Lamine Yamal

wtf are you on about at this point mate? No they aren’t the same players but they both play in a similar ATTACKING style position and both have freedom, maybe I just worded it wrong for you to understand what I meant. Basically, you can compare the two. And when you do, Raphina has the better numbers, it’s not hard to comprehend
Raphinha's role is to rack up numbers. Lamine's is the break open the opposing defences for Raphinha and Lewandowski. Of course Raphinha has better numbers. That's by design

Barcelona can replace Raphinha. They fall apart without Lamine
 
Raphinha's role is to rack up numbers. Lamine's is the break open the opposing defences for Raphinha and Lewandowski. Of course Raphinha has better numbers. That's by design

Barcelona can replace Raphinha. They fall apart without Lamine

Lamine was at the core of pretty much everything inventive and intelligent. They can probe a bit without him but the cutting edge isn't really there. He also means that opposition double up on him leaving more space elsewhere and he still affects games.

They have a load of top players at Barca but much like Liverpool and Salah, Yamal is their special sauce. The guy that elevates them.
 
Lamine was at the core of pretty much everything inventive and intelligent. They can probe a bit without him but the cutting edge isn't really there. He also means that opposition double up on him leaving more space elsewhere and he still affects games.

They have a load of top players at Barca but much like Liverpool and Salah, Yamal is their special sauce. The guy that elevates them.
Precisely
 
Raphinha's role is to rack up numbers. Lamine's is the break open the opposing defences for Raphinha and Lewandowski. Of course Raphinha has better numbers. That's by design

Barcelona can replace Raphinha. They fall apart without Lamine
It's mind boggling how anyone can watch the game last night and compare Yamal with Raphina.

Yamal is the key unlocking the door. Raphina is the twisting the handle.
 
It's mind boggling how anyone can watch the game last night and compare Yamal with Raphina.

Yamal is the key unlocking the door. Raphina is the twisting the handle.
Disagree, Yamal unlocks it and opens it.

Raphinha walks in first.
 
Much more easy on the eye than Messi for me and variety when it’s come to dribbling. Sorry for Dembele, Raphinha and Salah but he is the best player in the world. I don’t rate this Barcelona team, they are very ordinary and this kid is the main reason we are talking about a potential treble, it’s crazy…

Please don’t ruin this genius by overplaying him or asking him to become a stat padder.
Good thing you said "for me". There is alot of recency bias in this thread. I can tell you not just statistically but while watching them at a similar age that Messi was easily a superior dribbler. Yamal's biggest strength is his decision making and final pass rather than dribbling (although elite,
Messi's was off the charts) which explains a better end product at this age. Messi obviously had a higher ceiling but was still raw partly explained by his fewer minutes at the professional level.

By 19 (Messi's proper second season) Messi had learnt the game and was already superior to what Yamal is in his second season but injuries really hampered him.

Re watching them, Messi was as good as it gets.
 
It's been a minute a player of this level hasn't appeared, very exciting..
 
That's obvious. No one knows what will happen. The point I'm making is that he's not quite the same as the people you referenced.

Re the 100 games, Pele probably did. He played around 1400 in his career and started at 15, so it stands to reason. Of course, it was a different time.
I'm certain we will see it in the future as well. In boxing you relatively recently had Pacquiao and Canelo that both started to box at 15-16 under false ID in order to be able to fight grown men. Pretty sure Magnus Carlsen was 11-12 or something ridiculous while drawing with/besting the worlds best chess player. There has always been and will always come along prodigies in every sport out there but of course, they wouldn't be prodigies if it was common.
 
Much more easy on the eye than Messi for me and variety when it’s come to dribbling. Sorry for Dembele, Raphinha and Salah but he is the best player in the world. I don’t rate this Barcelona team, they are very ordinary and this kid is the main reason we are talking about a potential treble, it’s crazy…

Please don’t ruin this genius by overplaying him or asking him to become a stat padder.
You can't honestly mean that.

If by flair you mean pure dribblers then sure, not many mazy runs since Messi semi-retired, but there's plenty of artistry in all positions today.


Really? How so?
Come on now.

