I just can’t agree with that personally, but he’s definitely a player that divides opinion. I just have a tough time seeing how someone with that level of threat and the output he’s had for a poor side relative to his own quality hasn’t gotten a shot at a bigger club. He was clearly priced out of a move when we were looking at him and they wanted something like 80m, but he’s very unlucky to still be at that club imo.
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Agree with your post on the whole, he’s a better player than Palace. He’s at least a top half talent.
But I do disagree with the tiny bit quoted, I think rather than luck its his own fault for the contract he signed. I’m sure it was good money and thats fair enough, I’m sure he felt he was a much better player than what he was earning, but I think his short term thinking is what cost him a move to a better side. He’d have got a move long ago if he hadn’t done that.
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I think he’s good, just not that level that makes me believe a lack of a trophies is unexpected for him.
He joined United way too early and got discarded in loan purgatory. Now he’s a premier league staple. I say he’s done well despite it all.
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Don’t think he’d be a regular starter in the England set up tbh if he’d have stuck with them.
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Lukaku played for Chelsea, Man U and Inter Milan and only won the FA Cup.
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Kevin Phillips deserved something out the game.
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Thats a good shout actually, only thing is he is what, 27? Got time to rectify that somewhat. But yeah, now you mention it, one FA Cup for him isn’t a great return so far, I hadn’t quite cottoned on to that.
I guess spending a few years at Everton did not help haha.
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Fat Ronaldo
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Michael Owen could be worth a shout.
OK, he got the FA Cup, League Cup (x2, plus one at Man U), UEFA Cup and UEFA Super Cup at Liverpool and a league title at Man U. So he didn’t win nothing.
But the trophies at Man U, he was very much a bit part player, past his peak. None of the ones at Liverpool were really elite trophies. I don’t rate the League Cup at all. The UEFA Cup is fairly meh, and the Super Cup is literally just a better Community Shield, I still don’t give a fuck about it.
Grudgingly, I obviously have to give maximum respect for the FA Cup win. Not only is the FA Cup glorious and significant, as it shall be for eternity, he won that single handedly. Thats his FA Cup not Liverpool’s. Liverpool and their handballing cunt Henchoz. I digress…
He really was a very talented player and I think he probably should have done a bit better out of his career. But I do appreciate that he didn’t exactly win nothing, and I’m sure he is very happy to have got that solitary league winners medal, but I do think sometimes he’ll find himself reflecting on how he can feel unlucky not to have won more major honours and done so while being a major part of it as the side’s main man up front.
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Yeah he was a massive player for England scored against all the big teams too. Would of smashed the England goal scoring record easily. One of the golden generation that should get a pass. The Madrid move really set him back followed by injuries.
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This one hurts. Shame.
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I doubt it. Most he ever got in a league season was 19. Absolutely a big game player though
He was on 40 goals and only 28 at his last cap. The record was 49 at the time. He would of easily surpassed Rooney’s 53 IMO.
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Fair enough, had 89 caps to do it though, Linekar only had 80
Not to mention he was probably already done as a top striker by about 2004 (or maybe 2005) after all the injuries. Had his body not failed on him he’s definitely having a longer England career and a more fruitful one in terms of goals scored.
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Riquelme. I think some of his fans tend to overrate him at times, they give him superhuman qulities basically… But definitely a brilliant player in his prime with Villarreal. Remember those games we had against Villarreal in 06, and his performances in those years in general… You could barely stop him at that time. Such a creator, a true number 10, not pacy or superagile, but you couldn’t get near the ball when he had it, always able to make some space for a pass (and boy he had a pass) or a shot with great dribbles and feints, even having a couple of players on him. Truly dominant for a few years and one of the best 10s around.
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Good pick. I’d put Mendieta and Valeron in that same sphere of master playmakers and amongst the best in Europe.
I’m gonna say Auba in this, in the last decade he’d comfortably have a record of a top 6 or 7 striker in Europe and I think all he has won is a couple of domestic cups ?
Harry Kane takes the cake at this point though @Phoebica
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Paul McGrath.
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How dare you!
I will die on this hill. Zaha over Pepe and we’d be flyyyyyying.