₦airaland Forum

Almajirihunter:
Great addition to the league, guy is reducing Salah’s bargaining power, Diaz-Mane-Jota will be as deadly

Actually none are comfortable on the right wing - Diaz, Mane and Jota all operate better from left wing. Maybe Mane can do it byt he hasn't played there for 7 years and he is too good as a striker now to be moved back to the right wing

Almajirihunter:
Diaz feels like Hazard, too confident

More like Suarez on the wing

I just like wingers who don't have a predictable style of dribbling. They just beat you with chops, body feints, speed and power

There is a world of difference when you move Mane upfront and Diaz to the left wing - much more deadly than Mane of the wing with Jota upfront

Mane has actually showed in the last months that he is a better striker than winger

Roland17:
Na d hand wen Klopp wan use face the Bald-Bi-Polar be dis?

He better bring back Henderson for final, not Keita

Fabinho

Debroslink:
Iniesta didn't go to WC 2002 and Euro 2004. Xavi was in Euro 2004 as a bench warmer despite being Barça’s vice captain. While Iniesta bossed UCL 06 final, Xavi dropped 0 goals, 1 assist in 2005/06 La liga/UCL success.

Don't also forget that Iniesta was Euro 2012 POTT, and won 2015 treble with Xavi on the bench.

Below is what Iniesta achieved for Spain without Xavi

I asked you to show me what Individual honours Iniesta had before 2009 not all this shalaye.

In 2008 and 2009, Xavi took all the individual honours showing that the whole world recognised him as responsible for the template.

This includes 2008 Euro Player of the Tournament, 2008/09 UEFA midfielder of the year, LaLiga midfielder of the year 2009, FIFPRO11 2008

This is the first year when Barca and Spain started their dominance and Xavi was the one recognised while Iniesta was nowhere to be found.

So take your "Iniesta made Xavi" lies elsewhere

Xavi made Iniesta from 2008 onward.

And even before 2008, Xavi was LaLiga Spanish Player of the year 2005 and LaLiga breakthrough player 1999

And stop lying that Iniesta bossed 2006 UCL final. He was a substitue that came on and got lucky with a cutback against 10 men Arsenal.

Show me one thing Iniesta was honoured for before Xavi baked his cake in 2008/09 season having been playing since 2002. Shamelessness took you to start bringing Under-17 tournament for Spain like say Iniesta na Macauley Chrisantus

Debroslink:
You have started this your mefegedefege un top Iniesta. Xavi had been playing since 1998. Show us Xavi's moment for Spain and Barcelona from 1998 - 2007 (10 years) before Iniesta became mainstay.

Iniesta started playing in 2002. Show us his achievement before Xavi won Euro 2008 POTT while setting template for how Iniesta will eat off him for the next 6 years

Show me one honour Iniesta had before 2009 when Xavi cooked food for him

Xavi was LaLiga Breakthrough player of the year 1999, Best LaLiga Spanish Player 2005

In the 2008 when he set the template, he won all the awards. Having cooked food, then allowed Iniesta to start eating in 2009

popizaino:
All thanks to the composure,control,flair,skills Deco brought to our midfield,the exact thing missing in Lampard's game and very much in Iniesta's game. Trust me if this was a studio were I can ask them to bring me moments as evidences you would be surprised as how much I know about midfield ball.

Stop your shalaye. Chelsea possession game was great under Ancelotti with Lampard in the same midfield proving exactly my point that Lampard would flourish in Barcelona midfield with Xavi and Busquet.

What should be clear to you is that it's not the third midfielders job to control the midfield so what do we need an Iniesta ontop the Deco for? Put Iniesta in that same team and they will battle to finish top 4 without the actual game-winning actions an AM should be providing.

