Post your most Searing Football Hot Takes

[spintheblackcircle]

My hot take may be the hottest and it’s one I’ve had for over a quarter of a century now-
R9 was/is overrated.

....so was Maradona.

 

[Corto]

As far as WCs go, you can't beat the atmosphere in Germany or France IMO.
Massive football tradition and culture, smack in the middle of Europe, assessible to all European fans and more assessible to SA fans than Qatar, Japan or Russia.
Great infrastructure, great stadiums, etc.

So, I'm going with France 1998 and Germany 2006.
Italy 1990 the football was just too dire.
2002 Japan/SK half-empty stadiums and at least two big nations absolutely robbed and the tournament suffered for it later (Italy and Spain).
2010 vuvuzelas and Spain 1-0 wins every game in the damn tiki taka. Half asleep most games.
2014 Brazil pretty good, but - this is a purely my own POV - the time difference sucked.
2018 best Croatia performance, but Russia.
2022 another Croatia medal, but Qatar.

I was there in 1998 and 2006 (also the 2008 EURO) and it was football heaven.
Amazing experience you remember for life.

...

Anyway, hot take?

Dani Carvajal will be the GOAT RB once he's done with his career.
Or at least considered that by enough people that it'll be a talking point after he's retired.

And another hot take from my own POV - Josip Stanisic will be Bayern's best defender this season, and people will realize he's growing into an elite flex RCB/RB.

 

[Evilo]

....so was Maradona.

Yes Maradona is overrated in terms of what he made of his career. Talent wise he's incredible. But the guy was just ruined by drugs.

As for R9 he tends to be overrated these days. He was absolutely unreal and unstoppable at times but this didn't last very long.

I'll add Ronaldinho. Amazing talent but he certainly didn't play every game like those YouTube highlights and was more interested in clubs and hookers.

Finally I'll add Zidane. Once again amazing talent. Arguably the most elegant player to play football. But he played up to his talents a few minutes a game and a few games a year.
He always had a crazy good supporting cast for club and nation.
Was never the absolute best player in the world by a clear margin in any of his football years. Played 3 WC and was actually good in only 1 (2006 walking) though he was injured in 2002 to be fair. Imposed to have his buddies on his team (Dugarry). He also failed with Galacticos at Real. Wasn't much of a factor.
Now without him France doesn't win EC00 and maybe not WC98 so I'm aware of his impact. But he could have done so much more with that talent.

 

[phisherman]

I disagree.

86 was the one I watched the most as a kid, but there are objective reasons for it being the best :

- some exciting teams like Denmark, USSR, Belgium, Brazil and France
- Drama in the Argentina/England game with the hand of god
- the best goal in WC history (Maradona, same game)
- a tremendous final with 5 goals
- what is seens by most as the best WC game ever in the QF (France/Brazil)
- several of the best players to ever play the game being present (Zico, Platini, Maradona, Scifo, Valdano, Giresse, Tigana, Papin, Socrates, Careca, Cesar, Ceulemans, Larsen, Voller, Laudrup, Lineker, Matthaus, Branco, Butragegno, Rummenige, Belanov, Altobelli, Forster and I'm probably forgetting plenty of them) although some played injured (Platini and Zico). All are likely top 100-150 of all time.
- getting rid of the different time games because of Germany/Austria in the previous WC
- Morocco being the first african team to get out of the group stage, finishing on top of England, Poland and Portugal.

You miss the most important point on why 86 was the best.

Because Canada made its first appearance

 

[robertmac43]

Because Canada made its first appearance

And we had a great game against France. I'm sure @Evilo was worried we would take points off them that day

 

[Evilo]

Future Ballon d'or Papin came to the rescue.

 

[Karterthadon]

My hot take may be the hottest and it’s one I’ve had for over a quarter of a century now-
R9 was/is overrated.

May I ask why?

Technique? Check (Ronaldinho is the greatest technician I've ever seen, R9 is second maybe third best, he was that good)
Clinical finishing? Check
Pace? Check
Strength? Check

Obviously when he got injured and fat, it was another story (He still had the clinical finishing but not much else). But the Barca and Inter pre-injury player was quite simply remarkable.

 

[luiginb]

I remember being a kid and after every time I saw Ronaldo play I'd try to emulate his moves and dribbles. I failed most of the times, there was a reason I was playing goalkeeper or right back. I was too young to have seen non coked out Maradona, only remember him as a kid against Greece in 94, so R9 was the most magical player I remember from the late 90s.

 

[Duchene2MacKinnon]

If Ronaldo played in today he’d be far and away the best player…

He’d be Haaland but one with technical ability

 

[koyvoo]

May I ask why?

Technique? Check (Ronaldinho is the greatest technician I've ever seen, R9 is second maybe third best, he was that good)
Clinical finishing? Check
Pace? Check
Strength? Check

Obviously when he got injured and fat, it was another story (He still had the clinical finishing but not much else). But the Barca and Inter pre-injury player was quite simply remarkable.

