A propos the Barca-versus-Arsenal argument: there are always certain factors that must be regarded as "given" in an argument.
It is a given that most football clubs try to have a solid defence, a solid midfield and a relatively credible or passable attack. The ones that shine are those that, given the basic good team elements, still possess one of the great names we know. The German World Cup team of 1974, for instance, with Gerd Muller as main striker, wasn't overwhelmingly good. But Muller's perfectly balanced physique, his strength and his opportunism won the World Cup for them.
Again, I had never regarded Leeds as anything much -- until Tony Yeboah got there. They suddenly shone --on the backs of three or four amazing goals from Yeboah. The fans created a song for him! When he fell out with the manager and left, that was the beginning of the end. Today Leeds is almost always falling into the relegation zone somewhere in the lower leagues.
Barca has always been good, but their attractive football has been built around great players -- most recently, Ronaldinho, who has now been eclipsed in their annals by Messi. That's the way it is. Until a few months ago, the question was not which is the better team in Spain, Real or Barca, but who is the better player, Messi or Christiaan Ronaldo. Real also once made us ask: Roberto Carlos or Ronaldo? And, of course, we can never forget Rivaldo at his peak in Barca.
If we were sitting under a neem tree, with glasses going to and from our lips, we could debate this all day and late into the night! The Internet is a poor substitute!
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I was once invited to a football debating party. An almost all day affair. And each person had topprepare a 3-5 minutes VHS to make their point. It soon caughton in our circles. So many women then began toi take a great interest in soccer. At first, the were interested in the players legs and small shorts (pias in Ga lingo) and macho looks but they soon were educated in the finer arts. Our kids also joined in.
To return to your point, Germany still had Bertie Vogts, Beckenbauer, And unsung heroes like Holzenbeim and Rainer Bonhof but that fussy haired defender? We are showing our age!
Charles@okyeame.net
PS. Leeds had a goodteam in the times of Giles, Jackie Charlton, Lorimer etc. Tony Yeboah fell out with Howard Wilkinson because scietific training had come in and weight control was a big factor in the close season. He kept on putting on weight both in Germany and Leeds. Ron Atkinsons' wife learnt to cook abenkwan [palm soup!] because of him and the goat meat in central Leeds market was chopped mostly by our Tony! Still, the crowds loved him. And the women, those thighs and chest. If you were in the crowd, you could hear the Yorkshire women talking openly about what they would do inside our Tony's thighs! True! So did the German women. Talking of which Peter Ndlov and Nii Odartey Lamptey were into 16 year olds in Coventry when I was there...including some of my students too.
PS. Leeds had a goodteam in the times of Giles, Jackie Charlton, Lorimer etc. Tony Yeboah fell out with Howard Wilkinson because scietific training had come in and weight control was a big factor in the close season. He kept on putting on weight both in Germany and Leeds. Ron Atkinsons' wife learnt to cook abenkwan [palm soup!] because of him and the goat meat in central Leeds market was chopped mostly by our Tony! Still, the crowds loved him. And the women, those thighs and chest. If you were in the crowd, you could hear the Yorkshire women talking openly about what they would do inside our Tony's thighs! True! So did the German women. Talking of which Peter Ndlov and Nii Odartey Lamptey were into 16 year olds in Coventry when I was there...including some of my students too.
Charles@okyeame.net
i believe messi is the best player as at now. if he finishes well, without being over weight, indulging in women, drinking, etc, then surely we will see the greatest player of our generation. remember 5 years ago we were saying ronaldinho was the best ever becos of what he brought to the game but his off feild behaviours has affected his performances. i believe sports personalities do not transcend generations and it will be so unfair to compare the eras of the maradonnas and pele's to our generation but i believe messi is the best thing that is going to happen to football
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