That's not true at all, he's one of the best players keeping the ball under pressure. He rarely loses the ball .
Luka Modric
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That's not true at all, he's one of the best players keeping the ball under pressure. He rarely loses the ball .
Mine was a guess, not my opinion
Passing....depends what type of passing we're talking about. Scholes i'd say had more range and variety in his locker, Modric is more unpredictable though. Modric sometimes is Zidanesque/Messiesque. Don't remember that from Scholes
Well what's your opinion Giorno?
Hmm I'm thinking more long range passing and through the channels ❤
He was brilliant at Spurs and it was so obvious that Fergie should have gone all out to sign him (all that no value in the market BS) but he's gone up so many extra levels in recent years
Modric is still the best player I've ever watched in the PL with my own eyes (never saw Ronaldo play during his United years in person) - in person it's almost bewitching how he seems to eternally have time and space despite being so diminutive. His technique receiving the ball and sliding as he does it, opening up a yard or two from close marking and then effortlessly getting upfield is amazing when you see the whole field below you from the stands.
All the way back in 2010 I was saying he was one of the best 2-3 CM's in the world, his performances in the CL and in the PL were astonishing ... nothing he's done since has changed my mind. Just a gloriously graceful footballer.
All the way back in 2010 I was saying he was one of the best 2-3 CM's in the world, his performances in the CL and in the PL were astonishing ... nothing he's done since has changed my mind. Just a gloriously graceful footballer.
I don't really think he has - he's basically exactly the same player he was back then. He's won more trophies and spent more years at that level so the recognition is higher, but he was utterly amazing even 7-8 years ago. That Spurs team he took to the quarter finals of the Champions League was full of a lot of dross beyond him, Bale and van der Vaart.
Ok boss.
We missed out so many players during those mantra stint, baffling really. Interesting reminder, didnt Modric was vote as the worst transfer in La Liga during his first year IIRC? Anyway, he's absolute class.
Is it fair to assess a player's quality by what they've done on the pitch?
Barcelona and Spain's dominance waxed and waned with Xavi's trajectory. I'm not even sure what more can be said concerning him, if you don't get it you just don't.
And Iniesta can arguably be said to be one of the best big game players ever. Goal in the WC final, performances in the CL, performances against Madrid. That's not looking at trophies. Could unlock a defense with a final pass or with a dribble.
Modric is the best midfielder in the world now and I'm glad he's getting deserved dues (you'd think Madrid was composed of 10 street players and Ronaldo as far as accolades go sometimes). And so far he's playing well in the World Cup. But to be labeled an equal of the aforementioned 2 you have to do more. He has the talent to do so, but he hasn't done it. He needs to be able to stamp his authority on the pitch consistently, at all levels, or be consistently decisive at the latter end of the pitch.
I'm biased both by support and memoryWell what's your opinion Giorno?
Hmm I'm thinking more long range passing and through the channels ❤
Scholes long range, Modric through the channels
But this is where we disagree, because for me he has done it, and doing it doesn't mean winning the tournament IMO because that is dependant on the team you have around you. He has been excellent in all the international tournaments I have seen him at.
As for you first line, the key is what they have done on the pitch not what their team has.
Which is why saying they won XYZ with Spain when the other played for an inferior side and use that as the stick to say they are better doesn't really make sense
There is a video reminder of Euro 2012 when Spain played Croatia in this thread btw, Modric dominated the midfield that day.
If you saw these players in person, you'd understand a bit more what you're talking about. Iniesta was magical to watch, so was Xavi, but the panache in Modric's game is second to none. You can only see it in person.
I've seen Modric in person. He was amazing.
It was a preseason game, but still. Couldn't help but watch him every time Madrid got the ball.
I knew a Spurs fan would argue my point but fact is he's a much better player now than when he was at Spurs
He is but he was also superb for Spurs.
Maybe it will change if he moves to Spurs. He'll be instantly equal/close to Modric
Maybe it will change if he moves to Spurs. He'll be instantly equal/close to Modric
Nah.....
Never said he wasn't, I just said he's a lot better now
You and I can disagree about his level in comparison to Xavi or Iniesta, but considering you watched him play, you can understand why I find him so mesmerizing. Watching him in person is just something else..
From my point of view Modric has been consistently brilliant since the first part of the 2013/14 season. I still remember when received a standing ovation at the Bernabeu vs Athletic. It was not only that his performance that day was very special, but that he could replicate it week in week out as well.
