9 Mar 2015

'Top Class': Toure claims 'amazing' £10m star is better than Henderson. Deluded?

Give me strength. The cloying deification of Emre Can continues apace this week, with Kolo Toure the latest in a long line of people grossly overhyping the German midfielder.

Earlier this month, Reds boss Brendan Rodgers claimed that Can is on the path to becoming a 'world-class' at Liverpool, and in an interview today, Toure gushed like a giddy schoolgirl when asked about the midfielder's ability. He told reporters:

“He’s a leader. He has been playing outstandingly at the back and in midfield, he’s a very strong player.

“Right now, Jordan Henderson is very good, but there’s no doubt this boy is going to be a king here. He is a top player, who can make a difference in games.

“He can score goals, his work-rate is amazing and there is no better player.”


There's 'no better player' than Can? What is Toure talking about? Of course there are better players, both at Liverpool and at other clubs, and making such ridiculous claims is counter-productive and irresponsible.

Toure is clearly hinting here that Can - who cost the Reds £10m - is a more effective player and/or leader than Jordan Henderson, but with all due respect, that's nonsense, and it's arguably tantamount to publicly dissing LFC's vice-captain. Unlike Can, Henderson has actually achieved something at Liverpool (helping the club finish 2nd last season), and he's come into his own this season as an attack-minded box-to-box midfielder.

Comparatively speaking, Can has done *nothing* at Liverpool, yet he's persistently lauded like he's some kind of football genius. I just don't get it. From where I'm standing, he's basically done his job: defend, pass, and move the ball around. There's nothing exceptional about his game, and with one exception this season (an assist), his much-vaunted passing is functional rather than creative and/or game-changing.

Toure basically dismisses Henderson, and hails Can's alleged ability to score goals and 'make a difference in games', but the irony is that' it's Henderson who is consistently making a vital impact for Liverpool this season, not Can.

I go on about this issue regularly, but seriously, how can comments like Toure's be justified? Do fans seriously believe that he's 'amazing', and that there's 'no better player' at Anfield than Can? How is grossly overhyping a young player to this extent beneficial?

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33 comments:

  1. Rodgers has a tendency to talk up his payers but surely they see the ability of the lad on a daily basis and feel he has all the tools.

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  2. No one should speak well of anyone, and everyone should play for free.

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  3. Down with positivity.

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  4. Yes, just keep making excuses for this irresponsible overhype. How can the comment 'there's no better player' be credibly justified? It's ridiculous.

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  5. You don't honestly think Toure wholeheartedly believes all that, do you? It's all politics. Someone asked him about Can, and he answered favorably. It's not like he's standing on a soapbox in city center randomly singing the praises of our new #23.

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  6. I disagree with your assessment, what I see is a player with a real presence and confidence on the ball. Hard to shrug off and likes to bring ball out from deep to support attacking players. Only 21, 1st season and will get better, plus kolo sees him at close quarters in training sessions and he has played with some quality players in his career. Prob sees a bit potential to be like yaya.

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  7. Toure has no reason to lie, or bend the truth he's a happy man. More experienced than most. I'd trust his opinion more than anyone's. He was bang on about Coutinho too. If it was Moreno or Manquillo making the comments I'd take them with a pinch of salt.

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  8. It's possible to answer favourably without going stupidly over the top. Plus, he's indirectly dismissed Henderson, which could cause a problem in the dressing room. It's irresponsible because it just adds to the media hype about Can, which in turn creates unhelpful pressure on him to live up to all these ridiculous labels.

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  9. Steven Gerrard also sees players at close quarters, and he compared Joe Cole to Lionel Messi. The judgment of footballers is not infallible.

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  10. I understand your point and even agree with you to some extent, but the players know the game of politics. I believe a lot of them - and Can strikes me as one of these - see the hype for what it is and allow it to roll off their backs --- or in Can's case, off his perfectly greased hair.

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  11. Geez you dragged that one up from the vaults. Just going with what I've seen of him coupled with an experienced pro who's been at three top clubs. We will see in time, I do not think these comments put undue pressure on him. Playing in big games with us is pressure and when he gets a cap with the national squad that will raise the bar. This is what any top pro wants the chance to succeed at the highest level. If he performs well, then compliments will come.

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  12. Is anyone really that bothered about what Toure says about Can? It's such a trivial, insignificant problem to even consider worrying about. I can't see how you get so angry and worked up about it Jaimie.

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  13. What you're saying is ridiculous. Your arguments are worse than Kolo's jokes.

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  14. Careful for praising his hair... We do not want him going all head & shoulders on us or the German equivalent.....but I must get hold of whatever product he uses, it's perfect!

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  15. I look at it from Koko's viewpoint. He's a defender and sees things from a defensive viewpoint. I think Çan is a better defender than Hendo by a mile. I can see Kolo favoring Çan. I don't see Çan as better on the opposite end of the field. But I can see Kolo's point.

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  16. I think it's Dapper Dan, a la George Clooney in O Brother, Where Art Thou?

