England - the aftermath
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Nah juste Fontaine's 13 goals in '58 was a fluke - I was there for all the France games, half of them were offside and the other half were deflections, half the crowd were screaming for VAR but the Russian linesman overruled the ref..
In isolation I don't think it necessarily does. But you're generally a decent player if you win it (Toto Schillaci being the exception to that rule). Generally speaking, I think Eusebio did enough outside of his domestic arena (and even within it, 317 goals in 301 games is ridiculous) to warrant some sort of 'great' tag. Not in the top tier. Maybe somewhere around the lower rungs of the second tier.
Like him or not, what has made Ronaldo a great is dedication, professionalism and sheer hard work. Qualities lacking in Rooney and too many of our players. When Vieira was at Man City Micah Richards told him he was the player he admired most and who he wanted to be like. In that case, Vieira asked him, why are you always the last to arrive for and the first to leave after training?
I know someone involved with Man Utd for a while. First into training were always Beckham, Scholes and Giggs at that time and they were the last to leave after practising on their own. They didn't have long careers by luck.
Don't get me wrong, Eusebio was a great. Both as a player and a man. As for Puskas and Di Stefano, heaven knows what they would be worth today. Or John Charles, the best player my dad said he saw, in front of Raich Carter.
I read that Bobby Charlton, who said Di Stefano was the finest player he ever played against, considered Scholes to be his favourite Man Utd player.
Dont get me wrong, i think scholes was a top player but i don't think he was at the world class level and i can see why charlton liked him forgetting his football,off the pitch he was a saint compared to many other players
Never spoke a word
Kept himself and his family away from the lime light
When I was younger I would get a bit sniffy about 'old' football. Then I saw extended footage of Real Madrid's 7-4 victory over Frankfurt. Puskas and, particularly, Di Stefano left me amazed. Astonishing players. Their first touch and close control was as good as anything I've seen since.
As for Cristiano Ronaldo, I admire him immensely. I'm one who doesn't believe in natural talent. I think that what you achieve in sport is down to hard graft and mental resilience. And I doubt that can be any who've worked harder in the history of the game than Cristiano Ronaldo. He had everything he needed in life by his 21st birthday, but unlike countless English 'boy wonders' wasn't going to settle for that. The only British sportsperson I've known get close such dedication in recent years is Andy Murray.
On Scholes, like BrAdY, I admire him as a person and agree that he was a terrific player. I just don't hold him in quite the esteem that others evidently do. Of all the midfielders we've produced over the past 25 years, he'd probably have got the closest to doing what Modric did last night, I just never saw him do out outside of domestic English football. All eyes turn to Phil Foden, I suppose. Wouldn't it be great if Manchester City sent him out on loan to a Spanish or Italian team for a season?
He said he could be a future Man United star, I don't think he ever compared him to Scholes.
He was quite fond of Le Tissier too:
https://www.thesun.co.uk/archives/f...sier-and-england-hero-john-barnes-as-a-child/
That was an amazing match. It was 7-3, BTW. It is hard to convey the feeling of sitting down to watch a European Cup Final in those early days of TV when TV still seemed some sort of miracle. Cup Finals and Home Internationals were normally the only football on.It was only possible because in those pre satellite days it was being played on British soil. To a ten year old like myself it cemented a great love for football. As it did for many others. I actually saw the last remaining player from that team, Gento when I went to the European Cup semi-final at Old Trafford in 1968.
Eintracht Frankfurt were no mugs, they beat Rangers 12-1 on aggregate in thevsemi-final.
Mentioned it last time this game was mentioned, but Bill Shankly's dad died at that game. You got the distinct impression that Shanks thought"What a way to go!".
I'm over it now
The World Cup is dead to me
Bring on Villa!
The World Cup is dead to me
Bring on Villa!
Thanks Barchullona. I ****ing love hearing recollections such as this. Very enjoyable chatting with you.
They show his edition of premier leagues 100 club quite often , and it is a joy to watch . One of my favourite ever players
Regarding England and producing players - ive often had this thought that if we do ever get a flair player it is almost coached out of them . 3 examples I use are Joe Cole , when he was 17 he used to juggle the ball down the wing and take the piss out of defenders . He then signed for Chelsea and became just a decent hard working midfielder , he had a good career but that flair was never in him again ...... Rooney , ended up not having a too shabby England career . But watch him in Euro 2004, he went on a run from near halfway line and won a penalty against France in similar to fashion to Mbappe , when did he ever do that again after that tournament , he just became a penalty box striker . - Michael Owen , we all remember the goal Argentina . When did he ever go on a run from outside the box again like that? He just became a penalty box striker too . We produce young players with a bit of X Factor now and then and by age of 21 it's gone .
more players should move abroad
more opportunity
and it gives you more experience and nous and ability
Marvelous player. He was often criticized for his lack of pace, which held him back from senior international duty, but watching his football brain work he really didn't need pace.
He related a funny anecdote in an interview I once saw. He wasn't fond of playing out wide he said, but often at the Dell late in a game he'd drift out to the one of the touchlines and hugged it. When the interviewer asked him why he did that when he didn't like playing on the wing, he said "Well, the sun was getting low and there was a strip of sunshine out there, and I preferred to be warm on the pitch" - or words to that effect.
Paul Scholes was dropped from England to accomadate Frank Lampard by some know nowt.
Bryan Robson was quite good.
Bryan Robson was quite good.
Agreed, could potentially add Walcott and Ross Barkley as more modern examples