I don't know, some of them deserve it. Scolari did really well with Brazil, winning the confed cup. Ferguson winning the league, Conte has done a great job at Juventus, fine with me. I'd take the 4 (Streich, Laudrup, Simeone and Montanier) over everyone else though.
FIFA Ballon d’Or 2013
- Thread starter Balu
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Well.. thinking about it I was probably a bit harsh. But you know.. when I think back I wouldn't say.. 'wow.. what an amazing season United had in 12/13'.
And with Scolari: he's basically judged on 3 games (Uruguay, Italy, Spain). Whereas for the other coaches its a whole season.
And with Scolari: he's basically judged on 3 games (Uruguay, Italy, Spain). Whereas for the other coaches its a whole season.
They weren't really and if we go by calendar year which we should van Persie has been rather average by his standards (he was better in the first half of last season).
Mourinho, Wenger and Hazard shouldn't be there. Also Del Bosque - fair enough last year but pointless this year.
Hazard is a strange one. He's a good player with tons of potential still, but he hasn't exactly set the league alight yet. It's surprising how he is named on this shortlist and I think he was on the PFA one last season too. I'd have had Mata over him for the shortlist. Toure shouldn't be in it as (along with most of his team) he wasn't great last season. If the award is given out for the best season, then Ribery should walk the award. If it is given to the best player, then no-one can really argue with Messi.
There is no hatred. It's just weird to see him amongst the players mentioned. I mean, there are players who were amongst the best in their country, taking their team to finals of CL, winning them their respective Leagues who aren't even in the list, yet there is a guy who had his team finish 5th in the Premier League in the running of the Best Player in the World?
He did all he could to get them to the Champions League spots. He scored numerous 90th minute winners for his team. He is scoring goals against the same defences RVP, Rooney and Suarez all were, but he deserves less credit because he is in a worse team?
Mourinho and Del Bosque. Why? Simeone should be on that list. I can understand Wenger being on there because 2013 has been a good year for him. Player wise, again some are on it based on reputation, or journalists watching the odd game. Vidal has been Juventus' best midfielder in 2013; compared to 2012, Pirlo has been average and many Juventus fans are talking about a replacement. Hazard, Yaya Toure, Ozil what? And no Carrick isn't surprising at all...
Bale didn't have a good start to the season.
Pocchetino is more deserving than Mourinho or Del Bosque this year.
Agreed.
Woah. Just saw the first part. Simeone not listed? Bloody scandalous.
Well that's obviously personal bias, because however weird it may be, Bale was obviously one of the 23 best performers of last year.
Bale was PFA & FWA Player of the Year.....and clearly the best player in Wales.
So players should only be included if their teams did well?
I don't think any Bayern player would win this, no single standout player for them. Even if you circle in Ribery as the best, others were not that far behind him. I believe if Real had won the CL, Ronaldo may have had a 50/50 chance against Messi but as it is Messi is a homer.
It's really disappointing because he plays 4-4-2 really, really well. He's strengthened the side. Diego Costa's and Villa have worked well. Koke is starting to catch interest from bigger clubs. Filipe Luis has established himself as a very good left back, after a couple of poor seasons prior to Simeone taken over. He also beat Real Madrid twice this year, both victories arrived at the Santiago Bernabéu.
Messi this year has been far from his impressive self, and if he won it it would be on reputation rather than actually deserving it. Ronaldo and Ribery have had better years so far than him, and unless he has a cracking last 2 months I don't see it past Ribery.
That's a very interesting point. Messi and Ronaldo have been closer to each other in 2013 than 2012, 2011, and 2010, but that's due to Messi suffering from injuries and not being at at least 90% match fitness. In all honest, having watched a lot of football this year, Ribery should win it. He was excellent in ensuring Bayern Munich won the treble and he's easily been more consistent than Messi and Ronaldo in 2013, but many won't acknowledge this because it's not fashionable IMO.
Really? I think he's been incredible again so far in 2013. He's scored an outrageous amount of goals and created many, many more on top of that. What is it, 60+ goals again? If that was anyone else everyone would agree that he deserves the Ballon d'Ôr. And it's not just numbers, in the CL he was an absolute game changer last season, inspiring Barça to a 4-0 comeback against Milan and overcoming an injury to change the game against PSG from the bench. And it's not like he hasn't been great so far this season, already bagging a couple of hattricks.
Some people also seem to argue you deserve it less if your team didn't perform well. Why? You get trophies if your team performs well, individual player awards are just that, individual player awards. Of course if he played in a way that didn't benefit the team I would understand it, but that's not exactly something you could accuse Messi of.
Ronaldo and Ribery have been great and I wouldn't have any problem with either of them winning it, but to suggest that Messi would win it on reputation in stead of deserving it is mind boggling. If anything it's you holding his reputation against him and judging him by different standards to the other 2.
Ribery should win it just because it'd be fecking boring otherwise. Messi's the best player in the world, we all get that, but I'd rather these awards went for exceptional seasonal (or yearly) performances rather than setting the precedent that whoever's technically the best 'player' at the time automatically wins.
Though it is rather daft we're talking about Messi being underpar when he won the Golden Shoe.
Though it is rather daft we're talking about Messi being underpar when he won the Golden Shoe.
