Hmm, that's a bit harsh but I get your point.
Maybe the "Nigel Spackman in the Liverpool 5 Forest 0" game?
Anyway, I like him much more over the last 12 months and he's generally in most of my Best XIs, so whatevs
Liverpool face Gini Wijnaldum transfer decision as contract ticks down
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Hmm, that's a bit harsh but I get your point.
Maybe the "Nigel Spackman in the Liverpool 5 Forest 0" game?
Anyway, I like him much more over the last 12 months and he's generally in most of my Best XIs, so whatevs
True, but Wijnaldum's already played about 120 games more than McDonald ever managed. That helps being remembered. Just ask Lucas.
Don't suppose that he was replacing Souness helped much either, despite not being anything like him, bar the tache.
Crumbs! That sounds like a lot of dough.
Gini had a massive magical game in the game that defines this team above all others. I think that might just stick in the memory of some people, even if they aren't fans of technically accomplished water-carriers in midfield.
This is a good post and also a nice description of him
One of my favourite players. Fucking love him. Vital to how we play.
Yeah, it's good news. The guy is exactly right for us both on and off the field.
He also got a superb winner against City.
It’s his ball retention in tight spots when we are under pressure I remember most. He’s arguably one of the best at it and is insanely strong on the ball.
Yeah, he's very hard to get the ball off, and rarely gives it away either, with pass completion often in the 90s
Obviously his conservatism in his passing contributes to this, but keeping the ball is quite important for a midfielder.
And it really shines through in the big games when we are under pressure late on and others panic or boot it away. I love to see him get it even if there are 2/3 around him.
I can’t remember if it was Barca or not but there was one game where he turned 3 lads inside out from an impossible position.
That’s so vital when we play the very best.
He’s always great against City for example.
He's also the man who got us back in the CL with a crucial goal. Remember celebrating that like mad with @LeTallecWiz. Too many are selling him short in this thread. He's so good, strong and clever that if he slows a bit he will find himself a position further back on the field. I'd happily sign him up for 4 more years even at this age.
Idrissa Gueye
Yup, now I found it too. Don’t think his stats would be as good in England though. Shows how Gini is pretty much the best at what he does - winning duels and keeping possession.
And scoring goals. For the Dutch national team.
All in all, I think people underestimate how difficult it would be to replace Wijnaldum. Sure you can find a midfielder who works hard and also produces exciting moments from time to time (maybe more regularly than Gini), but you also need to replace:
- Tactical intelligence – Dutch players have a unique advantage here, they have these 4-3-3 possession systems drilled into them from young age: where to move, how to create space for teammates, how to cover for each other's runs, all that stuff. And even among his Dutch national team teammates his tactical intelligence and adaptability stands out. I literally cannot think of a single CM/DM with comparable physical attributes as Gini (consistently winning 60%+ of duels and dialing it even further up for big games) who is also his equal in terms of understanding of the game.
- Related to p.1 – versatility. We take it for granted with Gini; whatever hole we need to fill in the squad, just stick Gini in there and you know he will do pretty well. DM in place of Fabinho? Sure. 2nd, more advanced CM like Keita? That's his bread and butter. Attacking CM – yes, and he will always score goals when you unburden him from defensive responsibility. Emergency winger, centre-forward, or centre-back – he got it. He can do all this, again, because he understands the game on a high level and knows what each position needs – and also has such a well-rounded technical arsenal that he can pull off each role convincingly enough.
- Related to p.3 – fitness and availability. It's no good being the most versatile player on the planet if you spend more time in the treatment room than on the pitch. Gini is probably our quickest-to-recover player in the squad (alongside Mane and Mo, I guess), he is the one you can count on not to drop the energy levels when playing game after game after game in quick succession. And his injury record has been absolutely stellar, since recovering from that one long-term injury he had back at PSV.
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Always been a big fan of him. Really hope he extends because, as you say, replacing him is not that easy. He's a Silent Assassin, as he does so many things but often goes unnoticed.
Well argumented points there. And only the most confident of is can list a point 3 and start it by referring point 3. Surely people doing that also refers to themselves in 3rd person!! 😀
£100k a week I`ll be Mo`s best friend and lay on the treatment bench.
Fuck it for £100k a week Mo can lay alongside me(maybe even behind me 😛 )
[article]Speaking to RTV Rijnmond (via Sport Witness) the Dutch star has opened the door to return to one of his three previous Dutch clubs.
“I see myself returning to Feyenoord, PSV or Sparta. I sometimes look at Sparta and then I think, ‘Well, it would be nice if I played there in my final years’,” he said.
“In the Netherlands I have played at three clubs and I have had a very good feeling about all three, but you can only choose one.
“I also learn from other players. Van Nistelrooy once made the promise to return, but at a later age he did not want that anymore.
“What I am experiencing now is unique. You want to play at the highest level and win prizes, like Clarence Seedorf. My dream is to stay fit as long as I can, just like him, Zlatan or Ronaldo. I want to play at a high level until I am 38.”
Wijnaldum signed for Feyenoord for their academy after leaving Sparta Rotterdam in 2004. He then joined PSV Eindhoven in 2011 and went on to make over 150 appearances for the Eredivisie club.[/article]
“I see myself returning to Feyenoord, PSV or Sparta. I sometimes look at Sparta and then I think, ‘Well, it would be nice if I played there in my final years’,” he said.
“In the Netherlands I have played at three clubs and I have had a very good feeling about all three, but you can only choose one.
“I also learn from other players. Van Nistelrooy once made the promise to return, but at a later age he did not want that anymore.
“What I am experiencing now is unique. You want to play at the highest level and win prizes, like Clarence Seedorf. My dream is to stay fit as long as I can, just like him, Zlatan or Ronaldo. I want to play at a high level until I am 38.”
Wijnaldum signed for Feyenoord for their academy after leaving Sparta Rotterdam in 2004. He then joined PSV Eindhoven in 2011 and went on to make over 150 appearances for the Eredivisie club.[/article]
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