Interesting Viewpoint on Benitez and Mourinho

[CCSC_STRIKER20]

Jorge Valdano, former Real Madrid legend, launched an attack (http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=428569&cc=5901) on both Mourinho and Rafa.

Here are some exerpts from the article
'Football is made up of subjective feeling, of suggestion - and, in that, Anfield is unbeatable. Put a s*** hanging from a stick in the middle of this passionate, crazy stadium and there are people who will tell you it's a work of art. It's not: it's a s*** hanging from a stick,'

'Chelsea and Liverpool are the clearest, most exaggerated example of the way football is going: very intense, very collective, very tactical, very physical, and very direct.

'But, a short pass? No. A feint? No. A change of pace? No. A one-two? A nutmeg? A backheel? Don't be ridiculous. None of that. The extreme control and seriousness with which both teams played the semi-final neutralised any creative licence, any moments of exquisite skill.'

neither Mourinho nor Benitez made it as a player. That has made them channel all their vanity into coaching.

I know this guy is a legend and all, but where does this come from. Why would he criticize two managers that Real Madrid has been interested in getting? Hypocrisy at it's finest, current Real Madrid coach Capello is not one for the flair of football.

[ForeverRed]

I hope this piece of shyte has a heart attack.

[usscouse]

I hope this piece of shyte has a heart attack.Funny how some people think. Because they have played the game at a high level, think they have the knowlege to pontificate "Their" opinions.

Where do they think they are...Big Sawker??? :D

[ForeverRed]

Funny how some people think. Because they have played the game at a high level, think they have the knowlege to pontificate "Their" opinions.

Where do they think they are...Big Sawker??? :D

I hate anyone who thinks a couple of stepovers, faints and turns define what good football is....it's absolutley ridiculous! Valdano is a big douche.

[liverbird]

I hate anyone who thinks a couple of stepovers, faints and turns define what good football is....it's absolutley ridiculous! Valdano is a big douche.


My name is Liverbird and I paid for this post

[CCSC_STRIKER20]

My name is Liverbird and I paid for this post

Must spread it around.......:D

I clicked on the link to the story, and I couldn't believe some of the things he was saying.

[Matt Clark]

Hmmm. Not a lot of people outside of Spain remember Valdano as a player. Presumably, that includes Valdano himself. Suffice it to say that the feint and the nutmeg were not paramount in his armoury of skill either.

Plus, this is the man who presided over the footballing side of the comically catastrophic "Galacticos" period at Real Madrid, so I guess we should cut him a little bit of slack. The urge to proclaim a higher form of footballing purity, above the grubby business of actually being successful at it, must be unusually strong in someone like Valdano.

[ForeverRed]

Hmmm. Not a lot of people outside of Spain remember Valdano as a player. Presumably, that includes Valdano himself. Suffice it to say that the feint and the nutmeg were not paramount in his armoury of skill either.

Plus, this is the man who presided over the footballing side of the comically catastrophic "Galacticos" period at Real Madrid, so I guess we should cut him a little bit of slack. The urge to proclaim a higher form of footballing purity, above the grubby business of actually being successful at it, must be unusually strong in someone like Valdano.

Or maybe he is just bitter that Rafa turned down Madrid......

In any case, no one should have published his damn comments unless someone was seriously in for some stand up material.

Then again, behind such an ignorant mindset are a bunch of fans who will actually agree with him.

[el-capitano]

Meh- when we win it for the 6th time- who cares if they didn't do a backheel.

Who's Jorge Valdano??? :D

[CCSC_STRIKER20]

Sorry to post such a story, but it outraged me.

IMO, he is bitter that being efficient is better than being flashy. Yes, I like seeing our team score goals. But I also like to see a flawless buildup or a well-timed counterattack that leads to a goal.

[el-capitano]

Sorry to post such a story, but it outraged me.

IMO, he is bitter that being efficient is better than being flashy. Yes, I like seeing our team score goals. But I also like to see a flawless buildup or a well-timed counterattack that leads to a goal.

We have a similar media pundit here in Australia, Craig Foster. Some might remember him from his three years stint at Portsmouth & Crystal Palace.... most probably won't! :)

He always spouts on and on about beautiful football, how it must be attractive not pragmatic.

What annoys me about Foster is that he says he would rather watch a team play beautiful football and lose rather than a team that wins 1-0 playing counter-attacking football.

Sorry mate- although it would be nicer to see better football- I want my team to win- and really I don't care how they go about it.

