Goku

hard work is so often the answer, the question is so often irrelevant

[Rajdeep @Rajdeep_C_18]

Every time I see people calling any Tom, Dick & Harry a ‘tempo controller’, comparing them to Xavi & throwing Ballon d’Or shouts around, I can’t help but laugh.
No current midfielder can accelerate & decelerate a game like Xavi did on the biggest stages. Simply the greatest ever.

[Az. @__AAx98]

"People said this boy is the next Maradona.."

An ode to the story of Messi ahead of his very last dance.

Lionel Messi & Argentina: Epilogue

Hope you dig.

[A D É K Ú N L É 🩵 @kunle_pata]

Before I went to bed last night, I put on my smart TV and rewatched the World Cup final between Argentina and France on YouTube. That game still hits the same every time.

Those guys gave absolutely everything. Di Maria was in tears from the moment he scored till the final whistle. Emiliano Martínez, as tough as he looks, broke down after the shootout. The emotions were just unreal.

Even Thiago Messi isn’t a little kid anymore. you could see him shaking after his dad scored his penalty. That moment alone said so much.

Honestly, one of the greatest moments in football history for me. Messi is nothing without that team, and they’re nothing without him. Together, they’re exactly what every football team dreams of.

[Goku @VNavas_10]

@GuardiolaTweets I remember this did a whole uefa training ground tutorial on how to do this

[The Pep @GuardiolaTweets]

Evra vs Messi btw

[Kachii @badasskachii]

Mbappé basically just called 95% of Twitter football fans out for never playing a real match in their lives. Imagining Cristiano Ronaldo scoring 900+ goals without insane natural talent, or Messi staying at the top for 20 years without hard work is actual brainrot. Let him cook.

[LawJhay 🇪🇸🇦🇷 @Jlsesugh]

I don't think anyone has ever described Messi so perfectly like this before 🐐

[Goku @VNavas_10]

58k it is

[OSMOSES😎 @Osmoses_1]

This “naturally gifted” narrative is one of the most misleading takes in football.

When someone reaches a level that seems impossible, people suddenly act as if talent alone explains everything. Cristiano Ronaldo did not win five Ballon d’Or awards and score over 950 goals just because he worked hard. If hard work alone was enough, football would be full of players with those numbers.

What separates the truly great is the combination of elite talent and an elite work ethic. Ronaldo is not proof that hard work beats talent. He is proof of what happens when extraordinary talent meets extraordinary dedication.

People need to stop using Lionel Messi as the example of someone who succeeded purely because of natural talent. Messi’s genius is obvious, but talent alone does not sustain excellence for two decades, win multiple Ballon d’Or awards, or keep a player at the very top of the game year after year. That level of consistency demands sacrifice, professionalism, and an obsession with improvement. We've seen talented players waste away and never attain this height because they lack the consistency and hard work to replicate such heights.

Sometimes the simplest explanation is the correct one. Messi is one of the most naturally gifted footballers ever, but he is also one of the hardest working. The idea that he simply relied on talent while others relied on effort is a lazy and inaccurate way of looking at greatness. The greatest players combine both at a level most people cannot comprehend.

[⚡️🇧🇼 @Priceless_MCI]

I’m never deleting this app bro 😭

[Max Stéph @maxstephhh]

Bro scored 2 goals in the final, won the MVP yet gave the credit entirely to the coach. The Messi genes are too strong.

[TobyWrites @tobyasky]

I’ll tell you something for free.

At the highest level of football, there are certain things you cannot fluke.

Glasner won the Europa League with Frankfurt, this was a time big teams use to drop from UCL into Europa, so he had to face teams like Barcelona on the way. Still, he won the Europa.

He came to Palace, with a small budget compared to the other English teams, he won the FA Cup, the first trophy in Palace’s history, he beat Man City to win it. You can’t fluke that, he’s a winner.

He qualified them to Europa by winning the FA Cup , but they dropped to Conference league because of the multi-club ownership saga with Textor. Despite the setback, he has just won an European trophy for a South London club.

