Bleacher Report - Articles by Adam Bader

Four Things Need To Be Done at Real Madrid

Adam Bader — Mon, 04 May 2009 05:17:28 -0400

Following Real Madrid's humiliating defeat to Barcelona in El Clasico, everyone started talking about what should be done at the club to reshape the team and restore its pride and image as Spain's, Europe's, and the World's most powerful football club.

With the elections to be done this month, everyone is certain that Florentino Perez will regain the presidential seat and re-adopt the notion of "Galacticos"—the team that is filled with superstars. His idea only worked for a couple of years before, then it collapsed and the club had to hire Fabio Capello to do a "clean up" and get the team's spirit back.

I personally don't have anything against Mr.Perez, but if he is really going to reform the team in the way the press is reporting, then we'll definitely go into a "trophyless coma" for another four or five years.

However, in my opinion here is what the club needs to do.

1) Keep things stable

I believe everyone agrees with me on this one. After this election, there should be no more. We don't have to change presidents, and presidents on their sides, should stop scandals and focus their efforts on serving the club rather than themselves and their desires.

2) Keep Juande Ramos

To begin with, he is a top-notch football manager. The fact that Tottenham sacked him doesn't mean a darn thing. Heck, even Capello was sacked twice when he won two titles. If you are going to evaluate a coach, then your evaluation needs to be objective and systematic. Study Juande's history, tactical ability, and football knowledge and you'll realize he is one of the best coaches in Spain at the moment.

Another reason to keep Ramos is because there aren't better ones at the moment. Fergie, Wenger, Mourinho, Ancelotti, and Rafa are all tied up to their clubs. You can go to the route Barca went to by hiring a former player and a younger coach, but it is too risky. Pepe Guardiola proves me wrong here, but why risk it when you already have a great coach in Juande Ramos?

3) Keep the team's foundation

What is the foundation of our team at the moment? I'm gonna tell you. Casillas, Ramos, Lass, Higuain, Robben, Diarra, and Van Nistelrooy are the players that when gone, the team greatly suffers. Guti, Raul, Salgado, and Cannavaro are also important players, but due to their age, they can't continue at the club and thus can't be the foundation of the team. So the first thing to do is keep our young yet important players—and you guessed it—let go of the old folks. Wish them the best of luck and serve them as well as they served us when we needed them.

4) Feed the team strategically

The coach, not the president or the guy who mows the pitch, is the one responsible of this task. He should analyze the team and its players. He should look at the areas which we need to restrengthen, and look for players who could play in these areas.

The first thing he needs to do is look at the Castilla and see if there is really an impressive, extremely talented youngster who can seriously and quickly develop to be a first-team player. It is typically difficult to find such a player, but Real Madrid has one of the best youth systems in the world and has always presented fantastic players to the world. There is gotta be another Messi in there.

The second step is to scout. Look at the youth sectors of other clubs and spot the unique talents in there. Four clubs master this very well. Barcelona, AC Milan, Manchester United, and Arsenal. Most of their first team players are either youth products or players whom they discovered. We need a scout who is intelligent and understands football very well to take this job. Another thing is that he can keep his mouth shut until a deal is sealed with a young talent. Maybe a role for Zidane?

The third step and is harder to implement is to look for already world-class players at other clubs. The art of this strategy relies in the research, and the way of approaching the players and their clubs. Ramon Calderon and his staff sucked badly at this. Barcelona and AC Milan master it. They can get whoever they want, without breaking any rules or starting any wars with other teams.

In terms of who I think should be signed, loaned, and sold, here is my list below:

To be signed

1- Winger: Franck Ribery

We have always had problems on the flanks especially when Robben was injured and even when he was there. We need someone like Ribery and I can't seem to think of someone as superb as he is. What I like about Ribery is that he is truly world-class and less problematic. He is a leader, a team player, and has the potential to be a FIFA Player of the Year.

2- Left-back: Phillip Lahm

I can't think of anyone else but Lahm to play as a left-back. Gabriel Heinze is an ex-footballer and it is irrational that he continues at the club. Marcelo is doing a good job, but a replacement for Heinze is important and with the characteristics that Lahm has, he could really be a good fit for the job.

3- Center-back:?

So now that Cannavaro is reportedly undergoing a medical with Juventus, we need to look for a quality center-back. Garay, whom we bought a while ago but loaned out to Racing, will be here in the summer, and I wonder if he can be counted on. In any case, another defender should be signed, and I really can't of think of anyone at the moment, can you?

