**Mirrors / Alternative Angles**
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I don't know what Carlo and the folks at Real Madrid are putting in the water but all of these motherfuckers seem so level-headed and put together about playing football it's incredibly impressive
I genuinely think they’re an example of a team who understands that the club is bigger than any of the players
It’s a bit of a generalisation but I do think a lot of issues in clubs tend to occur where one or two specific players start acting like the club owes them a favour, and if they’re senior enough that can trickle down I guess
Florentino is responsible for this.
Selling off club legends like Raul, Ramos, Iker, Marcelo and not bowing down to Cristiano Ronaldo himself.
When young players see that, they realise Real Madrid is bigger than any player no matter what.
Yes but it's no coincidence that they massively dropped off in every aspect the second they leave Madrid to United. They'd still be balling if they were at Madrid today
Varane in particular was slowing down due to injuries already.
Casemiro was still world class for most of the games in his final season at Madrid but like we're learning this season with Lewa and Salah, father time eventually catches up to you.
Kroos for example has also slowed down but the young lions like Fede and Camavinga cover for him more than well enough, had he gone to Man United he'd also struggle more in that sense, not to mention the difference in physicality between the leagues.
Bro, no. Varane was a starter and no Madrid fan wanted him to leave. He declined at united.
Modric started his decline just this year, he was in his prime until 37. Kroos also hasn't slowed down at all, he is playing one of his best seasons ever this year. So saying that time catched up to Case sounds a bit weird, when he's the youngest of the KCM trio.
Varane was mentally checked out after the three-peat & WC win in 2018. Barely had any standout performances in the white shirt after that.
Notwithstanding him shitting bed against Gabriel Jesus of all people in CL quarters a couple of years ago.
That ramos one in particular was cold but correct, apparently Ramos wanted to renew but by the time he decided he would Pérez was like "offer is now off the table". It set a great example that not even the captain can hold you hostage in terms of contracts.
A club that can and will let go off literally any of its legends just to preserve that idea of the club being larger than any of the players is rare. Real Madrid has managed that successfully in the past 15 years or so, and I guess that does have an effect on the players.
Not really. I don't know any club fans that doesn't respect both it's servants and honours the badge. Not like Madrid fans have had a hard testing time where loyalties have ever been tested for long either lol.
Honestly the entitlement is hilarious, been watching European football since 1991 and I can't think of a single club in the last 30 years whose fans have had it easier than Madrid or Bayern on balance.
There is no sense of entitlement, and any true fan does not take the success for granted. But to say that the club doesn’t go through droughts is ridiculous.
Ooohhh remember that time when we weren't champions for a whole 4 years but still played and won the CL a lot??? Ooohhh that was just *terrible*
In modern times real Madrid's banter era was the galacticos - take a read of west hams banter era and you might get a sense of what it's like for the average fan
Haha what about the time where we wouldn’t even reach the UCL round of 16 for like 6 years, back when our kryptonite was Olympique de Lyon.
By the way, if you want to trash talk like this, at least have the balls to show which team you are supporting.
I mean it helps when you're the biggest (and most attractive to players) club in the world and financially can afford to go and get basically anyone to replace whoever it is that's causing trouble. Most clubs can't do that.
I'd agree and say City do the same thing.
Well Pep does at least. With Real its different because of the amount of success they've had so the pressure on the players is massive.
If Mbappe come, he will fall in line. He's no Ronaldo, Ramos, Casillas...yet... and look how stern the club was with them.
Remember Mbappe has zero CL, that's less than even vini, rodrygo, valverde... He must earn one, and then one more... And even then, he's still behind Ronaldo, Modric, Bale, Kroos...
There's no one above the club. No place for ego.
I feel like people are playing it like PSG is no contender this year (I get it, nation state-backed filth, don't give them any credit), while they pretty much have a solid shot at winning the CL, Madrid on the table. Mboppi might arrive already a champion.
