La liga 2021-2022 Part II

[gary69]

Hmmm, didn't the Ballon d'Or change its rule to be given in june?

Yes, you're right. it was changed. I somehow thought the changes would take place only after the WC.

Not sure if the planned schedule for the award is a good one, 20 candidates to be announced in September and the winner ceremony will be in October when the new season is already on its' way.

https://www.squawka.com/en/ballon-dor-2022-favourites-odds-rule-changes-when-is/

 

[Savant]

So you voted Jorginho last time?
All 4 of the other players had a better season individually than Mane.

I didn’t. But it shows there is precedent. Mane is not the best player on LFC, but he is the best player on Senegal. Jorginho isn’t best player for club or country. All I am saying is if people were saying Salah was BDO contender, Mane needs to be in that conversation now too.

 

[Evilo]

And Jorginho won something much more significant.
Mane isn't more than 5th.

 

[Islay1989]

Football belongs to the fans, tennis doesn't.

Two-faced piece of shit. Ruined the most stories competition in all of sport for shit and giggles.

 

[Evilo]

There's absolutely nothing Pique can do to make me believe him when he did that to the Davis Cup and tried to side with the "fans" in the SuperCup fiasco.

 

[gary69]

Xavi's manager honeymoon is now officially over. Thousand passes and no end product against Cadiz. Dembele was their most active attacking player (at least until Traore came on and he switched to left flank), but his crosses, passes and especially shots were very inaccurate,

Cadiz could have scored 3-4 goals with better finishing and without a couple of good saves by Ter Stegen. Eric Garcia's and Lenglet's positioning and marking inside the box was terrible, several Cadiz players got to take free shots there.

 

[Evilo]

Garcia and Lenglet are not good enough at that level.

 

[PeteWorrell]

Garcia and Lenglet are not good enough at that level.

Nonsense. Garcia has Barcelona DNA in him so he should be good enough.

 

[Savi]

Xavi's manager honeymoon is now officially over.

Because of two bad games?

 

[KoozNetsOff 92]

On November 2, 2021 Real Madrid were 8pts ahead of Barca (24-16), both teams had played 11 games.

November 6, 2021 Xavi was appointed as barcas new manager.

Today Madrid are 15pts ahead of barca (75-60), barca have 1 game in hand.

The Xavi effect!

 

[KoozNetsOff 92]

Keeping in mind that the ballon d'or time frame is now the European league season instead of the calendar year, it's locked for Benzema. 21/22 la liga champion, la liga top scorer, la liga most assists, la liga player of the season, supercopa champion, nations league champion and with the potential to be UCL champion and top scorer. Mbappe is great but playing in a farmers league and an early UCL exit will hurt him. Lewa is just a poacher piling up goals in a crap league. Any of the worlds top strikers would score goals playing on the only decent team in a 1 team league. City have great players but no one is playing at ballon d'or level, KDB will at best be 5th or so. For Liverpool, Salah was hot for a month or so to end 2021 but has been garbage for all of 2022. Mane won't get as much love because Salah has better stats. Messi and Ronaldo will get undeserved votes based on reputation but shouldn't be serious contenders. Unless he gets injured and misses the rest of the season, Benzema wins.

 

[Vasilevskiy]

Wow, so Pique controls where the Spanish Super Cup is played? News to me.

Actually, he kinda did.

His company got a nice cut out of a very profitable deal for all parts involved except the fans

 

[Live in the Now]

Actually, he kinda did.

His company got a nice cut out of a very profitable deal for all parts involved except the fans

They have audio too. It's not uncommon for dictators to use companies as go-betweens between themselves and officials like a soccer federation, but very rarely does anyone get caught on audio dividing up payments in what seems like blatant corruption. He also claims he can deliver RM to play in Saudi Arabia and that he can extort more money from the Arabs which is really quite something. It's also not just him, the company he runs is full of powerful people steering business to Saudi Arabia for "favors". The obvious conflict of interest is that he is tied to the Spanish FA, where they are steering money to him and his friends while he's playing football. He also got busted for tax fraud so it's f***ing weird. Do we know that he's doing what he's supposed to with the money they give him?

He also said recently that you shouldn't be able to buy a World Cup but I guess it's ok to buy a Super Cup? It's the hypocrisy of all of it. If you want to steer something away from fans just so that you can make money that you don't even need, what kind of moral ground do you have to stand on when you make proclamations about the World Cup? I don't see how that's much better than the dictators themselves honestly, yes it is better, but it's like a joke.

He also admits to it (presumably because this may not be a crime) so there's no deniability.

 

[Moncherry]

Mane -

AFCON Winner
AFCON Player of the Tournament.
Qualified for World Cup
PL Team of the Season
At least one trophy, still alive for three more.

That’s a hell of a resume.

Mbappe obviously great too though.

"Qualified for World Cup" lol come on

 

[Scandale du Jour]

Actually, he kinda did.