Nobody asked the most advanced midfielder to be central to the tikitaka. DeBruyne with his one-time balls and directness is not stopping Man City from dominating the midfield. In football, you need triangles and even a Mascherano who was technically limited at Liverpool had no problem slotting in Barca midfield with so many angles being created. The show never stopped with Seydou Keita either. Iniesta with his paltry 60 passes per match should stop lying that he was helping Xavi and Busquet control anything and do his job. Nobody accused Muller of flair, composure, skills etc and Bayern have never struggled to control a game. I have always said that that 1990s thinking that your AM controls the game while your DM just tackle is rubbish. DMs control the game since 2000 while AMs job is to be productive.

philip0906:
Is anyone following the Ratcliffe story? The Brits are cunning fvcks. Abramovic should fight for every penny even if it means Chelsea crumbling, let it.

Snuck in the British billionaire under a ridiculous grassroots investment crap so the money moves to British hands.

Ratcliffe is actually the best for Chelsea, not these American guys.

Unfortunately for Roman it looks like no peace will be in sight for a long time and he can almost count all his investment in UK as lost. He was not going to get a penny even if Boehly won the bid.

popizaino:
The things you said Andres iniesta cannot do is what he would excell at and the things you hyped Lampard for is what he would have failed at. You think is every tom dick and harry that can perform in tiki taka? Take your joke elsewhere and to burst your bubble Andres iniesta with the fact he knows how to dribble would have excelled anywhere.

The things he said is simple. Iniesta cannot play with Malouda on his left and Joe Cole on his right and finish Chelsea any better than 8th place in the league.

Lampard would easily excel in that Barca midfield because his job is not to lie that he is helping Busquet and Xavi with possession game but to be productive. Muller does not need to lie that he is helping Kimmich and Goretzka with anything. When Ancelotti came with tikitaka to Chelsea in 2009/10, Lampard produced 27 goals and 20 assists. The more ball productive players receive, the more they produce. Not lying anyhow and claiming other peoples work.

iykmora:
The draws...

Ibime vs iyk

If I lose, I know I lost to the best.


Gudluck all

I thought they will do 1st vs 8th, 2nd vs 7th and so on

Make I go look your team

donstan18:

4-4-2 era is different from 4-3-3 era.

Zidane matches up perfectly statswise against other AM from his era like Nedved, Laudrup, even Figo etc

It's only in Iniesta era we will be seeing massive variance like his peers quadrupling his stats

donstan18:
Inesta and Xavi were specialists on some things that made them compatible. You can’t like one and slander one.

It’s either you like the two, hate the two or be truthful to hype the two when compared to amateurs.

I have seen Xavi pair with Fabregas and Marcos Senna in 2008 tournament while Iniesta is on the periphery on the wing to know Iniesta is not central to Xavi

Seen Xavi pair with Busquet and Alonso in 2010 and 2012 also with no show stopped

Seen Xavi pair with Seydou Keita and Busquet and no change to the level of dominance

But never seen Barca or Spain midfield consistently dominant with 65% to 80% of possession every game after Xavi

Kilishihunter:
Well the little "luck" he got made him to be the only man in history (yet) to be the MOTM in a UCL, Euros and World cup final

MOTM in a Euros final where his team scored 4 goals and he didn't have a single GA while Xavi with two assists was overlooked.

That's the same tournament that made Capaldi say the below:

Capaldi:
A winger produced 0 goal and just 1 assist yet was proclaimed Man of the tournament. Numerous times he was smuggled into Uefa and fifa team of the year is shocking as well. I have never seen any player do so little yet get so much praise and accolades.

Well I can't argue with Gods grace.

donstan18:
In the spirit of G/A

Can we agree that Ozil >>> Inesta and Xavi?

Take Iniesta forward since Xavi never once claimed to be an AM in his life.

FOMC meeting tomorrow. Whales might jump out soon and wait for the meeting summary

donstan18:
If it’s by singling out a season or calendar year to drive agendas, then Modrić a midfielder you love shouldn’t be regarded for making worst signing and flop of the year.

That Modric flopped his first season is not disputed. But I bet he didn't have zero GA though.

I like Iniesta no doubt but he's been the luckiest footballer in history IMO. Never has one player received so much providence for so little.

