Graham Hunter – Page 2 – Football Scout

Zinedine Zidane returns to Real Madrid to replace sacked Santi Solari

ESPN FC’s Craig Burley discusses Real Madrid’s re-appointment of Zinedine Zidane.

ESPN FC’s Craig Burley discusses Real Madrid’s re-appointment of Zinedine Zidane.
Real Madrid have sacked Santiago Solari and replaced him with Zinedine Zidane, the club confirmed on Monday.
Zidane, 46, has signed a contract that will run until June 30, 2022. He will take over the club with immediate effect.

“Real Madrid’s board, meeting today Monday 11 March 2019, have decided to end the contract which linked Santiago Solari to the club as first team coach, while offering him to continue working for the club,” the club said in a statement.
“Real Madrid thanks Santiago Solari…

Zidane in sensational Real Madrid return to replace sacked Solari – sources

ESPN FC’s Shaka Hislop can’t understand why Real Madrid would even entertain the thought of bringing back Jose Mourinho to manage the club.
Real Madrid are set to sack Santi Solari and replace him with Zinedine Zidane, sources have told ESPN FC.
The Frenchman, who only quit last summer, is the favoured candidate across the Real Madrid board, overpowering president Florentino Perez’s temptation to re-appoint Jose Mourinho. Zidane’s first spell in charge of the club included winning the Champions League three times in a row, as well as La Liga in 2017.
Sources have told ESPN FC that Madrid held a board meeting on Monday which was…

Vinicius and Real Madrid could find Champions League without Ronaldo

As the dust from that dust-up in Amsterdam settles there’s a statistic that tells a very big story about Real Madrid after their 2-1 win against Ajax in the Champions League.
I only recur to dry numbers because in such a dramatic, picturesque, history-evoking football match there are a myriad of people stories which, I think, will obscure something important.
In Madrid’s last 10 matches, across the Copa del Rey, La Liga and now the Champions League, five hugely important goals for Santi Solari’s…

Why Atletico, Simeone should be worried by how they lost the Madrid derby

Atletico were out-fought, out-thought and out-played by their Madrid rivals and it’s a defeat that will linger for Simeone & Co.

The biggest conclusion from Saturday’s 3-1 win isn’t that Madrid are back in the title race, that Diego Godin’s final La Liga battle with los Blancos finished in a miserable way for such a titan of Atletico’s recent history, or even that Gareth Bale’s 100th Real Madrid goal is a brilliant “take that” message to his critics. The inescapable sentiment after Atleti were toyed with, and then torn apart, is that something pretty important is wrong with Diego Simeone’s side. Perhaps even his regime….

Barcelona, Real Madrid <i>Clasico</i> draw shows Copa del Rey not a priority

Alejandro Moreno says Real Madrid may live to regret not capitalising on numerous chances against Barcelona when Lionel Messi was on the bench.

The FC panel speculate if the pressure has gotten to Philippe Coutinho, or if he can recover the confidence needed to make an impact at Barcelona.
It’s a testimony to how times have changed, not only in football but in the Clasico, that Barcelona will be more than content with a 1-1 draw at home against Real Madrid in the first leg of their Copa del Rey semifinal.
Right now it’s not important while reading this column whether Los Blancos or the Cup holders go on to win this trophy. Albeit that will seem a matter of life and death, state and anarchy, when the result comes at the end of this month.
What’s a fact is that this was a clear litmus…

Valencia’s sky-high expectations have filled promising young core with anxiety

There was an extra presence weighing on the Valencia training sessions this week, and it wasn’t the impending arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo and Juventus as the Champions League kicks off again.

Los Che have problems, and the fact that their coach, Marcelino, wanted Valencia’s sports psychologist Jose Carrascosa on the Paterna playing pitches on Monday was no more than a confirmation of the warning signs that anyone paying passing attention has been able to see and hear.

Carrascosa is the guy…

David De Gea must be more involved with Spain play to replicate Man United heroics

Steve Nicol breaks down both sides’ performances in Spain’s 2-1 win over England and responds to the controversial call on Danny Welbeck.

Football’s pendulum has swung back in David De Gea’s favour ahead of Tuesday’s Nations League meeting with Croatia — or at least the public pendulum of the “You’re great … now you’re rubbish!” curse that his profession traditionally bestows on those of high profile. Build ’em up, chop em down.

During the World Cup, errors notwithstanding, De Gea’s profile in Spain was constructed from the “He’s no Iker Casillas” or “This guy’s never really done it for Spain” narrative. It’s a Cyclops-style…

Keylor Navas form, status means Thibaut Courtois not an instant pick at Real Madrid

Real Madrid head coach Julen Lopetegui insists their goalkeeper situation is not a problem after he once again picked Keylor Navas to start over new signing Thibaut Courtois.

Karim Benzema netted two goals and Gareth Bale added another …

Barcelona’s Luis Suarez problem is only going to get worse

The ESPN FC crew answer your tweets on Barcelona’s biggest weakness, Luis Suarez’s future and if Liverpool have any vulnerabilities this season.

Craig Burley and Paul Mariner make their predictions for the La Liga season, and one of them is backing Diego Costa for a big season.

Will the real Luis Suarez please stand up?

There was such an explosion of sound and fury over the way Antoine Griezmann chose to announce that he was staying at Atletico Madrid, via a video production company owned by Gerard Pique, that many have failed to properly consider what was behind Barcelona’s willingness to spend €100 million (plus another €60 million in wages) on him.

The answer, increasingly evidently, is that Luis Suarez is in that horrible antechamber that leads from…

Philippe Coutinho will never replace Andres Iniesta at Barcelona and that’s perfectly fine

After a summer of big signings, including Arturo Vidal and Malcom, the FC crew assess whether Barcelona are early Champions League favourites.

The guys respond to your tweets about Barcelona’s title credentials, Scotland’s international outlook, Bayern Munich and the FC crew’s best dancer.

Sid Lowe unpacks the ‘unknown package’ that is Barcelona ahead of the 2018-19 campaign and provides the latest on Ousmane Dembele’s murky situation with the club.
It’s a strong bet that those trying to assess how Philippe Coutinho might flourish at Barcelona this season will first draw conclusions from his goal and assist in last season’s Copa del Rey final, the La Liga winners’ medal already in his possession and the absence of legend Andres Iniesta, whose “space” the Brazilian will be asked to occupy.

There’s another, probably more significant, way to assess Coutinho: his mentality, the greatest value he can now offer the Spanish champions.

In winning…

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