Spanish National Team

[boro]

What do you guy's think about a possible return for one of my all time favourite's Gaizka Mendieta? he has been awesome for us so far this season!

[lebn8r]

Im in favour of selecting a team with commitment and form...!!!

he would be in my squad, along with Pedro Munitis

[boro]

We were playing him out wide of the middle 4 which did not suit him at all, but since he has been back in the middle of midfield he has been just sheer class and joy to watch, you can now see why club's excanged close on £30m for him!

[Zamorano]

Mendieta? No way.

We've got much better midfielders than that. The only thing he's really good at is taking freekicks, we haven't got a true specialist on that.
Mendieta is good when things go well, but he usually isn't the kind of player that takes his responsabilities when things look bad. And he's getting old.
I could say the same thing of Baraja, another one who shouldn't be in the squad if you ask me.

Munitis would be in my selection though, he adds some fighting spirit.
Sergio, also from Deportivo, is another good midfielder with good character. I'd pick him instead of Baraja or Mendieta.

[boro]

ON current form though he (Mendi) would be a must surely!

[Zamorano]

Originally Posted by boro

ON current form though he (Mendi) would be a must surely!

I've seen him a couple of times this season and he's doing well.
But a must?
No, there's still better players than him, even if he is in a great form. Anyway, he'll probably never be picked again. He's had his chances in the national squad and I can't remember him putting in one half-decent performance.

Doing well at Boro is nice and all but the national team is an entirely different story. With a younger player you can take a chance and hope the guy will show some progression, but older players at a relatively smaller club, that's usually no good.

[boro]

Fair enough, good point made well, may be after tonight you might have a different view, who know's.

[Zamorano]

Originally Posted by boro

Fair enough, good point made well, may be after tonight you might have a different view, who know's.

I doubt it.
Actually, I don't see the point in it either, as he will probably never be called to the national squad again because of the reasons I mentioned above (age and wasted previous chances).

[boro]

So that's a definate NO then?

Are you looking forward to the game tonight?, what do you think the out come will be?, are you going to carry on as the great pretenders or show us all what we all believe you can do?

[Zamorano]

I think we will win, but it won't be easy, as I expect Slovakia to play on the counter. Maybe 2 - 0, but it's hard to say.

It's time for the players to start to believe in themselves, a good atmosphere at Vicente Calderón will help a lot. Xavi set the right example by saying there´s no other country clearly superior to Spain except for Brazil, and it´s time to show it.
If every player believes so, AND acts like it, we will be a real force to reckoned with.

The players from Real Madrid and Barcelona are clearly the ones that have the most faith and show leadership on the pitch (Raúl, Xavi, Puyol, Salgado). My hope is the players that play in the Premiership, especially Reyes, will step up as well.

BTW, the confirmed line-up:

Casillas
Salgado - Puyol - Pablo Ibáñez - Del Horno
Albelda - Xavi
Luis GarcÃ*a - Raúl - Reyes
Fernando Torres