Second, Vieira is not one of those players anymore. Sure there are times where he looks like the Paddy who basicly ran the Premiership as he pleased, but more often then not he plays bad and get's maximum praise for minimal performance, from almost everyone on this forum.
Like against Parma for instance. The only thing he did good in that match was a decent pass to Ibra who flicked it on to Jimenez. That's how the penalty situation occured. He didn't have to pressure their midfield, or win balls for us because at that point Parma had already dug themself deep inside their own half. What he did apart from the pass anyone of our midfielders can do.
Fact is he wasn't very good for Juve, and he hasn't been that good for us either. I'm not gonna say he sucked because he does have quality, and has shown it on occasion. Keyword is "occasion". What he brings to the table in hardwork, determination, strength, setpieces and vision has now been overshadowed by Chivu who brings very much of the same, including experience, but also speed and way more offensive plays and fluidity then Vieira.
Fair enough.
I guess we came with all this Vieira talk, to the point, where everything has been said, and now it is up to Vieira to do the talking, and prove one or the other side wrong.
As for the other part...
No, and neither can Figo. Figo more often then not looses the ball when he tries to dribble or get's dispossessed when he pushes forward because, yes, he's too slow. Also Figo never passes the balls to our strikers in good positions to score. I've seen him do it once or twice in one and a half years. The assists he gets is primarily from corners and crosses.
Stankovic while not being able to dribble as good as Figo, has speed and hardly ever looses the ball on the run, something I can't say for Figo. Also Stankovic is better at playing the pin-point long ball, from which we get a lot of scoring opportunities.
Jimenez can dribble the ball decently, he can pass it and he can create for himself to score, not to mention he's faster and has a better shot then Figo. I think many of you fail to realize the importance of speed, stamina and endurance and how in todays football it is to a certain extent more important than experience or even skill.
Watching Figo play is like watching a hasbeen desperatly trying to do what he used to be able to do easily, to prove to himself that he still got it. And in the process he fecks it up for the team. Maybe that sounds harsh but that's the way I see it.
And again, if we play that old ass team in the CL, that most of you want to play, I'm afraid we're gonna get pwned.
If somebody is good, the age is not important, either he is 17 or 35.
Hmmm as for Figo, let me start from the end
Jimenez is a nice lad, he has skills, he can pass the ball, but he is not the player I'm looking for over there. He can't take the pressure of the game on his shoulders. In todays game, he should go often for the ball to pick it up from the midfield, and than pass it on, try to make some play, pass it on the wings. If there is a space, go on the wing, dribble the defender if there is a possibility. That's what I am looking for a player playing over there. Find me a "Luis Figo" kinda dribble that Jimenez made for us. Jimegol is not a suprise nickname for me. He is a player that look for the goal more, than for an assist. That's my opinion. What I'm looking there is a player who will first try to pass the ball to the striker, rather than try to score by himself.
"Stankovic while not being able to dribble as good as Figo, has speed and hardly ever looses the ball on the run, something I can't say for Figo. Also Stankovic is better at playing the pin-point long ball, from which we get a lot of scoring opportunities. "
Yes. He is able to run with the ball, he can pass the ball on the long distances. And what it tells you?
Counter attacks. I said here myself at some occasion, that the only good reason, to put Stankovic behind the strikers is if we are suppose to play a lot from counter - attack, because he can support defense efficietnly, and when in counter attack, he can use his runs. Look -> 4-3 Derby game. But when we are suppose to play a possesion football, Stankovics lack of creativity, dribble abbility, technique is too hard to look at.
And last Figo. One thing I have to say, Figo playing on the wing is worse than Cesar.
"Figo more often then not looses the ball when he tries to dribble or get's dispossessed when he pushes forward because, yes, he's too slow."
Absolutely true, but only to a wing position. When he is playing behind the strikers he is playing great football, because over there the inteligence, the technique, creativity, dribbling abbility is much more important, than speed or stamina. On the wing you have to rush back and forth, and I was myself shouting and asking Mancini what he is thinking putting 35 year old Figo over there. He can't do this sh1t as he isn't 25 anymore. But I say again, as trequartista you have to have different characteristics to excell in this position, as this is position where you have a lot of freedom. You have to have inteligence and good decision making, in what direction to go. You can go forward to find yourself before the goalkeeper, you can go on the wing to help out the wing backs, you
have to go back when the team is struggling to get the ball out of the defense. Neither Stankovic, nor Jimenez can do it.
I would be happy
to have Diego over there, but giving the options we have I'll go with Figo.
