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Round of 16 Matches

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TheBigIguana said:
I didn't think the US was bad there and on another day you might get a little more fortunate and end that first half only a goal down or 0-0 and you're going to be in it right to the end. But the ongoing big problem definitely bit us there in the end. We just don't take the good possession and territory and turn it into shots and chances to score. Part of that is the striker although I wouldn't say all of it.

Obviously would've loved to see a real run here but this was the expectation and it was met. So now the focus has to turn to 2026 and the goal there should be to win the tournament. Maybe unrealistic but that's what it has to be. We have experience we can take from this and we have lessons we can learn. Would I say I'm confident we will learn the correct lessons? Nah probably not.

I'm proud of the guys though. They played admirably and we're really close to the best now.
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No mate.
 
Chrismac said:
Apologies, I thought you were the guy I went back and forth with over Dumfries to be told Max Aarons was 10 times better and Patterson had more ability in his big toe.
From trawling through the archives seems it was another infamous poster.
And commiserations btw ?
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I'm fairly confident I wasn't talking up Aarons lol

I'm sure I also probably said I wouldn't want us to sign Dumfries for Everton and that's still true. Not because he isn't good, but because we aren't getting away with a RB whose main use is playing as the highest player up the field in your team.

He killed us today. Is what it is. We didn't do a good enough job figuring out how we wanted to deal with the fullbacks (Blind also had a goal and assist) which is always the main issue when you're in a 4-3-3 against a 3-4-3. A major miss from Gregg.
 
Drico said:
He's obviously marvelous, but I can understand people who find him a little bloodless. He quietly goes about his devastating brilliance, but some possibly prefer the emotional overload of Maradona. Messi is self-contained. He lacks the drama of a Ronaldo. Technically, I don't think I've seen anyone better than Messi. But as a force of nature, Maradona gets my vote. But you can't really compare eras. Maradona played in an era where the great players were brutalised and assaulted from behind. The 1986 World Cup had all four of the best players in the world - Zico, Rummenigge, Maradona and Platini entering the tournament with varieties of injury. They were crucified by Gentile, Goicoechea, Camacho and the like, notorious hatchetmen who fouled with impunity. Messi and Ronaldo had almost injury-free careers. That was only possible thanks to rule changes and clampdowns.

Also, the offside law and backpass law changes over the years opened up the playing area for creative players. In the 1980s, Serie A was characterised by multiple 0-0s and 1-0s every week as space, and goals, were at a premium. It was a different game then. Messi is, for me, the undoubted greatest player of his era. Beyond that, it's apples and oranges.
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This is well put. Aesthetically his style is not the easiest on the eye. Compare the way he runs with the ball with graceful players of a similar stature like his long time compatriot Iniesta or one of my old favourites Baggio. He also does not have the box office personality that transcends. For these reason we will never be one of my favourite footballers.

However, I think he is the best based consistency of performance over such a long period. That being said I don’t think he is a talented a Maradona although there is an argument to be had for either man.
 

allen said:
He’s a man absolutely not coming to terms with the end of his career.

They are going to have to prise him out of the Portugal squad with a crobar.
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I think he can still play, and if he was available for 20k/week he would make sense, but at 10 or 20 times those wages he's gonna struggle to find a club who can accomodate him
TBH I think he's one of the fittest players we've ever seen - you gotta be to be still doing it at that age and level.
 
evilwebby said:
I think he can still play, and if he was available for 20k/week he would make sense, but at 10 or 20 times those wages he's gonna struggle to find a club who can accomodate him
TBH I think he's one of the fittest players we've ever seen - you gotta be to be still doing it at that age and level.
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I can’t agree. In no world would signing 2023 Ronaldo make sense.
 

I agree. There’s something incredibly endearing about a mad genius like Gascoigne, Cantona, Maradonna, Zidane, Rooney - real passion matched with unreal skill. Messi is beautiful to watch but doesn’t have that extra level of box office theatre which Ronaldo always has.
 
Shibbywiggles said:
I agree. There’s something incredibly endearing about a mad genius like Gascoigne, Cantona, Maradonna, Zidane, Rooney - real passion matched with unreal skill. Messi is beautiful to watch but doesn’t have that extra level of box office theatre which Ronaldo always has.
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The box office of crying like a spoilt child, when he turns a team game into a selfish, solitary one? Doesn’t care about anybody but himself box office? I’d rather have messi box office football over that spoilt narcissist ronaldo
 

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