I would like to ask the question about the level of football in La Liga, and Europe.
The quality of the champions league is falling precipitously. Look at the last 16 for instance. Stuggart were shocking. I mean they really were awful. AC Milan were a disgrace and the players didn't deserve to wear the Milan jersey. It was a testimonial game at Old Trafford for Beckham. Milan lacked all the makings of a great, great club. Florentina were very poor defensively, as were Bayern. Besides Ribery and Robben and Jotekic(think that's his name) the game lacked any real top class talent. As for Lyon, who are having a bad season in a poor league. These guys managed to beat Real Madrid, who besides Ronaldo and Alonso, have no real class either. Higuain seems to struggle on the big stage and Kaka has done nothing on four years(except in 06/07 champions league). Casillias is a top keeper, but other than that, Madrid are very ordinary.
I know Inter beat Chelsea, but Chelsea are having an incalculable amount of problems with their players and injuries. I saw the two Inter games against Barca and they looked like they couldn't put 5 passes together. Real lack of talent in midfield. I rate Chelsea a lot and feel the Champions league is much more likely to go to Barca as Barca simply can't beat Chelsea 11 v 11.
United have been carried this season by Rooney. I've spoken to a lot of United fans and they even admit they have a very ordinary team without Rooney. Their midfield is very ordinary.
Only Barcelona have a team capable of being compared to Johan's "Dream Team" or United's Treble winning team. We have 2 world class midfielders in Iniesta and Xavi. And Xavi is the most important player in the team when we play against a really good side. Messi is world class, but I'm not so sure he's as good as Ronaldinho when he was at his peak. Dani Alves was a great signing. And of coure we had Eto'o and Henry last year playing great.
I made this thread because I think back to the year United won the champions league in 99. Barca had players like rivaldo, Figo, Enrique, Cocu, Xavi, Kluivert. And yet, they were struggling to get into fourth.
Look at Bayern and Juventus now: They really are in dire need of reform. The Italian league is in travesty. La Liga has really declined. 7 years ago you had: Madrid, Deportivo, Valenica, Barcelona. They were real top class teams, and La Liga was on a different planet.
The premeriship is on a similar decline now. Arsenal are overrated, it was made obvious last night, and against Chelsea and United. Liverpool really are a poor side in terms of what they should be. United and Chelsea seem to be on the decline.
I know a lot of people will disagree, but the standard of football really is falling.
8 years ago: Zidance, Rivaldo, Figo, Maldini, Ronaldo, Raul, etc.... all at their peak.
Today: Messi, Ronaldo, Xavi, Rooney, Drogba, Iniesta, etc..... can they be compared to the above?
Not the same in my opinion. Rooney has only shown the talent this year, that was promised years ago.
The quality of the champions league is falling precipitously. Look at the last 16 for instance. Stuggart were shocking. I mean they really were awful. AC Milan were a disgrace and the players didn't deserve to wear the Milan jersey. It was a testimonial game at Old Trafford for Beckham. Milan lacked all the makings of a great, great club. Florentina were very poor defensively, as were Bayern. Besides Ribery and Robben and Jotekic(think that's his name) the game lacked any real top class talent. As for Lyon, who are having a bad season in a poor league. These guys managed to beat Real Madrid, who besides Ronaldo and Alonso, have no real class either. Higuain seems to struggle on the big stage and Kaka has done nothing on four years(except in 06/07 champions league). Casillias is a top keeper, but other than that, Madrid are very ordinary.
I know Inter beat Chelsea, but Chelsea are having an incalculable amount of problems with their players and injuries. I saw the two Inter games against Barca and they looked like they couldn't put 5 passes together. Real lack of talent in midfield. I rate Chelsea a lot and feel the Champions league is much more likely to go to Barca as Barca simply can't beat Chelsea 11 v 11.
United have been carried this season by Rooney. I've spoken to a lot of United fans and they even admit they have a very ordinary team without Rooney. Their midfield is very ordinary.
Only Barcelona have a team capable of being compared to Johan's "Dream Team" or United's Treble winning team. We have 2 world class midfielders in Iniesta and Xavi. And Xavi is the most important player in the team when we play against a really good side. Messi is world class, but I'm not so sure he's as good as Ronaldinho when he was at his peak. Dani Alves was a great signing. And of coure we had Eto'o and Henry last year playing great.
I made this thread because I think back to the year United won the champions league in 99. Barca had players like rivaldo, Figo, Enrique, Cocu, Xavi, Kluivert. And yet, they were struggling to get into fourth.
Look at Bayern and Juventus now: They really are in dire need of reform. The Italian league is in travesty. La Liga has really declined. 7 years ago you had: Madrid, Deportivo, Valenica, Barcelona. They were real top class teams, and La Liga was on a different planet.
The premeriship is on a similar decline now. Arsenal are overrated, it was made obvious last night, and against Chelsea and United. Liverpool really are a poor side in terms of what they should be. United and Chelsea seem to be on the decline.
I know a lot of people will disagree, but the standard of football really is falling.
8 years ago: Zidance, Rivaldo, Figo, Maldini, Ronaldo, Raul, etc.... all at their peak.
Today: Messi, Ronaldo, Xavi, Rooney, Drogba, Iniesta, etc..... can they be compared to the above?
Not the same in my opinion. Rooney has only shown the talent this year, that was promised years ago.
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