It will be a joke if it is awarded to Messi again. But then, it has been a joke to give it to him for 4 years on trot when Ronaldo clearly deserved to win at least once. Hardly surprsing though when some countries' coaches vote for any random name for their 2nd and 3rd vote and lot of politics goes behind the scenes for these awards.
I hope Ribery wins it. Agree with Balu that he is a bit underrated. Great player.
He's been brilliant yes, but in terms of his other seasons before? From January onwards I don't think so.
37 goals this year, so just over half of what you think it actually is. Ronaldo is currently on 42.
If that was anyone else everyone would agree that he deserves the Ballon d'Ôr. And it's not just numbers, in the CL he was an absolute game changer last season, inspiring Barça to a 4-0 comeback against Milan and overcoming an injury to change the game against PSG from the bench.
He has indeed, against Valencia and Ajax, both very good ones too. I think he has had a great start to this season also, I am not denying that.
Some people also seem to argue you deserve it less if your team didn't perform well. Why? You get trophies if your team performs well, individual player awards are just that, individual player awards. Of course if he played in a way that didn't benefit the team I would understand it, but that's not exactly something you could accuse Messi of.
I just think in terms of Europe and domestically this year, Ronaldo and Ribery have helped their teams more than Messi has. Remember we are talking about 1st Jan onwards, so not including the entire season. Not saying Messi did feck all, but those two mentioned are currently above him in terms of personal achievements and performances.
Scary when you look at his age, I could have sworn 5 years ago he looked the wrong side of 30 and felt as though he had been around as long..
Pirlo over Vidal and Mourinho over Simeone reflects the momentum of previously generated publicity, and how it always influences these awards more than performances during the last 12 months. Much like standing-award-nominee John Terry in recent seasons.
I'd be delighted if Franck wins it but can't see it happening. Will be Messi.
I'd like to see Ibrahimovic or Ribery win it.
Ibra? No way.
I wouldn't mind Ibra winning actually. Don't think he deserves it but he's just so incredibly entertaining and the game should be way more about fun than about efficiency (yeah, I know, probably a strange comment by a German). The Ballon d'Or became the center of that Messi vs Ronaldo rivalry in the last years and as great as both players are, I don't think their machine like performances are entertaining enough to overshadow the football world for half a decade.
Anyone else think that the last classico in which Neymar outshone Messi and Ronaldo might actually help Ribery with the voting taking place in the next weeks and no big game coming up the next weeks? Maybe Ronaldo in the worldcup playoffs and Ribery at the club world cup could further improve their standing, but Messi can't really do something exceptional anymore and with all his injuries this year and Barca still dominating the league without him at his best, he might be less invincible than before?
Anyone else think that the last classico in which Neymar outshone Messi and Ronaldo might actually help Ribery with the voting taking place in the next weeks and no big game coming up the next weeks? Maybe Ronaldo in the worldcup playoffs and Ribery at the club world cup could further improve their standing, but Messi can't really do something exceptional anymore and with all his injuries this year and Barca still dominating the league without him at his best, he might be less invincible than before?
It's about different tastes I'd say. Ibra produces few moments of magic every now and then but overall his game is not THAT entertaining. Right now givena choice I'd rather watch Messi, Ronaldo or Ribery than Ibra any day.
Anyway I can't see Messi losing, I doubt any of the votes analyzes things as carefully as we do to be having second thoughts. Half of them simply vote for the best player in the world which is obviously Messi and most of others vote for the popular options. Ribery is nowhere near popular as Messi or Ronaldo and Ibra plays in the weakest league of all the nominations. Bayern votes would be divided anyway.
It's not like Messi does not deserve to win, just because Barca failed to win the CL does not change things much. Messi still helped them cruise the league, they are on top again and Messi has been delivering every game like always. It's just that the standards he has set for himself are too high to match them every year but he's still a notch ahead of the rest, easily.
It's not like Messi does not deserve to win, just because Barca failed to win the CL does not change things much. Messi still helped them cruise the league, they are on top again and Messi has been delivering every game like always. It's just that the standards he has set for himself are too high to match them every year but he's still a notch ahead of the rest, easily.
Much of the votes are cast by managers and captains that vote on name recognition and highlight reels. Thus, Messi will probably win again.
Yep.
At this rate, Messi should be retired from voting and the award named after him. He's going to win it for the foreseeable future.
Really? I usually love watching him for Sweden, when he's more of a playmaker than a regular striker. Of course he's not dominating teams on his own, but he's really carrying the team, dropping deep a lot, trying to get everyone involved, way more than Ronaldo does for Portugal and even if he's an arrogant idiot, he usually looks like he's having fun. I'm really looking forward to the Portugal - Sweden playoff games.
I kinda feel Ibra playing for PSG hurts his credibility more than helps. If he were leading the line for a club in one of the big four (i.e. England, Germany, Italy, Spain) he may very well be a lock.
Messi and Jupp should win the player & coach awards but you already know Ribery's winning it.
Ronaldo will never win it again no matter what hes too much of a polarizing figure and his personality rubs many people including the ones that vote the wrong way on the other hand those same voters love Messi fake humility even that moron Blatter says Messi is the son every mother and father wants to have, I have no doubt Messi will win it again.
Messi will win it again.
Ronaldo, Messi or Ibrahimovic.