This and that in La Liga

[jai john]

Who would have thought that after 9 games in the league you could look at the top scorers and not see Ronaldo among them ? Not only is he not among the top but he is yet to trouble the scorers !
Who would have thought as well that teams like Sevilla and Zaragoza would separate the top two, Real madrid and Barcelona at the top of the standings.
Some say in Barca´s case there is nothing to worry about but I am not so sure. Rijkard gets his chance to show he was really the brain behind Barca after Ten Cate left. While Rijkard struggles to get it right, Ten cate´s team, Ajax,  is leading the Dutch league by two points. This time the man famous for being the one Rijkard would turn to in the dugout is on his own high while his former boss is up against it, the recent loss to Real madrid coming too soon for any Barca coach.
The yellow submarines, Villareal,  have started their upward surge moving from 3rd from the bottom to 8th place. The team marshalled by Juan Roman Riquelme have all to play for in the league this year since there is no European competition to distract them.
So Diego Milito, the man Argentina left behind, after the coach described him as the best in Europe, is now the leading top scorer with Kanoute another surprise with Van Nistelroy close behind. Diego Forlan is again finding his scoring boots and his partnership with Riquelme is seeming to click again.
Will Beckham stay ? Will he go back to England or Scotland ? The 2-3 years English visa may not be renewed ....
Capello has finally found the way to release Robinho´s true potential and he is a joy to watch now.
Cant understand while Atletico madrid is so far off the top with such talent but the best team usually is the one where the players have some time together ......
La Liga provided 2 teams in the last 4 in Europe last year yet this year the champions are on the brink of elimination.. what a difference a season makes

[dumpalewie]

Who would have thought that after 9 games in the league you could look at the top scorers and not see Ronaldo among them ? Not only is he not among the top but he is yet to trouble the scorers !
Who would have thought as well that teams like Sevilla and Zaragoza would separate the top two, Real madrid and Barcelona at the top of the standings.
Some say in Barca´s case there is nothing to worry about but I am not so sure. Rijkard gets his chance to show he was really the brain behind Barca after Ten Cate left. While Rijkard struggles to get it right, Ten cate´s team, Ajax,  is leading the Dutch league by two points. This time the man famous for being the one Rijkard would turn to in the dugout is on his own high while his former boss is up against it, the recent loss to Real madrid coming too soon for any Barca coach.
The yellow submarines, Villareal,  have started their upward surge moving from 3rd from the bottom to 8th place. The team marshalled by Juan Roman Riquelme have all to play for in the league this year since there is no European competition to distract them.
So Diego Milito, the man Argentina left behind, after the coach described him as the best in Europe, is now the leading top scorer with Kanoute another surprise with Van Nistelroy close behind. Diego Forlan is again finding his scoring boots and his partnership with Riquelme is seeming to click again.
Will Beckham stay ? Will he go back to England or Scotland ? The 2-3 years English visa may not be renewed ....
Capello has finally found the way to release Robinho´s true potential and he is a joy to watch now.
Cant understand while Atletico madrid is so far off the top with such talent but the best team usually is the one where the players have some time together ......
La Liga provided 2 teams in the last 4 in Europe last year yet this year the champions are on the brink of elimination.. what a difference a season makes

Why does Rijkard have to prove he is the brains behind Barca's resurgence? If they were floundering, wouldn't he take the blame? Why not give him credit?

[jai john]

Why does Rijkard have to prove he is the brains behind Barca's resurgence? If they were floundering, wouldn't he take the blame? Why not give him credit?

they are only now floundering ...now that Ten cate has left ...Rijkard has recently stated that he has made some mistakes with the team line ups changing from that of last year..different tactics, leaving out marques etc. ....
So questions will be raised which he will either dispel or succumg to...only time will tell ! doesn´t stop questions being asked though ... This is the league champions of two years and the defending  champions of Europe, since Liverpool made it so last season.... This, after all, is barcelona !

[Filho]

Why does Rijkard have to prove he is the brains behind Barca's resurgence? If they were floundering, wouldn't he take the blame? Why not give him credit?

they are only now floundering ...now that Ten cate has left ...Rijkard has recently stated that he has made some mistakes with the team line ups changing from that of last year..different tactics, leaving out marques etc. ....
So questions will be raised which he will either dispel or succumg to...only time will tell ! doesn´t stop questions being asked though ... This is the league champions of two years and the defending  champions of Europe, since Liverpool made it so last season.... This, after all, is barcelona !

Jai...Barca did not start floundering when Ten Cate left..they have run into a dip in form since Eto'o got hurt. He is such an essential element, not only for his goals, but he influences the way the team plays with his movement. They have not found a way to replace him. Until the loss of Eto'o Barca was top of the table in La Liga and unbeaten in the CL. All without Ten Cate. Also, Ten Cate failed to get Ajax past FC Copenhagen in the CL pre-qualifiers....which you failed to mention. So it's not as if he is having the perfect season and Barca is falling apart since he left. The points I make prove nothing, but it gives the questions you ask of Rijkaard a little more color. Only time will tell.

