For that generation of players definitely. The most shocking example is probably Blanc, the reason Blanc was that comfortable on the ball as a sweeper is that he started his career as an attacking midfielder and he was actually one of the best in Europe, he didn't move because he was struggling but because his coach thought that he would be even more dominant. It would be like Pogba being moved to CB in his mid 20s.
Unpopular Opinion - The Overrated N'Golo Kante
- Thread starter hmchan
- Start date
Unpopular opinion, Kante got man of the match last night as City didn't have a midfield for him to play against, space and time galore.
The gameplan and opposition suited his strengths. Its kind of similar to why Fletcher was consistently one of our best performers in the 08/09 big matches but generally looked average against the smaller teams when he was required to play alongside Carrick in the absence of Scholes.
First it was Herrera vs Kante, and then Fred vs Kante, and then this thread. Just wait for the next episode, all it takes is one average performance away for somebody to bump this thread with some stupid stuffWasn't the cafe saying Herrera was better than him
It's unpopular because it doesnt make much sense. He got Man of the match in both ties VS real Madrid against Kroos and Casemiro. Those 2 dont give you much space.
I think you need to let this one go playboy. He’s one of the best midfielders of his generation, that much is pretty evident now. You tried to drag him during a low period but most players have form and injury struggles at some point in their career.
What you did would be no different from making a thread now saying ‘Kevin DeBruyne: overrated’, just because he’s not in great form compared to a year or two ago. That would also be silly. Form is temporary, class is permanent, as the cliche goes.
Mate, let go you're having an absolute mare.
Ahh so you're OP was proven to be bollocks, so now you've resorted to making things up.
I've watched Chelsea play many times over the years and he has excelled against all types of teams. The only time he's looked less than exemplary is under Conte and Lampard.
Ah yes, Kroos, that workhorse
Unreal player, if he can win the Euros has to start looking like one of the best of this era.
Has a decent cup final and the entire world get their cocks out.
He's been off the boil for two years or so not even making Chelseas team on occasion.
He's been off the boil for two years or so not even making Chelseas team on occasion.
He was immense for them in this CL run, including their semifinal games against Real. He has the most official UEFA CL MOTM awards in the knockout stages this season. Can't please/impress everyone though
I guess you must have missed the man of the match performances in both legs of the Real Madrid game. Oh, and also against Atlético Madrid….
You know who is overrated... Pogba. Due to his lack of desire. Calling Kante overreacted can only be due to two reasons. 1) jealousy 2) limited knowledge of football.
Think you mean Sarri and not Conte - he won the PFA PotY under Conte!
See, i disagree that he wasn't good under Sarri either. He didn't stand out with Sarri, but that's different from being bad
Pogba is nowhere near kantes level. Never has been, never will be. Kante has been a key component in liecester winnibg the league and chelsea winning the league and cl. Pogba has been a cog in the wheel of an incredible france team and thats it really
If people think Kante is overrated then they're doing football wrong.
Yes you're right, I meant Sarri.
Agreed - "not good" would be a bridge too far but I think it's fair to say he was less than exemplary. Still would put most of his struggles under Lampard down to injuries as well.
You said space, time galore. Kroos doesn't give you space because he just sits infront of the back four and Casemiro is a work horse.Ah yes, Kroos, that workhorse
So head had a good six weeks? Why is everyone going mental like he's some kind of god?
He goes missing for 80% of the season. Overrated player.
Odd to see this as many Chelsea and Kante fans have already agreed that he was no more than average in the past few seasons, if you read earlier posts in this thread. Some put the blame on Sarri and Lampard, some use excuses such as injuries, but it's a common consensus that he struggles in possession football and 3-man midfield.
I'm here not because I'm the OP and have to resort to make things up. I can just ignore the thread and hide, like many of you do when he struggles against smaller sides. I'm here because I still don't believe 3 good games can define a player and overwrite ~3.5 seasons of no more than average performances.
It would have been easier to admit the thread was stupid, accept the joke, and move on.
Agree 100%. Don't worry, I think most people are just watching the high profile games or forgetting what has transpired prior to the past 2 or 3 months. Kante was regarded as in decline and a shadow of the player he was circa 2016 - 2018. Credit to him that he's found form again in defensive tactics that suit his strengths.
