Re: Rest of the Football World Thread

[Winter is Coming]

The problem is with us we didn't really need Pedro against mid table or regulation teams as we could take care of them easily it was against the top sides we needed him, which he failed to deliver on many occasions.

Other then this season so far, Chelsea were able to fend off the big teams, they suffered against mid table/regulation teams, so he could be that needed player for them.

[windkick]

Doubt it's true, but hey what the heck

http://www.espnfc.us/blog/the-toe-poke/65/post/2579036/arsenal-bellerin-beats-walcott-in-sprints-again

[Myesyats]

I think it's true as it's not the first time it's being reported.

Bellerin is fast as lightning, you can see it on the pitch very clearly.

[The Franchise]

Coutinho with another impressive performance no?

Dont think he will be at Liverpool 2-3 years from now.

[Myesyats]

Coutinho and Barcelona would be a perfect fit, says ex-Brazil star Ronaldinho.

I think Verratti and Coutinho would be great Xavi and Iniesta replacements tbh.

Also playing with MSN makes you a better player as well.

[futbol]

Personally not overly impressed. By that I mean he plays well but more like someone like Cazorla who also plays very well but definitely not in a "OMG, Barca should buy this guy" type of well. There is a strange, pre determined hype around him all of a sudden.

[Hapless_Hans]

There is a strange, pre determined hype around him all of a sudden.

There really is. And it is indeed strange.

He's a great little player no doubt. But for my taste, he's not a good team player, he has good indivual moments. We'll see how good he gets, but that hype is indeed strange.

Is it only GL, emanating from our excitable Liverpool posters? Or is it everywhere. I can't tell.

[Myesyats]

Not all of sudden.

He's a great player already for a while and he's still just... For some reason I thought he's 20.

Either way, a Brazilian with skill = perfect fit for Barca.

[Great Leader Sprucenuce]

Only on GL is he hyped like this, no one else think he's good enough for Barca lol.

And rightly so, mind you it wouldn't be the first time this section hyped the shit out of players playing for lesser clubs and think they are good enough when in reality they are not.

Liverpool is his level, he's very talented but people need to chill.

[CBarca]

I personally think that he'll be good enough for Barca in one or two more years lol. Good enough to be a bench rotation player right now if you ask me.

Very talented.

[Great Leader Sprucenuce]

I personally think that he'll be good enough for Barca in one or two more years lol. Good enough to be a bench rotation player right now if you ask me.

Very talented.

Considering Sergi Roberto is that right now, you could pick Newcastle players who could be bench/rotation players tbh Doesn't mean you should go ahead and buy them though.

Just like when a large percentage of you wanted Sakho just because he was better than Bartra, doesn't mean you should have bought him then and rightly you didn't.

It's a very small club minded thought process, you could name many players who could simply do a job. The point is to buy players who make you better not to get players just because they are better than what you have riding the bench.

That's not how you build a team, as you can by the fact you have scrubs on the bench and relying heavily on your starters.

[CBarca]

Is wanting quality depth on the bench a problem?

I'm not saying that Coutinho should be bought because he can be that player--in fact, I never advocated buying him at all--I'm saying that he's definitely good enough for that role (because I'm not quite convinced that he's at the level of a starting player for Barca yet). That's where my post ended.

To elaborate further past the intention of my original post--I wouldn't mind buying him though because I think, as said, he's good enough for a rotation role with the object of slotting him somewhere in the starting lineup for Barca in a year or two. What position he would play exactly is a problem however. I certainly am not advocating for the acquisition of his signature though, and never have done--at least not in this moment of time.

[Myesyats]

He wouldn't be a starter, of course not lol. But he could occasionaly come in since Iniesta isn't getting younger.

You'd be suprised how much of an influence on a player's development is having personas like Iniesta or Messi around.

Name me three players capable of replacing Iniesta right now, at the age of 23 or so.

[Casciavit]

Been hyping up Coutinho since 2012, always felt that if he developed well he could be Iniesta's successor at Barca.

