Gavi

Don't want take part on a potential colossal off topic but Cheryl Cole is a complete goddess and we should have statues of her at any major city in the world.
Agreed.

She's completely on a different level. He's a fairly good looking chap but isn't iconic for his looks Ala Beckham and all. She is.
Nah, it's just you being a bloke. I'd say the same, but my missus was informing me the other day that Shakira had been punching above her weight. "She's older too" :wenger:
 
Is it just me or is Shakira nothing special? A fairly plain looking girl with an oddly masculine singing voice, plus she's actually a few years older than Piqué. It's just a bit weird how everyone says how stupid he must be to cheat on Shakira like she's a goddess when at least half the women you see are better looking than her.

That being said, cheating not cool but he really should have done better in the first place.

And the Gavi mother rumours are presumably hogwash anyway.

Now that is outstanding. Somebody's had a Waka Waka on the head I think.
 
Gavi is a midfielder, and with enormous potential. He doesn't have the speed to play winger or enough of a goal to be a false 9.
It's like putting Xavi or Iniesta in those positions.
Although he starts in midfield, he takes up the same deep positions outside the box that we see Pedri and Benzema taking up.
Infact even Iniesta played leftwing so many times. He was more of a playmaker in that role, instead of a traditional winger.
 
Although he starts in midfield, he takes up the same deep positions outside the box that we see Pedri and Benzema taking up.
Infact even Iniesta played leftwing so many times. He was more of a playmaker in that role, instead of a traditional winger.
Iniesta could beat defenders for fun and had a lovely burst of acceleration on him. Not sure if this chap does too
 
Is it just me or is Shakira nothing special? A fairly plain looking girl with an oddly masculine singing voice, plus she's actually a few years older than Piqué. It's just a bit weird how everyone says how stupid he must be to cheat on Shakira like she's a goddess when at least half the women you see are better looking than her.

That being said, cheating not cool but he really should have done better in the first place.

And the Gavi mother rumours are presumably hogwash anyway.
:lol:
 
Iniesta could beat defenders for fun and had a lovely burst of acceleration on him. Not sure if this chap does too
He is still 17 … plenty of time to develop his physique and improve his technique. What I also love about him is his anger, aggression and desire to take responsibility. He doesn’t hide - he has the right mentality to captain a top team.
 
Iniesta could beat defenders for fun and had a lovely burst of acceleration on him. Not sure if this chap does too
Not close yet as a dribbler but he does have a serious change of pace
 
I genuinely have it on good authority some information about Gavi's plans going forward.

I can't say anything here though, mum's the word.

I always knew that your were a mofo.
 
Although he starts in midfield, he takes up the same deep positions outside the box that we see Pedri and Benzema taking up.
Infact even Iniesta played leftwing so many times. He was more of a playmaker in that role, instead of a traditional winger.

That's right, Iniesta when he played as a left winger contributed to maintaining possession and make combinations. I personally like more the winger who is skilled in the 1 vs1.
That's why I didn't like it when he played there, the team lacked depth.
 
He is still 17 … plenty of time to develop his physique and improve his technique. What I also love about him is his anger, aggression and desire to take responsibility. He doesn’t hide - he has the right mentality to captain a top team.

Started with a 100M bid for the kid, now captain of a top team, I can see you campaining for a ballon d'or in 3 pages... Mate calm down, there's a lot of things that can go wrong between a 17yo kid and the highest level.
 
Started with a 100M bid for the kid, now captain of a top team, I can see you campaining for a ballon d'or in 3 pages... Mate calm down, there's a lot of things that can go wrong between a 17yo kid and the highest level.
If you can’t get overexcited by a 17 year old who literally starts for Spain and Barcelona then why do you even bother watching football? And I say this as a Madrid fan.
 
Started with a 100M bid for the kid, now captain of a top team, I can see you campaining for a ballon d'or in 3 pages... Mate calm down, there's a lot of things that can go wrong between a 17yo kid and the highest level.
I agree. There’s an over the top expectation of young kids over the last couple of years. Maybe it’s because better players are priced out of moves but it’s rare that the most exciting 18 odd year olds go on to be the best in their positions within their careers.
look at Dembele etc, the stars of the last round of teenagers. How many there have been a huge success that would cover todays fees?
 
