Emotions couldn't have been more polarized for three already Manchester United legends after Tuesday's historic Champions League matches.
In Manchester itself, a hero continued his ascent into lore while a champion of the club punctuated his mark on its history.
But while both United stars past and present emerged from its knockout tie against AC Milan with repute, the lamenting anguish of greener pastures overcame one of its former starlets on Spanish shores the same day.
Rooney takes goals, glory
Man United entered its return leg against Milan comfortable. They exited in full-out party-mode.
The Red Devils demolished fading perennial European giant AC Milan, 4-0, completing a gross 7-2 victory on aggregate.
Once again, Wayne Rooney popped up to convert another cross with his small, balding head, and tallied again in the second half for his second double across both legs, taking his goal sum this season to 30.
With the ball, Rooney is not without peers. But, if ends justify means, there's few others as justifiably posited as "world-class" this season than the Englishman.
There are better players in the world, but none are having as good a season as Rooney—at least statistically, so who can deny him eligibility for Player of the Year awards in England and abroad?
Of course, in years hosting the World Cup, players must primarily excel on the national stage to accommodate voting bias, so such a rapacious campaign for club may be overshadowed.
But at club level, with 30 goals in all competitions, Rooney is doing everything right for United.
And there's plenty of games left, including at least two legs in the Champions League quarterfinals.
Beckham pens his own script
While AC Milan had nothing to take away from their humiliating cumulative loss, one of its players walked away from Old Trafford with pride intact, if not bolstered.
David Beckham's first competative appearance at Old Trafford since leaving his boyhood club in 2003 was marked by romance.
Certainly Becks himself made it so; in the years since his profitable departure, his love for club and manager was often on the nostalgic midfielder's tongue.
Whether plying his hybrid brand of football and pop stardom in Spain or America, Beckham is always more than willing to heap sentiment on his memories in Manchester.
The club Beckham loved as a kid continues to receive his affection, and as he entered the foregone match, he visibly held back not pining sadness, but joy unbridled as the terraces chanted his name with love and conviction yet again.
Arguably Milan's best player during those last 30 minutes, Beckham exited the Theater of Dreams still a primary player. As the curtains fell, he dressed in costume, donning a green-and-gold scarf in support of the populist anti-Glazer movement, creating another indelible image across a storied career.
If the most-capped Englishman stays healthy and continues to play often and well enough for Milan, he seems odds-on to get a final chance at glory and make the squad for the 2010 World Cup.
There lies the final catalyst in what has always been his personal crusade to fully and finally restore his pride after his personal hell in the 1998 World Cup.
The simple man who, so unwittingly, shouldered the game across continents, is at least deserving of the chance to extinguish his career in a last, personal blaze of glory and redemption.
You might even say the fans of the game deserve it too: Witnessing the midfielder, commodity, and tentative icon returned to his element on pitches across South Africa as the blinding spotlight on his career finally and mercifully dims and extinguishes.
Ronaldo comforted only by his coffers
Another former United number seven to leave Manchester for the starry skies of Madrid also tasted defeat this night, but for him it was bitter without sweets.
For the always emotional Cristiano Ronaldo, the post-knockout concussion must weigh even heavier, as his Galactico side Real dropped out of Europe entoto as his former club again progressed.
It's been proven before that simply splashing cash around for surfeit of attacking talent doesn't equate to trophied success; in fact it was the same Madrid club who proved it some years ago!
As his old friends continue deeper into Europe without him, the hypersensitive Ronaldo could do little else but scurry off the Bernabeu pitch as cameras caught the familiar look of anguish strewn across his conflicted visage.
But there is no room for regret within these margins. Ronaldo left United to mutual benefit. The club needed the money, and Ronaldo could do little else at United currently, having already won every trophy and individual honor while a Red.
No one should blame him for moving abroad to further challenge his immense talent, but that surely won't stop him from carrying around regret like a bag of bricks.
And as Beckham learned, so does Ronaldo: You can take the player out of Manchester, but you can't take United out of the player.
Cristiano said in February, "Maybe in the future I could return to play there? Of course I miss Manchester United."
Surely now more than ever.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Monday, March 8, 2010
another romantic european night analyzed until its devoid of all anticipation
With each teams' most important player doubtful for the biggest game of the season for either thus far, perhaps a grain of salt should but applied with predictions or previews.
If the latter, at least, remains legitimately injured with knee inflamation, it forces United manager Alex Ferguson to apply Dimitar Berbatov up front alone. Sometimes a good decision results from necessity, not choice.
Without arguing the efficacy of the five-man midfield—the formation Ferguson historically flavors as the season enters its second half—Berbatov is actually the more naturally suited for the reclusive role when compared with Rooney.
There's no doubt the Englishman's form this season has been outstanding enough to illuminate himself regardless of formation, but on each's fundamental strengths, Berbatov should have no problem slotting in at Old Trafford.
Still Written Off
With Rooney inspiring the imaginations of fans worldwide this year, Berbatov has been at times forgotten, at others dismissed entirely.
Even Antonio Valencia, who's linear growth this season existed plainly for all to see, manages to still join Berbatov's name on lists of under-performing players.
While the Ecuadorian's inclusion may or may not be slightly more ridiculous, Berbatov's form this season—and last—precludes him from consideration in such consumer-friendly rankings.
It was bemusing at best, infuriating at worst, when the emotional Bulgarian couldn't get a game in November. Ferguson finally leaked that the forward's ailing knee was resulting in the pine time, which, if nothing else, restored some of the managers' credibility.
