Great books for purists but too intellectual and heavy for the average ManYoo and Liverpool fan
Battlestar Galacticos II, returning with a vengeance, SO FOOT, May 2009, courtesy of Azam and Risya from their trip to Paris
Who is the better player, the one holding the shirt, the most expensive in the history of the game until Cristiano Ronaldo came along, or the one on the right, whom many claim to be the greatest ever?
Can he emulate Zidane and di Stefano?Sure Kaka and Cristiano Ronaldo are the two of the best offensive midfielders around, and if Franck Ribery is bound for Madrid as widely reported, they will form an awesome triumvirate but with Fabio Cannavaro past his peak and no sound defensive system and machine-like individuals to carry the piano for all the pianists, Real Madrid may not be so Royal come the new season. The team lack the balance compared to treble champions from another country, Barca of Catalonia.
Florentino Perez took four seasons to assemble the Galacticos, beginning with Luis Figo in 2001, subsequently followed by Zidane, Ronaldo and Becks. Even then by their high standards, Real were a team to reckon with, having won the UEFA Champions League in 1998 and 2000.
In Roberto Carlos, Michel Salgado and Guti, Real had the artisans to support the artists who were on top of their game. The UEFA Champions League title in 2002 was the zenith for Perez and Co.
When Makelele left in 2003, the team lost its most crucial member whose job was to sweep their troubles away. Ronaldo the Phenom and Beckham added a different dimension to the team but Makelele proved irreplaceable. Who would win the ball for Zidane to supply the ammunition to?
And so it marked the beginning of the end for Perez's dream team in terms of winning honours.
I don't see Gago, Higuain, Marcelo, Mamadou Diarra, Huntelaar, Robben, Sneijder, van der Vaart (if the Dutch duo do not go to Bayern Munich), Kaka and Ronaldo gelling immediately. They will be an exciting ensemble of stars to watch but Barca, with the two initiators Xavi and Iniesta dictating the tempo in the middle of the park , remain the side to beat. They have players with character and the winning mentality that Real lack, I must say. And unlike Real, Barca have an established starting line-up with specific duties, like Messi and Henry flanking Eto'o while Toure does the dirty work in midfield.
By tradition Real are expected not only to dominate La Liga but also the Champions League. There will be pockets of sheer magic here and there but eventually the White Angels assembled for a second time by Perez may have feet of clay!
3 comments:
This is what's going to happen in the next silly season: Real Madrid finish second to Barca. A dismal season for Real with Ronaldo bearing the brunt of the fans' fury. The other galacticos have turned against Ronaldo, accusing of him of self-indulgent to the detriment of the team. Kaka, in particular, was scathing of his teammate, accusing him of selfishness. To say there is discord in the team is an understatement. It seems Ronaldo's success in United was attributed to dictator Alex Ferguson forcing everyone, including Rooney, to play supporting roles. There was only star - Ronaldo. In Real, everybody wants to play the lead porn role. In short, they only want to screw the best-looking girls. In short, there was no teamwork. The next blow for Real is in the Champions league where they are ironically knocked out by United in the second round. Ronaldo was forced to play a peripheral role by the rampant United team. Real end the season with nothing. Ronaldo is now saying his only real love is United, that he was duped into going to Real. Kaka also claimed he was two-timed by Real. Perez, in the meantime, is sacked. Calderon is back in the hot seat. Calderon is now talkign of another galacticos, minus Ronaldo and Kaka. Their main target is Rooney. Ladies and gentlemen, this is not fiction. This is what's going to happen next season. In the meantime, have a beer on me.
the transfer of kaka and ronaldo to real madrid also gives adidas another dimension in marketing warfare especially with world cup 2010 1 year away...just wait for video.
for the game. for the world.
correction. real knocked out second round by liverpool.
too many star players, lack team work.
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