The College Dropout

Yes defenders win most of the battles because defending is easier. Overall I would say scoring is the hardest thing to do because a lot of it is mental. The best strikers, keep making the same runs again, again, again and again. You need to keep going. You can make the run 7 times, 6 times the ball doesn't even come. 7th time you miss the chance. The best strikers go again and don't let the miss dishearten them. It's like being good at cold sales. Even the best cold salesman misses with 92 of his 100 daily calls. The best ones will make 120 calls a day and have the skill to convert 13 into genuine leads. That's why scoring is the hardest thing. Someone like Harry Kane is technically A1. Can do difficult finishes. BUt also has that killer instinct to keep making his runs. Keep making those moves. Being more aware than defenders. All that mental stuff. Technically - agree dribbling is the most difficult. At the highest level, it's fairly rare to be beaten by pace alone. Haaland has a lot of pace but he rarely dribbles past players.

We are talking about talent. Talent 1. natural aptitude or skill. If you have to learn it after 12 years as a professional. Well done. That's a skill you've developed. But that's not one of your talents. "The term talent refers to an inborn and the special ability of a person to do something. A skill is an expertise, which is acquired by the person by learning. Talent is God gifted ability, whereas Skill is an ability in which you put your time and efforts to develop." Trippier is a more skilled RB than ASM is a winger. Agree with that all day. But who is more naturally talented at football.... hmmm... Gary Neville would tell you HBA is more talented than him. If HBA had Neville's talent, he wouldn't have even been a professional footballer. HBA was more talented than Benzema. He didn't become a better player and had a far inferior career. But talent? Benzema again will tell you HBA was more talented. “When I was looking after them both, in the U17s, I went to see them in training. I saw Karim watching Hatem mischievously, to see what he was doing. Karim was then looking to do it again and again. Thanks to Hatem, Karim, who understood that he was second best, realised that talent wasn’t going to be enough. That gave him that desire to be the best, and he has got there. As for Hatem, he didn’t have the same realisation, he thought that talent would be enough. And when we watch him now, he’s still convinced. I’m sure that some psychiatrists would rack their brains with a character as difficult as Hatem’s” said Frederic Guerra to RMC.

Yes but it requires less talent and more application of experience, concentration, discipline, bravery, dark arts, organisational skills, communication etc. Size is also an outsized factor. The least talented footballers in a team tend to be defenders. That's why when one can really play football some dafty will talk about playing him in midfield. Then with less space and time on the ball, their relative lack of footballing ability stands out. Declan Rice would've made a fantastic CB and probably would be under Pep. You're just arguing with me to argue here. Was Dani Alves talented at defending? Was that a strength of his game? Again, he learnt that part of the game but it was never a strength. Fullbacks don't tend to win the biggest individual prizes for a reason. You listen to professional footballers and they all say the same. Even TAA, "so good, he could play CM" because CMs are generally more talented than fullbacks.

Football. The hardest thing in the game is to control and score. The most talented players do the hardest things.

Like even in casual kick arounds. Sometimes you come across a player who was like RB for a non-league club. You make them the main man in your team and he's not playing RB anymore.

Comparatively - yes. Thierry Henry is more talented than Jaap Stam, John Terry, VVD, Rio etc. Name the best PL defender and Thierry Henry is more talented.

Aye he's in our elite bracket. But also for more reasons than pure talent. His leadership, experience and standard setting for the whole squad is key. To me, Isak and Bruno are the most talented players in the squad. I have them as 1 and 2, not sure the order but leaning Isak. But we need an experienced leader in the dressing room, someone who has "been there done that" at the highest level to establish professional standards that the likes of Isak & Bruno can learn from. That's Trippier. But he's had to learn that side of the game too. Some players always have those leadership qualities from young and others learn it. Trips has learnt it.