I don't know if it's recency bias but you can't argue that flair players have been weeded out in the last 15 years in favor of swiss knives. There's no artistry in any position nowadays, just players trained and pre-conditioned to occupy their position and zone as well as fulfill their role in the most efficient way.

Right now, we have better athletes, not better footballers. Messi was effectively the last true #10.

Yamal is an outlier in an era where flair has been effectively banned.
 
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Watched them most of the season, disagreeing with your opinion means I haven’t watched them?

the suspicion is there because you don't seem to understand that the attack basically runs through Yamal and they look like a different team without him. If you even watched the game on Wednesday, this much would be obvious. Raphinha scored a fantastic goal in that game as well, but who was the best Barca player on the pitch?
Raphina has been sensational and Lewandowski the same,

Agreed
both have put up better numbers,

I'm sorry, but I've just explained why this is a nonsensical argument


in fact Raphina has comfortably eclipsed Yamal with numbers

Again. That doesn't mean he's a better player. What part of this is difficult to understand? If you think that this is all ii's about then you think that in every single team that has ever existed, the best player is the one with the most goals. How does that make sense?

while playing a very similar attacking role.

OK, now i know you haven't been watching the team.
They’ve both provided as many important moments as Yamal this season if not more and done it at a higher consistency imo too. It’s not a knock on Yamal, we are talking about two other brilliant players. He’s in the conversation, let’s not get silly acting like I don’t watch Barcelona because I’ve claimed Yamal isn’t their best player.

The fans pretty much agree. Outsiders just look at the numbers and tend to have your opinion.

You take Lewandowski out of that team and I don’t believe they get to the levels they have this season. You take Yamal out and replace him with another winger I believe they would provide a very similar output to Yamal, even if they weren’t as exciting or talented. Just my opinion.

your opinion is wrong. If you'd watched the team in the games when Yamal wasn't playing, you'd know that this is horribly wrong
Yamal may go on to have an unreal career and be the best player in the world, for me currently he’s not better than Lewandowski,

Lewandowski is 36 years old. He's still a lethal finisher, but his all round game is not what it was. Like a much less washed version of Ronaldo
Raphina, Salah and that’s just naming a few of the attacking options, not going into different positions.
Disagree, but I guess it's all about opinions.
 
You can't honestly mean that.


Come on now.

I don't know if it's recency bias but you can't argue that flair players have been effectively weeded out in the last 15 years in favor of swiss knives. There's no artistry in any position nowadays, just players trained and pre-conditioned to occupy their position and zone as well as fulfill their role in the most efficient way.

Right now, we have better athletes, not better footballers. Messi was effectively the last true #10.

Yamal is an outlier in an era where flair has been effectively banned.

Isco at Betis right now is I think the last of this dying breed..
 
Messi skipped past players on a regular basis, he has more solo goals by skipping past several players than Ronaldinho and Neymar combined.

Think you’ve missed my point, the argument isn’t who is effective. Some people prefer when Neymar does an outrageous skill to beat a player. Like I said, there’s no right or wrong as it’s each to their own what’s easy on the eye.
 
You can't honestly mean that.


Come on now.

I don't know if it's recency bias but you can't argue that flair players have been weeded out in the last 15 years in favor of swiss knives. There's no artistry in any position nowadays, just players trained and pre-conditioned to occupy their position and zone as well as fulfill their role in the most efficient way.

Right now, we have better athletes, not better footballers. Messi was effectively the last true #10.

Yamal is an outlier in an era where flair has been effectively banned.

See, the bolded, that's just not true. You used to be able to get away with playing cloggers in most positions and carrying them with a few playmakers. Now that doesn't work. There's a minimum standard of technical skill required in every position, especially at the highest levels.

Yes, today you need to be able to keep up with the constant sprints and running over 90 minutes, but that doesn't mean you no longer need to be able to pass and have a great first touch. In fact because there is less space and time to do stuff because an opposition player will be on you, your technical skills need to be enhanced. A poor first touch? Ball is stolen. A wayward pass? They're countering you at top speed. The stakes are much higher, you can't afford to not be technical regardless of position. Look at keepers!

