All-Time English Premiership Draft
02-21-2015
, 04:58 AM
02-21-2015
, 04:59 AM
02-21-2015
, 05:11 AM
02-21-2015
, 05:29 AM
02-21-2015
, 05:35 AM
02-21-2015
, 07:38 AM
Long overdue writeup time- I've tried to avoid any vids that people helpfully posted earlier when I was being remiss.
Round 1, Pick 17
Eric Cantona
Eric arrived in England shortly before the Premier league began, at Leeds United via a very short trial stop at Sheffield Wednesday, where Trevor Francis decided he didn't match up to undrafted, never going to be drafted, probably won't be drafted and wouldn't be drafted if this went 6000 picks.
This followed a nomadic career in France, punctuated by incidents like punching his team-mates, throwing his boots in team-mates faces, ripping shirts off when substituted and picking up 3 month bans for tackling people around the waist....
It ended at Manchester United at 30 years of age, with 4 premier league titles, 2 FA Cups, Player of the year awards for 1994 and 1996 and the Overseas Player of the Decade for the Premier League.
Lets get the lunacy out of the way first before I get onto the reasons its a travesty he dropped to 17.
http://youtu.be/OhskAyWlsRg
Two things I took away from that clip. 1) I like the half apology / half wave to the ref that says 'don't bother with the card, I know whats coming and I really don't care'
2) watch how the opposition 'surround' him, the bloke has just tried to quarter one of their team-mates with a tackle, one guy is daft enough to get close and gets quickly palmed off by Eric the other 5 or 6 remain a safe distance away at all times.
Not only was the man clearly unhinged, perhaps because of his delicate touch it's forgotten what a big man he was. Nobody used the cliched 'good touch for a big man' because the touch was incredible for a man of any size. Top end of 6'2 and had he boxed (shame the MMA thing came later, he might have suited that) he would have been in the heavyweight weight class. I said it earlier, but he was one of those players who on the eye-test when you see them live looked at least 20% bigger than he did on the TV. Maybe it was the way players bounced off him gave that impression.
You'll have all seen or can easily find the kung fu kick. Frankly I don't think we should penalise him for that. Controversial, but I think it's good for professional sport that every once in a while a player on the end of another burst of 'fan' abuse takes matters into his own hands. I don't want to see it week in and week out, but if Eric Cantona and Ron Artest make 10% of idiots think twice before throwing or shouting something thats fine by me.
Eric didn't give a **** either - any grovelling apology forthcoming Eric?
http://youtu.be/bTq6aApCBnA
As a player - he could finish from anywhere. The United goals video below has headers, one on ones, 30 yarders. A disproportionate number of chipped and clipped finishes from ridiculous angles as well. (note - this isn't about Giggs, but anyone who questioned how high he was picked needs to notice how many of these Cantona goals start from Giggs terrorising one or more fullbacks).
Wasn't particularly quick, but had such a range of finishes in his locker it didn't matter. The way he created space for himself, with that barrel torso and close control. The famous Sunderland goal below starts with him cruising through three players around the half way line. It finishes with the celebration that said "Oui, i did that, aren't you people lucky to have been here......now applaud". He looks more like a concert pianist standing up to take an ovation than a footballer.
http://youtu.be/3vAOUgmRXsc
He also had a revolutionary effect on the dressing room at Manchester United. Helping to inspire the "Class of 92" to a tireless work ethic, during and after training. People can criticise his personality, but he understood that no matter how much talent you were blessed with it was still possible to train yourself to be even better and passed that onto the young players around him.
His overall premier league record was 73 Goals in 171 Games, far from shabby, particularly as generally a second striker who came deep to get the ball. His vision and passing was the equal of any midfielder of his generation (Scholes became better than him, but Scholes would name Eric as a major influence). He retired prematurely at 30 and there's no reason to think he wouldn't have continued to perform at a strong level, pace was never important to him. He probably made the right decision for his mental state, too many of the geniuses in football have nothing else but football and it all comes apart when its over, Eric didn't fancy ending things like that. He loved the game, but he loved himself more.
Some non premier league goals in the video below, but some serve to highlight he was a big game player. Eric didn't generally get involved in massacres, if the kids were taking a side apart he'd take his foot off the gas and help facilitate. Eric concerned himself with scoring or creating the 1-0 winner in a tight or important game.
http://youtu.be/3vAOUgmRXsc
Regarding the draft pick, in premier league terms I don't think you can argue anyone else was a bigger star of the first 5 years of the league and we are supposed to be drafting on relative terms. You can argue a good case for the top 9 of this draft being better than Eric, but he shouldn't have fallen out of the top 10. It was a best player available, even if Eric may be a difficult fit for some systems I might have used.
With the benefit of hindsight with my later picks I think Bale and Owen would mesh well with him, dropping deep and putting them into the space he's created with somebody having to follow him around (you can't leave Eric unmarked anywhere within 35 yards, he'd pick you apart or just smash it in from where he stood if he wasn't feeling so creative that day).
OK, we've got an issue with him and Di Canio in the same dressing room. We aren't drafting managers, but I've got Sir Alex on board and Harry Redknapps going to assist.
