Zlatan Ibrahimovic Retires

[UpTheGunnerz]

Kane's 2018 World Cup golden boot in detail...

0 goals in the quarter final.
0 goals in the semi final (didn't pass for what would have been a crucial tap in for Sterling either)
1 goal v Colombia.
2 goals v Tunisia.
3 goals v Panama.

...this is like when Richarlison scored v Sebia and South Korea and thought he was R9 reborn before getting promptly knocked out by the first decent team they played in the quarters

You really have a strange beef with him

 

[jones]

I mean Kane's been one of the top 3 strikers in the world for 5-6 years.

If we take our Arsenal blinders off he's legitimately world class both for Sp**s and England and deserves to be in the company of most of the guys mentioned on here.

Don't see how that's even debatable really. Missing a pen in the WC doesn't change that. He was top scorer in the 2018 WC so it's not like he doesn't perform at major tournaments ( unlike someone like Lewandowski)

He's made awful career decisions though.

Is he though? Sure he's great for Sp**s but I don't see why anyone would have to call him world class for England, absolutely nothing special there. Lewandowski is **** for Poland mostly too but come on, on another level entirely talent wise no one outside the UK would think otherwise.

On the contrary his performances there are why I don't rate him as highly as England look better and more fluid without him. Think if you fully backed your team with someone like Vardy in there for a minute you could've even fluked a title.

Same goes for Sp**s, to be fair to him he added a lot of playmaking to his game but there's still a parasitic aura to him I've seen other players have. Somewhat intangible but players who'd rather tumble for a pen than take the chance they have always bottle it at some point.

 

[Rex Stone]

Kane's 2018 World Cup golden boot in detail...

0 goals in the quarter final.
0 goals in the semi final (didn't pass for what would have been a crucial tap in for Sterling either)
1 goal v Colombia.
2 goals v Tunisia.
3 goals v Panama.

...this is like when Richarlison scored v Sebia and South Korea and thought he was R9 reborn before getting promptly knocked out by the first decent team they played in the quarters

Missing two no shows against a top Belgium side as well lol.

That Croatia game was truly shameful stuff though. All time “he’s not him” performance.

Follows up that stinker with an absolute 1/10 performance in the Champions League final the next year when his team had made it through three rounds without him

 

[jones]

Bale had an elite 5 year run? When he played he was consistent.

Three year run at best from just before and after his move to Madrid. He's had three really good seasons at Madrid, none of them in consecutive years and none as good as his last year at Sp**s.

Part of his lack of playing time was his inconsistency anyway. Asensio Vazquez then later the Brazilian kids etc all got preferred to him at some point, shameful considering their relative talent or age.

 

[Rex Stone]

Three year run at best from just before and after his move to Madrid. He's had three really good seasons at Madrid, none of them in consecutive years and none as good as his last year at Sp**s.

Part of his lack of playing time was his inconsistency anyway. Asensio Vazquez then later the Brazilian kids etc all got preferred to him at some point, shameful considering their relative talent or age.

Came alive in 2010/11 at a world class level. Absolutely single-handedly buried the European champions and sent the then best right back in the world to the shadow realm. PFA POTY.

Was class the next year as well but him, Modric and van de Vaart were saddled with the likes of Huddlestone, Dawson and Redknapp. They were up there with Utd and City late on in the season at one point. PFA TOTY.

Obviously the famous 2012/13 season. PFA POTY.

2013/14 with Madrid another legendary season.

2014/15 was still a top performer and then in 2015/16 he banged in almost a goal a game, top performances in the CL semis and final then went on to be arguably player of the tournament in the Euros.

 

[Riou]

For as good as Shearer and Kane are, and they both are quality players even if a little overrated for me.

The fact that he had the mentality and adaptability to play for a top side that competes for honours, is why I will always have Rooney as the best English striker I have seen.

It's easier to be the "big fish in small pond" guy, than to challenge yourself and succeed at a club that NEEDS to win.

The fact that Alan is retired and Harry is 30 now and they only have 1 medal between them is a bit of a joke.

 

[jones]

Came alive in 2010/11 at a world class level. Absolutely single-handedly buried the European champions and sent the then best right back in the world to the shadow realm. PFA POTY.

Was class the next year as well but him, Modric and van de Vaart were saddled with the likes of Huddlestone, Dawson and Redknapp. They were up there with Utd and City late on in the season at one point. PFA TOTY.

Obviously the famous 2012/13 season. PFA POTY.

2013/14 with Madrid another legendary season.

2014/15 was still a top performer and then in 2015/16 he banged in almost a goal a game, top performances in the CL semis and final then went on to be arguably player of the tournament in the Euros.

BuRiEd EuRo ChAmPiOns bro Inter finished 6th that season they were absolutely shattered. Mourinho did his black magic extracting every last drop and running the team into the ground, took them half a decade to recover from him. Had a good breakout season but definitely not elite.

Year after they were never up there with anyone finished 20 points below the winners. Again good but not elite. The years after I give you but if 14/15 was a top performer season to you then you miss my point, it wasn't anywhere near the level of the year before or after.

 

[Rex Stone]

BuRiEd EuRo ChAmPiOns bro Inter finished 6th that season they were absolutely shattered. Mourinho did his black magic extracting every last drop and running the team into the ground, took them half a decade to recover from him. Had a good breakout season but definitely not elite.

Year after they were never up there with anyone finished 20 points below the winners. Again good but not elite. The years after I give you but if 14/15 was a top performer season to you then you miss my point, it wasn't anywhere near the level of the year before or after.

Brother he was PFA player of the year in 2010/11 how is that not by definition elite?

TOTY the next year and then POTY again how is that not consistent excellence?

 

[jones]

Brother he was PFA player of the year in 2010/11 how is that not by definition elite?

