Best Players of 2016/17 seasons so far.....

I think an Iniesta or Isco look great when seeing in the flesh (I'm not a frequent stadium visiter though). The poise, serenity in a way. That looks 'better' than an in-form Neymar, or even Hazard.
With nutmegs and such they also don't capitalize that much on the danger and threat of their speed while with CR7/LM10 that is immediately noticeable (the CR7 of 5-10 years ago I mean). How defenders tighten their leg muscles and set themselves ready to depart. That occasionally creates a gap of a meter (3/4th meters) between their legs.

Probably it is also that you enter a match with different expectations, or some frame (the 'frame' CR7 is speed and strength). Can be. I tend to think a 19 years old Hazard was more impressive in the way he caressed the ball as the direct machine he's now (commonly being the most fouled player in the league in the meantime); but that is - again - also expectation at work.

Without necessarily agreeing with the way leadleader works this out, there is possibly an influence at work in the camera registration and camera angles (we also know that 'they' insert fake stadium sounds and pre-recorded stuff, which they sell as 'live' footage). With CR7 that is for some not a surprise but it's for many the case somewhat.

 

Wasn't sure where to put it but since it deals with the events 2016-17 season I thought this is a pretty good example of what's wrong with the modern inane concentrated media (saw this example highlighted somewhere else).

• Overwhelming focus with what Lyon did wrong rather than what Ajax did right. The mechanisms underneath are, as Marcotti pointed out, the ones of: greatest number of eyeballs (an absolute must for sponsors and broadcasters); continuity in the storylines (as if you're watching 'Breaking Bad' as Marcotti says); predictable storylines; familiar clubs, countries and players with a background/language people can relate to.
• Although it isn't as excessive here, there's throughout the season an overwhelming obsession in the foreign corporate media with the Chelsea loanee. While to be honest, on sporting grounds he does not deserve it and certainly not in earlier rounds. Also this infantile obsession by the foreign media and the shills with a player who happens to be a Chelsea loanee follows many of the mechanisms Marcotti has identified in several pieces. This in turn can create a snowball effect in favor of the player by the way ('doors' that turn open etc.).
• They say the match was moved from the 4th of may to the 3rd of may because 04/05/2017 is a "public holiday". In fact, it is the opposite and this ignorance borders on the disrespectful. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remembrance_of_the_Dead
• Luckily they have learned from previous 'mistakes' and don't bring up a Hesse or Honigstein to comment, as if 'Holland' is the 17th Bundesländer (something also World Soccer tended to do in the 1960s and 1970s to be fair, with an Artur Rotmil).
• I can mention at least three other striking tendencies in the media (of which this video might or might not be an example) but I'll conclude with some fine comments below the video: "a Dutch public holiday ? it's rememberings day for ww2 that doesn't sound like a holiday to me"; "Leave it to the pundits to talk down one of the most entertaining games of the year. Christ. Isn't football a spectator sport?"; "How can Alejandro Moreno say that Ajax is bad as they won and draw against Celta de Vigo who he gives a chance to beat manchester united?" "He is an idiot."

Hopefully Feyenoord can win their first championship in 18 years next week, but just because of this it would be nice too if Ajax can turn this type of EPL wankers and media shills turn sour.

Yes I know there have been very positive articles/coverage as well (and it's an enticing narrative that the new manager came from Maccabi tel Aviv where Jordi has been technical director since 2012) but this is the concentrated media at its worst and I honestly think there's for a number of months on sporting merits an unjustified obsession with the Chelsea loanee (compared to the other players).

 

I think I'll wait until the last round for a definitive answer. I've a slight preference for Ziyech in terms of consistency and stability. Him and Dolberg as well are clearly above that Chelsea loanee imho (who was during the first three months actually very, very bad). Feyenoord is difficult because different sets of players have been good/bad throughout the year. The last month they all look tired. Also think it's a pity that the club and council perceives the youth academy as a bad investment with the current laws in force. Think the last game can be telling and wrap some thoughts up, so then I'll return to this.

If Ajax can pull it off with a 23-men squad that cost 1/5th of Pogba then that would be a very good achievement for them and then it seems the internal tug of war that started 5 years ago has amounted to something, with the oil tanker veered slightly into the right direction. This publicly listed organisation is really like an oil tanker (hence some/many want to take it off the stock exchange). The stadium itself has also something like 12 stakeholders - bizarre.

Show Spoiler Hide Spoiler

Als Ajax erin slaagt deze zomer één speler te verkopen voor minimaal 20 miljoen euro is het hele elftal dat door technisch directeur Marc Overmars is samengesteld meteen betaald. De ploeg die in de halve finale van de Europa League tegen Olympique Lyon thuis (4-1) in het veld stond, kostte namelijk in zijn totaliteit nog geen 20 miljoen.

Overmorgen zal het elftal bij de return in Frankrijk vermoedelijk slechts een iets hogere aankoopsom hebben. Als Nick Viergever (transferbedrag destijds 2,5 miljoen) de plek inneemt van de zelf opgeleide Jairo Riedewald, komt het elftal uit op een slordige 22 miljoen euro. Voor Europese begrippen nog altijd een koopje. Zeker in de wetenschap dat Hakim Ziyech en Davinson Sanchez samen al 16 miljoen euro kostten.