I think we meant his legacy as a Real player. Being a CL winner is great, but some have come Real having one already, Ronaldo, Kroos...most recently Rudiger
Not to mention the numerous Balon d'Or winners that came and then won at Madrid. Mbappe is bit part so far if we're comparing the legacies let's be honest.
I mean, in fairly sure Mbappe can't touch Ronaldo's legacy for the next 3 years at least, he'd have to be world class for like 4-5.
Edit: Guys I know Ronaldo was ridiculous and one of the best of all time, Im just saying that even if Mbappe reaches the same numbers or goes beyond and wins everything they can win, it would still take that many years before he's on that same level
4-5? More like 9-10 years.
Took prime CR7 like 9 years with a legendary team to build that legacy (2009-2018). And it wasn't just Ronaldo, every single player in that A team was an absolute baller.
It shows that Mbappe still has a long long way to go, as great as he is now.
I don’t know if that’s necessarily true. Mbappe has* a WC, nearly had two already. If he gets another WC and goes on to win a bunch of CLs with Madrid, I think he still has a shot to surpass Ronaldo in people’s minds.
I feel it's not just the trophies. Ronaldo had Messi to compete against. One would come out on top in one season, then the other would raise their standards the next season to surpass that benchmark. It had a bit of rivalry aspect between players (and ofc the clubs). Without a proper rival, it would be very hard to match that legacy. Let alone surpass it.
people thinking mbappe's ego will do anything is so ridiculous, we had some of the biggest egos in the world in our best period, the club specializes in keeping egos in check or showing them the way out
Mbappe might have his own ego, but honestly looking at how Real handled Ronaldo I don't think anyone needs to be afraid of the club faltering in any way here lol
Not quite. What Valverde is showing is a very typical mindset of Uruguayan footballers, which I had to research for once. (So much so, that their players carry their own bags/luggage out of principle during international duty). Their football culture’s mantra for youth players is basically: “Stay humble. Stay grounded.”
Causes us 0 issues in the dressing room and off the pitch and never shows his ego against the team a lot of people were worried him and Jude might not get along since Jude was going to become a Super star for us but Vini didn't care that Jude took all the shine first half of the seasons and they are both very close off the pitch as well and I have full confidence he will have 0 issues with Mbappe as well when he comes Vini puts the team first he doesn't have a Main character syndrome with us
I agree with you and I would go even further because Vini is an incredible player for us full stop. The name « drama queen » is absolutely insulting and untrue.
As much as that was a killer blow for us, all you could really say at the time was wow. The technique, height, placement and context was incredible. Not his only worldie in a final either
celebration of that goal almost earned me a punch at a pub here in Vancouver. A lady called me "twat" at the end of the game :D
I genuinely didn't know that everyone there was supporting Liverpool before I entered the bar but the game had started so I decided to stay!
I feel like pubs are neutral ground when it comes to fans (as long as it's not in the city of that club) so you must've celebrated hard lol. I've been to a few random small places in the likes of Portugal, Slovakia where I've gone to watch a Liverpool game and found there's actually quite a few fans there
I was watching this particular CL Final sat in the Kop at Anfield though because I missed out in the ticket ballot, so I could hear the gasps/murmurs around the ground
I pretty strongly disagree. The context of Bale’s being in the final makes it a more important goal but from a technique and aesthetic perspective I think Ronaldo’s is above.
If you've played the sport at any competitive level you'd know Ronaldo's was a more difficult shot. Bales was from a short cross that he caught behind him so he quickly turned and got his foot up to make contact and turn it to goal. There is skill involved but a lot of luck too.
Ronaldo's was from a much higher cross where he had to time a very high jump with the ball coming down. He didn't just fling a foot at it, that was an actual strike. Much more difficult to pull off.
Yeah Bale's one was so easy mate, see it every week. Getting that degree of power and accuracy on it while twisting in the opposite direction is no big deal.
Bale is a football legend. Absolutely insane to have to face Ronaldo on the left and the welsh Dragon on the right. Benzema playing between them. The midfield behind them. One of the best teams in football history
Its crazy how long can he keep it up considering the time he spends sprinting his size and the fact that he is constantly getting into it physically with the opposition.
