OT: Alphonso Davies (and other European football talk)

[Zaddy]

UEFA Nations League starting up again. No great games today really, watching a bit of Netherlands - Poland but that's it. But tomorrow it's game on, Sweden - France. Lets see if we can beat the French again like we did in 2017. Should be a good one. You also have Iceland - England, Denmark - Belgium and Portugal - Croatia. All interesting games.

 

[EchoesoftheEighties]

Messi staying at Barca. Lmao what a lose-lose situation. IMO only way Messi stays is if they win CL or else Pep comes back.

 

[Bangers]

Messi staying at Barca. Lmao what a lose-lose situation. IMO only way Messi stays is if they win CL or else Pep comes back.

We'll see. Bartomeu will be gone from the club by next season, and there aren't many clubs in the world that can meet Messi's salary requirements.

I wouldn't be surprised if this is all a memory by next summer, but a lot will depend on who the new board is.

 

[Bryanbryoil]

Messi staying at Barca. Lmao what a lose-lose situation. IMO only way Messi stays is if they win CL or else Pep comes back.

So will Suarez stay or is he Juventus bound?

 

[LemmyUlanov55]

We'll see. Bartomeu will be gone from the club by next season, and there aren't many clubs in the world that can meet Messi's salary requirements.

I wouldn't be surprised if this is all a memory by next summer, but a lot will depend on who the new board is.

Spot on!
While Messi is without a doubt one of the greatest players in football history, his annual summer drama has become boring years ago. Usually ends with a hefty raise (his ~50M a year needed a lot of media kerfuffle within the last decade) and a whole lot of public praise by the Barca board & teammates.

 

[Bangers]

So will Suarez stay or is he Juventus bound?

He's definitely gone. Barca's new manager told him he was done with the club.

 

[Bryanbryoil]

He's definitely gone. Barca's new manager told him he was done with the club.

But will Messi convince them to keep him? Is he still a quality player or is he pretty much done after his injury?

 

[Bangers]

But will Messi convince them to keep him? Is he still a quality player or is he pretty much done after his injury?

The club has already met with his agent to discuss dissolving his contract and he's being forced to train alone. He's still a good player, but he's definitely slowing - at this point, he's more of a player that needs to be rotated. When you combine that with his massive wage and the fact that the manager doesn't want him, he's a goner.

 

[Bryanbryoil]

The club has already met with his agent to discuss dissolving his contract and he's being forced to train alone. He's still a good player, but he's definitely slowing - at this point, he's more of a player that needs to be rotated. When you combine that with his massive wage and the fact that the manager doesn't want him, he's a goner.

How do you think he'd fit in with Ronaldo and Dybala?

 

[Oilhawks]

Still can't believe Low is with Die Mannschaft. The guy peaked in 2014 and should have been let go after the last World Cup debacle. Now they've dropped two leads in a row to end in draws in the Nations League. Yeah they're missing a few players: Kimmich, Goretzka, Gnabry and Neuer (though this fool snubbed Bayern vets anyhow).

 

[MuzzaFuzza]

He's already one of the best in his position in the world. He's 19.

The guy is incredible honestly. He's still out of position defensively a little too often and relies on his pace to defend but with time he'll be fine. Offensively he's definitely a difference maker.

Long term he might even transition to a winger instead of LB but again HE'S NINETEEN. Amazing what he's doing at his age.

Exciting times for sure!

From someone who is a complete soccer noob. Which positions are generally seem as the most integral to a team's success?

 

[EchoesoftheEighties]

From someone who is a complete soccer noob. Which positions are generally seem as the most integral to a team's success?

I'd say midfield but it totally depends on how the team is run. A good midfield would basically be equivalent to having really good centres in hockey. Then probably defence and I'd specifically point to CB honestly.

But again it really depends on the team and style. I'm a Liverpool fan and most of their attack is actually generated from good crosses coming in from the wings as opposed to creativity in the midfield so our LB and RB are integral to the system.

In Bayern's system they use Davies' pace to get it into the attacking area quite a bit so he's relied upon already. Consider him like a good young puck moving d man on the top pairing already? Something like that if I had to pick a comparable haha. I would've been thrilled to even have him as a useful sub on Bayern but to be a starter at his age on that team is awesome and way surpasses what I expected.

 

[MuzzaFuzza]

I'd say midfield but it totally depends on how the team is run. A good midfield would basically be equivalent to having really good centres in hockey. Then probably defence and I'd specifically point to CB honestly.

But again it really depends on the team and style. I'm a Liverpool fan and most of their attack is actually generated from good crosses coming in from the wings as opposed to creativity in the midfield so our LB and RB are integral to the system.