Hopefully back with Paulo and Steve Bruce later.
Round 1, Pick 17
Eric Cantona
Eric arrived in England shortly before the Premier league began, at Leeds United via a very short trial stop at Sheffield Wednesday, where Trevor Francis decided he didn't match up to undrafted, never going to be drafted, probably won't be drafted and wouldn't be drafted if this went 6000 picks.
This followed a nomadic career in France, punctuated by incidents like punching his team-mates, throwing his boots in team-mates faces, ripping shirts off when substituted and picking up 3 month bans for tackling people around the waist....
It ended at Manchester United at 30 years of age, with 4 premier league titles, 2 FA Cups, Player of the year awards for 1994 and 1996 and the Overseas Player of the Decade for the Premier League.
Lets get the lunacy out of the way first before I get onto the reasons its a travesty he dropped to 17.
http://youtu.be/OhskAyWlsRg
Two things I took away from that clip. 1) I like the half apology / half wave to the ref that says 'don't bother with the card, I know whats coming and I really don't care'
2) watch how the opposition 'surround' him, the bloke has just tried to quarter one of their team-mates with a tackle, one guy is daft enough to get close and gets quickly palmed off by Eric the other 5 or 6 remain a safe distance away at all times.
Not only was the man clearly unhinged, perhaps because of his delicate touch it's forgotten what a big man he was. Nobody used the cliched 'good touch for a big man' because the touch was incredible for a man of any size. Top end of 6'2 and had he boxed (shame the MMA thing came later, he might have suited that) he would have been in the heavyweight weight class. I said it earlier, but he was one of those players who on the eye-test when you see them live looked at least 20% bigger than he did on the TV. Maybe it was the way players bounced off him gave that impression.
You'll have all seen or can easily find the kung fu kick. Frankly I don't think we should penalise him for that. Controversial, but I think it's good for professional sport that every once in a while a player on the end of another burst of 'fan' abuse takes matters into his own hands. I don't want to see it week in and week out, but if Eric Cantona and Ron Artest make 10% of idiots think twice before throwing or shouting something thats fine by me.
Eric didn't give a **** either - any grovelling apology forthcoming Eric?
http://youtu.be/bTq6aApCBnA
As a player - he could finish from anywhere. The United goals video below has headers, one on ones, 30 yarders. A disproportionate number of chipped and clipped finishes from ridiculous angles as well. (note - this isn't about Giggs, but anyone who questioned how high he was picked needs to notice how many of these Cantona goals start from Giggs terrorising one or more fullbacks).
Wasn't particularly quick, but had such a range of finishes in his locker it didn't matter. The way he created space for himself, with that barrel torso and close control. The famous Sunderland goal below starts with him cruising through three players around the half way line. It finishes with the celebration that said "Oui, i did that, aren't you people lucky to have been here......now applaud". He looks more like a concert pianist standing up to take an ovation than a footballer.
http://youtu.be/3vAOUgmRXsc
He also had a revolutionary effect on the dressing room at Manchester United. Helping to inspire the "Class of 92" to a tireless work ethic, during and after training. People can criticise his personality, but he understood that no matter how much talent you were blessed with it was still possible to train yourself to be even better and passed that onto the young players around him.
His overall premier league record was 73 Goals in 171 Games, far from shabby, particularly as generally a second striker who came deep to get the ball. His vision and passing was the equal of any midfielder of his generation (Scholes became better than him, but Scholes would name Eric as a major influence). He retired prematurely at 30 and there's no reason to think he wouldn't have continued to perform at a strong level, pace was never important to him. He probably made the right decision for his mental state, too many of the geniuses in football have nothing else but football and it all comes apart when its over, Eric didn't fancy ending things like that. He loved the game, but he loved himself more.
Some non premier league goals in the video below, but some serve to highlight he was a big game player. Eric didn't generally get involved in massacres, if the kids were taking a side apart he'd take his foot off the gas and help facilitate. Eric concerned himself with scoring or creating the 1-0 winner in a tight or important game.
http://youtu.be/3vAOUgmRXsc
Regarding the draft pick, in premier league terms I don't think you can argue anyone else was a bigger star of the first 5 years of the league and we are supposed to be drafting on relative terms. You can argue a good case for the top 9 of this draft being better than Eric, but he shouldn't have fallen out of the top 10. It was a best player available, even if Eric may be a difficult fit for some systems I might have used.
With the benefit of hindsight with my later picks I think Bale and Owen would mesh well with him, dropping deep and putting them into the space he's created with somebody having to follow him around (you can't leave Eric unmarked anywhere within 35 yards, he'd pick you apart or just smash it in from where he stood if he wasn't feeling so creative that day).
OK, we've got an issue with him and Di Canio in the same dressing room. We aren't drafting managers, but I've got Sir Alex on board and Harry Redknapps going to assist.
Hopefully back with Paulo and Steve Bruce later.
Eric The King
02-21-2015
, 11:15 AM
02-21-2015
, 12:23 PM
02-21-2015
, 02:40 PM