When TV shows lose their main characters, usually things start to fall apart quite quickly, and fans bemoan the fact that the show is no longer as good as it used to be. The US Office is more than just a remake of The Office, made famous by British comics Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant in the early 2000s. With Steve Carrell playing the lovable but hopeless branch manager Michael Scott, millions of people tuned in each week to watch the (US) Office, to see what Michael would get up to next. When Carrell left the show in its 7th season, it was notable how quickly the overall quality of the … [Read more...]
Will El Clasico ever be the same?
For decades, La Liga was blessed with having two of the almighty superpowers of footballing prowess in one league, and at opposite ends of an immensely competitive, rich, and almost age-old rivalry. Ronaldo’s departure from Los Blancos had football fans wondering whether El Clasico would ever be the same after encounters with the other man vying for the title of best footballer in the world, but now with Messi’s departure from Barcelona, many are questioning whether the old and bitter rivalry will ever be as beautifully contested as it was in what has been a golden age for … [Read more...]
If Lionel Messi leaves, La Liga will Never Recover its Glory Days
Real Madrid’s exit from the Champions League was met with understandably dramatic reactions in not just Madrid, but all over Spain. It was perhaps less the defeat itself, and more the manner of it, which led to hyperbolic exaggerations but the match made one thing clear - La Liga’s star is falling. In the past three seasons, only two of the twelve semi-finalists in the UEFA Champions League have been from Spain - Barcelona in 2018/19 and Real Madrid this season. The Spanish league potentially faces a potential existential threat should the best player in the country, and the world, Lionel … [Read more...]
Atletico Madrid v Barcelona Preview
David Jones from La Liga Online previews the big game coming up this weekend as Atletico Madrid host Barcelona in La Liga on Saturday night. Barcelona seem to be regressing while Atletico Madrid are going from strength to strength. As things stand, Atletico are third in the La Liga table with 17 points from seven matches, while Barcelona have picked up just 11 points from seven games. The Rojiblancos are three points behind leaders Real Sociedad, who have played nine matches. True, Atletico are not having the best of times in the Champions League, but in La Liga, Diego Simeone’s side … [Read more...]
Ernesto Valverde Running Out of Time at Barcelona
The Catalan giants did little to ease the pressure on manager Ernesto Valverde after being held to a goalless draw by Slavia Prague in another below-par appearance at Camp Nou. Barcelona created a number of chances to break the deadlock but Lionel Messi saw numerous opportunities thwarted by the inspired Slavia goalkeeper Ondrej Kolar. The Camp Nou outfit fired six shots on target in a game which became Lionel Messi’s first Champions League group stage game since 2012 without a goal or an assist. Such an underachievement is another red flag at Camp Nou and the finger-pointing … [Read more...]
Barcelona reveals new away kit for 2019/20 campaign
Barcelona has turned to 1979 for inspiration for their new away kit for the upcoming season. Their new yellow away shirt features a diagonal stripe in the traditional "blaugrana" colours, in what is arguably one of the best throwback kits of the season. The new kit was made available to fans around the world on 9th July. So what has inspired Barcelona's retrospective outlook for the new kit? Well, much of the drive behind the 1979 design is that this year marks the 40th anniversary of "La Masia." Celebrating the history of Barcelona's future "La Masia" … [Read more...]
The Latest La Liga Transfer News
The summer is a never-ending rumour mill which we must admit we simply cannot get enough of. The speculation as to who is going where is sometimes more intriguing than when the action actually gets underway and with so many stories doing the rounds, we thought it time for a little look at some of the big deals that are rumoured to be occurring this summer. Antoine Griezmann At the end of the season, Frenchman Antoine Griezmann made it quite clear to all that he was leaving Atletico Madrid. Many expected an announcement to be made within days of his next destination, but nothing … [Read more...]
Messi Secures Title for Barca
It had to be him didn’t it! Lionel Messi struck the only goal of the game at the Camp Nou against Levante to secure his tenth La Liga title and twenty-sixth in the club’s history. The title success will arguably go down as one of Barcelona’s easiest seasons especially in recent memory with three games still to go and little to no threat coming from Real Madrid all campaign. And so, it was left to the club’s talisman on Sunday night to strike the killer blow against a Levante side who showed plenty of spirit as they tried to get away from the city with a point in the bag which would … [Read more...]
Can Valencia Break Their Barca Hoodoo?
Seven games have passed since Valencia last recorded a victory over Barcelona. For most sides, that is hardly a disastrous record, but for a team of Valencia’s overall calibre and desire, that is a disappointment. The Bats have a rich history in Spain’s top flight with six titles to their name, however betting sites currently back Valencia as having more chance of relegation than lifting the coveted title for a seventh time. Even just to record a victory over Barcelona at the Camp Nou like they last did in April 2016 are as long as 8/1. That is probably because trawling through … [Read more...]
Can Anyone Stop Barcelona?
The door has been left wide open plenty of times this season for someone outside of Barcelona and Real Madrid to walk through but as of yet, no one has taken the chance to walk through it. Sevilla and Atletico Madrid have come close but so far trail the Barcelona juggernaut whilst keeping one eye firmly on the wounded European Champions who have endured a nightmare opening half. So far this season, Barcelona has lost two and drawn four in their opening 17 games. That is twice as many defeats as the whole of last season and if the trend continues into the second half then one can only … [Read more...]