Still not worthy of a thread

[triggs]

Apparently TAA said in an interview last week that he'd prefer to win the Ballon d'Or than the World Cup.

 

Insane

[Kimbo]

So Bellingham won La Liga player of the year and Real Madrid player of the year, but Real Madrid are outraged that Vinicius didn’t win the Ballon D’Or.

 

Maybe give him your own club awards if you think he was the best player in the world?

[AyeDubbleYoo]

Find this whole debate childish and pointless. Football is a team game anyway, impossible to choose who the individual best player is unless there's an all-time great like Messi around. 

 

People posting in support of Vini as if he's been persecuted or something. Ridiculous all round. 

[alexf]

I saw el clasico live last week, having not watched that fixture for many years. 

 

Have to say it was a real eye opener. I grew up in the era watching the likes of R9, Zidane, Ronaldinho etc and then later the Messi/Ronaldo matches ofcourse. 

 

Might be biased but I came away thinking that "back in my day" the standard was so much higher. I thought if this is the best we have to offer in this era then it's nothing special.
The amount of ridiculous basic offsides by Mbappe despite him being as fast as he is. Then some of the finishing, especially one particular effort from Vini Jr was so poor. 

 

Just made me realise today's game is just more about are you an athlete first and foremost. This game was so open with poor defending all over and basically who can break the lines and counter best. Turns out Barca, who had a seasoned finisher in Lewandowski to get them ahead. 

 

I'm sure the strikers of the past would score an absolute boat load in this era. It's probably why Haaland stands alone in comparison to most statistically as he's a throw back to the past. 

 

 

Edited yesterday at 15:52 by alexf

[Dancing Brave]

4 hours ago, triggs said:

Apparently TAA said in an interview last week that he'd prefer to win the Ballon d'Or than the World Cup.

 

Insane

That's because TAA is a tit. 

[Nobody]

The Real Madrid/Brazil breakdown is fantastic though

[Flip]

2 hours ago, Nobody said:

The Real Madrid/Brazil breakdown is fantastic though

Agreed despite thinking he did deserve to win it. Hopefully he can turn in some performances for national team now. Been abysmal for the national team. People tend to forget its just a bunch of journalist voting. The whole thing has been a joke for years. 
 

[Dr.Spaceman]

9 hours ago, triggs said:

Apparently TAA said in an interview last week that he'd prefer to win the Ballon d'Or than the World Cup.

 

Insane

 

Scouse. It's cool to hate England there.

[triggs]

1 hour ago, Flip said:

Agreed despite thinking he did deserve to win it. Hopefully he can turn in some performances for national team now. Been abysmal for the national team. People tend to forget its just a bunch of journalist voting. The whole thing has been a joke for years. 
 

I feel like being abysmal for your national team in a major tournament year should count against you quite a bit like

[r0cafella]

 

@Disco

[The Butcher]

 

[Disco]

49 minutes ago, r0cafella said:

 

@Disco

Sake, the fucker ruined my accumulator yesterday n all. 

[The Butcher]

 

 

 

Edited 8 hours ago by The Butcher

[Lush Vlad]

23 hours ago, alexf said:

I saw el clasico live last week, having not watched that fixture for many years. 

 

Have to say it was a real eye opener. I grew up in the era watching the likes of R9, Zidane, Ronaldinho etc and then later the Messi/Ronaldo matches ofcourse. 

 

Might be biased but I came away thinking that "back in my day" the standard was so much higher. I thought if this is the best we have to offer in this era then it's nothing special.
The amount of ridiculous basic offsides by Mbappe despite him being as fast as he is. Then some of the finishing, especially one particular effort from Vini Jr was so poor. 

 

Just made me realise today's game is just more about are you an athlete first and foremost. This game was so open with poor defending all over and basically who can break the lines and counter best. Turns out Barca, who had a seasoned finisher in Lewandowski to get them ahead. 

 

I'm sure the strikers of the past would score an absolute boat load in this era. It's probably why Haaland stands alone in comparison to most statistically as he's a throw back to the past. 

 

 

 

 

Not sure that was the best game to go with.  As it was very Basketball and Barca got lucky a few times with their high line.  But I disagree with the overall point, especially that they are just athletes first and foremost. 

 

I think the standard of football as a team game and in some ways as individuals is much higher.  The fitness levels is one thing.  But also the ability to retain possession, passing, the amount of tactical information they have to take in, the data, the analytics.  Everything, basically, is at the highest standard it has ever been.  It has evolved so much as the science and standard of coaching has improved.  But not all for the good of the sport, IMO. 

 

Do I think it makes for a more interesting game or means that we see mavericks, or people scoring thunderbastards on the regular, or flair players trying to skin whole teams?  No.  Because the data driven approach and how tactical it has become says that it is better to do X than Y in certain situations.

 

Feels like we have built a load of footballing robots in some ways.  All amazing at understanding their role and the tactics the team are going with.  But not individual, skill based players that take a man on or try scoring from outrageous positions.  The game can be quite dull at times.  

 

I thought Clasico was a great watch, mind.  

 

 

Edited 4 hours ago by Lush Vlad

[geordie_b]