İlkay Gündoğan

[Gnidrologist]

Romulan couldn't do it against Hospitalet. If Xavi had a courage and experimenting mind like Pep, he would try either some non midfielders or B team players as substitutes, not that zombie.

 

[FCMessi]

many of his shots are weak like passes.

 

[Don Juan Laporta Estruch]

many of his shots are weak like passes.

That's what you call pure tiki taka, my friend.

 

[Total-Football]

Obnoxious shooting

 

[Fati_Future_BallonDor]

Best eleven this year, nominees:


Abwehr: Rúben Dias (Manchester City), Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool), Éder Militão (Real Madrid), Antonio Rüdiger (Real Madrid), John Stones (Manchester City), Kyle Walker (Manchester City)

Mittelfeld: Jude Bellingham (Borussia Dortmund/Real Madrid), Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City), Ilkay Gündogan (Manchester City/FC Barcelona), Luka Modrić (Real Madrid), Rodri (Manchester City), Bernardo Silva (Manchester City), Federico Valverde (Real Madrid)

Angriff: Karim Benzema (Real Madrid/Al Ittihad), Erling Haaland (Manchester City), Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur/FC Bayern München), Kylian Mbappé (Paris Saint-Germain), Lionel Messi (Paris Saint-Germain/Inter Miami), Cristiano Ronaldo (Al-Nassr FC), Vinícius Júnior (Real Madrid)

 

[serghei]

And the 2022/23 Ballon d'Or winner Benzema is effectively retired these days, kicking a ball in Saudi League.

Old players often drop their form hugely even from one season to another if their physical level and/or motivation drops.

This is not something new.

So far, Gundogan is well beneath what people expect of him. I see the German media is slamming him hard for the level he shows at the NT too.

 

[topt]

And the 2022/23 Ballon d'Or winner Benzema is effectively retired these days, kicking a ball in Saudi League.

Old players often drop their form hugely even from one season to another if their physical level and/or motivation drops.

This is not something new.

So far, Gundogan is well beneath what people expect of him. I see the German media is slamming him hard for the level he shows at the NT too.

and he is not the only one retired on that list

 

[serghei]

The thing is that old players feel that their body is not what it once was. Even a regular dude that didn't play any sports feels a decline in mobility at least. Some things you used to do with ease start to get more difficult. You breathe more heavily, you take the elevator more often than in the past and so on. Athletes feel that even more since they are required to push their bodies constantly in professional sports.

Only way you can slow down that natural decline is by pure ambition and hunger to win. Once that drops, your body is gonna do the rest and you're effectively done with at the top.

Take someone like Gundogan. Some people really think that some dude that won a treble a year ago is gonna play at 150% at Barca knowing full well that he is not gonna get near a CL win again? He is gonna be half the player, but probably still plenty good enough when compared to guys like Romeu and Fermin Lopez.

 

[KingLeo10]

The thing is that old players feel that their body is not what it once was. Even a regular dude that didn't play any sports feels a decline in mobility at least. Some things you used to do with ease start to get more difficult. You breathe more heavily, you take the elevator more often than in the past and so on. Athletes feel that even more since they are required to push their bodies constantly in professional sports.

Only way you can slow down that natural decline is by pure ambition and hunger to win. Once that drops, your body is gonna do the rest and you're effectively done with at the top.

Take someone like Gundogan. Some people really think that some dude that won a treble a year ago is gonna play at 150% at Barca knowing full well that he is not gonna get near a CL win again? He is gonna be half the player, but probably still plenty good enough when compared to guys like Romeu and Fermin Lopez.

Very true. Take Messi's level at the 2022 WC for example. He basically had 6 good to very good to great games in a row in an elimination format over 25 days. Was pure ambition and hunger that fueled him.

Benz in that CL run in 21/22 is another great example. Gave it all he had, won the big trophy in spectacular fashion, and fell off a cliff

 

[Temptation]

Great composure. Experience helps!

 

[Fati_Future_BallonDor]

Gundooooooo, loves this guy

 

[Sorin]

Brought some elite clutchness from yesteryear City.

However thought he he a pretty bad game. Misplaced a lot of passes and lost the ball in dangerous areas.

Still, our only mid that knows to run into the box, everyone else expects cut backs. And with Balde cutting back there’s not one ball reaching them.

 

[Iniesta Ultra]

Pathetic with Roberto, Gundo, and FDJ midfield was avoided for most of match.

Anti-midfield gimpball.

 

[FinBarcelonafan]

Huge goal. Cool under pressure.

 

[Fati_Future_BallonDor]

No posts about this lad? Guy dominated Osasuna and was our second best player 💯 Gundooo 🤩