Unfortunately his personal highlights from that day seem to have disappeared.
"Modric conquers the Bernabeu", El Pais said. It's very difficult to provoke that kind of reaction there, believe me. You must be a really special player to get something like that.
When Modric got injured in 2015 in CL, Atletico players said "Modric is half the team, so they are going to notice (his absence) for sure."
What I want to sum up here is that Real Madrid's success since 2013 has hugely depended on Modric's sheer brilliance and consistency until now.
Unfortunately his personal highlights from that day seem to have disappeared.
"Modric conquers the Bernabeu", El Pais said. It's very difficult to provoke that kind of reaction there, believe me. You must be a really special player to get something like that.
When Modric got injured in 2015 in CL, Atletico players said "Modric is half the team, so they are going to notice (his absence) for sure."
What I want to sum up here is that Real Madrid's success since 2013 has hugely depended on Modric's sheer brilliance and consistency until now.
Mine was a guess, not my opinion
Passing....depends what type of passing we're talking about. Scholes i'd say had more range and variety in his locker, Modric is more unpredictable though. Modric sometimes is Zidanesque/Messiesque. Don't remember that from Scholes
Then that's an issue with your memory. Scholes had absolutely everything in his locker. From the 60 yards on a penny to the eye of the needle, he could do everything with crazy consistency. In his prime, he was nearly untouchable on the field as opponents would not get the ball off of him.
Passing wise and technique wise, Scholes was better than Modric. But as a complete midfielder, I have to admit, Modric is the better player. It's hard to admit for me, since Scholes was my icon growing up as well.
That’s the thing with Modric, the guy can do it all, and there’s absolutely no answer for him when he’s on his game.
The bolded has to be a joke, "always finding solutions and not losing the ball" is the name of Modric's game, if football was about doing that for 90 mins he'd be the best ever, Xavi or anyone else could maybe at best equal him, let alone one up him in that regard.
No, Xavi was on a level of his own in this regard. Look at their average passing accuracies. Modric rarely surpassed 90% throughout season while Xavi regularly exeeded 94%. The only one with similar statistics is Busquets and he plays much deeper and isn't pressed as much as him. And that's because Modric takes more risks. He isn't the one to control the game for Madrid, that role belongs to Kroos. But he is the player for the transitional moments just like Iniesta was for Barca. He dribbles much more than Xavi and also gets dispossed more often (approximately twice as much).
I love Modric but in this aspect he has nothing on the Spaniard and that's no problem since it his not his task. As I said, Iniesta is a better fitting comparison since he's a player with the same profile and responsibilities on the playing field. It is actually amazing how similar Xavi's and Kroos' on the one and Iniesta's and Modric's statistics on the other hand look. They are almost completely interchangeable in terms of passing accuracy, dribbles and dispossessions. The only difference is that the Barca players played more passes than their counterparts which is probably due to the Catalan system.
Passing accuracy has nothing to do with anything, it was just down to the style they used to play, the lack of risk taking, and their position on the pitch (Modric covers a wider range than Xavi, and plays a bit further), but we're comparing their ability here, and when Modric is trying to not lose to ball and find solutions, esp. in tight situations, no one else comes close to him, you can put three opp. players on him and he can keep the ball for as long as he wants with superb control, little feints, change of speed etc., and easily finds his teammates, Xavi has nothing on him in this regard, neither does Iniesta, as great as he is on the ball.
Think you just described Xavi by the end there. If keeping the ball and moving it around is what you value about Modric, Xavi was on a freaky level circa 08-10
That's what Modric does for a living though, Xavi played in a system that was more predictable, and dealt with situations and patterns that were more by the book, since Barca players were trained to perfection on how to move off the ball to offer Xavi (and others) more outlets and offer more available options for them, and Xavi released the ball sooner than Modric because of that big advantage, meanwhile Modric has to do much more by himself because of the more unpredictable system with fewer patterns, and fewer off the ball movements, so he's forced to keep the ball under pressure for much longer (something that neither Kroos nor Iniesta or even Xavi could manage for as long as he does, though out of the three Xavi did it better), and find the oulet himself, and in general think outside the box more than Xavi.
