would take vidic over one of those guys in a rl centre back pairing, just to have the killer/player balance right
― (govtname)mac (darraghmac), Wednesday, 18 January 2012 23:40 (twelve years ago) link
id try to disprove that old adage
― The term “hipster racism” from Carmen Van Kerckhove at Racialicious (nakhchivan), Wednesday, 18 January 2012 23:42 (twelve years ago) link
It's like people think Barcelona graduate Pique would have been perfectly happy to have served as a backup to Ferdinand and Vidic back then
― Number None, Wednesday, 18 January 2012 23:43 (twelve years ago) link
Fergie so stupid
ppl think that? even fitba fans?
― The term “hipster racism” from Carmen Van Kerckhove at Racialicious (nakhchivan), Wednesday, 18 January 2012 23:44 (twelve years ago) link
lol cmon don't turn into of of 'them' you support a title winning club you don't ever reaally get to strop imo
― (govtname)mac (darraghmac), Wednesday, 18 January 2012 23:45 (twelve years ago) link
piqué was one of the best dmids in spain at 20 y/o playing for zaragoza
― The term “hipster racism” from Carmen Van Kerckhove at Racialicious (nakhchivan), Wednesday, 18 January 2012 23:46 (twelve years ago) link
hmmm, Fergie so stupid?
― Number None, Wednesday, 18 January 2012 23:47 (twelve years ago) link
wth is anyone even arguing here
― The term “hipster racism” from Carmen Van Kerckhove at Racialicious (nakhchivan), Wednesday, 18 January 2012 23:51 (twelve years ago) link
maybe Pique was the solution to Utd's midfield problems
― Number None, Wednesday, 18 January 2012 23:52 (twelve years ago) link
oh
well
― The term “hipster racism” from Carmen Van Kerckhove at Racialicious (nakhchivan), Wednesday, 18 January 2012 23:53 (twelve years ago) link
this is turnign into my kind of discussion
― (govtname)mac (darraghmac), Wednesday, 18 January 2012 23:53 (twelve years ago) link
u need that modric kid in zagreb imo
― The term “hipster racism” from Carmen Van Kerckhove at Racialicious (nakhchivan), Wednesday, 18 January 2012 23:54 (twelve years ago) link
Ballack was my dream signing back in the day
― Number None, Wednesday, 18 January 2012 23:55 (twelve years ago) link
ballack was one of the ones, alright
before ballack, ronaldinho, tho tbf the kid you got instead turned out ok
― (govtname)mac (darraghmac), Thursday, 19 January 2012 00:00 (twelve years ago) link
It's Schweinsteiger now btw
― Number None, Thursday, 19 January 2012 00:01 (twelve years ago) link
hmmm
not sandro, modric no?
iiinteresting
― (govtname)mac (darraghmac), Thursday, 19 January 2012 00:03 (twelve years ago) link
i'm sure they're both very nice but this is dream territory
― Number None, Thursday, 19 January 2012 00:05 (twelve years ago) link
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3179/2672360421_698d176bf4.jpg
― (govtname)mac (darraghmac), Thursday, 19 January 2012 00:08 (twelve years ago) link
look it's the Schweinsteigers arriving in sunny Manchesterhttp://www.whoateallthepies.tv/81153539.jpg
― Number None, Thursday, 19 January 2012 00:14 (twelve years ago) link
now i'm dreaming
― (govtname)mac (darraghmac), Thursday, 19 January 2012 00:15 (twelve years ago) link
Piqué's been avowedly poor this season, hasn't he? Even read that Pep thought he needed to be dropped early on because that dangerous 'won everything already' contentment/lack of motivation was seeping into the side through him. I thought he could've closed down CRon on the first goal tonight too.
Otherwise let me reiterate 'wth is anyone even arguing here', why did this thread explode tonight? Also, jesus christ at Mme Schweini.