Asking questions of Ronaldo's lack of goals means you have not been following la Liga  closley enough. Everyone knew the Fatz had surgery over the summer, is overweight and Capello was trying to sell him. So the only surprise is that he actually started his first game this weekend...most didn't even expect him to be in the squad this season..far less after 9 games.

Villareal have finally gotten some good results, but they not marching anywhere...season real young and a few wins could take you from the relegation zone to a UEFA Cup spot. They still inconsistent and rely on others failing around them as much as their own results. I like their squad though and Cani is a really great addition..but they not really clicking yet..not consistently anyway. Unless you are a Ray Hudson clone and think Riquelme walks on water 

Nice post breds..my 2 cents

[Grande]

Ronaldo will make his mark on the scorer's list, doh frighten. He getting some tough love - reignite his hunger and drive fuh de game by benching him. In dat last corbeaux sweat he get (I didn't see the last game where he started), he was actually running fuh de ball and running at defenders again...instead of jess sauntering around.

Jai john I wouldn't say Barca is struggling, in de sense that dey playing dotishness. Eto'o - the key player - is injured and Gudjonsen simply isn't an efficient replacement. And I think players seen the Ronaldinho show over and over and finally figuring how to keep him quiet. The only questionable thing Rijkaard doing is not starting Saviola. With all due respect to Ten Cate, is either two teams constantly on top of the Eriedivise - PSV or Ajax - and just b/c the latter on top doh suddenly mean he was de brains behind Barcelona. That said, expect Barca to real push it under pressure in dis CL run. If dey get eliminated, I doubt ppl will look to criticize Rijkaard. Even losing to Real doh mean Rijkaard lapsing, it jess affirm even more that Capello is a proven manager.

I appreciate yuh run-down on La Liga...best league IMO. Almost every team in dat league is a team to watch..yuh can't shrug any of dem off. And of course yuh must big up yuh yellow submarines.  

[jai john]

Antic also believes that Rijkaard, who it has been suggested is being lined-up to take charge of AC Milan next season, is missing the influence of his former assistant Henk ten Cate, who was appointed Ajax coach during the summer.

Ten Cate was replaced by former Barcelona midfielder Johan Neeskens.

According to many Spanish football journalists, Ten Cate was the brain of Barcelona, while Rijkaard was the club's "face".

An advocate of fast, attacking football, Ten Cate established a superb rapport with the Barcelona players, thanks to a good sense of humour and fatherly approach.

"From what I have heard, Neeskens is not the same as Ten Cate," revealed Antic.

I just found this at BBC sport ...... maybe I was wrong but I certainly have company. This season is just beginning and there is a lot of football to come but questions are being asked already of the champions of Europe.
Yes...I will take every opportunity to ¨big up ¨my team ....we are on the up. I dont think they are up to full potential yet though but their football is a joy to watch. I expect Pelligrini to figure in coach of the year after this season. The ¨mister ¨surely knows how to maintain good football regardless of injuries.
many writers are questioning Rijkaard about saviola´s absence, we would take him if we could afford him. maybe Rijkaard still cant get over that 3-1 defeat against argentina...who is he hurting anyway ?
Meanwhile Dinho is training extra these days ....but as someone said ...he might need to reinvent himself. like Diego did, as teams have worked him out.

[jai john]

Antic also believes that Rijkaard, who it has been suggested is being lined-up to take charge of AC Milan next season, is missing the influence of his former assistant Henk ten Cate, who was appointed Ajax coach during the summer.

Ten Cate was replaced by former Barcelona midfielder Johan Neeskens.

According to many Spanish football journalists, Ten Cate was the brain of Barcelona, while Rijkaard was the club's "face".

An advocate of fast, attacking football, Ten Cate established a superb rapport with the Barcelona players, thanks to a good sense of humour and fatherly approach.

"From what I have heard, Neeskens is not the same as Ten Cate," revealed Antic.

I just found this at BBC sport ...... maybe I was wrong but I certainly have company. This season is just beginning and there is a lot of football to come but questions are being asked already of the champions of Europe.
Yes...I will take every opportunity to ¨big up ¨my team ....we are on the up. I dont think they are up to full potential yet though but their football is a joy to watch. I expect Pelligrini to figure in coach of the year after this season. The ¨mister ¨surely knows how to maintain good football regardless of injuries.
many writers are questioning Rijkaard about saviola´s absence, we would take him if we could afford him. maybe Rijkaard still cant get over that 3-1 defeat against argentina...who is he hurting anyway ?
Meanwhile Dinho is training extra these days ....but as someone said ...he might need to reinvent himself. like Diego did, as teams have worked him out.