In Bayern's system they use Davies' pace to get it into the attacking area quite a bit so he's relied upon already. Consider him like a good young puck moving d man on the top pairing already? Something like that if I had to pick a comparable haha. I would've been thrilled to even have him as a useful sub on Bayern but to be a starter at his age on that team is awesome and way surpasses what I expected.

Thanks for the explanation! I watch pretty much every other sport but have never dedicated the time to following soccer but i want to start

 

[Cloned]

Went from 75K to 230K subscribers in the 1.5 days since I posted the last video. LOL.

 

[LemmyUlanov55]

Still can't believe Low is with Die Mannschaft. The guy peaked in 2014 and should have been let go after the last World Cup debacle. Now they've dropped two leads in a row to end in draws in the Nations League. Yeah they're missing a few players: Kimmich, Goretzka, Gnabry and Neuer (though this fool snubbed Bayern vets anyhow).

Löw won't be let go, the '14 WC win basically gave him a "get out of jail" - card. As long as he's loved by the media and has a good relationship with the DFB (German Football Fed), his job is save. Guess the only way we'll be able to get a new coach is if things get horribad and he'll step down. We europeans know a thing or two about OBC's aswell.
On top of that, it's just the Nations League. Hardly anyone cares about it and while I get the appeal for smaller nations, WC & EC is all that matters to most football fans when it comes to international team competition in europe.

 

[Bangers]

How do you think he'd fit in with Ronaldo and Dybala?

Honestly, no idea. I don't really watch Serie A, and even if I did, Pirlo will be looking to put his stamp on the club, so it's hard to tell.

They've already let Matuidi go, stole Arthur in a swap with Barca for Pjanic, Rabiot and Ramsey both want out, and there are rumours Pirlo is willing to move both Ronaldo and Higuain.

Still, slow technically skilled veterans do well in Serie A, so I wouldn't be surprised to see him pick up his game there. Plus, Juventus play so many games that a primary bench player will still get 30+ games.

 

[Bangers]

I'd say midfield but it totally depends on how the team is run. A good midfield would basically be equivalent to having really good centres in hockey. Then probably defence and I'd specifically point to CB honestly.

But again it really depends on the team and style. I'm a Liverpool fan and most of their attack is actually generated from good crosses coming in from the wings as opposed to creativity in the midfield so our LB and RB are integral to the system.

In Bayern's system they use Davies' pace to get it into the attacking area quite a bit so he's relied upon already. Consider him like a good young puck moving d man on the top pairing already? Something like that if I had to pick a comparable haha. I would've been thrilled to even have him as a useful sub on Bayern but to be a starter at his age on that team is awesome and way surpasses what I expected.

While I agree with what you wrote, there's a reason why top strikers start at 100 million pounds/euros.

 

[Bryanbryoil]

While I agree with what you wrote, there's a reason why top strikers start at 100 million pounds/euros.

Strikers are the equivalent of goalscoring wingers in hockey. Ultimately someone has to bury chances as there are only so many penalties and own goals scored. That said someone has to get them the ball and mids are like the centers in the NHL game.

What surprises me is how poor of passers and how poor of a first touch some strikers have. They are basically one dimensional. A couple examples of this would be Icardi and Lukaku.

 

[Bangers]

Strikers are the equivalent of goalscoring wingers in hockey. Ultimately someone has to bury chances as there are only so many penalties and own goals scored. That said someone has to get them the ball and mids are like the centers in the NHL game.

What surprises me is how poor of passers and how poor of a first touch some strikers have. They are basically one dimensional. A couple examples of this would be Icardi and Lukaku.

I'd say the football equivalent of high scoring wingers are ... high scoring wingers Players like Neymar, Mbappe (even though he plays striker), Salah and Sterling all fit into that category.



These days, it seems that is where more of the talent is - there aren't too many true #9s any more. The only ones I can think of off the top of my head are Lewandowski, Kane and Suarez (and Ronaldo when he was built like a tank).

Midfielders are also changing. Most top teams no longer play with a true #10 in the hole (Man United might be the lone exception with Bruno Fernandes). These days, even Kevin de Bruyne plays more of a #8 role in the middle of the field.

Otherwise, the striker will be the playmaker, like Benzema at Real Madrid or Firmino at Liverpool.

 

[Zaddy]

From someone who is a complete soccer noob. Which positions are generally seem as the most integral to a team's success?

