The Football.....

[midlandsgrimpeur]

Harry Kane wins Ballon D'Or. Thoroughly deserved and hard earned by Kane.

England's greatest player ever? . . . he'd be in the conversation

It would still have to be Bobby Charlton for me but it is now a close run thing. I think Charlton, Kane and Moore are now a select group of 3 with a small group of perhaps Beckham, Matthews, Rooney, Gascoigne and Billy Wright below them.

Very glad Kane won, but my word the actual ceremony is a bloated and overwrought event. It's only a few football awards, it perhaps needs to take itself a little less seriously!

 

[AndyRM]

The criticism Kane gets from some folk is unreal. He's easily the best English player going and still has a good few years in him I reckon.

But aye, the Bundesliga is terrible (which it isn't) so he's hopeless. How have Spurs fared since his departure? (And Son Heung-Ming).

It's similar to Southgate in a way: a remarkably successful English fella gets ripped to bits by the media and fans for no apparent reason.

 

[AndyRM]

It would still have to be Bobby Charlton for me but it is now a close run thing. I think Charlton, Kane and Moore are now a select group of 3 with a small group of perhaps Beckham, Matthews, Rooney, Gascoigne and Billy Wright below them.

Michael Owen was the last English player to win the Ballon D'Or, I reckon he deserves some credit for that.

Lineker too.

 

[midlandsgrimpeur]

The criticism Kane gets from some folk is unreal. He's easily the best English player going and still has a good few years in him I reckon.

But aye, the Bundesliga is terrible (which it isn't) so he's hopeless. How have Spurs fared since his departure? (And Son Heung-Ming).

It's similar to Southgate in a way: a remarkably successful English fella gets ripped to bits by the media and fans for no apparent reason.

There is a certain type of erudite but also humble English footballer (and Manager) that seems to irk a certain group of England football 'fans'. I think there may be a reason as to why this seems to get them so worked up, which may not be entirely football related, but I can't quite put my finger on it.......

 

[midlandsgrimpeur]

Michael Owen was the last English player to win the Ballon D'Or, I reckon he deserves some credit for that.

Lineker too.

Absolutely. I was thinking more of players in an England shirt which is why I perhaps wouldn't include top class English players like Scholes or Lampard who maybe weren't at their best as international players. Owen and Lineker certainly scored their fair share of goals, and in major tournaments too though, so you could certainly make a case for either of them to be up towards the top 10 to have played for England.

I know England fans of a certain vintage will swear blind that the best ever would have been Duncan Edwards but sadly the Munich crash deprived us of that.

 

[AndyRM]

Absolutely. I was thinking more of players in an England shirt which is why I perhaps wouldn't include top class English players like Scholes or Lampard who maybe weren't at their best as international players. Owen and Lineker certainly scored their fair share of goals, and in major tournaments too though, so you could certainly make a case for either of them to be up towards the top 10 to have played for England.

I know England fans of a certain vintage will swear blind that the best ever would have been Duncan Edwards but sadly the Munich crash deprived us of that.

Scholes was an absolute legend. Pretty sure it was Zidane who said he was the best player he'd come up against.

 

[midlandsgrimpeur]

Scholes was an absolute legend. Pretty sure it was Zidane who said he was the best player he'd come up against.

And Xavi's favourite player.

 

[wakemalcolm]

Undoubtedly Carrick will take the fall, his Man U time has pretty much mirrored his Boro time albeit a slightly poorer version: Initially get players motivated, plays a decent style, gets worked out, has no plan B / rigidly sticks to his beliefs.

His Boro time brought better results, but at Boro he had a good chairman & owner and was well back in transfers.

At Man U is is no doubt massively hampered by Wilcox and the Glaziers / Radcliffe and a debt ridden balance sheet curbing the transfer funds, and the funds they do spend being spaffed up the wall on some poor decisions or players who don't fit the system he wants to play

I know you have a long established pattern of alternating Muppets and good guys at the Cellnet, but given what Hallberg's currently achieving, is history being kind to Carrick's stay?

 

[Pross]

There is a certain type of erudite but also humble English footballer (and Manager) that seems to irk a certain group of England football 'fans'. I think there may be a reason as to why this seems to get them so worked up, which may not be entirely football related, but I can't quite put my finger on it.......

This, it's bizarre. People seem to want players to be flashy (but then criticise them for that too). I'd much rather they do their job well rather than becoming celebrities.

 

[spen666]

Michael Owen was the last English player to win the Ballon D'Or, I reckon he deserves some credit for that.

Lineker too.

When Lineker wins the Ballon D'or then he may get credit for it

 

[Vapin' Joe]

This, it's bizarre. People seem to want players to be flashy (but then criticise them for that too). I'd much rather they do their job well rather than becoming celebrities.

They can't win. If they're flashy types they are overpaid prima donnas, if they keep themselves to themselves it's because they are boring with no personality.

 

[AndyRM]

When Lineker wins the Ballon D'or then he may get credit for it

I didn't say he had...

 

[spen666]

I didn't say he had...

I never said you had said that

 

[YMFB]

Well done Harry Kane, well deserved.

The decision, which must have been difficult for him to leave Spurs was absolutely the right one.

 

[Pblakeney]

Well done Harry Kane, well deserved.

The decision, which must have been difficult for him to leave Spurs was absolutely the right one.

I'd say (I did FWIW) that he dilly dallied a season or two too long.