Berbatov started the season as he resumed it in December, generally in good form with the occasional mediocre game an exception, not the rule.
If only images of player form were resistant to the faulty memories in which we store them, we'd not have to check statistics years later to reinforce what is then an incomplete rendering.
But in the 22 matches Berbatov started this season, United are 18-3-1, compared with an overall record of 31-9-4 in all competitions. The moody striker has a goal tally of 9 goals in those 18 starts, never scoring as a substitute.
This is all fine and dandy. But considering the emotional Bulgarian's style, his tally becomes more impressive.
The importance of dribbling and flair
Berbatov's most salient attribute is his ability to dribble past opposition with timing, a subtle shifting of weight, and an inscrutable change of pace.
Unfortunately dribbling has a lower success rate than passing and can often be derided by impatient commentators or fans. Even former United gloryhog Cristiano Ronaldo, currently enjoying absurdly brilliant form at Madrid, can be heard lampooned by Ray Hudson with hackneyed lines about "looks nice, end product? FUUUU".
But in England especially, and at United, where passing is the hallmark, one or few players with individual class and a penchant for the ridiculous is the difference between a draw and win.
Alas, the geometric effect attacking dribbling has remains underrated in the English game.
Essentially, when any attacker can lure a defender into a challenge, and go past him, the mathematical advantage shifts. The defender is subtracted from the equation entirely and more triangular options become immediately available.
Berbatov is one of only two players (Valencia) on United who can singularly get past a defender, and the only one who uses skill to do it. Allow me to run down a list of United attackers, to reinforce my point and slag a few of them off.
Park stays in front of the defense and couldn't dribble oatmeal. Nani will utterly fail more than he'll succeed only marginally. Carrick is an apparition. Scholes can niggle and wiggle but isn't played forward enough by his gaffer. Rooney is better moving without the ball than he is with it. Valencia has the raw strength and speed to get past defenders, but only on the wings.
So, besides being an intelligent and outstanding passer, Berbatov can dribble with aplomb, using the oppositions' weight against themselves like his last name was Gracie.
His ability to confuse and bemuse with the ball—dropping deep, in the box, at the byline, or out to touch—remains the most ineffable, and least quantifiable, aspect of his underestimated value to United.
Even as reports emerge today that Sir Alex will have $100m to spend in the offseason, and targets a striker, it's not alarming to Berbatov proponents, because Owen clearly isn't the long-term answer for a third striker, just as Saha and Tevez apparently weren't either.
Forza... United?
When Milan and Manchester finally resume yet another glorious tie on Wednesday, Berbatov will have the stage to showcase his utility to any stubborn critics.
His aforementioned strengths should translate directly to the style United will hope to employ, as being better at holding the ball and passing makes Berbatov more naturally fitted for this European role.
The 4-5-1 and the 4-3-3 are really different names for the same thing, and in such a formation attacks become naturally more horizontal than vertical, mitigating Berbatov's retarded speed.
The five-man midfield also necessitates a passing forward, and Rooney's touch can be too rough, lacking the finesse required when an isolated striker more rarely gets the ball.
United already lead on aggregate, three away goals to the good. Knowing that, Rooney's engine and tenacity—the hyped defensive aspects of the forward's arsenal—might lend themselves better without the ball.
But with it, Berbatov is virtually peerless not only at United, but in England and across Europe.
Those who manage to suggest that his transfer was a bomb are either positively naive, or likely dissuaded by his nuanced style.
Make no mistake, though, that the ones who enjoy his brand of football the least are the opposing players as he shrugs them off like autograph seekers.
With Rooney limping, the result of playing too much this season, there's no better time for Ferguson to be forced to try something that made sense a lot earlier, before United's talisman became overworked.
Though a Rooney on life form might be better in the role than a Berbatov in only good form, less will be required from the player more aptly suited to the lone striker role, especially as Milan must win by two at Old Trafford to advance to the quarterfinals.
And it's the sensitive Bulgarian's romantic style that makes him a fine—but dissimilar—replacement for Rooney when Milan march into town that frigid evening.
Friday, February 19, 2010
Tempering excitement about Rooney
Many writers of English football generally don't need too much ammunition to exalt Wayne Rooney into the echelon of elite practitioners in their sport.
Before each season, pieces invariably surface with angles conjecturing just how and why this year will be different than every other when similar claims were also made.
However, the United gunner tends to succumb to inconsistency with only patches of good form interspersed between drawn-out periods of varying averageness on the field.
So it's all just a big, fat lie, then?
While always being projected as one of footballing's elite, Rooney has rarely shown enough consistency over the years to gain any credible foothold for individual awards or world-class status.
And similarly, while being vaunted as the next incarnation of Christ prior to—and throughout—this season, the young Scouser was patchy in its first half and particularly nauseating in December.
He's only been rested for two United matches all season. So he's bagged the goals commensurate with such playing time, regardless of how well he played at the time, which was never exceptional. Many of his goals were examples of profiting from his teammates' endeavours, finishing after defenses were exploited.
Only now, in mid-February, after six months of overstated prophecy, Rooney has finally begun to fulfill all the hopes and dreams of his Anglo-centrist promoters and worldly well-wishers.
From mid-January—when he attacked confidently in a losing effort against Man City—the Shrek look-alike has been reliably positive and occasionally brilliant for a month on the trot.
This is exceptional because, throughout his United career, rich veins of form for the young Englishman usually haven't lasted more than a couple weeks. At least on the field, they tend to last longer in the papers.
Another "Beckham effect"
To be fair, even when he is at his best, Rooney is not the most obvious of great strikers.
