Yeah, some of the top all-time players worked a lot at certain technical aspects I know: Platini with free-kicks, Charlton and Best on their left foot (I'm not sure know whether it was when they were both at United or they just both did it a lot as young players or kids even, or both things).
To come back to my earlier call of KDB for this stuff, yesterday was a decent example of this 'intelligence'. 🎥| Kevin De Bruyne [@DeBruyneKev] vs Real Madrid 26/02/19 (Away)⚽️ 1 Goal🅰️ 1 AssistRampant Performance! 👑[@ctrfootball] https://t.co/1Hbkee3RxH— City Chief (@City_Chief) February 26, 2020 Man City's system is really interesting tonight. Defends as a 5-3-2, KDB leads the press, Jesus goes from ST to LWB to track Carvajal's runs. Ederson hits long from goal kicks to keep Real away. Then in attack Mendy goes LW, KDB drops to 10, Jesus goes to ST. Like a 532 & a 3241 pic.twitter.com/2w0vEqrnGK— JJ Bull (@jj_bull) February 26, 2020 A few English pundits have made the comparison between TAA and KDB for the final delivery, but I don't fully agree honestly. 😬 Trent Alexander-Arnold has conceded possession 736 times in the league this season - 237 times more than any other player in Europe's top five leagues pic.twitter.com/IbTRFpTGUe— WhoScored.com (@WhoScored) February 6, 2020 Makes it again surprising he 'failed' at Chelsea, but various research has showed roughly 40-60% of the transfers aren't successful, despite all the scouting and modern research tools available (Modric wasn't an immediate success either ofc, even Neymar's first year). Some of the comments I saw later on NED television (half time): "You are now dealing with two coaches who have placed the emphasis on running backwards. You can see that. Three days they have imprinted the players 'be aware of what happens behind your back', 'be aware that he doesn't run behind you'. The only one in the entire field who plays his own game is De Bruyne." (after 90 minutes): "All is good. He does it in the phases it matters, he strong on the ball, he brings calm, he isn't even defended when he is on the ball 'let's see what happens because he won't lose it to the opposition'. In this moment really the best midfielder in the world. What is he good and a model example." Him and MDL are up and down so far. They have their handful big matches where they are (among) the best of their team, but also invisible, wasteful or erratic at times. They have that ceiling to be among the best of their team, in a few bigger games, but regularity is (understandably) missing. https://www.bigsoccer.com/threads/watch-list-defenders-orange-team.2106808/page-4#post-38520945 https://www.bigsoccer.com/threads/watch-list-midfielders-orange-team.2106809/page-2#post-38523825 Luckily he has the self-awareness to see it. And your own evening, your own game - "Yes I have to say I didn't see the ball very often, that is regretful, but it is now a different role I have to play. Doesn't matter a big deal for the overall picture, but I think it was very anonymous unfortunately." What is your role, what was the plan, what is your instruction? - "We played a kind of 4-4-2, 4-3-3, what you want to call it. Vidal at the sides, Messi has great freedom logically, and me then sort of most advanced midfielder who has to provide depth and width, that sort of things. Then I can move down and take the ball, do nicely my own thing, but that is not the best for the team and I shouldn't really do so. Wait on my place for moments but those didn't come often unfortunately. But yes..." It seems to frustrate you that role - "No. Completely not. I come here of course at my first year and play almost everything. I'm very happy to play that often. In this role I can also play fine, this evening I couldn't do much, but there have been games where it was the case, and should make sure I become better in the roles that are assigned to me. Then we'll look further." I assume you search it at yourself and not at the different role, that you was anonymous. "No, you should always look at yourself. It doesn't help much to reject the situation. Also in this role... then I have to make sure I'm more decisive or so." More decisive you could be in three weeks time. Busquets suspended, Vidal suspended, you can play at 6 now. "I don't know. Depends on the coach. What is available but of course we miss players. Sunday Real Madrid again for you. "Yes, I look forward to that."
I completely agree on FDJ .. He’s a very , very special talent and could easily be a future world player if we ( Barca ) can get a good manager in to sort the team out and get the best out of him.. He’s an absolute joy to watch I think .. he’s always a second or two faster in his decision making and finds space effortlessly.. the way he receives the ball in tight situations yet somehow comes out with the ball reminds me of Busqs at his best ..
This excerpt from the book about him does refer to the left footed practice: "endlessly practicing his panoply of skills" "he had honed his left foot deftness, until it was at least the equal of his initially favoured right" https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=qesfCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA27&lpg=PA27&dq=george+best+bobby+charlton+practice+left+foot&source=bl&ots=reDws1IVbK&sig=ACfU3U0s0SbBZAFT4IBmCKk-yh9hbORbNQ&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjuo5TggfLnAhULWsAKHcrCB5UQ6AEwFnoECAoQAQ#v=onepage&q=george best bobby charlton practice left foot&f=false I can understand what you mean about natural genius though in that not everyone (or many people at all) could train themselves into being like a replica (perhaps including the ambidexterity but obviously some people do have that from birth in their legs just like some in their hands).
He’d be rated alongside Messi if he was playing today .. words can’t describe his genius .. so on perfect playing surfaces, protection against thuggery and lighter footballs..