[dinho]

good post...

well i agree that barca will feel the loss of ten cate, he was an integral part of their setup.. Also, they have some new players who will need to gel into their team and because of the amount of players they have, they are playing a more rotation system which means that the team dont have the same continuity as last year... man who used to sweat regular like oleguer, gio, belleti, giuly and even marquez seeing some time on de bench so it will take a while for it to click.. Also ronaldinho seems to be going thru a lil dip and i dont think is so much to do with other people working him out than his own form.. i watch a lil ronaldinho clip on youtube to refresh my memory and it really make me realize he in a lil hole for the time being but he'll bounce back....

real madrid lost this weekend and really not looking as solid as they should be with the players they have.. capello told the board in the preseason that if he got diarra they would lose only one game all season but they done lose about 3 or 4 so what really going on?

atletico madrid not up there because they got decimated by injuries.. they lost arguably there two most influential players in martin petrov and maxi rodriguez for the whole season, it hard to recover from that but lets see what they do in january... aguero looking a good player though and in my opinion torres overrated...

i want to resurrect my post from the beginning of the season predicting that zaragoza and sevilla woulda been up there battling the big boys but i will give it a few months again to indulge in some self praise and gloating...

lewwe see...

[Filho]

Antic also believes that Rijkaard, who it has been suggested is being lined-up to take charge of AC Milan next season, is missing the influence of his former assistant Henk ten Cate, who was appointed Ajax coach during the summer.

Ten Cate was replaced by former Barcelona midfielder Johan Neeskens.

According to many Spanish football journalists, Ten Cate was the brain of Barcelona, while Rijkaard was the club's "face".

An advocate of fast, attacking football, Ten Cate established a superb rapport with the Barcelona players, thanks to a good sense of humour and fatherly approach.

"From what I have heard, Neeskens is not the same as Ten Cate," revealed Antic.

I just found this at BBC sport ...... maybe I was wrong but I certainly have company. This season is just beginning and there is a lot of football to come but questions are being asked already of the champions of Europe.

Jai...I am aware of the talk. And I am sure Ten Cate was hugely influential. From what I can discern, Rijkaard sets the tone for the philosophy of football he wants played and what type of system and players that fit his system. Ten Cate was the tactician who fine tuned the philosophy and made ideas into reality. But that is how managerial teams work. Look at every bench during a game. The managers never change tactics or make subs on their own, you always see them consult their assistants who have pen and paper, studying the game, helping decide the right tactical moves at all times. Bracelona is one of two extremely high profile clubs in Spain..as much praise as Rijkaard gets, there will always be those trying to discredit him..especially the Madrid press. You really cannot rely too heavily on newspaper reports. And your statements about a Barca slump since Ten Cate left are inaccurate . Barca were top of the league and unbeaten in the CL even after Ten Cate left. It appears to me that the loss of Eto'o and Ronaldinho's poor form have profoundly affected Barca's form. Ten Cate also failed to get Ajax pass a mediocre FC Copenhagen...It would be foolish not to think ten Cate was not  a huge influence on how Barca played..but to consider him the brains and Rijkaard just the face...wel that smells of Madrid press sensationalism. Better to use your own observations to come up with an opinion than to just listen to the press

[FF]

jai john and omarldinho,

Atletico just blight.... every year is de same ting.... yes dis is we year.... good young talent... good coach... and every year dey fall flat on dey face....

All de fans does accept it as dey lot in life... maybe one day yes... de shadow of Jesus Gil lives on

[jai john]

Antic also believes that Rijkaard, who it has been suggested is being lined-up to take charge of AC Milan next season, is missing the influence of his former assistant Henk ten Cate, who was appointed Ajax coach during the summer.

Ten Cate was replaced by former Barcelona midfielder Johan Neeskens.

According to many Spanish football journalists, Ten Cate was the brain of Barcelona, while Rijkaard was the club's "face".

An advocate of fast, attacking football, Ten Cate established a superb rapport with the Barcelona players, thanks to a good sense of humour and fatherly approach.

"From what I have heard, Neeskens is not the same as Ten Cate," revealed Antic.

I just found this at BBC sport ...... maybe I was wrong but I certainly have company. This season is just beginning and there is a lot of football to come but questions are being asked already of the champions of Europe.

