robsblubot

it is indeed only a matter of playing time, minutes as they say. He’s just not sure if minutes in London or in Munich...

Not even remotely as good as costa at link up play. 😆 so if you thought costa was poor at that, you are in for a wild season...

He missed a sitter inside 7 minutes. Altidore is awful. No technique whatsoever, which is the whole point in the game... no matter how strong and powerful one is, still need to know how to play footy. pusilic was impressive to me. The us team is really poor in certain positions, which breaks their buildup every time. It’s similar, loosely, to Messi in Argentina team.

2 cents on the women's game: in a low scoring sport that football is, the US nt winning so easily and often, does not bode well for the sport. I know US folks here think otherwise, and it is counterintuitive, but I just can't see that dominance in a single-elimination competition being anything other than just showcasing the gulf that separates them from the other teams. Just thought folks here would get this point - a point I rarely can make at home.

watched like 30 min of the first half - not a great game tbh - but puslic was really good! USA is always the same story: good buildup until the final ball hits the ball boy. Not sure hitting altidore would be any better tho. BTW, as a gremio supporter, would definitely recommend we go after the other everton (Soares). It's not just the goals and overall quality, but the attitude and drive. Too bad about the ban, but Gremio wouldn't mind keeping him a little longer...

I feel there is something really wrong with Lukaku. Dunno if it’s because he managed to get fat, his poor technique, or just that he thinks he’s better than he is. Perhaps it’s the whole package. Much better alternatives out there.

Reckon that even if the injury lowers his ceiling a bit (hope it won’t), he would still be a good player. Just too good on the ball not not deliver. We’ve had worse squad players...

Think there is a correlation between the points you are both making, and in both directions too. Physicality brings confidence, especially in the PL. And a strong mentality esp drive, will help the player improve as an athlete (work harder in practice sessions) and then get stronger, again improving his confidence. Morata never got this going. Perhaps mentality is more of a root cause, but IMO they are definitely linked.

Heh sure, but willian just does not belong. Fernandinho too, players who had plenty of opportunities and were distinctly not good enough. #10 just makes it more glaring for willian.

Willian wearing number 10 for Brazil... 🤮 And im from the south - state/region > country

fair enough! different opinions right there. And we are discussing a very high tier here... I just think the "The only problem with Hazard is his drive. I think he said it somewhere that he is not like some athlete like cr who is obsessed with being the best, I don't think hazard has that mentality. He is a more a layback person " is kinda big deal. If Morata had more drive and a better mentality, he'd be a better striker - morata being the extreme case to make a point.

Here, Belgium fans (same way Brazil fans overate Neymar), and British media (not other team fans). its all subjective though, so point well taken. both Brazil and Belgium play France 10x they will lose 6 and tie 4. Being honest here... I picked them to win the wc and it was the easiest pick I can remember. btw Kante is underrated

You know they are not mutually exclusive right? 🙄 he dives a lot and at the same time is a bit more dedicated both in games and practice - Neymar is actually extremely fit and very dedicated in practice. at least that’s what they say in Barcelona. Not really sure why you keep bringing Neymar up as an exemple. Really not a fan. Neymar is VERY overrated and not even in my top 10 list in Brazil. Also not mutually exclusive, both Neymar and hazard are overrated. Don’t care that much about WC or NT either. Much prefer club football, which is vastly superior.

I don’t. I mean don’t really care about him now that he’s not our player. I know too many footballers in person to be a fan of any of them. it is really interesting that folks really cannot accept that i think hazard is overrated and less effective than other great players within his tier. I’m far from alone btw. I also find interesting that while many here agree that he lacks determination, they don’t link that with reaching one’s full potential. So, in a way I see him a bit like ronaldinho. While ronaldinho chose partying, hazard chose a laid back lifestyle with his family. Fair choices, but you can’t have it both ways. They both lacked grit and athleticism. as a Brazilian, I’ve seen many many amazing dribblers. It’s a very Brazilian thing. In my view dribbling is an important tool, but creating opportunities, the final ball, is really a different skill set: more akin to passing and vision. I’ve seen amazing dribblers who had trouble with that last ball. Hazard is better than them, because he is more effective at that last pass, but he’s also not as effective as others (in his tier) in that.

Sure. I see him more effective as a dribbler than a guy who can find that killer pass tho. That’s KDB. And dribbling IMO is a bit easier to contain. Give him the side, low block, just contain. that goes into personal preferences of course, but at this level we are essentially merely discussing what is slightly more effective and in which conditions. you are in CL semi and you can pick one player to chase a goal, who would that be? In my (fun) list KDB would be well above hazard but that’s just me.

No?! Please use the ignore list so you don’t have to read them? 🙄 Thought that all the hazard police would be gone by now. to the people actually discussing footy here, are you not missing something obvious? Hazard is well behind his peers in terms of shooting, especially from outside of the box. That has little to do with style or formation.

This guy is a true mystery... when you have players like bakayoko and drinkwater, and before pass-sideways mikel, this guy must have done something real bad to not get a shot.

Agree with @OneMoSalah above. Like many here have stated over and over again, except his true fans (who predictably are gone by now), his lack of grit is what holds him back: both during games and at practice. You can see that he’s not the most fit footballer. For all his faults, Neymar also gets injured a lot because he exposes himself a lot. Never though eden did that especially when games turned rough as in physical. Again, the grit part.

Yes!!! He’s a good player who’s very comfortable on the ball. he hasn’t offered enough in attack, but can improve in that especially with Lampard at the helm. Even if you are not a fan of kova, think of him as one more player ahead of bakayoko... see him as a buffer to protect us from a completely inapt footballer.

He wants reassurances over a big fat paycheck, which he expects to be a lot higher than what Bayern will offer. it’s a self-inflicted auction.

Right, but until cho signs a new deal, Bayern interest is always going to remain fresh and valid. every month that goes by diminishes the club leverage in the negotiation. The club lost most of it when he got called up, and is losing steadily as he refuses to sign. in a couple of months, cho will have very little incentive to sign a new deal, unless he’s offered a key player role (which he’s not), with massive wages attached.

Haha yeah I thought bout him when writing. we did a good job limiting his playing time... it’s a hard thing to do esp when a new manager comes along and asks, “what about that guy?” heh sissoko is a poor player and definitely one of the players holding them back. And still a lot better, skill wise, than bakayoko.

The problem with having liabilities in the roster, in my book having a poor first touch qualifies, is that they eventually end up playing.

Yup. What bakayoko did for Milan is irrelevant because we already saw him in the pl and multiple times after plenty of starts (too many?) were given. Different league where players enjoy a lot more time on the ball. Bakayoko has a poor first touch at this level, which becomes a much bigger problem in the pl. that’s why Lucas Leiva moved from pool to Lazio once he lost quickness. He always complained how little time on the ball players have in the PL. compared to bakayoko, Kovacic is a freaking god.

Too many questions about system and formation at this time to assess who or where players will play. take last two seasons from Alonso as a hint. Regardless however one may rate, the difference was incredible. Some say it’s formation, but to me it’s always more the system than formation. ask not where they are at the start of the game, but where and how they move during it.