Your unpopular footballing opinions Mod warnings - post#128

dulux99

Diego Costa is not a great player. Had one great season in a team that was a well oiled machine. I know he wasn't fully fit, but showed his limitations in the World Cup, when a team wasn't built around him. He wont be a massive success at Chelsea.

eyescreamcone

dulux99 wrote: »

Diego Costa is not a great player. Had one great season in a team that was a well oiled machine. I know he wasn't fully fit, but showed his limitations in the World Cup, when a team wasn't built around him. He wont be a massive success at Chelsea.

Is he their new Shevchenko/Torres??

dulux99

eyescreamcone wrote: »

Is he their new Shevchenko/Torres??

Don't think he'll be that bad, but I really don't think he'll set the world on fire at all.

GavRedKing

dulux99 wrote: »

Diego Costa is not a great player. Had one great season in a team that was a well oiled machine. I know he wasn't fully fit, but showed his limitations in the World Cup, when a team wasn't built around him. He wont be a massive success at Chelsea.

As long as hes better than what we currently have and he is, we'll be ok, he doesnt have to get 30-35 League goals, it would be nice but I dont think he will.

Alot depends on keeping Lukaku and if he doesnt act like a child, like last year, he'll be kept and we'll have 2 options that we could have only imagined about last year.

MagicIRL

GavRedKing wrote: »

As long as hes better than what we currently have and he is, we'll be ok, he doesnt have to get 30-35 League goals, it would be nice but I dont think he will.

Alot depends on keeping Lukaku and if he doesnt act like a child, like last year, he'll be kept and we'll have 2 options that we could have only imagined about last year.

40m for a striker Gav- you'd expect him to hit 30 goals.

GavRedKing

MagicIRL wrote: »

40m for a striker Gav- you'd expect him to hit 30 goals.

We're only dealing in the Queens English so hes a bargain 32million STG.

30 overall goals I'd be hoping and praying, given our last few CFs, nothings a given, for that money he should be pushing that but it depends on the back up.

For example if we've Lukaku as 2nd CF and Costa doesnt hit the ground running, Lukaku will be in for a run of games.

Andersonisgod

The writing off of Costa is ridiculous. "One good season" is the quote of someone who clearly hasn't been watching him for very long. Ask Radamel Falcao how good and important Costa was a couple of seasons ago, the man was a supreme foil for the Columbian. Ask Simeone how good Costa is, Atletico could have fallen apart with the sale of Falcao but instead, with Costa as the figurehead, they flourished and won the La Liga.

He's a fighter, he's got the kind of passion and desire that you can't teach. He's deceivingly quick, he's got the kind of strength that's been built from years of battling. He scores goals, not in the great quantities as some other top strikers but, much like Drogba, you do him a great dis-service by measuring him on goal s alone. He is one of the world's premier strikers and, in Mourninho's Chelsea, I expect him to thrive.

Fitz*

I said when Aguero first arrived and I'm gonna say it for Costa too.

He won't break Torres' amount of goals in a debut season.

dulux99

Andersonisgod wrote: »

The writing off of Costa is ridiculous. "One good season" is the quote of someone who clearly hasn't been watching him for very long. Ask Radamel Falcao how good and important Costa was a couple of seasons ago, the man was a supreme foil for the Columbian. Ask Simeone how good Costa is, Atletico could have fallen apart with the sale of Falcao but instead, with Costa as the figurehead, they flourished and won the La Liga.

He's a fighter, he's got the kind of passion and desire that you can't teach. He's deceivingly quick, he's got the kind of strength that's been built from years of battling. He scores goals, not in the great quantities as some other top strikers but, much like Drogba, you do him a great dis-service by measuring him on goal s alone. He is one of the world's premier strikers and, in Mourninho's Chelsea, I expect him to thrive.

I said he had one great season, not one good season. He's had plenty of good seaons. We clearly disagree on this, but I don't think his link up play is anywhere near the level of Drogba's. He was a great foil for Falcao, but Chelsea dont have a Falcao, nor will they play with two up top. All these ingredients together, just makes me think he wont exactly set the world on fire. I could easily be wrong though.

GavRedKing

FitzShane wrote: »

I said when Aguero first arrived and I'm gonna say it for Costa too.

