Quote from: Slow death on July 23, 2025, 03:36:44 PM

Quote from: sana54210 on July 23, 2025, 08:44:50 AM

Al Nassr looks emptied out a bit, they really need to get some other star players to help out Ronaldo. Looking at them right now, he is feeling a bit alone, Mane didn't provide the help they thought he would, they need someone better. Plus, they still have a goalkeeper issue, have you seen the guy play? He was horrible, and as far as I know, this summer, they didn't get a new one, right? If they decide to play with him again, they are going to lose again, he concedes such simple goals, even Onana looks better than him.

Anyways I guess, this season, Al Nassr won't even be third place, they are going to battle for 4th or 5th, because other teams are doing a much better job. I see that they pay a ton to Ronaldo, so they don't have much left, but they need to do better.

I agree with you, even though it's a very financially stable club, I also don't understand why they're not making many signings. I know that Jorge Jesus is a very competent coach, but even he can't work miracles when the squad is very weak. For example, Al Ittihad is still active in the transfer market. Now they want to sign Ismael Bennacer, who is an Ac Milan player according to this source.

https://x.com/FabrizioRomano/status/1948018186676482556

They also have the option of signing Brazilian player Marcus Wendel Valle da Silva, who plays for Zenit St. Petersburg. Note that Al Ittihad has a good squad, they are the current champions, but they are still making signings. If Al Nassr continues with the same defensive players and does not make new goalkeeper signings, it will be difficult next season. Last season they conceded 38 goals, they were the fourth-best team in defense. If they had conceded only 20 goals, they would have won the league.

The irony is, for all the drama about signings and the obsession with splashing cash, the stats show that "defense wins titles" still holds, even in the Saudi Pro League. Al Nassr conceding 38 goals was a symptom of a club that is obsessed with star signings up front and basically doing DIY at the back. If they would had anything close to Al Ittihad defensive record (or just kept it under 30 goals), it would have forced the title race into the last week.

Al Nassr is built around Ronaldo. Dude played 85% of the league minutes at 40, took 25% of the team's shots, and scored a third of their goals. It is a tactical one-way street. So if the defense is shaky, the entire house comes down. Jorge Jesus can organize a press, but unless he gets a midfield that can run for two (because Ronaldo is not chasing anyone), those goals against are not going away.

People forget: Al Nassr's defensive issues are not about the goalkeeper (Bento is actually the least of their problems). It is about an imbalanced squad, no depth, and a transfer policy that panics or U-turns at the last minute (just ask Hancko, who literally landed for his medical before the club ghosted him). So unless the board wakes up and signs someone who can actually defend, we will be right back here next season: counting Ronaldo's goals, but not counting trophies.