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Sat
Real Madrid - Atletico Madrid (0200 Cable61)
Sevilla - Getafe (0400 Cable61)
Real Murcia - Real Zaragoza
Sun
Racing Santander - Barcelona (0100 Cable61)
Athletic Bilbao - Osasuna
Deportivo La Coruña - Almeria
Mallorca - Levante
Recreativo Huelva - Real Betis
Espanyol - Valladolid
Valencia - Villarreal (0300 Cable64)
原帖由 Fantasista 於 2007-8-22 08:48 PM 發表 
The Big Season Preview - Part One
From Almería to Mallorca
Almería
And so the Horned One arises - the club supported by Lucifer himself, David Bisbal, claws its way back into the Primera after twenty six years of Peter Cushing inspired banishment. But it is going to be a short stay. With a defence packed with Real Sociedad and Getafe rejects, Almería are going to be bottom of the pile come May.
Key Man - Almería are relying on the goals of former Real Madrid Castilla striker, Alvaro Negredo, to keep them up. Considering his last team were relegated to the Segunda B, the omens are not good.
Prediction - 20th (relegated)
Athletic Bilbao
The new season sees yet another president and yet another manager for Athletic Bilbao, the universe's most peculiar club. The permanently sleep-deprived, Joaquín Caparrós, has been brought in to avoid the relegation dramatics of previous years and he should succeed. But it won't be pretty to watch. Espanyol's highly rated Gorka Iraizoz is set to start in goal and Sevilla's Aitor Ocio has been drafted in to shore up last season's calamitous defence.
Key Man - Fran Yeste. Set to miss the start of the season - the club stalled on a decision to patch up his dicky groin - Yeste, when fit, is one of classiest midfielders outside of the top six.
Prediction - 12th
Atletico Madrid
Here we go again. Millions spent - check. Ambitious talk - check. Dodgy defence - check. But this time things are going to be different for Atletico. An attack featuring the talents of Simao, Forlán, Aguero, Luis García, Maxi, Reyes and Maniche (don't snigger) backed with the swashbuckling Raul Garcia in midfield simply cannot fail. Or can it?
Key Man - Diego Forlán. Within two months, it will be "Fernando who?" from the rojiblanco faithful.
Prediction - 4th
Barcelona
The city's entire infrastructure may have collapsed over the summer, in a tremendous cloud of blame-assigning, finger pointing and pot banging, that the Spanish do best, but the club has been as solid as a rock. Or has it? On paper, all the problem areas on the pitch have been fixed - a decent left back (Abidal), a partner for Puyol (Milito), someone who can tackle (Yaya Touré) and a rather handy attacking reinforcement (Henry).
With injuries, suspensions, d'inho fancying a crafty fag break and the African Nations cup, the debate over how to play the Fantastic Four at the same time is a false one. The real issue is how to balance the midfield and keep every one (i.e. Deco) happy.
Barcelona's main weakness is the very real fear of a Galactico-style implosion. And it's for this reason that the club have set up a weekly committee that will sit and review the on and off pitch behaviour of all the squad. Something the players are sure to enjoy.
Key Man - Yaya Touré. Set to be the buy of the season and the man to add a bit of lead into Barcelona's football pencil.
Prediction - Champions.
Betis
Betis will be hard pushed to have a season as wretched as the last two. And with tough nut "I smile sometimes" Héctor Cúper in charge, it is a fate that they should avoid. On the transfer front, a few wasters have either been kicked out (Robert, Pancrate) or parked at Cadiz (Dani, Contreras). Coming in is a proper goal keeper, Ricardo, and a new left flank in the shape of Marko Babic from Leverkeusen and Liverpool's Mark Gonzalez. The bad news is that de Lopera and his huskies have not yet been run of town.
Key man - Up front, Betis have brought in "the tank", Mariano Pavone, from Estudiantes. They will be hoping he is more Oliveira than Sobis, in front of goal.
Prediction - 11th
Deportivo
Marca note in their pre season review that if Deportivo do not bore the arse of either their opponents, themselves or their fans, then it would be a great season. For once, La Liga Loca concurs. However, the club are in a dreadful downward spiral. Players remain unpaid, debts are piling up and relegation battle specialist Miguel Angel Lotina has been brought it for the inevitable season long struggle against the drop.
Key men - Juan Carlos Valerón. The club should throw the permanently crocked midfielder onto the pitch, no matter what state his knee is in. Can't do any worse than the existing bunch of half-wits.
