1228809189092401158 is not a valid tweet id Henderson’s been great, Van Dijk has been consistently excellent but has anyone been more clutch in the big moments than Sadio Mane this season?Right now, he’s the best in the league. pic.twitter.com/0PJ0BcxyGu— Laurie (@LFCLaurie) February 15, 2020 Another snub incoming...
Exactly nonsense. Neymar operates in all parts of the pitch (hence the heatmap) every game just because his average ends up in this arbitrary shaped box every single game it is stupid to conclude he is not versatile. And position and role are not the same thing. Position is the literal placement on the pitch, role is your job on the pitch aka false nine, inside forward, playmaker, poacher,.. The fact that they get that wrong as well, make this "study" nonsense.
You are confused about things and it seems that at this point you will not understand, so I will explain to you, Neymar played in a much stricted position to accomodate Messi, the study is not saying he is naturally not versatile, he has show much more versatile back in Santos (in a free role) and also now with PSG than he did at Barcelona, that's the study is talking about... while Messi dominated the center more and the best positions for passes and shots. Hence my statement that it is not possible to compare Messi or Cristiano with Neymar in the matter of scoring decisive goals like Puck did, since for a long time, and even today they don't play in the same position and do not dominate the same area, or even position (and even the same role). A better comparison for Neymar is Hazard or Robben rather than Cristiano, Messi or Suarez. Btw, The Sofascore heat map is very bad, it barely really highlights the player's action areas and positions. About Neymar's Barcelona time. A look at the heat maps from La Liga this season highlight just how different Neymar’s role is to his fellow forwards, with Messi drifting in from the right to support Suarez and the Brazilian generally staying wide to provide for the two of them. While his conversion rate of 11.3% in the league is certainly underwhelming, he doesn’t find himself in the box or in clear goalscoring positions as often. He doesn’t need to. Just 44 of Neymar’s shots in Spain’s top-flight have been in the penalty area compared to 63 from Suarez and 67 from Messi. While Suarez has had 23 clear cut chances in La Liga this season, Neymar has had 14 by comparison. https://1xbet.whoscored.com/Article...itics-to-star-in-Barcelonas-greatest-win-ever Neymar's heatmap v Atleti. Look at his work rate. LB, LMF and LW in one Heatmap Barcelona (La Liga and CL) Heatmap Neymar 2017/2018 Heatmap Neymar 2018/2019 https://www.espn.com.br/futebol/art...omo-10-no-psg-veja-a-mudanca-nas-estatisticas So makes sense that Neymar was your typical LM/LF back in Barcelona while Messi was more of SS. The study, that you didn't read, was pretty much saying that. There's no problem, Neymar, like you said, can perform a support role even tho it was a bad choice in his carrer and he won basically nothing with it from a legacy perspective.
I know he played different role in barca hence the statement on versatility. I missed your intentions tho and context of your comment. Study nevertheless is shallow. Average position of the match hardly says anything about the players activity especially role he played on the pitch. (In not that weird cases you can have a winger who strictly plays as a winger but is often switched from one side to other. So what his average position at the end of the match would be in the middle of the pitch despite never touching ball there? It is nonsense.) I didnt even mention that you can not compare left midfielder from example atletico and, psg /barcelona because naturally their teams will spend more time on the oppositions half. Sergi Robertos versatility graph would be much different if he were Atletis player. He would primarily occupy defensive positions even when he played as a right winger. It would be nice to compare it to someone like Thomas Partey who, by an eye test, is arguably even more versatile than Roberto. This study would not show that. Bs study
Plus one other thing. This concept of versatility and overal completness is sucha bs. You know the reason why Roberto plays in all these positions? Not because he is such an unique and versatile player, but because he is not world class at any role. If he were the top 5 central midfielder in the world, he wouldnt be moved. Why would you move him? Others would be moved to fill up the holes. I am pretty sure that Van Dijk could play literally every position on the field. De Bruyne also. And there are many like that. But why would you move them around? Such an overrated trait and concept
The fact Liverpool have been so dominant works against VVD I think, more close tough games and a closer title race it would be clearer his importance on the team, now the person who grabs the odd goal here and there gets all the headlines.
Mane would be totally fine as well for me. I'm not (totally) blind to VvD having his luck as well, such as not ending up at Arsenal in 2015 (I think) or that Liverpool had some compatriots high up in the organization before they recruited him, the data department included (it helps).