He won't break Torres' amount of goals in a debut season.

Aguero came very close :pac:

Fitz*

GavRedKing wrote: »

Aguero came very close :pac:

He did indeed! 1 goal.

The group of lads I have love to go back a year etc and drag up predictions just to 'show up lads' making a prediction. Never happens when you are right tho!

CSF

Andersonisgod wrote: »

The writing off of Costa is ridiculous. "One good season" is the quote of someone who clearly hasn't been watching him for very long. Ask Radamel Falcao how good and important Costa was a couple of seasons ago, the man was a supreme foil for the Columbian. Ask Simeone how good Costa is, Atletico could have fallen apart with the sale of Falcao but instead, with Costa as the figurehead, they flourished and won the La Liga.

He's a fighter, he's got the kind of passion and desire that you can't teach. He's deceivingly quick, he's got the kind of strength that's been built from years of battling. He scores goals, not in the great quantities as some other top strikers but, much like Drogba, you do him a great dis-service by measuring him on goal s alone. He is one of the world's premier strikers and, in Mourninho's Chelsea, I expect him to thrive.

As someone who watches Atletico every week, it really was just one good season, and a season where his limitations were still clearly visible. He isn't world class, never will be. Shouldn't need to be though to do well enough in the Premiership.

My unpopular opinion is that Javier Hernandez has never been a very good player at all.

dulux99

CSF wrote: »

My unpopular opinion is that Javier Hernandez has never been a very good player at all.

I travel over to Old Trafford atleast 5 or 6 times a year, and this is very much a common opinion throughout United supporters. People who tend to rate him very highly are those who only ever see his goals, or watch him sporadically. His link up play is abysmal, he's got a terrible touch, and doesn't offer much other than scoring relatively easy chances. Good player to get a goal, but will never be a consistent starter for a really top club.

CSF

dulux99 wrote: »

I travel over to Old Trafford atleast 5 or 6 times a year, and this is very much a common opinion throughout United supporters. People who tend to rate him very highly are those who only ever see his goals, or watch him sporadically. His link up play is abysmal, he's got a terrible touch, and doesn't offer much other than scoring relatively easy chances. Good player to get a goal, but will never be a consistent starter for a really top club.

Glad to hear that this is the case. Most strikers that played in United Ferguson teams scored goals.

Billy86

Turtyturd wrote: »

A lot of the stick Pique gets is because he left United to go to Barcelona.

Interesting, given he got far more stick in his relatively short time at Man Utd than he has ever since.

Will I Amnt

Billy86 wrote: »

Interesting, given he got far more stick in his relatively short time at Man Utd than he has ever since.

Pique got stick when it transpired he wasn't as good as people originally thought he was, probably due to not being tested much in a Barca team that were posting ridiculous possession stats.

Ex-United players are almost always well respected at other clubs. Even players who were pretty poor for the club like Forlan. Tevez is an obvious exception. It's a nonsense post and a totally fabricated argument, it's just not true and probably didn't deserve the time I took to post this.

Zico

dulux99 wrote: »

I travel over to Old Trafford atleast 5 or 6 times a year, and this is very much a common opinion throughout United supporters. People who tend to rate him very highly are those who only ever see his goals, or watch him sporadically. His link up play is abysmal, he's got a terrible touch, and doesn't offer much other than scoring relatively easy chances. Good player to get a goal, but will never be a consistent starter for a really top club.

People with this opinion tend to think they know more about football than the average fan so come up with stuff like this to justify their alternative point of view, they also usually rate Danny Welbeck for his work rate etc. and excuse the fact he's a shockingly bad finisher with a terrible first touch by saying "he's an all-rounder" and "he creates space for others".

(just an opinion)

dulux99

Zico wrote: »

People with this opinion tend to think they know more about football than the average fan so come up with stuff like this to justify their alternative point of view, they also usually rate Danny Welbeck for his work rate etc. and excuse the fact he's a shockingly bad finisher with a terrible first touch by saying "he's an all-rounder" and "he creates space for others".

(just an opinion)

I wholeheartedly disagree. You don't exactly have to have a football brain like Mourinho, to see what Hernandez offers nothing when he plays.

Ken Shamrock

dulux99 wrote: »

I wholeheartedly disagree. You don't exactly have to have a football brain like Mourinho, to see what Hernandez offers nothing when he plays.

