I’ve always been curious how he was at Real Madrid since I never really followed him after his transfer after the 2014 WC.

  • MoodWest@alien.topB
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    1 year ago

    I can’t remember any great goal or assist that he made that was impactful enough to be remembered at a club like R Madrid

    I understand he had an amazing World Cup which prob got him the move and it’s hard for players to turn down R Madrid but I just wonder if in hindsight players like him, Hazard, Jovic etc…… realise that sometimes the grass isn’t always greener on the other side and a move like that hurts your legacy and standing in the game as your demoted to the bench

    However looking at Jude Bellingham, Benzema, C Ronaldo when u make it good at the big clubs it’s so rewarding, so I guess it depends on the player and the manager/s that it is at the club at the time

    • Curi0us_Yellow@alien.topB
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      1 year ago

      Ronaldo was already at a big club (back then) before going to Real.

      Benzema was arguably in a big club in France and was a multiple league winner before going to Madrid. So arguably from a big club too.

      Those two had already made it big. Hazard had probably made it as big as he was going to at Chelsea.

      Bellingham is the outlier. Being able to perform at a big club the way he is. That’s something special. For his sake, I’m glad he didn’t go to City. Hoping he beats Bale’s record as the most successful British footballer in time either there, or anywhere else.

  • zKlaatu@alien.topB
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    1 year ago

    he was impactful in that thanks to his signing real madrid didnt win 5 UCLs in a row, as the only season he was in the starting 11 was the one they didnt win because of the unbalanced midfield.

    they never shouldve bought him, they shouldve kept di maria.

    • justthisones@alien.topB
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      1 year ago

      That’s a pretty confident statement. They could very easily also have one blank in their insane UCL final resume if they managed to get into that final, no matter the players. Barca was capable of taking out anyone that season.

    • Izio17@alien.topB
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      1 year ago

      this guy didn’t watch or doesn’t remember 2015

      James was a midfielder of the year for a reason. Real Madrid ran out of steam in the second half of the season. Modric, Bale, Ramos, etc all missed significant game time and the results slumped. It wasn’t because James was starting that they missed out.

  • Interfan14@alien.topB
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    1 year ago

    They had so many attacking players that he never got much playing time. Back then with only 3 changes per game,there wasnt much space for him to play. Real Madrid didnt need to buy him imo. He would of been better off playing elsewhere .

  • itsjohn_stamos@alien.topB
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    1 year ago

    The 4-4-2 with Isco and James on the wings, modric and Kroos in the middle and Ronaldo + Benz up top shouldn’t of worked but it was beautiful

  • dolphin37@alien.topB
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    1 year ago

    Not at all really. Luxury player in the era where the luxury player died out really

  • Ninja_9XD@alien.top
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    1 year ago

    I idolized him so much during the World Cup. Wasted himself in Real Madrid just like Hazard. Such as shame as I thought he suited that club perfectly

  • Showmeproveit@alien.topB
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    1 year ago

    He was impactful his first season, but to field multiple offensive players at the same time was not feasible. That 4-0 loss to Barca at home was really bad, and he was sacrificed if my memory serves me right.

    • SukhdevR34@alien.topB
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      1 year ago

      Yes obviously because someone of his quality would stand out more playing with Alex Iwobi than Cristiano Ronaldo

  • showmethenoods@alien.topB
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    1 year ago

    Probably should have kept Ozil in hindsight. I know he wanted to go, but he was a much more impactful player than James

      • snakesforfingers@alien.topB
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        1 year ago

        I don’t think Ozil had a reputation for laziness in Spain. Could be wrong, but I only remember that criticism really taking shape at Arsenal

        • Thelostsoulinkorea@alien.topB
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          1 year ago

          He was more consistent with Madrid and they were a better team than Arsenal. So his play wasn’t as noticeable. I’m not trying to say he wasn’t great, just I feel younger fans watch his videos are overhype him.

          • snakesforfingers@alien.topB
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            1 year ago

            That’s true. I also think it points to different teams needing different things from players. Arsenal were supposed to be a high pressing team whereas Real Madrid in that time were very counterattacking. He was expected to run a lot more for Arsenal so it stood out that he was bad at it.

            • Thelostsoulinkorea@alien.topB
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              1 year ago

              That’s fair. They did counter a lot and he was able to sit and collect the ball, before releasing it or using it himself.

              I still think he was a bit lazy with Madrid too. I always felt with a bit more effort he could have been world class and remembered as an all timer. But for me, he just never reached that level enough and that’s why he was great but not world class. (I say world class as top 5. I don’t like using the word for every body.)

      • Lordofgap@alien.topB
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        1 year ago

        That’s not true they wanted to play 4-3-3 and he didn’t fit in that “‘ lazy “ was created my British media

        • Thelostsoulinkorea@alien.topB
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          1 year ago

          He coasts through games, and has nothing to do with the British media. The man could be a genius but he was not a big game player at all.

      • Welshy94@alien.topB
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        1 year ago

        Football is a team game and one player being “lazy” wouldn’t cost a squad as talented as that Madrid team trophies. He was an integral part of one of the few la liga winning teams Madrid has had since 2010, and went on to win a world cup and 4 fa cups. He was no more lazy than Isco, James or even Zizou himself.

        • Thelostsoulinkorea@alien.topB
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          1 year ago

          Isco was off and on as a start for most of those wins. Ozil would never have been content with that.

          The Madrid team Zidane played in had too many creative players and needed more steel. There’s a reason they didn’t win more.

          The fa cup is barely worth a shout when you were part of a team that should have been doing more.

      • TopicalStormCloud@alien.topB
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        1 year ago

        He has this body language and languid demeanour that gave him the tag of being “lazy”. Ozil was a baller and a class player.

    • JimPalamo@alien.topB
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      1 year ago

      Ozil’s link up with Ronaldo was great to watch for the brief period they were together.