If you can’t get overexcited by a 17 year old who literally starts for Spain and Barcelona then why do you even bother watching football? And I say this as a Madrid fan.

Being overexcited is one thing, it's a fan reaction and it is irrational (which is totally fine).

But when your suggesting bids or stuffs like that, it means that you stepped away from the basic fan reaction and moved into a bit of analysis. And if it's the case, overexcitement is an enemy. I've seen more super talented 17 years old fail than succeed and Gavi starting for Spain and Barcelona is more a symptom of the lack of quality in both teams than a supreme achievement.

He's great for a 17 years old, no doubt, but there's dozens of ways he can fail to be a top player, there's absolutely no guarantee, especially after only 6 months into his professional career. Seems that players like Haaland or Mbappé totally twisted fans' perception of how high the step is between "huge promise" and "top player".
 
He's not just great for a 17 year old though, he's already a really good player

And Spain don't lack talent
 
Can't be bothered reading through multiple pages. Are we linked with him?
 
He's not just great for a 17 year old though, he's already a really good player

And Spain don't lack talent

Of course Spain lacks individual talents. I mean this is the team that played against Portugal. How many players start in top teams? And the funny part is, Busquets still warm and causy while messing up De Jong at Barcelona and Rodri for spain.

fvS1G2h.png
 
Of course Spain lacks individual talents. I mean this is the team that played against Portugal. How many players start in top teams? And the funny part is, Busquets still warm and causy while messing up De Jong at Barcelona and Rodri for spain.

fvS1G2h.png
Spain were the best team at the last Euros and were robbed out of the Nations League. This is one of the very best national sides, they really don't lack for talent overall, especially in midfield. They lack a striker, that's all
 
Spain were the best team at the last Euros and were robbed out of the Nations League. This is one of the very best national sides, they really don't lack for talent overall, especially in midfield. They lack a striker, that's all

They're really, really not. Regardless of the last Euros (we've seen with Italy that it doesn't give you any guarantee), spain has a huge lack of individual talent.

I mean look at the names on the paper, Torres is a semi failure at Barcelone after leaving City as a sub, Morata isn't always a starter in the worst Juventus squad in a decade, Sarabia was loaned by PSG. Add Olmo the euro sensation who had a terribly difficuly season, Asensio who's set to leave Real Madrid after failing to get a spot as a starter, Fati crippled by injuries etc. From an individual standpoint, they're far from the best. It doesn't mean they can't compete though since the play pretty well as a team but there's obviously a big lack of talent.
 
They're really, really not. Regardless of the last Euros (we've seen with Italy that it doesn't give you any guarantee), spain has a huge lack of individual talent.

I mean look at the names on the paper, Torres is a semi failure at Barcelone after leaving City as a sub, Morata isn't always a starter in the worst Juventus squad in a decade, Sarabia was loaned by PSG. Add Olmo the euro sensation who had a terribly difficuly season, Asensio who's set to leave Real Madrid after failing to get a spot as a starter, Fati crippled by injuries etc. From an individual standpoint, they're far from the best. It doesn't mean they can't compete though since the play pretty well as a team but there's obviously a big lack of talent.

What do you mean talent and which teams have more talent than Spain?
 
They're really, really not. Regardless of the last Euros (we've seen with Italy that it doesn't give you any guarantee), spain has a huge lack of individual talent.

I mean look at the names on the paper, Torres is a semi failure at Barcelone after leaving City as a sub, Morata isn't always a starter in the worst Juventus squad in a decade, Sarabia was loaned by PSG. Add Olmo the euro sensation who had a terribly difficuly season, Asensio who's set to leave Real Madrid after failing to get a spot as a starter, Fati crippled by injuries etc. From an individual standpoint, they're far from the best. It doesn't mean they can't compete though since the play pretty well as a team but there's obviously a big lack of talent.
I agree on the talent point. They have a pretty average side. There’s not a single world class player in there. They just happen to have one of the very best managers on the international scene and importantly even ‘average’ Spanish players always maintain a good strong technical base level.
 