Except for 60 goals in 4 years?

dulux99

Bob.Carcass wrote: »

Except for 60 goals in 4 years?

As I already stated, his goals and goal stats are good, but at the end of the day he's not good enough of an all round player to ever become a long term starter. You won't see any of the top clubs coming in for him as a first choice striker. Great player to have on the bench, and a very good backup though

Shanotheslayer

Bob.Carcass wrote: »

Except for 60 goals in 4 years?

Less than 20 goals a year in how many games? Doesn't seem great at all

Ken Shamrock

dulux99 wrote: »

As I already stated, his goals and goal stats are good, but at the end of the day he's not good enough of an all round player to ever become a long term starter. You won't see any of the top clubs coming in for him as a first choice striker. Great player to have on the bench, and a very good backup though

I haven't been following your conversation so i don't know what you have stated but i do know you said he offers nothing when he plays....he offers goals, something that alot of "world class" strikers struggle to find. I personally don't like him, i think he's lazy greedy and really lacks skill on the ball, BUT if i needed goals, he'd be on my list.

dulux99

Bob.Carcass wrote: »

I haven't been following your conversation so i don't know what you have stated but i do know you said he offers nothing when he plays....he offers goals, something that alot of "world class" strikers struggle to find. I personally don't like him, i think he's lazy greedy and really lacks skill on the ball, BUT if i needed goals, he'd be on my list.

My point, was that he offers goals, but not alot as an all round striker.

Ken Shamrock

Shanotheslayer wrote: »

20 goals a year in how many games? Doesn't seem fantastic.

Well it's actually averaging 15 goals a year not 20, apps average 24, it is a very impressive goalscoring record and the reason that Ferguson bought him in the first place.

Ken Shamrock

dulux99 wrote: »

My point, was that he offers goals, but not alot as an all round striker.

I saw your originally posts now, i'd have to agree, but when u see "he offers nothing" out of context you can understand my response.

Billy86

Bob.Carcass wrote: »

I saw your originally posts now, i'd have to agree, but when u see "he offers nothing" out of context you can understand my response.

He does have a pretty good goals per minute ratio and he is a very handy player to bring off the bench after 60 minutes if a goal is needed, especially against lower/midtable teams putting a lot of players behind the ball.

On the other hand though, he stifles how the rest of the entire attacking unit plays because his game is so one dimensional. Starting a game with him is often like starting with 10 men, and an 11th guy who might tap or head it in at some point. I would be interested to know how many goals Man Utd as a team average when he is on the pitch vs. when he is not.

As a player like I said, great to have as an option off the bench but if he is looking for significant starting time (which he might be this year after Moyes misused him as he did everybody) he is probably the first of all the strikers and #10s out the door.

CSF

Only 37 premiership goals for Hernandez and that doesn't hold up at all for a player who lacks other qualities, at a club whose strikers always got ridiculous amounts of chances for the frontman and whose frontmen have almost always put together big tallies under Ferguson, it's the way they play.

Jimmy Iovine

They don't come anymore unpopular than this.

In her latest syndicated column right-wing troll and pundit Ann Coulter rails against the growing popularity of soccer in the U.S., which she blames on a pro-soccer liberal media and America’s millions of immigrants.

“Any growing interest in soccer can only be a sign of the nation’s moral decay,” Coulter writes before listing all of the reasons why she thinks soccer sucks.

Among these reasons are:

- “Individual achievement is not a big factor in soccer … There are no heroes, no losers, no accountability, and no child’s fragile self-esteem is bruised.”

- “Liberal moms like soccer because it’s a sport in which athletic talent finds so little expression that girls can play with boys.”

- “No other ‘sport’ ends in as many scoreless ties as soccer.”

- “The prospect of either personal humiliation or major injury is required to count as a sport” and soccer doesn’t have it.

- “You can’t use your hands in soccer,” a fact that, Coulter believes, goes against “[w]hat sets man apart from the lesser beasts,” i.e., “we have opposable thumbs.”

- “The same people trying to push soccer on Americans are the ones demanding that we love HBO’s ‘Girls,’ light-rail, Beyonce and Hillary Clinton.”

