The elegant unintelligent

[Needham]

Footballers who are sheer class on the ball and demonstrate a real spatial awareness intelligence, but don't present themselves as overfurnished up top.
There's a lot of talk in this respect about Cole Palmer. It may or may not be harsh. Who cares if he could appear on Mastermind? But are there others with wild natural footballing iq who perhaps would struggle in the opening a can of spam instructions department?

 

[Squeaky_Bum_Time]

Harry Kane and Adriano are the first two that came to mind for me.

 

[Oscar Bonavena]

Gascoigne

 

[Highfather_24]

Scholes

 

[HappyCamper]

Ronaldinho

 

[sherrinford]

Totti

 

[NewGlory]

Scholes

Based on what exactly?

 

[simonhch]

Gascoigne, Le Tissier, Maradona

 

[Gehrman]

Messi possibly has the highest football IQ ive seen, but he's never really expressed much intelligence off the pitch. He's not necessarily stupid, but he's never witty or says anything clever in interviews.

 

[Red Comet]

Matt Le Tissier

 

[Pep Guard Yolo]

Gabby on Talks**t radio. Seems to be as dense as the sun and a bit of an oxygen thief to boot.

 

[Freak]

Rooney?

 

[Freak]

Grealish

 

[Oranges038]

Rio.

 

[Ole'sattheWheel]

I always used to say this about Kane. He always seemed to be so good at penalties because he was too thick to understand the pressure is what makes them so hard.
I was saying this during the World Cup and then he obviously went and skied that one v France when the pressure got to him

 

[M Bison]

Becks

 

[Scandi Red]

Is it surprising? Most footballers are essentially man-children who have put all their time and resources into kicking a ball around. I don't think that there's a strong correlation between in-game intelligence and intelligence in general.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

Is it surprising? Most footballers are essentially man-children who have put all their time and resources into kicking a ball around. I don't think that there's a strong correlation between in-game intelligence and intelligence in general.

This, basically. It would be a hell of a lot harder to come up with a list of great footballers who aren’t a bit thick.

 

[Remember the geese]

Scholes

 

[Red Comet]

This, basically. It would be a hell of a lot harder to come up with a list of great footballers who aren’t a bit thick.

I think a lot of the managers who used to be good football players, such as the likes of Pep, Inzaghi, Conte, Arteta, Xabi, Simone would qualify as "not a bit thick".

Not forgetting Eric Cantona our ever eloquent phiIosopher. (why is philo-sopher censored?)

 

[Zehner]

Kai Havertz is has a very high football IQ, IMO, but according to Brandt, he would have poisoned himself without Brandt's intervervention when the two were on vacation because he mistook one of those blue cooling pads for ice cubes. Apparently, he cut it open with a scissor and pressed it into his drink but luckily became skeptical because of the color

 

[moses]

Boban, Pirlo and Cannavaro are smart chaps. Pet Nevin reads books as he's always telling us.

 

[Rodgerzzz]

Tevez has got to be one right, I'm fairly confident a 12 year old would be aware enough to not barbecue indoors.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

I think a lot of the managers who used to be good football players, such as the likes of Pep, Inzaghi, Conte, Arteta, Xabi, Simone would qualify as "not a bit thick".

Not forgetting Eric Cantona our ever eloquent phiIosopher. (why is philo-sopher censored?)

Sure but they’re the exception that proves the rule. I’m certainly not arguing that all footballers are thick. Just that it’s not exactly unusual for footballers to be smart at playing football but otherwise not the brightest.

 

[Zehner]

This, basically. It would be a hell of a lot harder to come up with a list of great footballers who aren’t a bit thick.

I'm not sure that this isn't a stereotype. I think a lot of us would come across as pretty stupid if the public listened as critically to every word we say or stupid thing we do.

 

[George Owen]

Luke Shaw

 

[Mrs Smith]

Scholes

 

[Šjor Bepo]

Gabby on Talks**t radio. Seems to be as dense as the sun and a bit of an oxygen thief to boot.

he was the same on the pitch tbf

 

[golden_blunder]

Based on what exactly?

The BS he talks, the fact that he sucks his daughters toes?

 

[golden_blunder]

Matt Le Tissier

Good call

 

[NewGlory]

The BS he talks, the fact that he sucks his daughters toes?

I wish I didn't google that and/or never saw that video!

 

[Bright_Eyes]

Suarez is the prime example. Footballing genius but prone to biting people.

 

[CallyRed]

 

[golden_blunder]

I wish I didn't google that and/or never saw that video!

It’s just plain weird

 

[Fobal]

It sometimes can be confusing being plain dumb, with not entirely educated or just being a tad crazy, wild/dizzy with fame...maybe some felals are a mix of all/or some part of that.

Balotelli was capable of the dumbest shyte, but he maybe was way more crazy than dumb.Yet he was also far from bright on the pitch.
On a lesser level, nor Palmer or Adriano are/were precisly that bright in their decision making while playing, yet all of them are really skillfull fellas.

Aguero looks really really limited in his communication.

Maradona's witt was almost on parallel with his talent, he was quite brilliant for a fella with such a harsh life, yet too many demons and addictions made him quite crazy too many times.

Messi is extremely political correct, not dumb, he chooses very calmly what to say or not to the press. The times were he is caught more relax, he is quite a troll and with a quote of malice like in the pitch.

Dembele strikes me as a quite thick fella, dunno if it's because he is an introvert, or what, but he is very skillfull with the ocasional brilliant play, yet most of times he just does some dumb shyte in the pitch or off the pitch.

 

[JPRouve]

Emmanuel Petit. The lad is an absolute dumbass.