Jude Bellingham

[Lovebitesandeveryfing]

They are a buch of utter cnuts in my experence.

In saying that the vast majority of the players at our club in the last decade apart from a couple of exceptions have been very good characters.

They're playing with bloody good players in every position (and then, quite often, one to back that one up). And the best coach in the world, by a country mile. That would help to keep you grounded.
Just in passing, because it seems to be relevant — Ronaldo has become a truly odious individual. Great player… once.
By the way, anyone else find it irritating and distasteful when a footballer (or any other sportsman) shushes the crowd? Who are they, exactly, to say that the crowd should shut up? If they've scored a good goal, or played a good game, that should speak for itself. (It was quite amusing when José did it all those years ago to the scousers, to be fair, now every Tom, Dick and Harry thinks it's cool). Djokovic did it today at Wimbledon. C**t.

 

[Vienna_70]

They're playing with bloody good players in every position (and then, quite often, one to back that one up). And the best coach in the world, by a country mile. That would help to keep you grounded.
By the way, Ronaldo has become a truly odious individual. Great player — once.

In my eyes, he always was odious.

 

[inchy14]

Did Bellingham actually help Real Madrid win the Champions League?

I was talking with a Real-supporting family member yesterday (I know, I am doing my best to deprogram him) and we both agreed that Valverde (along with Kroos) was actually the midfield force behind their run to glory, with Bellingham actually playing relatively poorly throughout the knockout stage, including the final. He thinks Valverde is actually the lynch pin, and one of the biggest factors in Bellingham’s purple patch in the first 6 months, as he has the stamina and tactical nous to actually cover the midfield for a slowing Kroos and a not-particularly disciplined Bellingham, even as he played further forward than he does even with England.

He said he thinks what we are seeing now with England is what happens when Bellingham is made to play the Valverde role, instead of being supported by him, which the England man is absolutely not suited for (at least not currently). And we both agreed Rice is not Valverde (and that’s not necessarily a “bad” thing, just a statement of them being different players), which compounds the issues.

And I reckon I agree with him generally, having thought back to who actually impressed me in our matches against Real (it wasn’t Bellingham).

Part of the frustration with Southgate is that he can’t seem to recognise Bellingham is not a box-to-box general a la Valverde or Rodri (obviously different players in their own right but both can dominate midfields in their own ways). He is more a RM/CF, which should be played in that position ahead of a DM and a more versatile midfielder (which absolutely is not Alexander-Arnold or Gallagher).

We both also agreed that Foden is being completely wasted out on the left. That is something most of my Spanish family and mates all agree on, I think partially because creative players like Phil are valued far more in Spain than in England.

I’d have Valverde at City in a heartbeat. Top class talent.

 

[Lovebitesandeveryfing]

By the way, am I getting this wrong?? I don't actually remember Phil being played out on the left by Pep at all last season. Kev was out for so long that it allowed him to make that right midfield position his own. It's one of the things that allowed him to really come through and be voted the best player in England.

 

[WNRH]

By the way, am I getting this wrong?? I don't actually remember Phil being played out on the left by Pep at all last season. Kev was out for so long that it allowed him to make that right midfield position his own. It's one of the things that allowed him to really come through and be voted the best player in England.

I think he played LW when he got his hat-trick trick at Brentford and the 0-0 v Arsenal at home.

 

[Akira]

By the way, am I getting this wrong?? I don't actually remember Phil being played out on the left by Pep at all last season. Kev was out for so long that it allowed him to make that right midfield position his own. It's one of the things that allowed him to really come through and be voted the best player in England.

He did sometimes, after Kev returned, but most of his good work last season was done from the middle, or drifting in from the right.



This is his positions played according to Transfermarkt. I'm not sure how they gauged it, but watching Phil over the season, I think it's fairly accurate.

Note Foden's G/A per game in the middle compared to anywhere else, but his hat trick against Brentford did indeed come when he was playing on the left.

 

[citytill1die84]

He did sometimes, after Kev returned, but most of his good work last season was done from the middle, or drifting in from the right.

View attachment 124363

This is his positions played according to Transfermarkt. I'm not sure how they gauged it, but watching Phil over the season, I think it's fairly accurate.

Note Foden's G/A per game in the middle compared to anywhere else, but his hat trick against Brentford did indeed come when he was playing on the left.

Those stats as a 10, 13 goals 4 assists in 15 games lol

 

[Akira]

Those stats as a 10, 13 goals 4 assists in 15 games lol

I do want to point out, sometimes it's hard to judge left wing or left midfield, so Phil on the left can easily be seen as 6 goals in 12 games. Of course, it's aided by a hat-trick in 1 game on the left.

Still, it's remarkable the level of productivity Phil had through the middle.

 

[Lovebitesandeveryfing]

I think he played LW when he got his hat-trick trick at Brentford and the 0-0 v Arsenal at home.

And that was a dire match, where we were lacking penetration through the middle, if ever I saw one. Jesus, ninety minutes of my life spent in limbo…

 

[St.Pauli support]

Bild reports he is just fined by UEFA. 20k €.
(What does he earn per week?)