Fluwelen Revolutie
In Europa bestaat grote waardering voor het aankoop- en opleidingsbeleid van Ajax, dat de club na de Fluwelen Revolutie van Johan Cruijff voor ogen had. De kern van het Ajax-elftal zou zelf opgeleid moeten zijn, aangevuld met (Europese) talenten die op hun zestiende voor een opleidingsvergoeding of lage transfersom aan de Ajax-opleiding zijn toegevoegd. Voor posities waar de academie geen of onvoldoende talenten levert, moeten spelers met een duidelijke meerwaarde – als Sanchez (5 miljoen) of Ziyech (11 miljoen) – worden gekocht.

Fooi
Tegen Lyon-thuis stond er een half elftal dat geen cent heeft gekost. Kenny Tete, Matthijs De Ligt, Riedewald en Klaassen zijn producten van de eigen opleiding en Lasse Schöne kwam transfervrij. Neem daarbij de fooi van 3,5 ton voor Kasper Dolberg en 2,5 ton voor André Onana en iedereen begrijpt dat Ajax de voorbije seizoenen gouden zaken heeft gedaan.

Ajax's super young team which is now on the pitch is the youngest XI ever to play together during a European semi-final says @sportzeloot

— Simon Gleave (@SimonGleave) May 3, 2017

 

Short answer is that I'm leaning to Jorgenson for Feyenoord because of his consistency and his goals and 11 assists (not the most difficult ones). I'm leaning to Ziyech for Ajax although he had an up-and-down start in the first four months. I think they'll be able to sell Ziyech for a profit.

For Serie A I'm leaning a bit to Mertens, maybe Anderson. For Ligue 1 I'm leaning to Bernardo Silva.

 

I agree.. Top ten now that he no longer plays for Barca..

 

This for example. Also post it because it has a few upvoted comments below quite similar to mine ("plutocrats", "cartel").
https://www.theguardian.com/footbal...ax-johan-cruyff-peter-bosz-europa-league-lyon

Tbf it is doubtful whether they're extremely popular in their own country (eyeballs as Marcotti called it). One of the more dominant outcomes is where people could fill in multiple clubs they liked or supported. 46% filled in Ajax, 27% Feyenoord, 21% PSV.
http://www.volkskrant.nl/sport/46-procent-fan-van-ajax-fc-twente-populairder-dan-psv~a3256991/

An 2013 research by Repucom (Nielsen) showed Ajax at 4.1 million fans - broad definition - and Feyenoord atround 3.0 million. 'Fans' in a wide definition. Older edition at 4.3 and 2.9 million respectively.
https://www.ajaxlife.nl/updates/ajax-is-populairste-club-met-sterkste-merk-en-beste-imago

This one shows a regional bias:
http://www.tubantia.nl/integratie/voetbalkaart

And a scientific study showed Feyenoord had the most solid and constant fanbase whereas the core of Ajax would be ranked mid-table. Their core isn't that strong nor big in size funnily.
http://www.mejudice.nl/artikelen/detail/het-feyenoordlegioen-is-hondstrouw
http://www.ad.nl/rotterdam/hoogleraar-supporters-van-feyenoord-heel-trouw~a58ba8ba/

OK, enough info

 

So where can I find the details on the occupancy of the Johan Cruijff Arena and how do you conclude that the group of loyal Ajax supporters is not big in size?

 

Above links provide the answer and if you want to know more you can use google.

This fits in a broader pattern. As Szymanski and Kuper noted in their book:

"Of course, some teams from capitals are popular. They would be, given that London, Paris, Rome, and Moscow are by far the largest cities in their countries. Clubs in capitals have unparalleled catchment areas, even given the profusion of local teams. But in none of the seven largest European countries surveyed does the best-supported club come from a capital city.
[...]
In six out of seven countries, the number-one team comes from a provincial town with a strong industrial history. The sole exception is France, where Lyon is a provincial town but was mostly bypassed by the Industrial Revolution. We saw how the club's popularity came from nowhere after just 2002, thanks to Lyon's clever gaming of the transfer market under president Jean-Michel Aulas.

Taken together, the provincial industrial towns in Sport+Market's top twenty [estimated number of fans a club has in the world] dominate European soccer. Between them they won thirty out of fifty-one European Cups from 1963 through 2013. The smaller industrial or port cities Glasgow, Nottingham, Birmingham, Porto, Dortmund, Eindhoven and Rotterdam have won an additional nine between them. And all these industrial cities have a story much like Manchester's."

This is of course not a revolutionary insight. The February 1973 issue of World Soccer concluded (by BuLi correspondent Artur Rotmil): "It may be easier to fill the grounds in grimy industrial cities, perhaps, but not quite so simple in such a sophisticated metropolis as Amsterdam. As for the club, they would indeed be delighted if only a small proportion of their "armchair fans" would regain the habit of passing through the turnstiles of their ground now and then..."