Jai...I am aware of the talk. And I am sure Ten Cate was hugely influential. From what I can discern, Rijkaard sets the tone for the philosophy of football he wants played and what type of system and players that fit his system. Ten Cate was the tactician who fine tuned the philosophy and made ideas into reality. But that is how managerial teams work. Look at every bench during a game. The managers never change tactics or make subs on their own, you always see them consult their assistants who have pen and paper, studying the game, helping decide the right tactical moves at all times. Bracelona is one of two extremely high profile clubs in Spain..as much praise as Rijkaard gets, there will always be those trying to discredit him..especially the Madrid press. You really cannot rely too heavily on newspaper reports. And your statements about a Barca slump since Ten Cate left are inaccurate . Barca were top of the league and unbeaten in the CL even after Ten Cate left. It appears to me that the loss of Eto'o and Ronaldinho's poor form have profoundly affected Barca's form. Ten Cate also failed to get Ajax pass a mediocre FC Copenhagen...It would be foolish not to think ten Cate was not  a huge influence on how Barca played..but to consider him the brains and Rijkaard just the face...wel that smells of Madrid press sensationalism. Better to use your own observations to come up with an opinion than to just listen to the press

generally I agree except about a mediocre FC copenhagen !!! Check the last meeting in the same champions league between manchester United ...the league leaders in the EPL, and Fc Copenagen... Surprise ?? Unless man U is a less than mediocre team too ?( Like you want the Man U fans on your case ! )
I guess the madrd press will not help rijkaard  but saying Ajax lost to a team that beat man United is no slur on Ten cate either.
You are right though ..time will reveal everything .

[Filho]

generally I agree except about a mediocre FC copenhagen !!! Check the last meeting in the same champions league between manchester United ...the league leaders in the EPL, and Fc Copenagen... Surprise ?? Unless man U is a less than mediocre team too ?( Like you want the Man U fans on your case ! )
I guess the madrd press will not help rijkaard  but saying Ajax lost to a team that beat man United is no slur on Ten cate either.
You are right though ..time will reveal everything .

Respect boss...but FC Copenhagen is playing pretty mediocre. Every dog has its day and they got a somewhat fortunate 1-0 home win over a ManU side that only had 4 starters in their lineup (Rooney, Ronaldo, Vidic and van Der Saar). Copenhagen kinda looked bad in all their other CL games actually. In the end, I have to agree with you in principle..at this level, all teams are capable of top class performances. So Ajax losing to FC Copenhagen is no slight on Ten Cate. La Liga shaping up really well this year.

[dinho]

now hold on, that fc copenhagen team IS mediocre and if you saw the highlights of that ajax v copenhagen game, they got past them on a dread flukes... everything ajax try wouldnt go in was one of those days.. and copenhagen goals was some big lucky deflections that went in...

henk is ah boss... neeskens is ah old fogey... time for frank to rally de troops..  but he making some elementary mistakes which is why the ten cate talk come up... why play gudjohnsen, effectively a support striker better suited to replaced the larsson role, up top rather than saviola who was in blistering form in preseason? why drop marquez and how come iniesta not getting de start with de kinda ball he playing?

[Peong]

Isn't Marquez benching for Thuram?
Iz not like Marquez is clearly better than Thuram.

[Filho]

now hold on, that fc copenhagen team IS mediocre and if you saw the highlights of that ajax v copenhagen game, they got past them on a dread flukes... everything ajax try wouldnt go in was one of those days.. and copenhagen goals was some big lucky deflections that went in...

henk is ah boss... neeskens is ah old fogey... time for frank to rally de troops..  but he making some elementary mistakes which is why the ten cate talk come up... why play gudjohnsen, effectively a support striker better suited to replaced the larsson role, up top rather than saviola who was in blistering form in preseason? why drop marquez and how come iniesta not getting de start with de kinda ball he playing?

Iniesta and Saviola started this weekend. Iniesta is a boss, but I understand why he only now coming out of Xavi shadow. Before last season's injury you couldn't come round Xavi at all. Best midfielder in Spain. But I preaching bout iniesta for 2 seasons now. Saviola finally get to start and look kinda poor against Depor. He needs a few more games. But I wouldn't write off Gudjohnson at all. He will come good. He and Saviola are both technically superb strikers. And actually, both are better in supporting roles...but they probably both feeling the pressure of having to fill Eto'o shoes and getting used to a new coach, players, systems etc (even Saviola in his return)....neither of them have looked at their best when they have gotten their chances to start. They need a chance to settle. People forget how Eto'o was under real pressure in his first dozen or so games with Barca..he  just couldn't score and Rijkaard had to defend his decision to always start him to the press...Barca fans will remember. Even Eto'o needed a few games.

Rijkaard is man enough to admit he made some mistakes. All the best coaches make mistakes. I think Frank is still learning his trade. After all, he really is a young coach who experiencing these heights for the first time..Even reaching the Euro semis with Holland couldn't match this. He has already come good and now needs to take it to the next level.

[jai john]

now hold on, that fc copenhagen team IS mediocre and if you saw the highlights of that ajax v copenhagen game, they got past them on a dread flukes... everything ajax try wouldnt go in was one of those days.. and copenhagen goals was some big lucky deflections that went in...

henk is ah boss... neeskens is ah old fogey... time for frank to rally de troops..  but he making some elementary mistakes which is why the ten cate talk come up... why play gudjohnsen, effectively a support striker better suited to replaced the larsson role, up top rather than saviola who was in blistering form in preseason? why drop marquez and how come iniesta not getting de start with de kinda ball he playing?

