How is your most important and the best player not the reason for going to the final? One of the best if not the best midfielder in the world is just an important asset?
Silly.
Modric deserves Ballon d'Or, but Ronaldo will get it
- Thread starter ManuMou
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik (@Rood) is joined by CEO Duncan Drasdo and Financial Director Andy Green from the Manchester United Supporters Trust for a special episode on all things behind the scenes at Old Trafford including a brief history of MUST and their aims today, views on INEOS and Sir Jim Ratcliffe so far, and the Old Trafford regeneration.
Silly.
Zidane scored 49 in 225 for Real, 1 in 4.6 games
Modric has 13 in 264 for Real 1 in 20.3 games
Iniesta 57 in 674 for Barca, 1 in 11.8 games
I haven't looked at assists, but I'm guessing both beat Modric.
Agreed, I don't watch anywhere near as much as I used to. But I still saw most of the world cup. Pretty much all United games. Various other big games. A few smaller games. I watch a reasonable spread, but nothing like I used to.
I was still raving about Modric at the world cup. Against England in particular his energy levels were phenomenal, but I still thought Perisic was better and offered more.
I actually think Perisic was better for Croatia overall, just a less famous player thus didn't get the same attention.
I don't think Modric should have won it, just saying that you shouldnt compare a CM with a striker based on goals and assists.
We will disagree. Without Modrić Croatia is nothing, just an average team, he gets that team clicking and I dread the time after he retires, we will have to adapt quickly or find a new Modrić if possible, at least a similar player.
If Modric is so good at dictating play, why did France steam roller all over Croatia in the final?
Pogba and Mbappe both scored in an area I would expect Modric to be dictating play.
Pogba and Mbappe both scored in an area I would expect Modric to be dictating play.
They scored near the box..... Mate, really..
I agree a direct comparison is unfair. What I was doing was less about direct comparisons and more highlighting a number of players who smashed it so much as strikers/ wingers/ attacking midfielders that frankly I don't think there is a centre midfielder in all history that can compare against that phenomenal collection of stats. But to be competing I think they too would have to be slamming some kind of serious stats.
It's a circular argument, a bit like comparing a blonde and brunette when each has a strong preference.
The fact is though Messi, Ronaldo and Salah each got stats that put them as the best of all time, let alone the best in the year. Modric hasn't got shit on that
I work in bookmaking... The notion of goals/assists being the stats to evaluate football teams/players on is laughable.
Anyone interested can look up football/soccer ELO ratings...
However, the low scoring nature of football means that this ratings are not as fine tuned as they are for more high-scoring sports (which is nearly all other sports).
Btw, this may surprise you, but any state of the art method of evaluing performances will first be picked up by bookmakers and then y clubs.
Anyone interested can look up football/soccer ELO ratings...
However, the low scoring nature of football means that this ratings are not as fine tuned as they are for more high-scoring sports (which is nearly all other sports).
Btw, this may surprise you, but any state of the art method of evaluing performances will first be picked up by bookmakers and then y clubs.
if Cristiano is so good why Portugal did not reach the final?
They scored near the box..... Mate, really..
Both outside of the box when Croatia were defending so yeah where you might expect Modric to control the tempo!
You know what controlling the tempo means?
They did incredibly well given the lack of quality in most other positions. One player will rarely win everything on his own. But a hattrick against Spain tells you something of his quality with no Modric to support!
Two parts, one breaking up attacks, intercepts, tackles similar to DM.
Second part distributing the ball quickly to wingers or strikers or attacking midfielder.
Actually there is a third needed at times, which is holding up the play, passing back to defenders etc.
They did incredibly well to get out of their group ahead of Iran and Morocco. Really?
Now we must consider that individual performances alone is not the yardstick. They seem to be saying, 'how far did your personal contribution (40 goals or whatever) get your team to in the competitions?'
And then again it seems the competitions are given respective weights with UCL and the world cup carrying the largest weights.
Since it was not a stand out campaign for the usual two, for me, its not out of place for Modric to be given serious condideration. I also know that Modric had a relatively unglorious season by his mighty standards, but anyday anytime, he is the best CM in the Real Madrid team. I would never rate Toni or Casmiero above him at least in the last football year.
He was central in getting Madrid and Croatia to exalted positions in the two competitions that mattered the most and for that reason, he gets my nod.
PS: I predicted he was going to win today and I also predicted he would win Europe so I'm not surprised one bit. Messi and Ronaldo had below par seasons not necessarily in terms of personal contributions but in getting their teams over the line in the competitions that mattered the most.
And then again it seems the competitions are given respective weights with UCL and the world cup carrying the largest weights.
Since it was not a stand out campaign for the usual two, for me, its not out of place for Modric to be given serious condideration. I also know that Modric had a relatively unglorious season by his mighty standards, but anyday anytime, he is the best CM in the Real Madrid team. I would never rate Toni or Casmiero above him at least in the last football year.
