Your unpopular footballing opinions Mod warnings - post#128

Cienciano

retalivity wrote: »

What have they done/won with England though? quarter finals at best and then the handwringing about not being good enough. Would hardly call them successful at that level. They've been successful at club level though, usually in teams with a fair sprinkling of foreigners. Throw them altogether for a few weeks in the summer though and it just doesn't work.

If you mean that the problem with English players is their coaching from a young age, then I fully agree with you. The problem is that the coaching does not seem to include anything resembling an education for players in their formative years, which greatly hinders them later on.

It's not the only reason they never perform but I think its a big part of it

The fair sprinkling of foreign players is the difference though. England don't have any world class players at the moment, and any talent they do have would have been improved by a better coaching system rather than going to school. I do agree that education is important, but youth coaching is 99% of the problem.

eagle eye

I have an opinion that many don't think is a good one.

I think the England internationals, for the most part, have a psychological fear of doing really well for their country. I think the reason for this is the English media and how they treat their stars.

If you become really, really good then you have reporters following you 24/7 and every mistake you make in your private life will have a national audience. Rooney is a perfect example of this, Terry is another. There is a difference between these two in that Terry doesn't seem to worry about it or at least let it affect his game while Rooney clearly does now, he didn't when he was younger.

I think every player wants some bit of privacy in their lives and you won't get it if you are a top England International.

retalivity

IrishIrish wrote: »

Sooooo how do you explain Yaya Toure, Kolo Toure, Gervinho, Drogba, Bony, Romaric, Kalou etc all coming from Ivory Coast where they are not getting the same education as English players.

I can't speak on the merits of the Ivory Coast education system, or how young footballers are trained there, but a lot of the Ivorian footballers came through Belgium and Holland in their teens as its easier to acquire work permits there. One thing that is being attributed to the rise of the Belgian team in recent years is the blueprint brought in 10 or 15 years ago to coach kids throughout the country, with a unified style and coaching methods that also ensured that young players would get and complete their education. I assume a lot of the younger Ivorian guys would have gone through the tail end of this system.

Its a sweeping generalization for me to say that all English players are thick. Of course there are some exceptions to the rule, much like there would be with the point that all Ivorians had a worse education too.

Smithwicks Man

IrishIrish wrote: »

If you weren't old enough to see Owen's best years then you definitely aren't old enough to know if Raul was one of the best strikers ever or not.

I never said I didn't see them, I said I wasn't old enough to fully appreciate them. Plus I've watched back games of Raul at his finest and have seen a few documentaries on him so I've seen a lot more of him than Owen :P

TimeToShine wrote: »

Suarez is the most entertaining player in world football by a country mile and the WC would have been marginally better if he hadn't been banned.

Pirlo went from being chronically underrated in the mid 2000s to chronically overrated in the last few years.

Vidal is the best out and out CM in the world.

100% agree and have been saying it for the last 18 months. A friend said to me the other day that he's not worth £30m which he based solely on what he's seen of him at this WC. Top player. Will be surprised if he leaves for less than £50m.

If Luke Shaw is worth £30m than Vidal is worth £100m+ :eek:

Duffy the Vampire Slayer

ronjo wrote: »

Liverpool fans and Manchester United fans are two peas in a pod.

This will only be unpopular because of the sheer numbers of both. They're just alike as far as I'm concerned.

Zico

eagle eye wrote: »

I think every player wants some bit of privacy in their lives and you won't get it if you are a top England International.

...or if you're doing tv ads.

I have no sympathy for players who use the media when it suits them and then complain when it gets out of control.

I always thought there was an unwritten rule about that. If you don't go looking for atttention the press generally leave you alone.

eagle eye

Zico wrote: »

...or if you're doing tv ads.

I have no sympathy for players who use the media when it suits them and then complain when it gets out of control.

I always thought there was an unwritten rule about that. If you don't go looking for atttention the press generally leave you alone.

I'm not talking about feeling sorry for players at all. I have the belief that its become a psychological barrier for a lot of English players. They see what goes on in the media as they grow up and then when it comes to their turn they are afraid to be a top star for their country. I don't think they realise it but its deeply engrained in them from their experiences growing up.

The_Kew_Tour

eagle eye wrote: »

I'm not talking about feeling sorry for players at all. I have the belief that its become a psychological barrier for a lot of English players. They see what goes on in the media as they grow up and then when it comes to their turn they are afraid to be a top star for their country. I don't think they realise it but its deeply engrained in them from their experiences growing up.

stay off the beer.

afraid to become top class?

no, just no.

tombliboo83

Arsene Wegner is not a great manager and should've been shown the door years ago.