― boxall, Thursday, 19 January 2012 01:58 (twelve years ago) link
right now he is better at lw than am
for a kid who is usually described as modest and relatively unflashy, he does seem to be developing a more selfish and wilful tendency, so i can still see him playing centrally in the longer term
the best british players (apart from the actual best ie scholes) do tend to conform a force-of-nature type, gerrard is the best example and rooney when he is indulged, oxlade chamberlain is another of those players who 'could play anywhere' which usually means 'will play everywhere'
wenger has spoken of him as a future midfielder
― The term “hipster racism” from Carmen Van Kerckhove at Racialicious (nakhchivan), Saturday, 24 March 2012 21:03 (twelve years ago) link
i don't know how useful he could be centrally vs on the wing
i know it's a prestige thing that centre is the place to be, but he was never exactly starved on the wing.
on the right, he's not as good, because while he can cut inside or go round on the left to equal effect while only using his left, his right isn't good enough to give him two options when he plays on that wing.
his drive could be useful in the centre a la gerrard, i guess, but then gerrard brings a lot more physical relish to that position also, and a bit more 'engine room' style rather than bale's swashbuckle.
arry all but aadmitted today it's so he can play vdv and bale together, but tbh i'd rather vdv adebayor up front and leave the rw empty than lose the BAE/Bale/Modric axis of awesome from the left in this freeform system
― less of the same (darraghmac), Saturday, 24 March 2012 22:13 (twelve years ago) link
yeah he doesnt have the same aggresiveness of gerrard or rooney but hes more athletic than those as well
i sort of feel it's inevitable that he ends up more centrally, or has to be forced to stay wide once he develops his sense of entitlement and irrepressible belief in his own irrepressibility
― The term “hipster racism” from Carmen Van Kerckhove at Racialicious (nakhchivan), Saturday, 24 March 2012 22:22 (twelve years ago) link
he's developed that and little else this season imo
― less of the same (darraghmac), Saturday, 24 March 2012 22:36 (twelve years ago) link
tho if arry would like to experiment with three at the back against teams where we dominate posession but can't get nearer that thirty yards, BAE/Walker would be perfect wingbacks that could theoretically let Bale/Vdv operate as more inside forwards with a more implicit licence to cut in
― less of the same (darraghmac), Saturday, 24 March 2012 22:38 (twelve years ago) link
the poor man's Valencia― Number None, Saturday, 24 March 2012 14:31 (Yesterday) Bookmark
― Number None, Saturday, 24 March 2012 14:31 (Yesterday) Bookmark
― Number None, Sunday, 25 March 2012 05:33 (twelve years ago) link
v pleased with yrself huh
― less of the same (darraghmac), Sunday, 25 March 2012 10:34 (twelve years ago) link
you don't even know how drunk i was
― Number None, Sunday, 25 March 2012 12:15 (twelve years ago) link
good cut and pasting tho
― Number None, Sunday, 25 March 2012 12:18 (twelve years ago) link
Allowing Bale to basically bomb around wherever he wants is looking like Redknapp's worst call as Spurs manager. Leaves BAE very badly exposed against teams with pace on the right flank (exhibit a being letting even Theo Walcott look like a worldbeater).
If Bale was actually that good coming infield then it would be worth it, but, well, he isn't, especially when that's VDV's best position. If nothing else, there aren't that many amazing right backs in the Premiership and you want him running at them. It's also a waste of a fantastic crosser of the ball, especially when Adebayor's there. Except he starts drifting out to the left when Bale's not there. Letting Modric drift out there is even worse because he's much more effective in the middle.
Newcastle aside, we've basically stopped winning since we started pissing around with the front five. Lennon's injury hasn't helped either, given we're overstocked with attacking midfielders we don't actually have anyone else effective to play there, it's weirdly threadbare. Certainly not Kranjcar, he's better on the left where he's never going to get a game, and not VDV either.
Also Gerrard went to shit when he was allowed to do whatever the hell he wanted as well.
― Homosexual Satan Wasp (Matt DC), Sunday, 25 March 2012 17:58 (twelve years ago) link
Actually what I'm most reminded of is all the dicking around people did with David Beckham's position, especially attempting to convert him into a central midfielder when he was the best crosser from the right flank in the world.
― Homosexual Satan Wasp (Matt DC), Sunday, 25 March 2012 17:59 (twelve years ago) link
an excellent summing up
― Number None, Sunday, 25 March 2012 18:02 (twelve years ago) link
ya, 100% otm
― less of the same (darraghmac), Sunday, 25 March 2012 18:08 (twelve years ago) link
misuse of krancjar as much-needed cover in lm/cm/vdv role is another seriously on-point criticism of arry this year.