Iniesta and Saviola started this weekend. Iniesta is a boss, but I understand why he only now coming out of Xavi shadow. Before last season's injury you couldn't come round Xavi at all. Best midfielder in Spain. But I preaching bout iniesta for 2 seasons now. Saviola finally get to start and look kinda poor against Depor. He needs a few more games. But I wouldn't write off Gudjohnson at all. He will come good. He and Saviola are both technically superb strikers. And actually, both are better in supporting roles...but they probably both feeling the pressure of having to fill Eto'o shoes and getting used to a new coach, players, systems etc (even Saviola in his return)....neither of them have looked at their best when they have gotten their chances to start. They need a chance to settle. People forget how Eto'o was under real pressure in his first dozen or so games with Barca..he  just couldn't score and Rijkaard had to defend his decision to always start him to the press...Barca fans will remember. Even Eto'o needed a few games.

Rijkaard is man enough to admit he made some mistakes. All the best coaches make mistakes. I think Frank is still learning his trade. After all, he really is a young coach who experiencing these heights for the first time..Even reaching the Euro semis with Holland couldn't match this. He has already come good and now needs to take it to the next level.

filho why is it that you love to throw in these gandiose statements among your usually well thought out posts ??...Xavi the best midfielder in Spain ? Could you see Xavi shining in a relatively weaker team like Villareal for example ? Xavi has Messi, Ronaldinho, deco etc.  who incidentally was voted best midfielder last year in Europe, come on man I could look good in a midfield like that ....in other words it is automatic conrol...it controls itself !
You want to talk about club hype well Xavi is the best example of that ...Barcelona didn't miss Xavi when he got injured for so long ...like say Eto'o ..did they ?
and yes Frank is still learning which is why all the talk about Ten cate's contribution to the dressing room

[kicker]

filho why is it that you love to throw in these gandiose statements among your usually well thought out posts ??...Xavi the best midfielder in Spain ? Could you see Xavi shining in a relatively weaker team like Villareal for example ? Xavi has Messi, Ronaldinho, deco etc.  who incidentally was voted best midfielder last year in Europe, come on man I could look good in a midfield like that ....in other words it is automatic conrol...it controls itself !
You want to talk about club hype well Xavi is the best example of that ...Barcelona didn't miss Xavi when he got injured for so long ...like say Eto'o ..did they ?
and yes Frank is still learning which is why all the talk about Ten cate's contribution to the dressing room

I think he meant the best Spanish midfielder.......(there was a time when he was being touted as such, with the performances to back it up)...it's all subjective anyways..

[Filho]

filho why is it that you love to throw in these gandiose statements among your usually well thought out posts ??...Xavi the best midfielder in Spain ? Could you see Xavi shining in a relatively weaker team like Villareal for example ? Xavi has Messi, Ronaldinho, deco etc.  who incidentally was voted best midfielder last year in Europe, come on man I could look good in a midfield like that ....in other words it is automatic conrol...it controls itself !
You want to talk about club hype well Xavi is the best example of that ...Barcelona didn't miss Xavi when he got injured for so long ...like say Eto'o ..did they ?
and yes Frank is still learning which is why all the talk about Ten cate's contribution to the dressing room

Jai...In the 2003/2004 and 2004/2005 seasons, Xavi was arguably the best central midfielder in Spain. Sorry, but as subjective as that is..I don't think you can name more than 3 midfielders who were as consistently good as him over those 2 seasons. Much of what he does is understated but absolutely effective and often brilliant. He has a reputation in Spain for hardly ever losing the ball and has undergone 4 different coaches at Barca and was always a starter until his knee ligament injury last season..Braca did miss him..but they had a big enough squad to get by. Does not say anything about how good he is. Just shows what a general Iniesta is. Even then Aragones said there is no way he is not taking Xavi to the WC..even if he wasn't fully fit. Forget about big names and look at performance...he was impeccable in Barca's march to the title in 2004/2005. Say what you like breds..but that is nowhere near as grandiose a statement as some of the things you have to say about the hugely inconsistent and often disappointing (absolutely brilliant on his day though)....Riquelme. calling my statement grandiose is a bit rich given your penchant for waxing lyrical about the Argentine.

