Real Madrid 4-Monaco 2
March 24th 2004

... and thoughts on the coach's criticism of the Cantera

I thought it was a superb performance in the 2nd half. If our heading had been better we could have score 3 goals in the 1st half itself, but in the 2nd half the players really turned it on.

I think Salgado, Figo and Ronaldo were the best players. Zidane got stronger as the game went on, Beckham passed well, Meija was good even at left back (what a talent he is) and Raul got into some good positions.

But Pavon was as useless as ever. No speed, no positional sense and with this God-given talent to make stupid mistakes.

It's ridiculous blaming Quireoz for not playing the Youth Team players. Everytime he tries to do it, they screw up. The only two who have impressed are Meija and Juanfran. Meija is playing more and more and Juanfran has started getting a few opportunities, though admit he needs more. Everyone else including Portillo has played crap, look at Borja after he came on yesterday. If we played the Invisible Man we would have seen more of him on the ball. So the coach either has to choose to develop players anbd lose matches, or play the same players again and again even if they get tired because there is just TOO MUCH of a difference between a Ronaldo and a Portillo. If anyone needs to be blamed, blame Perez.

And if you want cantera players to develop, send them out on loan, the Real Madrid team and the Champion's League is not the place to experiment when the coach knows that 2 bad results and all the rabid dogs at Marca and AS will shout for him to be fired. God knows that we would have been better served if we had sent Portillo out on loan instead of El Moro (though El Moro wanted to leave and get 1st team exposure).

And this Pavon and Zidane policy is great but it cannot be so rigid. Look at Helguera and Salgado on the current team. Look at Hierro when he first joined us. Makalele. Fernando "GOD" Redondo. None were Zidanes or Pavons.

And finally Pavon should shut his trap with his claims about the Cantera being elite. Playing in the 1st division may be elite for most footballers but it's not enough for Madrid. There is a difference between playing for Espanyol and playing for Real Madrid. By the higher standards we have, the Cantera is not elite and Pavon is definitely not elite. He won't get a starting place at Seville, Barca, Depor, Valencia, Athletico, Bilbao, Osasuna, Zaragoza and god alone knows where else. So he of all people should not talk about being "ELITE"... he would only be Elite in the Secunda B.

Real Madrid 1- Bayen Munich 0
March 10th 2004
Scorer: Zidane (32')
Real progress to the quarters 2-1 on aggregate.

I feel last night was the most complete performance I have seen all season. They fought hard and concentrated for every single minute, they chased the ball and applied pressure when not in possession, they kept the ball well when they had it, they worked hard for each other and they defensively they were superb, especially in the 2nd half.

Iker-man: To me he is the best goalkeeper in the world at age 22... and with those saves of Makaay and Ze Roberto in the first half, he proved it. (9/10)

Raul Bravo: Defensively perfect, did even better than Roberto Carlos. Good work offensively too, holding the ball well and getting into good positions. (9/10)

Helguera: Calm, fast, controlled. Some crucial blocks. Impeccable. (8.5/10)

Meija: The single biggest gain from this season. His mis-kick nearly let in a goal, but did not make one other mistake. His reading of the game, his positioning sense, his speed, his calmness, his maturity are all outstanding for a player who has not played 10 games as a member of the first XI in the league and the Champion's league. Already he looks a better player than Pavon did last year (when we all felt he had a great season). This guy is our Puyol. (8.5/10)

Salgado: MOM for me, along with Zidane. Lucky not to get a 2nd yellow but what an astonishing game. Always a threat attackingly (and he had no right to win the header that led to the goal!), and extremely committed defensively. Sometimes it makes sense to buy players other than Zidane's and groom Pavon's. (9.5/10)

Figo: Probably the least effective player which does not mean he did not play well, and one or two great runs. Greater defensive commitment than we have come to expect. (7/10)

Beckham: Was frustrating at times in open play, not particularly dominant, but his passing and dead balls were A-grade. (7/10)

Guti: Gave the ball away a few times but another outstanding game. I was more critical of him than most earlier this year but he is now playing possibly the best I have seen him play. One of his best games defensively and some great positions offensively. (8/10)

Solari: Worked hard all over the field, created chances, held the ball well, had a good strong game. On any other team he would be an automatic starter. (8/10)

Raul: Still not 100% with a few poor touches in the 1st half. But got better as the game progressed and was a constant nuisance to Bayern. Ran tirelessly, putting pressure on the Bayern defenders. Hard-working performance that ranks among his best this season though I am still praying for the floodgates to open and he old, confident Raul to return. (8.5/10)

Zidane: GOD. There is none higher. And Bayern learnt it the hard way. (10/10)