Not sure he could become the finished article playing in such a sub-standard competition as the Dutch league. He needs to play against world class centre halves to hone his skills, which he will get in Spain or England (If reports of him wanting away in the summer are true??)

Let him go and get Benzema.

Haven't Brazil got anyone better than Marcelo to play at LB?

Maxwell

Forgot about him. Is he injured or is Marcelo just favoured instead of him.

Did I just hear right, Real Madrid want Arsenals groundsman?

Not sure, has he ever played for Brazil?

Don't have a clue!

Can't believe Dani Alves is on the bench aswell.

That Maicon's good but I'd rather Alves

Although Dani Alves and Rafinha are right backs, I would have thought they were a better choice than Marcelo at left back.

Tbf Marcelo hasn't played too bad, although he hasn't had much to do.

he can't even get into the madrid team. you know it's bad when heinze is keeping you out of the first XI

Exactly!



Real Madrid should sign Clichy!

i set you up for that one

do you still sit in his garden at night?

Nah moved in a little bit closer now. He leaves the downstairs toilet window open during the night!

now i come to think about it im sure he recently said in an interview that he gets home sometimes and finds his sock drawer slightly open...

I was hoping to find a flight ticket to Madrid hidden, honest!

don't want to know what you'd have done if you'd found it


but i'm guessing the police and cleaners would have been involved

Saturday February 14
19:00 Real Betis Balompié v Barcelona
19:00 Deportivo La Coruna v Osasuna
21:00 Valencia v Málaga

Sunday February 15
16:00 Almeria v Valladolid
16:00 Athletic Bilbao v Recreativo Huelva
16:00 Sporting de Gijón v Real Madrid
16:00 Racing Santander v Villarreal
16:00 C.D Numancia v Mallorca
18:00 Espanyol v Sevilla
20:00 Atletico Madrid v Getafe C.F

With Barcelona and Real Madrid safely ensconced in the top two positions, the race for the other two champions league spots has become the main focus of attention, with several sides in the mix and in varying degrees of form. On Saturday, Unai Emery’s Valencia – who are once again hitting the headlines for their financial woes, having only part-paid their squad for the month of January – welcome Malaga to the Mestalla. Antonio Tapia’s men are a well-organised, free-scoring outfit who showed true character to come from two goals down to defeat Almeria last weekend. They’ve also lost just once in their last 8 games, a run of results which means only two points and three league positions separate them in seventh from Valencia in fourth. Lose Che, meanwhile, have been dumped out of the Copa Del Rey and have lost 4 out of 6 in all competitions, including last weekend’s loss at Osasuna. Despite having a good home record, this should be a close encounter and is my game of the week.

Elsewhere on Saturday, Barcelona visit Real Betis who have been enjoying a week of understandable elation following their derby win at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan. However, they’ll need to get their act together for the Verdiblancos have the worst home record in La Liga, and they’ll be playing the team with the best. It should be fairly routine for Guardiola’s men, even with many of the squad backing up from midweek international duty.

Completing Saturday’s line-up is Osasuna’s visit to the Riazor. Camacho’s men are in good nick and have dragged themselves out of the bottom three while Depor have suffered recently against the bigger sides. Osasuna, though, are the only side in the division without an away win and you’d think they’re unlikely to beat that in Galicia, a traditionally tough place for visiting sides.

On Sunday, Real Madrid visit Sporting Gijon, a real Jekyll-and-hyde team who are still without a league draw this season. Under Ramos, El Real play a solid, if rather functional, game which isn’t winning fans in the media but is proving undeniably effective in picking up points. Raul will have another chance to break Di Stefano’s record and this could very well be where he does so.

Villarreal, who are proving impossible to predict having picked up 8 points from a possible 18 since the turn of the year, visit a Racing side who in the last two outings have been the victims of narrow defeats against the top two, although their away form far outstrips their record at El Sardinero.
Athletic, who suffered a setback in their UEFA Cup ambitions last week at Valladolid, are six points off the final European spot but will fancy their chances of gaining ground at home against a Recre side who, after three wins in January, are still looking nervously down the table.

Sevilla, arguably the league’s most scrutinized side due to their poor form, visit Espanyol in what is a must-win game for Manolo Jiminez if he has any ambitions to keep his job. The hosts are in trouble too, without a win in 13 matches. It promises to be an unpretty encounter at the Montjuic. Atletico host Getafe in what you might call the ‘other’ Madrid derby. Abel Resino started his tenure with a bang last week and, although Getafe are no mugs, you’d expect a newly revitalized strike partnership of Aguero/Forlan to be too much for Victor Munoz’s men.

The league’s bottom side, Mallorca, visit Numancia in what is a must-win game for both sides and Almeria, still smarting from last week’s events, host a buoyant Valladolid. Hugo Sanchez has had a mixed start to his Almeria career and his side are only four points above the drop zone – he can’t keep relying on Uche and Negredo to score his team out of trouble.

Here's one for Robbie Rotten.
Story in the paper this morning heavily linking Liverpool with a Barcelona Cadet player called Gerard Deulofeu.
Due to La Liga rules that have seen players such as Cesc Fabregas and Gerard Pique (both Catalans and signed from Barça) leave for next to nothing, this could prove to be a no-lose deal for the Scousers.

Here lies the rub. Personally, I want to see my sides win. I'm not especially fussed how. I'd take a 1-0 every week with a shanked goal that rebounds off a defender's harris if that's what it took. Playing well at the same time is a mere bonus.
I've never understood "Newcastle Syndrome"

just like under capello, only difference being he won the league... and then got sacked

Stalemate's all round last night, Osasuna continued their improved run by taking a point from Deportivo, and with Valencia (another quality strike from David Villa) drawing with Malaga all three of those teams chasing CL/UEFA spots missed the opportunity to put some real pressure on the likes of Atlético and Villarreal.

In the other game Barcelona got what feels like their 167th dodgy penalty of the season to help them claw back a 2-0 deficit at Betis.

made up for the first betis goal where sergio garcia was stood in front of valdes about 4 foot offside.
167th you say?... so only 34 behind madrid

Had A Couple Of Quid On Real Betis At 11/2 And You Just Knew Barcelona Were Going To Come Back, Also Valencia Knackered Up Another Bet Aswell...