That, and flashy players have unprecedented level of ref protection. Watching compilations of some old legends is almost painful, every 2nd tackle would be a straight red nowadays.
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That, and flashy players have unprecedented level of ref protection. Watching compilations of some old legends is almost painful, every 2nd tackle would be a straight red nowadays.
I think this was couple of months ago, I went and watched Roberto Baggio compilation on YouTube, after Scouse talked about Baggio almost signing for Liverpool once.
At first I was like, wow, look at this guy gliding from all these lunging tackles, why can't modern footballers play like that? Well, because they don't have to, do they? You just have to unbalance the defender and on you go, you don't need to circle 5 meters around him to avoid any late scissor tackle that can end your career.
At first I was like, wow, look at this guy gliding from all these lunging tackles, why can't modern footballers play like that? Well, because they don't have to, do they? You just have to unbalance the defender and on you go, you don't need to circle 5 meters around him to avoid any late scissor tackle that can end your career.
It's not that difficult. It's whether they chose to. Agility and balance helps. Compare Alexis Sanchez and Neymar dribbling.
epic terrorist
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Yeah exactly, I'm not sure attacking players are all that much better, I mean course you have ROnaldo and Messi, but I mean even in my era growing up, Zizou, Figo, Del Piero, Baggio (who you've mentioned), Bergkamp the list goes on and on
Scouseinthehouse
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So roundng off today (wasn't staying out late as we didn't win), went from the train into the Central in town for a few and to catch the second half the Utd game.
Only to be met by a group of ******** blues, who more than likely hadn't even been to watch the ***** today, actively cheering on Utd to try and nark the reds in there. Which was all getting very heated the end of the game as I moved on. Seriously, 'Scousers' (term used VERY loosely), rooting for Utd to get at L'pool.
Bitter, twisted *****.
Only to be met by a group of ******** blues, who more than likely hadn't even been to watch the ***** today, actively cheering on Utd to try and nark the reds in there. Which was all getting very heated the end of the game as I moved on. Seriously, 'Scousers' (term used VERY loosely), rooting for Utd to get at L'pool.
Bitter, twisted *****.
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I was talking overall rather than at the top end originally. Players are overall just as technically gifted as before.
epic terrorist
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yeah but even so Arnautovic has about 6-7 games a season where he is unplayable, then quite anonymous for the large parts of the season, I could probably go through mid table teams from 10-15 years back and give you players of similar ability for the likes of say Villa or someone like that,
Scouseinthehouse
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**** mate. Go back the '70's when virtually every club had at least one top bracket player. Yer Frank Worthington's at Bolton. Tony Curies at Sheff Utd. Rodney Marsh's at QPR and on and on.
epic terrorist
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Yeah exactly, its like tyton said attackers benefit from officiating so much these days but I also think that attitudes towards tactics have changed also and teams will set up to get the best out of their players more often whereas before English teams where more tactically rigid
Scouseinthehouse
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Very encouraged again with Milner at LB today.
Yeah, he got caught out by the flight the ball in the lead up to Tottenham's (undeserved) equaliser. But that ****'s gonna' happen when a midfielder is trying to adapt to a new role. He was solid defensively outside of that, and offered a lot going forward. Far more outside on his left than Burnley where he was cutting in on his right more.
Don't get me wrong, I'd still love a 'proper' LB by Wednesday. But there's certainly no panic if we're left with Milner as the first choice. Said it before. And I'll say it again. There's not many more intelligent, professional footballers out there that you can consistently rely on to give a 7 out of 10 performance wherever you ask him to play. All done with no arguing or sulking. (Yeah Daniel, I'm looking at YOU! Yers want to get a cob on because yers think yer should be starting and then Divock get's on ahead of yer; to then come on and sulk for the last few minutes, **** off and ******* stay in London. TEAM first!).
People in general, of which I readily admit I was one until we picked him up. don't realise or appreciate just what Milner brings to a team as there's little 'highlight reel' about him.