The Szymanski book also lists a few other big reasons for this pattern in case you're interested.

For perspective: even at their peak the club in Rotterdam had at least twice as many visitors per match (part 1, part 2). And in 1965-66 it was close to five times as many (and even PSV or Twente had more).

Other perspective: in 2011 Ajax had experienced a 7 years title drought (in between no European semi finals and no quarter finals + 3 domestic cups). The number of 'fans' that turned up at the celebration was 50000 at a minimum and 80000 at a maximum.
In 1999 Feyenoord had experienced a 6 years title drought (in between a European semi final, two quarter finals + 2 domestic cups) and at the very least 250000 people turned up. Most likely quite a bit more.

If you talk about 'loyal' fans, such thing is an indication. This is true everywhere and it's also true the number gains relevance after a 'long' drought.

 

David Goldblatt in his Premier League work (funnily confusing a few things)

 

That is wrong. Lyon has a long and strong industrial history.

 

https://www.telesport.nl/teaser/artikel/98817/voetballer-vh-jaar/goud-van-oud

Feyenoord-trio laat zien dat ervaring loont
Goud van oud
Bronvermelding
FOTO’S DIJKSTRA

Redacteur
Van links naar rechts: Eric Botteghin, Karim El Ahmadi en Jens Toornstra.
Auteur
Jeroen Kapteijns
Publicatie datum
Gisteren, 07:34
Nooit eerder in de lange historie van het Telesport Voetballer van het Jaar-klassement legden drie spelers van één club beslag op de Gouden, Zilveren en Bronzen Schoen. Het illustreert het bijzondere seizoen van kampioen Feyenoord, dat Karim El Ahmadi, Eric Botteghin en Jens Toornstra deze individuele trofeeën hebben veroverd.

 

Supertrio Feyenoord zorgt voor unicum in Gouden Schoen verkiezing

• Harm Jan
• 15 mei 2017 09:54
• 56489x
• 23 reacties
• Bron: Telegraaf.nl
• Foto: Proshots.nl

Feyenoorders Eric Botteghin, Karim El Ahmadi en Jens Toornstra zorgen voor een unicum. Naast dat ze met Feyenoord de landstitel wonnen staan de spelers met zijn drieën op het podium van de Voetballer van het Jaar-klassement. Het klassement wordt opgemaakt door de Telegraaf, VVCS en de Eredivisie.


Nooit eerder kwam het voor dat er drie spelers van één club op het hoogste podium stonden. Karim El Ahmadi wint de gouden schoen, hij doorbreekt als enige de magische grens van 200 punten met 201 punten is hij de allerbeste. Nummer twee is Botteghin hij haalt 196,5 punt en Toornstra is nummer drie met 195,5 punt.

Deze drie spelers staan dus ook in het elftal van het jaar. Feyenoord heeft ook de meest waardevolle speler in dienst. Nicolai Jørgensen is met 21 goals en 13 assists in 32 wedstrijden veruit de meest waardevolle speler van de Eredivisie.

Het elftal van het jaar bestaat dan ook voor een groot deel uit Feyenoorders, maar liefst zeven van de elf spelers zijn in dienst van de Rotterdammers.

Elftal van het jaar:
Onana (Ajax), Rick Karsdorp (Feyenoord), Eric Botteghin (Feyenoord), Jan-Arie van der Heijden (Feyenoord), Davinson Sanchez (Ajax), Karim El Ahmadi (Feyenoord), Tonny Vilhena (Feyenoord), Jens Toornstra (Feyenoord), Kamelo Mokotjo (FC Twente), Davy Klaassen (Ajax) en Nicolai Jørgensen (Feyenoord).



Aanrader! Koop nu je kampioenstattoo voor 5 euro!

 

What I don't fully get are the frequent Makelele - Kante comparisons; today I heard them once again and it started to bother me. In my opinion Makelele was much more horizontal while Kante is clearly vertical, which also brings him in a better position to win individual honors like say Redondo or a Pogba of today.

For him to be truly at his most effective he needs another holding midfielder next to him (Drinkwater, Matic) instead of protecting the space alone. Imho if you let him do that you get these type of scenes, like at the beginning of this video where he applies pressure.



The first Liverpool game is a good example too in this regard (not the 2nd where he was MOTM).

Searched for three minutes and there are a few who luckily tend to think the same.



"Kante and Make is not very similar. Stature is similar, but Make was a true holding midfielder, good at shielding the space infront of the defense, and he was a good passer. Kante need a more free defensive role where he can attack the guy with the ball, and then drive the ball on the attack.
[...]
No, look at our matches before the 0-3 against Arsenal. Kante was making so many mistakes, like positional errors, when he was put in the Makelele role."

For this vertical style of play he's in a better position to win individual awards as opposed to a Busquets or Makelele or so.

Ofc, it is exactly that dynamism that has made life easier for Hazard. The logic Ruud applies below doesn't hold up if he's merely sitting deep like Makelele did before.
https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/foot...e-according-to-former-blues-boss-ruud-gullit/

 

http://www.slate.com/articles/sport...lo_kant_is_the_mirror_world_lionel_messi.html