La Liga 2019/2020 Part II

[YNWA14]

Dunno if Koeman can be clearly labeled a bad choice yet. I'd give it some time.

 

[Corto]

Dunno if Koeman can be clearly labeled a bad choice yet. I'd give it some time.

Oh, I agree, just saying that my gut says it won't end well.

But then again, my gut thought that City would roll over Lyon, so what do I know...

 

[Avs44]

It'll be interesting to see the state of La Liga for the next couple seasons. It already was in a lull as Real and Barcelona are both essentially in a rebuilding stage (Real has already begun), but Messi seemingly leaving Barcelona, if it goes through, seems to cement that. Neymar, Ronaldo, and now Messi all departed.

 

[les Habs]

It'll be interesting to see the state of La Liga for the next couple seasons. It already was in a lull as Real and Barcelona are both essentially in a rebuilding stage (Real has already begun), but Messi seemingly leaving Barcelona, if it goes through, seems to cement that. Neymar, Ronaldo, and now Messi all departed.

• I think La Liga could be interesting, but every big league has been in a lull.
• If Madrid don't win a domestic double next season, and I'm typing this with the assumption that Messi will be gone, it will be one of the biggest failures anywhere.
• Both clubs are constantly rebuilding and have been for years. How well that's gone is up for debate. I think both clubs have made good signings but not all of those signings have lived up to expectations.
• The biggest thing to consider here is that the league will have trouble attracting top talent to some degree in the near future at least. The Premiership is rightly or wrongly considered "the league" and the English clubs have a ton of revenue coming in. Italy also will a competitor for La Liga because of the differences in income tax laws. Ronaldo clearly left Madrid to win some more silverware, but make no mistake that the tax law in Italy also played it's part.

 

[Avs44]

• I think La Liga could be interesting, but every big league has been in a lull.
• If Madrid don't win a domestic double next season, and I'm typing this with the assumption that Messi will be gone, it will be one of the biggest failures anywhere.
• Both clubs are constantly rebuilding and have been for years. How well that's gone is up for debate. I think both clubs have made good signings but not all of those signings have lived up to expectations.
• The biggest thing to consider here is that the league will have trouble attracting top talent to some degree in the near future at least. The Premiership is rightly or wrongly considered "the league" and the English clubs have a ton of revenue coming in. Italy also will a competitor for La Liga because of the differences in income tax laws. Ronaldo clearly left Madrid to win some more silverware, but make no mistake that the tax law in Italy also played it's part.

This is semantics, but I quibble over the term rebuilding. I think Real and Barcelona, like most big clubs, are constantly replenishing, but it seems they are both at a point (which Real has already reached) where they seems to be a more conscious acceptance that the CL title is out of realistic reach for a couple seasons, and instead a turn towards youth. Real has been in that stage for a couple years (moreso recently), with a lot of make or break seasons for some of their younger players coming up. I don't think Barcelona, at least at the board level and in terms of how they've been spending on the transfer market and playing youth, have really embraced that recently -- until now, likely. This Messi situation, regardless of whether he leaves or just shakes up the board which has been very shortsighted in recent years, seems it'll change that status quo. Just my opinion, of course.

I'm also curious what the lack of big name star talent in La Liga will do for foreign viewership -- particularly for North American fans. Having the #1 and #2 talents in the world in the same league has been a selling point for years. I feel like the continued ascendance of the PL as "the league," as you put it, is just going to be accelerated by the lack of star talent in La Liga. Can't say I'm particularly pleased about it.

 

[les Habs]

This is semantics, but I quibble over the term rebuilding. I think Real and Barcelona, like most big clubs, are constantly replenishing, but it seems they are both at a point (which Real has already reached) where they seems to be a more conscious acceptance that the CL title is out of realistic reach for a couple seasons, and instead a turn towards youth. Real has been in that stage for a couple years (moreso recently), with a lot of make or break seasons for some of their younger players coming up. I don't think Barcelona, at least at the board level and in terms of how they've been spending on the transfer market and playing youth, have really embraced that recently -- until now, likely. This Messi situation, regardless of whether he leaves or just shakes up the board which has been very shortsighted in recent years, seems it'll change that status quo. Just my opinion, of course.

I'm also curious what the lack of big name star talent in La Liga will do for foreign viewership -- particularly for North American fans. Having the #1 and #2 talents in the world in the same league has been a selling point for years. I feel like the continued ascendance of the PL as "the league," as you put it, is just going to be accelerated by the lack of star talent in La Liga. Can't say I'm particularly pleased about it.

I hear ya on the semantics thing. However you usually don't see a rebuild the likes of what we're probably about to see at Barça. Anyway, my point is that both clubs have made signings over the years, some better than others, that have been towards the future. And while the future is a consideration, I think there's a financial element as well based on what I said about their competitors in the transfer market.

I'm not happy about it either, but I don't think much changes. The quality of play aside, people were already preferring to watch the Premiership. Maybe that becomes more acute, but it doesn't change. The two positives I could see coming out of this are that clubs like Barça and Madrid both sign more prospects as opposed to "proven" players and more importantly focus more on their canteras. That remains to be seen.

