Liverpool FC Forum

by **Huck** » Mon Jan 29, 2007 1:07 pm

I don't think Real Sociedad is gonna be relegated...there are many much worse teams at the bottom part of the table...being so down two wins in a row make a team be in the middle positions of the table and I'm sure you are able to do it without many problems. The worst thing with R Sociedad is its coach...I hate Lotina because of the game he likes but, above all, because he is extremely stubborn so that he will insist on the same thing even though it is proved wrong for many times.

As for Zaragoza, I agree with PeaceMakerAlonso's idea: they have potential to be challenging fot the title but they seem to trust very little in their chances, a thing that, anyway, I think is normal bearing in mind that they are not used to pressure these last seasons. Personaly, I love watching their matches when they are in form...much more than, for instance, Sevilla or Barça.

And finally, just comment on the top part of the table: Barça is a super team but, even keeping my feelings apart, I think they are slowly entering a crisis (and not strictly about game...I think the dressing room is not as close as it was in former times). My team doesn't need any comment, we have been very very lucky so far but I don't think we can even enter European positions playing that bad and the rest of the teams (Atleti, Valencia...) seem too inconsistent to keep the rythm to Sevilla...which I think is the most reliable candidate for the title.

by **80-1169754111** » Mon Jan 29, 2007 2:43 pm

I think Sevilla will win La Liga this season. Im happy with Zaragoza's progress in La Liga, we finished 11th last season and were now sitting in 6th place, I just feel with us is that we donot take risks, we are far too cautious, we need to be a bit more aggressive (not in tackles, but in mental thinking). If we finish 6th I'll be happy. I just feel we could be much closer to the top if we took more risks and were somewhat more adventorous.

by **Barca Murph** » Mon Jan 29, 2007 7:05 pm

PacemakerAlonso wrote:Barca Murph, I stand corrected, although I have been informed Barca actually won 3-1.

Yeah they did, thats what you get for typing in the dark :laugh:

by **stmichael** » Tue Jan 30, 2007 12:13 pm

Nothing like a side fighting relegation to throw up a shock.

Betis 2-1 Valencia.

That is why La Liga is so great to watch. Valencia 6 straight wins. Betis bottom 3 and desperate. Valencia 1 up and Betis come steaming back.

You only have to see that game to see why La Liga is really the best league in the world.

Villa, Albiol, Joaquin, Albelda and then for Betis Robert(the Brazilian), Sobis, Juanito and Rivera.

As has already been said their top sides win with class and their bottom sides go down still playing Football, such is the technical ability in the league.

by **Sabre** » Tue Jan 30, 2007 12:17 pm

I think the level is similar to the English Premiere League. West Ham themselves did reach a final yesteryear, they had some great signings, and look where they are.

What there is though, is less respect to the top teams, meaning that a club like Betis won't sit back at home to try to get a draw against Valencia, but they'll try to beat them. It was quite irritating to me the weak opposition Chelsea had for instance yesteryear, the teams seemed to give away the points.

The Liga is one of the best, but it's tough to say which is the best. I like the Premiere as much as the Liga, to be honest.

by **80-1169754111** » Tue Jan 30, 2007 1:50 pm

Sabre, that's a good answer and I feel La Liga is more open as in less predictable, there are a number of teams who can win La Liga at any period of time. This is not the case in the Premiership.

by **stmichael** » Tue Jan 30, 2007 2:10 pm

In terms of footballing quality, I would generally go for La Liga. Even lower down the table, most teams try and actually play football, and on the whole there's more emphasis on attack. For example, Barcelona won La Liga last season playing blinding football, whereas Chelsea won The Premiership playing like Bolton.

I have to admit, I'm not really sure where this 'best league in the world' tag comes from... The Premiership doesn't really offer the most entertainment or the best competition imo. You'll get the odd excellent game but the product just doesn't live up to the hype.

by **80-1169754111** » Tue Jan 30, 2007 2:36 pm

The Premiership has gotten a lot worse with the introduction of defensive, cautious based continental football, before it was very much more attacking and enjoyable to watch. With the ever increasing money in football, football has become more about results for survival than about the style and manner in which football is played in. Cheating and simulating has increased, negative football has increased due to the vast sums of money in football.

I don't know an awful lot about La Liga, but it's a complete contrast to the Premiership, the style of football, the technical presence is much higher and it's not as one sided and predictable as The Premiership, but La Liga seems to me to be becoming a lot more defensive based in recent times, because there is a distinct lack of goals.

by **Barca Murph** » Tue Jan 30, 2007 8:00 pm

I think La Liga certainly has more strength in depth than the Premiership. I could easily watch say Nastic v Betis, but Charlton v Watford wouldn't be worth the effort to be honest.

by **Sabre** » Wed Jan 31, 2007 2:34 pm

The Premiership has gotten a lot worse with the introduction of defensive, cautious based continental football, before it was very much more attacking and enjoyable to watch

Perhaps in other teams like Bolton, but in Liverpool we have a VERY attacking formation, that only holds together due to the class of our defensive midfielder and defenders.