In 2 years, he has changed a club’s history and won 3 trophies for them if we add the community shield. He did this while losing big players, lost his captain January, lost his best player to Arsenal in summer, lost Olise.

This guy is a winner.

[Football Critix @footballcritix]

Edinson Cavani: "PSG ile sözleşme imzalarken gol bonusu istemedim. Memleketim Salto'daki yoksul çocuklara her yıl gizlice 500 bisiklet ve futbol topu gönderilmesini şart koştum. Kulüp bunu gizli tuttu, ben de her Noel'de o çocukların mutluluğunu izlemek için gizlice köye gittim."

[T @TorayKortan]

Hope this helps

[Ororo😎 @McFlybowy]

Look at this game again you will rarely see this in modern football now. Jurgen Klopp Liverpool will have about 2 players on him immediately he got that ball 😂, but see even Gerrard walking 😂

One of the notable differences between football of 20 years ago is the constant pressing and running. Today, everyone is running….. if you don’t, you lose. Back then, there was more space and time for individuals on the ball, but now everything is played at a much faster pace because the moment you receive the ball, someone is already pressing you.

Now your decision-making has become just as important as technical ability. Players today have to think two or three steps ahead before even receiving the ball. The game has become less about having time to create magic and more about creating magic in chaos.

It’s also why some older games look slower when you rewatch them. Not because the players lacked quality, but because the intensity without the ball was completely different. Modern football is almost suffocating tactically and physically. Every meter is contested, every second matters.

The ball is hunted immediately after losing it, spaces disappear quicker, and players are expected to contribute in every phase of the game. Back then, you could still have luxury players who walked through games and came alive only when their team had the ball. In modern football, even the most talented attackers are expected to press, track runners, cover passing lanes and maintain structure. The physical demands are on another level.

[TobyWrites @tobyasky]

People criticise Man City because they don’t have as much fans as Man United and the likes, but one thing they know how to do is honor people.

Yesterday, after the game at Etihad, they awarded Bernardo and John Stones a lifetime ticket to Man City games, amongst many other things.

On the red side of Manchester, Paul Scholes was complaining recently on a podcast that he was struggling to get a match ticket for a Man United game, this is a player who won dozens of titles at the club.

In this clip, they also honor a player who won the FA Cup for them 50 years ago.

Run it down to Kompany, to Fernandinho, to the new generation, Man City as a club know how to honor people. Give them that.

In fact, they missed honoring Ederson and Gundogan, guess what, they brought them back to the club yesterday, and the event today.

Their fans also feel closer to the club and players than many bigger clubs. This event was £12 and sold out. Look at the organisation.

[TobyWrites @tobyasky]

This is what I was exposing here about Spanish managers.

They have this authority and aura about them, even as players.

Fabregas is doing wonders with Como

[T @TorayKortan]

Pls.

[Esdee✮ @Wesdinho_]

This is the best dressing room speeches ever recorded on video, if not the best.

Pep is easily the goat

[TobyWrites @tobyasky]

The difference between Pep and Sir Alex is that Pep did not only transform football as a manager, he produced protégés that turned into men, to take over from where he stopped, if he ever stops.

See him telling Arsenal to stick with Mikel Arteta 5 years ago. He gave Bayern Munich a go ahead to appoint Vincent Kompany after Uli Hoeneß called him.

Maresca also interned with him, and has already won the championship, conference league and club World Cup. Arteta interned with him also and has won the premier league and FA Cup. Xavi & Xavi Alonso have both spoken of how much they learned while playing for Pep, both have league titles, the influence Pep has is crazy.

Did you read recently where a League One coach was talking about how Pep has influenced them?

I don’t think Sir Alex left such legacy or possess such influence. In fact, when talking about influence, Marcelo Bielsa will even be ahead of Sir Alex (read about his history and coaches he’s tutored, including pep himself).

This is not in any way a disrespect to Sir Alex because I’m sure some folks will take this out of context. There are existing arguments on who the greatest manager is, and this is me setting Pep apart from the rest.

He’s the GOAT.