Scolari is an awful manager and I hope Brazil get a hiding on Saturday.

Big Mouth

Zico wrote: »

Most people on this board have never played a 90 minute 11-a-side game with a referee and linesmen but have never considered that fact until reading this.

This!

Very much a championship manager forum, wouldn't say there are 5 people on here who play decent standard LSL

major bill

Hold me now is the worst song sung at any LOI ground, in fact it's the worst bloody song ever sung at a football match....Cringe

Irish football supporters are not the best in the world, there is a better atmosphere in a funeral home than at the Aviva.

The LOI is nowhere near as bad as people make it out to be

eyescreamcone

tombliboo83 wrote: »

Arsene Wegner is not a great manager and should've been shown the door years ago.

Scolari is an awful manager and I hope Brazil get a hiding on Saturday.

Scolari has already won the World Cup and reached the final of the European Championships. When you say awful - do you mean he doesn't get results? or you don't like his team's style of play? or both?

Big Mouth

Buddy Holly wrote: »

The league of Ireland should be disbanded. The fai then should adopt a provincial system like in Rugby union. They should then look to join up with the Scottish premier league.

I've thought the exact same way for ages now, get 4 teams from Ireland, 3 from the North, 7 from Scotland and 2 from Wales and get a decent standard 16 team league, merge teams to get bigger clubs.

Then the LOI, NI league, Scottish and Welsh leagues become second tier leagues so for example the winners of each nations league battle out in a playoff to get promoted to the superleague, also keep at a summer league like LOI to allow some decent coverage.

I know it would probably never be allowed under FIFA rules but would be much better than the deteriorating situation we have now

SureYWouldntYa

Big Mouth wrote: »

This!

Very much a championship manager forum, wouldn't say there are 5 people on here who play decent standard LSL

Doesn't mean people's opinion aren't just as valid

tombliboo83

eyescreamcone wrote: »

Scolari has already won the World Cup and reached the final of the European Championships. When you say awful - do you mean he doesn't get results? or you don't like his team's style of play? or both?

Imo he won the wc with the best cf of all time in ronaldo and basically his teams have went far in spite of his management. This current Brazil are being carried by Neymar but will be comprehensively beaten in the next week.

DeanAustin

tombliboo83 wrote: »

Arsene Wegner is not a great manager and should've been shown the door years ago.

Scolari is an awful manager and I hope Brazil get a hiding on Saturday.

Holy ****. As a Spurs fan I have to say Wenger is a wonderful manager. People will realise how good when he leaves.

eyescreamcone

tombliboo83 wrote: »

Imo he won the wc with the best cf of all time in ronaldo and basically his teams have went far in spite of his management. This current Brazil are being carried by Neymar but will be comprehensively beaten in the next week.

...and Ferguson won all those trophies with a gang of pub players.

Get real will you?
No team will win the world cup unless they have some top class players and a top class manager.

tombliboo83

eyescreamcone wrote: »

...and Ferguson won all those trophies with a gang of pub players.

Get real will you?
No team will win the world cup unless they have some top class players and a top class manager.

Who said anything about Fergie? What Brazil are serving up now is dross, Scolari won a world cup when any half decent manager would've done so with that 2002 side. And his only spell at top class club management with chelsea??......

Omackeral

Big Mouth wrote: »

I've thought the exact same way for ages now, get 4 teams from Ireland, 3 from the North, 7 from Scotland and 2 from Wales and get a decent standard 16 team league, merge teams to get bigger clubs.

Who would support these merged teams though? Existing fans of domestic football would laugh it off. Would a Dundalk and Drogheda fan be expected to put aside their rivalry to cheer on Louth United? It goes against football in its purest form. It's clubs vs clubs, areas vs areas.

And Joe Public who doesn't follow Irish soccer isn't going to all of a sudden think oh Dublin City FC, let's get behind them. Actually I think that's happened already.....

eagle eye

tombliboo83 wrote: »

Who said anything about Fergie? What Brazil are serving up now is dross, Scolari won a world cup when any half decent manager would've done so with that 2002 side. And his only spell at top class club management with chelsea??......

