opinion on the players.
The problem is that I don't trust Raúl at all.
Maybe it's time for Pochettino