| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Tillamawnin |
Posted - May 29 2002 : 11:32:50 PM
Interview by Bill Edgar
ANDY TOWNSEND, former Ireland captain and ITV1 Pundit, chooses the men who will run the show
ZINEDINE ZIDANE
France
Zidane is the ultimate midfield player. Technically there is no one better than him on the planet. He is good with both feet, comfortable on the ball and can keep possession and score goals. He’s not getting any quicker — he’ll turn 30 during the tournament — but his speed is between his ears: there is nobody quicker than him in that respect.
JUAN SEBASTIAN VERON
Argentina
Even with the likes of Crespo, Batistuta, Aimar and Ortega around, Veron is the focal point of the Argentina team. He’ll play a different role for them — he doesn’t have the defensive duties to those he has at Manchester United. Some of the criticism of him this season has been way overboard. He can score goals and his passes can be very special.
PATRICK VIEIRA
France
He has not had as barnstorming a season as in previous years — perhaps the talk of a move to Real Madrid has had an effect. But when it matters in the big games you can normally expect him to be influential. He is a perfect foil for Zidane, sitting in front of the defence. Those long legs can make up the ground very quickly and having played against him I know he is as strong as anyone.
Paul SCHOLES
England
Because he is quiet off the pitch he is often overshadowed by David Beckham or Steven Gerrard, but he is a geniune world-class player. Players who have played with or against him say it is hard to overstate how good he is. He can do everything. He can pass, he can get his foot in and he can score great goals or tap-ins.
RUI COSTA
Portugal
He’s had a tough time this year at Milan, where he’s been injured an awful lot, but I’m hoping he will be fit and produce the form he’s capable of. He dovetails with Luis Figo so well and he makes the midfield tick, as he showed at Euro 2000 against England. He keeps the ball well and is exceptional at sliding it through for the forwards. He’s clever in that he’s not often tackled.
ROY KEANE
Ireland
Roy was a team-mate of mine at the 1994 World Cup finals, but this is not a sentimental choice. He’s grown so much over the past four or five years. His all-round game is so strong. It’s a collector’s item if he gives the ball away. He can bully players but he can inspire them. He is the pivotal player in the Ireland squad — if he stays fit he can drag the team through the first phase.
RIVALDO
Brazil
While he is not an orthodox midfielder, he links the midfield and forwards perfectly. His form has been patchy for Barcelona, but when he is good he is spectacular. For opponents he is in the Zidane category of “how are we going to stop him”. He’s a delight to watch and has arguably the best left foot in the world.
JUAN VALERON
Spain
Deportivo La Coruña have progressed in recent years and Valeron’s contribution has been crucial. He plays in a Bergkamp style, either collecting the ball from the back four or playing just behind the front line. He’s not a hustle and bustle player, but he’s very perceptive and threads passes through defences very well.
FRANCESCO TOTTI
Italy
He’s highly talented, but doesn’t often take a game by the scruff of the neck. He tends to stroll around but can produce moments of real class, so I’m hoping he can show that for 90 minutes. The Italians have built him up to be the new Roberto Baggio and, while he's not the quickest, he’s very clever and rarely gets caught in possession.
FREDDIE LJUNGBERG
Sweden
He’s had an exceptional season for Arsenal and to score so many goals from midfield means he will be taken very seriously by opponents at the World Cup. However, although he’s the best goalscorer among my ten midfielders, Sweden are not as strong a side as Arsenal and they won’t give him so many scoring chances. His team-play and his willingness to go the extra yard have stood out this season.
Copyright 2002 Times Newspapers Ltd.
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Live simply so that others may simply live.
Mohandas K. Gandhi |
| 5 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Tillamawnin |
Posted - May 30 2002 : 6:25:55 PM
Well, my comments are as always. We demonstrate good individual skills and poise when we have the ball, but coordinating our plays as a team is lacking. The game was a much better one for the Boyz than the USA/ Jamaica game though.
Our defense stood up much better than the previous game and Claude Davis was a tower of strength on that back line. As much as I am one to be calling for Linval Dixon’s early retirement, even he had a better game, although not great. I think that the sooner we rid the backline of Dixon the better, because although he is in the twilight of his playing career, the Nigeria game was about a four o’clock performance.
I still liked what I saw of Scarlett and Jamie Lawrence stood tall as a defensive midfielder. Fuller needs to learn that when he has the ball he needs to look to see if he has a man in a better position than himself and if it is an easier play, and then get the ball to the man. After that he needs to run into position to support his man on the ball. Wanting to take on men and beat them on the dribble every time becomes very predictable and gives the opponents an upper hand in closing him down. He made a good cross though which Jobi McAnuff got “water knee” over as he missed kicking at the open goal.
We need to revise our game philosophy and realize that as a team we should defend and attack in numbers. Too many times you see plays failing because our players are not there to support in attack. The same can be said for defending.
Overall though, we can say we have a good bunch of players capable of forming a formidable team, given the right conditions and playing time together. Carl Brown impresses me more than Clovis so far. As to whether he has what it takes to mold our players into a competitive playing unit is left to be seen. Time will tell.
Respect,
Tilla
__________________________________________________
Live simply so that others may simply live.
Mohandas K. Gandhi |
| Mexxx |
Posted - May 30 2002 : 12:20:38 PM
What are your views on the game now that you've seen it.
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Mexxx
What the MIND of MAN can conceive and BELIEVE he will ACHIEVE |
| Tillamawnin |
Posted - May 30 2002 : 12:01:37 PM
quote:
Tilla true true, I think the real surprise will be Valeron from Spain he is in my fantasy starting team.
Hey why dont you join up and test your wits.
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Mexxx
What the MIND of MAN can conceive and BELIEVE he will ACHIEVE
Mexxx: I usually do not have the time during the days to participate with much online.
I am sending the tape to Sensi, but it ran into a little problem. After watching, I was rewinding it when the VCR stopped. There seems to be a jam in the tape mechanism. I opened it up and will repair it themn send it on as soon as it is fixed.
Respect,
Tilla
__________________________________________________
Live simply so that others may simply live.
Mohandas K. Gandhi |
| Mexxx |
Posted - May 30 2002 : 11:45:56 AM
Tilla true true, I think the real surprise will be Valeron from Spain he is in my fantasy starting team.
Hey why dont you join up and test your wits.
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Mexxx
What the MIND of MAN can conceive and BELIEVE he will ACHIEVE |
| Tillamawnin |
Posted - May 29 2002 : 11:34:49 PM
I guess this was written before the Keane saga. Interestingly the writer did not include Beckham.
Tilla
__________________________________________________
Live simply so that others may simply live.
Mohandas K. Gandhi |
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