So, any names of exju players? Still waiting for them because "err not even close" ? Any proper arguments?
Luka Modric
- Thread starter Eddy_JukeZ
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He only needs to have a decent game and he’ll have half the world calling him a genius these days, it’s incredible.
When he was a superior player a couple of years ago he didn’t get anywhere near the same praise
When he was a superior player a couple of years ago he didn’t get anywhere near the same praise
Wooooooh slow down there. Definitely in the conversation, but the best? That region produced some incredible players over the decades. Savicevic, Suker, Boban, Prosinecki, Susic, Stojkovic, Mijatovic, Dzajic....
Would only take Dzajic ahead of him tbh. Some of them were more talented (Savicevic in particular), but none bar Dragan were better
Stojkovic was probably the most talented of the lot. Too bad he couldn't sneeze without getting injured
. Still his WC at Italy 90> Modric 2018Savicevic was the genius. On his day he was maradona, but he lacked consistency. Something similar could be said of Dzajic and Susic as well. Suker was a monster of a striker in his prime. Boban was pure class.
As i said, definitely belongs in the conversation, but to say he's the best...i think that comes down to personal taste more than anything.
Sure, but that's a different thing. His behaviour here in public in Spain has always been correct. He's loved by Madrid fans and not for being a flamer but for representing that "classy humble behaviour" Florentino likes so much at least to pretend, el señorío some romantic Madrid fans love.
Just saw an interview with Moyes where he says that he went to scout Modric while he was still at Zagreb, but had doubts about his size and his ability to play in England, so didn’t sign him. He subsequently signed Fellaini that same summer. That’s such a Moyes-Ism it reads like something a poster on here would have written
It is, but at the same time Wenger thought he was too small to play CM in the premier league too and hes a fan of technical players
Stojkovic was probably the most talented of the lot. Too bad he couldn't sneeze without getting injured
Savicevic was the genius. On his day he was maradona, but he lacked consistency. Something similar could be said of Dzajic and Susic as well. Suker was a monster of a striker in his prime. Boban was pure class.
As i said, definitely belongs in the conversation, but to say he's the best...i think that comes down to personal taste more than anything.
As far as i can recall, Stojković wasn't really that injury prone prior to destroying his knee after he signed for Marseille in 1990. Afterwards is another matter obviously.
He's a great player. And I became quite the fan prior to his Spurs days. And he has been the world's best CM for awhile. But he's not as good as Xavi and Iniesta and more on the level of Scholes and nowhere remotely close to being among the top 10 footballers ever. Top 100 would be a better argument given how many incredible players I imagine have existed. I wouldn't have him in my top 20 for sure and thats just football since 2002.
He probably has to lead Croatia all the way to actually win it, but he's my favourite for the Ballon d'Or.
He was the best player on the pitch in the CL final too. Every time I watch him he's at the heart of everything his team does. At his best he's as good as any midfielder I've seen, including Xavi, and even if I don't watch him as much as I should I never see him having a properly bad game. I'd do unspeakable things to be able to turn back time ten years and get us to sign him from Dinamo Zagreb.
He was the best player on the pitch in the CL final too. Every time I watch him he's at the heart of everything his team does. At his best he's as good as any midfielder I've seen, including Xavi, and even if I don't watch him as much as I should I never see him having a properly bad game. I'd do unspeakable things to be able to turn back time ten years and get us to sign him from Dinamo Zagreb.
He's great but let's not overdo it. Madrid's midfield gets dominated quite often. He's nowhere near prime Xavi or Iniesta. That midfield had Ronaldo and Madrid chasing shadows with his arms up in despair. Modric and Kroos fail to control an average 10 men Barca side.
This is the Caf though, people like their dose of exaggeration.
Exactly, he is a brilliant player, but people like to go overboard and beyond.
They got dominated in every single CL knockout game until the final bar PSG away when Modric didn't even play. Even in the final the game only changed after Salah came off injured.
I'll never understand the absurd overreactions, maybe it's because they're very likeable.
Legend, goat. Biggest mistake to not break the bank for him at Spurs
Mh, we didn't get dominated in midfield in the second leg against juventus, or the first half against PSG. But yeah, it's an issue i've been banging on about for two years. That said, when we get dominated in midfield it's usually because our forwards give us nothing in terms of build up and ball retention, nor pin the opponents back with their threat on the counter. It's why Isco for all his faults is such an important player for us
Despite his age he has been in tremendous form in the last few months. One of the corner stones of Real Madrid's CL triumphs who gets overlooked a lot. The one player who had bursts of energy and tried to make things happen in overtime vs Denmark and Russia. If Croacia go on to win the World Cup he is the obvious choice for player of the year.