To be sold

Heinze

As I said earlier, Gabriel is no longer capable of playing at a competitive level so it is time for him to hang up his boots. However, before he does that we need to find a replacement.

Saviola

It hurts when I see Saviola not given any chances. I think Schuster is who to blame because he was the one who brought him and never used him. And now with Higuain, Huntelaar, Van Nistelrooy, and Raul, Saviola basically has no chance of a first team spot. Chances are near to zero and the best thing for him and for the club is that he goes to another team.

To be loaned

Gago

I've never been a big fan of Gago and I think many of you realize this. I do like him and I think he is a good player, but I'd loan him to a good team in Spain, Italy, or Engalnd so he can develop quickly. Instead of relying on him primarily, we should be counting on Diarra and Lass because, in all honesty, they are so much better than Gago.

Drenthe

Royston has the talent, but still lacks a lot of things. Even basic things. And he'll never get chances with Marcelo, Robben, Higuain, and Huntelaar on the squad. A good solution is to loan him to another team (Juventus are said to be interested) and let him develop there.

Javi Garcia

As the case with his young teammates, Javi Garcia can't seem to get a chance with players like Lass and Sneijder on the team. It all depends on him. If he thinks he can be better than those guys, then he should probably give it a shot, but If he thinks he can't compete with them and doesn't want to sit on the bench, then loaning him would be a good idea.

To be honored

Salgado

Michel has been at the club for a long time, and we must honor him. If he still wants to play football regularly then he is free to go to the States or the Gulf, but If he is okay with a managerial role in the club then he is welcome.

Guti

Guti's only problem is that he is inconsistent. If he wasn't, he would probably be one of the best players in the world. He, also like Raul, has been at the club for a long time and I don't think he should retire but he shouldn't expect a lot of playing time. He needs to choose: a warm bench or a nice job at the Cantera.

Raul

Alright. I'm playing with fire here, but what the heck? Raul is a legend, and legends need to retire at some point. Raul shouldn't retire If he doesn't want to, but he should know that he is simply incapable of playing at a competitive level. He limits our potential and sometimes influences our strategy. When Raul plays, we play with 10 men not 11.

Though, part of the problem is the coach. No one has ever had the balls to bench Raul. Actually, I remember Capello doing it a couple of times, but Capello is no longer here and Juande or whoever will be the manager should have the courage to tell Raul to warm the bench sometimes.

One more last thing

A large part of the problem is that we don't learn from our mistakes. Our officials don't learn from their mistakes. They keep doing the same thing over and over again. What we need is stability, work ethic, had work, dedication, faith and most importantly patience.

Now it is your turn...

I'm sure you've got something to say and I want to hear it. Do you agree or disagree with me? What do you think should be done to create a Champions League winning Real Madrid team?

I'm all ears.

Hala Madrid!

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Four Factors Have Contributed to Real Madrid's Revival in Spain

Adam Bader — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 11:38:20 -0500

During the last couple of months, things have changed dramatically at La Casa Blanca. A new president, a new manager, three new players and most importantly, a tremendous and consistent performances from the team have reduced the gap with Barcelona from 12 points to just four in a matter of three weeks.

In this article, I'm going to highlight four factors that I think have helped Real regain strength and form in La Liga.

1) The sacking of Bernd Schuster

The German had been brought to bring sexy football or that's at least was Calderon's justification of sacking Capello.

It was rare that Schuster's Real played that sexy football. He only did his job by winning (which is more important), but the German's job was easier than Capello's as he found a team that had gotten its spirit and winning mentality back.

What I'm trying to say is that, Schuster didn't fulfill his promise and delivered the attacking style. He won the league and the Spanish Supercup but there was nothing extraordinary.

Real's good results combined with Barcelona's awful form and inconsistency in the league were simply the two reasons that Los Blancos won their second consecutive league title.

In the Champions League, Real where humiliated and eliminated by AS Roma and so the last 16 jinx continued.

Schuster's stubbornness and negative relationship with the press were also two factors that had a bad influence on the squad.

The fact that he had surrendered before we played Barcelona at the Camp Nou also suggests that Schuster didn't have a winning mentality and was easy to be conditioned by crisis.

2) The Appointment of Juande Ramos

This is no brainier. Juande Ramos has dramatically turned things around at the Bernabeu. He possess superb tactical and analytical skills that differentiate him from other coaches.

