Random football stuff

Mbappe should be on that list, that’s who I would have.

Him and Haaland are probably the biggest generational talents since Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi. Maybe Neymar too.

Yep it’s crazy. I look at the quality of number 9s in the late 90s and early 00s and it’s light and day the difference.

Ronaldo, Batistuta, Henry, Vieri, Shevchenko, Van Nistelrooy, Shearer, Haaselbaink, Kluivert, Inzaghi, Suker, Salas, Crespo, Romario, Trezeguet

The list goes on…

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It’s probably more to do with nostalgia but I seem to think that the quality in players since the early 2000s/2010s has probably dropped off a little. Few midfielders around at the moment are as exciting as the likes of Iniesta, Zidane, Figo etc.

Even De Bruyne who is probably the best in the premier league at the moment doesn’t really stand out to me

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Given that Werner, Luis Suarez et al don’t even make the shortlist but Firmino does - I assume this shortlist isn’t even the top 10 strikers out there.

I also go with Haaland based on that list. He excites me.

And yet the newer no. 9s have much better numbers than the older names that you mentioned.

I think that shows why comparing raw goals and assist numbers between these 2 eras is misleading.

But on topic, out of that list, MAGA Haaland by far.

Yeah, and in the 2000’s the likes of Eto’o, Villa, Ibrahimovic, Adriano, Torres, Drogba, Klose, Toni, Tevez, Rooney, van Persie, Forlan, Berbatov etc etc… many others who played for some mediocre teams because of the available quality at that time, who would nowadays play for top clubs and cost ridiculous money.

Older footballers had a certain artistic form that you just don’t see anymore. Zlatan is probably the last of that generation.

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Jenas is a cunt. Shit footballer, shit pundit and his hate for Arsenal is real

But he’s from the undoubtedly-East Midlands city of Nottingham, Dave :grimacing: Conflicted?

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Jena’s was the typical academy product that got the usual potential bigging up and produced so little.
So reminiscent of a boringly flawed system of nurturing and scouting real talent for me.

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I think a lot of it comes down to football becoming a more athletic sport and increasingly robotic. We’re seeing less “artists” on the pitch now because players are so heavily and intensely drilled to follow patterns of play.

And because teams are so high on the whole ultra intense pressing now as well we’re seeing average players in the spotlight because of their engines and ability to follow instructions rather than sheer brilliance.

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The Liverpool midfield being a prime example of this

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I know. What a pickle! The fact that Tom Hundred-stone is from there too makes me want to re-evaluate

Mbappe comfortably if he was on the list.

What a striker. I wasn’t into to football when he was at his peak but you always knew who he was. :fire::fire:

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Just the best player I’ve ever seen man. I honestly think if he avoids those back to back knee injuries which takes 2 and a half years out of his career then he would have hit an astronomical peak.

His time at Barcelona and Inter :fire: :fire:

Messi is the greatest player of all time but R9 is the best I’ve ever seen. He was a standout in an era of incredible players.

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Mate that was insane you literally liked my post the second I hit post :joy:

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It’s R9 mate I can’t help it :joy:

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@SRCJJ when R9 is mentioned

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SRCJJ is a bot. confirmed.

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