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Originally Posted by Bertrand
Well I haven't seen that many games.
For Lille, I seem to remember only one, during which he played 20-30 minutes.
He could be seen, he didn't act like a superstar casted with a bunch of no-goods and helped the team.
I saw other snippets, and he looked good. I didn't expect that from him. I thought he'd either collapse or cause problems (big talent, big ego, that connection).
Too young to be compared to Robert Pires when he went to Villareal, but close.
His stay might have done him good.
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I've never thought of Cole as a particularly egotistical guy , not a troublemaker at all, as far as I know. (I make both claims relative to other footballers, obviously.) His big problem has always been the massive hype he received early in his career, which he's never really lived up to. He is incredibly talented and technically very good, but he goes missing in games and a lot of coaches struggle to find a place for him in their set-up. He needs the kind of free role that Messi gets without really being good enough to warrant it. I'd like to see him back at West Ham, though. It's still the only club that I think has really taken him to its heart (he came out of their Academy).
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Originally Posted by Bertrand
That looks like Euro 2008 dream team prior to the kick off (apart from Hart and Agger). Or 2004. Since Ribéry died a year later.
They've played it too safe.
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I agree that it seems a bit out of date, but then I'd replace Agger with Ashley Cole, which is dragging things even further back into the past.
Ribery's another of those players I have to respect but can only remember seeing play really well maybe once or twice. (see also Ibrahimovic)