He knows how to analyze games well and how to “respond” by making smart substitutions and changing the way his teams play. He is also pragmatic, that is realistic. He doesn't differentiate between his players and he knows how to get the best out of them.

His decision to let players such as Robben, Rau'l and Higuain to play freely has had a positive effect on the team's results. This should have been done before, but it was only under Ramos that we saw the real Robben, the world-class winger that is a source of constant danger to most defenders.

3) The resignation of Ramon Calderon

I personally think that Calderon did many good things at Real. He helped get the team out of that coma and helped us sign some of the world's greatest players (Cannavaro, Van Nistelrooy, Diarra..etc), but the way he pursued Cristiano Ronaldo, treated Robinho and most importantly rigged the Club's Generally Assembly was absolutely unacceptable.

These were not directly related to the team's performances, but they were distractions to the team. Every morning you'd find him on Marca's or AS' cover being accused of using club's credit cards to pay his bills or for trying to contract with players without the permission of their respective clubs.

4) The Signing of Lassana Diarra

Lass adapted to the team immediately from Day One. Since his debut, he has started in eleven matches and has been impressive. His strong physical form, excellent passing skills, anticipation, and vision are what set him apart.

Many people say he is a reject, because neither Arsenal nor Chelsea wanted him in their squads. I find it normal, it is natural for footballers to move from a club to another and if they do, it doesn't mean they are rejects. They may adapt to a club but not to another.

They may get a chance or may not, and the later is the real reason Lass couldn't stay in England.

His partnership and understanding with Fernando Gago is one of the key reasons to Real's impressive results. Other midfielders such as Javi Garcia & Van der vaart are finding it hard to get a first team role because Juande can't bench Lass; he is his best defensive midfielder.

These were the four factors that I think have helped Real Madrid close on Barcelona. I might have missed something, or might have highlighted the wrong factors, so I'd love to hear your thoughts on this.

This article was originally posted at Real Madrid Talk.

Barca 2-0 Real: Real Proved They Are Tough to Beat

Adam Bader — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 10:55:16 -0500

First off, I just would like to say that I'm proud of what Real Madrid did on the pitch today. From Casillas to Cannavaro, from Metzelder to Raul, everyone gave their best.

It was a very difficult match. We proved we were not easy to beat. We proved that we can't be beaten by a number of goals their President chooses and we proved that if even they had Messi, Eto'o, Henry, or even Cruyff on the same team they wouldn't score a shower of goals—even with their dominance in midfield.

If Schuster had still been the coach, we wouldn't have probably given such a fight. I think Juande did a good job, although in my humble opinion he made a few mistakes. But overall, and considering that he has been at the helm only for a week or so, he did a good job.

Juande started with Casillas in goal, Salgado on the right, Cannavaro and Metzelder in the middle, and Ramos on the left. In the midfield, Gago played along Guti and Drenthe started on the left while Sneijder who was still injured played on the right. Upfront, there was Higuain and Raul.

Drenthe and Sneijder

I didn't think that Ramos would start Sneijder because he was simply injured. I was just surprised and thought that Wesley was perfectly fit, if he hadn't, he wouldn't have been called up, right? But it turned out that Sneijder was still suffering from injury and was replaced with Castilla team player, Palanca—who did a good job by the way.

Van der Vaart could have started instead. He would have played the same role in a better physical shape.

Another thing which I knew Ramos was confused about was whether he should play Drenthe or not.

Royston played and the only thing he provided was pace with no effectiveness. Pure zero—and with all due respect—pure holy crap.

That one-on-one he had with Valdes was a golden chance. If you remember three years ago at the Camp Nou, we were pretty much in a similar situation and we were down 1-0, Ronaldo had a similar chance, but we are talking about Ronaldo here not Drenthe, the Brazilian scored the equalizer which helped us to snatch a point. The same could have happened tonight hadn't Drenthe been nervous and unskillful.

I have always defended him and suggested that he should be given some playing time. Since Robben got injured, however, he has had a lot of playing time but he never improved. It is confusing and upsetting because Drenthe looked like a promising player.

His performances with Holland's youth team were fantastic and if you are saying he hasn't adapted well, alright, he has been here for a season and a half I guess, I think that's enough for a player to get adjusted to a new league.