Might help to take free kicks more often, but logically they don't because either they need the chaos in the opposition penalty area or security for the counter attacks (and other options are roughly as good/better; are ~two extra goals in a season worth the cost?). https://www.givemesport.com/1545815-liverpool-players-have-a-freekick-competition-after-their-training-session https://www.sportbible.com/football...t-virgil-van-dijk-to-take-free-kicks-20200211
I also agree re Mane, just in my view VVD not getting the praise he deserves, maybe as he was so good last season it works against him as its expected. Both Mane and VVD easily above Henderson for me. For example take VVD out of central defence, the impact is huge, he is clearly the top central defender, take out Henderson and I really don't think it makes a huge difference with the likes of Fabinho, Oxlade Chamberlain now he has returned to form, Wijnaldum, Milner even, Keita.... I think the next Liverpool person to call out this season behind VVD and Mane is Alexander-Arnold, his consistency for his age and assists for a full back have been exception, then probably Firminio.
https://www.statsperform.com/resource/stats-perform-goalkeeper-rankings-feb-11/ Alisson: Post-Shot Expected Goals: 11.4 Goals Against: 6 Save on target: 87,2% Adrian: Post-Shot Expected Goals: 7.2 Goals Against: 9 Save on target: 64% Data: Fbref https://www.liverpoolfc.com/news/fi...verpool-jordan-henderson-alisson-becker-saves
Based on these percentages, a full season Alisson would concede only 10 Goals (relative to 18.6 PSxG), while Adrian in the same circunstances, 23. On the hand, according xGA (not only shots on target), Liverpool defense is not as good as last year (0.92 xGA this year compared to 0.77 xGA in 18/19).
Which means Liverpool would still comfortably have the best defense of the entire league (just as the 2nd half of 2017-18, just as when Allison was out injured) with a keeper that allows more goals in than he should save! Instead of one of the best keepers in the world, who logically saves more than expected. This without a clear holding midfielder and super attacking full-backs. According to the same understat website, Allison is also not nearly as important for building up the attacks and goals. We might as well look at games he didn't play and Gomez or Matip did, such as against lowly Monterrey where Liverpool at a minimum had 1.4 expected goals against. I'm not claiming he or Foden (or who else) will be a success and do justice to their 'teenager awards' but Rodrygo and Vinicius their WhoScored ratings are so far even below that (by a margin of +0.25) despite playing for more dominant sides and making allowances for them to make dribbles. You're unable to see 60+ million for teenagers is indeed bizarre (it does mean youth development is a profitable business instead of losing those for free), calling that "not polite", and repeat the same stuff again and again. Vinicius might as well become the new Robinho while others of his generation (with low or non-existent transfer sums) match or supplant him easily.
Not so confortably (Sheff United, 24) and without Alisson Liverpool could have easily dropped points, we are talking about 13 Goals (in 26 matches) in this trade off. Not sure how Alisson compare in terms of building up attacks with other GKs. But that I'm sure that in his main work as shot stopper he is the best keeper in the world right now and has been on average in a more detalied analysis since the early of his carrer in Brazil (in the last 5 years above the ones of Juventus polish GK, Neuer, Oblak or Ter Stegen). He is having a GOAT level for a GK and still not being mentioned is borderline outrageous. Him, who? You can check btw, but check it first then you talk. General point is that the defense last year was better than it is now and the attack this season is just slight better than last year. (see in Understat) Meaning the defense declined in their form and the attack is about more or less the same level and someone is making the main difference behind the hype. Rodrygo 7.47 Rating in the Whoscored as starter in the UCL and La Liga (15 matches rated, 6 Goals + 4 Assists) Vinicius 7.28 Rating in the Whoscored as starter in the UCL and La Liga (7 matches rated, 2 Goals + 1 Assist) Hazard so far 7.52 Rating in the Whoscored as starter in the UCL and La Liga (13 matches rated, 1 Goal + 2 Assists) Kluivert 6.85 Rating in the Whoscored as starter in the Serie A (16 matches rated, 3 Goals + 1 Assist) Justin Kluivert is more than year older than Vinicius and year and half older than Rodrygo btw. You can register yourself in the smarterscout site and you will see that the Brazilians are performing better than Justin and even better than Lucas Vazquez, Bale and even Hazard this season, RM players. Is a new Robinho that bad? Robinho was sold to Man City for more than he was bought and had better numbers than Robben at Real Madrid probably, the Dutch that was sold for less than he was bought instead. So far, we don't know about Vinicius future, he is 19 and naturally far from the normal peak age for an average footballer (25-27 yo). Fact is that it seems that I'm not the only that is unable to see the bizarre thing you are calling, Ajax seems to be in for a much less praised and doubtful Brazilian prospect that is Antony for the value of 22-25M, they maybe could get Ihattaren for this kind of money, instead they seems to prefer Antony, maybe this has to do with Brazilian players translating their level more adequately to high level football (i.e coming of trusted league). To be honest I predicted that Antony would fail in Europe, but I was thought about the big five league, in the Dutch league he could be good enough. I'm remembering here that Romário and R9 are probably the best foreign the Eredivisie history. Btw, what do you expect from my comments? That I agree always with what you argue, this is a forum and everyone has the right to give their opinion, but with respect. If I can say so, I also disagree with this new transfer policy about young players. I even preferred that Rodrygo, Vinicius or in the future Gabriel Veron play first for a smaller team, league with more playing time... but the spanish giants are too sexy for any promising young South American footballer reject.
