That's fair - especially with less known players, when you need to introduce a new name to the voters. Just as far as their pick is based firstly on a great performance in the finals and their qualification performances only highlight the qualities that they had already shown in the finals and not showing us a different (maybe better) player.
Yep, but he was poor at the final tournament. We had this discussion earlier, remember? Cruyff (bad pick) = Good quals + bad tournament. Amancio (good pick) = Good quals + good tournament. You argued against Amancio then you try and pick him yourself later . The only thing that matters is how they did at the main tournament. Had Cruyff performed just a little bit at the EURO's he would have been picked earlier. In this draft he doesn't deserve to be a first round pick, not sure what round he deserves but it would have to be late, if at all.
Yep - he was fantastic in 2012. Really pleased he's been picked because I was worried he wasn't going to be for a minute there, which would have been mental.
There's another Italian who should have been picked by now, based on his performance at the Euros.
Søren Lerby was at the height of his powers in 1986, representing a terrifying cocktail of an impressive psyche, footballing ability and a will to win boardering on the brink of insanity. With this man you could count on every last inch of blood being sacrifized for the sake of the victory. Nothing was more important. And if the team mates wouldn't follow him to the end and obey his every order as the leader he was born to be, they might as well just feck off for all he cared. A strutting ego of pride and determination encapsuled this midfield viking who never backed down for anyone. Playing without shin pads as it was still possible in the 80's, he would come charging into anyone who would stand in his way to the final victory.
It says it all really that when Bayern Munich in 1983 were looking for a replacement for their captain and leader trotting off to Real Madrid, the fearsome Paul Breitner, the choice to be the new engine and Kampfschwein in the German club's central midfield fell on Lerby. Truly a sign upon which to mark how fearsome qualities the Danish midfielder possessed to be chosen as Bayern Munich's leading man, even more so at a time when foreigners in domestic leagues still were a rarity and especially the Germans still held their homegrown players in higher regard when it came to selecting players for a team's most vital leading positions. But for three years, Lerby dominated the Bundesliga from his role as midfield instigator with the South German giants. Never ever giving up an inch of the field. It was his to command, and only his.
Years before, Lerby was at a for the time relatively young age brought to Holland by Ajax Amsterdam's famous youth academy which he attended with fellow childhood friend and team mate Frank Arnesen. Both also started featuring early for the Danish national team in the late 70's and soon became mainstays in Sepp Piontek's plans for making Denmark into a power to be reckoned with in international football. The move to Bayern Munich followed in 1983 and Lerby saw out the remainder of his career with AS Monaco and PSV Eindhoven, winning nine German and Dutch league titles in the process before ending it all of with winning the 1988 European Cup with a PSV Eindhoven side featuring several other Danes.
Lerby played in all of Denmark's games in 1986, scoring a goal against Uruguay with a characteristically determined run into the box to hit home from Elkjær's cross. He had already featured at EURO '84 two years prior as so many other of his fellow squad members and would also go on to represent Denmark in West Germany two years later, amassing a total of 69 caps with 10 goals scored. After retiring he later on become coach of Bayern Munich in 1991/1992 as an emergency replacement for the fired Jupp Heynckes, though Lerby later on was fired himself.
A left-footed midfielder, Lerby was a player who was always committed and a leader of the team. His commitment is attested to by the fact he chose to play two competitive matches in two different countries on a single day on 13 November 1985. First in the afternoon a World Cup qualifier with Denmark in Republic of Ireland, later in the evening a DFB-Pokal match with Bayern Munich against VfL Bochum.[1]
Lerby always played with his "socks down" – short socks or long socks rolled down but always without shin pads. This was quite uncommon of the day and would be against the rules today.
Nothing stops him from doing more Gullit is perfectly capable of bullying defenders and scoring, so Puskas is free to drop back and swap places. With Puskas and Gullit, the formation is versatile to operate as 4-3-3.
You don't need to sell us about Lerby. Considering how much Anto has sold him, if Lerby ever reads this forum, he would have wished he had Anto as his agent when he was playing!
You don't need to sell us about Lerby. Considering how much Anto has sold him, if Lerby ever reads this forum, he would have wished he had Anto as his agent when he was playing!
Scored in the semi finals of Euro 84 (opening goal and a pen in the shoot-out) and was integral in terms of knitting that side together throughout if not as spectacular in terms of goal-scoring as his team mates.
