Argentina

[Temptation]

Di Maria isn't better than Robben. Take the emotions and feelings out of this and compare the 2.


Robben was absolutely unplayable and scary in his prime. Anyone who has watched him play knows how devastating he was.


ADM's club career is relatively underwhelming outside the Madrid stint which didn't last very long. Failed in the Premier League too which people conveniently forget.


Great player and definitely one of the most underrated but wingers like Robben, Bale, Salah, Hazard were simply better footballers overall.


Di Maria is an amazing sidekick but you never build your team around him because he isn't consistent or dominant enough. Argentina had Batman. ADM was the perfect Robin.

 

[Maradona37]

Di Maria isn't better than Robben. Take the emotions and feelings out of this and compare the 2.


Robben was absolutely unplayable and scary in his prime. Anyone who has watched him play knows how devastating he was.


ADM's club career is relatively underwhelming outside the Madrid stint which didn't last very long. Failed in the Premier League too which people conveniently forget.


Great player and definitely one of the most underrated but wingers like Robben, Bale, Salah, Hazard were simply better footballers overall.


Di Maria is an amazing sidekick but you never build your team around him because he isn't consistent or dominant enough. Argentina had Batman. ADM was the perfect Robin.

I get your point but I don't agree with Di Maria at club level. He was very good in his first spell at Benfica in that final season, which is what attracted Real Madrid to him in the first place. The Portuguese league was stronger then too. He was at Real Madrid for four years I believe and an integral part of the team, being able to play as both a winger but more often a midfielder who could advance to wide and forward areas. His playmaking was super and he was the MOTM in the 2014 CL Final. I still feel Real Madrid let him go too soon and it sort of ruined his career as he clearly didn't wanna go to Man United (I said that at the time). Saying he 'failed in the PL' doesn't really tell the full story, as he had zero desire to be there and had to face off-field issues such as his house being robbed. Plus he didn't get on well with Van Gaal. More context needed there.

Robben was more of a one-man army but Di Maria has been an absolute world-class player too. I would take Robben as he's one of my favourite players of the last 30 years, but still think you're underplaying Di Maria a little. I don't see how Bale is a better footballer than him either - better athlete, more devastating, yes, but Di Maria a better team player and better at link up, in tight spaces etc.

But overall they're all super players and it is splitting hairs a bit. There's no real need to rank them as they can all win you a game.

 

[khaled_a_d]

Di Maria was OG Dembele at RM, the guy used to outrun the passes that was made to him and misses it.

Ancelotti was the best thing that happened in his career when he put him in that midfield three after buying Bale and selling Ozil.

He was clutch with the NT, and he had a good durability, but it has made him a bit overrated too.

Very good player, arguably World Class, but any objective look at his career and he doesn't belong to those conversations at all. Maybe with Benzema because he himself got overrated because of lasting too long and having great end to his career, but nowhere near the likes of Suarez and even Ibra is way ahead of him on club level (he had no chance to achieve trophies with Sweden).

There is a reason Barcaforum had nightmares from the idea of buying him during Bartomeu era.

 

[Maradona37]

Di Maria was OG Dembele at RM, the guy used to outrun the passes that was made to him and misses it.

Ancelotti was the best thing that happened in his career when he put him in that midfield three after buying Bale and selling Ozil.

He was clutch with the NT, and he had a good durability, but it has made him a bit overrated too.

Very good player, arguably World Class, but any objective look at his career and he doesn't belong to those conversations at all. Maybe with Benzema because he himself got overrated because of lasting too long and having great end to his career, but nowhere near the likes of Suarez and even Ibra is way ahead of him on club level (he had no chance to achieve trophies with Sweden).

There is a reason Barcaforum had nightmares from the idea of buying him during Bartomeu era.

Benzema AND Di Maria overrated? Hahaha ok, that is enough internet for me tonight.

I rarely agree with your takes (I am sure you said Cristiano Ronaldo is the second-best player of all time and that Varane was better than van Dijk). but even less so on this one.

Ibra the CL bottler whose best years came in a one-team league where PSG were ultra dominant is ahead of him at club level? If anyone is overrated it is Zlatan. He could produce magic like not many others but really is overrated as fuck based on what he actually done.

