THIS STARTED OUT AS PRAISE FOR VAN GINKEL BUT TURNED INTO A RANT. PROCEED AT OWN RISK. He looks like a proper number 8 all action midfielder like Lampard, Gerrard, Ballack, Marchisio and Matthaus. Those are the type of players I think about when I think of the 'perfect midfielder'. Players that give 100% every match, that lead by example, that take the game by the scruff of the neck, that man-up and take penalties when they need to be scored. None of these poncey regista types that graze about passing the ball around like it's a hot potato. Xavi, Pirlo, Carrick, Schweinsteiger...all brilliant players in their own right but they can fuck right off as far as I'm concerned. They don't run around and kick people enough for my tastes. That brings me back to Schweinsteiger. He isn't world class. He isn't a leader. A leader takes it for the team, the good and the bad. For instance in the CL against Chelsea, where was Bastian when it was penalty time? He let Robben walk all over him and waltz right up to the spot to take the personal glory. All Robben wanted was to be the guy that won the match. Bastian should have said fuck that, puffed out his chest and stamped his goddamn authority on the team. You think Lampard, Ballack or Gerrard would let a ponce like Robben walk all over them and demand the penalty? They would have told him to fuck off back to Holland while they smashed that ball into the top corner like a motherfucking leader of men.