It's the basis of the modern game. Not sure it's talent necessarily because I don't think it's something that can be learned. Honed, yes.
I had this conversation with a mate a while back. The game is undoubtedly worse from an entertainment POV than it used to be because you no longer have players like Berbatov, Cantona, Ginola, Gazza, Zola, Bergkamp, Figo, Zidane - the list goes on. The technical side of the game has all but vanished because that type of player wouldn't fit into the modern game, which values speed and athleticism over everything else.
Elanga is the epitome of the modern game - fast, effective, direct, athletic but sadly, not very exciting.