His company got a nice cut out of a very profitable deal for all parts involved except the fans

And he has the balls to say that the SuperCopa is for the fans and that La Liga has fans all over the World.

He is not wrong... but it is f***ing Saudi Arabia lol. He did it for his own pockets and that's it.

 

[Vasilevskiy]

They have audio too. It's not uncommon for dictators to use companies as go-betweens between themselves and officials like a soccer federation, but very rarely does anyone get caught on audio dividing up payments in what seems like blatant corruption. He also claims he can deliver RM to play in Saudi Arabia and that he can extort more money from the Arabs which is really quite something. It's also not just him, the company he runs is full of powerful people steering business to Saudi Arabia for "favors". The obvious conflict of interest is that he is tied to the Spanish FA, where they are steering money to him and his friends while he's playing football. He also got busted for tax fraud so it's f***ing weird. Do we know that he's doing what he's supposed to with the money they give him?

He also said recently that you shouldn't be able to buy a World Cup but I guess it's ok to buy a Super Cup? It's the hypocrisy of all of it. If you want to steer something away from fans just so that you can make money that you don't even need, what kind of moral ground do you have to stand on when you make proclamations about the World Cup? I don't see how that's much better than the dictators themselves honestly, yes it is better, but it's like a joke.

He also admits to it (presumably because this may not be a crime) so there's no deniability.

The deal is all legal and the commissions to his company also are. He has admitted to it in a press conference tonight as well as saying he agreed that these audios are published. I have no idea what's his angle here lol

 

[Power Man]

Cadiz!

 

[Power Man]

"Qualified for World Cup" lol come on

To be fair the African WC Qualifiers are a blood bath, especially in the current format

 

[les Habs]

The deal is all legal and the commissions to his company also are. He has admitted to it in a press conference tonight as well as saying he agreed that these audios are published. I have no idea what's his angle here lol

I’d say his angle as he has nothing to hide. He’s always a target, he knows who released this and he knows he did nothing wrong. Just because people bought it hook, line and sinker doesn’t mean he’s gonna bury his head in the sand. There are things I don’t like about this to be sure, it’s a stupid Super Copa format and the fact that it’s no longer in Spain. Make no mistake for me those two are pretty big. That said from what I’ve gleaned off of this to rest of it’s really not a big deal. I’m reading in this thread that he committed extortion? I’d love to see what he did that constitute extortion as it’s defined as a criminal act. He was also very clear about the financial portion and what it really means to him which to be quite honest is a drop in the bucket for him. and since I’m calling you here per your other post, no he did not make the decision on Saudi Arabia. Rubiales and the RFEF did which was the point all along.

Other things people should consider:

—Clubs that certain people support and how their names came up in these recordings and why they agree to the deal.
—Saudi Arabia wasn’t the only option on the table. Qatar, which let’s face it is no better, was also an option along with the United States.
— I can see conflict of interest, and I’ll be honest I haven’t dug deep in this and I don’t have the time right now, but apart from that it doesn’t sound like he did anything illegal.
—He also claims that the RFEF would only get 120,000 for the Super Copa and that now they’re getting 40 million. What did you expect the RFEF would do?

 

[les Habs]

Piqué, en directo sobre los audios de Rubiales y la Supercopa

I think this is the vast majority of his answers during the press conference that he held.

 

[les Habs]

On November 2, 2021 Real Madrid were 8pts ahead of Barca (24-16), both teams had played 11 games.

November 6, 2021 Xavi was appointed as barcas new manager.

Today Madrid are 15pts ahead of barca (75-60), barca have 1 game in hand.

The Xavi effect!

Wow, i’m trying to figure out what’s worse. Actually posting this or liking it. Madridistas…. I mean to seriously use November 2 as your starting date when he was appointed on November 6 not to mention his first match in charge was on November 20th…. Fact of the matter is if Barca win their match in hand then it’s only a 12 point difference. The points difference when he took over on November 6 was 10 points. So the manager who took over in the middle of the season without preseason has likely lost only two points in the last five months to the club that’s going to win the league, the same club I might add his team thrashed 4-0 away and who get three penalties in one match, and somebody’s dumb enough to try and call him out as some sort of failure? And to be so incredibly stupid as to frame it the way it was framed in the post that I’m quoting…. Like I said, Madridistas.

Yeah, let’s look at what he’s done since he took over:

— The teams record when he took over was 4 wins, 5 draws and 3 losses for a grand total of 17 and a +4 goal differential. The team was in 9th place.
— Since then his record in the league is 13 wins, 4 draws and 2 losses for a total of 43 points +24 all differential which happens to be the best in the league during that period. The team also has the most goals scored in the second fewest allowed during that period. The team is now in 2nd place with a match in hand over anyone close to second place.
— During his time they destroyed Valencia, Atleti, Athletic Club and Madrid.
— He’s elevated the performance of pretty much every single player in the team including new signings that were signed in January.