Prediction - 17th
Espanyol
Yet, again, Espanyol's challenge this season will be to keep their three big cheeses happy - Ivan de la Peña, Raul Tamudo and Luis García. Colouring books should do the trick. If they succeed, the Catalans could push for UEFA cup spot. The new signings have not exactly set perico pulses running, but there is enough talent in the squad to have a good season.
Key man - Raul Tamudo. Nearly went to Villarreal, but looks like he should be hanging around at the delightful Montjuic a little bit longer.
Prediction - 9th
Getafe
Whither Getafe? The club has now lost Bernd Schuster after his constant grumbling delivered him the poisoned chalice of managing Real Madrid. And they have a UEFA cup run to content with, after their Copa del Rey final finish. Michael Laudrup has been brought in after a decent spell at Brondby and a strong pre season combined with handy reinforcements in Kepa and Uche up front and the next big thing in goal, Oscar Ustari, suggest that sporting director, Santiago Llorente's fears of a European distraction will remain unfounded.
Key Man - Francisco Casquero - lead a one man battle for the goal of the season, last time round.
Prediction - 10th
Levante
Now Ian Harte-less, but still perhaps the least favourite side of may of the blog's readers due to their fouling and alleged bribe paying ways. For once, the management have restrained themselves from sacking their coach - a rarity - and Abel Resino remains in the post. His team are a mixture of grisly old veterans and imports from all over the world. And, yet again, they will be horrible to watch.
Key Man - Shota Arveladze. Yes - Levante's goal scoring hopes lie at the feet of the former Rangers forward.
Mallorca
Six months ago, Mallorca were tedium on toast. Mid-table mediocrity. Watching them hack their away around the pitch was as pleasurable as sitting through any show broadcast by Telecinco. But then something changed, Gregorio Manzano turned his team into almost invincible goliaths at home and very nearly put the skids under Real Madrid's title dreams on the last day of the season.
This time round, a Mallorca an attacking line up of Ibagaza, Arango, Jonás, Wébo and Guiza, should see the Balearic battlers picking up where they left off.
Key Man - Dani Guiza. A tiresome whiner, but a solid striker returns to his old club after six year absence.
La Liga Loca
原帖由 Fantasista 於 2007-8-24 07:43 PM 發表
The Big Season Preview - Part Two
From Murcia to Zaragoza
Murcia
Championship legend, Gifton Noel Williams, could have been the only Englishman in the Spanish top flight this season. Instead, the club felt that the former Burnley giant might struggle against Milito and co and ditched him over the summer. Fair enough. Coming into the squad are Real Madrid's Alvaro Mejía and another reject from the Bernabeu, the highlighted Pablo García, who is now at his fourth side, in four seasons. If he doesn't want to play in the Segunda next year, then he'll have to make it club number five, next time round, as that's where Murcia are going.
Key man - Pablo Garcia, although the mauling midfielder now looks like Janis Joplin with a lemon juice bleach job.
Prediction - 19th (relegated)
Osasuna
Spain hasn't seen this many people fleeing Pamplona since Andy and Lucas decided to play a week of gigs there. Over the close season, Osasuna has waved good-bye to Raúl García, David López, Roberto Soldado, Pierre Webó, Cuéllar, Valdo and Savo Milosevic. And they have only replaced them with Javier Portillo, Walter Pandiani and Hugo Viana. This does not suggest a fruitful season.
Key man - A fully fit Ludovic Delporte. Unlike most girl's blouse wearing poncy wingers, Delporte is a snarling, nut job genius.
Prediction - 14th
Racing Santander
The big man with the great touch, Nikola Zigic has gone. And Racing Santander are reportedly a good 20 million euros richer, so expect a late flurry of signings from the Cantabrians. Last year's coach, Miguel Angel Portugal, stomped off over the summer, to become Real Madrid's Sporting technical director. Or is it Secretary of sporting direction - an oxymoron if ever there was one. In his place is ex-Recreativo chief, Marcelino, whose number one priority must be to unearth a new striking partner for Pedro Munitis, sharpish.
Key man - Ezequiel Garay. If Racing Santander hang onto the talented, young Argentinean centre back for the whole season, then La Liga Loca is a fair and accurate reflection of the Spanish game.
Prediction - 13th
Real Madrid
If anyone out there can correctly predict Real Madrid's starting eleven against Atletico Madrid on Saturday, then you are doing well. And you may want to call Bernd Schuster. He could do with the help. And another two years of preseason, to stumble on a winning combination from Van Nistelrooy, Raul, Robinho, Granero, Baptista, Soldado, Saviola, Drenthe, Gago, Guti, Diarra, de la Red, Balboa, Sneijder, Higuaín and Robben.