Won't go into other nations, but he surpassed all of Suker, Prosinecki, Boban. Even before this last CL win many people considered he already achieved that. Now it is not a contest anymore looking at a general opinion and rightly so.
Would move him from the penalty duty starting from today, mind you.
I consider him our biggest loss, SAF considered him as the closest player to Scholes that was around.
He's surpassed Scholes as a CM. Same range of passing but close control and stamina are far above Scholes
I wouldn't say he has surpassed Scholes but they are definitely in the same league.
Internationally he has dominated where Scholesy never did.
This was one of Scholes' biggest strengths?
Have to disagree with you there.I'd rather have not poured too much money into Spurs, they've become a top 4 competitor and are building a new stadium. It probably would have only increased their progress if we went for Modric and/or Bale.
I'd say he's a better dribbler than Scholes and can run with the ball, but Scholes had excellent close control to beat a pressing midfielder.
OK, in terms of dribbling, I meant. Modric is better. Scholesy did it in the PL but Modric has gone one better doing it in the UCL and now the WC with not even the most talented Croatian side. He is just a fraction faster over 5 metres. Schols great asset was his speed of thought and was able to find spaces in which to operateThis was one of Scholes' biggest strengths?
Yeah I loved boban myself but he is no where near the level of modric. He has a mythical like presence in folks minds because of what he did for Croatia as a nation but he is no where near the level of modric.
Nor is Suker prosinecki or any of the others
Christ, we’re really through the looking glass now when folk are saying Modric isn’t better than Scholes ever was. Revisionism at its finest here.
Because Scholes played for England under terrible management who didnt know how to use him. I recall him even starting as LM/LW
Put Modric on the LW and his effectiveness would be lessened as well.
There is a reason why the general consensus amongst a wide variety of current and retired legends is that Scholes was one of the greatest English players to have ever played the game.
Few players have the passing range and could dictate the pace of the game like Scholes.
And if we got Modric instead of letting the midfield stagnate for so many years, think about where we would be.
Perhaps we could have given Barca a run for their money in the UCL finals we faced them in
IF we went for players like Modric and Bale our Champions League success may not have stopped in 2008.
He’s absolutely class. Not sure about better than Scholes. Both absolutely brilliant though. Happy to have watched them both.
Spurs would have never sold us Modric so it is all moot.
I think he may have surpassed Scholes. However, he is a long way from having the same range of passing. He is much quicker, far better stamina, and a greater dribbler, but Scholes’ passing was a level above. I haven’t seen a single player on the level of Scholes’ long range passes. There are better short rangers though.
What a player. He already has 3 MOTM awards - more than any player. If he can drive his team past England with another top performance he should win the golden ball regardless of what happens in the final imo. He isn't as good as Xavi or Iniesta were but it doesn't matter. Those two are probably are in the conversation to be the best in their positions of all time. There's no shame in not being that good. Modric is the best currently and has been for years.
I don't think Modric has 'a far better stamina'. We used to play a 90 mph game, end to end style. In a 2 CM system, he's often get to the end of cross on opponent box, and back defending in our box. A trademark of almost every game in EPL.
Also Scholes has a far better shot and heading, and able to re-invent himself as DLP in his later years.
He's better than Scholes, imo, but he isn't close to being as good a passer. Very few midfielder's have ever been as good a passer as Scholes.
Better than Scholes?
Feck me, I need to puch someone right now.
Feck me, I need to puch someone right now.
They turned down something daft like £40 million from Chelsea during a period where that was still a massive figure. And allowed him to go for £10 million less outside the Premiership. It was literally impossible for us to buy him. Sad, too, because he'd have been ideal at the time.
He aint better than Scholes, though. No way. Not seeing Scholes for years seems to have done in peoples perspective. Scholes was a genius. Incredibly talented.
Passing, close control, stamina and pace are all key facets of a CM and they are rightly discussed when comparing Scholes with Modric. I still don't see this tiny little goal-scoring ability thing included here. Or have I missed something?
Not a chance.
From 5-50 yard passes, Scholes was a genius. Like a golfer who used every club in the bag.
At 32, Modric is more mobile than Scholes at 32. Scholes had a better shot and had better timing in the box, especially for headers as you say. On the other hand, I can understand those who say Modric has surpassed him. You are taking Scholes’ best attributes from an AM and DLP.
Dictating games and long range passing, Scholes for me. Overall, it’s close.