Yeah pretty much. Hope we sign Rakitic. What a player.

I suppose a penalty shootout is the worst possible situation to break a 'curse' like that. It's almost inevitable to have something like that play on the back of a player's mind in those circumstances.

Anyhow, this season must be some sort of record: not a single Spanish team eliminated in the knockout rounds by a non Spanish team. Pretty incredible if you consider La Liga has seen much better days.

We've smashed the single-season country coefficient record into oblivion this year!

La Liga is the best league in the World.

You reckon Henrik? I was actually considering writing an article asking whether this season might be La Liga's swan song. I feel there's been a slow but steady decline in the quality of football and personnel in the league, so the league's European results have taken me completely by surprise. I really don't feel as if La Liga's weathered the storm or that this is some sort of light at the end of the tunnel. Barça are weakening year on year, Atleti I feel are just a flash in the pan, things have gone well for Madrid in the CL but they've mostly flattered to deceive domestically, and our EL run has largely relied on miracle victories and meetings between Spanish sides.

With the expection of a few individual improvements this season, I just don't have the feeling that top to bottom La Liga has gotten any better, and it is still to be expected that any promising players produced here will get picked off either by one of the big two or by other richer European clubs.

I do. Purely on the standard of football, of course the Premier League is marketed better, but I think right through La Liga the technical ability of the players is better. Even teams like Rayo play better than many sides from other leagues. Betis were the worst team in the league and they still held their own in Europe. And the La Liga players that go to England many of them just look more accomplished footballers.

Jenko is always up for some bantz - https://vine.co/v/MhxIHVUu0eD

What an awful person

comment by Marcelino- Braintree Bhoy. (U6171)
posted 1 hour, 25 minutes ago
I do. Purely on the standard of football, of course the Premier League is marketed better, but I think right through La Liga the technical ability of the players is better. Even teams like Rayo play better than many sides from other leagues. Betis were the worst team in the league and they still held their own in Europe. And the La Liga players that go to England many of them just look more accomplished footballers.
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I see what you mean, but it has to reach a point where the ongoing talent drain is going to affect it. Well, as I said, I think it has already, but can't see an end to it even in the medium term.

Nowadays it seems every non-Madrid/Barça player who stands out is bound to wind up at either one of those two, in the PL, or at Bayern/Monaco/PSG/Juve etc.

There's no way this won't have an impact. I'm just incredibly surprised that La Liga still manages to hold its own in Europe.

Sup guys

ioag
I knew it was only a matter of time before you showed up in the Benzema thread. I don't think I have seen a bigger fan of him than you

comment by Andy Carrot (U2440)
posted 12 minutes ago
What an awful person
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"You nearly banted me off there" - Carl Jenkinson

La Liga has absolutely surprised me this year really. Anyone with a good memory will remember how upset I was at the end of last summer's transfer window after the incredible talent drain. idk ioag, I have a feeling it is going to continue surprising us even more in the coming years.

comment by ☺ Wumpatröl - We are going to Wembley, We are going to Wembley (U5046)
posted 17 minutes ago
Sup guys

ioag
I knew it was only a matter of time before you showed up in the Benzema thread.I don't think I have seen a bigger fan of him than you
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It's not really that, it's all the slating he gets, not least from our own fans. It's my natural impulse to try and restore some balance in the universe.

I get what you mean. He gets more stick than he deserves that's for sure. I have always thought he was a great talent and I used to slate him for his attitude but this season he seems to have turned that around.

A guy I know who claims to have close links to the management at RM told me this season was Benz's last chance saloon. The club had wanted to ship him at the end of last season but Zizou convinced whoever to give him just one more season.

There's been talk for a long time now about him penning a new deal, but he's only got a year left on his contract now and I get the impression he will indeed move on in the summer.

...at which time, if he moves to the PL, I might have to start saying how shít he is.

So you actually think he could make the move to Arsenal?

Benzema's a very good player. I don't understand the hate he gets from prem fans.

I don't think he's fulfilled the potential he showed at Lyon as a cf, but I think that's in part down to injuries, attitude and having to adapt his game as a result of playing alongside a goal scoring machine in Ronaldo.

I think he's improve plenty of teams around Europe and would be a good signing for Arsenal, especially if he's given more responsibility as the main man in the front line.

Penny's just dropped that my other half's working tomorrow and won't be back till 6-7ish. Means I won't be able to watch the title decider tomorrow unless I can bribe my eldest to look after the little one for a couple of hours, and even then it'll have to be an unreliable online stream instead of going to a pub with a bit of atmosphere.

You poor thing, not only are you going to miss the game but you have children.



#bantz

I'm no Rolf Harris.

Take them to the pub.

You don't know my 2 1/2-year-old Darren. She'd make watching the game absolutely impossible. Only chance is for her to be in a familiar environment with someone tending to her.

comment by Darren The King Fletcher (U10026)
posted 17 minutes ago
Take them to the pub.
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Get 'em started on the alcohol early, I say.

That's a shame.

Annoying they've got it on the same time as the FA Cup.

Just seen Messi signed a new deal. I wonder if he'll turn up in the last game now that's all sorted?

Pinky, couldn't agree more.