THe main difference is that the football is more direct. Spanish liga is pacy aswell, but sometimes we preffer to hold the ball a lil bit longer, and if necessary pass back to start again.

Another great difference is referees. I like English referees, in Spain the are some legal charges that are marked as foul, when the Real Madrid player falls. It's far too easy to be given conceded a foul. There are stupid concepts like conceding a foul because the player was showing the studs when tackling, and the keepers are untouchable inside the smaller box.

A typical joke in San Sebastian when someone asks "what the fúck has he whistled (conceded)" and then someone answers "Danger". Meaning that the attackers are punished with many fouls against them just because they have to fight with the defences. Too many interruptions.

I think that does harm a lot our football because it means less minutes of real game.

by **80-1169754111** » Wed Jan 31, 2007 8:16 pm

Evening, Sabre, I hope all is well.

I selecting individual clubs as such, but the days when you saw matches with the scorelines; Newcastle 3-4 Liverpool or Chelsea 4-2 Liverpool, Arsenal 3-3 Leicester are pretty much a thing of the past in the Premiership. With the increased revenue, continental styles (not so much players though that's a factor) and the introduction of Mr Ambramovich to Chelsea have all contributed to making the Premiership a harder league and a league in which there is minor margin for error, but with all these advantages, come negatives and these three factors and others have contributed to the downfall of the Premiership as a spectacle .

That's very direct La Liga is very much a league where a players ability is truly tested, with the Premiership there is an emphasis on the bulk of a player for instance, Pablo Aimar and Javier Saviola might find it a lot tougher to succeed in the Premiership. Players like Veron, Morientes have all fell by the waist side and we'll agree Morientes on his day is an extremely talented individual and Veron was a great player in Seria A especially for Parma.

Players like Beckham and Owen have all failed in La Liga, Owen did well for Madrid, but not well enough to cement his name in the first team, Beckham couldn't even master Spanish and wasn't great for Madrid.

I have to say I think you're right with what you say, referees in La Liga and elsewhere in Spain are rather frustrating and they haven't come to terms with the word "diving or simulation", the amount of times I have seen players dive including my own (Zaragoza) is irritating, there is less fluency in La Liga than Premiership, but remember Sabre, if there was more physical contact in La Liga, the general skill involved in matches would decrease somewhat.

by **Sabre** » Wed Jan 31, 2007 8:31 pm

Players like Beckham and Owen have all failed in La Liga, Owen did well for Madrid, but not well enough to cement his name in the first team, Beckham couldn't even master Spanish and wasn't great for Madrid.

This is the only point I can discuss of your post. Owen did superbly well in Real Madrid, with an insulting ratio of goals. The minutes he had, he scored. But Raul and Ronaldo were too important in the dressroom and he didn't make it. But he showed EVERYTHING he had to show. One of Real Madrid's mistakes.

Beckham didn't fail in Madrid exactly. His last season was poor, so was every team's game. But I learnt to respect him as a player, and believe me, coming from Manchester I didn't wish anything good for him.

Another player who did decently in La liga, was McManaman. Very limited technically, but lots of work and direct football. He struggled more than the previous players to make a spot, but he did, due to his work. He was like Riise, everybody thought he wouldn't play much, but at the end he kept playing.

by **Barca Murph** » Wed Jan 31, 2007 9:12 pm

Owen had the best strike rate to minutes played ratio out of anyone in La Liga when he was with Madrid. Just shows what a shambles of a club they are that they were so eager to get rid of him.

by **80-1169754111** » Wed Jan 31, 2007 9:15 pm

I can see what you are saying Sabre, but to me Owen didn't shine in La Liga like he did for Liverpool and England. I know he was only there for a season and he probably had trouble adapting to the Spanish lifestyle, but his football wasn't great in the matches I saw him play. With hindsight Madrid made the right decision, they got goals from Owen and made a profit of £9m for him. As for Beckham just like Owen had his best years in the Premiership, he went to La Liga and offered very little to Madrid, I watched quite a few Madrid matches and Beckham didn't impress me much, he showed signs of promise in his first season, but it fizzled out soon afterwards.

As for McManaman, I was just getting into La Liga when he was riding high in Madrid, but he did do well and I was somewhat surprised, he helped Madrid to their golden Galactico spell, so he did well.

by **80-1169754111** » Wed Jan 31, 2007 9:18 pm

Barca Murph wrote:Owen had the best strike rate to minutes played ratio out of anyone in La Liga when he was with Madrid. Just shows what a shambles of a club they are that they were so eager to get rid of him.

With hindsight it was the right decision by Madrid, I still feel Owen wasn't great for Madrid in the bit part he played, but he wasn't given a fair chance. I have taken that into consideration.

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