So far all games that played has been won
Zidane watch
- Thread starter Samid
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Considering we barely create chances, perhaps its time for a chance creator to get some minutes? Talking about Martin, though, Zidane keeps giving Isco the minutes for some reason...
Real fans are not amused.
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Feel sorry for him. His legacy was virtually untouchable until he decided to come back for some reason .
I don't feel sorry for him at all. He left Real on an extreme high: 3 CL's and 1 La Liga.
Why return to Real?
It still is and he won them the league again.
You know, his last league title feels quite similiar to Mourinho`s last.
Short-term success, but the long-term damage was arguably made it not worth it(getting rid of key talents, left with an aging core).
He deserves credit for RM winning the league, of course, but it definitely came at a cost.
Should have walked in the summer, or been pushed.
Poch was available and might have actually picked the younger players and got something out of them.
Now staining his legacy with disasters like yesterday.
Sure won the title last year, needed a var penalty pretty much every game in the run in to do it. Writing was on the wall.
Poch was available and might have actually picked the younger players and got something out of them.
Now staining his legacy with disasters like yesterday.
Sure won the title last year, needed a var penalty pretty much every game in the run in to do it. Writing was on the wall.
Was trying to find the Zidane sack watch thread but must be on page 200 now. That kept getting randomly bumped up after they lost that pre season game to Atletico Madrid 7-2 or something and then they won the league comfortably.
Zidane's one of those managers who always seems to pull a result out when he really needs it and we saw that already in CL.
However basic truth is they'll be well adrift of Atletico if they win at least one of their two spare games (they're only 4 points clear of 5th), out of the cup and you wouldn't have them as big favourites in CL compared to previous years so looks like an inevitable summer mutual consent.
Zidane's one of those managers who always seems to pull a result out when he really needs it and we saw that already in CL.
However basic truth is they'll be well adrift of Atletico if they win at least one of their two spare games (they're only 4 points clear of 5th), out of the cup and you wouldn't have them as big favourites in CL compared to previous years so looks like an inevitable summer mutual consent.
I predict he will reach the semis of the UCL this season.
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It's amazing how high their standards are. You wouldn't think they are in second place and still in the CL the way people are going on about a coach who's won 3 Champions leagues and 2 league titles in about four seasons.
It kind of weird. He's probably had the best managerial start of any manager in history apart from Pep maybe. Personally I think he's earned himself quite a lot of time.
He has covid, that's what the 'comunicado' is about.
Soon he will step down because of complications with Covid to make it seem like a friendly exit.... Zidane and Perez saves face this way.
Add that he's a playing legend for them as well you'd think there's a soft spot somewhere but it seems not. I think it's risky to change a manager who's proven he can win at any level especially now when there's a bunch of charlatans with unproven tactics and theories trying to convince us the world is flat and not showing the results. Just look at how our managerial situation has been for the past decade.
Eh? 7 points off top despite having played a game more, knocked out of the Cup to the very definition of cannon-fodder (who were down to 10 at the time they scored), scraped through very unconvincingly in the CL (Pretty sure we'd be in Rd 2 and Real in the EL if the groups were swapped) and he's a big factor for the position the squad is in. Transfer decisions and calls on specific players are finally being questioned too. Marca just ran an article titled "Solari was right" about some player decisions (Reguilon, Llorente, Isco, Marcelo).
In short, yes, he won a load of stuff, but something's not quite right at the moment and it's only correct that he be questioned. You don't live off past glories forever in any job. He's done very well in the past, but there is a nagging feeling that he may not be the right man to rebuild. So far the signs aren't the most promising, anyway. I personally feel he's got it horribly wrong in the transfer market and his loyalty to / reliance on the ageing spine that won the CL hat-trick is hurting him badly now. Also, I feel (just my own opinion) that he has - for some unknown reason - lost that flexibility which was a hallmark of his first stint.
This is the same logic that had people running around saying Fergie must go after Becks left. Mind you, we all know transfers at Madrid are complicated. The so called youngsters at the club, maybe he just doesn't rate them. You say past glories like we're talking about the distant past, we're literally about them winning the league a season ago.
Why would you care about a journalist's opinion. This is like these 'pep's job at risk' concepts running around now he looks odds on to win another title. You can question him but his job cant be at risk, that makes no sense. It'd be foolish if they get rid of him. It's that simple.
It's not about the journalist's opinion. I've posted previously too about this as my opinion. I don't think anyone can argue that Zidane's transfer dealings - ins and outs - have been far from successful. Comparing him to Fergie is ridiculous by the way. Previous discussions on this thread also covered where his management style etc. have changed - and nobody can say for sure how much is caused by personnel changes beyond his control and how much is driven by him and the choices he makes.
