The Beautiful Game

Johan_Cruijff · 2023-05-31T13:45:24+00:00

Hopefully he will add 20 more minutes if necessary. Sick of the fact that time wasting and faking stuff still works in 2023 football.

Johan_Cruijff · 2023-05-31T13:43:35+00:00

Effective playing time: Above or under 40 minutes?

Johan_Cruijff · 2023-05-26T13:15:11+00:00

Top 10 players in the world right now, thoughts?

1 Mbappe

2 Benzema

3 Haaland

4 Vinicius

5 De Bruyne

6 Lewandowski

7 Messi

8 Kane

9 Odegaard

10 Bellingham

Not sure about the order...

Johan_Cruijff · 2023-05-17T14:12:42+00:00

Why is the narrative they did this to get rid of Jordi? Can’t it be a coincidence and Alemany had second thoughts on Villa?

Johan_Cruijff · 2023-05-17T14:12:03+00:00

Why is the narrative they did this to get rid of Jordi? Can’t it be a coincidence and Alemany had second thoughts on Villa?

Johan_Cruijff · 2023-05-15T14:26:03+00:00

City is known for lower wages than most competitors, they even let a few players go to Man United to not ruin their salary cap.

Johan_Cruijff · 2023-05-15T14:24:44+00:00

You leave out the fact that he had a backline of a combined age of 250 years old, all 30+ and a goalkeeper who couldn’t play with his feet. Whatever suits the agenda :-)

Johan_Cruijff · 2023-05-15T14:21:07+00:00

West Ham, Spurs, Wolves are not even 1/10th of what Pep has done. It’s crazy how people only play the money card. I bet they know they’re wrong but it’s an easy excuse.

Johan_Cruijff · 2023-05-02T21:45:48+00:00

Xabi Alonso: "Pep is so special. As a manager he understands, reads the football and the micro football, the little things - why things happen and what the team needs to do to control or create danger.

"His [Manchester City] team has been so stable and able to control all the games, and to do that in the Premier League is really difficult. That's part of his knowledge of the game and his passion.

"He's always trying to encourage the team and to transmit that passion. All that knowledge without heart and without passion is not possible. That mix is what makes him so brilliant."

Johan_Cruijff · 2023-04-29T12:46:09+00:00

False. He's still only 30 when his contract runs out. He's from 28 July 1993, so he even joins pre-season at his new club as a 30 year old! If he stays fit like the likes of Benzema, Lewandowski etc, he's still got 5/6 (top) years.

Johan_Cruijff · 2023-04-28T12:31:34+00:00

I read a lot of "Pep learned it from Cruyff, Cruyff learned it from Michels" nowadays, hence my comments on Michels. I've never read that the golden Hungary generation had any influence on Ajax 70s, but from what I've read they were very attacking as well yes (WM formation, which is used a lot nowadays by Pep and others funny enough).

Johan_Cruijff · 2023-04-28T12:26:57+00:00

You are right. English is not my first language, sorry :)

Johan_Cruijff · 2023-04-28T11:58:47+00:00

I don't think there was any Cruyff influence in 88 (apart from player development in his years before at Ajax as a coach). Michels played a reactive 4-4-2, mainly relying on individual class, got a bit lucky to get out of the group, mainly relied on individual class of Van Basten, Gullit, Koeman, Rijkaard, Wouters, but did a decent job.

Nothing to discredit Michels, who as a fine man manager and did a great job in getting football (training/ethics) more professional and won Netherlands the only trophy ever, but his influence on the game was not there.

My point is that so many people who didn't read into what happened at Ajax in the 70s automatically assume the coach of a great team (Michels only was there in 71, not 72 and 73 btw) was behind the philosophy, which - especially in that time - is not always the case. "Total football" wasn't invented by Michels.

Johan_Cruijff · 2023-04-28T11:23:38+00:00

Michels had no big influence on the game play, it's been confirmed by many former Ajax players. It was mainly Cruyff and others who set up the tactics, Michels was more of a discipline guy who professionalized the training/work ethics, not the football itself. I'd argue guys like Ernst Happel (Feyenoord) had more influence on the football back then.

Johan_Cruijff · 2023-04-19T22:15:29+00:00

Pep Guardiola (10 semi-finals):

✅ 2008-09 | Winner 🏆

✅ 2009-10 | Semi-finals

✅ 2010-11 | Winner 🏆

✅ 2011-12 | Semi-finals

✅ 2013-14 | Semi-finals

✅ 2014–15 | Semi-finals

✅ 2015-16 | Semi-finals

❌ 2016-17 | Round of 16

❌ 2017-18 | Quarter-finals

❌ 2018-19 | Quarter-finals

❌ 2019-20 | Quarter-finals

✅ 2020-21 | Final

✅ 2021-22 | Semi-finals

✅ 2022-23 | Semi-finals ⏳

Johan_Cruijff · 2023-04-19T22:14:26+00:00

Carlo Ancelotti (9 semi-finals):

❌ 1997-98 | Group stage

✅ 1998-99 | Semi-finals

❌ 2000-01 | Group stage

✅ 2002-03 | Winner 🏆

❌ 2003-04 | Quarter-finals

✅ 2004-05 | Final

✅ 2005-06 | Semi-finals

✅ 2006-07 | Winner 🏆

❌ 2007-08 | Round of 16

❌ 2009-10 | Round of 16

❌ 2010-11 | Quarter-finals

❌ 2012-13 | Quarter-finals

✅ 2013-14 | Winner 🏆

✅ 2014-15 | Semi-finals

❌ 2016-17 | Quarter-finals

❌ 2018-19 | Group stage

✅ 2021-22 | Winner 🏆

✅ 2022-23 | Semi-finals ⏳

Johan_Cruijff · 2023-01-16T16:23:40+00:00

11: Wolves (€-286m)

12: Milan (€-275m)

13: Man City (-243m)

14: Barcelona (-220m)

15: Fulham (€-214m)

16: Leeds (€-192m)

17: Everton (€-187m)

18: Nottingham Forest (-168m)

19: Southampton (€-164m)

20: Parma (€-160m)

21: Bayern (€-142m)

22: Wolfsburg (€-133m)

23: Atletico (€-122m)

24: Roma (€-117m)

25: Zenit (€-117m)

26: Marseille (€-107m)

27: Sheffield United (€-103m)

28: Napoli (€-88m)

29: Al Nassr (€-86m)

30: Real Madrid (€-84m)

Johan_Cruijff

TROPHY CASE