[Arazi]

xavi for a very long time has been one of the most underrated midfielders in the barcelona team, he is an excellent player, he is not same as he was b4 his injury last year but he is still a class act...as for barca missing eto'o , it quite obvious they are and gudjonsen is not the man to fill is shoes as much as he is a good player, more faith has to be shown in saviola, he is the better option for barca and he fits in well to their system...

i see nobody has commented about sevilla and zaragoza being in the top 3..well i for one rel like zaragoza side they have a rel bess attack wid milito, aimar and d'allessandro so i not suprised they doing things but now still early and sevilla show last season dey capable, ah mean they are the holders of the uefa cup

[jai john]

filho why is it that you love to throw in these gandiose statements among your usually well thought out posts ??...Xavi the best midfielder in Spain ? Could you see Xavi shining in a relatively weaker team like Villareal for example ? Xavi has Messi, Ronaldinho, deco etc.  who incidentally was voted best midfielder last year in Europe, come on man I could look good in a midfield like that ....in other words it is automatic conrol...it controls itself !
You want to talk about club hype well Xavi is the best example of that ...Barcelona didn't miss Xavi when he got injured for so long ...like say Eto'o ..did they ?
and yes Frank is still learning which is why all the talk about Ten cate's contribution to the dressing room

Jai...In the 2003/2004 and 2004/2005 seasons, Xavi was arguably the best central midfielder in Spain. Sorry, but as subjective as that is..I don't think you can name more than 3 midfielders who were as consistently good as him over those 2 seasons. Much of what he does is understated but absolutely effective and often brilliant. He has a reputation in Spain for hardly ever losing the ball and has undergone 4 different coaches at Barca and was always a starter until his knee ligament injury last season..Braca did miss him..but they had a big enough squad to get by. Does not say anything about how good he is. Just shows what a general Iniesta is. Even then Aragones said there is no way he is not taking Xavi to the WC..even if he wasn't fully fit. Forget about big names and look at performance...he was impeccable in Barca's march to the title in 2004/2005. Say what you like breds..but that is nowhere near as grandiose a statement as some of the things you have to say about the hugely inconsistent and often disappointing (absolutely brilliant on his day though)....Riquelme. calling my statement grandiose is a bit rich given your penchant for waxing lyrical about the Argentine.

Not wanting to change the topic but ....the hugely inconsistent and often disappointing Riquelme has been the league's leading assist provider for the past three seasons. he has also been consistently nominated among the top players in Europe being shortlisted among the top three midfielders in europe with deco and zidane last season....whew ! you know you are on dangerous ground but yet you still go there ! this is what i meant by grandiose staatements in some good posts.
the original question was whether rijkaard is suffering from the exit of his assistant. some say yes others say he will get by. My own view is that you will always be at a disadvantage when an important piece in a winning formula is changed. I saw ten cate run the dugout when rijkaard was absent...the players had great respect for the man. he is one of the few coaches who look comfortable when watching a game. this is much different to the nail biting Rijkaard , the worried wenger, the gum chewing fergusson, the headless chicken bielsa, the tired pekerman...you know something like the unruffled Beenhakker.

[Filho]

filho why is it that you love to throw in these gandiose statements among your usually well thought out posts ??...Xavi the best midfielder in Spain ? Could you see Xavi shining in a relatively weaker team like Villareal for example ? Xavi has Messi, Ronaldinho, deco etc.  who incidentally was voted best midfielder last year in Europe, come on man I could look good in a midfield like that ....in other words it is automatic conrol...it controls itself !
You want to talk about club hype well Xavi is the best example of that ...Barcelona didn't miss Xavi when he got injured for so long ...like say Eto'o ..did they ?
and yes Frank is still learning which is why all the talk about Ten cate's contribution to the dressing room

Jai...In the 2003/2004 and 2004/2005 seasons, Xavi was arguably the best central midfielder in Spain. Sorry, but as subjective as that is..I don't think you can name more than 3 midfielders who were as consistently good as him over those 2 seasons. Much of what he does is understated but absolutely effective and often brilliant. He has a reputation in Spain for hardly ever losing the ball and has undergone 4 different coaches at Barca and was always a starter until his knee ligament injury last season..Braca did miss him..but they had a big enough squad to get by. Does not say anything about how good he is. Just shows what a general Iniesta is. Even then Aragones said there is no way he is not taking Xavi to the WC..even if he wasn't fully fit. Forget about big names and look at performance...he was impeccable in Barca's march to the title in 2004/2005. Say what you like breds..but that is nowhere near as grandiose a statement as some of the things you have to say about the hugely inconsistent and often disappointing (absolutely brilliant on his day though)....Riquelme. calling my statement grandiose is a bit rich given your penchant for waxing lyrical about the Argentine.

Not wanting to change the topic but ....the hugely inconsistent and often disappointing Riquelme has been the league's leading assist provider for the past three seasons. he has also been consistently nominated among the top players in Europe being shortlisted among the top three midfielders in europe with deco and zidane last season....whew ! you know you are on dangerous ground but yet you still go there ! this is what i meant by grandiose staatements in some good posts.
the original question was whether rijkaard is suffering from the exit of his assistant. some say yes others say he will get by. My own view is that you will always be at a disadvantage when an important piece in a winning formula is changed. I saw ten cate run the dugout when rijkaard was absent...the players had great respect for the man. he is one of the few coaches who look comfortable when watching a game. this is much different to the nail biting Rijkaard , the worried wenger, the gum chewing fergusson, the headless chicken bielsa, the tired pekerman...you know something like the unruffled Beenhakker.