Funny how the argument is "But he didn't performe very well against small teams in the last 2 Years"(with very meh coaches like Lampard and Sarri btw) but if it was the opposite, which means performing well against small sides and doing nothing in big games/knockout matches the argument would be : "What an overrated player, only delivers against mid table teams, can't win trophies with bottlers like him, do not want him in my team"
Just say you don't like the player for "xyz" reasons. It's okay, not everyone has to like a great player.
Just say you don't like the player for "xyz" reasons. It's okay, not everyone has to like a great player.
He’s had a pretty good career actually, you must not have heard.
The point is, just because his form dropped in a period doesn't make him "overrated" in general. Just because a player isn't performing well for some time doesn't mean he has been shit throughout his career and people just "overrated" him.
Even if Kante hadn't recovered from such period, it wouldn't have changed anything from the fact that he has been fecking phenomenal for Leicester and Chelsea, helped both dominate league titles, and helped his national team win World Cup.
CR7 and Messi have damaged the optics of consistency in Football, now naive people think that if you don't deliver great performances for more than 5 years straight you are somehow "overrated", when in fact most top players don't have more than 5 seasons at top level (and that includes the likes of Maradona,Van Basten,Gullit,R9,etc) and with on and off seasons not straight.
Glad those two will be gone in a couple of years, so we can get back to have realistic optics again.
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Yes, because N’golo Kante has only had 3 good games in his career.
And before you say ‘oh but I mentioned his good 2016-2018 period before’, yes I know that you did reference it extremely briefly just to dismiss it whilst you built your featherweight case.
The very premise of your argument is nonsensical. Kante doesn’t play well in systems that don’t suit his strengths. Well, colour me flabbergasted!
“Chelsea fans explaining his poor form used the injury ‘excuse’” So being injured is an excuse now is it? I saw Maradona have some lacklustre games on his return from a broken ankle. I guess he must be pants too.
“He does it against Real Madrid and Man City, but where are those great performances against Sheffield United?!?! Eh?!?! He goes missing!”
Please just stop. He’s a great player. Is he Franz Beckenbauer? No, but he’s a great player.
Basic facts
I wholeheartedly agree with the point you're making, and I do think Ronaldo and Messi have led to a warped perception of how consistent footballers should be. I think you've made a bad choice in the players you've picked for your example though, as all four of those had more than 5 seasons at a very high level.
Yeah, i kinda exaggerated, especially because Van Basten actually had 7 seasons at top level (if we include his Ajax era), also Maradona (if we include his years at Argentino Juniors).
But R9, due to injuries, actually showed inconsistency, especially after his first two seasons at Inter... anyway who cares, he is probably the best player i have ever seen at peak besides Messi.
The idea was to show that those guys at 31+ were already done at top level, unlike Cristiano and Messi.
Yeah I was just being pedantic, because the point is one I completely agree with, and also the factor that Messi and Ronaldo play in it. A player might have a poor spell for the first few months of a season and suddenly everything they’d done before was actually overrated in hindsight and they were never that good, ignoring everything they contributed.
I also agree about the straight seasons point, plenty of players will have dips here and there. Giggs is an easy example due to his longevity, he had a couple spells where he wasn’t at his best, then he readjusted himself to his physicality, or at one point adjusted where he played on the pitch due to his age and managed to bounce back. It would have been silly to have then retroactively labelled his past work as overrated due to a poor spell.
He did battle injuries during Lampard’s time. France also played him injured in games they didn’t need to win which prolonged injuries. The other side of it was the more players are willing to talk candidly about Lampard’s time, it seems that players did not have really defined roles with clear game plans and tactics. I don’t think many high level players will shine when the weekly focus is do your best and play with heart.
I'm not saying Herrera was or is a better player, but he did genuinely have better defensive statistics back when Kanté was a key cog in two consecutive title-winning teams.Wasn't the cafe saying Herrera was better than him
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And mustafi had better statistics than van dijk. Sometimes a bit of common sense goes a long way.
Winning the EL shouldn't count as a major achievement for someone who won it in a top tier club anyway.