A good 75/80% of this forum are absolutely shockingly horrible at it....
You only have to look back 12-months at the posts calling for Laird to replace AWB and for Zidane Iqbal to come into the team to see that.
The problem is for most posters is that a) they haven't played the game to any sort of standard whatsoever and b) therefore don't understand 'levels' in football.
As a result, it becomes hard for these posters to assess footballers who have largely appeared in weaker competitions/friendlies/'unders' football. Of course any half-decent player is going to stand out and post good metrics playing in the u23s. 75% of their opponents won't make it as professional footballers at all, let alone at the top level.
Likewise, it's hard for them to assess players who have largely appeared in the Bundesliga or Ligue Un. Not because these leagues are so shockingly terrible that they bear no comparison, but because the best teams are so much better than the worst teams.
In order to really judge a player, you have to see what they do in small moments of the game that aren't necessarily captured by the Data. You have to see many things in each technical aspect of their game. For example, how they control the ball, do they take it in their stride? Is their first touch out from under their feet? If they're a winger/wide forward, are they quickly able to turn at pace and gather momentum? If they're a CM, can they shield the ball under heavy pressure? Can they play on the 'half-turn'? Are they 'surviving' on the ball, or are they progressing the ball?
With passing, do they pass the ball at speed and into space? Do they really fire the ball into their teammate? Do they see passes other players don't? Do they have a complete picture in their head? What's the weight of pass like? Can they pass with both feet? What's their range of passing? Can they pass under pressure?
The people I class as 'know-nothings' will say 'player X has completed 88% of passes' but that's meaningless on it's own. Sure, teams can use Data to compile a long-list of targets, but the shortlist will ALWAYS rely on the 'eye test'.
Finally, the biggest single factor for me in modern football is 'aggression'...and I don't mean 'do they pick fights?'....I mean, do they do what they do aggressively? Do they run and close down aggressively? Do they attack space aggressively? Do they challenge in the air aggressively? Do they pass aggressively? Even a players' movements can be 'aggressive', or at least 'progressive'.
A player like Sancho, for example, badly lacks aggression. A player like Anthony does have 'aggression', and that's why I think he will prove a success in-time, or at least, will remain a useful part of our squad of 15/16 for the foreseeable. Martinez has it. Malacia has it. Mount has it. Casemiro has it. You can really see what ETH is doing. Even Onana is an 'aggressive' goalkeeper, to replace a 'passive' goalkeeper.
Garnacho has it, and that's why he is a standout at his age. Elanga does have it too, and that's why Ragnick picked him, and that's why Sweden pick him. He just lacks the required technical attributes to go with it at the very highest level.
You only have to look back 12-months at the posts calling for Laird to replace AWB and for Zidane Iqbal to come into the team to see that.
The problem is for most posters is that a) they haven't played the game to any sort of standard whatsoever and b) therefore don't understand 'levels' in football.
As a result, it becomes hard for these posters to assess footballers who have largely appeared in weaker competitions/friendlies/'unders' football. Of course any half-decent player is going to stand out and post good metrics playing in the u23s. 75% of their opponents won't make it as professional footballers at all, let alone at the top level.
Likewise, it's hard for them to assess players who have largely appeared in the Bundesliga or Ligue Un. Not because these leagues are so shockingly terrible that they bear no comparison, but because the best teams are so much better than the worst teams.
In order to really judge a player, you have to see what they do in small moments of the game that aren't necessarily captured by the Data. You have to see many things in each technical aspect of their game. For example, how they control the ball, do they take it in their stride? Is their first touch out from under their feet? If they're a winger/wide forward, are they quickly able to turn at pace and gather momentum? If they're a CM, can they shield the ball under heavy pressure? Can they play on the 'half-turn'? Are they 'surviving' on the ball, or are they progressing the ball?
With passing, do they pass the ball at speed and into space? Do they really fire the ball into their teammate? Do they see passes other players don't? Do they have a complete picture in their head? What's the weight of pass like? Can they pass with both feet? What's their range of passing? Can they pass under pressure?
The people I class as 'know-nothings' will say 'player X has completed 88% of passes' but that's meaningless on it's own. Sure, teams can use Data to compile a long-list of targets, but the shortlist will ALWAYS rely on the 'eye test'.
Finally, the biggest single factor for me in modern football is 'aggression'...and I don't mean 'do they pick fights?'....I mean, do they do what they do aggressively? Do they run and close down aggressively? Do they attack space aggressively? Do they challenge in the air aggressively? Do they pass aggressively? Even a players' movements can be 'aggressive', or at least 'progressive'.
A player like Sancho, for example, badly lacks aggression. A player like Anthony does have 'aggression', and that's why I think he will prove a success in-time, or at least, will remain a useful part of our squad of 15/16 for the foreseeable. Martinez has it. Malacia has it. Mount has it. Casemiro has it. You can really see what ETH is doing. Even Onana is an 'aggressive' goalkeeper, to replace a 'passive' goalkeeper.
Garnacho has it, and that's why he is a standout at his age. Elanga does have it too, and that's why Ragnick picked him, and that's why Sweden pick him. He just lacks the required technical attributes to go with it at the very highest level.