- ”It’s foreign.”

http://www.salon.com/2014/06/26/ann_coulter_no_american_whose_great_grandfather_was_born_here_is_watching_soccer/

Billy86

CSF wrote: »

Only 37 premiership goals for Hernandez and that doesn't hold up at all for a player who lacks other qualities, at a club whose strikers always got ridiculous amounts of chances for the frontman and whose frontmen have almost always put together big tallies under Ferguson, it's the way they play.

To be fair that is in under 50 starts as over half his league games have been off the bench. But then again, as great as he is off the bench to break a deadlock against teams who are sitting deep he also tends to be very ineffective when he starts, usually regardless of opposition.

Billy86

Jimmy Iovine wrote: »

They don't come anymore unpopular than this.



http://www.salon.com/2014/06/26/ann_coulter_no_american_whose_great_grandfather_was_born_here_is_watching_soccer/

Not sure why "she" has a problem with it, it's probably got a fanbase friendlier to transgendered folk than the other major sports in North America.

bucketybuck

I feel sorry for players like Hernandez.

People on here denigrating his play when in fact he would probably be a hell of a lot better had he not had to sit on the bench at Manchester United. I think had Hernandez been at a different club and played regularly this past four years he would be a far more developed player with an awesome goals record.

We don't play them, we don't give them regular games, then we moan that they haven't done it for us. Thats the game I guess.

leonidas83

Fabio Capello is actually a decent international manager despite what the media might try & lead people to otherwise believe. His pay should have nothing to do with this, if football organizations want to pay him crazy money that's their prerogative .

He had the best win% ratio of any English manager in recent times & was only knocked out of the world cup by Germany(2nd ranked in the world) in South Africa.

He qualified top of Russia's 2014 world cup qualifying group beating Portugal into second. They didn't make it out of their group in brazil due to their goalkeeper making a crazy mistake against south korea, losing undeservedly in the last minute to a very strong belgium side & drawing against a very underrated Algerian side, 22nd ranked in the world.

Overall not brilliant but nowhere near as bad as some would make him out to be.

On top of this, Russia haven't made it out of a world cup group since they the USSR so their not exactly Brazil or anything

CSF

bucketybuck wrote: »

I feel sorry for players like Hernandez.

People on here denigrating his play when in fact he would probably be a hell of a lot better had he not had to sit on the bench at Manchester United. I think had Hernandez been at a different club and played regularly this past four years he would be a far more developed player with an awesome goals record.

We don't play them, we don't give them regular games, then we moan that they haven't done it for us. Thats the game I guess.

I think he was given much more of a chance at United than he ever warranted in honesty. A poorer man's Darren Bent.

CSF

leonidas83 wrote: »

Fabio Capello is actually a decent international manager despite what the media might try & lead people to otherwise believe. His pay should have nothing to do with this, if football organizations want to pay him crazy money that's their prerogative .

He had the best win% ratio of any English manager in recent times & was only knocked out of the world cup by Germany(2nd ranked in the world) in South Africa.

He qualified top of Russia's 2014 world cup qualifying group beating Portugal into second. They didn't make it out of their group in brazil due to their goalkeeper making a crazy mistake against south korea, losing undeservedly in the last minute to a very strong belgium side & drawing against a very underrated Algerian side, 22nd ranked in the world.

Overall not brilliant but nowhere near as bad as some would make him out to be.

On top of this, Russia haven't made it out of a world cup group since they the USSR so their not exactly Brazil or anything

No, he isn't a bad manager, but has largely failed internationally when it mattered most, and the what usually comes before the why in terms of what sticks in people's heads.

The_Kew_Tour

CSF wrote: »

No, he isn't a bad manager, but has largely failed internationally when it mattered most, and the what usually comes before the why in terms of what sticks in people's heads.

Just look at Trap.

Will I Amnt

CSF wrote: »

I think he was given much more of a chance at United than he ever warranted in honesty. A poorer man's Darren Bent.

I think you're being overly harsh on him. Not the most technically gifted player but his goals to minutes on the pitch is up there to rival the best of them and he has 36 international goals in just over 60 games. That alone makes him a valuable player even if he does nothing else.

CSF

Will I Amnt wrote: »

I think you're being overly harsh on him. Not the most technically gifted player but his goals to minutes on the pitch is up there to rival the best of them and he has 36 international goals in just over 60 games. That alone makes him a valuable player even if he does nothing else.