So yeah, the Xavi effect.

 

[KoozNetsOff 92]

Wow, i’m trying to figure out what’s worse. Actually posting this or liking it. Madridistas…. I mean to seriously use November 2 as your starting date when he was appointed on November 6 not to mention his first match in charge was on November 20th…. Fact of the matter is if Barca win their match in hand then it’s only a 12 point difference. The points difference when he took over on November 6 was 10 points. So the manager who took over in the middle of the season without preseason has likely lost only two points in the last five months to the club that’s going to win the league, the same club I might add his team thrashed 4-0 away and who get three penalties in one match, and somebody’s dumb enough to try and call him out as some sort of failure? And to be so incredibly stupid as to frame it the way it was framed in the post that I’m quoting…. Like I said, Madridistas.

Yeah, let’s look at what he’s done since he took over:

— The teams record when he took over was 4 wins, 5 draws and 3 losses for a grand total of 17 and a +4 goal differential. The team was in 9th place.
— Since then his record in the league is 13 wins, 4 draws and 2 losses for a total of 43 points +24 all differential which happens to be the best in the league during that period. The team also has the most goals scored in the second fewest allowed during that period. The team is now in 2nd place with a match in hand over anyone close to second place.
— During his time they destroyed Valencia, Atleti, Athletic Club and Madrid.
— He’s elevated the performance of pretty much every single player in the team including new signings that were signed in January.

So yeah, the Xavi effect.

Barca had a game in hand today vs a team in the relegation zone, how did that go lol. Barca is a small club, Messi fooled a generation of "fans" into thinking they are some great club. 1 European cup in their history before Messi showed up. Enjoy the europa league. Oh wait, couldn't even beat Frankfurt. Barca beat Madrid for the first time in like 3 years and bark like they won the UCL, while Madrid are busy celebrating titles. That's the difference between a small club and the biggest club in the world. As far as calling someone dumb or stupid for a sports opinion, that's pretty sad. Don't be mad at me because your club is garbage.

 

[les Habs]

Barca had a game in hand today vs a team in the relegation zone, how did that go lol. Barca is a small club, Messi fooled a generation of "fans" into thinking they are some great club. 1 European cup in their history before Messi showed up. Enjoy the europa league. Oh wait, couldn't even beat Frankfurt. Barca beat Madrid for the first time in like 3 years and bark like they won the UCL, while Madrid are busy celebrating titles. That's the difference between a small club and the biggest club in the world. As far as calling someone dumb or stupid for a sports opinion, that's pretty sad. Don't be mad at me because your club is garbage.

LOL, you couldn’t even put his time in charge into perspective. Your whole approach was incredibly stupid.

You want to talk about history? Go look at Madrid before a fascist dictator and after.

”Fans”? Yeah you’re talking to someone who has been a paying club supporter despite being an ocean away. “Fans” coming from a guy who decides to show up only when things are going well. Plastic and fair weather just like all the other Madridistas.

 

[Scandale du Jour]

LOL, you couldn’t even put his time in charge into perspective. Your whole approach was incredibly stupid.

You want to talk about history? Go look at Madrid before a fascist dictator and after.

”Fans”? Yeah you’re talking to someone who has been a paying club supporter despite being an ocean away. “Fans” coming from a guy who decides to show up only when things are going well. Plastic and fair weather just like all the other Madridistas.

I respect your passion, your dedication to your club and your general football knowledge. You can call me stupid all you want for "Haha"ing a dumb taunt, I do not mind it. But the bolded? Come on. That's a ridiculous generalization, especially when you support a club that, due to ONE player, has become one of the biggest global brands in football and therefore has its share of bandwagoners (which is fine, sports is entertainment, I am not going to start gate keeping). It is even funnier considering that, NOT EVEN A WEEK AGO, your stadium was overtaken by freaking Frankfurt supporters.... because Cules sold them their tickets (and scalpers, of course, let's not generalize). I mean, I get it, a club of Barca's stature should be ashamed of playing on Thursdays.... but jeez, that pretty "plastic" and "fair weather" isn't it...

You brag about being a paying club member despite living far away... guess what, I am too (not a socio, but I doubt you are one... and good for you if you are). I have been supporting Real Madrid for over 20 years and have been posting on this sub-forum for 10 years, win or lose. So, yeah, correct the stupid shit that was said all you want, but do not go at the entire supporter base because you are mad at one guy saying stupid shit. I find it rather insulting considering I know you know I have been here forever.

 

[luiginb]

especially when you support a club that, due to ONE player, has become one of the biggest global brands in football and therefore has its share of bandwagoners (which is fine, sports is entertainment, I am not going to start gate keeping).

I agree with everything else you said, but who is that one player? Cruyff, Hagi (like in my case), Stoichkov, Romario, Ronaldinho? Cause they all did wonder in making Barcelona one of the biggest global brands in football.