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Zlatan Ibrahimovic Retires

jones

Captain Serious
Trusted ⭐
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.



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.
Reliably good but not world class is my whole point. He didn't go to complete sh*t like Hazard as I said before but he didn't consistently hit those heights of 12/13, 15/16 etc.

Not just injuries either, watched plenty of games he'd start or come on for and look demonstrably unmotivated, then the whole Golf Wales Madrid memeing and retiring at 32, can't call him reliable if he clearly doesn't care enough about the game.
 

sergio_giorgini

Dying on Mt.Neymar Hill
It's because they bossed the best league in the world where as Zlatan played his career in the retirement league. Zlatan's failure at Barce is a black mark too, where as Etoo, Suarez and David Villa were able to adapt to their system, Zlatan didn't really

Criminal people aren't mentioning Etoo, RVP and Villa in the last 20 years too

We all know Zlatan failed at Barca because Guardiola is a “spineless coward” who hasn’t got “any balls”! He bought a Ferrari and drove it like a Fiat. Guys clueless.
 

ArsenesCoatMaker

Established Member
Not the "players know more than basement dwellers" argument :lol: 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.

There's reasons for those though. Owen had more goals than Henry that year, had the Michael Owen FA Cup final where he scored twice against Arsenal, won a trebble of cups including the UEFA which had more sway back then.

Nedved was the main man taking Juve to a CL final the season he won it.

Wasn't Nasri a 10 when Cesc was injured? Would of been interesting to see how he'd have progressed if he stayed here when Cesc left
 

Rex Stone

Long live the fighters
Trusted ⭐

Country: Wales
Reliably good but not world class is my whole point. He didn't go to complete sh*t like Hazard as I said before but he didn't consistently hit those heights of 12/13, 15/16 etc.

Not just injuries either, watched plenty of games he'd start or come on for and look demonstrably unmotivated, then the whole Golf Wales Madrid memeing and retiring at 32, can't call him reliable if he clearly doesn't care enough about the game.

Ok well I’m still sticking to very good for those last three Sp**s years. Personally I think it’s clear he was great but whatever.

End of his career was absolutely not great but the guy just could not stay fit.

Post 2017 his muscles had disintegrated and it was clear he couldn’t perform for more than a few months at a top level without injuries.

Completely different player pre and post all the injuries.

He was still effective, came back and was banging them in for Sp**s during the pandemic but he had to rework his game completely.

Unlike a lot of wingers once their pace goes he was still smashing in some top goals tbf.
 

Farzad Stoned

Self-appointed Deprogrammer for the Cult of Mik 🟥

Country: USA

Player:Havertz
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.
Yeah Zlatan disproves Messi, Pele, and Maradonna. Ps stop building strawmen i never said tall people can’t play football; i just said short men see better at it.
 

Riou

In The Winchester, Waiting For This To Blow Over

Country: Northern Ireland

Player:Gabriel
If Owen deserved a ballon d'Or for his cup treble in 2001, then Thierry deserved 2 for his performances in 2004 alone.

Won a league title unbeaten, no other English side has done in the modern era...while Henry was also 100% the best player in the world that year, Owen was never the best player in the world in 2001 or any point.
 

jones

Captain Serious
Trusted ⭐
Ok well I’m still sticking to very good for those last three Sp**s years. Personally I think it’s clear he was great but whatever.

End of his career was absolutely not great but the guy just could not stay fit.

Post 2017 his muscles had disintegrated and it was clear he couldn’t perform for more than a few months at a top level without injuries.

Completely different player pre and post all the injuries.

He was still effective, came back and was banging them in for Sp**s during the pandemic but he had to rework his game completely.

Unlike a lot of wingers once their pace goes he was still smashing in some top goals tbf.
He was always injury prone though? Not like something that happened during the later years of his career he'd miss weeks of playing time regularly since breaking through at Sp**s.

Have to say I didn't take you to be such a blood and thunder militant Cymru boi. This guy played his entire career for Tottenham and Real Madrid yet you of Arsenal and Atletico heritage are defending him with your life.
 

Rex Stone

Long live the fighters
Trusted ⭐

Country: Wales
He was always injury prone though? Not like something that happened during the later years of his career he'd miss weeks of playing time regularly since breaking through at Sp**s.

Have to say I didn't take you to be such a blood and thunder militant Cymru boi. This guy played his entire career for Tottenham and Real Madrid yet you of Arsenal and Atletico heritage are defending him with your life.

Yeah it was a nightmare club career path ngl but you trying growing up with glorified Championship players like Chris Gunter and Joe Ledley as your star men.

Our best player was a Manc who skipped international duty because daddy Ferguson told him to.

With Bale we actually had a top 10 player in the world for a little bit who valued international success over club football.

Was always a Spud and Merengue second.
 

