Monday 27 January 2014

Why Real Madrid shouldn't buy Luis Suárez

Luis Suarez has divided opinion during his time at Liverpool.
Signing Luis Suárez should be a no-brainer for the world's richest club. The Uruguayan striker has 22 goals in 17 Premier League appearances, and Real Madrid yearn for a world-class forward. But that is before taking a glance at the Liverpool striker's various hi-jinks, and considering whether a world-class striker is even necessary. 

After all, this is the man who racially abused Patrice Evra, bit Branislav Ivanovic and dragged an entire club into the mire with his antics. Add to this the fact that Madrid are only just recovering from the negative influence a certain Portuguese manager had on their image, and it is easy to see why things aren't so straightforward for the Spanish giants.

While Real Madrid cannot truly claim to be a 'gentleman's' club anymore, this is still an institution that cares about its public perception. It is one of the reasons why Pérez hired the classy, unassuming Carlo Ancelotti after the departure of the volatile, unscrupulous Mourinho. It is also the reason why the club are looking to get rid of the radical Ultras Sur group (a sensible initiative which I fully hope the club goes through with- after all, what club wants to be associated with a group of neo-Nazis?). Why buy a player who could potentially destroy the whole post-Mourinho rebuilding process in a matter of seconds on the field?

It is true that the club has been looking for a world-class centre-forward for some time. When Mourinho was at the helm, he demanded a top quality striker from Florentino Pérez, frustrated with having only Karim Benzema as an option up front. The response? Emmanuel Adebayor, signed on loan until the end of the season.


Although Benzema is often criticised, he is a vital part of Real Madrid's front three.
Benzema himself has never really endeared himself to the Bernabéu faithful. Too often the Frenchman has been accused of being overweight, of not pulling his weight up front, or of only starting because he is one of the president's favourites (Pérez flew out to Benzema's home in France to secure his signature in 2009, and has demonstrated a huge amount of faith in the striker ever since). Various other digs have been levelled at him over the years, some fairer than others, but overall many think that Benzema has not lived up to the potential he had when he arrived at Real Madrid as a 21-year old recommended by none other than club legend Zinedine Zidane.

But, against Granada on Saturday, Benzema still reached the 101-goal mark for Real Madrid and scored his fifth goal in six matches. After a frustrating start to the season Benzema is experiencing something of a renaissance, even beginning to track back and press the opposition, something which he has often been criticised for. Crucially, he is about far more than just goals, remaining a vital point of Madrid's attack even when he is not scoring. He is selfless in build-up play and is often the one who plays the killer one-two with Cristiano Ronaldo to set the Portuguese forward up for a goal. Some would even go as far as saying that Benzema was one of the main reasons Ronaldo won the Ballon d'Or this year. 
Morata is hugely promising and a fans' favourite.
Add to that the fact that Morata is an extremely promising forward, even if he is raw at this moment in time, and that Los Blancos boast two of the most direct wingers in the world in Bale and Ronaldo, and you can see why buying Luis Suárez doesn't make sense. This is still a forward line capable of great things, even without a truly world-class striker playing through the middle.

By Tomás Hill López-Menchero

Friday 3 January 2014

Alvaro Negredo: a different kind of beast

'La Fiera de Vallecas'

Álvaro Negredo's appearance does him few favours. You could be mistaken for thinking he was a typically 'British' centre-forward if you had never seen the burly Spaniard play before- the kind of player who constantly torments defences with his sheer strength. In fact, the Fiera de Vallecas, as he was nicknamed by his Sevilla team-mates, offers much, much more than just that, and he has proven this in his first few months in England.

Some Manchester City fans were skeptical when Negredo signed in the summer. £20.6 million seemed like a lot, especially with the impending arrival of Stevan Jovetic and Edin Dzeko also at the club. Indeed, the Sevilla president del Nido was extremely pleased with the amount of money he was able to coax out of City. Five months later, nobody can say that Manuel Pellegrini did not know what he was doing when he signed the former Real Madrid youth-team player.

Against Liverpool last Thursday, Negredo showcased a fine piece of skill, chipping Simon Mignolet with the outside of his boot for his side's second goal as City continued their fine form at the top of the league. It was an outstanding goal, even if Mignolet did flap at the shot, and further proof that Negredo has a footballing brain that transcends his size. At Sevilla this was evident in the occasional bicycle kick, for instance, but it is at Manchester City that this aspect of his game has flourished.

But of course, the physical side of Negredo's game cannot be overlooked. His brawn gives him an edge over defenders, and Negredo himself has admitted that he enjoys this aspect of English football the most. It also makes him the perfect partner for the diminutive Agüero. The pair have struck up a great partnership, which has seen them score 21 goals this season in the Premier League. As two polar opposites, they complement each other brilliantly, and they, along with the rest of Pellegrini's side, show no signs of slowing down.

This could very well be Álvaro Negredo's annus mirabilis with the World Cup fast approaching and City looking like title favourites. Negredo's fine form in the Premier League has given Del Bosque a serious headache as to who should play up front for Spain, but it will be one he relishes given the lack of options Spain had up front this time last year. At the moment Negredo and the recently nationalised Diego Costa appear to be the main contenders for a starting spot, and the next five months will be crucial in deciding which of the two will start. Costa may have the upper hand on Negredo due to playing in Spain (Del Bosque has seemed to favour Spaniards playing in La Liga in recent years) but there have been suggestions that Del Bosque could field Diego Costa and Álvaro Negredo in the same formation, with Costa playing as a false nine behind Negredo. Whether this is viable is debatable, but Del Bosque will take both to Brazil if they can keep their current form up. Negredo's battle with Diego Costa to be Spain's starting striker will be intriguing. 

There were of course questions as to whether Negredo could play in such a stylish Spain team, but so far he has dispelled these doubts, like those when he joined Manchester City, scoring a number of times upon starting for Spain. In fact, he was the team's most efficient scorer in the World Cup qualifiers, scoring a goal every 56 minutes for Spain. At times Negredo is a battering ram, at others an artist. He is playing some of the best football of his career alongside Agüero, and is enjoying life in the Premier League. Long may it continue. 

By Tomás Hill López-Menchero