Cr150

[Fati_Future_BallonDor]

I would say Messi, Cristiano, Iniesta, Xavi and then maybe Robben, Ribery, Suarez, Modric.

Robben, Ribery, Suarez were topclass but modric was imo on another level, even though its difficult to compare different positions. He and Ronaldo were the main reason why Real won 4 times in 5 seasons, the season in which they didnt win was the season in which modric was injured.

 

[JohnN]

Robben, Ribery, Suarez were topclass but modric was imo on another level, even though its difficult to compare different positions. He and Ronaldo were the main reason why Real won 4 times in 5 seasons, the season in which they didnt win was the season in which modric was injured.

I would say Ramos was as important. Some season's the refs were motm actually.

 

[serghei]

Modric's influence on Madrid's CL success is overrated on this forum. Madrid won those CLs mostly on a counter-attacking set-up with a killer striker combo in Ronaldo and Benzema, and elite fullbacks like Marcelo, Carvajal. Add to that the clutch goals by Ramos and the superb performances of Navas in CL and you get that 3peat. Not to say Modric, Kroos and Casemiro weren't very good, but Madrid were dominated in midfield in quite a number of games and scraped through thanks to those star players.

Ronaldo, Ramos, Marcelo, Navas are all ahead of him. Others too arguably.

 

[DonAK]

I'd agree with that. Honorable mention for the likes of Carvajal and Casemiro too.

Some KO games their recipe for success was literally Marcelo or Carvajal crossing to CR7, Bale and Benzema.

 

[FinBarcelonafan]

Modric's influence on Madrid's CL success is overrated on this forum. Madrid won those CLs mostly on a counter-attacking set-up with a killer striker combo in Ronaldo and Benzema, and elite fullbacks like Marcelo, Carvajal. Add to that the clutch goals by Ramos and the superb performances of Navas in CL and you get that 3peat. Not to say Modric, Kroos and Casemiro weren't very good, but Madrid were dominated in midfield in quite a number of games and scraped through thanks to those star players.

Ronaldo, Ramos, Marcelo, Navas are all ahead of him. Others too arguably.

Kroos is the weakest of the three. Casemiro and Modric were class. Saying they were not as good as those others is wrong imo.

 

[serghei]

Kroos is the weakest of the three. Casemiro and Modric were class. Saying they were not as good as those others is wrong imo.

Not at all. Watch the Clasicos back then. We used to control the midfield relatively easily against them. That Madrid team was a team filled with clutch performers who used to score class goals with crosses all the time. Usually with few midfield combinations. They were very very heavy with crosses under Zidane, which is why the fullbacks were among the most important pieces.

I'd say Ronalo, Marcelo, Ramos, Navas. These 4 were the most clutch. Unsurprisingly these were also the players who gave us the most problems in the Clasicos.

Don't think Kroos was any weaker than Modric. For what? Kroos was among the best crossers in the game for nearly a decade. Very solid midfield without any real heroes that Modric - Kroos - Casemiro. Everyone did their part well.

 

[Morten]

Modric's influence on Madrid's CL success is overrated on this forum. Madrid won those CLs mostly on a counter-attacking set-up with a killer striker combo in Ronaldo and Benzema, and elite fullbacks like Marcelo, Carvajal. Add to that the clutch goals by Ramos and the superb performances of Navas in CL and you get that 3peat. Not to say Modric, Kroos and Casemiro weren't very good, but Madrid were dominated in midfield in quite a number of games and scraped through thanks to those star players.

Ronaldo, Ramos, Marcelo, Navas are all ahead of him. Others too arguably.

I'd say we had midfield dominance in 16/17 in almost every CL-game, also, i would point out that Modric was probably our top performer against Liverpool in 17/18, when rest of the team was struggling in the first half.

 

[serghei]

I'd agree with that. Honorable mention for the likes of Carvajal and Casemiro too.

Some KO games their recipe for success was literally Marcelo or Carvajal crossing to CR7, Bale and Benzema.

Yep, actually, Casemiro is the underrated one in the midfield structure. I remember early days, after Alonso left, and before Casemiro being an undisputed starter, with Madrid having a lot of problems and trying to force 3 CMs and charge Kroos with more defensive duties which failed abysmally. Until Casemiro settled in, that midfield never looked to be running right.

We kind of need to find the same player at Barca.

 

[serghei]

I'd say we had midfield dominance in 16/17 in almost every CL-game, also, i would point out that Modric was probably our top performer against Liverpool in 17/18, when rest of the team was struggling in the first half.

Bayern? When you were holding for dear life on Bernabeu and they were denied 2 blatant penalties? Thiago was best CM on the field on Bernabeu on the night, and I'm one of his biggest detractors here.