Didier Drogba turns and fires inside and outside of the box with aplomb during veins of fine form. Lionel Messi's dribbles are masterfully balanced, passing multiple defenders. Ronaldo chops and bursts his way towards the net before booming shots from all angles.
These players do so with flashes of skill apparent to fans of all cores and ages.
However, indications of Rooney on song aren't always as evident.
He doesn't dribble past or generally overwhelm defenders. His dependence on his right foot is telegraphed. When he does fire in front of defenders, his shots are often deflected or go through the opponents legs by chance. He doesn't use tricks and isn't particularly two-footed, especially when controlling the ball.
When he's playing well, he does little things. He makes runs behind defense. He hustles and harries, but stays in a forward position. He gets off shots from range with both feet. He niggles into the right space to head home from close. But he's rarely flashy.
Like United fan-boy David Beckham, a lot of Rooney's virtues stem from his indefatigable engine and vague platitudes about his "desire", "heart", or "dedication".
And like his former club and current English teammate, Rooney's false reputation as a glamorous, dominant player often precedes him with casual fans.
They tune in expecting either to be a world-beater, when both Becks and Wazza can aesthetically appear average, even in form.
Sycophantism breeds complacency
The hollow nature of many plaudits regarding Rooney can stifle the growth of the sport in America and elsewhere. Casuals tune in with unrealistic expectations only to be let down by reality.
But furthermore, constantly projecting a player's greatness not only fosters casual fans' over-expectations, but it can also stunt the player's growth.
Not only do overrated or over-marketed players have more pressure on them, but they're more liable to lull into complacency when they're constantly being proclaimed world-class too soon.
Complacency can be cited as a reason Rooney has not grown at nearly the same rate as another former United teammate—now at Madrid.
Nor much at all. Over the last four or five years is there any facet of his game that he's clearly improved? Beyond controlling his temper more, or heading better this season?
There is little excuse for a player in his early twenties to add virtually nothing to his game after training with one of the world's best clubs and managers for several years.
Theoretically, criticism is as equally useful as reinforcement when motivating sportsmen. It becomes even more necessary when players are put on pedestals early in their careers as they suddenly grow rich and powerful.
If his form so far this year becomes the norm—not the exception—into and through the World Cup, than he may climb the final rung into the rightful elite of the sport.
Consistency shows final maturation
Not only will he join an imaginary group of pound-for-pound best players in the world, but if England can conquer all this summer at the World Cup, Rooney would be a shoe-in for individual end-of-the-year honors.
In fact, FIFA's World Player of the Year award has only gone to World Cup winners in years involving the famous tournament.
Whether or not the swarthy Englishman ultimately deserves such hype, pressure, and accolade, he would at least be more deserving than in seasons' past.
But only if he managed to continue his current form; finally establishing the consistency his better play has otherwise been lacking.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
AC Milan-Manchester United: Player Ratings
AC Milan dominated the first half but a fortuitous Scholes equalizer set the stage for a United recovery in the second frame. Rooney headed home twice in the second half on United's first two truly serviceable crosses. Ronaldinho later combined brilliantly with substitute Seedorf to peg one back. Milan pressure at the death but United win 3-2.
MANCHESTER UNITED
Van der Sar (7 ) Fairly busy game. Made one top-class save from Pirlo. Showed good distribution and ball control. Charged decisively to meet crosses when necessary. Let two by but was not greatly culpable for either.
Rafael (8 ) The young Brazilian had a tall order in covering Ronaldinho in such a huge European tie. Though Dinho had a quality game, so did Rafael, playing with a maturity that Ferguson will be well chuffed by.
Ferdinand (6 ) Looked a little squirrely at times. He's an odd choice for England captain because of the physical failings and mental instability he's shown this year. He can become rattled when forwards drive at him. Off form.
Evans (8 ) Another youngster expected to really step up in this classic tie. He was reamed by his manager for one instance of naivety but otherwise was stalwart against a star-studded Milan attack. If United's finances are in truly poor order they'll be thankful to have youngsters like this to plug possible transfer departures.
Evra (7.5 ) Arguably United's most consistent player over this season. Rarely puts in a bad shift. Showed good sportsmanship in avoiding a stamp against Ambrosini in the second half, and otherwise was a more than useful outlet when United transitioned from defense to attack.
Park (6 ) Too slow. Like his wingman, Park had a couple decent games in January but is still having a bad year. Didn't do much on offense; he appears off-balance often. His utility for the side has always been to harry on United's side of the field which he did so today only averagely.
Carrick (6 ) Sent off late for time-wasting, so he loses a half-point. Otherwise, he did just enough to spare criticism I'd otherwise be more than willing to spew. He is too content to be a supporting player, never really inspires anyone or thing with his play. However, he was economical enough to warrant a slightly above-average rating for his day.
Scholes (7.5) When he started to make forwards runs and occupy advanced positions in the second half, United played better. There's no point having him lying deep when Carrick and Fletcher are more suited to. Mishit the first goal as it came off his standing leg, but to his credit, he was unmarked. Otherwise marshaled the game wisely. His manager likely would have opted for Giggs if the Welshman was healthy; let's be glad he didn't.
Fletcher (8 ) One of the few United players to show improvement, week-by-week, over the season. Some players dip into and out of form; some players actually grow and get better. At 26, he is entering his prime. His engine is inexhaustible; he tackles willfully, turns and holds the ball, and always tracks back.