He was central in getting Madrid and Croatia to exalted positions in the two competitions that mattered the most and for that reason, he gets my nod.
PS: I predicted he was going to win today and I also predicted he would win Europe so I'm not surprised one bit. Messi and Ronaldo had below par seasons not necessarily in terms of personal contributions but in getting their teams over the line in the competitions that mattered the most.
The same could be said about Croatia. It is a very small country that was competing against a country that constantly produces talents. Perhaps the work of a midfielder is more abstract than a scorer's but of course Croatia without Modric would not have reached the final.
Compared to France, Croatia also lacks quality in probably 8/11 positions on the pitch.
More second than the 1st part. Blaming Modrić for either goal and saying where was he with controlling the tempo for the goals is. Well silly.
True also a small country, but more players of a higher standard at current.
Worth pointing out that in there non stand out campaigns Messi scored 34 goals and had 12 assists for a side that almost went unbeaten in a league that had the CL and Europa League winners plus won Copa Del Rey. And Cristiano lead the CL in goals scored for the fourth consecutive time while winning his third CL in a row.
They deserved to beat Spain. Iran is not bad at all.
They also deserved better against Uruguay.
So yeah given their awful team with Ronaldo the only real stand out they did do alright.
I was just giving a couple of examples in a game that Modric did nothing in! The biggest stage and he offered nothing.
This is fair, but Ronaldo was better against Spain than Modric was against France. And arguably Ronaldo had less to go on as the striker with limited quality in support.
I think if there was a the best in the 80s, there would be people who would fight with statistics to give the award to a striker instead of Maradona, because he "runs around the field without doing anything concrete" or some other colorful reason.
I guess there are different ways of appreciating the development of the game.
I guess there are different ways of appreciating the development of the game.
Moan about the non-variation when Ronaldo/Messi wins the award. Moan again when a midfielder wins the award who isn't dependant on stats. You can't win..
Modric, so often the unsung hero of R Madrid will win it.
Nothing eh?
Rewatch the game. Admittedly we weren't at our best, especially in the 2nd half but saying he did nothing is a hyperbole, sorry.
He proved more than once he shines at the biggest stage. You are really making sure to belittle him and his achievements it seems.
And Modrić was better vs England than Ronaldo vs Uruguay, so?
They were in pole position to win their group had Ronaldo not missed a penalty, they’re were quite wasteful against Uruguay, and looked very mediocre against Iran and Morocco.
De Gea was also one of the worst keepers of the entire tourney with a far worse than expected Spain team.
You took it the wrong way the point being was that it wasn’t because of modric they got to the final he did not carry them to the final as did Zidane with France for example in 06. Like I said he deserves the recognition for being one of the best in the world but to say “luka Modric is the best player in the world” is just utterly wrong.
And Modric was better against Bayern Munich and Liverpool in the semi finals and CL final than Ronaldo was in fairness.
We wouldn't be in the final without him, it's quite simple.
As for the 2nd part why is it so wrong, cause for once its not Ronaldo?
Everybody knows Messi and Ronaldo are the best 2 players in the world and with a big margin. I just dont get all the fuss when someone not called Messi or Ronaldo wins something.. I mean he deserves recognition for being one of the best but saying he's the best is utterly wrong..?
Dont sweat it Ronaldo will probably will Ballon D'Or. We will know in advance if he goes to the presentation or not.
I think the biggest fraud was him winning UEFA's best player. As far as FIFA Best, that's much more valid, it makes a bit more sense as it's much more focused on where he did shine, which was the world cup.
If it feels wrong to you, we're moving on to opinions obviously. To me it has felt wrong that Ronaldo held that title for the last couple of years, around the time when he decided that getting involved in the game isn't really worth his while and focused almost completely on goalscoring. No one asks me for an opinion though.
I also felt that Owen in 2001 and Shevchenko in 2004 were madness, but what can you do? There must've been more cases, these are just off the top of my head. Basically, people shouldn't get all that riled up about an individual award in a team sport.
I agree I was just stating my opinion as were you. Owen was a good example.
If you read what I have been posting it’s not about wanting Ronaldo winning it I can give a rats ass if he does or not all I am saying is Modric is not the best player in the world and him winning the award would “devalue” the award. Yes he deserves recognition but being called the best player in the world is as I said “utterly wrong” nothing I am saying is wrong like I said i understand people being tired of the same winners but until they are properly dethroned they are the 2 best.
Modric winning it is not devaluating these silly awards, quite the opposite actually.
What actually devalues it is FIFA's baffling award logic.
De Gea gets in the world 11, but Courtois is voted best GK.
Salah is nominated as one of the top 3, but not in the world 11.
Dani fecking Alves getting in the world 11.
Salah winning the best goal award.
I agree. It seems that they want to please everyone.