Open Thread: July 23, 2024
The Open Thread/Daily Merengue is a place where you can discuss anything and everything related to football. Feel free to discuss the topics presented here, or start your very own discussions! The Open thread will be posted every day by one of the mods you’d love to hang out with: Valyrian Steel, NeRObutBlanco, Kung_Fu_Zizou (AKA KFZ), Juninho and, of course… yours truly.
Discussing CB situation
About 42% of MM poll voters think it’s outrageous for a club as great as Real Madrid to start a season with only 2 good enough CBs.
Kiyan has given his opinion on the matter:
I think Real Madrid succeeding last summer in spite of losing Benzema and playing without a traditional 9 (for most of the time) has skewed perceptions a bit. The team is not invincible. Don’t think you can do that again with center-backs just because you got away with it in the front-line last season (where, by the way, you did have Joselu). What’s happenning now in the defensive line is different than what happened in attack last season. The remaining center-backs: Rudiger (great), Militao (post-ACL, hopefully will be back to his best), Alaba (May not be back until January, and even then, will take time for him to be back on a regular, reliable basis), Tchouameni (doesn’t like playing there), Vallejo (I don’t mind him in the squad but we have no idea what version of him exists right now, he’s barely played in the last year).
You didn’t get your guy, OK. You don’t have to sign your long-term solution now. But get a body. Ancelotti makes miracles with the squads he’s given and doesn’t make excuses, but why take that chance. Maximize it for him.
I agree with most everything he said. It looks like the board is okay if we under perform this season, because we had extraordinary success in three seasons, especially last season with arguably without forward signing. Is the board really thinking it’s no problem if we do not win LL or UCL this season as we won 2 LLs, 2 UCLs, over the last three seasons?
But I disagree on Kiyan’s last sentence. I think to “Maximize” means to sign the best player of the position – or at least the guy you’re counting on: Yoro. Unless the club spends heavily (which is not happening, otherwise they would have made a better offer to Lille/Yoro), a CB signing now basically is a reasonable squad planning, instead of a very bad one, or as most of you think – an outrageous one for a club like Real Madrid.
Ballon d’or and UCL favorites
It’s just an absurd that Rodri is being considered one of Ballon dor candidates. He wasn’t even a candidate before the EURO, on which he wasn’t neither Spain’s best player (despite winning the award as best player).
Team updates
- Lunin is likely to leave
- Nico Paz and Alvaro Rodriguez will be part of USA tour;
- Brahim, Fran Garcia and Ceballos are in great physical condition
- Guess the player who is training longer than anyone else? Lord Vallejo
- Real Madrid will head a farewell ceremony to Nacho on Wednesday, July 24, 1 pm
- Per AS, Liverpool is ready to pay Kubo’s release clause of €60M. Real Madrid would receive €27M.