Nani (5 ) Tales of his ascension were greatly exaggerated, and not by me. Continues to flatter and deceive. Had two good games in January and people wanted to anoint him reborn. Cooler heads prevail: Nani is still rubbish. His passing is still awful. As soon as he left, Valencia dinked in a cross for Rooney to convert; perhaps the firt cross of the game finding the striker's head. Nani can occasionally bust out a trick that woos casual fans, but certainly all the poor decision-making, bad passings, and ostentatious dribbling he's displayed over the last three seasons are not lost from memory? They shouldn't be on today's evidence.
Rooney (9) Finally playing as well as everyone's been saying all year. Not because he headed in nicely on two occasions, but because of the decisions and touches he's making on the field. Had a great turn-and-shoot in the first half with his left foot. Drove through the middle of the park and fired from distance several times in the second half. After finally getting a decent cross he converted skillfully from Valencia and again from Fletcher. The time he spent in the offseason heading the ball is clearly paying off. Since United's first January match against Man City Rooney has excelled into perhaps the best form of his career. He can and hopefully will still get better. When he dips his shoulder, drives at defenders, makes runs in behind, and shoots from range, he is confident and effective.
Subs:
Valencia (Changed the game with his first cross, should always start instead of Nani)
Brown (Did not touch the ball)
AC MILAN
Dida (5 ) Does not inspire confidence.
Thiago (6.5 ) Getting better as the season goes on. His partnership with Nesta is blooming but the pairing is by no means foolproof. At sea during Rooney's headers.
Nesta (6 ) Let's be honest, I don't pay nearly as much attention to the Milan players. But, intuitively, I think if I say that Nesta didn't look especially good or poor today I won't be far off the park.
Antonini (5 ) Substituted in the first half after injury.
Bonera (6 ) Unremarkable.
Pirlo (7 ) Nifty in the middle as Milan controlled the first half. Forced a good save from Van der Sar from a dead-ball. Legs are looking heavier as the years race by but his creative mind is still sharp.
Ambrosini (6.5 ) Poor man's Fletcher. Good first half. Faded in the second. Clumsy with the ball, but willing.
Beckham (6 ) Beckham is virtually always Beckham. Passes sideways and backwards usually. Occasionally dinks in some nice little through balls or inside passes. Swings in crosses that look nice and are sometimes in an ideal vicinity. Stayed out wide; substituted for Seedorf as Milan trailed 1-3.
Ronaldinho (8 ) If you've read lately that Ronaldinho is finally nearing his world-class Barcelona form, you were not misled. Over the last month or more his confidence has returned. It either results from or contributes to his stylish play. Scored the first goal after getting a helpful deflection. Drove at defenders and was involved throughout. Passionate.
Huntelaar (6.5 ) Strong first half. Underrated striker. Wouldn't have started if Boriello was healthy, rightly so, in truth. But he shares the ability with his national teammate van Nistelrooy to finish decisively in the box. Unfortunately today those efforts were blocked.
Pato (7 ) Quiet first half. Better second half. Some ridiculous turns of skill to get through and around defenders. Always willing to drive at pace against United's backline. He's a handful even if he doesn't have a great game.
Subs:
Favalli (Blah)
Seedorf (Class)
Inzaghi (Provided pressure)
MANCHESTER UNITED
Van der Sar (7 ) Fairly busy game. Made one top-class save from Pirlo. Showed good distribution and ball control. Charged decisively to meet crosses when necessary. Let two by but was not greatly culpable for either.
Rafael (8 ) The young Brazilian had a tall order in covering Ronaldinho in such a huge European tie. Though Dinho had a quality game, so did Rafael, playing with a maturity that Ferguson will be well chuffed by.
Ferdinand (6 ) Looked a little squirrely at times. He's an odd choice for England captain because of the physical failings and mental instability he's shown this year. He can become rattled when forwards drive at him. Off form.
Evans (8 ) Another youngster expected to really step up in this classic tie. He was reamed by his manager for one instance of naivety but otherwise was stalwart against a star-studded Milan attack. If United's finances are in truly poor order they'll be thankful to have youngsters like this to plug possible transfer departures.
Evra (7.5 ) Arguably United's most consistent player over this season. Rarely puts in a bad shift. Showed good sportsmanship in avoiding a stamp against Ambrosini in the second half, and otherwise was a more than useful outlet when United transitioned from defense to attack.
Park (6 ) Too slow. Like his wingman, Park had a couple decent games in January but is still having a bad year. Didn't do much on offense; he appears off-balance often. His utility for the side has always been to harry on United's side of the field which he did so today only averagely.
Carrick (6 ) Sent off late for time-wasting, so he loses a half-point. Otherwise, he did just enough to spare criticism I'd otherwise be more than willing to spew. He is too content to be a supporting player, never really inspires anyone or thing with his play. However, he was economical enough to warrant a slightly above-average rating for his day.
Scholes (7.5) When he started to make forwards runs and occupy advanced positions in the second half, United played better. There's no point having him lying deep when Carrick and Fletcher are more suited to. Mishit the first goal as it came off his standing leg, but to his credit, he was unmarked. Otherwise marshaled the game wisely. His manager likely would have opted for Giggs if the Welshman was healthy; let's be glad he didn't.
Fletcher (8 ) One of the few United players to show improvement, week-by-week, over the season. Some players dip into and out of form; some players actually grow and get better. At 26, he is entering his prime. His engine is inexhaustible; he tackles willfully, turns and holds the ball, and always tracks back.
