Iniesta will be player of the WC again and show everyone again why he is head and shoulders ahead of most other players. Iniesta usually ends a season below-par but then performs in tournaments in the same season. In 2010 he was out of form and injured / out for various weeks before the WC and we all knew what happened then. For me he has been at times the 3rd best player in the world and in tournaments arguably even THE best player int he world.
Iniesta - Is there another? | Announces retirement
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I think that's a bit weird. The fact Iniesta was completely absent on Saturday against Atletico was very visible, just as people have pointed out that Silva has had big dips in form since arriving in England.
I said casual fans - who make up the majority of fans.
City fans will point out that Silva has had dips, as will other teams' fans who pay attention. But most wont.
Just like most don't realise the laziness in Yaya Toure's game. To them he's just a 'beast'.
I didn't see the Barcelona game on Saturday, but I can imagine that Iniesta didn't see as much of the ball as usual. But I can't imagine that the ball he did see - he was truly awful with it. Maybe not influential enough, but not failing the basics. At least not to the extent most players do on their poor days.
Obviously he's also never been a goalscorer, so there isn't ever going to be a very obvious decline like there would be for Messi.
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Iniesta rarely has a poor game from a personal standpoint, his touch, distribution, ability and skill is almost always there.
It will be interesting to see how Del Bosque lines up this Summer, Xavi shouldn't start, honestly his time is up for me. Spain need to change things up tactically.
It will be interesting to see how Del Bosque lines up this Summer, Xavi shouldn't start, honestly his time is up for me. Spain need to change things up tactically.
This is pretty much what I mean.
His poor games are poor because they lack influence and perhaps energy. But very rarely does his touch and pass let him down, even on his poorest days.
It takes a watcher who's clued up to realise that despite Iniesta still doing the usual turns, dinks and feints - he's having a 'poor' (by his standards ) game.
Lets put it this way: if Spain win the WC you can pretty much guarantee that Iniesta will have played well. Someone like Silva (quality though he is) isn't near as vital to their WC chances. That's simply because Iniesta (when on form) is on a different level to the other Spanish players.
I was going to quote you. I completely agree.
I think it's his style as well which detracts from criticism. It's hard not to like his style, and as many have mentioned even in a poor game he will have a fairly high pass percentage, do a few feints and turns and play a few through balls. That would be considered a decent game for most players in the world.
It also works both ways, when for example Barca are playing really well or he is controlling the midfield, and then Messi scores a couple of goals, Messi gets the headlines and not Iniesta.
You hardly see ppl plastering pics on the backpages of someone who controls the game or dominated the midfield, but rather the goal scorer's even if it's a tap-in
You hardly see ppl plastering pics on the backpages of someone who controls the game or dominated the midfield, but rather the goal scorer's even if it's a tap-in
It's Zidane all over again.
Just timing.
The year Modric won Ronaldo had already joined Juve while Messi only finished fifth. They weren't at their best
Whereas the years Iniesta came second and third were closer to the Ronaldo/Messi peak, with Mess finishing ahead of him one year and both finishing ahead of him the other.
Speaking of modric, if you could only have modric or iniesta in your team, who would you go for?
Iniesta without a doubt.
Always Iniesta
My favourite player of the last decade and a half. Just oozes class with everything he does.
Both are incredible, but still Iniesta and always Iniesta.
Still makes little sense to me, Modric was good, but i don't think he was even that outstanding in the world cup, more of a team effort than anything else that they made it to the final.
Ronaldo and Messi were still good enough, Messi at 5th was a joke tbh, but they decided to turn everything to be about the world cup, and so the narrative was created.
I reckon its really a toss up. Iniesta is a favourite of mine so I'd have bias there. Although when I think about it, I reckon if you swap the two at their teams so modric in iniesta's role at barca and iniesta playing modric's role at madrid, I feel that modric would perform the better of the two.
Not even close. Iniesta was a much better player.
Modric. He’s the more complete midfielder. He’s not as flamboyant as Iniesta but you could build any team around him as he would thrive in any set-up.
Iniesta.
Iniesta. The man was just something else.
I pick iniesta over anyone currently playing if i need a midfield playmaking general
You don’t go overboard with praises, do you?
Depends on the formation, instructions and football philosophy.
Interesting question, I would pick Iniesta to my team. For me, Modric edges Iniesta in term of athleticism and longetivity but Iniesta edges Modric in term of techniques and pure skills. I think Iniesta is a better player too.
I would agree with someone who says Modric is more versatile player, better longetivity, better in term of adaptable and easier to build a team around him. Howewer, Iniesta is a superior player to Modric and he is ranked higher in all time rankings for sure.
Maybe Xavi or Iniesta instead. Modric be more of a Xavi in the team rather than iniesta. They do play in midfield but iirc Modric be more like the general and Iniesta more of the left final third player.
Xavi, Iniesta and Busquets were the three best midfielders of their time for me, and all three are up there with the best ever.
Iniesta. Come on
Because of Messi.
I would go for Modric. Modric suits all types of systems and surroundings and is more well rounded. I'd definitely build my team around Modric. Iniesta is more of a second fiddle(for the lack of a better phrase).
Iniesta is the best at what he does specifically in that particular system. He was always in his comfort zone. Let's not forget Barcelona and Spain had the perfect system for him. Before Barca implemented that system, we didn't know him as one of the best midfielders in the world.
Not taking anything away from the master he was at his job though.
I also think people don't talk enough about Modric's longevity. He has outlasted most top midfielders; another proof of his brilliance.
Oh and it also freaks me out when some people claim Iniesta was better than Xavi. I absolutely disagree with that. Xavi was also much more productive than him despite playing deeper. Xavi was the heart of that famous tiki taka system. Period.
I guess Iniesta's style of play really makes people rate him even higher than he deserves.
All this shit about comfort zones again. Another way to speak about loyalty to one of the greatest clubs in the world.
Just talking about the system he was always in. I'm not necessarily holding that against him. I think you misunderstood my point.
I think people will agree Modric is more adaptable and suitable to build a team around.
Obviously, why would Iniesta leave Prime Barcelona!! Totally get that part.
Modric is actually at his best as a second fiddle too. I don't think there's anything Modric does better than Iniesta. I think just the fact that Modric plays deeper give the impression that he's more rounded
100%
Iniesta's performance against us in the CL final in Rome was ,annoyingly, amazing.
Okay fair enough. M. Laudrup was iniesta's idol, and was their playstyle was very similar. Was M. Ladrup greater because he did his thing in different teams and leagues?