Yuck
By: Corey | February 24th, 2008I watched the game and I didnt like what I saw. But I have three tests coming up and my body decided to contract some sort of sickness so I am laying in bed with a fever, unable to play the XBOX 360 my parents bought me for my birthday (I didnt ask for it which was the best part). So no review of the match, and I am going to take the week off seeing as how I have the tests and my 21st on Thursday. I will be back for this upcoming weekends league fixture. Here is Bernadine’s post match comments:
“I have never Had a move like this happen to me before,” Schuster fumed.
“We are going to leave it there. I do not like my players being insulted or for others to look for something against them.
“We have lost because of a one-off move. We celebrated a goal and then saw them score. It was unusual.
“It caused us a lot of problems.”
Barcelona reduced the gap at the top of the table to two points and Schuster admitted that his side are having problems that they were not before.
“For one reason or another these things are happening and it is costing us dear,” he continued.
“Things are becoming very difficult in the past few games and we have had problems that before were not there.
“We are now missing chances but defending also better.
“They had hardly any chances, but because of one small mistake they have bitten us.
Even though there is no review, I encourage everyone to give their own review of the match and to try to figure out why our team stopped winning all of the sudden. I would post regularly if we can get a good comment thread goin. Adios.
Category: Team News
Subscribe
|
Print
|
Share
      |
Comments
-
Feel better Corey. It’s very disconcerting. It’s like we have switched places with the Barca of last year and Barca is playing more like us under Capello. The hunger and belief are somehow missing or questioned by our players. The inspiration to comeback from behind is just not there. Their play is predictable and flat. Robben is playing well, but it’s our central midfield that worries me. That said, it’s still early in the season. But the ying and yang relationship between Madrid and Barca does mess with the mind alot. Let’s hope they can get themselves out of this funk and beat Roma midweek. I just question Schuster’s motivation tactics. Hala Madrid!
Posted from
United States
-
Corey-
I think this showed us just how badly we need Robinho against any side that drops the whole entire squad back to the box. I saw very little creativity and no one out there who could make a little magic. It was a horribly painful game to watch, compounded by the intelligent and tough play of a Getafe side. Since you are a fellow American Corey, you will understand the similarity between Getafe’s defense last night and a quality man-to-man defense in basketball. Getafe always kept the opposing player in front of them, communicated exceptionally well on switches, and rarely overcommitted themselves. It felt like our offense would never break through! We also made them look better than they were with absolutely STUPID passing…I thought Schuster and his fellow countrymen knew the value of possession??? I can’t stand how much we give the ball away, we’ve got to communicate better on the pitch.The only reason we dropped 7 on poor Valladolid was because they played (or attempted to play) attacking football. What I saw yesterday was a team badly in need of an inventor, a player who can make something out of nothing. I think Robinho’s (maybe Balboa with his speed, but he has very little football IQ) presence in the 2nd leg of the Roma fixture will decide our Champions League fate. Hopefully he recovers completely.
Man of the Match: Raul…without a doubt. He was giving 100% all the time, up and down the pitch, being a leader. Ruud had a very poor game, Raul had to try and be the orchestrator that Robinho is. He worked hard though.
Goat of the Match: #1) the refs completely lost control over this game
#2) Schuster…the team was not focused and did not execute they way they need to at the Bernabeu.
#3) Heinze…awful awful defense…give-away passesPosted from
United States -
I agree with both of you that the match was ours for the taking but it looked like Schuster had little control over what went on with the team. They were disjointed and lacked fluidity. Robben played well but he is hardly the creator Robinho is, likewise for Gago’s supposed ability to out pass Diarra he didnt show it, with way to many bad give aways. Baptista also doesnt look as good as he used to, so the center midfield is definately what is ailing our team. Hopefully Diarra is restored next to Baptista with Robinho and Guti joining in. Gago and Robben will be on the bench for me because all though they both played well over the past games, their final ball or decision making is not up to standard yet, Robinho and Diarra’s are. Also, Heinze just isnt very good but very few people seem to see that, the combination of Torres being out of position on the left, Sergio Ramos in a rough patch and Heinze being bullocks doesnt help anything. We need to calm down and take stock of what we have, stop playing players out of position, restore some parody to our tactics and start better using our subs. Higuain was an ill-advised choice to bring on yesterday, he did nothing. I have lost patience with him, he doesnt have a true position in our formation and he can barely get a shot 20 feet from the goal. Soldado should have been brought on earlier and Balboa should have been used rather then Drenthe, who like Robben and Gago does not have the thought process we need in these games yet. I believe in RObben and Drenthe, but Gago and Higuain I have lost almost all patience in.
Posted from
United States -
Corey, I completely agree with many of your points, although I do differ a little when it comes to Gago. Here’s a little review of a few of Don Calderon’s brilliant signings in his reign.
-I would rather have a fish (note: fish lack legs) shoot the ball than Higuain, despite the obvious disadvantage in leg strength. At least fish find the net sometimes (when we catch them). I’ve seen about 2 or 3 moments of pure quality from him, and everything else is just crap. Exile this guy back to River Plate.
-Heinze was a HUGE waste of money, as was Drenthe, because their offense (supposedly their strength??) matches the piss-poor quality of their D. They can’t cross or even make a simple, smart pass. I can’t wait till these guys are gone.
-I would sell Saviola for an apple, at least the apple tastes good and keeps the doctor away. The only thing Saviola keeps away is goals, maybe he should switch to full back.-Baptista doesn’t have a fit, and he’s not a supporting midfielder at all. His size and attacking prowess are good for a squad looking for a target man up front, not in the middle. Maybe he would be better suited to go alongside Raul’s more forward position, but he doesn’t create well alone. I like Julio, he’s got plenty of talent, I just feel like we aren’t using him to his full potential. He’s primarily a striker, and his insane goal scoring numbers in Brazil attest to that.
