La Liga Superthread 2016/17

Andersonisgod · 30-08-2015 08:26PM

Great first half at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan. There's been moments of real high quality football but it's the tempo and off the ball work that's remarkable here. Relentless pressure, no time for anyone on the ball as the pace of the game really only changed once Atletico scored. Koke's goal was so scrappy but it's to the credit of the perseverance of Griezmann that the goal came. Once Atletico scored their pressing eased off a bit and they held their shape and looked to counter. Sevilla's tempers frayed a bit after the goal, they need Banega to up his game quite a bit because they are struggling to establish controlled possession high up the pitch.

jamesbere · 30-08-2015 08:32PM

Where's Scott Minto

Andersonisgod · 30-08-2015 08:37PM

jamesbere wrote: »

Where's Scott Minto

Scott Minto's gone and he's never coming back, now stop reminding us of him and sit there and watch Kate Abdo spoof her way through 2 hours of live television.

CSF · 30-08-2015 09:22PM

Never deserved to be a 3-0 win but quality shown all the same. Impressive to see Simeone able to continue to maintain this.

Turtwig · 30-08-2015 09:26PM

Result is very harsh on Sevilla. Felt Atletico were clinging on there for a while. Both teams rather impressive it has to be said. Fun game to watch.

Andersonisgod · 30-08-2015 09:31PM

That result is a testament to Simeone. That Atletico haven't faded (especially considering his high energy style) is remarkable, that they've sold the players that they have and have been able to reinvent the squad and make it, arguably, even better is just incredible.

Lesser teams would have crumbled in the second half. Sevilla piled on the pressure, granted most of their attacks came down their right side and ended with high crosses into the box aimed at Llorente (probably Atletico's strength) but even still all of their players deserve huge credit for standing firm and then having the class and quality to score when their chances came.

They are very strong this season, an improvement on last season's side. There's an argument to be made that this is the strongest squad in the Liga, the options they have off the bench are surely the envy of most clubs across Europe.

CSF · 30-08-2015 09:45PM

Andersonisgod wrote: »

That result is a testament to Simeone. That Atletico haven't faded (especially considering his high energy style) is remarkable, that they've sold the players that they have and have been able to reinvent the squad and make it, arguably, even better is just incredible.

Lesser teams would have crumbled in the second half. Sevilla piled on the pressure, granted most of their attacks came down their right side and ended with high crosses into the box aimed at Llorente (probably Atletico's strength) but even still all of their players deserve huge credit for standing firm and then having the class and quality to score when their chances came.

They are very strong this season, an improvement on last season's side. There's an argument to be made that this is the strongest squad in the Liga, the options they have off the bench are surely the envy of most clubs across Europe.

I'd still say Real have the most depth. Some scarily good players that will have to sit on the bench there. But yeah, Simeone is incredible and by the looks of it Atleti will continue to prosper until he goes to prosper somewhere else.

Andersonisgod · 02-09-2015 12:43PM

Interesting little tidbit in Mundo Deportivo today. They claim senior members of the Barcelona squad aren't optimistic in retaining the Liga this season due to biased officiating.
You can talk about tinfoil hats and conspiracies but there's a growing belief that the Liga this season could well be decided, not by the brilliance of a team, but by biased officiating.

HalloweenJack · 02-09-2015 12:52PM

Of course Barca and Mundo Deportivo would say that.

Getting excuses in early I see.

Tell me, what decisions have happened so far this season that suggest Barca are going to be screwed over by refs?

Andersonisgod · 02-09-2015 01:17PM

HalloweenJack wrote: »

Of course Barca and Mundo Deportivo would say that.

Getting excuses in early I see.

Tell me, what decisions have happened so far this season that suggest Barca are going to be screwed over by refs?

That's such a cop out of a comment. "Getting excuses in early" anyone with even the faintest knowledge of this squad know that they do not deal in excuses, a more mentally strong squad you may never see again.

Are you kidding me? Did you see the home game against Malaga? Two clear as day, stonewall penalties in the first half of the game denied, Malaga growing in confidence from keeping Barcelona out, it took a Thomas Vermaelen goal to break them. If that's going to be the standard of refereeing that Barcelona will have to endure for the rest of the season then we might as well give up the title now because no team can overcome that for 38 games.

Ulysses Gaze · 02-09-2015 02:58PM

Andersonisgod wrote: »

Scott Minto's gone and he's never coming back, now stop reminding us of him and sit there and watch Kate Abdo spoof her way through 2 hours of live television.

As much as I like looking at Kate, her knowledge of La Liga is very,very poor.

Wish they'd kept Scott on board and maybe had the two of them presenting with a guest.

Oh Barca complaining about conspiracies is like Mourinho and his ludicrous tinfoil-hat conspiracies. Creates a siege mentality at the club. Us against the world.

