++ [ originally posted by mikhail ] ++
That's only relevent if the ACL is any good. This is the first I've heard of it. There were two English keepers in my pub league final. Does that count as a counterargument?
I have said that the ACL is good. Only you didn't bother to read that, or you delibrately didn't notice that. I never claimed that it is as good as the UCL, but do not equate an entire continent with your pub. That is worse than being silly. I have always rated you as being very analytical, so I expect better from you.
Who? The what? I reckon Darren Quigley is one of the best keepers in the EPL (and E isn't for English here), but on a wider scale, he's a medicore Ireland U19 international.
His name is Willy Opara, and he plays for Orlando Pirates in the Premier Soccer League in South Africa. But on a wider scale, you should stretch your dragnet outside Europe and realise that not all the good players are in Europe. I bet you never heard about Maximillian Lopez before, or Frederico Insua, but then, it is comfortable kust watching EPL coverage on Sky isn't it?
I think I can. But then, I've never even seen Odemwingie play.
Defoe and Owen against Martins? Let Owen get a first team shirt in Madrid before I begin to place him on the same planet as Oba. As for Defoe, I am waiting for that big money move from Tottenham to a club that is worth the name its past connotates.
Sure, and Andy Reid will outstrip Arjen Robben any day now. Just watch.
Taiye Taiwo, Olympique Marseille. Who the fvck is Andy Reid? The next big thing according to the English media? Please note that it isn't only the English that have a right to uncover
young talent. We started hearing about Wayne Rooney eons before he was ready for international football, but we have heard next to nothing about Valerij Bojinov from them simply because he isn't from those fog ridden set of islands. Please go out and find out. The internet sits in front of you each time you get on this forum. Try FIFA's website once in a while. Buy World Soccer Magazine. The BBC's website is also very informative about other regions of the world that you have no idea exist.
Obinna Nwaneri. Enyimba right back. You'll see him at the World Club Cup in December if Enyimba haven't sold him by then. And to clarify an issue, I don't expect the African or Asian representatives at that tournament to do too well. Leave that to the Europeans and South Americans for the time being...
Rio can't mark his own shadow. If Yobo is worse than that... hang on, you mean that shite bloke who played for Everton?
I used to be in the band that plays the tune
Rio is shyte, but let's be honest: Rio's suspension coincided with perhaps ManU's worst run of form in the last 12 years. When he came back... I think that speaks for itself. And correct me if I am wrong, but Everton seem to have a little bit more of defensive stability when Yobo plays, plus, he can also play as a defensive midfielder.
Yes, Okocha is a tremendously talented player. That isn't enough in itself, as indicated by his lack of experience at a major club. Duff was as good for Blackburn as Jay-Jay is for Bolton, but I'm not about to compair him to Garincha just yet.
Lack of experience? Fernabache isn't major? PSG's one of the best in France. IMO Okocha was silly not to go to Italy in 1994 when Inter asked for him. Had he gone then... But that is besides the point now, even Kanu who is a waste as far as most Nigerians are concerned has more football medals in his cabinet than Michael Owen... Champion's League, Cup Winners, Dutch League, Dutch Cup, Coppa Italia (not too sure about that one), Premiership, FA Cup, Olympic Gold, African footballer of the year, how many current English NT players have that much? And Kanu's on our bench.
If potential and skill were the same thing, Ghana would have a string of World Cups. Come back to us when he's draging Juve kicking and screaming out of the group stages of the CL.
Wrong about Ghana. They should have had it in the 1980s and early 90s, but they didn't even qualify for the last Nation's Cup. You see potential and act on it. Even Fergie knows that and applies it. Rooney wasn't the finished goods when he bought him and still isn't. Someone saw Ronaldinho in Nigeria 99 and the next thing he was in PSG. The rest is history.
Okay, I won't. I've never even heard of Utaka. Beckham, on the other hand, is a much maligned, over hyped, excellent right sided midfielder, with a viscious cross and good set pieces.
++ [ originally posted by chelski
] ++
Utaka IMO is better than Beckham as a winger,true Beckham has better crosses but in everything else Utaka is better,i can almost say he's as fast as Etoo his dribbling is very good too,he's stronger than Beckham and he's got more stamina.but i havent heard of him for a long time now,is he still in Lens?
Thanks chelski, and Utaka's still at Lens. A move to Monaco collapsed bacause he was injured then. And he is faster than Eto'o. If you can try and compare in the Nigeria-Cameroon ACN q-final.
Ah, but Downing is about to be snapped up by Man U any day now, Cole is in a league of his own, and even though you're probably unfamiliar with him, Alan Thompson has played some marvelous football over the past couple of seasons.
You tell me not to talk about players with potential like Obodo, only to tuen around in the same post and metion 2 potentials? Don't be hypocritical.
Now I love my national team, but we don't have the same talent or squad depth as England, so a team consisting of a mixture of reserves and youth players is hardly a barometer of the quality of the English game. We gave, what, four debuts that game?
That team youth and reservists? The Nigerian team they played that day were playing together for the very first time. No Okocha, no Yobo, no Kanu, no Babayaro. The only name of note there (let's use English standards of name dropping) was Obafemi Martins, and that was his first cap for Nigeria.
Please check your facts. I'd concede that in terms of facilities England miles ahead of Nigeria. In terms of being able to get their team together quickly, they are better, afterall they all play in the same place, but put England and Nigeria together and say England is better overall... that statement belongs in the history books.