How about not just Barca but at Spain also? You are talking entirely hypothetical even though your argument makes a lot of sense. There's nothing to indicate that Xavi couldn't have performed just as great for Real while Modric would put up more impressive number if he played for Barca. Reality backs it up that if we're just talking about keeping possession of the ball, Xavi is the number one player on the planet.
The bulk of Barca and Spain were the same though, esp. post-Aragones, so the movements, patterns etc. weren't that different. I don't see your point here.
And what I said re keeping the ball is not hypothetical, we've seen Modric doing it time and time again, he can do it for as long as it's needed (unless being fouled), while Xavi used to release the ball sooner, since he (like Kroos) didn't have the strong upper body of Modric to be able to shield the ball, or the fast changes of speed, though to his credit he had the turns and some faints, so he could do it pretty well, just not as good as Modic, who is definitely one of -if not the- the best ever in that regard. The other point was about finding solutions and not letting the pressure of being dispossed affect their vision, which I see them as equals.
Some gross underrating of Xavi on here. He's arguably the greatest central midfielder in the history of the game, and considered to be up there with the likes of Didi, Rijkaard and Matthäus. Modric has been great for Real and has been the best midfielder in the world post Xavi/Schweinsteiger period. However, he's still some way from the sort of level that Xavi displayed for both Spain and Barcelona imo. Far too often people tend to underrate the impact of Xavi and tend to view him as a static and a pure controlling midfielder when he was anything but that. Esp given his showings for 2008 Euro-winning Spain where he was the best player in the tournament and for the 08/09 treble winning Barca side which was a lot more direct and iirc he had 30 or something assists from that period. He was so much more than 'just' the controlling metronome in Barcelona's irrepressible tiki-taka machinery, which in itself is an amazing feat.
I'll just quote some of my older posts on him
Xavi in the 08-10 period was nothing short of amazing, with his incisiveness and ability to dominate the midfield. The man boasted nearly 50 assists during this period and was extremely incisive and capable of threading through balls like very few, all whilst boasting several decisive match winning moments (Euro 2008 POTT, assisting Torres's final winner and being the best player on the pitch, Messi's header and Pedro's opener in CL finals etc).
Here's a taste of Xavi at his imperious and incisive best.
4 assists against Real in the El Classico. His first touch is an absolute delight to watch and the way he always creates space with them is uncanny.
Let's not forget his masterclass against Germany in the 08 Euros where he slipped a lovely slide rule assist for Torres, created a carbon copy of that exact same ball for Torres in the second half, very nearly had another assist with an intuitive ball for Iniesta who hit the bar, before creating another gilt edged chance for Torres. For all of Xavi's unrivalled ability to dominate and control proceedings, he was immense when it came to creating chances (and on the big stages too, as his assists for Messi and Pedro in CL finals will testify, not forgetting his 2 assists in the 2012 Euro final - esp his assist for Alba which was a beaut).
I'll just quote some of my older posts on him
Xavi in the 08-10 period was nothing short of amazing, with his incisiveness and ability to dominate the midfield. The man boasted nearly 50 assists during this period and was extremely incisive and capable of threading through balls like very few, all whilst boasting several decisive match winning moments (Euro 2008 POTT, assisting Torres's final winner and being the best player on the pitch, Messi's header and Pedro's opener in CL finals etc).
Here's a taste of Xavi at his imperious and incisive best.
4 assists against Real in the El Classico. His first touch is an absolute delight to watch and the way he always creates space with them is uncanny.
Let's not forget his masterclass against Germany in the 08 Euros where he slipped a lovely slide rule assist for Torres, created a carbon copy of that exact same ball for Torres in the second half, very nearly had another assist with an intuitive ball for Iniesta who hit the bar, before creating another gilt edged chance for Torres. For all of Xavi's unrivalled ability to dominate and control proceedings, he was immense when it came to creating chances (and on the big stages too, as his assists for Messi and Pedro in CL finals will testify, not forgetting his 2 assists in the 2012 Euro final - esp his assist for Alba which was a beaut).