He has won the Copa Libertadores with two different teams. That in itself is an incredible achievement but to have also won a World Cup and then brought Portugal to a European Championship final makes him a great manager. If he wins this World Cup he will go down as one of the greatest managers of all time.

You are basing your opinion on 9 months of his 30+ year career. They were lying second in the table when he was sacked. They had a bad run of form and he got the boot despite the fact that they were still in the Champion's league and second in the table.

Dempsey

tombliboo83 wrote: »

Who said anything about Fergie? What Brazil are serving up now is dross, Scolari won a world cup when any half decent manager would've done so with that 2002 side. And his only spell at top class club management with chelsea??......

Nonsence, that Brazil side struggled to qualify. Only for Ronaldo coming back from serious injury and in World Player of the Year form, they would have finished nowhere.

pickarooney

Dempsey wrote: »

Nonsence, that Brazil side struggled to qualify. Only for Ronaldo coming back from serious injury and in World Player of the Year form, they would have finished nowhere.

So only for Ronaldo Scolari would have been an utter failure with Brazil :pac:

Dempsey

pickarooney wrote: »

So only for Ronaldo Scolari would have been an utter failure with Brazil :pac:

Maybe you should consider their performances in qualifying and confederations cups. They struggled badly. Even with Scolari, they werent fancied at the finals at all and with good reason. Ronaldo came back for the finals in red hot form and he was the difference in almost every match for Brazil.

Scolari has earned alot of money off the back of success he was only a passenger in.

tastyt

Pele is painful and a joker counting goals he scored in exhibition matches as official goals

Talib Fiasco

United are still utterly f*cked if they don't make two or three big big signings, which I doubt they'll make.

Pirlo is overrated as hell now although he never received his just dues at Milan.

Ibrahimovic is incredibly overrated.

David Silva is the best natural CAM in the world.

Liverpool will be a big threat to the title next season with or without Suarez.

Hulk is actually a good player, he just is used completely wrong in the Brazil team.

Marco Reus will rival Messi and Ronaldo for best player in the world in the next few years.

Ulysses Gaze

And his only spell at top class club management with chelsea??......

As stated, he had them second in the league and didn't get a full crack at a season there.

Besides, Chelsea are a basket-case when it comes to the way they are run from a footballing perspective. They've sacked Managers that have won them the Champions League and managers that have won them the Double.

They almost make Real Madrid look reasonable.

And this idea that any old clown can come in and get great players to win things is one of those nonsense football myths.

Ask Real Madrid how they got on with the Galactico's squad once they'd let Del Bosque go.

Nib

Oscar is the most overrated player in the world.

Ireland won't qualify for a World Cup for at least 20 years.

England will win a World Cup within the next 20 years.

Ryan Shawcross is the best defender in the EPL.

Smithwicks Man

Talib Fiasco wrote: »

United are still utterly f*cked if they don't make two or three big big signings, which I doubt they'll make.

Pirlo is overrated as hell now although he never received his just dues at Milan.

Ibrahimovic is incredibly overrated.

David Silva is the best natural CAM in the world.

Liverpool will be a big threat to the title next season with or without Suarez.

Hulk is actually a good player, he just is used completely wrong in the Brazil team.

Marco Reus will rival Messi and Ronaldo for best player in the world in the next few years.

Pirlo's latter years at Milan were very poor but between 03-04 and 07-08 he was one of the best midfielders in the world.

Agreed on Silva, for some reason I always get the impression he doesn't get as much credit as he deserves but maybe that's just me.

Can't understand how people still say that about Ibrahimovic, unquestionably one of the top players in the world for the last 10 years and his stats and trophy cabinet illustrate this. Often criticized due to his arrogance I think.

Have no time for Hulk, have seen enough of him to know that his price-tag was embarrassingly high. Agree that he's not well-used with Brazil and he is capable of scoring some great goals but overall I wouldn't rate him highly.

Think Reus is fantastic as well. Would have given Germany a far greater chance at going all the way.

SureYWouldntYa

Nib wrote: »

Oscar is the most overrated player in the world.

Ireland won't qualify for a World Cup for at least 20 years.

England will win a World Cup within the next 20 years.

Ryan Shawcross is the best defender in the EPL.

Ridiculous the lot of them

Cienciano

SureYWouldntYa wrote: »

Ridiculous the lot of them

Yeah, everyone knows Joe Hart is the most overrated player in the world

simongurnick

France will win this World Cup

dfx-

major bill wrote: »

Hold me now is the worst song sung at any LOI ground, in fact it's the worst bloody song ever sung at a football match....Cringe

Closely second is I Follow Rivers, but it is beaten by Hold Me Now alright.

