Marco Reus!

The Golden Miller

Just wanted to create this thread, as I think Reus is a player often overlooked by our media here, and everytime BVB get to the Champions League knock out games seems to be injured. He's faithed to become a hipsters favourite in years to come, sort of overlooked and forgotten by the British media in particular.

I think this is a shame, as its rare we've seen such a natural talent. After Messi, I'd genuinely rate him as the second most talented player of his generation. Yes he never proved it, or had the opportunity with injuries, to really show his game to the world, but for anyone who regularly watches him, it's clear he is a genius.

The media here often harps on about De Bruyne as we're exposed to him. In reality a poor man's Reus. Vision, goals, creativity, pace, passing, Reus has the complete game. After Messi, has the second most assists in the top 5 leagues over the last decade, despite being constantly injured and playing with poorer team mates, and deeper, you'll find him everywhere. He'll roam and pop up everywhere, and when you disect BVBs form, their highs and lows align with whether he's fit.

Whatever your opinion of him, whether you see him as overrated or injured too much, I think people should make a point of tuning in to watch him play when he's still active. He's 33 now and injury prone, so hard to know how long he'll play to. Just think people should make more of a point to watch him when he's still active, as you'll rarely see someone of his ability and talent live. We see Messi as a level above the rest, Reus half a level below Messi but half a level above the rest imo, in terms of raw talent!

NIMAN

A great player for sure, hampered by injuries and perhaps a reluctance to leave BVB.

But don't think you'll get much traction here trying to put him above Ronaldo as No2 behind Messi in the current generation of players.

The Golden Miller

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120251214#Comment_120251214

No way below Ronaldo in what he achieved, but as a natural talent, few like him, or possessed his all round ability

Pat_bottom

That you Bangkok? 😁😁😁

Weepsie

Well you're lying for one.

Thomas muller has more assists than reus does in the last decade a d twice as many in career.

Pat_bottom

Be telling us Reus is a central midfielder next.

artanevilla

"After Messi, has the second most assists in the top 5 leagues over the last decade"

This is demonstrably untrue.

artanevilla

He's 21st on the list of assists in the last decade.

The poor man's Reus, KDB has over 100 more assists than him.

Christian Eriksen, who basically missed a year because he died has more than him.

Jadon Sancho, who is more than a decade younger than him, has more.

Weepsie

I await his next hot take that Marko Marin is the best player ever

Osmosis Jones

He's a more injury prone Eden Hazard.

jacool

I "wiki"-ed him there and the most amazing fact I found was that he was caught driving without a (correct) licence and got fined €540,000 ( 3 week's wages) !!!!

artanevilla

"and when you disect BVBs form, their highs and lows align with whether he's fit."

BVB last won the league in 2011-12. Reus joined in 2012-13. They haven't won one since.

Brussels Sprout

When will people realise that being fit is a key attribute that's just an important as any other. You cannot just disregard it in order to make a greatness argument. Like nobody goes around saying "He'd be considered world class if only he wasn't terrible at passing" but that's effectively what you're doing with sick-note players like this.

One of the reasons why Messi and Ronaldo have been so prolific is that they have had an uncanny ability to remain injury free throughout their long careers. Whether people see that as something genetic or something environmental isn't really relevant but it shouldn't be dismissed.

The Golden Miller

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120251817#Comment_120251817

My mistake then. Read someone he had the most over a certain period anyway.

Always said assists are misleading, but had the above been true, thought it was impressive all the same.

I go by what I see and recall off hand, don't really like referring to "statistics" when looking back at the past, the context often forgotten

It's a mute point really however, when you watch him play and see his ability and how he plays

The Golden Miller

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120252236#Comment_120252236

This is disingenuous, after BVB won that title, Bayern invested heavily and bassicaly bought the league. Reus was their best player. After the Klopp era came to an end, he's been carrying them, and due to injuries and loyalty to BVB, doesn't get the recognition he deserves.

He could of done the easy thing and went to Bayern or a top team, but stayed with BVB when they declined. Most of their title pushes since have been when he's fit, one such push fell apart a few years back when he got injured on the run in, with Dortmund in pole position.

I think people forget the mess BVB were left in after the Klopp era, holding steady around the 3rd and 4th spots often scraping into Europe has much to do with Reus. They would of fallen way back otherwise. They're a different team with him. Anyone who watches the league will tell you that.

The way he dictates and controls games brought enough structure into a very disjointed team that has carried Dortmund the best part of a decade. Don't think there's any other player who could have really did that

chopperbyrne

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120259606#Comment_120259606

You were happy to use the assists statistics when it suited your narrative. Talking absolute bollocks.

The Golden Miller

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120259698#Comment_120259698

I accept that. Even though assists aren't a great indicator of creativity, just thought it was impressive in passing. Haven't looked into whether I was wrong, happy to take other people's word for it.

Weepsie

You're talking absolute nonsense as ever. He's a very talented player. No body doubts that's. But everything else is typical nonsense

NIMAN

A goal and another assist from the legend today.

ben.schlomo

I look forward to tomorrow's thread on why Phil Babb should be considered an equal of Baresi et al.

The Golden Miller

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120262589#Comment_120262589

If he played in the English league, you wouldn't hear the end of it, about how good he is.

Similar to Totti, retrospective analysis, particularly in UK and Ireland, deems him overrated

NIMAN

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120266035#Comment_120266035

I have often heard friends and work colleagues over the years describe Totti as "rubbish".

Some people don't have a clue.

The Golden Miller

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120266567#Comment_120266567

At one point the general consensus was that Totti was the best player in the world and would be one of the best ever, when he led Roma to the league, got widespread exposure in Europe and led Italy to the euros final. Since Roma went back and he retired early from international football, people are quick to forget how good a player he was.

I put it to people this way and I don't like using goals as a measurement. Despite being technically limited, Gerrard and Lampard are hailed as two of the greatest midfielder's in the premier league era, off the back of the goals they scored from midfield really. Totti from midfield scored 300+ goals, in a weaker team, but didn't get the exposure over here. Had he done it with a team in England would be regarded as one of the greatest ever. And as for longevity, did it for 20+ years.

People over here, to put him down, rewrite history in terms of his international career. Led Italy to the 2006 world cup and euro 2000 final. Man of the match in the euro final and made team of the tournament in 2006. Had a poor final in 2006 but was the one who led them there. The popular thing over here is for people to dismiss that and put it down to cult hero Pirlo. Totti also went into that world cup injured. Without him, they weren't winning that, and only did because of him.

As I said, as time goes by he's ridiculed here and apparently only football hipsters go on about him. You'd be hard pressed to find a midfielder that could put up his numbers for 20+ years in an average team. If he went to a bigger club with more exposure he'd be in the argument as the greatest ever, no question.

bucketybuck

Its some Walter Mitty sort of thing to invent a fantasy where "all these people over here ridicule Totti and put him down". Stop arguing with your own imagination, its not healthy.

And nobody gives a **** about Reus.

Run Forest Run

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120254327#Comment_120254327

I tend to think Ronaldo and Messi are intelligent enough to know how far they can push their bodies.

Obviously there is some luck involved, but it's not completely down to luck. And yes, completely agree with your point, staying injury free is a major part of being a top player. Some of the great German players of the past would have been embarrassed to be injured all the time. That was one of the things I always respected about the top German players of previous generations, they were always immaculately conditioned and both physically and mentally tough. Combined with talent and a strong winning mentality, made them very formidable players. It's not enough just to have talent.