Ballack [R]

[prymetyme]

Ballack has always been a great player, great captain, great leader. He is one of my favorite players and really inspirational to our team, and certainly a key part. His role cant be filled by anyone else at this point. But what about his future? He has "failed" to win it for us in 2002 (unforunitly the yellow card darted our hopes), 2004, 2006, will his carreer be tarnished if he doesnt win anything on a national level?
Is the European Cup enough to give him the recognition he deserves throughout history for his carrer? Can he last until 2010?

Frankly, I really hope that he can stay until 2010, and we can win that. If not for Ballack but for Klose, and the others who have been so close in the past few trys but havent been able to come out with a championship. but so is football i suppose.

[prymetyme]

Also, I would like to use this as a Ballack watch out thread, to see how he's doing across the channel at Stamford Bridge.

[squidward123]

Ballack has always been a great player, great captain, great leader. He is one of my favorite players and really inspirational to our team, and certainly a key part. His role cant be filled by anyone else at this point. But what about his future? He has "failed" to win it for us in 2002 (unforunitly the yellow card darted our hopes), 2004, 2006, will his carreer be tarnished if he doesnt win anything on a national level?
Is the European Cup enough to give him the recognition he deserves throughout history for his carrer? Can he last until 2010?


Mate it doesn't matter who does it for germany. We've got confidence in all of them and whoever gets the role will do it. No need to concentrate on Ballack, and I'm not at all bothered if he is recognised as a german great or not. Who cares; it's about the team.

[ForeverRed]

Ballack has always been a great player, great captain, great leader. He is one of my favorite players and really inspirational to our team, and certainly a key part. His role cant be filled by anyone else at this point. But what about his future? He has "failed" to win it for us in 2002 (unforunitly the yellow card darted our hopes), 2004, 2006, will his carreer be tarnished if he doesnt win anything on a national level?
Is the European Cup enough to give him the recognition he deserves throughout history for his carrer? Can he last until 2010?

Frankly, I really hope that he can stay until 2010, and we can win that. If not for Ballack but for Klose, and the others who have been so close in the past few trys but havent been able to come out with a championship. but so is football i suppose.

He'll be regarded as a legend no matter what, in my opinion anyways. Who even expected us to get to the final in '02? I think he'll continue to play a major part for the German NT and will probably retire after 2010.

[prymetyme]

Well for Ballack's sake, I want him to be regarded as a great player worldwide, I think he deserves it, and I dont think that will happen if he wins a major title on the national level.

[BlinderPassagier]

Well for Ballack's sake, I want him to be regarded as a great player worldwide, I think he deserves it, and I dont think that will happen if he wins a major title on the national level.

I think he still will be recognized as a great player, even the English press might actually warm up to him. But in all honesty, it all comes down to the team in the end.

[prymetyme]

I agree, but being captain he gets a lot of that weight.

[Cris 09]

Well's, he's not doing much at Chelsea. I think if Shevchenko hadn't been the press' scapegoat for the last 4 months, Ballack would have gotten a little more heat from them. He's not playing badly, but he's not doing anything special either.

[ForeverRed]

Well's, he's not doing much at Chelsea. I think if Shevchenko hadn't been the press' scapegoat for the last 4 months, Ballack would have gotten a little more heat from them. He's not playing badly, but he's not doing anything special either.

He simply can't. He is way too confined at Chelsea and its a real shame because Lampard HAS to be the focus of that team in every sense of the word.

As much as I hate to admit it, he would be better off at Madrid.

[Cris 09]

You are right. Unfotunatly, that's how it is there.

He simply can't. He is way too confined at Chelsea and its a real shame because Lampard HAS to be the focus of that team in every sense of the word.

As much as I hate to admit it, he would be better off at Madrid.

[squidward123]

Personally I think if ballack plays 1 game every 2 weeks and gets a good rest and turns up in good touch for germany, then I'm happy.

Not at all bothered about how he does in the EPL.


I think part of the reason he gets bad press is because he isnt banging in goals like lampard. They don't recognise the movement and short passes he does and how he keeps chelsea moves going in the cruical areas of the field with both of those. They tend to only see rampaging runs and the long-range (or any range) goals.

And of course, it's also because he was expected to work miracles, along with schevshenko simply cos theyre the big signings.

Having said all that, I think he'll stand out in the 2nd half of the season, but I'm not bothered either way as long as he does well for germany.

[ForeverRed]

He takes a lot of the blame from some Chelsea fans though despite their dip in form not being his fault.

I don't see how he will improve in the sense of finally getting recognition as long as Lampard plays. The reason Lampard scores is because he plays the role Ballack played for FCB and the German NT. Along with that, he receives all the passes, takes FK's, PK's and is allowed to roam in front of the goal. Ballack plays a lot deeper where Makalele and Essien work. He's basically stuck in limbo. No player can properly adjusted squeezed in like that.

[Cris 09]

The "Kaiser" speaks...

Ballack made the wrong move - Beckenbauer

more... (http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=404498&cc=5901)

[squidward123]

The "Kaiser" speaks...

Ballack made the wrong move - Beckenbauer

more... (http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=404498&cc=5901)


kaiser most of the time only aims to please when he speaks, depending on who he is talking to.

I don't take his words too seriously.

[Cris 09]

kaiser most of the time only aims to please when he speaks, depending on who he is talking to.

I don't take his words too seriously.

Well, I don't know about Ballack at Man U, but at Chelsea, Lampard, Essien and Co do make it very hard for Ballack to do "his thing". Most can agree on this. I am not saying they need to make room for him, just that he could shine more elsewhere.

[ForeverRed]

kaiser most of the time only aims to please when he speaks, depending on who he is talking to.

I don't take his words too seriously.

But he's right in this case.

[squidward123]

I dont care which club he plays for as long as he turns up for germany.

Why aren't people happy why his contributions for chelsea anyway?

They'll be top of the league soon and that's all that matters.

They have to realise that normally not every player shines at the same time. Maybe lampardo will go through a form slump later and then ballack will do some of the things lampardo is doing now.

At the moment they should recognise the fact that he's cruical to chelsea's build up play and progression of moves through his short passing and movement.

But then again, some english don't seem to recognise anything apart from screaming long range goals and players "getting stuck in" and rampaging runs. And when it comes to the newspapers they arent about to enlighten people are they? They're happy to feed ignorance as long as they sell more papers.

I mean, some people called germany at the world cup "good old british style football", when germany played like arsenal!!

just because germany went all out attacking and at times strung passes together at PACE, they called it "good old british style" when it was miles apart

[Cris 09]

I dont care which club he plays for as long as he turns up for germany.

I do! The way he performs (most players for that matter) is a reflection on the national team. If he's having a hard time at club, he won't have it easy at country either.

Why aren't people happy why his contributions for chelsea anyway?

it's not that they are not happy with him, just not impressed. If you see the Chelsea games, you'd see why.


They have to realise that normally not every player shines at the same time. Maybe lampardo will go through a form slump later and then ballack will do some of the things lampardo is doing now.

horrible argument

At the moment they should recognise the fact that he's cruical to chelsea's build up play and progression of moves through his short passing and movement.

I am sure Chelsea would do just fine without Ballack

[squidward123]

ok crismerz you obviously value his club performances and I don't.

I have no doubt that he'll turn up in form for germany.

[Cris 09]

ok crismerz you obviously value his club performances and I don't.

I have no doubt that he'll turn up in form for germany.

I hope so...But I also want to see him turn up the heat at Chelsea.