Yeah, he got caught out by the flight the ball in the lead up to Tottenham's (undeserved) equaliser. But that ****'s gonna' happen when a midfielder is trying to adapt to a new role. He was solid defensively outside of that, and offered a lot going forward. Far more outside on his left than Burnley where he was cutting in on his right more.
Don't get me wrong, I'd still love a 'proper' LB by Wednesday. But there's certainly no panic if we're left with Milner as the first choice. Said it before. And I'll say it again. There's not many more intelligent, professional footballers out there that you can consistently rely on to give a 7 out of 10 performance wherever you ask him to play. All done with no arguing or sulking. (Yeah Daniel, I'm looking at YOU! Yers want to get a cob on because yers think yer should be starting and then Divock get's on ahead of yer; to then come on and sulk for the last few minutes, **** off and ******* stay in London. TEAM first!).
People in general, of which I readily admit I was one until we picked him up. don't realise or appreciate just what Milner brings to a team as there's little 'highlight reel' about him.
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Scouseinthehouse
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Wenger's pockets DEFO don't go that deep.
Not many things in football surprise me any more.
That would be one of them.
I'm sure if he wasn't injury prone, we would pay up. He's one of the few buyable elite strikers.
Scouseinthehouse
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Bar Hodgson not having a frigging clue about tailored individual training/ rest periods, and the odd niggle most everyone get's. he's been all but injury free most the whole of 2016.
Touch wood that would appear to be behind him.
You think so mate? I actually thought they had a pretty decent shape today in the final third, and used the width of the pitch well (unlike when they played Burnley), no doubt the return of Mane would've helped that. Their problem lies defensively, and I don't actually mean the back 4 directly, I mean they need more grit & steel in midfield (Emre Can would do, wherever he is). as Wjnaldum & Lallana, if I'm not mistaken, are a lot more attacking minded than nitty gritty, right? And that's on top of the already front 3 of Coutinho/Firmino/Mane, so half of their outfield players are attacking players, and I wouldn't exactly call Henderson an out & out ball winner, not to mention their left back being a midfielder and their right back being one of the most attacking full back's around, don't you think it's all a little bit aggressive and unbalanced? Sure, it looks fantastic on the eye, and really fluid, but if you're having a luckless day in front of goal, then Burnley showed that that approach can be more than exploited quite worryingly on the break. The Spurs equaliser was completely against the run of play, they showed very little threat before it.
Drop either Wjnaldum or Lallana for Can, and something as simple as that would make a big difference to the balance, however unpopular it might go down with the fans.
ninjaskill
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Not sure the squad is of the quality to win the league, or the manager. Throw in an almost guaranteed injury crisis to help with that and the allergy to being top of the table at the business end of the season I can quite easily think of a few reasons of the top of my head why you shouldn't win the league
A manager who has already won it? We were the best team in the league last season and among the most efficient in Europe going forward and defensively. We created the most CCC and shortest shot distance in the prem since 2010/11. The only question mark is up top. You can't say we're not good enough unless there is serious regression from last year.
A big problem last year was giving Flamini 1,000+ minutes. That's criminal. May I remind you that we had a disproportionate number of knee ligament injuries. Soft tissue injuries weren't the biggest problems. The team was impacted by injuries last season but that wasn't a definitive factor. The definitive factor was the finishing slump where we undershot our expected goals like relegation fodder.
Scouseinthehouse
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Emre Can is one of the most popular players among L'pool fans. Don't think you'd get many if any complaints at all him coming back in. Not least if it was for Lallana who has his detractors down to his lack of production. (Completely over looking everything else he brings.).
I never thought Henderson would start the season and although he was better today, I would envisage he'd be the one replaced of that three. Then hopefully when Grujic is introduced, Wynaldum, who again I thought had his best game in a L'pool shirt, long periods the second half at Arsenal aside, will be able to move higher up the field where he's more effective.
If Arsenal were the best team in the league last season then how come they finished 11 points behind Leicester?