There is no easy answer. It all depends on which tactical system a team and coach employs. For City under Pep Guardiola (also known as The Bald Fraud by FPL managers, and The Philosopher by Zlatan) I'd say the most important guys have been the central midfielders who operate in the half-spaces, David Silva and Kevin de Bruyne. On other teams it's the high-scoring wingers like Salah in Liverpool. Wingbacks are becoming increasingly important as well as many teams clog up the center of the pitch. Some teams rely a lot on their striker whereas other teams don't even employ a real striker. So it really depends from team to team, but generally whoever facilitates offense or is able to control the play would be the most important player on any given team I'd say.

 

[Llamamoto]

There is no easy answer. It all depends on which tactical system a team and coach employs. For City under Pep Guardiola (also known as The Bald Fraud by FPL managers, and The Philosopher by Zlatan) I'd say the most important guys have been the central midfielders who operate in the half-spaces, David Silva and Kevin de Bruyne. On other teams it's the high-scoring wingers like Salah in Liverpool. Wingbacks are becoming increasingly important as well as many teams clog up the center of the pitch. Some teams rely a lot on their striker whereas other teams don't even employ a real striker. So it really depends from team to team, but generally whoever facilitates offense or is able to control the play would be the most important player on any given team I'd say.

Yeah, that's an extremely tough question. I play a lot of soccer, and I'd probably choose center midfielders. They might not facilitate offense as much as strikers/wingers, but they affect literally every part of the game.

 

[EchoesoftheEighties]

I'd say the football equivalent of high scoring wingers are ... high scoring wingers Players like Neymar, Mbappe (even though he plays striker), Salah and Sterling all fit into that category.



These days, it seems that is where more of the talent is - there aren't too many true #9s any more. The only ones I can think of off the top of my head are Lewandowski, Kane and Suarez (and Ronaldo when he was built like a tank).

Midfielders are also changing. Most top teams no longer play with a true #10 in the hole (Man United might be the lone exception with Bruno Fernandes). These days, even Kevin de Bruyne plays more of a #8 role in the middle of the field.

Otherwise, the striker will be the playmaker, like Benzema at Real Madrid or Firmino at Liverpool.

Honestly not wrong and I gave a more classical answer. Salah and Mane may be LFCs stars but our best player imo is VVD he's the one that truly made them take that next step. Trent and Robbo is where the creativity comes from..etc. And of course you're spot on about Bobby, he's the one opening up space for the wingers allowing them to be as deadly as they are

It's the same in hockey though do you take the #1D or the #1C? Can't go wrong with either and depends on the makeup of your roster. Is VVD the best? Is KDB? It's all subjective and honestly there's no wrong answer just depends on your take.

I hope this made sense though to @MuzzaFuzza

 

[MuzzaFuzza]

Thanks for all the replies! I guess i just always figured that strikers were the most important and i don't understand the nuances of the game at all, really interesting stuff though.

Going to have to start dedicating myself to following it a little more. Especially with a young Canadian like Davies on the rise

 

[Drivesaitl]

I'd say midfield but it totally depends on how the team is run. A good midfield would basically be equivalent to having really good centres in hockey. Then probably defence and I'd specifically point to CB honestly.

But again it really depends on the team and style. I'm a Liverpool fan and most of their attack is actually generated from good crosses coming in from the wings as opposed to creativity in the midfield so our LB and RB are integral to the system.

In Bayern's system they use Davies' pace to get it into the attacking area quite a bit so he's relied upon already. Consider him like a good young puck moving d man on the top pairing already? Something like that if I had to pick a comparable haha. I would've been thrilled to even have him as a useful sub on Bayern but to be a starter at his age on that team is awesome and way surpasses what I expected.

Beautiful answer. The way I see it. I love great service. Clinical balls put through by midfielders. To me its the coiled spring of any good football offense. If you don't have sublime midfielders that surgically create you of course end up with far less long balls and finish. So whereas the strikers get more of the glory the goals are created in midfield.

The only exception is that I would say Center players are even more important in Football. As well that the open wing setups don't occur much either without first good service from midfield. The midfield again being what services the stretch and exploit of opponents.

I'm predisposed to German play however.

 

[Bryanbryoil]

Thanks for all the replies! I guess i just always figured that strikers were the most important and i don't understand the nuances of the game at all, really interesting stuff though.

Going to have to start dedicating myself to following it a little more. Especially with a young Canadian like Davies on the rise

I have watched a lot of soccer since my kids started playing it. Think of McDavid not getting the puck due to a poor break out. You need everyone pulling their weight and you need to be able to bring unpredictability to your game or it will be easy to shut your team down. The mids are extremely important, but the forwards also need to make runs to get open. It really is a beautiful game when played properly.