HalloweenJack · 02-09-2015 02:59PM

If a Real Madrid fan came in here and said that they had read in Marca that Madrid players believe xyz, you would be dismissing it.

If this squad of players is really as strong as you say, then they've no need to be saying stuff like that. Despite "biased officiating" (didn't see the Malaga game so can't comment but Barca fans, like ALL Spanish fans, regardless of the team complain when any kind of decision goes against them so forgive me if I take your examples with a pinch of salt) they won that game. Surely this would make them believe that they can triumph in the face of adversity? Instead, they are coming out with this massive persecution complex. "Might as well give up the title now"? After two games, yeah, that's a mentally strong squad alright. :rolleyes:

Also this "growing belief", where is that from? I live in Spain and have done for the past few years and this is the first I've heard of it.

elefant · 02-09-2015 03:04PM

If there's systematic bias towards teams in Spain, then Barcelona are one of the two teams benefiting from it. I wouldn't be complaining.

MisterAnarchy · 02-09-2015 05:12PM

Ulysses Gaze wrote: »

As much as I like looking at Kate, her knowledge of La Liga is very,very poor.

Wish they'd kept Scott on board and maybe had the two of them presenting with a guest.

Its not just La Liga of which she lacks knowledge ,its football in general,she honestly hasn't a clue .

They need to bring Mark Bolton back .:cool:

Corholio · 02-09-2015 06:47PM

Claiming right at the start of the season that biased officiating could decide the league title is pretty damn daft to be honest. Every decision Barca don't get and that Real get will now be handily shuffled into the 'biased' folder, not at all taking into account any decisions Real don't get and Barca do. It genuinely ruins following threads on La Liga in here and I tend to do so less and less.

Andersonisgod · 02-09-2015 07:23PM

Corholio wrote: »

Claiming right at the start of the season that biased officiating could decide the league title is pretty damn daft to be honest. Every decision Barca don't get and that Real get will now be handily shuffled into the 'biased' folder, not at all taking into account any decisions Real don't get and Barca do. It genuinely ruins following threads on La Liga in here and I tend to do so less and less.

Oh, I'm sorry if I offended you by, you know, actually highlighting an interesting piece of news from a Spanish sports newspaper and posting it here in the Spanish football thread.... what ever have I done.....

And yes do please keep track of unfair decisions, keep particular note of the downright ridiculous ones and please do store them away in this "biased folder" which you can keep and, I suspect, by the end of the season you'll need more than just a folder to contain all of the cases of suspect officiating.

I would refer you to a quote I posted in this thread not more than a few days ago, courtesy of the highly respected Atletico Madrid manager, Diego Simeone, where he did comment on this issue because, as much as some would like to believe it is not, it most certainly is an issue.

Turtwig · 02-09-2015 07:26PM

Jesus Christ in Spain every referee decision get's more highlights than actually playing moves and tactics. Barca, like all teams will benefit and lose from decisions. This notion that there is a conspiracy against Catalan teams is ridiculous.

Now, as for why Barca won't win the league? Squad depth. Their squad is very bare, it isn't going to be reinforced until January and the majority of their tough away fixtures fall in this half of the season. They could still win it, but you know, that'd be a plausible reason for why they mightn't.

Corholio · 02-09-2015 07:42PM

Andersonisgod wrote: »

Oh, I'm sorry if I offended you by, you know, actually highlighting an interesting piece of news from a Spanish sports newspaper and posting it here in the Spanish football thread.... what ever have I done.....

And yes do please keep track of unfair decisions, keep particular note of the downright ridiculous ones and please do store them away in this "biased folder" which you can keep and, I suspect, by the end of the season you'll need more than just a folder to contain all of the cases of suspect officiating.

I would refer you to a quote I posted in this thread not more than a few days ago, courtesy of the highly respected Atletico Madrid manager, Diego Simeone, where he did comment on this issue because, as much as some would like to believe it is not, it most certainly is an issue.

Pretty childish in fairness.

You highlighted and then gave your opinion on it, this is what I was addressing. So a quote from the manager of Reals bitter city rivals? Definitely unbiased.

If you think a season and a title would be decided by officiating decisions than honestly fair enough. In my opinion it's absolute nonsense, whatever about newspapers having vague headlines about 'growing beliefs' and insider information on how a whole squad is 'feeling'.

Andersonisgod · 02-09-2015 07:54PM

Turtwig wrote: »

Jesus Christ in Spain every referee decision get's more highlights than actually playing moves and tactics. Barca, like all teams will benefit and lose from decisions. This notion that there is a conspiracy against Catalan teams is ridiculous.

Now, as for why Barca won't win the league? Squad depth. Their squad is very bare, it isn't going to be reinforced until January and the majority of their tough away fixtures fall in this half of the season. They could still win it, but you know, that'd be a plausible reason for why they mightn't.

And if they lost it because of their squad being bare I'd be more accepting of that, though still slightly miffed at Barcelona's transfer ban and the lack of any movement on the transfer ban that had been mentioned in regards Real Madrid a few months back.

