Zlatan Ibrahimovic | Rises a day early

Pogue Mahone said:
:lol: Seriously?!

You're right that anyone who has played football at any level will encounter their share of mouthy dickheads. But I don't know anyone who would consider them "a fantastic part of the game". That's just weird.
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Gamesmanship is part of the game and has given us any a story. The crazy gang, Wise helping opposing player off the ground but pulling his armpit hair out of view of the ref etc etc...it's not ok, but it's OK if you don't get caught man!

Outright violence is disgusting, Keane on Haaland etc etc, but most of the shenanigans is far from malicious and is just psychological gamesmanship.
 
Pogue Mahone said:
:lol: Seriously?!

You're right that anyone who has played football at any level will encounter their share of mouthy dickheads. But I don't know anyone who would consider them "a fantastic part of the game". That's just weird.
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Muhammad Ali was a mouthy dickhead, but boy did he ever get inside people's heads. I still recall when he kept showing up at Sonny Liston's house in the middle of the night, harassing him, telling him he's a bum and how Liston doesn't want any piece of him. He did this for months on end :lol: In the end, it worked, when they fought Ali was so in his head that he already won the fight before it started.

What you have to factor is that top athletes know that there's a mental side to the game as well as a technical and physical side; if by any reasonable means necessary you can destroy your opponent mentally, that's half the battle won. It's not an ethically wonderful aspect to the sport, but it's a reality in almost every contact-based sport in existence at the very top level.
 
I don’t think it’s that bad. I don’t think Onuha is a pussy either. He got asked a question and answered it.
 
Hoof The Ball said:
Muhammad Ali was a mouthy dickhead, but boy did he ever get inside people's heads. I still recall when he kept showing up at Sonny Liston's house in the middle of the night, harassing him, telling him he's a bum and how Liston doesn't want any piece of him. He did this for months on end :lol: In the end, it worked, when they fought Ali was so in his head that he already won the fight before it started.

What you have to factor is that top athletes know that there's a mental side to the game as well as a technical and physical side; if by any reasonable means necessary you can destroy your opponent mentally, that's half the battle won. It's not an ethically wonderful aspect to the sport, but it's a reality in almost every contact-based sport in existence at the very top level.
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It honestly doesn't bother me much. I find it a bit childish and silly when people try it on in amateur sports but, sure, mind games are part and parcel of professional sport. What I find weird is the idea that it's a "fantastic part" of sport.

At a push, you could argue that Mohammed Ali's poetic insults are quite cool and I'm a huge fan of the famous cricket sledge ("why are you so fat?" "every time I feck your wife she gives me a biscuit") but the stuff that Zlatan is being credited with here is just banal bully boy nonsense.

Celebrating in someone's face is a real cnut's trick too. So I can see why Onuahu had no interest in kissing and making up after the game.
 
A month ago, played in a game. CB. Tangled with the opposition striker. He elbows me in the rib, completely exposed. Ref doesn't see it. I walk up to him, say: 'Next time you do that, I'll break you in two'. He sucker punches me, gets a red. There you go. You do what you need to do to gain an advantage.
 
I've played football and mental gymnastics is absolutely part of the game. But it's things like I'm knackered aren't you? Hopefully they say yes and then you tell them you aren't.

I'm going to do you isn't imo mental gamesmanship. It's being a dickhead.
 
The literal definition of a none story.

Breaking News "Harsh words spoken in competitive sport"
 
SilentWitness said:
:lol: You're hard. What an atrocious post.
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Carolina Red said:
Send me your address. I’ll ship you a MAGA hat to complete your big man persona.
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Hard and a big man because I don't think he should have let words bother him so much?

Its simply trash talk (which happens in most sports at all levels) in an attempt to get into the defenders head so he isn't focused on his job. I would expect an experienced and professional athlete to have the mentality to be able to ignore such 'hot air' or give back as good as he gets.

I'll wear my hat with pride though, and if anyone says anything to me I’ll be ready to confront ;)
 
A bit of needle is entertaining. It can go too far, like actual physical violence, but I think some are being a bit sensitive here. How often do you see genuinely malicious acts on a footy pitch? More in Sunday league, I bet.

Honestly, Id be more offended if my teammates didn't take the chance to give it back to any dickhead opposition player who was having a go at me.
 
IrishRedDevil said:
The same snowflakes crying about this probably think the modern game misses characters like Keane and Viera.

"He kept saying: 'You know what? I am going to hurt you. I am going to do you. You just watch, there is enough time, I am going to do you.''...and it sounds like Zlatan got inside his head.

Imagine going home to be the man of the house, make love to your wife etc after letting words on a football pitch trigger you. Feeble.
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Man, you really got issues :lol:
 
He should've headbutted Zlatan in the chest, because that's what a real man does when someone says something mean to you on the pitch.
 
Pogue Mahone said:
:lol: Seriously?!

You're right that anyone who has played football at any level will encounter their share of mouthy dickheads. But I don't know anyone who would consider them "a fantastic part of the game". That's just weird.
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When I played I loved it, best part of being a CB was having one of the aggressive, in your face strikers walk off the pitch in silence at the final whistle because you'd kept him quiet. People are competitive in different ways, one of the biggest parts of football I miss is the verbals. As I said, as long as it's all above board I think it's great.
 
