Round of 16

[chrissyjack]

Boooooooo

 

[neil999]

The 2010 team was very talented. Rooney was probably the 3rd best player in the world or maybe fifth.

It's irrelevant

 

[matty1878]

oh f

 

[matty1878]

Boooooooo

i know

i’m turning it off now

 

[Obes]

A sumptuous ball in from Yamal. Now that is how to cross a ball. Take notes, England.

 

[YoboCopter]

Hate this commentator whos on with andros

 

[Billy Dean]

Spain-Germany will be a belting QF

 

[tommye]

That's an absolute beauty of a cross that

 

[BainesontoastNEW]

When you look at the quality of the "big" international sides - there can be no question that football is witnessing a decline in players with actual ability.

I made reference to this in a previous discussion over the lack of top level strikers out there at present in Europe.

Poses the question, is it a temporary blip or has the need for footballers to now press like lunatics for 90 minutes changed how we develop players ? Seems to be ability on the ball is secondary to pace & stamina at the highest level now.

Look at the game right now; you've got a classical centre-forward type like Morata flanked by two modern developed attackers in Nico Williams and Yamal. In short, there's still players coming through with bags of ability but they're not exactly "strikers" as we know it.

 

[TheBigIguana]

Yeah? They were a surprisingly good side that only got knocked out by holland on pens in the quarters. The side one kick away from the semis was good!

With the greatest respect to Bryan Ruiz they were not

 

[EFC_FRANCIS]

There was no need to even play Germany in the R16. Should’ve won our group and we’d have avoided them

Yeah but we would've had to play a decent side eventually. Southgate not changed anything there, once we come up against a decent side we lose. He's got us better at pens and group stages

 

[ForeverBlue92]

Yeah, runners and pressing like maniacs changed the game.
Classic number 10s of the past are gone/going extinct, you know types of the players who were there for beautiful passes and moves while they had less talented to run for them.

We had Robert Prosinecki like that here in Croatia in the 90s, he would smoke a pack of cigarettes in half times haha.

James Rodriguez is a good example of a player who wouldn't be at a top side now due to his lack of physical attributes.

Just looking at forwards, it wasn't so long ago the following were all around the same era or thereabouts:

Ronaldo
Messi
Rooney
Van Persie
Suarez
Aguero
David Villa
Torres
Drogba
Costa
Zlatan
Kane
Eto'o
Klose
Higuain
Cavani
Tevez
Neymar
Lukaku
Aubameyang
Muller

Plenty more but just raising the point of where have they all gone ?

Haaland, Kane, Salah, Mbappe & Lewandowski aside, not much out there at present.

 

[Tommy Chong]

i know

i’m turning it off now

T'was a valiant attempt from the lads from Georgia, but I'm afraid this only ends one way now.

 

[heatmeiser]

Yeah, runners and pressing like maniacs changed the game.
Classic number 10s of the past are gone/going extinct, you know types of the players who were there for beautiful passes and moves while they had less talented to run for them.

We had Robert Prosinecki like that here in Croatia in the 90s, he would smoke a pack of cigarettes in half times haha.

Prosinecki and Boban are two of my favourite players of all time. Legends

 

[EFC_FRANCIS]

With the greatest respect to Bryan Ruiz they were not

Do you consider the Greece 04 side good then?