And it's not a single season. Defenders who come up for corners are beating chest with him.

teeshet:
Why is no big club looking at aleksandr mitrovic of fulham despite his prolific goalscoring record?

He's flopped twice in EPL with Fulham and once with Newcastle

donstan18:
So INESTA is a carry along midfielder?

Omo!!

Over hundred league goals scored in this calendar year below, not one single GA for Iniesta. Help me spell CARRYALONG

donstan18:
Is Kovacic a carry-along?

Will you consider him a carry along Chelsea midfielder?

A defensive hustler can't be a carryalong

An AM whose team will score over 100 league goals and he didn't get one GA inside is the King of Carryalong

donstan18:
Do you fancy Kovacic?

I do. Same way I fancy Iniesta, but not to compare him with killers

I looked back over Xavis career and only once from 2008 to 2014 did his midfield lose a possession battle - slightly against Madrid one time.

Please die Jogginghoe comparison that will be dominated once every 4 or 5 games.

donstan18:


It’s either you like Xavi-Inesta or you don’t like them, you can’t like one and slander one.

Both complimented each other, they both needed each other to hit the level they did.

One controls, one spices it with offensive drives.

Xavi without Inesta is “CM version of Jorginho”, receiving pass and giving back while stagnant in a place.

Inesta without Xavi is Kovacic, driving around doing nothing. Just footwork and insha Allah.

Hahaha

The controller is not in doubt.

The offensive driver is very much in doubt. Driving forward with poverty output.

donstan18:
Drop us one Xavi’s unforgettable clutch moment. Just one.

Assist in Euro 2008 final vs Germany
Two assists in Euro 2012 final vs Italy
Assist in World Cup 2010 semi vs Germany

These are what matter, not grabbing camera like Lars Ricken or Eder after being carried along all tournament

donstan18:
So Barcelona and Spain were leading 3:0 in these games?

2 games only.

No better than Xavis 4 decisive contributions for Spain in single goal knockout and final games

donstan18:
Simply put; you’re saying Xavi has more football clutch moments than Inesta?

Like Xavi’s clutch moments will be remembered than Inesta’s??

Like, INESTA??

He has more game winning moments, not assisting one goal when 3 goals are scored. You busy referencing one Iniesta assist in a 5-1 aggregate scoreline against PSG, or a 3-1 win or 2-0 win in UCL final. Those are not game winning. This is game winning

2008 Euro final vs Germany 1-0, Xavi assist
2010 WC semi vs Germany 1-0, xavi assist,
2010 WC QF vs portugal 1-0 xavi assist.
2010 WC 2nd round vs Paraguay, 1-0, xavi assist

donstan18:
Lol. Inesta last minute goal against Chelsea in 2009 and World Cup extra time winning goal in 2010 will always, always and always be regarded higher than these stuffs you listed.

If you want to know what clutch means when it comes to assist, go and watch Inesta assist to Neyma against PSG in 2015.

There are levels to this clutch of a thing nh. Let’s be honest.

Which one be assist against Paraguay nh.

Iniesta only shows when Barca are utterly dominant producing the odd assist out of three goals scored. Xavi does not need to statpad in a 2 goal comfortable scoreline when Messi and co already have the game in hand.

These are the moments that count from 2nd round to semi, producing the single decisive stat in a Spain team that does not score goals unlike Messi's Barcelona, while Iniesta is doing vibes

2010 WC semi vs Germany 1-0, xavi assist,
2010 WC QF vs portugal 1-0 xavi assist.
2010 WC 2nd round vs Paraguay, 1-0, xavi assist

donstan18:
Individual awards, clutch moments, solo achievements without each other.

Inesta >>> Xavi

So there’s no way you’ll say Xavi carried Inesta, it’s not even possible. Never!!

Inesta is even more offensive than Xavi, without him Xavi will be a “CM version of Jorginho” just receiving pass and giving it out without progressing and driving the ball offensively.

These are the clutch moments in Spain's three tournament victories:

Xavi:

7 goals and assists in Spain knockout matches including 3 assists in finals.