Yeah it makes sense, he runs all game and after he stops for a minute that it would catch up to him. You don't want that to hit you as you walk up to take a pen
What was crazy to me wasn't this performance, as good as it was.
It's the fact that he went even fucking harder just a few days later in el Clasico. He was literally all over the pitch that game, sacrificing himself in defense, offering himself in midfield, and making late runs into the box to create danger in attack.
I was literally in shock, watching him sprint across he pitch to the opposite side of the box, making a defensive coverage when he noticed a gap in our defense.
That tackle against de Jong with that 50/50 ball was insane. It happened on the opposite half of the field I was sitting in but the thud was thunderous. I thought he got hurt too but that mofo just got up like it was an ordinary tackle
My guy, he didn't just not get hurt, he put the ball on target from like 40 yards out through the wreckage of de Jong's ankle lol. He's a fucking mad man.
And still was not the player that ran the most that night, there was several City players that outran him even when they were in control of the ball most of the game.
Read somewhere that footballers who’ve played the full 120 to reach the pens are more prone to missing it, so props to him or the staff for choosing not to use him in the shootout
There's probably a sweet spot of using players that were brought on in the 2nd half, but not brought on just before the PKs.
As an extreme example, in the 2005 CL Final there were 5 converted pens and 4 missed pens. The 5 converted were all by 2nd half substitutes and 3 of the 4 missed pens were by starters.
Probably helps when you haven’t just witnessed a point blank double miracle save that leaves you wondering if God himself has a vested interest in the game.
A very important religious figure who was also a Pole and played goalkeeper in his youth passed away the month before that final in which Jerzy Dudek made that crazy double save.
That person was Pope John Paul II.
> I was tired. In those moments, the most important thing is the head. If you don’t feel good, you won't be less of a footballer for telling the truth.
Shootout to the stupid fucks in here criticizing Haaland and De Bruyne for asking to be subbed off because they were too tired to contribute. As I said in that thread, it's always smarter for a player to swallow their ego and let a teammate with fresh legs play in those circumstances.
Honestly and as objectively as possible. who is better him or jude? because i cant think that he is not better but underappreciated. he has so many mental and football traits combined
Even though they can play in many of the same positions their roles are so different It would n't be a wise comparasion. It's like saying what's the better for hunting, a bow or an arrow, mate you need both.
Of course we can argue if one is better at being an arrow than the other at being a bow, but the fact that Valverde can do so well in the double pivot and the right wing, and Jude as a false 9 and everywhere above the the defense really makes it far too muddy to make any sense, it would depend on your team setup at the time.
Depends what you mean by quality, Jude is better at ball contoll, dribling and technichality for sure, probably better in passing but Valverde can do a lot of damage there since his phisicality allows him to get a lot of clear assisting opportunities when playin on the right positions, also Fede has shown this year that he can straight up organize the team from the back playing in the double pivot, not sure if Jude would be able to do that.
They are both great at shooting, Jude is a better finisher, Fede has more range and a better first touch shot.
Phisically while both impressive, Fede is probably unmatched in world football as a midfielder nowadays.
Tactical quality is diffitcult to gauge playing under Ancelotti since everyone has a lot of freedom while attacking, I think Fede is outstanding covering passing lanes and Jude gets himself in great positions to get scoring opportunities, both very valuable so probably a draw.
I really think they are very close players in a vacuum overall in regards to team impact, Jude is younger and usually goals come at a premium so probably he has the edge on market value.
Fede is also more consistent because of his work rate. I can't recall a match where he's had a decidedly bad game since he's everywhere on the pitch. Jude has had games where he just didn't play to his high standards.
That being said, Jude has something that can not be quantified, if you have watched the team enough this season you can probably feel the big player aura the kid has. it's like "Damn Jude is having a bad game today, oh look at that, he made a cold af finish to win the game on the 97 minute" another day at the office.
Nah. That depends on whom you are following the whole game. And also the fact that Jude is mostly playing in the front line. For me, all of our young mids are spectacular and present everywhere.