Goals to minute ratio isn't the greatest measure for a player whose minutes are almost all when going gungho chasing a goal. His goals to minutes ratio should be even better when that is taken into account.

A goalscorer who doesn't do much else can be forgiven if they're a great goalscorer, Hernandez isn't.

Sheepy99

CSF wrote: »

I think he was given much more of a chance at United than he ever warranted in honesty. A poorer man's Darren Bent.

I felt he was the reason they won the 10/11 title. Chipped in with plenty of important goals, most notably against Chelsea. "HEEERE'S HERNANDEZ, STRAIGHT AWAY!!"

CSF

Sheepy99 wrote: »

I felt he was the reason they won the 10/11 title. Chipped in with plenty of important goals, most notably against Chelsea. "HEEERE'S HERNANDEZ, STRAIGHT AWAY!!"

Not having that. He scored a few goals that season, but there were plenty more notable and significant contributors than him. Even Berbatov who had an amazing year.

Will I Amnt

CSF wrote: »

Goals to minute ratio isn't the greatest measure for a player whose minutes are almost all when going gungho chasing a goal.

Ah here, it seems like you're bending over backwards in order to discredit his goals. He's no world beater but not nearly as bad as the picture you are trying to paint.

Iused2likebusts

England are at a similar level to the usa and mexico and I cant see why they are constantly mentioned as potential winners of a world cup yet nobody would ever consider Mexico or the Usa as potential winners.

thelad95

Iused2likebusts wrote: »

England are at a similar level to the usa and mexico and I cant see why they are constantly mentioned as potential winners of a world cup yet nobody would ever consider Mexico or the Usa as potential winners.

Nobody outside England ever thinks they have a chance. In fairness, expectations were pretty low this time around.

I don't think England are that bad. Roy Hodgson's team selections and tactics have been all over the place and there's too many 'undroppables'. With the right manager, I believe this current crop of English players could at least reach a World Cup quarter final.

Iused2likebusts

thelad95 wrote: »

Nobody outside England ever thinks they have a chance. In fairness, expectations were pretty low this time around.

I don't think England are that bad. Roy Hodgson's team selections and tactics have been all over the place and there's too many 'undroppables'. With the right manager, I believe this current crop of English players could at least reach a World Cup quarter final.

true this time it was fairly downbeat but in previous world cups there was plenty of talk of them being equipped to win it over here. They are always in the top 8 in the betting maybe not this time. I think they are at the level of a USA, Mexico with up to 10 teams atleast always better equipped to win a world cup. I just dont see it with this current crop of english players like their predecessors they cant keep possession in the areas that matter and it doesnt mean half as much to them as it does to a lot of the other countries at the WC( possibly due to the money they are all on).

Liam O

CSF wrote: »

Not having that. He scored a few goals that season, but there were plenty more notable and significant contributors than him. Even Berbatov who had an amazing year.

Berbatov had an amazing 10-15 game span and was only average for the rest of the season. Nani was the best player in the league that season, though everyone will tell you how bad he is.

RFOLEY1990

'supporting' Celtic cause you're Catholic is for gob****es

dreamers75

Leaving your house to go to a football match which your team is playing in every week makes you a fan, watching it on tv makes you someone who likes football.

Liam O

dreamers75 wrote: »

Leaving your house to go to a football match which your team is playing in every week makes you a fan, watching it on tv makes you someone who likes football.

If you'd said supporter you may have had a point. As it is you are wrong. How come it's just the LOI this seems to apply to as well? What if you watch the local team in the park every week?

j8wk2feszrnpao

dreamers75 wrote: »

Leaving your house to go to a football match which your team is playing in every week makes you a fan, watching it on tv makes you someone who likes football.

So not having the financial means, or in some cases the physical ability, to attend matches means they are not fans?
Seems harsh.

RFOLEY1990

dreamers75 wrote: »

Leaving your house to go to a football match which your team is playing in every week makes you a fan, watching it on tv makes you someone who likes football.

Seems like a petty shot at premier league fans. There's people who live a stones throw away from stadiums and still can't afford to go every week

civis_liberalis

People who claim LOI supporters put them off supporting the LOI are talking absolutely ball axe.