'he had no chance to achieve trophies with Sweden'

Pointless comment because I know for a fact Ibra would have been way less impressive for Argentina and way less of a foil for Messi (see Barca, where Ibra failed badly, ironic you're talking about Di Maria being a potential failure at Barca but talking up Ibra then) than Di Maria was.

Plus, it isn't that Sweden has no chance to win trophies. It's that Zlatan hardly had any good tournaments. He has zero excuse when Rodriguez, Hagi, Stoitchkov etc did so with similar-sized nations over the years. Even brolin managed it with Sweden themselves

Edit: Also, the Zlatan to Barca point isn't hindsight. I said the Eto'o and him deal was a laughably bad on the day it was done. Also said Robben and Sneijder were great players who would do well away from Real Madrid. So it isn't like I don't rate Robben or anything, despite what Tempt tries to suggest above.

 

[khaled_a_d]

Ibra was overrated for sure, but not as much as ADM, who get the recency bias in his side due to WC and Copa final performances. Ibra actually got a lot of criticism for his CL bottler performances btw, but kind off built a cult with his character, still an amazing player especially in the league and one of the best no9 of his generation. Ibra main problem was that he wasn't good enough main man for CL level, but not able to adjust as side kick.

ADM wasn't even sidekick at club or even NT level, he was a good player and part of good teams, that is where it ends.

 

[Maradona37]

Ibra was overrated for sure, but not as much as ADM, who get the recency bias in his side due to WC and Copa final performances. Ibra actually got a lot of criticism for his CL bottler performances btw, but kind off built a cult with his character, still an amazing player especially in the league and one of the best no9 of his generation. Ibra main problem was that he wasn't good enough main man for CL level, but not able to adjust as side kick.

ADM wasn't even sidekick at club or even NT level, he was a good player and part of good teams, that is where it ends.

Saying Ibra was an 'amazing player' and Di Maria was a 'good player' is absolute bollocks and proves (like most other football opinions you have) that you have a pre-conceived view of a player and try to create narratives to back up that view.

Calling Di Maria 'a good player who played in good teams' like he's Bruno Fernandes or Marcus Rashford in one of Man United's better sides is such fucking bollocks and severe underrating I don't know where to start. You're either clueless or simply have a problem with the player, so this conversation is over.

You also didn't address half my points or your hypocrisy, because you know there is no valid comeback.

 

[khaled_a_d]

Again, wrong from your parts, per usual.
Neither Bruno or Rashford were a good player nor did they play in good teams. Awful comparisons.

 

[Maradona37]

Again, wrong from your parts, per usual.
Neither Bruno or Rashford were a good player nor did they play in good teams. Awful comparisons.

Yeah I don't rate them as good players either, but some idiots do. That's why I used them.

Stop telling people they're wrong like an arrogant muppet, you think Cristiano Ronaldo is the second best player ever and are in the severe minority there.

I question if you were even watching football when Di Maria signed for Real Madrid.

Again, explain to me how you can accuse Di Maria of potentially failing at Barca, when Ibra actually did? Or how Zlatan cannot win trophies with Sweden when I have outlined several players of similar countries who did better at tournaments? Highlighting how weak a point that was from you.

Calling Di Maria a 'good player who plays in good teams, that is where it ends' absolutely shreds your credibility instantly.

 

[Maradona37]

IN future, try not to be an arrogant cunt who tells people they're wrong, as if you're Rinus Michels.

You and I clearly disagree on football in many ways, Hence us each thinking the other is clueless.

 

[khaled_a_d]

Stop telling people they're wrong like an arrogant muppet, you think Cristiano Ronaldo is the second best player ever and are in the severe minority there.

You are the one who is telling people what is their opinion worth, not me. So, get a grip rather than acting as an asshole and hating to be spoken at, the same way you literally did minutes earlier. Especially when half of your arguments is about "my opinion is worth more than yours, I don't believe in numbers so you can't prove me wrong"

 

[Maradona37]

You are the one who is telling people what is their opinion worth, not me. So, get a grip rather than acting as an asshole and hating to be spoken at, the same way you literally did minutes earlier. Especially when half of your arguments is about "my opinion is worth more than yours, I don't believe in numbers so you can't prove me wrong"

I never said my opinion was worth more than others - it's simply that your posts have a severely smug, arrogant, know-it-all air. Mine only have that in response to people like that, such as yourself and Temptation.

