Euro 2024

[Morten]

They have a strong defence, energetic options in midfield with Kante, Tchouameni and Camavinga, and a wildcard in Mbappe. And if they are struggling, they can introduce Giroud as a target man. At international level those go a long way.

Not the most creative of midfield cores, but a defensively sound duo, no doubt.

 

[Maradona37]

Not the most creative of midfield cores, but a defensively sound duo, no doubt.

Kante is actually quite good with his dribbling and driving runs, but yeah I get what you mean.

Griezmann is the key to linking the midfield with the attack too, and he does it excellently.

 

[Maradona37]

Bruno is discussion over. He's the biggest fraud in the current game.

He's a good player to a point, but him, Pogba and Rashford are three of the most overrated players I have ever seen in my life - and I have been watching football since the 80s. Rashford and Fernandes are the epitome of players rated for out of context stats which mask mediocre performances. The two of them play the percentages in football, the idea that if you try something enough times it will happen - the law of averages. Bruno tries 10 risky passes a game and maybe two come off, and the rest are turnovers and set up counters for the opposition - which isn't quantified in stats. His decision-making is woeful, but he has great vision and can play a pass well sometimes.

The Man United effect of rating players on stats and moments.

 

[Morten]

He's a good player to a point, but him, Pogba and Rashford are three of the most overrated players I have ever seen in my life - and I have been watching football since the 80s. Rashford and Fernandes are the epitome of players rated for out of context stats which mask mediocre performances. The two of them play the percentages in football, the idea that if you try something enough times it will happen - the law of averages. Bruno tries 10 risky passes a game and maybe two come off, and the rest are turnovers and set up counters for the opposition - which isn't quantified in stats. His decision-making is woeful, but he has great vision and can play a pass well sometimes.

The Man United effect of rating players on stats and moments.

Tbf, Bruno is also dragged down by the fact that he is playing for United, i doubt there is a single player there that looks better for club than country.

Is Bruno a turnover machine, who doesn't understand the concept of controlling a game? Sure, but he also look worse at club level than he really is.

 

[Maradona37]

Tbf, Bruno is also dragged down by the fact that he is playing for United, i doubt there is a single player there that looks better for club than country.

Something is wrong with that club.

There's a big conversation about this on Redcafe. And I have been saying the following since long before they did...

You say he's being dragged down by United. There's an element of truth in that. It works the other way too though - the reason Man United are so wank is they have always catered to counter-attack moments players like him, Garnacho and Rashford. If they actually had possession footballers in their team they'd be doing much better.

I think you're letting Fernandes off the hook with that comment, as he's complicit in how wank United are with his style of play and giving the ball away all the time. Ditto Rashford. They'd be garbage without those two too, don't get me wrong, but those two don't make them any better either.

'Sure, but he also look worse at club level than he really is.'

I'd say the current club level Fernandes is closer to the real him than the one who beats up on Luxembourg and Slovakia for Portugal.

 

[Morten]

There's a big conversation about this on Redcafe. And I have been saying the following since long before they did...

You say he's being dragged down by United. There's an element of truth in that. It works the other way too though - the reason Man United are so wank is they have always catered to counter-attack moments players like him, Garnacho and Rashford. If they actually had possession footballers in their team they'd be doing much better.

I think you're letting Fernandes off the hook with that comment, as he's complicit in how wank United are with his style of play and giving the ball away all the time. Ditto Rashford.

I edited my comment, your reply so fast, hah.

He is not, and never will be someone who understands the concept of controlling the game, that i do admit.

 

[Maradona37]

I edited my comment, your reply so fast, hah.

He is not, and never will be someone who understands the concept of controlling the game, that i do admit.

Lol I am just spending time online before tonight's game, that is the reason for the fast replies. I am posting intensively as I have nothing else on today. I will probably post regularly though as most people on here seem friendly, even when I disagree with them, so it could be a good place to discuss football.

Maybe there's an element of me being too dogmatic in my football principles. I am an advocate of possession style football and Cruyff and Michels's principles, so when someone strays miles away from that (Ronaldo, Bale, Gerrard, Fernandes, Rashford, Haaland) I maybe slag them too much. The truth is probably somewhere in the middle.

 

[Fati_Future_BallonDor]

You know CR7 has been playing like absolute trash when his fans are foaming over a 3 m sideways pass

It was not the assist but the gesture to give the goal to a teammate, there is a reason why we call him humblenaldo

 

[Morten]

In fairness, Ronaldo has been playing decent, goals or not.

But this is the group stages, can he find the same level, or better, against the heavy-hitters in the knock-outs? I'm not sure about that.

 

[Fati_Future_BallonDor]

Think Germany Switzerland will be a boring game, both will be happy with a draw

 

[Maradona37]

In fairness, Ronaldo has been playing decent, goals or not.

But this is the group stages, can he find the same level, or better, against the heavy-hitters in the knock-outs? I'm not sure about that.

The best you can say about him is he hasn't been a disaster. But as always with him, the rudimentary is claimed to be the extraordinary.

Yesterday he had a few nice link ups, but messed a few up too, he had one nice dribble beating a defender at the by-line, and played a very basic pass to Fernandes after Turkey had a mare with their offside trap.

He also played a minimal numbers of passes, wasn't involved much, rarely pressed, and fucked up two great chances from a header and a shot on the edge of the box. I can't remember exactly but he might have had a trademark 'smack it into the wall' FK too.

Nobody can convince me that there would be lots of wanking if Lukaku or Mudryk played exactly like Ronaldo did yesterday. In fact Lukaku performed better in the game following Turkey-Portugal, yet I don't see wanking over his game.

The fact of the matter is that Cristiano Ronaldo will always be overrated in everything he does because he's a seller in the media and has an army of sycophantic fanboys. It's the way of celebrity culture. That is true in this tournament too - people can lie to themselves that he's doing well, but at some point against a good team I think he's going to be a hindrance for Portugal.

 

[KingLeo10]

Damn, Maradona has been beating down the CR7 trolls on here without mercy

 

[Maradona37]

Damn, Maradona has been beating down the CR7 trolls on here without mercy

It's all fun and games - I am sure that Fati, Temptation and others are decent people. Fati seems a nice lad and talked to me about TV shows. This is just banter for the most part, even if I do believe what I say about the guy.

 

[Maradona37]

It was not the assist but the gesture to give the goal to a teammate, there is a reason why we call him humblenaldo

See even stuff like this...

'The gesture to give the goal to a teammate' - even the way you phrase that and the excessive praise the pass has received, as if Fernandes should be on his knees worshipping Ronaldo for having the decency and grace to pass to him...it was 100 per cent the right thing to square it as he could have missed had he shot. I have seen players square it 1000 times in that position and nobody said anything about it. Why? Because those players were team players.

It's not a 'gesture' - Ronaldo doesn't have the rights to the goal in the position he was in. It was the right thing to do to pass. Gesture is entirely the wrong word, as it makes you think he's being benevolent or doing something charitable for Bruno.

The fact Ronaldo is being praised for this is proof people are surprised, which shows how selfish he generally is, and how much of an egomaniac he has been for years. It is actually a backhanded compliment if you think about it 'you have been a greedy, selfish twat for years, but you play a pass we didn't expect you to when we would for thousands of other players, what a guy, wow!'

 

[Horatio]

In fairness, Ronaldo has been playing decent, goals or not.

But this is the group stages, can he find the same level, or better, against the heavy-hitters in the knock-outs? I'm not sure about that.

He’s been playing well and his fanboys have been tempered after conceding defeat. Easier to appreciate what he’s doing now without every overstep hyped to infinity.