-Robben’s got quality, but needs more support and isn’t a real creator, more of a good side-kick, certainly not worth his hefty price tag.
-As I’ve said in previous comments, I really really like Balboa, but he’s not quite ready for this stage. He needs a little bit more coaching, but he’s got an insane amount of potential. With his speed on the ball, he should beat just about anyone on a 1 v. 1.
-Finally, we come to our good friend Gago. I’ll definitely give him the benefit of the doubt, but I fully understand why you feel differently. Emerson’s departure left a gaping hole in the central midfield. It wasn’t that Emerson was good, but he provided depth that we sorely lack now. While Diarra is a talented player, he’s obviously helpless on his own. Throwing Guti or Baptista back there doesn’t help him at all. I think we need two solid holding midfielders on the pitch all the time if we choose to attack and use the gambling wing-backs. Gago was thrown into the mixer at the beginning of this year, and I think he’s stepped up and played well considering the pressure that our holding mids face. Obviously, there are times when his head seems to be separate from the rest of his body, but he’s got loads of potential and once a game, he makes that incisive outlet to Guti (or all the way up front) which keeps us hanging on for more. I think we look at Gago the same way, you are just fed up with him (again, understandably). Gago’s not Michael Essien or Claude Makelele, but neither is Diarra. I think that Gago and Diarra need one another to be truly effective, so we’ll see if Schuster makes that happen. What we do know is this…they’re going to have to suffice until the summer transfer window. Gago is still very young and to me, that makes it a little easier to forgive him for this week’s performance. I can think of more than a few performances where Diarra has been just as bad. I think both players have a real shot at being special here in Madrid, but we need them to screw their heads on straight and give a smart performance every time.To me, our poor run of play began with a heartbreaking loss on the island of Mallorca in the Copa tie. We had been outplaying them, their keeper played out of his mind, and our frustration bubbled over when those douchebags got a lucky second goal. Since that game, I have not seen the whites play well (the valladolid game was a complete aberration, not at all an indicator of the way we are competing).
What about you? What game has struck you as that turning point?
P.S. Been reading your column all year, you and Steve are entertaining and fun to hear from. Keep it up, and I’ll keep coming here to chat with you guys. I’m a student at Indiana University (sorry if your a Pats fan) so I’ve got some free time to burn like you guys.
Posted from
United States -
Thanks Elisa, its already starting to get better, probably all the meds I am on. I do detect a lack of hunger, do you think this has more to do with the players loosing focus due to fatigue or Schuster is not motivating them enough and resting on his success already?
James- Calderon may make wild declerations about signings, but Portugal and Mijatovic do the signings with the coaches input.
I disagree about Drenthe and Baptista, they both are good players. And Gago playing along side Diarra seems more suitable for both parties, but Gago’s passing is erratic and his decision making is terrible. Baptista is a better partner for now.
The Mallorca game was disheartening, mostly because we completely sucked in both games and gave Mallorca the tie on a platter. But as you have said, since then we have been terrible, barring the Valladolid game. A win against Roma could very easily turn things around for us, but a lose would surely see us forfeit the league as well.
And I am not a Pats fan, Buffalo Bills born and bred, Im from upstate New York despite going to school in CT. But Id love to hear from you more often, I write because of great posts like the one you just left, keep up the good work everyone.
Posted from
United States -
Shooting. That’s what I think Madrid’s biggest problem is. I actually like the way Madrid are playing, up until they get to the box. The back four were actually not too bad - considering Heinze was laced up. The midfield did a great job controlling the match, with a few slips but that’s inevitable. It wasn’t until the goal that the team started to fall apart - and though there’s no arguing that Raul was offside, nor that the goal was legit, it was still nothing that Getafe will brag about. Scoring while 3/4’s of the opposing team are oblivious that the ball is even in play is no great accomplishment.
I think Robben did well on the wing, though his crosses need improving, and he needs to realize he can’t dribble the ball into the net. The reason Robinho is so effective is that he not only draws defenders with his ball handling and pace, but he knows when and where to pass it. He draws cover and then sends the ball to the free man. Robben just dribbles at his defenders.
Anyways, I think Madrid have played well in all of their recent losses, they just haven’t been scoring. Against Getafe - and albeit Getafe’s stratagy was to defend and counter - Madrid had 60% of the possesion and took 19 shots. If that’s not aggresive and dominating football, I’m not sure what is. The problem is that 15 of those shots were off target, and woefully so. Just aweful, in fact.
Madrid’s true problem isn’t simply Robinho being off the pitch - perhaps Robben isn’t as spell binding and Drenthe not as experienced, but both players were creating plenty of opportunities. The true problem is that Ruud is off his game and Raul can’t make chances, only capitalize once he gets them. We are in need of a goal scorer, and I think this is a problem that will outlast this current spell of loses. I think we should hunt Benzema AGGRESIVELY in the summer, and hopefully we’ll have our second consecutive trophy by then to lure him. If we don’t, I predict it’ll be our inability to take a good shot that will have damned us.
My one other complaint is Madrid’s pathetic withering once going down a goal. They don’t have the spirit of the side that held on to the title by threads of silk last season, largely on the merit of their last minute rally’s to escape defeat. This season (and I’m placing the blame on Schuster’s head here) we just seem to give up once falling behind. It’s an embarrassing, pouty sort of display, this giving up long before the match is finished. Madrid are lacking the resiliency that they seemed to embody under Capello.
Posted from
United States -
What? Heinze has to be a better option than Pepe!
Posted from
United States
Comments are closed
Home 
