La Liga Thread

[The Chels 2,502]

It's not only on paper... Madrid and Barcelona did it in 4 of the last 6 years (at least 1 of them, but normally both). THey can't lose titles against Atletico de Madrid, and they can't do 85 points in League.

FOr example Inter won against Barcelona the CHampions. Chelsea also... but in a League they would end with a difference of 15 points. The win of Atletico in League was just because both Madrid and Barcelona were horrible, this season they are doing it the same way, but Atetico is losing more points...

Well Mourinho did that by bottling the league even earlier than Ancelotti. I don't rate Carlo but you can't put the entire blame on him when Real lose points against the smaller sides. They are a lot better than you give them credit for. Do you think we'd find it easy against the likes of Malaga, Bilbao, Sevilla and Valencia? We have struggled a lot against teams who press us well (e.g. West Ham, Tottenham, Liverpool) and those Spanish sides are a hell of a lot better at it than their English counterparts.

I don't think you can just put Atletico's title victory down to Barca/Real being poor. If Real and Barca both beat Atletico twice (which they would probably have done if it weren't for Simeone) then both those teams would have had more than 90 points and Atleti wouldn't have won the league. They had to win it themselves and not just by defeat, which you could argue was the case for City last year. They lost 3 out of the 4 games against 2nd and 3rd place so they were quite lucky to win it in the end.

[lucio 5,418]

Yeah that was pretty horrific. In theory Real and Barca should be winning almost every game but football isn't played on paper. La Liga teams do regularly get whipped by Real/Barca but there are plenty of teams who play very well against the big sides, especially at home. Good youth academies, atmosphere and tactics certainly help in reducing the gap. For example Real Sociedad have beaten Barca, Real and Atleti at home this season, and Malaga played a tactically perfect game at the Nou Camp the other week. You rate Bilbao higher than the likes of Valencia and Sevilla? Those two teams would and do give anyone a game, particularly at home. Valencia are only one point off Atleti right now and it would be very interesting to see how we'd fare against them.

Valencia can win the league in the next few years. They have a good vision, and financial stability at last. Some of the best youngsters in that squad. Will need a few more clever signings though

[The Chels 2,502]

Valencia can win the league in the next few years. They have a good vision, and financial stability at last. Some of the best youngsters in that squad. Will need a few more clever signings though

They do look like a really good side, especially at home where they beat Real and Atleti and were very unlucky to lose against Barca. It could happen but it would be incredibly difficult. To finish ahead of Real, Barca and Simeone's Atleti would take some doing.

[Rom2013 446]

Well Mourinho did that by bottling the league even earlier than Ancelotti. I don't rate Carlo but you can't put the entire blame on him when Real lose points against the smaller sides. They are a lot better than you give them credit for. Do you think we'd find it easy against the likes of Malaga, Bilbao, Sevilla and Valencia? We have struggled a lot against teams who press us well (e.g. West Ham, Tottenham, Liverpool) and those Spanish sides are a hell of a lot better at it than their English counterparts.

I don't think you can just put Atletico's title victory down to Barca/Real being poor. If Real and Barca both beat Atletico twice (which they would probably have done if it weren't for Simeone) then both those teams would have had more than 90 points and Atleti wouldn't have won the league. They had to win it themselves and not just by defeat, which you could argue was the case for City last year. They lost 3 out of the 4 games against 2nd and 3rd place so they were quite lucky to win it in the end.

No... a 500M£ team that can't win the domestic League in 2 seasons, we can't blame the coach... we should blame someone else.

We are not Madrid, we would have problems to beat Sevilla, Valencia, Malaga away... if you give us more 200M£ to buy players we would win against them with no problem in a consistent way.

It's completely unaceptable for Madrid to do less than 90 points in League (and it was also in the last year Mourinho was there), and to lose a League against a team in regularity that is worth half his value.

Atetico can be a great team, and play really well against big and small sides. But in regularity they can't compete with Madrid unless Madrid does a lot of shit.

[lucio 5,418]

They do look like a really good side, especially at home where they beat Real and Atleti and were very unlucky to lose against Barca. It could happen but it would be incredibly difficult. To finish ahead of Real, Barca and Simeone's Atleti would take some doing.

If they win tomorrow they are 5 points behind 1st. Their squad in terms of individual quality isn't much different from atletico

[The Chels 2,502]

No... a 500M£ team that can't win the domestic League, we can't blame the coach... we should blame someone else.

We are not Madrid, we would have problems to beat Sevilla, Valencia, Malaga away... if you give us more 200M£ to buy players we would win against them with no problem in a consistent way.

It's completely unaceptable for Madrid to do less than 90 points in League (and it was also in the last year Mourinho was there), and to lose a League against a team in regularity that is worth half his value.

Atetico can be a great team, and play really well against big and small sides. But in regularity they can't compete with Madrid unless Madrid does a lot of shit.