And in 16-17 Ronaldo pretty much sealed the tie with Atletico. And when you were in trouble in the return leg and you were getting a bit boxed in and pressured, panicking a bit, Benzema took on 3 players, beat all of them and gave you the away goal.

And in the final, again, first goal, cross Carvajal, goal Ronaldo (again, most through fullbacks) . Then goal Casemiro from long range. Then Modric cross for Ronaldo (nice cross, but again, from a fullback position). Then another fullback, Marcelo, cross for 4-1.

Mostly wing play with fullbacks. Very few central combinations.

 

[Morten]

Bayern? When you were holding for dear life on Bernabeu and they were denied 2 blatant penalties? Thiago was best CM on the field on Bernabeu on the night, and I'm one of his biggest detractors here.

Yes?
Nobody really played well against Bayern in 17/18, if thats the one you are talking about.
16/17? I thought we played better than Bayern in both legs.

 

[serghei]

Yes?
Nobody really played well against Bayern in 17/18, if thats the one you are talking about.
16/17? I thought we played better than Bayern in both legs.

Ok, but now you're making it sound as if I said Modric was crap. No, he was very good, just not a standout big performer when compared with the type of magic players like Ronaldo, Ramos, Marcelo, and Navas produced. And Carvajal and Casemiro too.

Zidane's Madrid will go down as having a very direct and ruthlessly efficient wing-play style built on the best fullback pair in the world at the time in Carvajal and Marcelo (who was basically both a fullback and a winger), the best 16m box predators in the world in Ronaldo, Benzema and partly Bale, and a major leader in Ramos. Plus a clutch goalkeeper.

Only then we can talk about a very solid midfield. The most used pattern of play that the midfield executed perfectly was the long diagonal ball to fullbacks in space when teams went excessively narrow. But that was fairly basic at that level. From then, low cross, high cross, cutback, and goal. I have seen this goal a dozen times repeated against Bayern, Atletico, Juventus, you name it.

It was all very automatic and precise. They had a plan and implemented it well. Modric had very little creative license to dwell on the ball and it was very little emphasis on a typical no10 elaborate playing style, with long build-ups, intricate passing sequences etc.

Basically, it was the opposite of Messi Barca, where, indeed, Messi is the main violin.

 

[Morten]

Ok, but now you're making it sound as if I said Modric was crap. No, he was very good, just not a standout big performer when compared with the type of magic players like Ronaldo, Ramos, Marcelo, and Navas produced. And Carvajal and Casemiro too.

Zidane's Madrid will go down as having a very direct and ruthlessly efficient wing-play style built on the best fullback pair in the world at the time in Carvajal and Marcelo (who was basically both a fullback and a winger), the best 16m box predators in the world in Ronaldo, Benzema and partly Bale, and a major leader in Ramos. Plus a clutch goalkeeper.

Only then we can talk about a very solid midfield. The most used pattern of play that the midfield executed perfectly was the long diagonal ball to fullbacks in space when teams went excessively narrow. But that was fairly basic at that level. From then, low cross, high cross, cutback, and goal. I have seen this goal a dozen times repeated against Bayern, Atletico, Juventus, you name it.

It was all very automatic and precise. They had a plan and implemented it well. Modric had very little creative license to dwell on the ball and it was very little emphasis on a typical no10 elaborate playing style, with long build-ups, intricate passing sequences etc.

Basically, it was the opposite of Messi Barca, where, indeed, Messi is the main violin.

I'd say he was the top performer in midfield, more often than not he was the best of the trio, maybe it didnt happen too often but there were times were he got the team through rough patches.

Its true though, that Kroos and Modric did not take on the creative burden in the team, their roles in the team was to be difficult to dispossess under pressure, move the ball quickly and switch play.

I will say, winning CL without a great midfield rarely happens, before Kroos and Modric we didnt win it, even with the attacking talent we had.

 

[serghei]

I'd say he was the top performer in midfield, more often than not he was the best of the trio, maybe it didnt happen too often but there were times were he got the team through rough patches.

Its true though, that Kroos and Modric did not take on the creative burden in the team, their roles in the team was to be difficult to dispossess under pressure, move the ball quickly and switch play.

I will say, winning CL without a great midfield rarely happens, before Kroos and Modric we didnt win it, even with the attacking talent we had.

Every compartment works when you win CL. It's just that the approach of Madrid under Zidane was very un-midfield centric so to speak, unlikle Pep's Barca who was the complete opposite, every action started from midfield and the ball almost never went wide without major benefits.

So obviously, full-backs, and strikers had a more prominent role under Zidane. And Ramos with his goals. And, obviously, Navas with his clutch saves against elite opponents.

 

[Joan]

Don't see what you discuss. Barely a top 10 player.

 

[Rassvet]

Allegri: "He will have a completely different and greater responsiblity...Cristiano can't just be a goalscorer."