It's actually ridiculous how good he is at making the best decisions at his age. It's phenomenal
Lamine Yamal
- Thread starter Hoof the ball
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik (@Rood) and Jamie (@Vault Dweller) review both the Everton and Bodø/Glimt victories at Old Trafford. Listen to the guys discuss 2 wins and 7 goals in the last week, analyse of the Amorim formation, focus on Amad and how he is playing, and also take a look at Hojlund, Rashford & Zirkzee – who starts v Arsenal?
A big part of it is the Barcelona training.
I got stick in the matchday thread. I don't care. He's obviously not near Messi in terms of goals/assists/skill/influence etc. But I've not seen anything like this kid's passing. I watch Barca every match and he's putting through incredible through balls time after time. Short passing, long passing, intelligent passing. He always know the right place to put it.
What I love about this kid, he's fearless. He's trying tricks, nutmegs, quick turns. He's so easy on the eye, hopefully stays free of injury.
What I love about this kid, he's fearless. He's trying tricks, nutmegs, quick turns. He's so easy on the eye, hopefully stays free of injury.
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Honestly he seems a cut above all the kids they've produced recently (Pedri is a another good shout in terms of pure intelligence)
His left foot is like a bag of golf clubs. That's the only way I can describe it
More than Messi, he is more Iniesta alike, build closer to a Henry body type, with a great long stride, some urge for goals and mostly great decision making on pair with his talent.
PD: Barca BTW finally has a high profile coach for a change that it's not afraid to counter fast on the break.
PD: Barca BTW finally has a high profile coach for a change that it's not afraid to counter fast on the break.
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One assist tonight - but was the best player on the pitch for me (including Raphinha who scored a hattrick).
This kid unbalances a defence completely. Ridiculous player.
This kid unbalances a defence completely. Ridiculous player.
He's the most talented player in the world for me.
He's ridiculously good and he'll get better.
He's ridiculously good and he'll get better.
Which is exactly why Barcelona have to play him so much. He’s a 17 year old who plays like he’s multiple titles deep. Phenom.
His passing and crossing probably better than Messi
Dribbling and end product less. But will see how that evolves over time
Dribbling and end product less. But will see how that evolves over time
His passing probably better than Messi?, do you get to whom you are comparing him?.
Regarding crossing like a typical, let's say winger, Messi rarely was in such position, so Yamal does it in more ocassions.
He is not a Messi type of player, but he can end being HIPER important for Barca and a major figure and all timer. The talent is there, the mature character? so far too.
He's a more similar profile to Mahrez with some flashes of Neymar.
Not similar to Messi in any way.
Not similar to Messi in any way.
I'd say he's like tiger with flashes of eel.
Yea I think this is accurate.
Side note, sometimes people I think that forgets how fast Ney was, he was lightning fast with the ball at his feet. Yamal it's more of a long stride, elegant and skilled forward/secondstriker/pseudo winger with a level of talent and maturity that it's not common.
That's why I mentioned that he only has little flashes of Neymar.
He's a Neymar fanboy so probably grew up imitating his tricks and flicks.
But yeah, Neymar was much faster and also a bigger talent than Yamal.
Lamal, at 17, has better passing than Messi….one of the best final third passers of all time……I think that statement has to be close to the dictionary definition of hyperbole.
Lamal is an outrageous and prodigious talent, we don’t need to resort to ridiculous comparisons at this early stage to make that point.
He might be the best 17 year old anyone has ever seen…..which itself is debatable…..but even if that’s true, it’s way too early to be making any comparisons. Not to mention pointless.
His passing is not better than Messi, what nonsense.
He could also be shit and still have the 2 qualities I just stated. Theres a reason I specified them and didnt say he was a better player like youre pretending.
Messi was very good at one specific pass coming inside from the right and finding a runner from the left. Lamal finds more angles and delivers some perfect crosses Messi was never known for. He was very much a dribbler and the rest came from first taking players on until later
Watched a lot of Neymar at age 17, did you?
It's a lot better than Messi's was at the same age. People forget that Messi's passing improved immeasurably as he got older.