You can look at it that way, or you can look at it as the opinion of one of the top coaches of the game making a statement that goes beyond the usual childish "mind games" and actually calling into dispute the fairness of the league. Again though if you want to just label that as "mind games" or "gaining a psychological edge" then by all means go ahead but I think anyone who knows these things can see a comment like that goes beyond club rivalry.

Is highlighting news from Mundo Deportivo (a nationwide publication in Spain) really considered insider? It's accessible to basically anybody with internet.

I do feel though that people don't/aren't able to approach this topic in the context in which it takes place. Spain is different to England, as is football in Spain compared to that in England. The influence of the big 2 clubs is massive and the rivalry, as we all know, is about more than just football. Not understanding the broader context of the culture of the place in which these things happen is why I think so many find this notion completely impossible.

MisterAnarchy · 02-09-2015 08:03PM

Andersonisgod wrote: »

Interesting little tidbit in Mundo Deportivo today. They claim senior members of the Barcelona squad aren't optimistic in retaining the Liga this season due to biased officiating.
You can talk about tinfoil hats and conspiracies but there's a growing belief that the Liga this season could well be decided, not by the brilliance of a team, but by biased officiating.

Its most likely mind games by Barcelona trying to influence the referees ,something like Mourinho would do .
I'm sure the squad don't actually believe that.
Its all part of modern football now,trying to influence the referees in the media .

Has the refereeing improved though,there was a time there a few years ago where it was practically impossible to get a penalty against Real Madrid in La Liga .

HalloweenJack · 02-09-2015 08:19PM

Is highlighting news from Mundo Deportivo (a nationwide publication in Spain) really considered insider? It's accessible to basically anybody with internet.

Mundo Depprtivo is to Barca, what Marca is to Real. It may be a publication that can be bought in any part of Spain (that said it's not as easy to buy outside Catalonia) but it is well known within Spain that a MD reader is a Barca fan.

Again, if Marca were saying this about Real players, you and other Barca fans would be calling it out for how ridiculous it really is.

eagle eye · 02-09-2015 08:26PM

Ok, away from the conspiracy theories. Was delighted to see Raul Garcia join Athletic Bilbao. They have improved the squad a good bit and I'd expect them to challenge for a European spot at least.

Andersonisgod · 02-09-2015 10:29PM

HalloweenJack wrote: »

Mundo Depprtivo is to Barca, what Marca is to Real. It may be a publication that can be bought in any part of Spain (that said it's not as easy to buy outside Catalonia) but it is well known within Spain that a MD reader is a Barca fan.

Again, if Marca were saying this about Real players, you and other Barca fans would be calling it out for how ridiculous it really is.

True MD is a Catalan paper, though it's influence for Barcelona is divisive.

I'd also say that Real Madrid claiming that would be laughable given the very high proportion of referees that support Barcelona and also given the political climate of the country at present.

Anyway I'll end it here for now because this thread is about more than biased officiating. However you guys on here are lucky to have me because I will certainly be paying attention to the biased officiating folder throughout the season.

dr.kenneth noisewater · 02-09-2015 11:04PM

Anybody know when October/November fixture time and dates are confirmed?

Sr. Pirotecnic · 02-09-2015 11:22PM

dr.kenneth noisewater wrote: »

Anybody know when October/November fixture time and dates are confirmed?

There's no rule but about three or four weeks ahead maybe. Not great but a huge improvement on the past. W/e 4 Oct is as far as we know at the moment.

elefant · 03-09-2015 08:04AM

Class.

Godot. · 03-09-2015 12:20PM

If it was any other league I'd be confident Atletico could mount a title challenge. They have 4 world class players - Godin, Koke, Griezmann and Martinez. Backed up by very good players like Oblak, Gabi, Felipe Luiz, Vietto and Carrasco.

The trouble is Real Madrid and Barcelona have at least 10 world class players each

dr.kenneth noisewater · 04-09-2015 05:16PM

Will be in Madrid for the Levante game on the 18th October, anyone know if its easy get tickets on the day or would it be best book them now?

Andersonisgod · 12-09-2015 07:28PM

Onto the real stuff. Messi on the bench, Neymar takes on the mantle of main man from the start, no Pique, no Alves, no Bravo and a fierce and quite brilliant Atletico Madrid led by the equally fierce and brilliant Diego Simeone await. Easy nights work then I guess....

zuutroy · 12-09-2015 07:33PM

Andersonisgod wrote: »

Onto the real stuff. Messi on the bench, Neymar takes on the mantle of main man from the start, no Pique, no Alves, no Bravo and a fierce and quite brilliant Atletico Madrid led by the equally fierce and brilliant Diego Simeone await. Easy nights work then I guess....

Why no Messi? Missed the buildup

La Liga Superthread 2016/17

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