What have I said that is so grandiose? Xavi is one of the top midfielders in Spain. At one time the best in my opinion. I even think he was one of the best in Europe 2 years ago. You act as if I said Forlan was the best striker on the planet  Did you actually watch Barca's run to the title in 2004/2005..have you watched Xavis' game over te last 4 seasons. Sorry, he is top class to me. Immaculate passer of the ball, superb technique and could get out of any sitaution. Never seems to giove away the ball...and mentally tough. If you actually watched Barca play, you may not be so flippant about Xavi. He hasn't quite been the same since knee surgery..plus Iniesta pushing him for a starting spot. Anyhow, I see two responses in this thread that back up that Xavi is top class....You act like I am from Mars. Guys like Riquelme, Zidane, Deco are great, but they are also more attacking threats..they create and score goals and therefore get the accolades. Riquelme's number of assists don't rtell the whole story. There is more to great players than stats...especially in the non attacking positions. You should know that.

Anyway, you are right about Barca..they are bound to feel the affects of Ten Cate leaving. But Rijkaard seems to still be doing a solid job. Fact is, he is considered a very cool customer and the players have a great deal of respect and admiration for him. So you saw him biting his nails...throughout the season, you are more likely to see him pretty relaxed...not that appearnaces should mean anythiong about a manager's quality.

Look boss..I always like your posts (you lil too crazy bout Argentines though..heheh) You start a really cool thread, cuz I love La liga. Nice questions. I feel we agree more than we disagree So you don't rate Xavi..I do. It does not descredit my opinion to say he was the best in Spain at one point. Just like it does not discredit your opinion when you go off about Riquelme who has failed to really reach the heights he promised at Boca. I leave you with this...Riquelme = Barca failure. Xavi= Barca icon 

[dinho]

xavi is one of the best midfielders in spain right now and this have nothing to do with playing for a big club. but because he is a role player, its easy to underestimate his contribution to the team and the way he makes the entire barca system click.. in a sense, their entire game runs through him... his job is to pick up the ball off the defenders, hold onto it, give the attacking midfielders time to move into their spaces where they can do their damage and lay it off at the right time.. if the pass is not on, and he's underpressure, switch the play, give it back to defenders and look to start it over... it is the most intelligent role on the whole team but if you are not a hardcore football man, it easy to miss his contribution.. he has to know exactly when is the right time to hold it, when to let it go, when to start it over, when to spread the play, where to be at what time... as an opponent, if you could neutralize him, you could seriously stifle that system because it will be left for dogwork men like motta or edmilson to bring the ball out of defence, failing which the attacking players will have to come back for it.. in my opinion, the only 2 other players conducting it on that level in world football is pirlo and fabregas..

riquelme belongs to an entirely different group of midfielders, the ones who get all the accolades for making the killer pass, beating men, splitting a defence etc.. the creators.. riquelme is a boss, and too many times, people write him off only to have to eat their words... he singlehandedly carried a villareal team with a threadbare squad all the way to the CL semis which is a feat no one can match for years.. imagine you have to work with shithounds like jose mari and guillermo franco week in week out and still getting that far..

anyway my point is that it not really right to compare xavi and riquelme, they are both great midfielders but in their own right with differing roles and responsibilites... a much better la liga argument would be to compare..

riquelme, ronaldinho, zidane, deco....

then:

xavi, baraja, de la pena, iniesta, guti (sorry)

[Filho]

'dinho..you are quite right...but you can still compare players who play different positions, you just can't use the same criteria and no matter what, your opinion is extremely subjective...moreso than usual...Besides, I do like Riquelme and think he is a boss. I just giving Jai some ole talk

[jai john]

'dinho..you are quite right...but you can still compare players who play different positions, you just can't use the same criteria and no matter what, your opinion is extremely subjective...moreso than usual...Besides, I do like Riquelme and think he is a boss. I just giving Jai some ole talk

I know dat ! I am not one to bash players and i didn´t intend this to be a Xavi vs Riquelme debate. For me every player in Barcelona is good. he has to be ! In fact I think the quality of players on teams in La Liga is the best right now in Europe. ( Spanish teams won both competitions in Europe last year )
I much prefer watching La Liga than the EPL and serie A, though I think man united are playing as good as any team in Europe right now. Chelsea for the players on their roster are still grinding out results rather than playing Joga bonito !
I want to raise another issue within this discussuion and that is the debate about rotation. Not only is it causing some problems in Spain( barcelona, real madrid etc. but also in England,( Liverpool, Chelsea etc).
just when the rich clubs thought they could buy the best players and rotate them on the squad the players have reacted by calling for transfers etc. Players are even demanding where they play on a team, ( Gallas )
The problems for coaches are not now only on the field but on the bench and even in the restaurants and nightclubs. no easy solution to being a manager theses days and you are judged on your on the field results even though more might be happening off than on it. How do yoiu see this problem of rotation and off the field management being dealth with in the future ?