Dokaka

AM's resident Hammer
Ok well I’m still sticking to very good for those last three Sp**s years. Personally I think it’s clear he was great but whatever.

End of his career was absolutely not great but the guy just could not stay fit.

Post 2017 his muscles had disintegrated and it was clear he couldn’t perform for more than a few months at a top level without injuries.

Completely different player pre and post all the injuries.

He was still effective, came back and was banging them in for Sp**s during the pandemic but he had to rework his game completely.

Unlike a lot of wingers once their pace goes he was still smashing in some top goals tbf.

People always prop up Drogba because of his clutch moments in finals but for some reason don't give the same praise to Bale. Guy scored in Cup finals for fun, including this all-time banger in a CL final:


It's a shame injuries and (later on) a lack of motivation for football in general ended his career so early, guy was truly special. I still remember his break out season for Sp**s, ****ting myself playing them because Bale was truly unstoppable at that time. Literally just received the ball in midfield, turned around and banged it into the top corner from 40 yards out to win the game 3-2 against us, and everyone saw it coming.
 

Riou

In The Winchester, Waiting For This To Blow Over

Country: Northern Ireland

Player:Gabriel
Yeah it was a nightmare club career path ngl but you trying growing up with glorified Championship players like Chris Gunter and Joe Ledley as your star men.

Our best player was a Manc who skipped international duty because daddy Ferguson told him to.

With Bale we actually had a top 10 player in the world for a little bit who valued international success over club football.

Was always a Spud and Merengue second.

I think the side Wales had when I first got into football was as good as if not better than the one Bale played in, tbh.

You had a lot of quality players playing for you in the early 00s, Giggs/Speed/Bellamy/Hartson etc...always shocked me that it took you guys so long to reach a major tournament.

Guess it helps having your best player care, Ryan never seemed to really try as hard as he could.
 

Rex Stone

Long live the fighters
Trusted ⭐

Country: Wales
I think the side Wales had was as good as if not better than the one Bale played in, tbh.

You had a lot of quality players playing for you in the early 00s, Giggs/Speed/Bellamy/Hartson etc...always shocked me that it took you guys so long to reach a major tournament.

Guess it helps having your best player care, Ryan never seemed to really try as hard as he could.

Giggs was the master of the “muscle strain” before an international break. Gave absolutely zero f*cks about the team.

As for the others we had some absolute dreck in the back line and we just couldn’t get the ball to the strikers.

2016 was a more rounded side. A few PL standard defenders like Taylor and Williams, solid midfielders in Ledley and Allen with Bale and Ramsey being the star men.
 

Riou

In The Winchester, Waiting For This To Blow Over

Country: Northern Ireland

Player:Gabriel
Giggs was the master of the “muscle strain” before an international break. Gave absolutely zero f*cks about the team.

As for the others we had some absolute dreck in the back line and we just couldn’t get the ball to the strikers.

2016 was a more rounded side. A few PL standard defenders like Taylor and Williams, solid midfielders in Ledley and Allen with Bale and Ramsey being the star men.

Actually yeah, you're right...the 00s team was too top heavy, can't really think of any defenders you had from the top of my head from back then.

Looked up the team from the playoff defeat to Russia in 2003, have no idea who Darren Barnard is not gonna lie :lol:
 

Riou

In The Winchester, Waiting For This To Blow Over

Country: Northern Ireland

Player:Gabriel
EnhI0y.gif



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Reactions: A_G

Batman

Head of the Wayne foundation for benching Nketiah

Country: USA

Player:Saliba
Yeah Zlatan disproves Messi, Pele, and Maradonna. Ps stop building strawmen i never said tall people can’t play football; i just said short men see better at it.
I didn't build a straw man although if I had, it would also be taller than you. Also, it's weird that you're living vicariously through other small men's football achievements when you don't have any. 😂
 

Farzad Stoned

Self-appointed Deprogrammer for the Cult of Mik 🟥

Country: USA

Player:Havertz
I didn't build a straw man although if I had, it would also be taller than you. Also, it's weird that you're living vicariously through other small men's football achievements when you don't have any. 😂
It is funny you think god gifted you with the ability to know people’s personal history by exploring the deeper regions of your own ass. And no I won’t take the bait to brag about myself online although i have achievements that i would not soil or break confidentiality promises to share with likes of you or the clown posse on AM.
 

Farzad Stoned

Self-appointed Deprogrammer for the Cult of Mik 🟥

Country: USA

Player:Havertz
Yank on yank violence :drool:
Feck you Sauerkraut! For some reason @Batman can’t acknowledge the vertically challenged’s dominant role in football. Of all the terrible things i say to people on here that tick him off? I don’t even get why that statement and compliment to other people bothers him. These sexuals; taunt their skinny jeaned heartthrob too much then they start losing their sh.t over me pointing out that most of the all time best are short; oh no don’t get your panties in a twirl, i said something nice about short people
 
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