Recent content by Demyanenko_square_jaw

A lot of these managers that go straight into a top club, or do so at the first sign of success aren't doing it because they were already considered far too visionary to have to work their way up...it's usually just the usual football "jobs for your mates" stuff where ex-great players of a...

Luxemburgo had quite a lot of success in the Brazilian league. Don't know much about his actual quality as a manager, but he seems to be someone that just didn't adapt/succeed rather than an unqualified no-success appointment .

It wasn't yet a near-impossible thing to get to a semi-final/final with relatively smaller teams back then, but tbf Aberdeen are still among the smallest of those clubs. Red Star (the biggest club in Yugoslavia) and Steaua (one of the big two in Romania with Dynamo), those are teams that were...

Sacchi's ideas didn't come out of nowhere either. He brought in his take on trends from Ajax, Dynamo Kyiv and other aggressive pressing and heavily "control space off the ball zonally rather than man to man" teams into Italian football

With all the other advantages that RM have, i don't think taking either approach of constantly sacking managers quickly or sometimes giving them another 1-2 seasons to see if they improve has mattered that much in terms of being some sort of secret weapon compared to the other huge clubs. They...

Liverpool did have the self-inflicted ban during which they would have been among the favourites to win more European Cups. Circumstances of the ban can't be compared of course, but the purely sporting effect was similar.

On Baresi... i always saw him as a great organiser (verbally and on the ball) yet, while also a great "pure" defender overall, lacking some speed and agility to be a Maldini/Nesta/Stam/Vierchowod/Kohler sort of monster in duels and quick recovery if beaten/outmaneuvered. However that might be...

I'd rather watch Diego as well (and rate his tournament slightly higher overall too), Cruyff was an extremely smooth player, but didn't quite have the same imaginative, improvisatory flair or ability to dribble/pass in the tightest of spaces. However it's close enough performance to rightfully...

I think Cruyff '74 was comparable. If Netherlands had won that final, imo Cruyff would be seen more on par with Diego.

It didn't take long to show that this was more indicative of the growing gulf between the biggest clubs and the rest though.

Some other Germany vs Netherlands stuff with Olaf Thon getting his ankles brutalised by Netherlands during a vital WC qualifier; these 70s/80s between the two countries were always really heated. The 89/90 season he would suffer injuries that would become recurring, derailing his trajectory and...

Not too sure about Maldini if its based on performances at the actual tournament. He was good in the group stage at '88 but imo one of the worst players in the quarter final loss against ussr, didn't play well at '96 until Italy were almost out and his '00 was a solid aging-veteran fullback...

i think the rules in the first post exclude the majority of players that are considered internationally as greats anyway (Euro or South American). Look at the players being mentioned here, some might have had the talent to have a great career, but there's very few that most would agree should be...

Technically, yeah, but a no time limit thread wouldn't make sense to exclude the Brazilian league and Copa Libertadores.

A few other very good ones i think qualify: Riquelme...though his first two Libertadores wins should count imo Joaquin...a bit brainless, but very effective before injuries slowed him down too much) Nihat Kahveci...thought he was an excellent, versatile forward before his achilles injury van...