Nani (5 ) Tales of his ascension were greatly exaggerated, and not by me. Continues to flatter and deceive. Had two good games in January and people wanted to anoint him reborn. Cooler heads prevail: Nani is still rubbish. His passing is still awful. As soon as he left, Valencia dinked in a cross for Rooney to convert; perhaps the firt cross of the game finding the striker's head. Nani can occasionally bust out a trick that woos casual fans, but certainly all the poor decision-making, bad passings, and ostentatious dribbling he's displayed over the last three seasons are not lost from memory? They shouldn't be on today's evidence.
Rooney (9) Finally playing as well as everyone's been saying all year. Not because he headed in nicely on two occasions, but because of the decisions and touches he's making on the field. Had a great turn-and-shoot in the first half with his left foot. Drove through the middle of the park and fired from distance several times in the second half. After finally getting a decent cross he converted skillfully from Valencia and again from Fletcher. The time he spent in the offseason heading the ball is clearly paying off. Since United's first January match against Man City Rooney has excelled into perhaps the best form of his career. He can and hopefully will still get better. When he dips his shoulder, drives at defenders, makes runs in behind, and shoots from range, he is confident and effective.
Subs:
Valencia (Changed the game with his first cross, should always start instead of Nani)
Brown (Did not touch the ball)
AC MILAN
Dida (5 ) Does not inspire confidence.
Thiago (6.5 ) Getting better as the season goes on. His partnership with Nesta is blooming but the pairing is by no means foolproof. At sea during Rooney's headers.
Nesta (6 ) Let's be honest, I don't pay nearly as much attention to the Milan players. But, intuitively, I think if I say that Nesta didn't look especially good or poor today I won't be far off the park.
Antonini (5 ) Substituted in the first half after injury.
Bonera (6 ) Unremarkable.
Pirlo (7 ) Nifty in the middle as Milan controlled the first half. Forced a good save from Van der Sar from a dead-ball. Legs are looking heavier as the years race by but his creative mind is still sharp.
Ambrosini (6.5 ) Poor man's Fletcher. Good first half. Faded in the second. Clumsy with the ball, but willing.
Beckham (6 ) Beckham is virtually always Beckham. Passes sideways and backwards usually. Occasionally dinks in some nice little through balls or inside passes. Swings in crosses that look nice and are sometimes in an ideal vicinity. Stayed out wide; substituted for Seedorf as Milan trailed 1-3.
Ronaldinho (8 ) If you've read lately that Ronaldinho is finally nearing his world-class Barcelona form, you were not misled. Over the last month or more his confidence has returned. It either results from or contributes to his stylish play. Scored the first goal after getting a helpful deflection. Drove at defenders and was involved throughout. Passionate.
Huntelaar (6.5 ) Strong first half. Underrated striker. Wouldn't have started if Boriello was healthy, rightly so, in truth. But he shares the ability with his national teammate van Nistelrooy to finish decisively in the box. Unfortunately today those efforts were blocked.
Pato (7 ) Quiet first half. Better second half. Some ridiculous turns of skill to get through and around defenders. Always willing to drive at pace against United's backline. He's a handful even if he doesn't have a great game.
Subs:
Favalli (Blah)
Seedorf (Class)
Inzaghi (Provided pressure)
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Rooney and Kaka suck balls; the truth behind player form
Kaka and AC Milan rampaged through Manchester United en route to the 2007 Champions League trophy. Kaka was literally in the form of his life.
Literally because he hasn't played nearly as good since.
After winning World Player of the Year honors and the Ballon d'Or that year, Kaka became the odd-man out at Milan.
The Rossoneri failed to qualify domestically for the Champions League the next season. Kaka was almost instantly overshadowed on the pitch by the younger, vibrant Pato. Ultimately Ronaldinho arrived and shared Kaka's position.
There were too many cooks in the kitchen, but only one could be sold for far more than the others, and far more than he was worth.
Milan showed their hand—and their valuation of it—by allowing Kaka leave to Man City last January for a rumoured $100m. He nixed the deal, though, citing God or honor or something.
That summer, he was off to Madrid for the still inflated price of $80m.
Kaka was overrated, and Milan knew it
Milan had Pato, who is now inarguably better than Kaka, much younger, and less reliant on pace. But Milan didn't just sell Kaka to free Pato as their creative pin. They sold him because the world still thought he was as good as he wasn't.
But Kaka had won the World Player of the Year in 2007; how could he not be worth that exorbitant amount of cash? Well, rhetorical man, you just answered your own question.
Players who have outstanding seasons often become overrated. Or they simply plateau. Why?
With anything else, there are innumerable factors, of which only a finite number can be perceived and addressed.
Why is everyone so wrong and dumb?
But for starters, there is a tendency for fans to view player form inductively, deriving broad, qualitative opinions from a small sample of performances.
For instance, virtually everyone saw Kaka dismantle Man United in the 2007 Champions League quarterfinals because it was the 2007 Champions League quarterfinals and Kaka dismantled Man United.
What I'm sayin' is, the majority of fans probably all watch the same few games each year starring certain European players, but they're still more than willing to argue about why their favorite player on their team is better than every other.
Consequently, a vast majority of fans might see a few of any player's games or highlights, while the minority of fans study most or all of a player's action. That's why the minority is usually right when it comes to popular discourse about football. Also, most people are kind of dumb (like, IQ's less than 100!). Avoid the forums!
As such, unfortunately, for every insightful, risky article challenging popular culture there are thirty more recycling common consensus and regurgitating the same contrived rhetoric back and forth.
"Did you see that horribly banal and unremarkable game today? Oh."
As I said, everyone saw Kaka dismantle United because Kaka dismantled United.
When good players have Youtube-like performances, they're viewed by exponentially more people than are their lesser showings. No one makes or watches highlight packages of great players turning the ball over, making bad decisions, losing out on tackles, or misplacing passes, with the odd exception.
