Cafu, Roberto Carlos and Paolo Maldini were pretty rated
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yeah that was kind of my point.
The fact you had to jump in the wayback machine to when Dunster was still in double figures to find any players of note means they've kind of been forgotten about*.
*relatively speaking of course, id imagine a coach would not last long in the job if he actually 'forgot' to put a right and left back out there.
also, im very disappoint one of you lot didnt jump in there with a Tarek Elrich mention just to stir the good Member up.
i cant do everything around here lads.
Jordi Alba is one of the most important players at Barca imo. Marcelo over the last few years was one Madrid's most important.
A lot of it comes down to how the team plays and specifically how the 2-3 players ahead of the fullback on that side of the field play. Some fantastic partnerships between wingers and fullbacks in recent years.
ooh, id say Marcelo is prob the 2nd most vilified Madrid player over the last few seasons. I love watching him play, but boy, the Spanish media has very little time for him. For all of his excellence hes always gonna be thought of way less than blokes like Ronaldo, Bale, Modric, Ramos, Casillas, Benzema.
To be fair though, the way the same Madrid fans cant come to love Isco and Asensio makes me think they are all a bunch of dolts anyways.
Again, I dig watching Alba. But he, like Alves, seems to be more known as the dude that gets the through ball from Iniesta and gives it to Messi rather than anything he himself is responsible for. Poor Alba's a freaking footnote in the last dozen years of Barca excellence*.
*and thats no shade, if you're good enough to crack that team and consistently produce, then not one person (except Griff) on the planet can talk smack to you.
I can't claim to know how the spanish media treat/think of these guys. My impression of Marcelo in Madrid was basically that he was one of the few players able to provide spark and x-factor, creativity, when the going got tough and they were struggling to break a team down. He seemed able to come up with the cross, dribble, pass to create something from nothing. Not many others in the team were taking up that role.
I'm not a particularly big fan of Alba. But his partnership and understanding with Messi is pretty crucial to Barca in recent years. He's no footballing genius, but he makes the right runs at the right times to provide the option, and executes his pass to whoever finishes well with amazing regularity. As you said, how often has he cut back to Messi on the 18 to tuck one away. The other is Messi cutting in from right wing and switching to Alba breaking the defensive line who squares to *striker* to tap in.
You're right that he won't go down as a great. But jeez you notice a big difference in how the team plays and attacks when he's not on the field.
edit - and in itself, finding a pass to someone in the 18 yard box when there's 10 blokes in it is in itself a difficult task that many professional players have pretty low success rates on.
oh, i agree here. and we get to watch him as a neutral, so you love the good bits and quickly forget the not so good bits.
but yeah, hes a #10 playing in the wrong spot. i love him, but the Madrid fans have seen way too many silly moments to ever love him the way they love blokes who never made mistakes like Ramos, Raul and Casillas (i know, i know).
for a good span a few years back Messi, Iniesta and Alves used to absolutely terrorise his corner. The fact that he didnt just handle 3 of the greatest ever single handedly was all his fault apparently. Give me a team of 10 Marcelos and one Griff and you'll have me for life.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBWXYQZpEl8
8'44" of sheer joy for any Liverpool fan.
What a machine...
Also, while he always resembles a bit of a lost chicken, Henderson is playing like a man possessed.
And Mane is contributing. That goal was such good patience and persistence and class in the end.
Salah :wub:
Better team won. City will still win title. Buisness as usual
If City get through their Spurs, Spurs and Man Utd week, it will be well deserved.
If they drop points, it’s all on us.
It will suck if Liverpool can't get over City but looking at it now, it can't be discounted how incredible both of these teams have been. They've both sprinted from the beginning and get punished if they faltered at all.
Two incredible teams.
Liverpool on one screen, Tiger on the other. pretty dope way to spend a night watching sport.
Thought Liverpool were the better team, but wow, those couple of Chelsea chances usually go in.
maybe, maybe there is a little luck on Liverpools side.
Also, agree with Henderson. Still maintain his suspension was way more of a factor on them losing the title last time than Gerrards slip was (but the slip was funnier lets all be real here).
Hes been fantastic. Sensational that with 4 games to go its still a huge fight.
We made it easy with the false nine bullshit. Should've played Giroud
If your mate Hazard could score it wouldn't have been 2-0
Bloke showed exactly why he is not quite Real Madrid level with his woeful finishing
First one was slightly unlucky but the second one was Dimi like
Bloke proved why he plays for Chelsea last night
Good but not great