2008 Euro final vs Germany 1-0, xavi assist,
2012 Euro final vs Italy 4-0, 2 xavi assists,
2010 WC semi vs Germany 1-0, xavi assist,
2010 WC QF vs portugal 1-0 xavi assist.
2010 WC 2nd round vs Paraguay, 1-0, xavi assist


Iniesta:

Assist against Russia in 3-0 win in Euro 2008
1 World Cup final goal after being carried along all tournament with no contribution.


Xavi baked the cake (possession) and still iced it (GA) while Iniesta was doing vibes

popizaino:
Tell us what Madrid won with 80 assists of ozil as oppose to that of modric who doesnt even have half of that ?

Ozil cannot play in a 4-3-3 and that's a structural problem for his teams. Lampard is a 4-3-3 midfielder who would slot in that Barca 4-3-3 and show that Iniesta is just fooling you with vibes. Iniesta was never responsible for controlling but creating. All the controlling was done by Xavi and Busquet to a lesser extent. Xavi makes 100 passes, Busquet makes 80 and Iniesta only 60. Midfield control never lost a single percentage when Keita came in. His job was to create and be productive and he failed woefully, but people who don't understand where midfield control comes from will create excuses that his job is to control, not to create. Control always comes from the two deepest midfielders primarily. Any AM telling you he is controlling is telling porkies. Bayern does not need Muller to control games. Muller does what he supposed to do, not lying that he's helping to "control midfield" with only 60 passes

donstan18:
Inesta won UCL and dominated the midfield in 2015. This was actually achieved without Xavi.

I also think Inesta won a lot of individual awards than Xavi, you can correct me if I’m wrong.

Question is, what and what did Xavi win without Inesta?

I’ll still stand that they are both class when paired together, they can’t function properly without each other, if anyone amongst them did it, it’s Inesta.

If anyone amongst the two had clutch moments, it’s still Inesta.

They did not dominate midfield in 2015. This is revisionism.

2015 was built on MSN direct football not the usual Barca way

Xavi set the template for Spain and Barca in 2008 Euros and was by far the POTT with Iniesta as a carryalong. That was the start of the extreme midfield dominance era. Xavi started it and ended it.

popizaino:
If assist and goals were all that matters in football for a midfielders then i wonder how many UCL real Madrid won when they prioritised starting 0zil ahead of modric ?

Let Iniesta come to Chelsea, let's see how we will eat his zero goals and assist.

Nigga is just a Spanish Kovacic.

No Messi to score 60 goals plus here.

popizaino:
Ibime we have been through this before and I think have ended the discussion when I asked you why Barcelona in their prime lost to inter Milan in the semifinals in 2010 without Andres iniesta given the fact that they won in a year before and after which he played in?

Barcelona in their prime also lost to Chelsea so you are saying nothing.

You ain't saying nothing as long as Barca dominated Inter midfield to stupor without Iniesta, they just didn't score the last goal needed

Just goes to show Xavi never needed Iniesta to dominate any midfield.

For Spain, Iniesta played wing and the midfield domination from Xavi was the same.

But the moment Xavi got old and later left, Barca midfield domination turned to rubble

popizaino:
Let me tell you the biggest mystery............it is eulogizing Frank Lampard and berating Andres Lujan Iniesta. This act is worse than felony. In fact if wishes were horses I would have love to have them arrested.

I take an attacking midfielder that gave me 47 GA in a season than one with zero GA in the league in a calendar year.

Just thank God for carryalong. If Lampard accepted Barca offer in mid-2000s, they will be hailing him best thing since sliced bread in Catalunya by the time his productivity is added to Messi and co to dominate every tournament.

Bring Iniesta to Chelsea with his zero GA and you will chase him with sticks like Willian

Put Joe Cole on his right and Malouda on his left and Chelsea will be dragging league position with Bolton

Unproductive Willian, 64 goals in 8 years in England. Productive Iniesta, 57 goals in 16 years in Spain.