Barca logically had most of the ball possession in both halves. Ramos for the first time in his life, played as a left-back trying to stop Messi. He succeed to some point, but he looked uncomfortable there.

Gago had one of his best matches this season. I really liked him tonight (for the first time ever) and he should keep playing like this.

Raul also did a tremendous job. He passed, attacked and defended, he basically played all roles.

Another player who played amazingly well was Cannavaro. Now to all you folks who are whining that he is an old chap, with all due respect, you gotta shut up because Fabio has proved he is a worldclass defender who was the only one capable of stopping Messi. Out of four confrontations with Messi, Cannavaro won three.

However, and as I said in my preview, the key is to hold ball possession which we couldn't. Since they had it most of the time, the pressure was on our defense which led to mistakes.

Now call me biased, but the penalty they have been awarded was not legitimate. I'm not whining here, but I don't get it. Alright, lets assume it was legitimate, boom, Casillas saves it! Eto'o was going nuts!

They kept attacking and they eventually scored just seven minutes before the final whistle. A corner kick—Puyol heads to Eto'o who could touch to go past Casillas and it was cleared off after it got inside—I was frustrated because our efforts were all wasted.

We tried to come back but they had a counter-attack. Henry on the right with Cannavaro only defending, the old French chap opted to pass it to Messi who sent it over Casillas, Cannavaro tried to clear it but he was a bit late—he hit the post—I was really sorry and frustrated to see Cannavaro on the ground—he could have cleared it away, but anyway, that's football.

The bottom line is that we proved we are a great club. Casillas proved he is a quality 'keeper. Cannavaro proved he is the best center back and Juande proved he is capable of turning our fortunes around.

Barca on the other hand seemed happy as it is the first time after three years that they beat us. What a win they achieved—no way to compare it to the 4-1 at the Bernabeu with their exact same squad.

Alright Madridistas, chin up, it isn't over yet and you know what, I don't give a damn if we don't win the league as long as we beat Barcelona in the Bernabeu!

Hala Madrid!

Adam Bader - RealmadridTalk

El Clasico: Barca v. Real

Adam Bader — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 08:36:43 -0500

So here it is, the most anticipated game in Spain and in the whole world: Barcelona v. Real Madrid.

There is something special about this match which is pretty difficult to describe. It is a true battle, it is literally a battle, and winning it tastes like winning a trophy like the Champions League. I'd even go and say that I'd prefer beating Barcelona home and away over winning a trophy.

It just feels so good when that happens.

Real Madrid head into the Clasico with many key players in the sickbay. Those include: Van Nistelrooy, Sneijder, Pepe, Torres, Heinze, Diarra, and De La Red. What makes it worse is that they'll be missing Arjen Robben and Marcelo due to suspension.

Los Blancos have been performing poorly this season and have lost many points in the league. They are currently in fifth place—nine points behind the leaders Barcelona so this match will either reduce or extend the gap.

On the other hand, Barcelona don't have as much injured players as Real have. Iniesta is still recovering from his injury while Milito is still out and won't be returning anytime soon.

In terms of performance, the Blaugrana have been beating one team after another both in the League and the Champions League, however, their 20 matches un-beaten run came to end against Shakhtar in the Champions League as they lost 3-2.

Real have beaten Barca three times in the last two seasons. In the 2006-07 season, Real won 2-0 at the Bernabeu and drew with Barcelona 3-3 at the Camp Nou.

In the 2007-08 season, Real beat Barcelona 1-0 at the Cam Nou and 4-1 at the Bernabeu.

As you can see, they are in it for revenge more than for the points.

Ramos instead of Schuster

If there is one thing that we didn't expect then it is the sacking of Bernd Schuster. Just a few weeks ago, the same man who sacked Schuster, stated that the German was staying, but after losing to Sevilla 4-3 and making the following statement: "Winning in Barcelona is impossible," Mijatovic decided to give the German the axe.

The replacement was Juande Ramos. His debut was against Zenit and what a better way to start than beating Zenit 3-0 with a fantastic performance from the team.

This change has certainly made everyone think twice about the Clasico. With Schuster, everyone was saying that since their coach raised the white flag, they will not win. But now with Ramos, we are unpredictable thus making the Clasico even more interesting.

Lineup and tactics

The squad list hasn't been announced yet, but we pretty much know who is fit and who is not. Heinze, Sneijder, Pepe, and Torres will all miss the clash, but there is a chance that De La Red could make it (even maybe Sneijder).