All teams should have a Sergio Roberto in their squads. I think I have seen him playing in all positions and even if not being world class, having a certain level.
I expect nothing, my expectations are low or non-existent. What I see is a unlimited Brazil propagandist, with at times fake stats and fake news (typical Bolsonaro/Brazil style), who again and again returns to to the same topics (Allison) while having been disproven in those things before. Hit-and-run. Your advocacy has no limits in anything (7 Brazilians in a 2010s team, right...). Furthermore, it is clear you are taking (concealed) hits from day one. Last season you were also time and again claiming Allison is the real difference maker and Van Dijk just a hype. This is bizarre: he wins just about every goalkeeper award (Oblak pushed aside while Neuer et al. won it by default in the past) and if anything it is now forgotten there was already a marked improvement before Allison. It gets pushed by the wayside by the likes of ESPN. Many goalkeepers with similar seasons didn't finish in the top 6 of the BdO. Also here: we have discussed this before. He didn't fail there. "Real Madrid has only 8 league titles the last 30 seasons and one of those were achieved with him as a starter, in the two seasons he played. He had a good 2009-10 pre-season (including goals like this against top teams) and that he left had more to do with a change of presidency than failing. More than anything else the change in presidency was the reason. Real Madrid without him on the pitch won 57% of the matches, lost 37%. With him they won 63% and lost only 25%. If you exclude the last 5 games of the 2008-09 season (which they just threw away, all losses) the percentage goes up to 68% wins and 18% losses with him playing. In the Champions League (small sample) it is 45% win with him (46% loss) and 40% wins without him. Tellingly, such positive effect also exists for Chelsea and Bayern. [...] In 2008-09 it was the 3rd highest of his team in DBScalcio. Behind Pepe and only 0.01 behind Higuain. In 2007-08 it was further down yes (below his countrymen Sneijder, Van Nistelrooij) but the statistical influence over a long period of time is clear - see above." This is groundhog day and now I really take a break (for real). Good luck with all your digs and unlimited Brazil megaphoning.
Agreed .. I also don’t see how any right minded individual would have Sterling above FDJ unless it was a funny running style competition
In fact, it seems that it’s not just you who are on groundhog day. Absurd. But still talking about the Liverpool player of the season thing. IMO 2017/2018: Salah, no question. (Despite Van Djik improving the team in the second part of the season) 2018/2019: Van Dijk... but see Alisson was already the best GK in the EPL according Optadata and he was decisive in the CL campaign, also in the Copa América, and the myth of the player who wasn't dribble past was, of course, too strong for him too. 2019/2020 (until now): Alisson (with the ones of Henderson, Mane and Van Djik being probably very good also, but Alisson is still the most outlier player in the squad this moment, the man behind the scene, that is my opinion). Saying that I think Alisson and Van Dijk are arguably the best players in their positions, in last 2-3 years or even more (on average), since Van Djik was already elite before Liverpool and Alisson has been outperforming the average level since Brazil.
Most players can play in most positions just that they are not employed in different positions. If by Sergio Roberto, you mean that every team should have backup players, then i agree. There is absolutely nothing unique or special about Roberto's football IQ that allows him to play different positions. He is prone to defensive errors. He is not impressive fullback at all. He is a hardworking, all around midfielder. There are countless of midfielders like that and all of them can play all positions on the field. The only difference is that he is not at the level of status where he can refuse to play different positions and that is because he is not a world class player and he seems to have the type of personality that can be influenced. in 2015, it was either you start playing right fullback or you don't play at all. I know that feeling.
He just got injured again. Not sure for how long but it doesn't look good. Staying healthy is ultimately a pure luck. Nobody is immune to injuries. No athlete in any physical sport ever. But you made sure to get him the brownie points for that one...... or to take away from Neymar's talent.
9 - Robert Lewandowski has scored nine away goals in the Champions League this season; the joint-most by a player in a single campaign, along with Cristiano Ronaldo in 2013-14. Invader. #CHEBAY pic.twitter.com/VS05SuBX7G— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) February 25, 2020
Lewandowski out for four weeks with Tibia fracture, will probably dramatically slow down his sensational season, big shame.
@PuckVanHeel Incredible season for Hazard, right? Zero goals and 2 assists since restart. 8 matches and 8 wins for Real. 1 goal in 21 games for Real Madrid this season all competitions, that will look awesome on his resume. The guy just doesn't have the x factor to score and that makes him quite inferior to others that do. Casemiro scores more lol