TOTY the next year and then POTY again how is that not consistent excellence?

He was a young Brit who had a couple of standout games, there's your explanation. Seven goals in the league from a wing forward who doesn't do much defending, Odemwingie more than doubled that that year ffs.

He's your compatriot I know I'm not going to get far with you on this. He was great but if those 10/11, 11/12 and 14/15 seasons are considered elite the word itself loses meaning.

 

[Rex Stone]

He was a young Brit who had a couple of standout games, there's your explanation. Seven goals in the league from a wing forward who doesn't do much defending, Odemwingie more than doubled that that year ffs.

He's your compatriot I know I'm not going to get far with you on this. He was great but if those 10/11, 11/12 and 14/15 seasons are considered elite the word itself loses meaning.

It was the players’ player award. Wasn’t a bunch of fat journos voting on that one.

The goal tally is such a stupid stick to beat him with. Are we taking back Robert Pires player of the year award from 2001/02 because he didn’t reach double figures?

 

[Tir Na Nog]

Nasri was a better option for player of the year that year. Or Berbatov/Tevez.

 

[Tir Na Nog]

Btw I think it gets overshadowed by the two seasons which followed but Van Persie had an insane second half to that season .

 

[GDeep™]

His legacy is his longevity, he’s overlapped 2 generations which is incredible. Played against a young Henry, played with Adriano etc, till today.

 

[jones]

It was the players’ player award. Wasn’t a bunch of fat journos voting on that one.

The goal tally is such a stupid stick to beat him with. Are we taking back Robert Pires player of the year award from 2001/02 because he didn’t reach double figures?

Players are influenced by garbage media as well and Bale was shoved down EVERYONEs throat that year.

You're right it's a stupid stick but to begin with these awards are even more stupid arguments. Henry never won a Ballon d'Or, Agüero got into the TOTY once in 10 years or so. I just checked the team and it includes Nasri as CM over Fabregas ffs.

 

[jones]

Btw I think it gets overshadowed by the two seasons which followed but Van Persie had an insane second half to that season .

Took him about two months to get warmed up though. Never seen another player nursed like that by his manager, Wenger would sub Chamakh after 60 minutes without fail to build the Dutch rat up.

When he actually started scoring we were already falling off. Before Chamakh lost his form and marbles with Cesc and Nasri fit and firing was the best we've looked in a minute.

 

[Riou]

Swear Pires got more assists alone in the 2002 Prem than Bale got goals and assists combined in 2010-2011, plus Bobby was much more important in our build up play too.

Gareth deserved his player of the year in 2013, but feel he didn't really deserve it in 2011 (I would have given it to Tevez myself) he kinda got the Prem player of the year award, based on a losing hattrick v Milan in the Champions League...Spursy!

 

[Rex Stone]

Players are influenced by garbage media as well and Bale was shoved down EVERYONEs throat that year.

You're right it's a stupid stick but to begin with these awards are even more stupid arguments. Henry never won a Ballon d'Or, Agüero got into the TOTY once in 10 years or so. I just checked the team and it includes Nasri as CM over Fabregas ffs.

I’m not going to criticise the players too much for not being more enlightened about the game they play every day since they were toddlers unlike us Internet geniuses.

Well the Nasri selection was because he played more right? Also swear he bagged a lot of goals and assists like @Tir Na Nog said.

Fabregas didn’t even get to 30 games iirc. Same issue with Aguero. Best striker in the PL but made of papier mache so for season awards he never met the criteria.

 

[jones]

I’m not going to criticise the players too much for not being more enlightened about the game they play every day since they were toddlers unlike us Internet geniuses.

Well the Nasri selection was because he played more right? Also swear he bagged a lot of goals and assists like @Tir Na Nog said.

Fabregas didn’t even get to 30 games iirc. Same issue with Aguero. Best striker in the PL but made of papier mache so for season awards he never met the criteria.

Not the "players know more than basement dwellers" argument do you want me to pull up all the dodgy inclusions for these award things? Owen and Nedved better players than Henry to you too?

Nasri was very good that year but he was a winger for us. Include him over Nani or Bale not as a CM when he barely played there.

Ljungberg won POTY in 2002 but somehow the geniuses who voted the TOTY found a way to get Giggs ahead of him in there who played even fewer games than Fabregas did in 2010. Would rather find a way to twist myself into believing Bale was world class in 2010 already than take these popularity contests seriously.

 

[sergio_giorgini]

He and Pogba are the 2 most technically gifted tall players I've ever seen. What Zlatan could do as a dribbler when he was younger and the way he could contort his body right up until the end to score some of those volleys and make some of those little flicks he used to make were just remarkable for a guy that size. Totally disproves the notion that little hobbits like @farzad4daarse are the only gift to football. You can be an adult size and a generational talent as well, no Napoleon complex necessary.

Too young to remember Kanu?

 

[Rex Stone]

Not the "players know more than basement dwellers" argument do you want me to pull up all the dodgy inclusions for these award things? Owen and Nedved better players than Henry to you too?

Wasn’t the Ballon d’Or a complete joke back then because you had only journalists voting on it until like 2005?

Swear they only got players involved much later after the Thierry Henry robberies.

Nasri was very good that year but he was a winger for us. Include him over Nani or Bale not as a CM when he barely played there.

Ljungberg won POTY in 2002 but somehow the geniuses who voted the TOTY found a way to get Giggs ahead of him in there who played even fewer games than Fabregas did in 2010. Would rather find a way to twist myself into believing Bale was world class in 2010 already than take these popularity contests seriously.

My point is that he was still “very good” if not great in a solid stretch of seasons.

Your argument fits for Eden Hazard who’d take entire years off at a time *cough 2015/16 cough* but Bale until he was ruined by injuries was a reliably good player imo.