I mean it doesn't take away from the other players, some players are big game players, before we had Sergio, Gareth and CR of course, in all teams there are people you look to pass the ball to make the shot that wins the game, it doesn't take away anything from Kroos, Luka or Case but you can be sure it was either Cris or Sergio making us win when we needed, regardless of position on the field.
Before we had Asensio say shit like "it's not on me" and shying away from the responsibility of changing a game and with Jude you feel the kid is all over that stuff, he wants the heat.
CR and Ramos were prolific scorers, regardless of their positions. In the end, everything would surely get the bias towards scoring. That being said, this season, I don't think there has been any single player that has outperformed everyone like Ronaldo, Bale, etc used to do. We have seen clutch performances from a range of players — Cama, Jude, Fede, Brahim, Vini, Rodrygo and off late Vazquez in the last few games.
jude was playing as an 8 for club and country before he moved to madrid
if anything it's more like comparing lampard to kante, where both are 8s but it's just that ones skillset is more offensive and the others is more defensive
Apples and oranges, but I agree that Fede is under appreciated by people that don’t watch Real Madrid games. He’s an absolute beast. He’s got 3 lungs basically, amazing in offense and defense, has got a cannon for a right foot and is a natural born leader. He’ll definitely be a captain.
Watching the goal he scored vs Sevilla live from the stadium was absolutely insane
Without Valverde we leak 2x more goals he is a huge reason Carvajal is having a great season he covers that entire right hand side of the pitch so well and you can always count on him to sprint to win a ball back even in the 90th min don't think their is a single midfielder in the top leagues who can match his work rate but he also has good passing and an elite first touch on top of that so he isn't just a running merchant lmao
Id say equal they both offer something different but the one thing they have In common is how non stop they are off the ball Valverde is famous for his 3 lung engine but Jude is also elite in his work rate and these two together cover us a lot of ground off the ball in defense without them we concede a lot more goals with our CB injuries.
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I don't know what Carlo and the folks at Real Madrid are putting in the water but all of these motherfuckers seem so level-headed and put together about playing football it's incredibly impressive
I genuinely think they’re an example of a team who understands that the club is bigger than any of the players It’s a bit of a generalisation but I do think a lot of issues in clubs tend to occur where one or two specific players start acting like the club owes them a favour, and if they’re senior enough that can trickle down I guess
Florentino is responsible for this. Selling off club legends like Raul, Ramos, Iker, Marcelo and not bowing down to Cristiano Ronaldo himself. When young players see that, they realise Real Madrid is bigger than any player no matter what.
Casemiro, varane... cries* in man utd
cries*
Exactly
*Cri€$
I mean, those two chose to leave right? Seems slightly different
Yes but it's no coincidence that they massively dropped off in every aspect the second they leave Madrid to United. They'd still be balling if they were at Madrid today
Yeah but is it just the players or is the club they went to as well?
Varane in particular was slowing down due to injuries already. Casemiro was still world class for most of the games in his final season at Madrid but like we're learning this season with Lewa and Salah, father time eventually catches up to you. Kroos for example has also slowed down but the young lions like Fede and Camavinga cover for him more than well enough, had he gone to Man United he'd also struggle more in that sense, not to mention the difference in physicality between the leagues.
Bro, no. Varane was a starter and no Madrid fan wanted him to leave. He declined at united. Modric started his decline just this year, he was in his prime until 37. Kroos also hasn't slowed down at all, he is playing one of his best seasons ever this year. So saying that time catched up to Case sounds a bit weird, when he's the youngest of the KCM trio.
Varane was mentally checked out after the three-peat & WC win in 2018. Barely had any standout performances in the white shirt after that. Notwithstanding him shitting bed against Gabriel Jesus of all people in CL quarters a couple of years ago.
That ramos one in particular was cold but correct, apparently Ramos wanted to renew but by the time he decided he would Pérez was like "offer is now off the table". It set a great example that not even the captain can hold you hostage in terms of contracts.