Trippier is not a defensive artist. It's not even a strength of his game. I wouldn't even describe him as a talented defender like AWB. AWB ability to shift his feet, the natural pace and acceleration, timing and technique of his tackles is a genuine talent. Trippier has learnt that side of the game and he's got much better at it but it's not one of his footballing gifts. He's also learnt all the other aspects of defending well too. Same for Dani Alves, Marcelo. But ther talents aren't in defending. Someone like Rheece James has the talent to play central midfield and centre back at a high level - I think he has numerous times actually. He's genuinely a super talent. And to Trips credit. He has the mentality to maximise his talent at the highest level. ASM doesn't. ASM won't have a better career than Trips but it's not through a lack of talent. I think people under-rate how much talent it takes to be great at dribbling. Timing, balance, pace, acceleration, agility etc. these are things that are difficult to coach and learn even with a willing and capable learner. Where as most aspects to defending are easier to learn and to coach.. That's how you get career right-wingers (Ashley Young, Antonio Valencia, Jesus Navas, Nolberto Solano etc.) making good RB's later in their career as their physical gifts start to diminish. It's easier. You rarely have it happening that a RB moves forward in the game in their latter years. Who would you say is more talented, Solano or Trips? As i've said in other places. It takes a lot more than talent to have a succesful football career. So the career outcomes aren't tightly related. Who is more talented Gary Neville or Hatem Ben Arfa? Hatem Ben Arfa or Trippier? HBA easily.

Not at all. You've misuderstood. Dani Alves is arguably the greatest RB of all time. Top 5 in my life time. Harewood a decent bottom half upper Champo position. That's not a comparison. The Alves comparison is a comparable RW or attacker. Alves is not as talented as a top 5 RW in my lifetime. Not even top 20. Because you need to be more talented to be an elite RW than an elite RB. Talent only gets you so far mind.

The best RB in the world won't be as talented a football as a comparative RW or CM (or CB back in the days). IIRC Trippier was a failed CM, moved to RB because he was technically talented. I'm not even sure I even agree Trippier is more talented than ASM certainly not "miles more".

If he was so talented, he wouldn't be a career right back. Comparable level players at CM and ST will be more talented imo.

Dribbling also involves balance, agility, different types of pace. ASM is also a clean striker of the ball and his left foot is pretty handy. He's not great off the ball though. Apart from poacher types. The most talented players by further up the pitch. I always thought Marcelo or Sergio Ramos would make decent central midfielders or 10 but they were world class for their positions that require less talent. Isak has a £100m player level talent.

Think Hodgson might demotivate the dressing room.

Yeh class stadium. Awful game.

The only 2 I’ve seen a lot of (Tierney and Mendy) I wouldn’t love.

This talk was the only reason I didn’t bring him in on FPL. I fell in love with his ability after Fulham. It was only 15 minutes. It was then I saw it. The ability to drop deep, the touch, the balance, shift of pace. Proper footballing talent. The same thing Bruno has. That proper ability where if everything clicks he can go to the top of this game. Bags of talent and ability. Genuine ability. It’s starting to click. Stays focussed and free from injury he’ll be a name to remember in this game.

I said earlier in the week. So talented. He can go on a mean purple patch and fire us to a high finish.

Interesting profile.

IIRC he suffered two ACL injuries like Wilson. Didn’t get back in the team. Was loaned out to Villa, they then got promoted and he was signed permanently (for a profit!). Mings played less than 20 league games in 3.5 years. Does that sound good to you? Like I said. He and Howe were desperately unlucky with the injuries. He was sold for a profit so I wouldn’t consider him a total flop but it wasn’t a success either. Would we consider Mitrovic a success at NUFC? Danjuma was a big signing for Bournemouth in the PL. He didn’t score any goals in the PL. Not one. And they got relegated at the end of the season. That’s not a success. Fair point on selling for a profit.

Going to Inter vs Juve actually

This not true. We were talking about top 6 + West Ham to finish 8th. Few people discussed being content with finishing below Brighton. Their summer window didn't have any renowned names either. They lost more hyped names than they signed. They've just been brilliant in the boardroom and it's shown in the market and coach decisions. Their whole development is well-ahead of course. And we haven't factored that. But it can still be slightly disappointing.

Started with a 29 year old and a 36 year old in midfield. Klopp just wanted to leave the Bernabeau without embarrassment. Can’t do a high-press with those 2 as your CMs.

Tbf hes not even a DM. He’s got the size but the rest of it doesn’t come natural to him. The technique, range of passing, balance, dribbling etc. of Modric / Pogba hybrid. But he’s getting proper positional discipline. I see a lot of Klopps approach in Howe. And its limitations.

I think they'll get at least 5 points from those

I think Brighton play better football than us. I think they're probably a better team than us at this point. But somehow, I would be slightly disappointed if they finished above us. Probably because it would mean they've been better coached and smarter in the transfer market. But they are a more mature outfit. It's taken Bloom years to get his transfer policy right in the PL and it's paying divdends. Di Zerbi is a genuine upgrade to Potter too - or at least he's able to build on Potter's work.