No one remembers who came second. And no one remembers how the winner played- all they remember is the trophy in the cabinet.

[ForeverRed]

I might be one of the few people who actually enjoyed Greece's football in the 2004 Euro Cup!

Thats why my favorite player is Carragher, I prefer defense above offense. It's a shame that defending and defenders are so underappreciated.

[Matt Clark]

There's nothing wrong with beautiful football and the ideal situation is one in which you combine good play with success. That's the Liverpool way, after all. What gets me is that we appear to be breeding a generation of pundits and commentators who equate poncing about with beautiful football. As someone who, just for example, was privileged enough to be at the famous 5-0 mullering of Forest at Anfield that caused Sir Tom Finney no less to pronounce it the finest game of football he had ever seen, I can categorically state that truly beautiful football is, if anything, actually marred by the sort of self-indulgent and unproductive bollocks that this breed of observers hail as the ultimate state of footballing purity.

True footballing beauty is when 11 men are able to play the game in perfect harmony, moving themselves and the ball about the field in a way that bewitches opponents, transcends tactics, overwhelms individual brilliance and - crucially - delivers results.

If I were talking to Valdano, I'd ask him what his favourite goal of the last World Cup was ...

[SiriuslyCold]

bah, how many Liverpool matches did Valdano watch this season?

[Matt Clark]

Well, I'm sure he saw the CL quarter-finals and the semi-finals ... I mean, he didn't have any Real Madrid matches to attend on those evenings. :D

[Morph]

I like seeing beautiful football, but I want results too and sometimes it’s hard to strike the balance between entertaining football and results and it’s no good playing fantastic football and not getting the results. Will the Evan’s era be remembered fondly? No it won’t, we played some beautiful football, but failed to get the silverware.

I want silverware first and foremost, beautiful football would be the icing on the cake, but football only remembers winners and not those who play fantastic football, but fail to bring silverware through the door.

As for neutral watching our Champions League semi final legs, then it was no doubt quite dull, the only highlights would have been Agger’s goal and the penalty shoot out, out of a 180 minutes of football, that’s not overly impressive.

That said, you can play great football and win matches, United (as much as I hate to show it) more often than not played superb and well crafted football and have a chance of walking away with two trophies. Hopefully with the right signings, we’ll be able to play nice, flowing football and get the results and ultimately silverware.

P.S. I am eighteen and wasn’t around during the Shankly, Paisley, Fagan and Dalglish, so don’t shout at me for mentioning Evans.

[AussieLFCfan]

We have a similar media pundit here in Australia, Craig Foster. Some might remember him from his three years stint at Portsmouth & Crystal Palace.... most probably won't! :)

He always spouts on and on about beautiful football, how it must be attractive not pragmatic.

What annoys me about Foster is that he says he would rather watch a team play beautiful football and lose rather than a team that wins 1-0 playing counter-attacking football.

Sorry mate- although it would be nicer to see better football- I want my team to win- and really I don't care how they go about it.

No one remembers who came second. And no one remembers how the winner played- all they remember is the trophy in the cabinet.


I here ya brother!

[liverbird]

I like seeing beautiful football, but I want results too and sometimes it’s hard to strike the balance between entertaining football and results and it’s no good playing fantastic football and not getting the results. Will the Evan’s era be remembered fondly? No it won’t, we played some beautiful football, but failed to get the silverware.

I want silverware first and foremost, beautiful football would be the icing on the cake, but football only remembers winners and not those who play fantastic football, but fail to bring silverware through the door.

As for neutral watching our Champions League semi final legs, then it was no doubt quite dull, the only highlights would have been Agger’s goal and the penalty shoot out, out of a 180 minutes of football, that’s not overly impressive.

That said, you can play great football and win matches, United (as much as I hate to show it) more often than not played superb and well crafted football and have a chance of walking away with two trophies. Hopefully with the right signings, we’ll be able to play nice, flowing football and get the results and ultimately silverware.

P.S. I am eighteen and wasn’t around during the Shankly, Paisley, Fagan and Dalglish, so don’t shout at me for mentioning Evans.


I'd like to win playing beautiful pass and move football -- but I'll take win with less than perfect style too. I don't want to lose playing stylish attacking football and no defense -- speaking of Evans:D

[SiriuslyCold]

another one for the dressing room bulletin board
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/europe/6637733.stm

[ForeverRed]

Sure, beautiful football is nice but it shouldn't be the standard for a good team. Plus, what constitutes good football is often subjective. Thats why close minded mongoloids like Valdano piss me off.