As such, the relationship between quality of play and quantity of viewers is directly proportional.
Players playing great attract more observation. Those players become great in the minds of many who watch.
But they don't lose their perceived greatness by then playing poorly, because most of those casual people aren't seeing or watching then.
"I looked into her eyes, but all I could remember was her cleavage."
Secondly, exceptional displays of skill and craft—like Kaka's four-touch destruction of Fletcher, Evra, Heinze, and Van der Sar then—make the strongest impressions on our minds, while the more numerable performances of lesser quality are naturally given less reverence.
Not only will more people naturally see highlights like Kaka's flaying of United's back-line, but these moments become most salient in our minds, dominating and drowning out all the instances to the contrary.
Granted, I wouldn't expect you to remember thousands of inconsequential touches specifically when our memories themselves are not boundless.
But a player's objective quality results from every touch, not just the most famous or aesthetically pleasing ones. We can't be expected to recall the banal, but we should be practical enough to retain it all in the subconscious, or else our valuations become skewed to the outliers instead of the norm.
Maybe it's just easier to rationalize a Kaka or Rooney having a shit game than having to reconfigure the way we think about football, media, or culture.
"How are you? Good. How are you? Good."
Thirdly, there is a tendency in the civilized world (at least the one I'm in) to frown upon criticism and negativity.
That's right. I'm not saying my society's insufferable penchant for political correctness is responsible for the erroneous popular perception of individual player form, but I am seriously implying it, and doing so wordily.
Most people try to live unbalanced to the good, hesitant to express disapproving opinions of anything less they hurt someone's feelings.
This works relatively well for most people to manage relationships accordingly, but in football—where form is an objective truth—it fosters carebearish treatment of our heroes' reputations.
No one wants to point out each of Ryan Giggs' turnovers because everyone likes Giggs. We want to believe that he is what everyone tells us. It makes us feel safe in our rationale. Saying he isn't nearly as good as most people believe is a buzz-kill, man!
Similarly, most casual fans or hardcore fanboys aren't going to dwell on Rooney's 35 poor touches; as long as he gets a goal, he's played well.
Because that goal—that plus-1, that empirical little digit—supplies millions around the world with the stone-cold empirical ammunition they need to convince themselves and others of his marketabil...quality.
Who cares if they only watch one in three games: Rooney has 20 goals! We are all vindicated!
To the same extent, Brazilian or Madrista fans might return to their fond memory of Kaka alone destroying Manchester United instead of balancing all the datapoints to form a more accurate—but less fulfilling—rendering of the player and game.
The "Oh Shit" Moment
If Giggs isn't as good as each promo posits, or if Rooney really isn't the world-class all-beater the newspapers say, and if Kaka isn't one of the best in the world anymore, what does it say about the game and the way it's covered?
It would mean that most people who write about it are either suffering from the same distorted lens as the innocent, casual fans they fed (and feast upon), or that it is their agenda to do so; to draw in more viewers, aggregate more clicks, sell the damn t-shirts, and promote World Cup bids.
Call it wish-fulfillment, vicariousness, projection, selective memory, or just call it bad, pretentious writing; but when players, elevated in ours minds and on TV, don't play like Gods, we naturally gloss it over or otherwise defend them.
Make no mistake: Kaka's name appeared in the last two years' individual award runs not because of ability he displayed on the field throughout, but because of a wholly shared, misconstrued perception of his footballing value, in part cultivated and largely perpetuated from that brisk Old Trafford night and our own inchoate proclivities as both wishful fans and lazy opinion-makers.
Literally because he hasn't played nearly as good since.
After winning World Player of the Year honors and the Ballon d'Or that year, Kaka became the odd-man out at Milan.
The Rossoneri failed to qualify domestically for the Champions League the next season. Kaka was almost instantly overshadowed on the pitch by the younger, vibrant Pato. Ultimately Ronaldinho arrived and shared Kaka's position.
There were too many cooks in the kitchen, but only one could be sold for far more than the others, and far more than he was worth.
Milan showed their hand—and their valuation of it—by allowing Kaka leave to Man City last January for a rumoured $100m. He nixed the deal, though, citing God or honor or something.
That summer, he was off to Madrid for the still inflated price of $80m.
Kaka was overrated, and Milan knew it
Milan had Pato, who is now inarguably better than Kaka, much younger, and less reliant on pace. But Milan didn't just sell Kaka to free Pato as their creative pin. They sold him because the world still thought he was as good as he wasn't.
But Kaka had won the World Player of the Year in 2007; how could he not be worth that exorbitant amount of cash? Well, rhetorical man, you just answered your own question.
Players who have outstanding seasons often become overrated. Or they simply plateau. Why?
With anything else, there are innumerable factors, of which only a finite number can be perceived and addressed.
Why is everyone so wrong and dumb?
But for starters, there is a tendency for fans to view player form inductively, deriving broad, qualitative opinions from a small sample of performances.
For instance, virtually everyone saw Kaka dismantle Man United in the 2007 Champions League quarterfinals because it was the 2007 Champions League quarterfinals and Kaka dismantled Man United.
What I'm sayin' is, the majority of fans probably all watch the same few games each year starring certain European players, but they're still more than willing to argue about why their favorite player on their team is better than every other.
Consequently, a vast majority of fans might see a few of any player's games or highlights, while the minority of fans study most or all of a player's action. That's why the minority is usually right when it comes to popular discourse about football. Also, most people are kind of dumb (like, IQ's less than 100!). Avoid the forums!