Also, last season's title is a bit of a strange one. Yes, the form post-lockdown was fantastic, but equally, Barca were ahead (despite being in crisis and being quite crap) and it still took some fortunate refereeing decisions to get the title home. They all count of course, but it wasn't vintage. Also, that was the last season. It's gone. History now. Real Madrid wouldn't be the first club to change manager the season after winning the league. So yes, his job can certainly be at risk.
As for a managerial change, it's a very tough call, but will likely boil down to whether Flo feels another manager would change things with the current squad and also how they'd handle youth and transition. There isn't going to be much (if any) money to go around.
I think that many fans, including myself, don't care about Benzema's level or how good Kroos-Modric-Casemiro are. They just want to see Rodrygo, Jovic, Kubo, Brahim, or Odegaard.
I think a lot of people have been angry with Odegaard's departure.
We cannot even assess as fans if they are worth it because we do not even have the opportunity to see them.
He keeps squeezing a depleted team. It´s bread now and hunger for tomorrow.
As I said a long time ago, I would like another coach to give us a second opinion.
Know if Vinicius is "Ficticius" and if Odegaard does not play because of Zidane's whim or because he is missing something, despite his individual technique.
After the disaster in la copa, I imagine he won't continue. Now there will be a few strange months until summer
Today el confidencial makes an analysis of the support of each player to Zidane.
https://www.elconfidencial.com/depo...drid-zidane-courtois-benzema-militao_2918543/
I think a lot of people have been angry with Odegaard's departure.
We cannot even assess as fans if they are worth it because we do not even have the opportunity to see them.
He keeps squeezing a depleted team. It´s bread now and hunger for tomorrow.
As I said a long time ago, I would like another coach to give us a second opinion.
Know if Vinicius is "Ficticius" and if Odegaard does not play because of Zidane's whim or because he is missing something, despite his individual technique.
After the disaster in la copa, I imagine he won't continue. Now there will be a few strange months until summer
Today el confidencial makes an analysis of the support of each player to Zidane.
https://www.elconfidencial.com/depo...drid-zidane-courtois-benzema-militao_2918543/
Transfers at Madrid isn't as simple as it is at a club like ours. He's not exactly running around signing everyone. You can't blame him for transfers.
If he doesnt rate players that come in that's his perogative as a coach. Being unhappy at him cause he doesn't, doesn't make any sense at all.
He's won more in his first 4 seasons managing Madrid than Sir Alex won in his first decade here. So there's that. Only difference is Sir Alex was here forever, he hasn't been there forever but he's a proven winner.
Firing him isnt going to help anything. That squad isn't good enough. Sort the squad out and if he loses with real quality around then you can blame him.
Madrid have been barking up the wrong tree for some time and now it's falling on them. They went and wasted a lot of money on young unproven players when they're a team that demands immediate success. The whole thing doesn't make sense.
But the project is to buy young players and unite them with elite players / great promises who have already shown something (Hazard, Militao, Jovic). As you say, maybe Madrid is not a team for that. Many people begin to share that opinion.
However, this was done in the past with Varane, Marcelo, Ramos or even Benzema, who also arrived very young. Today Marcelo would have gone on loan after months and months without playing.
Not using them are his coaching decisions but then it completely collides with what the club needs, and his task should be to develop those players.
He likes Pogba and I like Kimmich, and the one from over there loves Haaland, but there is no money. They are not going to fill his team with stars again.
I can understand that he does not like a certain player, but he didn´t want Ceballos, Brahim, Jovic, Odegaard, Achraf or Reguilón. The next is Militâo.
He signed Hazard and supposedly Jovic. He should be responsible for his performances.
Eh? I can only assume you don’t follow Madrid. I’ll list just the top of my peeves with Zidane:
1. Marcos Llorente - In that summer, when asked who I’d take from Madrid in exchange for Pogba, my immediate answer was “Marcos Llorente”. Rated him and felt he was good. Zidane didn’t agree. His subsequent performances leave me wondering just why.
2. The Reguilon-Marcelo-Mendy situation. Santi blooded Reguilon, who kept Marcelo benched on merit. With the return of Zidane, boom! Out goes Reguilon, in comes Mendy and Marcelo stayed. Oh and then he sold Reguilon - and just 3 months later, wants to buy him back. So that’s going to be 20 Mn euros spent within 9 months to get a guy some experience at Spurs. Mindless madness.