1. KDB certainly put on the type of performance that resonates with this topic, and like the writer there says he was doing it very effortlessly. Whether by design (Pep's instructions) or his own instinct, it was very noticeable. And to interpret such a multifaceted role away at Madrid like he did was all the more remarkable. I agree, "best midfielder in the world" and he really made Casemiro look average which rarely happens. 2. I have been a bit peeved by the TAA/KDB comparisons. Trent is quality, but he doesn't belong alongside KDB as a passer of any kind including crossing. It gets repeated over and over on TV and it gets a bit irritating. 3. De Jong had a quiet match vs Napoli but I think it can be explained, in hindsight of course. Napoli had a very disciplined cage around him and Messi as soon as they were in the space between the midfield and attack. I prefer to give kudos to Gattuso than detract from FDJ here. Very compact and disciplined which was helped a lot by Barca having no width whatsoever besides Semedo. He's still not the finished product but away at Napoli where several have found it difficult (Liverpool, PSG, Juve etc) I'd cut him some slack.
@PDG1978 I think yesterday we saw the human side of him (3-0 loss to Watford) and an interesting aspect of (social) intelligence and/or empathy in general. I certainly don't see every Liverpool match but saw this match. https://www.rousingthekop.com/2020/02/29/one-player-earns-a-3-liverpool-player-ratings-v-watford/ https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/...-champions-elect-stunned-by-watford-x6j2lv5t5 Before the Deulofeu injury he was his usual self, I think. Correcting and accounting for the defensive attributes of TAA and Lovren, and had a good block and clearance a few times. "A shaky start from the Reds saw their imperious centre-back be more vocal than normal." Some of those made 'Match of the Day' I saw. Half-time ratings I found (as indication): https://tribuna.com/en/liverpoolfc/news/3574177/ The Deolofeu injury seemed to unsettle him and he wasn't directing his team mates as often since. He sort of admitted that afterwards. "I instantly knew it was bad. When seeing the moment back I can see I was paralyzed and immediately turned over the ball. Of course it was in my head when the game was paused." Virgil won 100% of his aerial duels. 90% pass completion, including one key pass. No errors. Next to him Lovren only won 46% of his aerial duels. Made DOZENS of errors leaping out of position and missing balls.Virgil spent the game tidying up his mess.— Ben D'Arcy (@ben_darcy) February 29, 2020 He might have done better at the 2nd goal (Sarr is very, very fast), not sure about that (given Lovren and Robertson's positioning), and should have done better at the first. Before the horror injury he was directing his team mates as often and in the way he did during his first few months at Liverpool. After that not so much. Often he gets praise precisely because he can adjust to (different) players next to him (like TAA or Lovren). What makes it interesting: This looks as a weakness (as ideal type: players as psychopaths?) but over the long run it is arguably still a strength. It's an interesting topic I think. Incidentally a strength can also become a weakness. Or maybe footballers should be really like drilled soldiers... https://www.express.co.uk/sport/foo...rgil-van-Dijk-Watford-stretcher-knee-pictures Small margins!
Yeah, I didn't see the game either and was only paying slight attention when it was on MOTD, but I would always like the 'nice guy' acts. Perhaps as you allude to, after the injury, the motivation and focus can lessen a bit and he could become more passive in his role (vocally too), especially when combined with the situation in the Championship race (even though unbeaten season, record points etc were there to play for still).
Of the current crop of players .. I’m more and more impressed with ManU’s new signing Bruno Fernandes He looks to have a fabulous awareness of everything around him .
No love for Gheorghe Hagi? I also think Paolo Maldini should get a mention, he was exceptionally clever for a defender, especially position-wise.
Article of two months ago about the high scanning behavior and information processing of midfielders like Lampard (by El Pais of Madrid). https://elpais.com/deportes/2019/12/17/actualidad/1576584014_378303.html
From 1976 on: Falcao - Brazil Platini Baresi Rijkaard Costacurta Dunga Inzaghi Cannavaro Pirlo Xavi Iniesta Casemiro-Busquets
Uploaded this week: Remains a very good option for this thread. For this scudetto season he has actually a high DBScalcio rating (#2 attacking midfielder, very narrowly behind #1) - possibly because of a more defined role (without Pirlo, too) and because raters look at it with a defined prism. Is the last scudetto Juventus didn't win. In a certain way one can say the Berlusconi success started with an orange color and ended with an orange color on midfield... Another one who qualifies is De Bruyne.
who’s-the-smartest-footballer-ever-in-terms-of-football-iq? Listen here unemployed and unproductive person, people don't even know of what nationality you are (sure you aren't italian, all non-stupid people knows that) maybe you are embarrassed of your nationality I don't know... there are xenophobics in this forum but they at least aren't cowards like you, buddy. We will see how long you will be getting free passes to troll (on inappropriate topics), insulting people (calling members stupid etc) and distorting topics with you constant superficial and low quality analysis, almost always praising an overvalued player who made 70% of the your goals with one-touch (tap-in master) due to play in superstrong teams that didn't existed before the advanced scouting revolution!
The best ball distribution I've seen by any number 9 playing in any era Lewandowski doesn't touch this