England v Spain (friendly)
- Thread starter manwithnoname
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Did he have a Happy Hour?
Oh no you didn't!
- Alisson 1
- D. Alves 2
- Marquinhos 13
- Miranda 3
- Filipe Luís 6
- Paulinho 15
- R. Augusto 8
- Fernandinho 5
- P. Coutinho 11
- Gabriel Jesus 9
- Neymar 10
- R. Firmino 21
- Rodrigo Caio 17
- Lucas Lima
- Alex Muralha 23
- Weverton 12
- Willian 19
- Gil 4
- T. Silva 14
- Giuliano
- D. Costa 7
Brazil – Peru 2:0, goals by Gabriel Jesus and Renato Augusto. Coutinho once again the best player on the pitch alongside Neymar – he is just flying at the moment, full of tricks and great vision too. If he keeps playing like this, Barca will definitely come knocking in the summer. He was subbed after 85 minutes, fit and happy. Firmino didn't play. The first goal happened after Coutinho was tackled on the edge of the area – the ball bounced to Gabriel Jesus for a relatively simple finish. Gabriel also assisted for the 2nd goal near the end of the game, but otherwise was rather quiet – I think Guardiola will demand a lot more movement from him.
Peru pushed Brazil hard all game and deserved at least a goal for their efforts, but Brazil's quality was just too much. This new selecao has a lot going for it – the back 4 of Dani Alves-Miranda-Marquinhos-Felipe Luiz seems a lot more solid than the World Cup version, Neymar and Coutinho are awesome, and Fernandinho is good at controlling the tempo. I think the other 2 CMs are the weak links – Renato Augusto is too straightforward and predictable and Paulinho is just meh. Still, Brazil has a feel of a team on their way up.
Peru pushed Brazil hard all game and deserved at least a goal for their efforts, but Brazil's quality was just too much. This new selecao has a lot going for it – the back 4 of Dani Alves-Miranda-Marquinhos-Felipe Luiz seems a lot more solid than the World Cup version, Neymar and Coutinho are awesome, and Fernandinho is good at controlling the tempo. I think the other 2 CMs are the weak links – Renato Augusto is too straightforward and predictable and Paulinho is just meh. Still, Brazil has a feel of a team on their way up.
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It's beautiful how all the football experts on tv and radio argue the point that we should be patient with Stones, nurture him, allow him to make mistakes because by doing so he'll flourish and transmorph into a reincarnation of Beckenbauer.
He won't. Cos he's fucking shit.
He won't. Cos he's fucking shit.
I know with that kind of defender you need to be patient - Hansen had some fans shrieking with horror in his first season or two - but Stones must be a nightmare to play with. He passes to fellow defenders in the most ridiculous of circumstances. They say he can be careless but it's his stupidity that's the long term problem. I'm not sure he's ever going to make the right decisions consistently.
I don't rate him at all but am not gonna write him off yet because he reminds me a bit of Rio Ferdinand who had almost as many lapses in concentration in his early years as Stones has now. City fans (and others) are telling me how good he is but EVERY time I've seen him (about 9 or 10 times) he has made basic errors and in at least 4 situations he has given away goals. He's young enough to learn and he obviously has talent but hopefully he'll prove to be the expensive flop that he looks at present.
Alan Hansen is my favourite ever Liverpool player. I'm not even sure why, exactly, given the huge amount of amazing quality we have been lucky enough to have seen play for us over the years. But he is.
But anyway, every time I see Stones play there is a little reminder of the style, verve and calm that Jocky had. It's not like he's a doppleganger, but he's certainly got ball-playing confidence.
And Stones has advantages over Hansen; he's probably quicker, he's a better tackler and he's better in the air (the latter two hardly much of a compliment, given almost everyone was and is). But Hansen had Lawrenson to do all that for him, so that he could do what he does best; immaculate positioning and reading of the game, beautiful close control, ice-calm in possession, great passer, and could drop a shoulder and stroll past even the busiest, most alert pressing striker.
Maybe Stones needs to find his own Lawro.
He'll still never be anywhere as good as Alan Hansen, though.
He's at the worst possible club to develop too, most clubs would give him time to grow into the player he could become, & perhaps keep trying different partners to get it right, but I can't see city doing that at all.
Guardiola is patient enough (and stubborn) if he sees what the potential is. He was desperate to sign him, and recommended they spend £50m to get him.
He'll get every chance, I reckon.
It's probably a nice change from Mangala being a brainless spastic, Kompany always injured and Otomendi jumping into tackles every chance he gets
Stones is the better tackler and header of the ball but, as you indicate, that's not saying an awful lot in this case. I doubt he's quicker than Jocky was though. Jocky could rarely be bothered to look rapid, but he could shift all right over those first ten yards on the rare occasions when that became necessary.
Lawrenson wasn't much cop in the air either on the few occasions I saw him live. Neither of them needed to be because their pace, their reading of the game and their ability on the ball when we won it snuffed out countless attacks so early. The pair of them were the footballing equivalent of peaches and cream.
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You might be right about Lawro. What sticks out is how fast he was. And a very clinical tackler.
Given we paid an absolute fortune for him in those days, he's the equivalent of Stones money today.
Given we paid an absolute fortune for him in those days, he's the equivalent of Stones money today.
Indeed, but he was worth it. It's a pity that a snarky drip like Lawrenson would keep a warrior like Sami out of the All-Time XI, but he'd have to AFAIC.
I'd add Bruce Grobbelaar into the mix. He went for just about everything in the air - occasionally with spectacularly bad results, but far more often would acrobatically eliminate the danger and get us quickly attacking. His style of goalkeeping allowed Hansen and Lawrenson to thrive - maybe even contributes a little to a perceived weakness - they made less headed clearances because they didn't ever need to.
Quite right. And Hansen had Thommo beside him when he started, and Thommo's ability to anticipate his cock-ups saved him loads of times, which is probably why Jocky says he was his favourite CB partner. Stones seems to play in his own little bubble.
When Jocky and Lawrenson double-teamed on MOTD I sometimes got the impression Jocky despised the other fella. Was I barking up the wrong tree?
I think they are friends, and that MOTD stuff was a bit staged.
It was well reported at the time that 'Jockey' was the fastest player over a sprint distance at the club.
Really? Quicker than Rush? Or Craig Johnstone? Or Lawrenson?
So cool he even made being quick look languid and effortless.
So cool he even made being quick look languid and effortless.
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