I think the bit in bold is delusional. Real and Barca struggle against them so why wouldn't we? We have already spent signficantly more than them but an extra £200m would fix everything and make us unbeatable? Your entire argument is essentially that it is unacceptable for a team who has spent more money to not beat the team who has spent less. That's not how football works, especially given that money doesn't necessarily define quality. Real have an £85m player in their team in Bale but is he better than Hazard who cost significantly less? Nope. Anyway Real haven't lost the league yet you know.

If they win tomorrow they are 5 points behind 1st. Their squad in terms of individual quality isn't much different from atletico

Think it's almost impossible for them to win tomorrow given that they are away to Atletico in what for them will be a 'must not lose' game. It would be incredibly surprising if Valencia were to win. I think they will end up 4th in the league and that will be about right in terms of their quality.

[Rom2013 446]

I think the bit in bold is delusional. Real and Barca struggle against them so why wouldn't we? We have already spent signficantly more than them but an extra £200m would fix everything and make us unbeatable? Your entire argument is essentially that the team who has spent more money should always beat the team who has spent less. That's not how football works, especially given that money doesn't necessarily define quality. Real have an £85m player in their team in Bale but is he better than Hazard who cost significantly less? Nope. Anyway Real Madrid haven't lost the league yet you know.

Think it's almost impossible for them to win tomorrow given that they are away to Atletico in what for them will be a 'must not lose' game. It would be incredibly surprising if Valencia were to win. I think they will end up 4th in the league and that will be about right in terms of their quality.

That's the reality. Our team cost 320M£ in buys, the team of Real Madrid cost 507M£, they spent more 180M£ buyng their team than us. Money helps a lot.Specially a difference of 180M£. Other problem is that we all know how the market is organized and that all the big players in the last 6 or 7 years were bought by Madrid and Barceona, the other teams are buying what they don't want... they pick first and that's obvious because they were by far the best teams in the world in every aspect.

I know that Madrid didn't lose the League... I'm just saying that if Ancelotti loses this League again they are really incompetent.

[Jase 43,479]

They do look like a really good side, especially at home where they beat Real and Atleti and were very unlucky to lose against Barca. It could happen but it would be incredibly difficult. To finish ahead of Real, Barca and Simeone's Atleti would take some doing.

Valencia have been hopeless away from home this season. They might have won a few games but the performances have been far from convincing and they were lucky to get some of the wins in those away outings.

[The Chels 2,502]

Valencia have been hopeless away from home this season. They might have won a few games but the performances have been far from convincing and they were lucky to get some of the wins in those away outings.

Don't think their away record will look much better come the end of the season either. They've still got to face Atleti, Bilbao, Real and Barca all away from home.

[Jase 43,479]

Don't think their away record will look much better come the end of the season either. They've still got to face Atleti, Bilbao, Real and Barca all away from home.

Given the way they have been playing away from home, would be surprised if they pick up more than 3 points from those 4 games.

[Oscar 441]

Real going to lose the title again in the galactico era....

[The Chels 2,502]

[didierforever 7,349]

RM have capitulated. I saw the match and bilbao looked the more likelier to acore than RM did to equalize. Their mid is a joke. Highly depended on individual quality and since CR seems to be put of sorts, they look toothless. The glue which holds them all together should be back soon though. They desperately need modric. But I will be surprised if barca don't win the league.

[Blue-in-me-Veins 4,067]

Only Carlo, only he could have his team go on a 22 game winning streak and still not have the league in his grasp. If he loses the league this year again, he should forever be known as the biggest bottler in world football. He escaped all criticism last year because he won La Decima, but the same thing happened where RM bottled their lead at the top of the table.

[kellzfresh 7,229]

Madrid gameplay. Cross cross cross cross cross

[The Chels 2,502]

Only Carlo, only he could have his team go on a 22 game winning streak and still not have the league in his grasp. If he loses the league this year again, he should forever be known as the biggest bottler in world football. He escaped all criticism last year because he won La Decima, but the same thing happened where RM bottled their lead at the top of the table.

I do find Real's excuses funny. Last season when they bottled the league they said they purposely threw it it so as to win the CL. It (just) worked out thanks to a 93rd minute goal. This season they 'threw the cup' (i.e. couldn't beat Atleti) to concentrate on the league and CL. The most expensive football squad in the world can't compete on multiple fronts?

[CurlyHairLikeLuiz 1,625]

Carlo will be out if they don't win the league this year, literally. Same thing happened with Mou, bar the Casillas factor. I'm almost certain RM will not retain the Champion's League, not if we have anything to do with it. And yes, we do have the quality to turn them over. I seem to recall newspapers saying that, after RM lost, that Jose was right to drop Casillas, and he was. The tide is turning already.

I wonder what the odds are, it'd be a tidy bet to place: Carlo to be dismissed this summer, Klopp to replace him.

[didierforever 7,349]

the only good thing is that if RM end up trophyless, they will go all out for their new shiny toys. hopefully, one of them is oscar.