There are two many good players for Real Madrid not to be challenging for the title, but too many open questions remain on whether Schuster is up to the task of seeing it through to the end. And if Ramón Calderón can hang on to what little of the plot is still in his grasp.
Key Man - Robinho. If Real Madrid are smart, they won't let the arrival of Robben block the path of the Brazilian who is finally starting to deliver on his potential. But it's a big 'if'.
Prediction 3rd
Recreativo
To come straight to the point, Recreativo are absolutely screwed, this season - something Marca readers also predict in a current poll. All the key figures that lifted Recre to a remarkable eight placed finish, last year, have buggered off. No more Marcelino, López Vallejo, Viquera, Uche and Cazorla. In fact thirteen players have moved out, with eleven coming in. And they all look rubbish.
Key man - Florent Sinama-Pongolle. The striker's move from Liverpool has now been made permanent, but it looks like he is going to be carrying the entire side on his goal scoring back.
Prediction - 18th (relegated)
Sevilla
La Liga Loca has eternally underestimated Sevilla in its predictions - Sunday was the last time - and it is going to do so again. Dani Alves may well be flopping around and clutching his head at Chelsea some time soon and there is a fair chance that the love-hate relationship between del Nido and Juande Ramos may finally swing in the direction of the latter. Will be interesting to see how well Sevilla's Boulahrouz-containing squad cope with the stresses and strains of the Champions League.
Key Man - Jesús Navas. A quiet season, last time round, Sevilla are really going to need to see him back at his best. And travelling.
Prediction - 5th
Valencia
Yet again, the biggest opponent for Valencia in their title chase, is Valencia. However, the side have helped themselves by ditching the former sporting director Amedeo Carboni, who has headed off to Italy to hatch dastardly plans for revenge on his former club. Probably. On paper, still the best squad in the league. But it is on grass - but more particularly grass away from home, that Valencia have stuffed things up over recent years.
Key man - Angel Arizmendi. Not really. Come on...five goals in two seasons and crazy people still claim he is a great striker.
Prediction - 2nd
Valladolid
The almost unpronounceable side, when a little bit tipsy, blew away the opposition to storm to Segunda division glory, last season - a campaign that included a twenty seven match unbeaten run. The combination of this momentum and the cannon fodder of Recreativo and co, should be enough to keep the new boys up.
Key man - Well, men really. Víctor and Llorente grabbed thirty six goals, this season and will form one of the few old fashioned striking partnerships in this year's top flight.
Prediction
Villarreal
An awful lot of movement in the Yellow Submarines' waters, over the summer, suggests it may take time for Manuel Pellegrini to find a winning combination in his 4th season in charge. Forlán has moved on to Capital City and Ayala was in...and then out again, when he took the chance to move in with his Argentinean chums at Zaragoza. The front three of Rossi from Manchester United, Nihat (remember him?) and Tomasson have awfully big boots to fill, after Forlán's departure. How well they do it is the key to Villarreal's season.
Key Man - Robert Pires was the driving force behind Villarreal's astonishing end of season, Atletico Madrid-screwing run. The Yellow Submarines will be hoping he has one more corker of year left in his gallic footballing fuel tank.
Prediction - 8th
Zaragoza
The canniest - or dodgiest - piece of transfer trickery this summer, was Zaragoza's diversion of Ayala to La Romareda to fill the Gaby Milito shaped hole in defence. Especially, as the side have also lost the on loan Piqué, who has returned to Old Trafford. Aside from that, the Zaragoza side is similar to last year's bunch, although they will be very relieved that they managed to repel a sneaky late bid from Real Madrid for Diego Milito's services.
Key man - Ricardo Oliveira. A superb bit of on loan business. The former Betis striker had a torid time at AC Milan, last season, both on and off the pitch. The Brazilian is a guaranteed fifteen goals a season, man.
Prediction - 6th
**********
That table in full
1 Barcelona
2 Valencia
3 Real Madrid
4 Atletico Madrid
5 Sevilla
6 Zaragoza
7 Mallorca
8 Villarreal
9 Espanyol
10 Getafe
11 Betis
12 Athletic
13 Racing
14 Osasuna
15 Levante
16 Valladolid
17 Deportivo
18 Recreativo
19 Murcia
20 Almeria
**********
All blog content, copyright of La Liga Loca, 2007
...and finally, 有請壯士！
原帖由 小妖 於 2007-8-24 09:30 PM 發表
如果拉科今季以第十七名或以下位置結束球季我就切
[ 本帖最後由 Raul_Gonzalez 於 2008-1-3 03:53 AM 編輯 ] |
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