[dinho]

rotation policy... nice debate i think it deserves a new topic cause it goes deeper than that... going to start one...

[jai john]

Also must remind of capello's boast that if he got Diara he would only lose one game all season. The season is not yet half way I wonder what his next prediction will be ...La liga is not serie A, anbody could topple the giants on a given day as Juan arango proved for mallorca vs Real madrid last season...this after recovering from a near death expeience on the field.

[Observer]

Also must remind of capello's boast that if he got Diara he would only lose one game all season. The season is not yet half way I wonder what his next prediction will be ...La liga is not serie A, anbody could topple the giants on a given day as Juan arango proved for mallorca vs Real madrid last season...this after recovering from a near death expeience on the field.

Well I have been watching the Spanish League and quite frankly the games have not impressed.  Their is a lot of boasting that the Spanish League is the most exciting but so far  I eh see it. Capello will take time to break the dressing room strength of Real, but if anyone can do it is he. I still say they need another Central Defender because I times they lack metal.

La liga, Serie A and the EPL have shown that anybody can topple the giants and the Serie A on fire at the moment.

[Filho]

Also must remind of capello's boast that if he got Diara he would only lose one game all season. The season is not yet half way I wonder what his next prediction will be ...La liga is not serie A, anbody could topple the giants on a given day as Juan arango proved for mallorca vs Real madrid last season...this after recovering from a near death expeience on the field.

Well I have been watching the Spanish League and quite frankly the games have not impressed.  Their is a lot of boasting that the Spanish League is the most exciting but so far  I eh see it. Capello will take time to break the dressing room strength of Real, but if anyone can do it is he. I still say they need another Central Defender because I times they lack metal.

La liga, Serie A and the EPL have shown that anybody can topple the giants and the Serie A on fire at the moment.

Listen to this man. He talking real sense about Serie A. For me, the last couple of years of Italian ball used to put me to sleep. But this season Serie A really run things. Milan getting licks from any and everybody, Palermo, Atalanta and Sienna staying right there with Roma and Inter. The league real open and teams playing attacking ball. Imagine Juve in the 2nd division and just tie last weekend with....Napoli. Imagine that used to be a big big Serie A clash..haha.

But doh dis La Liga so  Dat is meh league. I still watching that and EPL before Serie A. But Serie making a comeback. Bundesliga is real tata to watch on TV. I sure it real nice live though. After that French and Argentine leagues is real boss to watch and some Brazilian games real nice. I doh get Dutchaor Portuguese games. Mexican league is boring..and MLS is boring unless a Trini playing. HOWEVER...this playoff season in MLS has been AMAZING. Serious..anybody watch any of the playoff games..good goals, fighting...drama from start to finish. Boisterous crowds. Niceness.

[futbolfan]

Also must remind of capello's boast that if he got Diara he would only lose one game all season. The season is not yet half way I wonder what his next prediction will be ...La liga is not serie A, anbody could topple the giants on a given day as Juan arango proved for mallorca vs Real madrid last season...this after recovering from a near death expeience on the field.

Well I have been watching the Spanish League and quite frankly the games have not impressed.  Their is a lot of boasting that the Spanish League is the most exciting but so far  I eh see it. Capello will take time to break the dressing room strength of Real, but if anyone can do it is he. I still say they need another Central Defender because I times they lack metal.

La liga, Serie A and the EPL have shown that anybody can topple the giants and the Serie A on fire at the moment.

Listen to this man. He talking real sense about Serie A. For me, the last couple of years of Italian ball used to put me to sleep. But this season Serie A really run things. Milan getting licks from any and everybody, Palermo, Atalanta and Sienna staying right there with Roma and Inter. The league real open and teams playing attacking ball. Imagine Juve in the 2nd division and just tie last weekend with....Napoli. Imagine that used to be a big big Serie A clash..haha.

But doh dis La Liga so  Dat is meh league. I still watching that and EPL before Serie A. But Serie making a comeback. Bundesliga is real tata to watch on TV. I sure it real nice live though. After that French and Argentine leagues is real boss to watch and some Brazilian games real nice. I doh get Dutchaor Portuguese games. Mexican league is boring..and MLS is boring unless a Trini playing. HOWEVER...this playoff season in MLS has been AMAZING. Serious..anybody watch any of the playoff games..good goals, fighting...drama from start to finish. Boisterous crowds. Niceness.

Colorado should have never lost that game. The coach made a tactical error by starting the game in a conservative fashion using 1 forward. But that being said, I like the attacking flare of Houston. De Rosario is the real deal and Ching is very effective as a center forward. It will be an interesting final if the coaches/teams don't play conservative ball.