Video Technology/Video Replays shouldn't be introduced, they are unnecessary. Don't stake tens of millions on the result of a refereeing decision.

Barcelona don't really need a new defence over hungry, pacy attackers

England suffers from financial doping at least as much as Spain with TV deals.

Eamon Zayed is Rovers' best striker.

Greece are great to watch in this World Cup.

Benimar

I like International Football and actually look forward to it.

I much preferred the European Cup to the CL. I hate the group stages and the seeding of teams. Straight knockout is much better.

Steven Gerrard is not a good defensive midfielder. He looks good against weak teams where he can sit back and pass it about, but when pressure comes on he doesn't protect the centre backs.

Although Moyes was out of his depth last season, Ferguson gave him a hospital pass with the squad he left behind.

OwaynOTT

Benimar wrote: »

I like International Football and actually look forward to it.

I much preferred the European Cup to the CL. I hate the group stages and the seeding of teams. Straight knockout is much better.

Steven Gerrard is not a good defensive midfielder. He looks good against weak teams where he can sit back and pass it about, but when pressure comes on he doesn't protect the centre backs.

Although Moyes was out of his depth last season, Ferguson gave him a hospital pass with the squad he left behind.

I reckon that be a popular opinion.
I agree on the seeding.

hjkl

James McClean isn't that good.

Will I Amnt

frimpong wrote: »

James McClean isn't that good.

Brace yourself for the sh*tstorm that's gonna come your way... any minute now...

tastyt

James McCarthy isn't that good

hjkl

tastyt wrote: »

James McCarthy isn't that good

He's better than McClean though.

taidghbaby

That Roy Hosgson is a fool!

Boring, uninspiring and sleep inducing he may be but he has played the English media and fans in such a good way that there head been hardly any fall out from England's exit from the World Cup! His team just got one point from a group that Costa Rica won and (albeit with the Suarez incident) there has hardly been a peep because Roy is a master at playing down expectations!

Had Swen or Capello done that they'd have been hung from a bridge in London!

Omackeral

I think that the people who are shown on camera at the World Cup being all smiley and happy even though their team are trailing are absolute dopes. I'd be fuming!

DEFTLEFTHAND

No southern Irish person should support Chelsea. It hasn't changed at all, they might have sanitised Stamford Bridge with plastic flags and families but walk into the wrong pub and you'll be clocked for being a paddy. Headhunters have gone nowhere.

karaokeman

Football is far too overhyped in the media.

Supporting foreign teams is pointless.

Laois_Man

This is an unpopular opinion this weekend it seems

Brazil deserved to beat Chile

nice_guy80

tastyt wrote: »

James McCarthy isn't that good

best defensive midfielder in the premiership

has been for 3/4 years

tastyt

nice_guy80 wrote: »

best defensive midfielder in the premiership

has been for 3/4 years

Not even the best defensive midfielder at his own club. Gareth Barry much more influential

flas

If all the irish players who go to england at 16 stayed in ireland and left between 20-22 our national team would be much stronger for it.

Augmerson

Wearing the Poppy should be optional for anyone working in the English sports media, not mandatory. Sometimes it comes across as sycophantic.

Irish Man U fans referring to Alex Ferguson as "Sir Alex" or "SAF". Unless you're British and are a Royalist and that's your indulgence I don't think anyone should recognise titles handed down by a foreign monarch. Not being anti-British, just anti-monarchies. It's elitist.

Not recognising a title also takes nothing away from the mans achievements in football.

eyescreamcone

Rafa called him Mister Ferguson I think 

Zico

eyescreamcone wrote: »

Rafa called him Mister Ferguson I think 

He called him Meester Ferguson actually.:p

PhlegmyMoses

Augmerson wrote: »

Wearing the Poppy should be optional for anyone working in the English sports media, not mandatory. Sometimes it comes across as sycophantic.

Irish Man U fans referring to Alex Ferguson as "Sir Alex" or "SAF". Unless you're British and are a Royalist and that's your indulgence I don't think anyone should recognise titles handed down by a foreign monarch. Not being anti-British, just anti-monarchies. It's elitist.

Not recognising a title also takes nothing away from the mans achievements in football.

What would you call Prince Charles or Prince Rainier?