Add to those folks, another two fit players, Robben and Marcelo who are suspended and therefore will not play. It is a shame that Robben won't play because he is in a fantastic form and our most dangerous player—what is worst that we don't have another winger—not as effective and dangerous as he is.

Ramos will therefore call up a few players from the Castilla. Those will be: Gorka, Palanca, Chema Antón, and Alberto Bueno.

Casillas was benched against Zenit, but I'm 100 percent sure he'll play in the Clasico. The speculation and anticipation is all about our defense.

How will Ramos lineup his defenders? Marcelo is suspended and Heinze is injured. Who will play as a left-back? If we say Drenthe, who will then replace Robben in the midfield? If we say Salgado, will Ramos or Metzelder play on the right?

I personally don't know how Ramos will figure it out, but I hope he'll come up with a solid defense especially in the left-back area where Messi hangs out.

In the midfield, things are clearer. Gago, who has been playing very well recently, will start along Guti. They should be able to work together, recover balls and build up games. The key is always to hold ball possession and disallow their midfielders from passing the ball to the attacking line.

On paper, their midfield is stronger than ours. Toure is quite scary. A big guy hanging out there. Xavi is an artist. He can literally change any game at any moment with either one pass or one strike. So our midfield will be the key.

As on the wings, van der Vaart will start on the right, while Drenthe on the left. I was hoping that Real would appeal Robben's second yellow card but that didn't happen. Drenthe is similar in terms of pace. It will be his night, everyone will be counting on Drenthe.

He'll hopefully play better. He has the pace but he lacks intelligence. He lacks the dribbling skills, the correct crosses and passes.

Upfront, Raul will absolutely start no question about that. Higuain will definitely start as well as he is our top goalscorer.

If those guys can be effective and score off any chance, we'll win. We won't probably be able to produce many chances so we'll be counting on their effectiveness in front of goal. This is where Van Nistelrooy is mostly needed.

Barcelona

I thought that instead of giving you more historic background about Barcelona and how they hate us so much, I e-mailed the Barca blogger at TheOffside, Isaiah, and he kindly agreed to provide us with some current information about Barcelona in an interview fashion. Thanks Issaiah!

Adam: Can you update us on Barcelona in terms of injuries or suspensions?

Isaiah: Currently we have Andres Iniesta out with a right hamstring problem; he just began training with the ball again this week, but don't expect him to make the squad list, much less the starting lineup. Currently our only long-term injury is to Gabriel Milito, who suffered a knee injury towards the end of last season and is expected miss through February.

Adam: Who do you think are the most effective, consistent and dangerous players on the Barcelona squad that Real should be aware of (other than Messi)?

Isaiah: It depends a lot on how you define "effective" and "dangerous," of course. Xavi is our most effective and efficient player and is thus, in at least one sense, our most dangerous player (even more so than Messi). There's a quiet cult around Xavi, our vice captain and active appearances leader, which has definitely developed a more vocal attitude since the Euros.

He's both capable of providing the obvious killer pass through the heart of a defense and doing the dirty work in midfield to win back the ball. His positioning is excellent and his knowledge of what pace to set is breathtaking (in a slow-motion sort of way).

It's widely known that I have a serious mancrush on Yaya Toure, so I'll throw him out there as well. He's the classic destroyer, but he can also carry the ball and start the attack with a good long ball.

If he gets the ball with a wide open look at goal from anywhere on earth, watch out for his shot because if it's on target (and I'll admit it rarely is), it's going into the back of the net like a super shot from Nintendo World Cup. The center of the field is Yaya's home and invading Yaya's home means incurring the wrath of a 6'4" 5,000 megaton warhead that will strip you of both the ball and your dignity. Can you tell I have a mancrush?

Adam: Do you think that the appointment of Ramos as Real's new coach will in a way improve Real's performance in the Clasico? Do you think it was a good decision?

Isaiah: I'm not sure about this one, to be honest. Going based on my extremely minimal knowledge of psychology—I saw What About Bob once—I would say that Real are going to be more fired up because of Ramos than they would have been under Schuster. It's not necessarily "a breath of fresh air" and it's probably nothing to do with what kind of guy Ramos is, but the change will probably give the players a bit of a jolt.