On more distinct advantage that the Premiership has is they get some of the top managers. Guardiola and Klopp are both there and IMO are there to stay. We'll see if Madrid or Barça can tempt a Nagelsmann.

 

[koyvoo]

These things are cyclical. No league stays at the top indefinitely. No league exclusively attracts the very biggest stars as the the place to play forever.

 

[Live in the Now]

These things are cyclical. No league stays at the top indefinitely. No league exclusively attracts the very biggest stars as the the place to play forever.

It's more that the three teams in this league with a lot of money have been rancid in the transfer market for the last three-five years. They've just outright wasted it. That's not going to happen forever.

 

[Corto]

This is semantics, but I quibble over the term rebuilding. I think Real and Barcelona, like most big clubs, are constantly replenishing, but it seems they are both at a point (which Real has already reached) where they seems to be a more conscious acceptance that the CL title is out of realistic reach for a couple seasons, and instead a turn towards youth.

Real was hit with a perfect storm:
- ZZ left
- Cristiano left
- 2018 WC completely drained guys like Modric and Varane
- multiple injuries
- Lopetegui managing

They've done a great job since Zidane came back at not only being competitive again in La Liga, but completely changing their playstyle to suit the players they have now.
There's no Ronaldo, basically no Bale, Marcelo's fallen off, Modric is past his prime - and Zidane recognized that, he completely changed the fast transition football he played before and brought in this possession, positional football. More boring, but effective.

With Valverde coming through, and possibly Odegaard, they are a healthy Hazard and one more forward (either Vini developing or a world class forward bought) away from contending for the CL again.

...

As for Barca, people forget how loaded they are on talent.
De Jong, Griezmann, Dembele, Pjanic (he's 30, not 40), Busi (still very good, if not as good as before), MatS, Alba (still good if not great), maybe a couple of new faces in Wijnaldum, De Beek, Depay. Puiq coming up.

They will be far from terrible. And without the old guard there, Koeman will be able to play more modern football, more speed, more press, more movement.
It may take a year, but Barca will still be competitive very, very quickly.

 

[PeteWorrell]

Are Valencia favourites to get relegated next season? The squad is being gutted with sales and even someone like Parejo leaving on a free. They do not even have a manager in place with a vision to rebuild. Horror show.

 

[Cassano]

Edit: got trolled

 

[Duchene2MacKinnon]

The season starts in 2 weeks. There’s no schedule released nor a preseason? Wtf

 

[Duchene2MacKinnon]

It's finally out.

 

[Savi]

Schedule looks brutal for Barça, with some bad luck Koeman could easily be on his way out after 3 months.

Athletic, Villarreal, Celta, Sevilla, Getafe, Real Madrid, Alaves, Betis, Atlético - those are the first 9 games. Madrid's early schedule looks way softer so by the time the first Clasico rolls around there could already be a large gap between both teams

 

[Vasilevskiy]

Elche is the first game, it's on the above post lol, if you mean the other 9. Yeah, it's a tough schedule

Edit: Nevermind me I'm f***ing blind

 

[Duchene2MacKinnon]

Elche is the first game, it's on the above post lol, if you mean the other 9. Yeah, it's a tough schedule

Isn’t it postponed?

 

[Vasilevskiy]

I am blind lol

 

[Cassano]

Speaking to a French outlet, Griezmann said that after last season spent adapting, things would be improved now: “it has been similar to my relationship with Kylian Mbappé, at first we didn’t find each other with our passes, and I needed a lot of time to understand myself with him. Things with Messi are on the way up.”

 

[Dr Salt]

Are Valencia favourites to get relegated next season? The squad is being gutted with sales and even someone like Parejo leaving on a free. They do not even have a manager in place with a vision to rebuild. Horror show.

They've done these exoduses before, the concerning thing about Valencia this time around is the transfer fee returns are poor. They could survive as a 15th-17th placed team potentially.

 

[Live in the Now]

Apparently Hazard turned up fat again and will have to lose a bunch of weight.

 

[Scandale du Jour]

Apparently Hazard turned up fat again and will have to lose a bunch of weight.

I am starting to strongly dislike this f***er.

 

[Duchene2MacKinnon]

Apparently Hazard turned up fat again and will have to lose a bunch of weight.

What do you mean again lol. I saw the pics he suarez and Higuain the immovable trio lol. You can tell he gave up last year. Anyone thinking he will be bounce back is fooling themselves.

 

[robertmac43]

Hazard has said he likes his off season to be relaxing with good food... Can you blame the guy for coming in slightly over weight? :p

 

[Power Man]

Apparently Hazard turned up fat again and will have to lose a bunch of weight.

Sigh....
And he claimed he would be judged on his 2nd season lol

 

[Scandale du Jour]

Sigh....
And he claimed he would be judged on his 2nd season lol

How long until he joins Bale in the stands?