With Real Madrid unceremoniously dumped out of the Champions League in the first knock-out stage, you can't help but feel Florentino Perez will cast a wistful eye over to Germany and Italy as he ponders his decision last summer to cast Wesley Sneijder and Arjen Robben out of the club. Call it poetic justice, but with the two Dutchman scoring crucial goals in their midweek semi-finals for Bayern Munich and Inter Milan, the stage seems set for both to make a triumphant return to their former home in this years Champions League final. A big fat two fingers at Messers Perez and Valdano. Robben and Sneijder hardly set the world alight at the Bernabeu, but were they really as ineffective and toothless as Karim Benzema and Kaka have been this season? Did they deserve to be treated with the disrespect and ruthlessness shown by President Perez as he tossed them out of Spain against their will in search of some quick money? Madrid fans may point to Robbens tendency to spend more time in the treatment room than the pitch, but Kaka has hardly been a shining beacon of health. Neither has Benzema. As for Sneijder, they were mad to let him go. Do they really believe Van der Vaart, Gago and Diarra have provided the energy and incisiveness that Sneijder has offered Inter this year? A euro for Manuel Pellegrinis thoughts.
I think they were also wrong to get rid of Huntelaar. He seemed to have settled in well and had scored 8 goals in 13 starts. Sneijder vs Gago, Diarra or Marcelo? There is just no comparrison is there. Sneijder, Lass and Alonso could have formed a good midfield.
ReplyDeleteTypical Real Madrid though. They got rid of Etoo, Mata and Negredo as well.
Awesome comment by Wenger the other day. He said this summer he was going to camp outside the Bernabeu and snap up anyone they chuck out! Huntelaar is an interesting one. Reminded me a bit of Michael Owen at Real Madrid. Both had an awesome goal to game ratio there, but were never really wanted. Good shout. Soldado was another that could possibly have made it there given a chance...
ReplyDeleteBut they've certainly made a right old mess of their transfer policy. One of the worst signings has hardly been mentioned, although its hardly surprising when you see who he is. Miguel Pardeza was signed as Sporting Director last year. The same idiot that signed a load of past-it no-hopers for Real Zaragoza the year they got relegated. Peter Luccin, Roberto Ayala, Gabi, Pavon to name but a few. Ran off and resigned when shxt hit the fan. The guy is useless.
Apparently they knocked back David Silva when he was young, saying he was too small.
ReplyDeleteWenger is a strange one. He had a right go at Spanish football the other week, saying it was in a mess financially and wasn't competitive.
Bit strange when you consider the plight of Portsmouth and quite a few other Premiership clubs. Also when you consider that only 4 teams have ever won the Premiership (since it became the premiership) then you got to ask, how competitive is the English league really?
Got to hand it to Wenger though, he is also the first man in history to argue moving to Barcelona is showing a lack of ambition. He should have become a politician.