England face Brazil tonight in a pointless, time-wasting, energy-sapping friendly international game, and Reds fans will be hoping and praying that Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard doesn't get injured during the game. Rising star Neymar is set to play in tonight's match, and in an interview today, the Brazilian maestro indirectly dissed Gerrard's ability to influence the England team.
Speaking to reporters at Brazil's training camp, Neymar dismissed England's chances at the 2014 World Cup, and suggested that Roy Hodgson's team has only one player capable of winning a game. He observed:
"England are a good team but I don't look at them as one of our main rivals for the World Cup. They rely too much on Rooney, once you look past him you don't see an obvious player who can win them a match.
"England have players to do well, but do I think they have the same quality as Spain and Argentina? No. Look at Argentina. If [Lionel] Messi is not having a great game they still have (Sergio) Aguero and (Carlos) Tevez. With Spain, if [Andres] Iniesta is having an off day, they have got Xavi and [David] Villa."
Neymar clearly doesn't rate Gerrard that highly; if he did, he would've name-checked him as an important player like he did with Aguero, Xavi et al. It's not as if the Brazilian doesn't know about Gerrard, one of the most high profile players on the planet; he just doesn't consider him to be a real match-winner.
What he's saying is not even accurate. Although he's flattered to deceived for England in the past, Gerrard is pretty consistent for the national team these days, and if Rooney is having an off day, he's proved that he can make the difference. Indeed, the Liverpool skipper has five assists in his last eight games for England, which illustrates his influence on the team.
Gerrard has probably seen Neymar's comments, and I'm sure he'll be nursing a bruised ego right now, but that just means he'll be more fired up than ever to do well against Brazil tonight.
Having said all that, as a Scot, there are few more satisfying pleasures in life than seeing England lose, so I'll be cheering for Brazil tonight, and hoping that the South Americans hammer Hodgson's dull, uninspiring, leaden-footed team.
Jaimie Kanwar
NOTE: Please stick to the Comment Policy (Click to read)
Speaking to reporters at Brazil's training camp, Neymar dismissed England's chances at the 2014 World Cup, and suggested that Roy Hodgson's team has only one player capable of winning a game. He observed:
"England are a good team but I don't look at them as one of our main rivals for the World Cup. They rely too much on Rooney, once you look past him you don't see an obvious player who can win them a match.
"England have players to do well, but do I think they have the same quality as Spain and Argentina? No. Look at Argentina. If [Lionel] Messi is not having a great game they still have (Sergio) Aguero and (Carlos) Tevez. With Spain, if [Andres] Iniesta is having an off day, they have got Xavi and [David] Villa."
Neymar clearly doesn't rate Gerrard that highly; if he did, he would've name-checked him as an important player like he did with Aguero, Xavi et al. It's not as if the Brazilian doesn't know about Gerrard, one of the most high profile players on the planet; he just doesn't consider him to be a real match-winner.
What he's saying is not even accurate. Although he's flattered to deceived for England in the past, Gerrard is pretty consistent for the national team these days, and if Rooney is having an off day, he's proved that he can make the difference. Indeed, the Liverpool skipper has five assists in his last eight games for England, which illustrates his influence on the team.
Gerrard has probably seen Neymar's comments, and I'm sure he'll be nursing a bruised ego right now, but that just means he'll be more fired up than ever to do well against Brazil tonight.
Having said all that, as a Scot, there are few more satisfying pleasures in life than seeing England lose, so I'll be cheering for Brazil tonight, and hoping that the South Americans hammer Hodgson's dull, uninspiring, leaden-footed team.
Jaimie Kanwar
NOTE: Please stick to the Comment Policy (Click to read)
He has a point. Gerrard didn't excel at international level, but who has for England in recent memory? England have some good individual players, but no-one seems to be able to turn them into a competitive team, for ages.
ReplyDeleteWhat an Rooney has? He's been quiet for England since he broke through in that 1st year
ReplyDeleteFortunately Gerrad's ego is not as bad as yours!
ReplyDeleteSo does that mean Ronaldo is rubbish too because he didnt name check him? Seriously....
ReplyDeleteIm sure Gerrard isnt concerned with what other people think of him, and if they dont rate him, then more fool them, becasue that could mean they focus too much on Rooney, and Gerrard steals the show!
