OFFICIAL FOOTY THREAD ⚽️: Rodri wins 2024 Ballon d’Or

[ICE CITY CF]

No lies told here
Hardly an achievement considering how garbage we were
We even made KDB look bad

United bought Sancho off very successful seasons at Dortmund, his last one ending in 17 goals and 16 assists in the league.
English media always massively overhypes any English players who shows the slightest bit of talent. When has a club not overpaid by a lot for an English talent in recent years? Every English talent is the next Messi the way the English media hypes them up.
Pulisic also played at Dortmund and scored a whopping total of 8 league goals and 9 assists in 52 appearances in the 2 seasons before Chelsea bought him. You can add up his entire 4 seasons at Dortmund and Sancho still produced more goals and assists than him in a single season.

To Pulisic' credit, he's improving in a tougher league while Sancho is doing the opposite. But the price that was paid for how little he showed was ridiculous.
With Sancho's overpriced pricetag, you could at least point to multiple very successful seasons that had continued growth.

It's not all about goals and assist my guy, if you exclusively use stats you strip away a lot of nuance and context. Just looking at the numbers to say Pulisic showed little at Dortmund is very misleading.

Sancho scored and assisted a lot more in every season that he played for Dortmund than Dembele did in his 19yo season with the club, but Dembele showed considerably more talent and ability week-to-week.

Besides, aren't you literally making the point that Sancho IS actually the bigger bust between the two?

 

[degenerate423]

A big topic of debate and conversation this past week on FT has been the Messi/CR goat conversation. Since there’s no footy til Saturday here’s my take…

We can have personal goats but greatness is really decided in the court of public opinion. It’s strange that someone can lose a ton of goat stock at 37 years old in the twilight of their careers when they’re supposed to be washed and retired already, but the reality is that it has happened to CR big time. In the same tournament, on the biggest stage there’s been moments of Messi magic (and some stat padding from pens but the court of public opinion just looks at the goals tally.)

Barring an embarrassing defeat for Messi, their showings in this tournament is what people will remember really ended the conversation. Nobody cares that at Messi’s current age CR was still having 30 goal seasons in Serie A, and the unfortunate coincidence that Father Time finally caught up to him heading into this tourney. People just see one getting benched for club and country and unable to find a club to sign him, while the other may become immortalized with Pele and Maradona in international footy folklore.

I still think CR is the best to ever do it in the highest level competition there is, the CL. At worst even Messi stans will have to concede that there’s a legitimate argument there. And therefore if someone is the best in the strongest competition well then you can make the case that he’s the best to ever do it. But the public has decided, and the goat convo is over.

CR, you shoulda just stayed at RM, won a couple of more CLs, and blew out your knees doing this before this world cup tarnished your legacy

In my opinion, the convo isn’t over unless Messi wins on Sunday. If he doesn’t, then it goes back to being a moot point.

 

[LA Diggler]

I never know what the conversation is with Messi v Ronaldo. Is it better career, better season or better player? I wouldn’t be mad at anyone debating the first two but the last one hasn’t been a debate since like 08.

 

[d3si]

No lies told here
Hardly an achievement considering how garbage we were
We even made KDB look bad

United bought Sancho off very successful seasons at Dortmund, his last one ending in 17 goals and 16 assists in the league.
English media always massively overhypes any English players who shows the slightest bit of talent. When has a club not overpaid by a lot for an English talent in recent years? Every English talent is the next Messi the way the English media hypes them up.
Pulisic also played at Dortmund and scored a whopping total of 8 league goals and 9 assists in 52 appearances in the 2 seasons before Chelsea bought him. You can add up his entire 4 seasons at Dortmund and Sancho still produced more goals and assists than him in a single season.

To Pulisic' credit, he's improving in a tougher league while Sancho is doing the opposite. But the price that was paid for how little he showed was ridiculous.
With Sancho's overpriced pricetag, you could at least point to multiple very successful seasons that had continued growth.

No question that Sancho put up better numbers. It isn't about stats padding. The important thing is that we gotta watch full games whenever we can. I do believe Sancho has better skills than Pulisic

From what I see, Sancho had better childhood trainings than Pulisic. That gave Sancho a huge advantage there. What Pulisic did for his career is truly remarkable for being an American soccer player. He succeed beyond all expectations

Sancho trained his whole life under Watford academy plus two years in Manchester City academy (he joined them when he was 15 years old). Watford may not be a big market club but it's one of the oldest clubs that run the footy program for a century. Their academy are a Category Two. In the case if you wonder about category level academy. There are four category statuses in the English FA. For example, Chelsea, United, Liverpool, City academies are Category One. No doubt that the category two academies are definitely higher than American best academies. Pulisic trained one year in England; Brackley Town F.C. academy (probably Category Four) then spent his childhood at PA Classics academy in the US. And he joined BVB academy when he was 17. Tell the truth, most 17-19 years old kids often sign their first professional contract then go on a loan or join the club's first team squad

That's probably why I think Sancho fails to live up. I expected high achievements from him than Pulisic due to their backgrounds. Maybe that's wrong of me to think that way. To be honest, I root for Sancho and Pulisic to play well for many years to come

Like I said it's too soon to judge

Both Sancho and Pulisic are still young. They have plenty of time to improve and reach at higher aim. It's up to them

 

[Armada]

I never know what the conversation is with Messi v Ronaldo. Is it better career, better season or better player? I wouldn’t be mad at anyone debating the first two but the last one hasn’t been a debate since like 08.

