11 - Raphinha
- Thread starter snowy
- Start date
KingLeo10
Senior Member
More than Dembele had in 6 years at Barca probably
Dembele ain't scoring a hat-trick even if it'd 3 shots from 1 m out
Maradona37
Well-known member
The Dirk Kuyt special.Dembele ain't scoring a hat-trick even if it'd 3 shots from 1 m out
Temptation
Well-known member
Gnidrologist wouldn't though
Don Juan Laporta Estruch
Well-known member
I can't remember a middle aged player (24-27 years of age) ever having had such an exponential level of improvement. In his last season at Leeds, El Loco Bielsa couldn't get anything out of him and dropped him to the bench for a team that eventually got relegated.
Infact, when he did bring him back in the team it was as a right wing back as Bielsa didn't trust him to provide anything in the final third of the pitch.
From being shooed in at right wing back for a relegated EPL club to one of the best players in the world for an already developed player is downright mental.
Infact, when he did bring him back in the team it was as a right wing back as Bielsa didn't trust him to provide anything in the final third of the pitch.
From being shooed in at right wing back for a relegated EPL club to one of the best players in the world for an already developed player is downright mental.
Total-Football
Senior Member
Late bloomers do exists in football. Another one is Diego milito. Played most of his life for Zaragoza and did decent then moved to inter and played world class, won a treble, being arguably the most important player in the team, earning the title "prince" by inter fans , then going back to his former level after a year lol.
Maradona37
Well-known member
I was thinking about Diego Milito this morning strangely, after Gabriel Milito's thread was posted in lol.
Drogba is often used as an example too - he was probably class before but he really exploded hugely when he went to Chelsea age 26. And played in the second level in France for a while before joining Marseille aged 25.
Don Juan Laporta Estruch
Well-known member
No internet for you tonight Tommy Tank.
draconifire
NTC with a Positive attitude
After a DECADE we have a player that embodies the Captain's armband after Puyol.
He is the only player in a decade. We needed a player like this.
He has that Puyol in him.
He is the only player in a decade. We needed a player like this.
He has that Puyol in him.
BusiTheKing
Senior Member
His improvement has everything to do with the system. The good stuff he is doing currently is not something he failed at under Xavi, it's something he wasn't instructed to do at all, something he couldn't do when having to stay out wide.
He is still not great at creating with the ball at his feet against a stable defense but he's barely doing that under Flick. Under Xavi generally he got the ball too early in the moves for him to utilize his abilities.
Now he's on the move. In and out of spaces all across the attack, running deep, pressing like a mad man. Getting on the ball when the game is moving, at points when defenses are unsettled, when there is spaces and opportunities.
He is still not great at creating with the ball at his feet against a stable defense but he's barely doing that under Flick. Under Xavi generally he got the ball too early in the moves for him to utilize his abilities.
Now he's on the move. In and out of spaces all across the attack, running deep, pressing like a mad man. Getting on the ball when the game is moving, at points when defenses are unsettled, when there is spaces and opportunities.
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