3. Jovic - I feel he’s not been managed right
4. Won’t even bother going into how he’s just completely refusing to move on the old guard but will just say, I’m sick of it
5. Hazard. Wanted him and his attitude is horrific. He gets injured because he’s unprofessional. His unprofessionalism and lack of focus on fitness is a disrespectful to the club. But as soon as he’s “fit”, he plays!
6. Odegaard. Most of all. The stories of him being detrimental to Odegaard started soon after he was signed and Zidane was managing him at Castilla. But what’s happened in the last 6 months is disgraceful. His 2 year loan was cut short and he was convinced to agree to that as Zidane assured him he’d be integrated and played. He’s just not got a proper look in despite looking good all of last season in the same league. And now, 4 monthsafter being brought back, he’s being loaned out?
I love Zizou for what he’s done for the club but his second stint has just not been what it was meant to be. It was supposed to see a transition. Where is that transition?
It’s easy to mouth off when you don’t follow the club but I don’t think Zizou has much (if any) credit left in the bank. Unless he (no idea how) turns things around completely, I think he’s done.
PS: And yes, he has that passport issue, but I really feel a way should have been found to include Kubo. Poor kid got injured but that was clearly not a factor in loaning him.
seems Zidane doesn’t want to be that ‘transition’ manager. Perhaps he should have left after winning the league.
is his ‘legacy’ for want of a better word tarnished by him coming back?
You really think so?
I reckon Atalanta will do us in.
That pretty much summarizes the concerns with him at the moment and why he's been questioned so much but it's not like fans don't like him or appreciate him or everyone is overreacting after a couple of bad results.
He has won a lot and there's still the hope/expectation he can keep grinding results even when the team looks so dire like he has done in the past. There's also the fact that Barcelona have been sabotaging themselves for a quite a while now, so them being even shittier than us also helps; as the pressure would be bigger of they were playing good and top of the league.
So I feel the board and fans are being very patient with him, unlike with Ancelotti where I felt sacking him at that moment was harsh or with Benitez whom pretty much everyone hated the moment he was confirmed as Real Madrid manager; he was not wanted at all.
1: Surely you can understand why it's difficult for a midfielder to break through and play ahead of Kroos and Casemiro?
2: Mendy is better than Reguilon.
3: This is and simple case of a coach not rating a player. He didn't even give him a sniff.
4: You don't just move out older player's, you gradually replace them.
5: We all know Madrid's all track is all track mess, only one player in that whole squad could go a long way in fixing that and thats a fully fit and firing Hazard.
6 Yeah this one I don't understand either.
I do watch Madrid and it's easy to throw around a bunch of names of young players but that's exctly how coaches get fired. Theres zero patience and tolerance for bad results at that club. That's what puts the pressure on a coach to play players who he knows can perform to a certain level.
These 'projects' are really not for club's like Madrid.
We very clearly are not the kind of club that can afford it
Marcelo was good from the beginning, same as Ramos. Varane started playing regularly in his second season when Mourinho decided to punish Pepe, then spent the next 3 years being 3rd choice until he finally managed to overtake Pepe in the hierarchy, thanks in part to injuries, but also to the increasing quality of his performances
Of note, Varane was supposed to be a starter entering the 13/14 season with Ancelotti, but injuries and Pepe's superior performances relegated him back to 3rd choice. Zidane also wanted him to be a starter when he came in but again Pepe beat him to the starting job. He was patient, waited for his moment, and took his chances when they came
Either his task is to develop those players, or it's winning. Can't be both. If it's the former, than he can't come under fire for not being competitive, or losing to Alcoyano. If it's the latter, he can't come under fire for not playing the kids
I agree, he should be responsible for Hazard and Jovic if indeed he wanted them. He can't be responsible for Militao looking like crap everytime he plays though, or for letting Hakimi go when we already have Carvajal and Hakimi wanted to be a starter, or Brahim, when he already has Vinicius and Rodrygo whom the president wants to see play every week
Odegaard and Reguilon yeah, those are on him. Especially the latter, given Marcelo looked finished for a while
Zidane wanted Ceballos sold, the club refused. He wanted James sold, the club refused. At the end of the day the club needed a sale and Llorente was the only one they were willing to sell
Also of note, Llorente was a mediocre DM at the time. He has since been converted into a top attacking midfielder. Can't honestly blame Zidane for not seeing Llorente's potential as an AM. Llorente looked like a bust at Atletico until they changed his role. Kudos to Simeone for that
Agree on this one. His loyalty to Marcelo was bad business for the club. It made sense a year ago, when there was still hope Marcelo could still be a WC player and Reguilon hadn't shown enough to merit trusting him as the starter, so the signing of Mendy made sense at the time. But selling Reguilon last summer made zero sense
The LWB situation looks even worse when looking at Theo, but again, Theo looked poor for us and then for real sociedad, the sale made sense at the time. Now it's one(like Llorente) i'd want to take back
for all the talk about reguilon, theo is the one looking like a world class LWB right nowMaybe, but Jovic put a lot of effort into it too with constant off field drama and unprofessional behaviour. Club also didn't help at all, leaving him to his own devices instead of working to get him settled down
Me too, but it's not like the new signings have exactly covered themselves in glory either...