IrishRedDevil said:
Issues because I’m not mentally soft enough to let trash talk bother me?

I’d love to get a few on here onto a Gaelic pitch for a good competitive game full of big bad scary words.
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It's mentally soft to answer a question to reporters about how much of a cnut Zlatan was being?
 
Harry190 said:
A month ago, played in a game. CB. Tangled with the opposition striker. He elbows me in the rib, completely exposed. Ref doesn't see it. I walk up to him, say: 'Next time you do that, I'll break you in two'. He sucker punches me, gets a red. There you go. You do what you need to do to gain an advantage.
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Personally I'd like my actions speak louder than words and just play better than him than egging someone on and getting punched in the face ;)
 
KirkDuyt said:
That's just fecking banter though? Even I sometimes say weird shite to opponents in my saturday afternoon pub team match. Bit of trash talking never hurt anyone.

Zlatan is a bit of a cnut, thats part of why he's successful.
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Majorly so. There's a quote later in the article about him using anger to fuel his motivation. Sounds to me like he's a bit unhinged but what can you say, it's clearly worked for him throughout his very successful career.

Here he is booting another crackpot.

 
horsechoker said:
Zlatan didn't come from his mother's womb, his mother's womb came from Zlatan.

Actually that makes it sound like he's his mother's father and therefore his grandfather :nervous:
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"Shut up, Ted!"
 
tomaldinho1 said:
When I played I loved it, best part of being a CB was having one of the aggressive, in your face strikers walk off the pitch in silence at the final whistle because you'd kept him quiet. People are competitive in different ways, one of the biggest parts of football I miss is the verbals. As I said, as long as it's all above board I think it's great.
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Even in five-a-side the most aggressive guys are usually strikers.
 
IrishRedDevil said:
Issues because I’m not mentally soft enough to let trash talk bother me?

I’d love to get a few on here onto a Gaelic pitch for a good competitive game full of big bad scary words.
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No. Issues because you are trying so hard to be perceived as the tough and manly man that you are probably the exact opposite.
 
Zehner said:
No. Issues because you are trying so hard to be perceived as the tough and manly man that you are probably the exact opposite.
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Keep up the assumptions. I couldn't care how I'm perceived on an internet forum by random strangers.
If my opinion/words come across as 'tough and manly', that's your problem, not mine.
 
Zehner said:
No. Issues because you are trying so hard to be perceived as the tough and manly man that you are probably the exact opposite.
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Genuinely don’t think he is. He sees it differently. Not sure why there’s such a divide about it.

Trash talk like that is common place. I’m not totally sure Zlatan is wrong for it. Did Onuhua overreact? Nope not really.

Don’t think someone questioning if a player is upset (not saying he was upset) over trash talk, generally means that you’re trying to be the hard man.
 
IrishRedDevil said:
Keep up the assumptions. I couldn't care how I'm perceived on an internet forum by random strangers.
If my opinion/words come across as 'tough and manly', that's your problem, not mine.
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You are discussing with those very strangers so it does seem to bother you. Imagine going home to be the man of the house, make love to your wife etc after letting words on a football board trigger you.
 
Lay said:
Genuinely don’t think he is. He sees it differently. Not sure why there’s such a divide about it.

Trash talk like that is common place. I’m not totally sure Zlatan is wrong for it. Did Onuhua overreact? Nope not really.

Don’t think someone questioning if a player is upset (not saying he was upset) over trash talk, generally means that you’re trying to be the hard man.
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Don't really care about the topic, just thought the way he expressed whatever point he was making was cringeworthy. And yes, this 'coming home, being the man of the house and banging your wife' talk is cringeworthy and implies a tough man complex IMO.

Regarding Ibrahimovic, I think he's an entertaining guy to follow in the media and I love a good Zlatan story just like everyone but I'd hate playing football or even hanging out with such a self centered egomaniac. What Onuhua describes just supports this image.
 
I’ve noticed when I play that players get so mad when I run up to them to get the ball but don’t make any effort to slow down so I end up running into them. I enjoy their saltiness along with their teammates on the bench complaining for a foul.
 
Florida Man said:
I’ve noticed when I play that players get so mad when I run up to them to get the ball but don’t make any effort to slow down so I end up running into them. I enjoy their saltiness along with their teammates on the bench complaining for a foul.
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Yeah maybe because you’re committing fouls :lol:
 
haram said:
Yeah maybe because you’re committing fouls :lol:
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The refs around here don’t seem to think so :)

If it’s called a foul, then it’s a foul. That’s no issue with me. But the way it affects others psychologically is just fantastic.
 
Florida Man said:
I’ve noticed when I play that players get so mad when I run up to them to get the ball but don’t make any effort to slow down so I end up running into them. I enjoy their saltiness along with their teammates on the bench complaining for a foul.
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I hope you get nutmegged a lot
 
Zehner said:
You are discussing with those very strangers so it does seem to bother you. Imagine going home to be the man of the house, make love to your wife etc after letting words on a football board trigger you.
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Replying and simply reiterating my point to the 5 different people who quoted me, you mean.
 
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