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  17. It would appear there is nothing else happening at Liverpool worth talking about other than players being over-hyped. By now I know everyone who posts on this site's opinion on this issue and then some. I don't see how you think this is such a major issue that it's worth discussing 2-3 times a day, especially when there is nothing to suggest this alleged over-hype is having any kind of negative impact on our team whatsoever. It's part of professional sport, get over it

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  18. Cans a good player and will turn out to be an integral cog in the LFC machine moving forward. Kolos comments are a bit over the top granted but he appears to be a positive, optimistic type of person who took the opportunity to big up the young player being and senior figure at the club. I think we all can see what Kolo was suggesting with Can in highlighting his huge potential.

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  19. Ahhh that makes sense good movie too. Talking of dapper dan, metro has just again linked us with dani alves coming in Johnson going out, not the most reliable of sources I know. But if he had choice between us with coutinho et al or united at present, footballing wise would be a no brainier. But money talks.

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  20. I'm starting to wonder if players and managers in England have a tough time grasping the English language.


    I can't come up with any other reason they can say so many stupid things so often. Unless they are just flat out stupid themselves (which is a distinct possibility)

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  21. I'm more puzzled by the fact that he brought up Henderson's name (seemingly unprovoked). What does Jordan Henderson have to do with Emre Can at this moment, and why would anyone on the team state that they feel one player is better than the other. I read the whole article, Jaimie and you summed it up pretty well here. I would love to know the question that the reporter asked (more specifically if the reporter referred to Henderson). If the reporter asked about Henderson and left it out of the article then that's highly questionable journalism on his part to give us the impression that Kolo brought up the comparison without a specific reference.

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  22. Emre can has more or less just come into the team,but from what we see is performing much better then Henderson ever did when he first come in.Can shows leadership qualities in his confidence with the ball,his cool calm outlook, and his reading of play.Henderson only started to read the play when Suarez was around, because Suarez demanded the ball from him and he was forced to learn.What I'm getting at is, Emre Can is already at leadership quality and will only get better.Henderson is not a leader, and doesn't have leadership qualities,B.R only wants a puppet on a string,and Henderson is that for him.

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  23. Don't be so greedy... they should be paying us to watch them play

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  24. Charlie Adam's corners are worth 10 million pounds alone!


    Still can't believe Kenny fell for the joke

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  25. I didn't see any diss there.

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  26. Jaimie - you sure do like to bring up any form of negativity towards Can. That's two articles today alone. I don't get it. He's twice the player Henderson was in their respective first seasons at the club. Can is likely the best purchase from the summer (Lovren and Mario at the opposite end of that scale).

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  27. Irresponsible according to your own, out of context version of evidence

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  28. Emre Can is probably on cloud nine with the special praise he's getting from Rodgers and his teammates.
    I'm sure Can is mentally strong enough not to let a few positive statements deflect future development.Maybe there would be a case for it being counter-productive if we saw a dip in standards, but I doubt that will happen.
    The phrase making a mountain out of a molehill springs to mind.A player receives praise from Manager and players.It happens all the time.Nothing to see here.I'm done with this topic.

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  29. Compare henderson first year to Cans, everyone hated henderson, Can has been alot more consistent but i would expect an article like this from jamie, emre hasnt played a bad game yet but wont get praised by jamie (wog hater). He is one of the reason why our defence is better and his ball use alows us to attack as well for 10 mill bargain fuck you jamie this is last time i even look at this shit undercover manc site suck my dick

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  30. I think the only contraversial thing here is the suggestion that Henderson would take offence to the praise of his colleague. Toure's reference to Henderson was to acknowledge him as the deserved rightfull captain at the moment, which was in response to a question concerning fans comments about Emre Can being a possible liveprool captain in the future... See the difference in context? Why create hype where there is none? "There is no better player". Again, not a claim about Emre as a footballer but about the profile of a player with high work rate. That was him giving credit to the kind of footballer who works hard on a football pitch. Watch the interview on LFC TV and this will be clearer. The claim that Emre Can's output on the pitch is standard and ordinary is a shock to me and I'm sure would be many LFC fans and his
    colleagues who work with him on a daily basis. Didn't John Glensons performance at RCB yesterday show just how difficult a position that was to occupy. Emre Can has been disrespected here when showing a player who has played in defence most of the season only has one assist... Of all the stats to look for in a defender an attacking stat is what is studied... His passing which has been deemed 'functional' is key to build up play that begins from the back. Something we haven't always been great at. "defend, pass, and move the ball around", the attributes that have been deemed ordinary are attributes Dejan Lovren could really do with now and might kill for. If he had two of those three, the Kop wouldn't be so nervous most times he takes his touch. Joe Allen when imediately returning back from injury was accused also of being exactly the same. Simple, ordinary, straight-forward and 'functional' as he didn't score or create goals. Now his contribution to a team that is orientated around posession football is appriciated because of his pass completion and pace-making. Moving the ball around is not as meaningless as people might think and it's easier siad than done: ask John Glenson...

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  31. Some very good points mate

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  32. If he develops properly, Emre Can has a potential to be the next Yaya Toure. Although, I very much doubt it.

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  33. As usual Jaimie writes utter garbage. This guy is a joke.

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