Yes, this i agree with too. Just hard to understand
What transition? This club doesn't do transition
And this is the perfect coda
Kubo, who couldn't get a game for villarreal, would have cost one of Vincius, Rodrygo or Militao his spot, should have been included, somehowThe development of boys in the past seemed more natural to me, assuming they would have to take over the position, with good times and bad.
I'm not asking him to put them all at once or to be a teacher, however he could have managed things better.
Militao didn't do very well (we should blame @Peyroteo who probably overrated him
), but the last time he had played was on October 31st.It would be a miracle if he did it well, or like when Karim does not rest at least 20 minutes to give a chance to Jovic.
I would like to bring Theo too, and his birthday parties
I genuinely don't remember that ever happening at this club to be honest. In 25 years of following the football...Iker is the only one i can think off
I mean, to play for real madrid you need to earn it. Let's not pretend otherwise. Militao was 3rd choice CB last season, he got plenty of chances to impress and make a case for himself as a starter. He failed at that. He was 3rd choice at the start of this season, and again, he failed to take his chances and eventually was even beaten by Nacho to 3rd choice. That's on him. The last time he played was 31st October because he didn't deserve to start over Varane or Ramos, or even Nacho. Why should he get chances when eveytime he plays he's crap? Over guys who've been better than him?Militao didn't do very well (we should blame @Peyroteo who probably overrated him
It would be a miracle if he did it well, or like when Karim does not rest at least 20 minutes to give a chance to Jovic.
I would like to bring Theo too, and his birthday parties
Jovic was just a clusterfeck all around
but again, early on he *was* getting chances...maybe less than he deserved, ok, but stillIf anything it's the insistence with Hazard, Asensio, even Marcelo and Isco that should be rightly criticized
Well, maybe I saw it with different eyes in the past. It is clear that it is not an easy club but it did not seem like the black hole of talent that Zidane has become, as @GatoLoco said a few weeks ago.I genuinely don't remember that ever happening at this club to be honest. In 25 years of following the football...Iker is the only one i can think off
I mean, to play for real madrid you need to earn it. Let's not pretend otherwise. Militao was 3rd choice CB last season, he got plenty of chances to impress and make a case for himself as a starter. He failed at that. He was 3rd choice at the start of this season, and again, he failed to take his chances and eventually was even beaten by Nacho to 3rd choice. That's on him. The last time he played was 31st October because he didn't deserve to start over Varane or Ramos, or even Nacho. Why should he get chances when eveytime he plays he's crap? Over guys who've been better than him?
Jovic was just a clusterfeck all around
If anything it's the insistence with Hazard, Asensio, even Marcelo and Isco that should be rightly criticized
I think Odegaard situation has been what bothered me the most.
I think I've already "put the cross" on Zidane, I adore him but I notice that now I see all his decisions negatively, much more than before.
I agree the Odegaard situation is weird and i think it's the whole reason for this being a thing, along with a not-so-good season
A month ago the talk was all about modric's renaissance and how he deserved an extension, and now we're criticizing zidane for not blooding in the new young players who for the most part have done nothing to justify more playing time...
A month ago the talk was all about modric's renaissance and how he deserved an extension, and now we're criticizing zidane for not blooding in the new young players who for the most part have done nothing to justify more playing time...
He was lucky he had prime Ronaldo.
The New Pep Guardiola is my idol.
What the feck was that
City vs Chelsea it is then.
I honestly think he's doing wonders with this squad. The current Real Madrid squad is crap and needs ton of investment but they probably even have the money due to the stadium renovation. Courtois, Benzema, Kroos and Modric are probably the only 4 players you can depend on regularly from this team.
The fact he reached CL semi final and still challenging for the league is great end result.
The fact he reached CL semi final and still challenging for the league is great end result.
Did well to reach the semi.
I do think he blew it matching Tuchel with the back 3, but it was all moot.
He has done an amazing job since returning.
He has done an amazing job since returning.