And the sentence following the bolded proves my point; these complaints are just the "there are no more languid lazy yet brilliant number 10s" laments in disguise. Unless you're a Messi with the output that justifies the rest of the team being built around you, it's more efficient to distribute that creativity around (the same way it's more efficient to distribute goal scoring around). But are we seeing less through passes or brilliant crosses or goals out of nowhere?

Again, if you're reducing the definition of flair to those Joga Bonito videos, fair enough
 
See, the bolded, that's just not true. You used to be able to get away with playing cloggers in most positions and carrying them with a few playmakers. Now that doesn't work. There's a minimum standard of technical skill required in every position, especially at the highest levels.

Yes, today you need to be able to keep up with the constant sprints and running over 90 minutes, but that doesn't mean you no longer need to be able to pass and have a great first touch. In fact because there is less space and time to do stuff because an opposition player will be on you, your technical skills need to be enhanced. A poor first touch? Ball is stolen. A wayward pass? They're countering you at top speed. The stakes are much higher, you can't afford to not be technical regardless of position. Look at keepers!

And the sentence following the bolded proves my point; these complaints are just the "there are no more languid lazy yet brilliant number 10s" laments in disguise. Unless you're a Messi with the output that justifies the rest of the team being built around you, it's more efficient to distribute that creativity around (the same way it's more efficient to distribute goal scoring around). But are we seeing less through passes or brilliant crosses or goals out of nowhere?

Again, if you're reducing the definition of flair to those Joga Bonito videos, fair enough
That is what the word 'flair' means. There is no reduction. Flair = flamboyance, flash. Not just being able to control a football.

But this is interesting. You think that players now are not just better athletes (which we all accept) but actually more skilful than players in the past?

Determining this scientifically for the average player then and now is very difficult, but if what you say is true, then why aren't the best players now more skilful than the players of yesteryear? Cos I don't see anyone running round now who can touch Maradona, or Baggio, or Romario.
 
What on earth was he thinking taking the ball on the attack in added time? Should have took it to the corner and wasted the clock.
 
Hard to be too critical considering he has been incredible and still young but that decision to shoot at 3-2 was so poor

But the power he can get in his shots and crosses is absolutely incredible
 
17 year old makes a dodgy decision. Crazy, I know
 
He's probably the best player in the world which at 17 is ridiculous. Lost some composure in extra time, but he's unplayable. How the feck did these cnuts replace Messi with a teenager like him :lol:
 
But the power he can get in his shots and crosses is absolutely incredible
It's weird, but he looks more dangerous from 25 yards than from 10 yards. Great long range shooting, but pretty poor close range finishing.
 
Reminds me of young Wayne Rooney, with the way he can unleash power into a shot, at anytime from anywhere on the goal.
 
Chronologically the most talented footballers post WW2:
Pele
Maradona
R9
Messi
Yamal (looks obvious)

Pele had Eusebio, Maradona had Platini,
R9 had his injury, Messi had Cristiano. Who does Yamal have?
 
When his team conceded 7 goals over the 2 legs then you just have to give him a pass, considering his performance.

He will play a few CL finals over the course of his career, injury permitting. Too good not to.
 
Chronologically the most talented footballers post WW2:
Pele
Maradona
R9
Messi
Yamal (looks obvious)

Pele had Eusebio, Maradona had Platini,
R9 had his injury, Messi had Cristiano. Who does Yamal have?

Doue
 
Yamal is incredible talent.

What set Messi apart was his end product. If Yamal is equally effective he will be a pain the ass like Messi. Amazing talent and he has just begun.
 
Chronologically the most talented footballers post WW2:
Pele
Maradona
R9
Messi
Yamal (looks obvious)

Pele had Eusebio, Maradona had Platini,
R9 had his injury, Messi had Cristiano. Who does Yamal have?
Clearly not as far along in his development, but Yamal & Endrick would be a throwback to Messi v CR7.
 
Thought his crosses were too flat for most of the game. Incredible player though. The way he glides past players time and time again is impressive.
 
He didnt score or assist but tonight was probably one of his best ever games. He was a total nightmare for Inter all night and was dangerous every time he touched the ball. Haven't seen this level of consistent electricity ftom a winger in a while. A 17 year old kid. Incredible.