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Inevitable we'd see this.

Bound to happen. Madrid has been backsliding a little but its still early to correct the ship, especially if Schuster has to be the casualty to make it happen.

Real Madrid are the NY Yankees of La Liga. I am not sure a coach can make a team of them.

Two points away from first place, still in the driver's seat in Champs League and you want to get rid of the coach who won la Liga last year??

Mijatovic is the one that should be fired for not addressing holes this summer as well as for the Ronaldo debacle. Calderon is out of his mind. Come to think of it, this is exactly what Florentino Perez did before he got the axe. I can't think of a scenario that doesnt end with Calderon and Mijatovic being run out of town.

No way in hades Calderon doesn't make Schuster the scapegoat. He's that much of a dirtbag, but it's also true that Mijatovic is responsible for what's going on at the club. Yes, they've had a slew of injuries but that's why they should have found some reinforcements in the offseason but instead they created such a shytstorm of controversy with Ronaldogate that they not only unsettled the team but lost there most creative player in the process to Man Freaking City of all places. STUPID STUPID STUPID by the entire front office at Madrid. The arrogance of Calderon, Mijatovic, and Schuster to think the squad they decided to go into the season with would still be good enough was just asinine.

The defense is wretched and Schuster is acting like there's no problem. I makes me sick. Having said all that, I think it would be another STUPID move to fire Schuster. YOU CAN'T WIN EVERY YEAR. But you can field a disciplined side every night out and Madrid is playing like they're strangers in defense. Still, you cannot have a these kneejerk reactions to adversity. So let me get this straight: every season that Madrid doesn't dominate the world the coach MUST be fired?????? It's embarrassing.

I'm so disgusted with Madrid right now I find them hard to watch.

QUOTE(#3):

Originally posted 09:50 AM ET  11.12 by The Special One

Real Madrid are the NY Yankees of La Liga.

Real Madrid are the NY Yankees of the world! I've been watching them play this year and something just seems to be missing. Not sure what it is, but they don't seem to be dominating games. Sure they're winning, but in the 6-1 style of Barca.

Talk about Barcelona making Real look inferior. Over the weekend, they battle back to a 4-3 win and what does Eto'o go out and do? Score 4 goals in the first half. The struggles and soap opera story lines are all reactions to the form Barca is showing.

Firing Schuster is not the answer! Everytime has a dip in form in a season. Getting over that funk is what makes a championship team. The Spanish media tends to exaggerate these dips in form. Stay Schuster!

I agree with Madridista. The defense is not performing. The problems on offense is due to injury. Calderon and Mijatovic's management in the summer is starting to show. Endpoint. Keep Schuster and let's get through this. Its only been two weeks of bad results (since the first Juve game)

I have to agree with you Madridista, that front office needs to go, yesterday. Schuster can do a little better job of keeping his team together, and getting that D to play as a unit, but by no means should his job be on the hot seat. he managed them to the la liga title just months ago.

Replacing Schuster with Miguel Angel Portugal, a close personal friend of Calderon, will simply mean the end of Calderon. This is almost as nuts as replacing Capello after he won the league (twice).

A year ago it was the opposite, Barca was in turmoil, Frank's curly head was on the block and Laporta was facing a no-confidence vote.

Amazing what a year can bring.

QUOTE(#10):

Originally posted 02:32 PM ET  11.12 by Gaucho68

Replacing Schuster with Miguel Angel Portugal, a close personal friend of Calderon, will simply mean the end of Calderon. This is almost as nuts as replacing Capello after he won the league (twice).A year ago it was the opposite, Barca was in turmoil, Frank's curly head was on the block and Laporta was facing a no-confidence vote.Amazing what a year can bring.

I never thought of it that way Gaucho. You're right, the two clubs were in opposite places just months ago. Wow! When was the last time both clubs were playing well and happy with their own on and off-field management?

Anyway, Real needs to think DEFENSE FIRST until they get healthy; stop worrying about entertaining and focus on winning. It all starts at the back and they've been leaking goals since the preseason and there's NO EXCUSE for it. Last I checked they don't play any defenders they didn't have last year when they won the Liga. What changed with that group? HellifIknow, but if Schuster is a great coach he will adapt their style of play to the reality of what's going on until that reality changes. And they had better do it quick lest they be run off the pitch vs. Barca. And it WILL happen.

Wow, almost total agreement from everyone on here. Calderon and Mijatovic are the real problems. What's most concerning about this duo is that it's become nearly impossible to get any other club to deal with Madrid because of the manner in which these two jackals act.

When's the next derby between Barca & Real? If it is within the next 2 weeks - it is probably a given that Schuster is toast. Then the question would be who steps in?
Zidane? Eh - here's to dreaming.

Shouldn't have wasted all that time trying to land Cristiano....

I doubt they have issued an ultimatum to don Bernd. What has happened is the players and the coaches have sat down together and aired out their differences. Apparently at the half of the Real Union match Schuster simply went into his office with his assistant and said nothing to the players. This criticism has been leveled at Schuster before - by Roberto Soldado and it must have hit hard because Soldado is at Getafe now....

The problem goes beyond just Calderon and Mijatovic. Real management has always wanted to have it's cake and eat it too. Since the galacticos era they have become spoiled; recognized as a star-studded club of international players tailor-made to win the Champs. The reality of this team is that it is a Spanish icon and there will always be that tension between putting a team on the field that represents Spanish soccer versus being the Liga's version of Chelsea FC. The one distinction being that Madrid doesn't have one owner who can decide how the money is spent.

This tension at management level always worsens the seasonal problems that affect any team; injuries (Ruud, Robben, Ramos, Diarra, De La Red), decension (Robihno), and acclamation of new lineups (De La Red, Javi Garcia, Rafa).

This team struggles. It's part of the deal. Sorry for the length.

Hired to be fired.

Barca v. Real...Sunday 12-14 at Camp Nou. With Ruud out for the year, Schuster won't make it that long.

Sad part is that with Saviola, Raul, Higuain and Sneijder...Madrid still has some serious offensive threats. They desperately need Arshavin.