Dunno if Koeman can be clearly labeled a bad choice yet. I'd give it some time.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Isn’t it postponed?Elche is the first game, it's on the above post lol, if you mean the other 9. Yeah, it's a tough schedule
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.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.
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.Apparently Hazard turned up fat again and will have to lose a bunch of weight.
Sigh....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