It's the players who matter, in the end, and it depends on whether or not Raul can get his teammates to bring the fire. Frustration is high in the RM locker room, I'm sure, so perhaps this will alleviate some of that and let them get back to the business of getting that little round thing in the big rectangular thing. I just hope it's our little round thing in your big rectangular thing rather than vice-versa. Details, details.

Adam: What do you think of Real at the moment?

Isaiah: They're a good team in a bad place. And I don't mean that they're in freefall or any of that "crisis" nonsense. I mean that they're stuck between expectations and the media, which is a tough place for any squad to be in. Barça's squad was there last year and it was unfair then and it's unfair now. To act as if RM is somehow pulling a total tank job is both naïve and an insult to Villarreal, Valencia, and Sevilla, who are playing (generally speaking) wonderfully.

Yes, Real Madrid are in fifth before Christmas, have lost four times, and are shipping goals at a higher-than-average rate (there are only four teams who have allowed more goals, though oddly enough none of them are in the relegation zone).

Injuries have the curious effect of reducing teams from well-oiled machines to shadowy vestiges of their former selves. It's not an excuse for RM (no more so than for Barça last year), but it is a fact that the infirmary is full of players. Ruud is better than Alberto Bueno, but you might see the youngster out there this time around rather than the Dutchman, which suggests that RM won't be the same RM that we're all used to in Clásicos.

However, there are very few teams on earth that wouldn't do wonders with a lineup that consisted of Casillas, Sergio Ramos, Cannavaro, Gago, Guti, Van der Vaart, Raul, and Higuain, among others. That's eight world class players (with the possible exception of Raul, though I'm sure many RM fans would dispute that vehemently), yet many are complaining bitterly about how poor and undermanned their team is. Tell that to Getafe.

Adam: Barca haven't beaten Real in the last four Clasicos, does this mean that beating Real even when they are playing poorly is not fairly easy as many Barca fans think?

Isaiah: El Clásico is never easy, which is why it's El Clásico and not just another random game on the schedule. We're talking serious business here and under no circumstance should RM be taken lightly. What made last year's 4-1 and the Ronaldinho 3-0 in '05 so surprising was not that RM beat Barça (it's happened before, much to my chagrin) or that Ronaldinho scored against Madrid, but rather that they were, basically, ass-whoopings rather than real games.

I'm sure it made RM fans happy to win like that last year as "Ronnie's win" made we cules ecstatic, but to expect that sort of thing to happen this year is silly. Perhaps it will, but it probably won't. If any Barça fan thinks it's going to be easy, then rest assured that he or she is a fool.

Adam: Can you be honest and answer this question: Do you really fear Real Madrid regardless of their form?

Isaiah: I know it sounds cliché, but I never fear any team no matter what. I think we can beat any team in the world (especially right now), but that doesn't mean that I don't respect other teams or feel that we should do our utmost to prepare for games with them. RM are always dangerous and failing to take this match seriously would be stupid; it's not a mistake Pep Guardiola will make, having played in a fair few of them himself. Messi and Eto'o will, I think be terrors up front and Henry has been making noise about wanting revenge for last year, so I don't think anyone is waltzing into this game with hat-trick expectations.

I look forward to the Clásico regardless of our form or RM's because, even with last year's version in the Bernabeu, there is something special about the game. No true fan of either team can ever fear the other one, but if no true fan can fail to respect their players either. I'm always nervous about these matches, but I'm nervous when play teams like, say, randomly drawing a name from a bag here, Numancia.

Adam: Last but not least, what is your lineup and prediction for the game?

Isaiah: Valdes, Alves, Marquez, Puyol, Abidal, Toure, Xavi, Gudjohnsen, Henry, Messi, Eto'o

The only question I would have would be Guddy and whether or not Guardiola puts on Hleb or Keita instead. I do expect our Icelandic Monument to play (and be somewhat statuesque in midfield) because he's played his way out of the doghouse this year. If somehow, some way Iniesta is fit, he'll start instead of Guddy, but I just don't see that happening.

Predicting these games is hard, of course, and I've rarely been right so far this year. Because of what we've discussed above (dangerous players, RM's injuries), I do think that Barça will win this game. It won't be a manito or anything totally nuts like that, but this is our best chance in the last couple of years to lay a good one on our archrivals. And, to be perfectly honest, I think we'll win this one going away. 3-1 Barça, goals by Eto'o, Messi, and Alves.

Prediction

I'm not gonna predict the outcome of this Clasico, because I really have no idea. Instead, I leave that to you guys. Tell me what you think in terms of lineup, tactics and prediction!