[Bankz]

Cutinho is good enough to be a bench rotation player tbh.. Dont see anything strange bout it. We're talking like barca has always had absolute wc players on the bench. Infact, how many clubs can boast of those? So, imo, cutinho is good enough for a significant role in barca (wonder whats even strange bout him starting). I mean, theres nothing written in stone here, moreso its not like the so called "barca good" players have always succeeded at barca anyway. Sometimes, it can really be amazing what responsibility can do for some players tbh (i'm not saying he should start, but he's talented enough to consider the possibility of starting depending on the situation) i mean this a club who once had/have keita, pedro, oleguer, Afellay, sergi roberto, munir, scrubinha etc on their squard or sometimes starting eleven even..

[Hapless_Hans]

Noone's denying he is a great player, and noone is denying he might be good enough to be a "bench rotation player" or something for Barca, or more.

The thing I don't get AT ALL are the Iniesta comparisons.

For me, he's nothing like Iniesta. More like Di Maria. But then, I'm not an expert.

[Myesyats]

Who compared him to Iniesta?

By saying he would be a good Iniesta replacement I don't mean that he's similar to the legend. There's nobody quite like Iniesta in the world.

That's also the case with Xavi. They're both unique.

It's impossible to find 100% legit replacements for them but Coutinho is a player who's one of the closest to what we need.

Isco is legit but it's not happening in this life.

[Bankz]

Isco yes, especially on a technical level and the fact that isco is a far better goal threat than iniesta could ever be, but thats pretty much where it all ends tbh, Otherwise, iniesta is just plain better in everything else, especially in big games (a reason i would never rely on isco).
Moreso, isco is too streaky and just too inconsistent, a criticism everyone had with him at malaga till this day. Dunno, but i see him as the perfect luxury player or the perfect sub player, where he just does his stuff and wow the crowd when the game is already settled. My opinion anyway.

[alexjanosik]

As someone who has watched Liverpool extensively over the past few years, I can say with confidence that Coutinho is good enough to start for us. I have advocated us signing him plenty of times before.
Technically brilliant,wonderfully inventive,an eye for a pass and a cannon of a shot. A brilliant little player who can only get better. There are very few players who I think would do a good job succeeding Iniesta and Coutinho is at the top of that list.
Those saying that he is not good enough to start for us,would like to know why. If Rakitic is good enough for us, then Countinho most definitely is. The only thing Rakitic has over the Brazilian is hustle. The Brazilian comes out top everywhere else. NTM he is miles better than Rafinha who is our fourth choice midfielder(likely to start a lot of games this season).

People said the same about Suarez not being good enough. I have no doubt that Coutinho will be an equally resounding success if we do have the sense to sign him. Alas, we will probably continue with Scrubinha and Scruberto. If and when we do decide to sign a midfielder, in all probability it will be Jack The Lionheart Wilshire.

[Myesyats]

People said that Suarez wasn't good enough? Whaaaaaaaaaaaat?

[futbol]

No one ever said that.

[Hapless_Hans]

Jack Wilshere is a fantastic footballer tbf.
And once his apparently tiny brain registers that inviting ankle-hurting tackles is not a net positive if you're injury prone, even if it does award your team a freekick, he will go on to great things.

[Myesyats]

Call me when Barca signs up an English player.

[Hapless_Hans]

As someone who has watched Liverpool extensively over the past few years, I can say with confidence that Coutinho is good enough to start for us. I have advocated us signing him plenty of times before.

Technically brilliant,wonderfully inventive,an eye for a pass and a cannon of a shot. A brilliant little player who can only get better. There are very few players who I think would do a good job succeeding Iniesta and Coutinho is at the top of that list.

Not debating any of that except for the bold part.
I can't say I've really seen any real playmaking abilities from him, which is another thing Iniesta excels at, on the contrary, but again I'm not an expert.

[alexjanosik]

He has a tendency to misplace passes but he has got the final pass in him. I have seen him play plenty of delightful passes.
The loose passes can be weeded out in time. At any rate he cant be more careless than Rakitic who misplaces 5 to 6 simple passes every game.

[alexjanosik]

Jack Wilshere is a fantastic footballer tbf.
And once his apparently tiny brain registers that inviting ankle-hurting tackles is not a net positive if you're injury prone, even if it does award your team a freekick, he will go on to great things.

Personally,never been a fan of Jackie boy. Even when he was fit, I thought he was a bit overrated.

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