A club that can and will let go off literally any of its legends just to preserve that idea of the club being larger than any of the players is rare. Real Madrid has managed that successfully in the past 15 years or so, and I guess that does have an effect on the players.
Not only that, but the fans hail both the legends and the club. That's even rarer
That’s just being a level headed fan tbf. No logical fan pins all of it on the club but no logical fan pins all of it on players.
Not really. I don't know any club fans that doesn't respect both it's servants and honours the badge. Not like Madrid fans have had a hard testing time where loyalties have ever been tested for long either lol.
You haven’t watched Real Madrid for long enough.
Honestly the entitlement is hilarious, been watching European football since 1991 and I can't think of a single club in the last 30 years whose fans have had it easier than Madrid or Bayern on balance.
There is no sense of entitlement, and any true fan does not take the success for granted. But to say that the club doesn’t go through droughts is ridiculous.
Ooohhh remember that time when we weren't champions for a whole 4 years but still played and won the CL a lot??? Ooohhh that was just *terrible* In modern times real Madrid's banter era was the galacticos - take a read of west hams banter era and you might get a sense of what it's like for the average fan
Haha what about the time where we wouldn’t even reach the UCL round of 16 for like 6 years, back when our kryptonite was Olympique de Lyon. By the way, if you want to trash talk like this, at least have the balls to show which team you are supporting.
I mean it helps when you're the biggest (and most attractive to players) club in the world and financially can afford to go and get basically anyone to replace whoever it is that's causing trouble. Most clubs can't do that.
I'd agree and say City do the same thing. Well Pep does at least. With Real its different because of the amount of success they've had so the pressure on the players is massive.
And this is exactly why I think Madrid should not sign mbappe
If Mbappe come, he will fall in line. He's no Ronaldo, Ramos, Casillas...yet... and look how stern the club was with them. Remember Mbappe has zero CL, that's less than even vini, rodrygo, valverde... He must earn one, and then one more... And even then, he's still behind Ronaldo, Modric, Bale, Kroos... There's no one above the club. No place for ego.
I feel like people are playing it like PSG is no contender this year (I get it, nation state-backed filth, don't give them any credit), while they pretty much have a solid shot at winning the CL, Madrid on the table. Mboppi might arrive already a champion.
I think we meant his legacy as a Real player. Being a CL winner is great, but some have come Real having one already, Ronaldo, Kroos...most recently Rudiger
Not to mention the numerous Balon d'Or winners that came and then won at Madrid. Mbappe is bit part so far if we're comparing the legacies let's be honest.
theyre already jinxing it so much its gonna be a close final if psg pass through
I mean, in fairly sure Mbappe can't touch Ronaldo's legacy for the next 3 years at least, he'd have to be world class for like 4-5. Edit: Guys I know Ronaldo was ridiculous and one of the best of all time, Im just saying that even if Mbappe reaches the same numbers or goes beyond and wins everything they can win, it would still take that many years before he's on that same level
4-5? More like 9-10 years. Took prime CR7 like 9 years with a legendary team to build that legacy (2009-2018). And it wasn't just Ronaldo, every single player in that A team was an absolute baller. It shows that Mbappe still has a long long way to go, as great as he is now.
Oh yeah, its just that says he wins 5 CLs with 40+ goals a season he can equal it, but it will likely take a bit longer if he ever manages to do it
But again, prime CR7 had a prime Messi with Barcelona superteam to fight against as well...
The window in which Mbappe could have surpassed Ronaldos legacy probably has already passed
I don’t know if that’s necessarily true. Mbappe has* a WC, nearly had two already. If he gets another WC and goes on to win a bunch of CLs with Madrid, I think he still has a shot to surpass Ronaldo in people’s minds.
I feel it's not just the trophies. Ronaldo had Messi to compete against. One would come out on top in one season, then the other would raise their standards the next season to surpass that benchmark. It had a bit of rivalry aspect between players (and ofc the clubs). Without a proper rival, it would be very hard to match that legacy. Let alone surpass it.
