Arquitecto wrote:

Thimmy wrote:I'm actually a bit surprised that you haven't been more on the Mbappe hype train, Arq. I recall you were among the people who weren't very happy when I criticized his reliance on pace and large spaces several years back.

He seems to have developed his overall game quite a lot since then, and I like to think that he'll come good for us, but he's definitely no CR7 when it comes to adapting quickly. Injuries to Camavinga and Bellingham probably haven't helped his adaptation process either.

He's the best player in the world (Mbappe) as I cant recall being unhappy with it thats Sports I bet.

But I long deemed you the authority on Norwegian talents and Haaland as you know more of his best role and movements than I but you must admit, despite being streamlined his goal blaze is exciting you.

Thimmy wrote:

Arquitecto wrote:

Thimmy wrote:I'm actually a bit surprised that you haven't been more on the Mbappe hype train, Arq. I recall you were among the people who weren't very happy when I criticized his reliance on pace and large spaces several years back.

He seems to have developed his overall game quite a lot since then, and I like to think that he'll come good for us, but he's definitely no CR7 when it comes to adapting quickly. Injuries to Camavinga and Bellingham probably haven't helped his adaptation process either.

He's the best player in the world (Mbappe) as I cant recall being unhappy with it thats Sports I bet.

But I long deemed you the authority on Norwegian talents and Haaland as you know more of his best role and movements than I but you must admit, despite being streamlined his goal blaze is exciting you.

It was a while ago, but it seemed like almost every single member of this forum was quite upset with what I considered to be quite mild criticism towards Mbappe. I could’ve sworn that you were among the people who barraged me with disagreeing responses since I remembered your specific name when I recalled that conversation, but I might be wrong about that.

Either way, I haven’t watched Mbappe much since then, but Sports seemed to suggest that he’s added more tools to his game and has become less reliant on pace, and I don’t doubt that it’s true. That’s what I wanted to see from him when I initially pointed out what I saw as limitations in his game, and what I recognized as the primary reason for why he struggled to have an impact against teams with pacy fullbacks. The intention wasn’t to berate him, like it would seem that people suspected based on some of the responses. All players have areas that they can improve on, we might as well discuss them. I do enjoy watching Mbappe at his best, and I’m getting too old for the spitefulness and banter of player rivalries, like I used to indulge in between Messi and CR7.


As for Haaland, I did start following City regularly because of him and I do think it’s exciting to watch his ruthless finishing ability. I am a fan of his, and I don't think it would've made any difference if he wasn't Norwegian. I have mixed feelings about him as a City player, in general. I started following him at RB Salzburg out of impulse, and he was so refreshingly fun to watch that it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that watching him play rejuvenated my interest in the sport as a whole, at a time when I was gradually losing interest in it.

Ever since he transferred to Man City, the things that once made him uniquely entertaining to watch, like how he used to brute force his way through players with pace and power, or occasionally display some of the clumsiest, yet surprisingly effective dribbling I have seen, has been reduced to largely just hovering around the box and barely being involved in play. He looks like a relatively generic player these days, but the elite finishing ability that he's had for as long as I've been watching him has largely been kept intact, and his goalscoring statistics are completely wild for someone so young.

As much as I dislike seeing what he’s turned into from an entertainment point of view, he’s still fascinatingly effective at finding the back of the net, and while some may believe that Mbappe is the best player in the world right now, I think the two of them offer very different things and aren’t quite comparable unless someone insists on comparing two very different sets of talents. I will say, though, If we didn’t have Vinicius already, the addition of Mbappe would’ve been a much more significant signing. I think Haaland would’ve been a massive signing regardless of our existing team, because even when he’s reduced to being a fox in the box in Pep’s system, no one rivals his shot to goal ratio. Not even Messi or Ronaldo. I think Real Madrid would be the only realistic upgrade on Man City for Haaland, and I believe it would've been a really mutually beneficial deal, as we need a CF and he would finally be freed from the shackles of Pep's rigid, positional system - but I imagine he'll stay at Man City for quite a few more years at this point. Assuming Barca don't have a million levers ready to pull for him, which would be a nightmare scenario for me as a Real Madrid fan.

I couldn’t care less who’s the best player in the world right now. In my mind, R9 is still the overall most talented player, Messi is the most accomplished and artistically skillful, Ronaldinho is the most entertaining, and Redondo is the niche pick that I truly have an irrational bias towards.

S wrote:Casemiro will be in Brazil or Saudi in 6 months

Finished beyond belief

Firenze wrote:

S wrote:Casemiro will be in Brazil or Saudi in 6 months

Finished beyond belief

he's on like 350K and doesnt want to go there

this is looking like a 5-0 loss incoming

I'm tired

STOP STARTING RASHFORD, LAD OFFERS NOTHING

Thimmy wrote:

Firenze wrote:

S wrote:Casemiro will be in Brazil or Saudi in 6 months

Finished beyond belief

he's on like 350K and doesnt want to go there

this is looking like a 5-0 loss incoming

I'm tired

STOP STARTING RASHFORD, LAD OFFERS NOTHING

Ten Haag should’ve been gone before the season started. I’m so tired of watching Rashford start and doing nothing

Firenze wrote:I hope we just sack ETH after the game lol, who is available?