. I remember having him in my first ever draft and was so close to getting him in the sheep draft but he retired in 89 (in the last round where the criterion required a player to play in a top 5 league from 1990 onwards I think).
Will have to disagree there. He was excellent for Denmark in Euro 84 esp against France where they delivered a defensive masterclass. In fact Lerby was the best long range passer on the pitch on that day (even with the likes of Laudrup, Platini, Giresse etc on the pitch) and was letting nothing go through the Danish midfield. In fact his long passing is so underrated it's absurd, people just mistake him for a combative midfielder when he is so much more than that. He was at the heart of just about every chance Denmark created that game with his long passes, free kicks and deliveries from out wide (with Elkjaer being at the end of them most of them) despite being generally conservative on the ball. He also scored he opening goal in the semis like Raees said and had a very good tournament overall. I would have gone for him had it not been for the pre 68 restrictions and Pluskal was just someone who I could not afford to pass up on.
Scored in the semi finals of Euro 84 (opening goal and a pen in the shoot-out) and was integral in terms of knitting that side together throughout if not as spectacular in terms of goal-scoring as his team mates.
. I remember having him in my first ever draft and was so close to getting him in the sheep draft but he retired in 89 (in the last round where the criterion required a player to play in a top 5 league from 1990 onwards I think).
Will have to disagree there. He was excellent for Denmark in Euro 84 esp against France where they delivered a defensive masterclass. In fact Lerby was the best long range passer on the pitch on that day (even with the likes of Laudrup, Platini, Giresse etc on the pitch) and was letting nothing go through the Danish midfield. In fact his long passing is so underrated it's absurd, people just mistake him for a combative midfielder when he is so much more than that. He was at the heart of just about every chance Denmark created that game with his long passes, free kicks and deliveries from out wide (with Elkjaer being at the end of them most of them) despite being generally conservative on the ball. He also scored he opening goal in the semis like Raees said and had a very good tournament overall. I would have gone for him had it not been for the pre 68 restrictions and Pluskal was just someone who I could not afford to pass up on.
Thanks for setting me straight it seemed odd that he didn't do too well. Clearly it was my mistake, rather than him not performing didn't watch his game closely enough. Must have been looking elsewhere
Will have to disagree there. He was excellent for Denmark in Euro 84 esp against France where they delivered a defensive masterclass. In fact Lerby was the best long range passer on the pitch on that day (even with the likes of Laudrup, Platini, Giresse etc on the pitch) and was letting nothing go through the Danish midfield.
now we will have to disagree. Watched that game yesterday or the day before(the day i picked Giresse) and Giresse at the day was the best passer of the ball on the pitch. Left foot, right foot, inside/outside of the foot, it was joy to watch.
I know this looks like a classic "everybody praises his horse" but just wanted to say that as the memory from the game is really fresh
now we will have to disagree. Watched that game yesterday or the day before(the day i picked Giresse) and Giresse at the day was the best passer of the ball on the pitch. Left foot, right foot, inside/outside of the foot, it was joy to watch.
I know this looks like a classic "everybody praises his horse" but just wanted to say that as the memory from the game is really fresh
Ofc you were going to disagree . I'm a fan of Lerby so I could be biased here but the French midfield did feckall in the game imo, esp Platini who probably had his worst game of the tournament, apart from a jammy goal and a threatening header or two. Tigana and Bossis were the ones who stood out for me, from the French team. Giresse had his moments but didn't influence the game enough for my liking but was better than Platini on that day. I think you might have overlooked Lerby's great passes since he was generally playing a conservative game, taking the back seat to someone else but boy were his long range passes spot on . Tbf, there was also another standout performer from the Danish midfield that day who was the MOTM imo.
Ofc you were going to disagree . I'm a fan of Lerby so I could be biased here but the French midfield did feckall in the game imo, esp Platini who probably had his worst game of the tournament, apart from a jammy goal and a threatening header or two. Tigana and Bossis were the ones who stood out for me, from the French team. Giresse had his moments but didn't influence the game enough for my liking but was better than Platini on that day. I think you might have overlooked Lerby's great passes since he was generally playing a conservative game, taking the back seat to someone else but boy were his long range passes spot on . Tbf, there was also another standout performer from the Danish midfield that day who was the MOTM imo.
I didnt commented Giresse game(which was good but nothing special) i only said his passing was fantastic on the day......
Tigana played a great game and have to say it was a positive surprise to see Platini as he has a reputation of an lazy classic number 10 but his workrate in that game was pretty good.