As such, unfortunately, for every insightful, risky article challenging popular culture there are thirty more recycling common consensus and regurgitating the same contrived rhetoric back and forth.
"Did you see that horribly banal and unremarkable game today? Oh."
As I said, everyone saw Kaka dismantle United because Kaka dismantled United.
When good players have Youtube-like performances, they're viewed by exponentially more people than are their lesser showings. No one makes or watches highlight packages of great players turning the ball over, making bad decisions, losing out on tackles, or misplacing passes, with the odd exception.
As such, the relationship between quality of play and quantity of viewers is directly proportional.
Players playing great attract more observation. Those players become great in the minds of many who watch.
But they don't lose their perceived greatness by then playing poorly, because most of those casual people aren't seeing or watching then.
"I looked into her eyes, but all I could remember was her cleavage."
Secondly, exceptional displays of skill and craft—like Kaka's four-touch destruction of Fletcher, Evra, Heinze, and Van der Sar then—make the strongest impressions on our minds, while the more numerable performances of lesser quality are naturally given less reverence.
Not only will more people naturally see highlights like Kaka's flaying of United's back-line, but these moments become most salient in our minds, dominating and drowning out all the instances to the contrary.
Granted, I wouldn't expect you to remember thousands of inconsequential touches specifically when our memories themselves are not boundless.
But a player's objective quality results from every touch, not just the most famous or aesthetically pleasing ones. We can't be expected to recall the banal, but we should be practical enough to retain it all in the subconscious, or else our valuations become skewed to the outliers instead of the norm.
Maybe it's just easier to rationalize a Kaka or Rooney having a shit game than having to reconfigure the way we think about football, media, or culture.
"How are you? Good. How are you? Good."
Thirdly, there is a tendency in the civilized world (at least the one I'm in) to frown upon criticism and negativity.
That's right. I'm not saying my society's insufferable penchant for political correctness is responsible for the erroneous popular perception of individual player form, but I am seriously implying it, and doing so wordily.
Most people try to live unbalanced to the good, hesitant to express disapproving opinions of anything less they hurt someone's feelings.
This works relatively well for most people to manage relationships accordingly, but in football—where form is an objective truth—it fosters carebearish treatment of our heroes' reputations.
No one wants to point out each of Ryan Giggs' turnovers because everyone likes Giggs. We want to believe that he is what everyone tells us. It makes us feel safe in our rationale. Saying he isn't nearly as good as most people believe is a buzz-kill, man!
Similarly, most casual fans or hardcore fanboys aren't going to dwell on Rooney's 35 poor touches; as long as he gets a goal, he's played well.
Because that goal—that plus-1, that empirical little digit—supplies millions around the world with the stone-cold empirical ammunition they need to convince themselves and others of his marketabil...quality.
Who cares if they only watch one in three games: Rooney has 20 goals! We are all vindicated!
To the same extent, Brazilian or Madrista fans might return to their fond memory of Kaka alone destroying Manchester United instead of balancing all the datapoints to form a more accurate—but less fulfilling—rendering of the player and game.
The "Oh Shit" Moment
If Giggs isn't as good as each promo posits, or if Rooney really isn't the world-class all-beater the newspapers say, and if Kaka isn't one of the best in the world anymore, what does it say about the game and the way it's covered?
It would mean that most people who write about it are either suffering from the same distorted lens as the innocent, casual fans they fed (and feast upon), or that it is their agenda to do so; to draw in more viewers, aggregate more clicks, sell the damn t-shirts, and promote World Cup bids.
Call it wish-fulfillment, vicariousness, projection, selective memory, or just call it bad, pretentious writing; but when players, elevated in ours minds and on TV, don't play like Gods, we naturally gloss it over or otherwise defend them.
Make no mistake: Kaka's name appeared in the last two years' individual award runs not because of ability he displayed on the field throughout, but because of a wholly shared, misconstrued perception of his footballing value, in part cultivated and largely perpetuated from that brisk Old Trafford night and our own inchoate proclivities as both wishful fans and lazy opinion-makers.
Friday, February 5, 2010
Another Ode to Scholes
Paul Scholes' little legs may have life in them yet.
Often on the periphery this season and last, his appearances had been patchy both in quantity and quality. Ryan Giggs since emerged as the focal "elder knight" for the club as Scholes' fitness and career trickled down in a more direct, less romantic fashion.
However, the gingerman's unique ability and individual passing style are tailored to make an even greater impact—on the pitch—than the Welshman this season, at least in the center of the pitch where either are likely to reside, and where United need it most.
Scholes' role remembered
Many assume Scholes' displayed tendency to sit back and quarterback the team result as much from his aging legs as an intention of his manager's tactics. Presumably the savvy Sir Alex Ferguson is aware of the creative limitation this creates, but, nonetheless, employs it purposefully.
Bemusing tactical decisions aside, Scholesy has nonetheless been in good touch over the last fortnight (the minimum time elapsed required to declare someone "in form," ye over-zealous plaudits), apparently benefiting from the extended twenty-day break granted after his putrid display against Fulham in mid-December.
Since then, most namely in United's last three matches, Scholes has been on song.
As so, his long-range passes more often zero onto their marks. His crafty wiggles and turns in midfield evade younger midfielders instead of resulting in almost sad turnovers. He finds his forwards through the middle with greater frequency and predicates most of United's movements.
But besides being simply—and finally—rested and sharper, away to Hull City on Jan. 23, Scholes' early 32-yard belcher—the longest strike he's attempted in years' time—led to Rooney rebounding for United's first goal. Flood gates -> Open.