Numbers are overrated in football - numbers can be taken out of context to prove anything anyone wishes. Especially when most people use G/A rather than deeper analytics, which is the most superficial statistical analysis going. I am not the only one who thinks this, by the way, other people who I respect do too.

Still no response to what I said about your Zlatan points for Barca and his country, never mind, you clearly know you can't adequately reply to them.

 

[Maradona37]

Anyway, don't bother replying. I don't wanna talk further if you are going to pretend Di Maria was simply a 'good player part of good teams'. It's deeply disingenuous and I know you don't really believe that. You obviously just dislike the player.

Even players I dislike I admit are world-class.

 

[khaled_a_d]

Man, you are projecting what you literally do on others, It is hilarious.

 

[Maradona37]

First, you said this 'Di Maria was OG Dembele at RM, the guy used to outrun the passes that was made to him and misses it.'

Complete fucking nonsense about him outrunning passes and playing like Dembele, pulled out of your arse to attempt to give your posts more gravitas for any gullible, impressionable people who might read them.

THEN, you talked up the 'amazing player' Zlatan. You threw out a dig at Di Maria, implying he'd have failed massively at Barca. A complete hypothetical. This despite talking up the aforementioned Ibra, who we have cast-iron real world proof actually WAS a disaster at Barca. You clearly didn't spot the flaw and hypocrisy in your own argument. A flaw I have relentlessly pointed out and you have relentlessly avoided engaging with when directed.

THEN, you gave Ibra a pass for being woeful for Sweden at tournaments (like others do with Ronaldo in many many Portugal tournaments) because 'SWEDEN CANNOT WIN A TOURNAMENT'. When actually that is a straw man argument - nobody expects him to win fuck all with Sweden. The point is that playing for a smaller nation hasn't stopped the likes of Luka Modric, Luis Suarez, Diego Forlan (when Uruguay were just becoming a force again), Gheorge Hagi, Hristo Stoitchkov, James Rodriguez or Tomas Brolin himself for Sweden from vastly outperforming him at tournaments, even if none of them ever won a winners' medal (other than Uruguay in 2011 Copa America).

THEN, you totally wrote off Di Maria as a 'good player who played in good teams, that is where it ends'. Which is bollocks. Oh, and you also slagged off Benzema and called him overrated too - presumably because you rate Ronaldo so highly and buy into that bollocks about how Benzema was a liability and poor team-mate for Ronaldo until his last few years for Real Madrid. When actually Benzema facilitated Ronaldo really well and simply got abused for it by the plastic one's jealous fanboys who cannot handle anyone else receiving credit but him.

On top of all that, not only have you ignored my invitation to refute these points, but you have simply deflected onto my personality and an amateur psychological evaluation of my psyche in an attempt to evade here.

But apparently I am the cunt here? Good one, pal. So if you could answer these questions adequately please do. If you plan on ignoring them and attacking my character again, then you can just fuck off as I won't reply.

Cheers mate.

 

[jamrock]

Interesting debate before i got to bed

1. Robben is better than di maria overall.
2. There is no arguably in di maria being world class.
3. You can't get overrated due to performances in 3 titles back to back at international level, that's how we know the special players for the ones who aren't, that's a non sense line TBH.

Created bale's goal in the CL final

CW final,

Copa final

You can't take away that he's clutch as fuck when it matters to try and bring him down.

Dembele ain't ever doing that in his entire career, that comparison is just lazy and down right disrespectful.

4. benzema is better than Zlatan PERIOD, one was a flat track bully, who could never deliver at the highest level despite playing for all the biggest teams in Europe, the other one I don't need to say much, facts speak for themselves.

Oh benzema did it late, it doesn't matter, he DID IT.

Also different positions but Di Maria also better than Zlatan, because again he's not flat track bully.