Flip

I hope it will, but I doubt it. The new coordinator for all national teams is an ex-goalie who was part of the 94 team but who for the last 12 or 14 years or so has worked as a player agent. Seriously, he has no experience in managing a football team, yet possibly the biggest national team in the world he will. I just think it's a lose-lose situation for him, as soon as one weird guy is called up they're going to link him to it. As for the second part, I agree, unfortunately it is a traditional thing for many so I don't think it will stop until CBF offers huge prize moneys for winners for Serie A teams.

*although not a bad appointment (if it would happen) it's obviously not the best appointment in the world.

Really? :lol: :lol: News doing the round, don't really see much wrong in it. Won everything except the WC (which has been the case for the last 12 years) and only went out in the World Cup because of individual mistakes. The team itself looked very good for long periods and I wouldn't mind him as long as he realized that he was extremely stubborn by not taking Neymar in the last WC and giving him some WC experience from the bench. The reason they might be bringing him in is that the manager in itself won't have much control over how the team plays as there's going to be a system put in place by the youth team coordinator Alexandre Gallo who's system is going to be implemented through every team. Also a quota of around 30, 40% will be U20 players in the senior squad in preparation to the coming Olympics and World Cup. They're trying to look at it long-term and give youth a chance and implement a system a la Barcelona although without the tiki-taka.

So Remy and Sturridge is better than Suarez and Sturridge?

Don't remember the last time we had as good of a right back as Debuchy. Just a shame he came into this team when Alan was managing it...

Watching Gremio v Goias in the Brazilian league and the commentators just said the ballboy was sent off :lol: Apparently raged towards the assistant ref and than on his way out he had to be surrounded by cops as he was verbally abusing the 4th ref as well Ze Roberto just came on as well 40 years old.

Shut up backpacker.

Exactly this. We have players coming from AJAX to Newcastle United. A club with a more successful history, who win trophies and regularly play in Europe. They join for money and to be in the best shop window to earn more money (and perhaps challenge for honours). This is not aimed directly at Ronaldo. I've seen plenty of people with a PL + La Liga + a handful of other clubs as the only clubs worth having good players. You backpacker.

Seriously, Nautico and Juventus get perfect striped beauties and we get something with a fucking V-Sector in it? GTFO

Individually it was his best World Cup, most definitely. He created far more in 5 games than he did in 7 games in this one. I'm not even going to have this discussion anymore. It's quite clear you're making points based on statistics and not performances

A poor Argentina team Change your name back to Pissi ffs. Anyone who has seen Messi play knows that his best World Cup to date was the 2010 and that WC performance was comparable to James Rodriguez this year. They both went as far as they could with their team. But to tell it straight to my face that he was one kick away from winning the World Cup is ridiculous as if Iran scores against them they might not even have won their group or advanced. It's not as easy as that Pissi. Messi had a good World Cup, but there are 10 players who had a better one in my opinion. I'm not saying this because I'm taking the piss, I'm being honest. Messi was decisive, but his general play was quite poor. There's a reason to why a guy who is 'impossible' to take the ball away from, lost the second most balls in this World Cup. He lost in average 7 balls per game, which let's be honest is quite a lot.

?? get lost. Ronaldinho was an integral part to a winning side in 2002. He single handedly turned a game around in the quarters and as a relatively young guy stepped up when needed the most. Messi is the best player in the world, but not once did I watch Messi in the World Cup and think of him as the best in the world.

Excellent article. The point I was trying to get across earlier in this thread. Saying they failed and that Wilmots failed was shenanigans.

Again I agree with that sentiment, just felt like you were trying to prove that he's the best ever by those quotes. My bad. The thing with why I think Zidane arguably had a better peak is that he could change a game everywhere on the pitch, Messi can change it offensively and but still relies on the others to be good in his team. Zidane if his team was up had the ability to make the ball disappear for the rest of the game, he could affect a football game in so many ways more than Messi. One of his last games is one of the best performances I've seen in my lifetimes. What he did against Brazil in 2006 is a masterclass lesson. It was an unbelievable performance at the biggest stage against the most talked team of the moment and he just absolutely ripped apart that team.

What in the actual fuck is happening? Really pleased, not sure how good he is, but get in.

Did you not say that Zidane and Ronaldo at their peak (whether that be in one match, one month, one season or whatever) were comparable to Messi? And in Zidane's case arguably better? I find that honestly ridiculous, tbf. I'd say Ronaldo before he f***ed his knee is the only one anywhere near Messi at his peak. It's really not ridiculous, I'm clearly not the only one who has that opinion. I'm definitely not debating whether he's the best I've seen, I've clearly said that multiple of times and I find it difficult to argue against. But to put that link ias an argument is ridiculous, I've seen the same for Pele. Even if many didn't see Messi play these are some quotes which explains Pele's ability: "I told myself before the game, 'he's made of skin and bones just like everyone else'. But I was wrong.” Tarcisio Burgnich, the Italy defender who marked Pele in the Mexico 1970 Final “The greatest player in history was Di Stefano. I refuse to classify Pele as a player. He was above that.” Ferenc Puskas “Pele was the only footballer who surpassed the boundaries of logic.” Johan Cruyff "Pele is the greatest player of all time. He reigned supreme for 20 years. All the others - Diego Maradona, Johan Cruyff, Michel Platini - rank beneath him. There's no one to compare with Pele." Franz Beckenbauer "The best player ever? Pele. Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are both great players with specific qualities, but Pele was better." Alfredo di Stefano "The best of all was Pele, who is a mixture of Di Stefano, Maradona, Cruyff and Leo Messi." Cesar Luis Menotti

FWIW KI, I meant his peak in a performance and not over a season or so. Should've made that clearer, I still believe that those two players could change games same way as Messi in inferior teams. I certainly believe Messi to be the best player I've seen though, just because of his ability to maintain a standard for so so many years.

In that case I agree.

Zidane was far more consistent though, because while he wasn't consistent week in week out, he always performed in important matches and that's what really matters. Who cares if he didn't have a great game in the 33rd La Liga round against Levante or whatever when he took responsibility for his team when they actually needed it the most.

I agree, but he was no Lionel Messi at his best, not by a long chalk. Not even Ronaldo at his best was. There I'll have to disagree completely with you. Both at their peak were as good as Messi in my opinion if not better. Difference is Messi has been able to maintain the same level for so many games in a row, so many years in a row it's become something we haven't seen from a player in this generation and that's what makes him the best of his generation in my opinion.

You're ignoring again Zidane's poor moments and he had them. Also the Messi played with better players doesn't quite wash with me. Zidane played with Figo, Carlos, Raul, Ronaldo, Hierro etc etc the fact that team couldn't make the most of their talents is no ones fault but their own. And yes Zidane was a better 10 so what? So was Riquelme and arguably Ozil is a better 10 than Messi is its all irrelevant. I completely agree with Incognito, Zidane at his best was one of the best players ever there's no doubt about that. But his career as a whole was nowhere near as consistent as some of the players mentioned and consistency matters. If it didn't Ronaldinho would be in this discussion. TBF Ronaldinho has won everything as a player and is a big reason to why Barcelona is the team they have become, but you can't compare a two year peak to what Zidane had. Zidane was a great footballer for many many years.

Despite always playing at his absolute best against us, I just loved and admired the guy.