Hala Madrid!

Written by Adam Bader - original article at RealmadridTalk

P.S: Here is a video of Real's 2-0 win at the Bernabeu when Capello was in charge. It was a fantastic game!

Real Madrid Reportedly Sign Ajax's Huntelaar

Adam Bader — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 07:46:11 -0500

Marca, AS, El Mundo, Cadena SER and Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf, have all confirmed that Real Madrid signed Ajax' striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar for an unknown fee.

The striker has been chased by many European clubs, however, it seems that he wanted to join his Dutch friends in Madrid.

Huntelaar's record is very impressive. He has scored 75 goals in 90 matches he played for his club and with his national team he scored seven goals in just 11 matches.

Huntelaar will be able to play in the Champions League after he recovers from his injury in January.

He'll certainly strengthen Real Madrid's attacking line. I have always thought that David Villa would be better because he is more experienced, Spanish, and a world class player, but getting him is pretty difficult. I'm convinced that the club made a good signing because if you look at the strikers availablei n the market, you'd realize that it is rare that there is one capable of playing for Real Madrid.

Some people might argue that Benzema would have been a better choice, but I think that Real paid a reasonable fee for Huntelaar, while if we wanted Benzema we would have paid something like $70m, which is a lot of money.

So, Ramon Calderon promised that he'd announce two signings today.

This is the first one , apparently, who do you think is the second? Arshavin or Tevez?

Hala Madrid!

Original article at RealmadridTalk

Wesley Sneijder and Pepe Out For Three Weeks

Adam Bader — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 03:32:54 -0500

UPDATE: Raulista, a reader of the blog, just let me know in the comments that Pepe is gonna be out for three weeks. Turns out to be true—official confirmation is here.

Alright, I'm sick—I have caught a cold and with what we are going through, life sucks for me. Certainly, the same goes for all Madridistas over there, but we should always stay calm and positive.

There was some good news yesterday as it was reported that Higuain, Cannavaro, Robben, and Diarra had done some jogging and stuff and they all look to be fit to play against Sevilla.

However, the bad news came today as doctors have revealed that Sneijder will be sidelined for approximately two weeks which means that he could make it before the Clasico:

"Wesley Sneijder abandoned Saturday's match agianst Getafe only 18 minutes after the ball was put into play. An MRI showed that the midfielder has a Grade I right femoral biceps injury, for which he is expected to miss approximately two weeks of playing time," the club's official site revealed this morning

So it seems that whenever we recover a player another gets injured. I think if this continues to happen, we won't ever have a full squad this season.

The one we need most is certainly Robben to provide width and crosses from the two flanks. Real should already be looking for a replacement though, because we can't rely on him and Drenthe. If it was possible, I'd make a clone of Arjen, but yeah.

Anyway, Rafel Benitez has rejected Real Madrid for the third time and preferred to stay at Liverpool. The Daily Mail says that he has told the English club that he wishes to extend his contract for more two years.

Personally, I think he'd make a great coach at Real Madrid because he knows Spanish football very well and has coached Real's B team before. And what I like about him is that he is pragmatic when it comes to technical decisions. If a player is performing like crap—he then should warm the bench no matter who he is, be it Raul, Zidane, or even Pele.

As far as new players are concerned, Arshavin and Carlos Tevez are the ones who seem to be close to the Bernabeu. The Zenit player has reportedly threatened his club that if they are not gonna sell him, he will refuse to play with them next season.

I have previously talked about Arshavin and many of you have pointed out that his only problem is that he is inconsistent—just like the brilliant Guti.

My opinion is to get a decent striker like Villa, Crespo, or Benzema as well as a defender and a winger. I'm not sure if the Real management thinks so, but we can't compete in the Champions League or even in La Liga this season without getting, umm, at least a winger.

We offloaded many players in the summer including, Baptista, Robinho, Soldado, etc. and obviously we miss Robinho—more precisely, we miss a winger so I think this is where we really need to concentrate on.

In defense, we really do have some problems. Particularly in central defense, because we can't always rely on Pepe and Cannavaro to be fit and with Heinze performing like crap and Metzelder being ignored by Schuster, Garay should be brought back and another quality defender should be signed.

Thats about it. I'm just gonna go to bed, God I hate sickness.

Hala Madrid!

Adam Bader - RealmadridTalk