Does the audacity required to uncork from distance result from confidence or coincidence? Who knows. But good things happen when Scholes shoots from range—noteworthily an attribute devoid from Giggs' repertoire.
Against Man City a few days later, the number eighteen started again, balancing power and accuracy to score the tantamountly important first goal from the edge of the box, in addition to assuming the creative mantle in a five-man midfield. United don't lose when they score first, and they look best when they score early.
In United's next game against Arsenal last weekend, in a rare paradigm shift, Ferguson mercifully deregulated Scholes, granting the minute midfielder license to get forward while both Fletcher and Carrick marshaled the middle, further contributing to arguably United's best spell of football this season.
Andy Gray remarked during United's comprehensive, whack-a-mole destruction of the Gunners that Scholes stated he still wants to play all the time and doesn't like being rotated. After starting three club matches on the trot for the first time since the start of last season, it seems he was right.
Who knows. Maybe Scholes needs more consistent playing time—not less—to stay in good touch. But even if he falls out of it, an average Scholes applied correctly—at the tip of the spear, instead of the handle—piques the current squad's potential.
A note on tactics
In 4-5-1 or 4-3-3 formations, his manager is granted less of doubt in using him correctly.
Such a formation generally preclude Berbatov, who is unlikely to surpass Rooney on any United team sheet—ever, which is not necessarily his fault (see: group-think [2]). United's attacks invariably suffer in the build-up, thereby magnifying the significance of the Scholes role.
But more so, the presence of two other central midfielders in such a line-up—each better defensively, but worse offensively, than Scholes, as the case is—equates to nil reason why the ginger man shouldn't feature in front of them then.
What I'm saying is
Hopefully Sir Alex is beginning to see that Paul still has the life in him yet to get forward and do the cheeky things he built his reputation on.
Visions of Scholes' skidding into the box, dinking through balls, driving from distance, and tick-tocking an attractive United side are not necessarily lost to lore.
But the synergy of confidence and fitness is somewhat wasted if he is not allowed to attack, unsupressed by tactics, if not the attrition of age—continue from January into the new month and beyond.
Often on the periphery this season and last, his appearances had been patchy both in quantity and quality. Ryan Giggs since emerged as the focal "elder knight" for the club as Scholes' fitness and career trickled down in a more direct, less romantic fashion.
However, the gingerman's unique ability and individual passing style are tailored to make an even greater impact—on the pitch—than the Welshman this season, at least in the center of the pitch where either are likely to reside, and where United need it most.
Scholes' role remembered
Many assume Scholes' displayed tendency to sit back and quarterback the team result as much from his aging legs as an intention of his manager's tactics. Presumably the savvy Sir Alex Ferguson is aware of the creative limitation this creates, but, nonetheless, employs it purposefully.
Bemusing tactical decisions aside, Scholesy has nonetheless been in good touch over the last fortnight (the minimum time elapsed required to declare someone "in form," ye over-zealous plaudits), apparently benefiting from the extended twenty-day break granted after his putrid display against Fulham in mid-December.
Since then, most namely in United's last three matches, Scholes has been on song.
As so, his long-range passes more often zero onto their marks. His crafty wiggles and turns in midfield evade younger midfielders instead of resulting in almost sad turnovers. He finds his forwards through the middle with greater frequency and predicates most of United's movements.
But besides being simply—and finally—rested and sharper, away to Hull City on Jan. 23, Scholes' early 32-yard belcher—the longest strike he's attempted in years' time—led to Rooney rebounding for United's first goal. Flood gates -> Open.
Does the audacity required to uncork from distance result from confidence or coincidence? Who knows. But good things happen when Scholes shoots from range—noteworthily an attribute devoid from Giggs' repertoire.
Against Man City a few days later, the number eighteen started again, balancing power and accuracy to score the tantamountly important first goal from the edge of the box, in addition to assuming the creative mantle in a five-man midfield. United don't lose when they score first, and they look best when they score early.
In United's next game against Arsenal last weekend, in a rare paradigm shift, Ferguson mercifully deregulated Scholes, granting the minute midfielder license to get forward while both Fletcher and Carrick marshaled the middle, further contributing to arguably United's best spell of football this season.
Andy Gray remarked during United's comprehensive, whack-a-mole destruction of the Gunners that Scholes stated he still wants to play all the time and doesn't like being rotated. After starting three club matches on the trot for the first time since the start of last season, it seems he was right.
Who knows. Maybe Scholes needs more consistent playing time—not less—to stay in good touch. But even if he falls out of it, an average Scholes applied correctly—at the tip of the spear, instead of the handle—piques the current squad's potential.
A note on tactics
In 4-5-1 or 4-3-3 formations, his manager is granted less of doubt in using him correctly.
Such a formation generally preclude Berbatov, who is unlikely to surpass Rooney on any United team sheet—ever, which is not necessarily his fault (see: group-think [2]). United's attacks invariably suffer in the build-up, thereby magnifying the significance of the Scholes role.
But more so, the presence of two other central midfielders in such a line-up—each better defensively, but worse offensively, than Scholes, as the case is—equates to nil reason why the ginger man shouldn't feature in front of them then.
What I'm saying is
Hopefully Sir Alex is beginning to see that Paul still has the life in him yet to get forward and do the cheeky things he built his reputation on.
Visions of Scholes' skidding into the box, dinking through balls, driving from distance, and tick-tocking an attractive United side are not necessarily lost to lore.
But the synergy of confidence and fitness is somewhat wasted if he is not allowed to attack, unsupressed by tactics, if not the attrition of age—continue from January into the new month and beyond.
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