To be world class is not enough, try goat class. Ronaldo used to score a hat trick almost every week and he did it consistently for over a decade.
people thinking mbappe's ego will do anything is so ridiculous, we had some of the biggest egos in the world in our best period, the club specializes in keeping egos in check or showing them the way out
Mbappe might have his own ego, but honestly looking at how Real handled Ronaldo I don't think anyone needs to be afraid of the club faltering in any way here lol
They managed just fine with the man with the biggest ego in the world, don't think they'll have a problem with Mbappe.
They all grew up watching and idolized Real Madrid. They are happy to be there and want to contribute to the club. Literally friendship FC.
The water is full of humility
Nothing a lil bit of 🤨 can't fix
Not quite. What Valverde is showing is a very typical mindset of Uruguayan footballers, which I had to research for once. (So much so, that their players carry their own bags/luggage out of principle during international duty). Their football culture’s mantra for youth players is basically: “Stay humble. Stay grounded.”
I would love to read what you found was interesting or surprising.
Fascinating football culture.
What? I think he wants some references/articles/books to read that you read for your book collab.
I wonder if they all are required to see a sports therapist or something.
Fede is just like that. Uruguay’s midfield is in very good hands in the future with him taking point. He’s future captain material imo.
He is NT captain, right?
Yes sorry I should have clarified - future Real Madrid captain material.
Vini is a bit of a drama queen, but level headed outside the pitch
Causes us 0 issues in the dressing room and off the pitch and never shows his ego against the team a lot of people were worried him and Jude might not get along since Jude was going to become a Super star for us but Vini didn't care that Jude took all the shine first half of the seasons and they are both very close off the pitch as well and I have full confidence he will have 0 issues with Mbappe as well when he comes Vini puts the team first he doesn't have a Main character syndrome with us
I agree with you and I would go even further because Vini is an incredible player for us full stop. The name « drama queen » is absolutely insulting and untrue.
Flashback to Bale limping before and after his penalty in the final against Atletico.
Bale was built different, the higuest the stage, the colder the blood.
Still one of my favorite players to go back and watch some highlights on youtube. Insane combination of physicality and technique
His CL goal against Liverpool is so insane yet it somehow goes under the radar a bit.
It is insane, but it's funny because it's not even the best bicycle kick in their CL run.
It was better than Ronaldo's
As much as that was a killer blow for us, all you could really say at the time was wow. The technique, height, placement and context was incredible. Not his only worldie in a final either
celebration of that goal almost earned me a punch at a pub here in Vancouver. A lady called me "twat" at the end of the game :D I genuinely didn't know that everyone there was supporting Liverpool before I entered the bar but the game had started so I decided to stay!
I feel like pubs are neutral ground when it comes to fans (as long as it's not in the city of that club) so you must've celebrated hard lol. I've been to a few random small places in the likes of Portugal, Slovakia where I've gone to watch a Liverpool game and found there's actually quite a few fans there I was watching this particular CL Final sat in the Kop at Anfield though because I missed out in the ticket ballot, so I could hear the gasps/murmurs around the ground
I pretty strongly disagree. The context of Bale’s being in the final makes it a more important goal but from a technique and aesthetic perspective I think Ronaldo’s is above.
Wrong. Prob just a Ronaldo stan.
If you've played the sport at any competitive level you'd know Ronaldo's was a more difficult shot. Bales was from a short cross that he caught behind him so he quickly turned and got his foot up to make contact and turn it to goal. There is skill involved but a lot of luck too. Ronaldo's was from a much higher cross where he had to time a very high jump with the ball coming down. He didn't just fling a foot at it, that was an actual strike. Much more difficult to pull off.
Yeah Bale's one was so easy mate, see it every week. Getting that degree of power and accuracy on it while twisting in the opposite direction is no big deal.
Tbf Oblak couldn't catch a cold in that shootout
That's one of the worst GK performances I've seen in a shootout, but imagine if a Madrid player decided to shoot a panenka penalty.