Being overexcited is one thing, it's a fan reaction and it is irrational (which is totally fine).

But when your suggesting bids or stuffs like that, it means that you stepped away from the basic fan reaction and moved into a bit of analysis. And if it's the case, overexcitement is an enemy. I've seen more super talented 17 years old fail than succeed and Gavi starting for Spain and Barcelona is more a symptom of the lack of quality in both teams than a supreme achievement.

He's great for a 17 years old, no doubt, but there's dozens of ways he can fail to be a top player, there's absolutely no guarantee, especially after only 6 months into his professional career. Seems that players like Haaland or Mbappé totally twisted fans' perception of how high the step is between "huge promise" and "top player".

Have you watched him? Everytime I did he's been one of the best players on the pitch. Still a bit raw but so much quality.

Haaland and Mbappe had this hype because they scored so much. But there are other ways to be a top player than scoring. I think players like Pedri, Gavi or also Wirtz are almost a bit underrated because of that. I don't know if 17 year old Mbappe for instance had more positive impact than 17 year old Gavi.
 
What do you mean talent and which teams have more talent than Spain?

Important roles in important clubs that perform at the highest level.

Have you watched him? Everytime I did he's been one of the best players on the pitch. Still a bit raw but so much quality.

Haaland and Mbappe had this hype because they scored so much. But there are other ways to be a top player than scoring. I think players like Pedri, Gavi or also Wirtz are almost a bit underrated because of that. I don't know if 17 year old Mbappe for instance had more positive impact than 17 year old Gavi.

Yes I've watched him a lot and he does look good (well not that much at the end at the end of the season for Barcelona). I've mentionned several times that my opinion of Gavi was not entirely rational and that it's more of a "feeling". I just rate Pedri far higher than Gavi and I don't think Gavi is going to be a dominant player in the future but that's only my opinion. I've grown very suspicious of players out of Barcelona's academy (and more generally of this kind of spanish midfielders) because they often look really good but end up in a position that is a strange no mans land at the highest level of european football. Not really wingers, not really midfielders, not really forward, not really nothing. Iniesta was a bit like that but he could pull that off because he was an absolute genious, I just don't think Gavi will be that good but there's no way to tell if I'm right or wrong unless we wait a couple of years.
 
I don't think Spain lack talent. They are short in attack, but if Ansu Fati can stay fit he could fix it.

What happens is, when you have one or two super attacking players in the line up, this tends to obscure our opinion and we see the entire squad as strong.

In the case of Spain is the contrary. They lack a top attacking force in the moment, but their defense and midfield are very talented. They can line up Thiago-Busquets-Gavi in the middle.
 
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Busquets-Pedri-Gavi-Torres-Morata-Fati is a cracking midfield/forwards for a 4-3-3. What's this nonsense about lack of talent?
 
Busquets-Pedri-Gavi-Torres-Morata-Fati is a cracking midfield/forwards for a 4-3-3. What's this nonsense about lack of talent?

Pretty much half of the Barcelona team that didn't pass the CL stage group and got trashed by Eintracht at home in EL + a semi sub attacker in a terrible Juventus team. Absolutely cracking. Fati is a great talent but unless he proves can stay fit for more than a month, I wouldn't even count him.

On top of that they seem to rely on Busquets until the world cup and I highly doubt he can ever be as good as he was during the last euro (since it was pretty much an anomaly if you look at his performances with Barcelona). They should start building with Rodri asap but his name his far too important to drop him like that.
 
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Pretty much half of the Barcelona team that didn't pass the CL stage group and got trashed by Eintracht at home in EL + a semi sub attacker in a terrible Juventus team. Absolutely cracking. Fati is a great talent but unless he proves can stay fit for more than a month, I wouldn't even count him.

On top of that they seem to rely on Busquets until the world cup and I highly doubt he can ever be as good as he was during the last euro (since it was pretty much an anomaly if you look at his performances with Barcelona). They should start building with Rodri asap but his name his far too important to drop him like that.

Pedri was injured when Barca faced Frankfurt.