Honestly feel the same if we just talking about who’s the better player period which is what it comes down to in my eyes that hasn’t been a question in a long time

 

[luisfigo]

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wegotsoccer.com

 

[Coupé It]

I've been hyper critical of Pulisic at times in the last 2 years but he really did have a good tournament.

Be honest, how much of either player did yall really watch at Dortmund?



Pulisic was one of the most exciting players in the entire Bundesliga for two full seasons at 17 and 18yo. No American invention.






As good as Pulisic was, Sancho came in and looked even more talented at times, and had ridiculous production.

In hindsight I do think their roles in multiple different Dortmund systems under different coaches were almost tailor made for them to produce and to excel as teenagers, but there was no gas, it wasn't invented or curated, it wasn't nationalistic hype. Both showed top talent at that age and any teenager who does the same things in a top 5 league tomorrow is getting the same optimistic outlook on their future potential.

Pulisic also didn’t have the luxury of playing with Haaland like Sancho did.

I’ve seen Pulisic take people on and score and assist before.

Never seen that from Sancho. Man is extremely slow and extremely weak.

Maybe there is a player in there - but it’s definitely not a winger.

 

[vtotheinay]

chevrolet about to jump back in?

 

[Coupé It]

Everyone selling now that the Super League has been bust.

The Glazers
Fenway Sports
Team Viewer

These fools really thought it was going to happen.

Morons.

 

[Bantz Lord T]

Everyone selling now that the Super League has been bust.

The Glazers
Fenway Sports
Team Viewer

These fools really thought it was going to happen.

Morons.

American EPL owners did not read the room before joining the Super League

 

[Coupé It]

American EPL owners did not read the room before joining the Super League

They really thought they could turn our beloved sport into the NFL.

The audacity.

 

[Bantz Lord T]

They really thought they could turn our beloved sport into the NFL.

The audacity.

If there’s one thing we can’t deny about the English, it’s their passion for the sport. I think they’re the most passionate football fans in Europe. The way they mobilized against the Super League was very impressive to me. We didn’t see that in Italy or Spain. England’s passion borders on fanaticism at times. It reminds me a lot of Argentina.

 

[Coupé It]

If there’s one thing we can’t deny about the English, it’s their passion for the sport. I think they’re the most passionate football fans in Europe. The way they mobilized against the Super League was very impressive to me. We didn’t see that in Italy or Spain. England’s passion borders on fanaticism at times. It reminds me a lot of Argentina.

I gave them their credit plenty. Was very proud. English fans saved Football.

The other thing they did was let the world know they’d never allow this going forward (which is why Owners are selling now).

Fans have power. Forever grateful.

 

[flyeed]

I still maintain that Arsenal being included put them over the edge into mobilizing

 

[Bantz Lord T]

I still maintain that Arsenal being included put them over the edge into mobilizing

Arsenal is the second or third biggest club in England

 

[Coupé It]

Arsenal fans were still protesting the Super League even if they didn’t deserve to even qualify for it - when it was announced.

Arsenal fans hold protest against owners

Arsenal supporters protest against the club's owners outside the Emirates Stadium on Friday following their part in the failed European Super League.

www.bbc.com

 

[Verde Shuttles]

Not arsenal but spurs

 

[Beans]

Arsenal is the second or third biggest club in England

Lmfao you being very kind..

 

[sonoftony]

Schneider beer commercial from Argentinia

 

[Bantz Lord T]

Lmfao you being very kind..

Am I? United, Liverpool, and Arsenal are by far the biggest clubs in the country. While they’ve achieved great things the last 20 years, City and Chelsea are still minnows in comparison.

 

[Bantz Lord T]

Schneider beer commercial from Argentinia

TyC Sports, Quilmes, and Schneider have produced some incredible world cup commercials in Argentina. I’ll post some for the beasts

 

[Bantz Lord T]

sonoftony this is my favorite of all time

 

[Beans]

Am I? United, Liverpool, and Arsenal are by far the biggest clubs in the country. While they’ve achieved great things the last 20 years, City and Chelsea are still minnows in comparison.

I was referring to even thinking they could be 2nd

 

[noskey]

Not arsenal but spurs

Arsenal has trophies in their history.

 

[アミーゴ]

Arsenal has trophies in their history.

Definitely not another one this season…