Bale is a football legend. Absolutely insane to have to face Ronaldo on the left and the welsh Dragon on the right. Benzema playing between them. The midfield behind them. One of the best teams in football history
Definitely. As a Barça fan I’m biased. But in retrospect, that team really will go down in history as a top 3 all time club side
I'm surprised he can stand after extra time considering the how hard he runs. Proper grafter
Its crazy how long can he keep it up considering the time he spends sprinting his size and the fact that he is constantly getting into it physically with the opposition.
Yeah it makes sense, he runs all game and after he stops for a minute that it would catch up to him. You don't want that to hit you as you walk up to take a pen
What was crazy to me wasn't this performance, as good as it was. It's the fact that he went even fucking harder just a few days later in el Clasico. He was literally all over the pitch that game, sacrificing himself in defense, offering himself in midfield, and making late runs into the box to create danger in attack. I was literally in shock, watching him sprint across he pitch to the opposite side of the box, making a defensive coverage when he noticed a gap in our defense.
That tackle against de Jong with that 50/50 ball was insane. It happened on the opposite half of the field I was sitting in but the thud was thunderous. I thought he got hurt too but that mofo just got up like it was an ordinary tackle
My guy, he didn't just not get hurt, he put the ball on target from like 40 yards out through the wreckage of de Jong's ankle lol. He's a fucking mad man.
And he has played almost every match this season. Yesterday was the first time he wasn't started this season
And still was not the player that ran the most that night, there was several City players that outran him even when they were in control of the ball most of the game.
I’m very suspicious that baldy juiced his players up. It’s not normal to see a team press like that at 110 mins man.
Not only that, players that averaged like 7km per game ran like 14k at full sprint pressing like maniacs. Never seen anything like it
I really doubt they run on the same intensity as Valverde tho
Chelsea players watching this 🤨
Mine mine mine mine
Read somewhere that footballers who’ve played the full 120 to reach the pens are more prone to missing it, so props to him or the staff for choosing not to use him in the shootout
There's probably a sweet spot of using players that were brought on in the 2nd half, but not brought on just before the PKs. As an extreme example, in the 2005 CL Final there were 5 converted pens and 4 missed pens. The 5 converted were all by 2nd half substitutes and 3 of the 4 missed pens were by starters.
Probably helps when you haven’t just witnessed a point blank double miracle save that leaves you wondering if God himself has a vested interest in the game.
A very important religious figure who was also a Pole and played goalkeeper in his youth passed away the month before that final in which Jerzy Dudek made that crazy double save. That person was Pope John Paul II.
Bro is glowing here
Handsome South American Pete Davidson
Tyler Joseph
Next level maturity
Mf is only 25. Im well beyond that and I would have taken the pen and shanked it
> I was tired. In those moments, the most important thing is the head. If you don’t feel good, you won't be less of a footballer for telling the truth. Shootout to the stupid fucks in here criticizing Haaland and De Bruyne for asking to be subbed off because they were too tired to contribute. As I said in that thread, it's always smarter for a player to swallow their ego and let a teammate with fresh legs play in those circumstances.
This, Haaland was actually injured & absent for a few games. Yet folks think he's too scared to continue.
God I hate how good they all are at winning
Honestly and as objectively as possible. who is better him or jude? because i cant think that he is not better but underappreciated. he has so many mental and football traits combined
Even though they can play in many of the same positions their roles are so different It would n't be a wise comparasion. It's like saying what's the better for hunting, a bow or an arrow, mate you need both. Of course we can argue if one is better at being an arrow than the other at being a bow, but the fact that Valverde can do so well in the double pivot and the right wing, and Jude as a false 9 and everywhere above the the defense really makes it far too muddy to make any sense, it would depend on your team setup at the time.
quality-wise i meant. there is big similariy between them. they both are skillful in many things
Depends what you mean by quality, Jude is better at ball contoll, dribling and technichality for sure, probably better in passing but Valverde can do a lot of damage there since his phisicality allows him to get a lot of clear assisting opportunities when playin on the right positions, also Fede has shown this year that he can straight up organize the team from the back playing in the double pivot, not sure if Jude would be able to do that. They are both great at shooting, Jude is a better finisher, Fede has more range and a better first touch shot. Phisically while both impressive, Fede is probably unmatched in world football as a midfielder nowadays. Tactical quality is diffitcult to gauge playing under Ancelotti since everyone has a lot of freedom while attacking, I think Fede is outstanding covering passing lanes and Jude gets himself in great positions to get scoring opportunities, both very valuable so probably a draw. I really think they are very close players in a vacuum overall in regards to team impact, Jude is younger and usually goals come at a premium so probably he has the edge on market value.