When I say overrated, I mean to the notion that he was far and away the best in his era/generation. I just didn’t see it, and if so, it was fleeting in 97, maybe. With inter.

He may have had the best toolbox, but others put consistent performances over a longer period of time than he did. Even just on the national team I would prefer to have relied on either Rivaldo or Ronaldinho.

And it’s here more than anywhere. HFBoards I mean.
I’ll bet he’ll rank much higher on a historical list from a poll done here than you’ll see him on actual published lists.

 

[luiginb]

I don't think there was anyone better than him in the time period ranging from 96 to 98.

 

[Karterthadon]

He may have had the best toolbox, but others put consistent performances over a longer period of time than he did. Even just on the national team I would prefer to have relied on either Rivaldo or Ronaldinho.

I definitely agree with Rivaldo (I could make the hot take that this guy is the most underrated player in football history) but Ronladinho, sadly, never really showed his best in the national team jersey. He was fine in the 2002 WC but he was the third option on that team if we're being honest.

 

[cgf]

If I’ve held the opinion for 25-30 years, I most certainly saw him play back then. A lot.

Stats and day to day dominance wasn’t as important back then. Player’s were judged much more on their peaks & what they did on the biggest stage and fenomeno was fantastic on both those accounts.

 

[Incubajerks]

....so was Maradona.

The Olympics are in full swing, I think it will be very difficult to take away the gold from Kooyvu, for the silver it will be equally difficult to overcome spintheblackcircle.
Paolo Maldini:
Here is the answer from one of the strongest defenders of all time: “Among all the players I have met in 25 years, Maradona and Ronaldo the Brazilian are undoubtedly the strongest: fast, unpredictable, powerful. I was very strong physically, but they were faster and stronger than me.



But regardless of this, Maradona is unattainable, in a time when you were slaughtered on the pitch and defenses were allowed a lot.

R9 was the revolution, basically I personally am very wary of people who talk about football in a certain way about these two players. Usually they are the same people who evaluate a player by the trophies he has won.

 

[luiginb]

Speaking of Maldini, he wasn't a great crosser of the ball, which was probably Messi's biggest offensive weakness too.

 

[Duchene2MacKinnon]

Speaking of Maldini, he wasn't a great crosser of the ball, which was probably Messi's biggest offensive weakness too.

Messi has no weakness. He can do what he likes with the ball.

 

[koyvoo]

Stats and day to day dominance wasn’t as important back then. Player’s were judged much more on their peaks & what they did on the biggest stage and fenomeno was fantastic on both those accounts.

Ya, the rarer the tournament, the smaller the sample size, though. He didn’t exactly set the UCL ablaze, ever.

 

[Evilo]

If Ronaldo played in today he’d be far and away the best player…

He’d be Haaland but one with technical ability

Not even close.

 

[The Abusement Park]

Messi has no weakness. He can do what he likes with the ball.

Not sure about that. Barca never wins the treble with Messi as a goalie.

 

[Duchene2MacKinnon]

Not sure about that. Barca never wins the treble with Messi as a goalie.

Google Image Result for https://img.bleacherreport.net/img/images/photos/001/609/405/puyolpictureofmessiingoal_crop_north.jpg?1331660438&w=3072&h=2048

images.app.goo.gl

Ye of little faith. You know the saying you can be anything you want? This actually only applies to Messi our creator.

Damn I botched uploading that pic.

 

[Gecklund]

Got a couple MLS related hot takes
1. MLS is more entertaining than a ton of leagues around the world due to so few teams parking the bus and sitting in.
2. MLS will be considered a top 3-5 development league in the next 5 years.

 

[Jovavic]

Harry Kane will win a trophy

 

[luiginb]

Got a couple MLS related hot takes
1. MLS is more entertaining than a ton of leagues around the world due to so few teams parking the bus and sitting in.
2. MLS will be considered a top 3-5 development league in the next 5 years.

The MLS is indeed entertaining (surprisingly for me) but it's for the same reason the Saudi league can be, the DP are mostly offensive players.

 

[Savant]

Got a couple MLS related hot takes
1. MLS is more entertaining than a ton of leagues around the world due to so few teams parking the bus and sitting in.
2. MLS will be considered a top 3-5 development league in the next 5 years.

My MLS “hot take” (not sure if it’s a hot take) is that the league has completely outgrown the DP system and they need to trash that rule. They need to get rid of roster restrictions; there are too many teams in the league now to go limit itself like that.

MLS can be a top developmental league for sure; not necessarily for USMNT only though; which is fine

 

[JeffreyLFC]

My special hot takes. People tend to overrate players they grew up watching as a kid. As you become older you become more critical on recent players and their achievement.