robsblubot

Will Neymar play?

I did not mean he can’t do it, just he can’t do it well enough for the level we are and wages reported. Very different to be able to pull off goals consistently against stronger opposition where defenders know what they are doing and systems are more robust. Imo the difference being a good player like Douglas costa vs a top player like salah, is the quality of the cutting inside move. Salah wins games with that move, while costa does not. at this time I’m just not sure what his ceiling is, but reaching that top tier is the hardest thing there is.

Agreed. self-inflicted I’m afraid. im not really certain cho will become a top player. He is likely to be very good, but his end product is still very raw with mostly crosses once getting into position. His movement, skill, and pace are reassuring tho. he needs to add cutting inside and finishing to his repertoire. And that final step happens to be the hardest.

Jealous of that actually. as a gremio supporter (originally from POA), think he’s a cracking player. Good dribbler, pacy, and hard worker (strong mentality). But the one thing that makes him a nightmare to play against is his shooting ability. Can score from anywhere. And 40m makes it a steal.

This is great news! Well hope for a good destination, but the kid needs to play and play a lot. he needs to develop his reading of the game a lot as a cb because he’s not the most powerful guy. In midfield he will need a lot of things, so can’t go wrong going on loan. hes just not ready and a bit part could be detrimental to his development.

True and Kenedy can’t play football. however, even with adequate insurance, cho will be coming back from a serious injury and worries about his contract will be in his mind. 6mo in he can sign a deal (w any club) and then play with more confidence, but I’d not count on him unless he’s signed.

Good point. He might start, even if subconsciously, avoiding hard tackles. either way, situation is not great. Would have been much easier if this was taking place a year ago.

That’s one risky move Some employers have a policy as to not hold people who at some point wanted to leave. It’s a policy around commitment and whatnot. Glad it paid off. CHOs hard stance looks like a risky move as well. Say he would reinjury his Achilles in the first 6 months into the last year of his deal... not a good place to be.

#1 has always been BS. That was the reason the player and agent gave to the press for not wanting to sign. Strategic, nothing else. There is only one reason a promising 18yo, who's breaking into the the starting XI, would refuse signing a new deal: he's weighting his options and may choose to walk away as a free agent. It has been my point from the beginning that promising youngsters, who are not under long-term deals, should not be allowed anywhere near the first team. Getting to the first team should be the greatest motivator to signing new deals. Not being allowed in the first team should be a deterrent to rebellious behavior in the squad.

Agreed. I’m not expecting him to become lothar Matthaus any time soon, or ever, who btw would often say you can’t score or create a rebound, without shooting and on goal. Kovacic’s already a good player. Adding a little bit in the final third would just make him even better!

I heard you need to shoot to score goals, but not sure. heh if lamps can’t improve that side of his game nobody else will. my 2cp, kova often loses his balance when attempting to shoot, which might be a good place to start.

At a minimum. Once you go up a level, a striker needs more than just tap-ins esp today. thats why lukaku will have a hard time starting for a top club. regarding creating the chance, I would not read too much from it. Altidore flopped everywhere he played. He vanishes in tougher matches because he lacks skill. His participation is low too as he does not get involved often enough. There is only so much power gives you - like I said, still need to be able to play footy. He’s just not very good in tight spaces. puslic belongs in a different tier. The choice to join us was very smart imo. He has everything to develop and become a great player. He will always have a hard time in the us team, well at least until a new set of players is given a shot, and deliver.

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.