― less of the same (darraghmac), Sunday, 25 March 2012 18:11 (twelve years ago) link
not misuse there, i mean more 'failure to use' arry seems to think he's a rm instead which he patently isnt
sort of amazing how little time has elapsed between bale being considered too limited for left wing and now so good he has to be given a free role.
id have predicted a few seasons at least, but once he scored the goal vs norwich it was inevitable.
he might have the chutzpah for a free role but he doesnt nearly have the sense for finding space around the penalty area that gerrard developed. kakà was preternarurally adept at it, bale just runs straight into trouble.
gerrard /is/ better in a free role, his string of backpass assists for henry drogba and zidane showed how he never had the concentration of a great midfield player. bale has already proven he can be a great left winger so the haste redknapp has shown in playing him inside is kinda stupid.
but i imagine this is going to be a recurring thing now whoever manages him, unless he ends up with someone like mourinho who never seems more than superficially impressed by any player. most of them are former players and ( w/ the odd exception like mancini) pretty limited ones, maybe they see a huge talent like bale and sort of relive their own desired career arc vicariously. i thought it was quite poignant when ferguson said of ronaldos thumping headed goal vs roma that it was the sort of goal /he/ would have scored. if only he was cristiano ronaldo.
― The term “hipster racism” from Carmen Van Kerckhove at Racialicious (nakhchivan), Sunday, 25 March 2012 19:30 (twelve years ago) link
eh was he ever considered too limited for lw? not since he was considered too limited for spurs at all, which was always a misconception for anyone that had seen him tbh.
― less of the same (darraghmac), Sunday, 25 March 2012 19:34 (twelve years ago) link
yeah he was bought as a lb and played there mostly at southampton before becoming reserve to ekotto. even when he first had success drafted in at left wing two yrs ago, redknapp still spoke of him as a future great at lb (or lwb, if they still existed)
― The term “hipster racism” from Carmen Van Kerckhove at Racialicious (nakhchivan), Sunday, 25 March 2012 19:41 (twelve years ago) link
he was bought for lb but lwb really, i'm not sure at 17/8 it was because he was too limited rather than at southampton (and even spurs) it was ok to just consider lb an extra lm
― less of the same (darraghmac), Sunday, 25 March 2012 19:55 (twelve years ago) link
this is some bill hitchert level obtuseness deems
― The term “hipster racism” from Carmen Van Kerckhove at Racialicious (nakhchivan), Sunday, 25 March 2012 20:07 (twelve years ago) link
eh i dunno how to respond to allegations like that tbh
i think players can break into a team in a position based on a lot more than where their talents would be maximised, and that's w/out takign into account any ensuing development over the formative years of their careers
― less of the same (darraghmac), Sunday, 25 March 2012 20:16 (twelve years ago) link
has the player said anything about wanting to move into a more 'free' role or has 'arry said something to the effect of 'he does it really well in training'? It seems odd how they continue with something that obv. isnt working just for the sake of it
― Thoughts? You must have loads. (a hoy hoy), Sunday, 25 March 2012 20:41 (twelve years ago) link
you a;lways assume it's player driven once it's obviously not working, i suppose? bale seems more than happy to continually drift in and try evermore hollywood shots/runs, doesn't seem to feel any onus to keep it simple and effective
― less of the same (darraghmac), Sunday, 25 March 2012 20:43 (twelve years ago) link
maybe if Adebayor was less wasteful he'd want to cross more.
― boxall, Sunday, 25 March 2012 20:46 (twelve years ago) link
that's probably a point but ffs he had crouch all last year when he was really killin it on the wing
― less of the same (darraghmac), Sunday, 25 March 2012 20:53 (twelve years ago) link
He was happy crossing to Crouch for long enough. Reckon it's manager driven.
― Homosexual Satan Wasp (Matt DC), Sunday, 25 March 2012 21:45 (twelve years ago) link
Price/value/hype is a factor imo - wingers don't cost what Bale is apparently valued at, therefore he has to look like more than a winger.
― A BIG JOE JORDAN TYPE OF POSTER (onimo), Wednesday, 28 March 2012 11:02 (twelve years ago) link
that's very true- lots of direct central players with end product as good or better than bale's, imo, but not all that many wingers with attributes- power, pace, skill, crossing- so suited to the role.
― less of the same (darraghmac), Wednesday, 28 March 2012 11:10 (twelve years ago) link