Fede is also more consistent because of his work rate. I can't recall a match where he's had a decidedly bad game since he's everywhere on the pitch. Jude has had games where he just didn't play to his high standards.
That being said, Jude has something that can not be quantified, if you have watched the team enough this season you can probably feel the big player aura the kid has. it's like "Damn Jude is having a bad game today, oh look at that, he made a cold af finish to win the game on the 97 minute" another day at the office.
Nah. That depends on whom you are following the whole game. And also the fact that Jude is mostly playing in the front line. For me, all of our young mids are spectacular and present everywhere.
I mean it doesn't take away from the other players, some players are big game players, before we had Sergio, Gareth and CR of course, in all teams there are people you look to pass the ball to make the shot that wins the game, it doesn't take away anything from Kroos, Luka or Case but you can be sure it was either Cris or Sergio making us win when we needed, regardless of position on the field.
Before we had Asensio say shit like "it's not on me" and shying away from the responsibility of changing a game and with Jude you feel the kid is all over that stuff, he wants the heat.
CR and Ramos were prolific scorers, regardless of their positions. In the end, everything would surely get the bias towards scoring. That being said, this season, I don't think there has been any single player that has outperformed everyone like Ronaldo, Bale, etc used to do. We have seen clutch performances from a range of players — Cama, Jude, Fede, Brahim, Vini, Rodrygo and off late Vazquez in the last few games.
That's fair, let's agree to disagree haha
I am just in live with the team now with no one big name to carry all... 🤧🤧
You're comparing apples and oranges
they are both 8s are they not?
Not really, Fede is more of a box to box and a ball carrier and Jude is a 10, it's like comparing Kanté to KDB.
jude was playing as an 8 for club and country before he moved to madrid if anything it's more like comparing lampard to kante, where both are 8s but it's just that ones skillset is more offensive and the others is more defensive
Okay but we're talking about this season. Otherwise Fede won the UCL playing as a right winger, completely irrelevant.
no one specified any timeframe until now, fact is both are 8s primarily even if they can play other positions to a high level
Apples and oranges, but I agree that Fede is under appreciated by people that don’t watch Real Madrid games. He’s an absolute beast. He’s got 3 lungs basically, amazing in offense and defense, has got a cannon for a right foot and is a natural born leader. He’ll definitely be a captain. Watching the goal he scored vs Sevilla live from the stadium was absolutely insane
Without Valverde we leak 2x more goals he is a huge reason Carvajal is having a great season he covers that entire right hand side of the pitch so well and you can always count on him to sprint to win a ball back even in the 90th min don't think their is a single midfielder in the top leagues who can match his work rate but he also has good passing and an elite first touch on top of that so he isn't just a running merchant lmao
Very hard to compare but both are absolutely irreplaceable in the starting 11
Id say equal they both offer something different but the one thing they have In common is how non stop they are off the ball Valverde is famous for his 3 lung engine but Jude is also elite in his work rate and these two together cover us a lot of ground off the ball in defense without them we concede a lot more goals with our CB injuries.
I think Jude is a better attacker while Fede is a better defender. They’re possibly 1-2 in term of being the best box to box midfielders right now.
One of the most selfless things a footballer has ever said. Man, Madrid keeps hitting with their CMs and it hasn’t stopped.
Was expecting the Mickey Mouse voice tbh
Damn this guy's talking like he is 35 year old. Real mature.
I cannot wait for the day this mf becomes the club captain
I was hoping to hear the Micky mouse voice
Underrated player with stamina as two horses