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All true, Modric is extremely good at these little feints, movements and turns, probably even better than Xavi (I still think Iniesta is at least on the same level). But as I said, Xavi was a more intelligent player so that he usually avoided situations in which he had to do this stuff (of course he occasionally dribbled but it was by choice and not because he found himself isolated from his team mates). He positioned himself extremely well and always had in mind where colleagues were so that he could forward the ball incredibly fast. Sometimes it looked like he had eyes on the back of his head. He never maneuvered himself in situations in which there was no "easy option" so that he had to dribble. If he dribbled, he did so with turns and because players tried to close down a passing option he had which made his take ons more or less riskless. In that, I think Kroos comes closest to him. He also avoid these situations because he isn't really brillant at beating players or quick turns. Yet he loses considerably fewer balls than Modric despite having more passes each game. The only difference is, Xavi is much more agile and has a lower center of gravity (which allows him to operate a little bit further up front and in tighter spaces) while Kroos is probably a better passer, especially concerning long range passes and high balls.
Your argument concerning Barca's style is also quite hollow if you ask me since it was Xavi's and Iniesta's brillance which allowed them playing that way and additionally, Kroos plays alongside Modric and shows that it is definitely possible in their set up (in their league winning season, he had a passing accuracy of 93% compared to Modric's 89% while getting dispossessed 0.5 times per game compared to Modric's 1.2). But as I said, it isn't Modric's duty to play that way since he has different tasks that suit his qualities. I simply find it remarkable that the "responsibility distribution" between Modric and Kroos is so similar to Xavi and Iniesta. Modric/Iniesta are the players for transitional moments who find solutions in tight spaces to create momentum while Xavi/Kroos are the ones controlling the game, distributing the ball and ensuring dominance and possession.
It was down to the players being trained in that specific way of playing, I can't imagine Xavi being able to replicate the same thing at Madrid or teams with different styles (other than Spain/Barca), since there wouldn't be as many off the ball movements and outlets in place for him to have that option, he'd obviously still be quite a great midfielder, but he has to adapt his play (and find fewer and fewer outlets), which was part of his problem during Rijkard's rein.
You speak about him being intelligent to not position himself in a tight spot (unlike Modric), as if Modric would do that willingly, it's just part of being a CM in Madrid, the outlets are not as many, and you'll find yourself surrounded by opp. players, now you have to either play it simple (like Casemiro), or release the ball so soon with one-touch passing to safer options (like Kroos, hence his better pass accuracy), or make those outlets yourself by giving more time to your teammates to position themselves (who are not as trained/second natured as in Xavi's case). That's by having the insane ability of not losing the ball, no matter what, breaking through opposing lines, while not losing the vision of your teammates, even if you're surrounded by 3 players, and one of your teammates is making a run far away... that's what Modric does, and what Xavi was rarely pressured into doing, as he usually had more time on the ball in the first place, as well as more outlets and pre-designed patterns.
You speak about him being intelligent to not position himself in a tight spot (unlike Modric), as if Modric would do that willingly, it's just part of being a CM in Madrid, the outlets are not as many, and you'll find yourself surrounded by opp. players, now you have to either play it simple (like Casemiro), or release the ball so soon with one-touch passing to safer options (like Kroos, hence his better pass accuracy), or make those outlets yourself by giving more time to your teammates to position themselves (who are not as trained/second natured as in Xavi's case). That's by having the insane ability of not losing the ball, no matter what, breaking through opposing lines, while not losing the vision of your teammates, even if you're surrounded by 3 players, and one of your teammates is making a run far away... that's what Modric does, and what Xavi was rarely pressured into doing, as he usually had more time on the ball in the first place, as well as more outlets and pre-designed patterns.
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Keeping possession of the ball is what I referred to, not just holding the ball at his feet so I can see the misunderstanding in our arguments there.
Xavi, Rivaldo and Riquelme were the three players i saw who seemingly never lost the ball
Meh, all these comparisons are getting boring. Let's talk Modric. Somebody post a video
Meh, all these comparisons are getting boring. Let's talk Modric. Somebody post a video
That pass he made to Rebic just before the half time, the chance he fluffed. Anyone got a gif ? That was amazing
I've said it before and I'll say it again; he's been a pillar in the best team in the world for a long time whilst avoiding the limelight and surviving multiple managers. All of which testify to his unrivaled quality.
Croatia have the best midfield in the competition, with Modric being the best midfielder.
Shame he is old by now because he is such a wonderful player.
He's a great creative midfielder, but a difficult personality
So who would you choose out of the three if you could: Xavi, Scholes or Modric?
I would still have Scholes even though Xavi and Modric had better careers in better/more dominant teams
I would still have Scholes even though Xavi and Modric had better careers in better/more dominant teams