I remember Messi breaking through quite well, and I feel it wouldn't be too controversial to claim that Yamal is a better passer than Messi was at a similar age. Against a prime #10 playmaking version he obviously loses out.
I’m not even sure of that, Messi barely played at a similar age but I think his passing had always been all time great level it just took some time for it to come to the fold, his not a better passer than Messi, and we won’t see a better final third passer because Messi is basically a 10/10 in that respect.
I can’t even say it’s better than Neymars, another all time great passer if you pay attention to his game.
I love Yamal and I think he's easily the Top 3 players in the world right now but to say his passing is better or even close to Messi (not talking about the 17 year old version) is the sort of ridiculous thing you have to put down to recency bias. Messi's passing was extraordinary and he'd make passes there's literally no one else would see on the pitch, and this also included Xavi often. Yamal has excellent passing and even better decision making but his passing, so far, is still not even a patch on what Messi was doing. The kind of ball Yamal played for Raphinha's third goal today and got huge amounts of praise for (and rightly so) is the kind of ball Messi would play to Alba around 4 times a match.
You’ll have to compare him to a 19 year old Messi though because Messi simply wasn’t playing as much games at 17.
I don’t think Neymar being a bigger talent is that clear as he was not this good at 19 let alone 17 like Yamal. Also, we don’t exactly know what the latter’s ceiling is yet. What he’s shown so far is revolutionary for his age and at his current trajectory, the future is unfathomable.
I think the only thing that maybe Yamal currently needs to work on would be his finishing. While he's got a very good finish/shooting ability from range, he still doens't feel very clinical with some of the easy chances he does get. But that is not a worry because he'll obviously get that composure with age and maturity.
I am sure of it, I watched Messi play a lot as a teenager. His dribbling was better than Lamine's, but Lamine's passing is better at this age. I watched Messi's whole career, he was not passing the ball as a teen like he did later.
It’s not clear at all. Neymar was excellent from his debut, he could have moved to Europe sooner and take it by storm in a similar guise to when he finally did.
What exactly do we define "talent" as? I won't get into the specific ages but Neymar is probably the most skillful and talented footballer we have seen outside of Messi in the last two decades. I personally don't see the Neymar and Yamal comparisons as they seem very different players to me. I see a bit more of a hybrid of Messi and Mahrez. Yamal's got the dribbling, the intelligence and game sense of Messi, with the cut inside and crossing ability of Mahrez.
This bit is true. Even before he signed for Barca, they hype around was sky high.
His dribbling is closer to Mahrez tbh.
Yeah you are right, maybe 18 though because he did play a fair bit in the 2005/6 season and would've even more if he didn't get injured in the spring. He wasn't nineteen yet when he was the MOTM against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
This. Just Youtube some of the 'would-be' assists Messi produced over the years only for the forwards to infuriatingly feck up. The guy was producing so much magic so often that it became normal.
Yamal is the best 17 y.o (and 16 y.o) I've seen thus far, he obviously has the talent and skills but as others pointed out, what impresses me most is his maturity and decision making.
100%. Suarez and Neymar over the years and Dembele later on, were criminally wasteful with some of the chances Messi would create. It really is astonishing how much of a playmaking genius he was given he's also consistently been a 50 goal a season player.
As for Yamal's decision-making. Couldn't agree more. It defies belief that a 17 year old kid can be this mature and not be tempted to be selfish and go for goal or the outrageous. I have very rarely seen him the wrong decision and that's something you'd not even say for Messi.
Fair enough, actually. I do find him a mix between the two with his various skillsets.
Irrelevant. A couple of years won't give you the pure magic and acceleration Neymar had. You can't learn or teach that.
In terms of natural ability, Neymar was just magical. He also had more speed, agility and acceleration. In terms of pure potential, Neymar was up there with the best players ever.
Yamal isn't as naturally talented as Neymar but will possibly go on to have a better career.
As long as he doesn't go on to make a career move as suicidal as Neymar's.
There are some interesting takes in here. Yamal is a better passer than Messi, Neymar one of the best of all time if we are talking purely potential.... interesting stuff.
Well, PSG are extremely interested in signing Yamal so you never know........As long as he doesn't go on to make a career move as suicidal as Neymar's.