Does Ronaldo play for England? Does Ronaldo play for Spain or Argentina? No, so what's your point? And who said anything about Gerrard being 'rubbish'?
ReplyDeleteIf you don't think Gerrard cares about what other people think of him then you should read his book.
Ok then, Higuain, Lavezzi, Di Maria, Fabregas, Cazorla, Mata etc... arent Rated by him either, because he didnt name check them.
ReplyDeleteMan Spain have some crazy good players lol.
I havent read his book. But seriously would he be that bothered if Neymar didnt mention him?
neymar is a joke! he thinks he is at the same level as the ronaldinho ronalo and messi. he is just another overrated south american player.
ReplyDeleteWell, he talked a lot of bullshit there, didn't he ... ??
ReplyDeleteWho cares what Neymar thinks ...
He should come over to europe and play in the best leagues of the world and perform week in week out.
He should show the world what he's got before talking like that ...
I fucking hate those modern day footballers !!!!
More pointless articles!!! Neymar did not disrespect gerrard....stop making it out that he did!! Always looking to put liverpool/ players down when you can.
ReplyDeleteGerrard has been Englands top scorer in the last 2 world cups
ReplyDeleteWhen does Rooney have an 'on day' for England? (I think that's what Aaaaa was saying in his first sentence)
ReplyDeleteHe is right in that we arent rivials, and no way near Spain. but I don`t rate Rooney at international level at all. Gerrard has prob been the best player for us for the last few years, but as a whole the England team is a let down. The players have the skill, but for one reason or another don`t play for England like they do there clubs.
ReplyDeleteIf Rooney played for England like he does for Man utd, we might win more games. Same goes for pretty much the whole team.
rooney is so overated its unbelievable the english media build these players up to be world class and truth be told not many of the english team would get into the top world teams saying that imo gerrard on his day would
ReplyDeleteyep we do over hype them. We usually finish were our ranking says we should, around 8th. It is a big leap from 8th to 1st, and also I don`t think we have had a manager who is willing to let them do there thing enough, we always look penned back, like the players are in 2nd gear.
ReplyDeleteIf you remember you wrote a while ago an article about how gerrard lost his brilliance and hes not the same anymore, you forgot already? Or you changed your mind now after some assists and goals from him?
ReplyDeletethere just not technically good enough as shown by the foriegn players who play in the prem
ReplyDeleteHe is just a small boy growing up. probably Does not watch PL football. every other PL footballer is alien to him. He probably knows Rooney because of his off the field antics and trysts
ReplyDeletesimple deduction. the rivalary between the clubs and players manifests itself when playing for country. but I could care a damn. pointless friendly with possibilities of our players coming back crocked.
ReplyDeleteBang on JASE.The technical ability of English players is no where near the level required to win tournaments.You can get away with having a few English players in a side as is proved in the CL,but you put too many together they find it really difficult to keep the ball.
ReplyDeleteUnless they produce a batch of JACK WILSHERE's they will never win anything in my life time.Pick the best technically gifted player from each PL side and count how many are English.
What are you talking about? I've never written an article arguing that Gerrard 'lost his brilliance'. You must be thinking about some other site. If I did, use the search bar at the top of the page, find the link and post it.
ReplyDeleteRooney supports Scotland. For obvious reasons.
ReplyDeleteRooney is sulking because he is not English footballer of the year. As long as Gerrard is captain he will be a hindrance and not perform unless instructed by ole......... you know who.
ReplyDeleteIt's not about being mentioned; Neymar said England have only one match-winner (Rooney), which by extension suggests that Gerrard is not a matchwinner.
ReplyDeleteGerrard clearly has a massive ego, so I have no doubt he'll feel privately slighted by the comments. Just my opinion, of course.
I got it, honestly, I knew what you meant.
ReplyDeleteAnd all the people dissing the kid are mental - he's an amazing player and he fits into the FSG mould!
Well I dont remember the title exactly how you put it but it certainly spoke about gerrard not being the same as he was, I dont know if you dont want to admit it or you cannot remember but surely you did it otherwise why would I make up this, Ive got no interests from it whatsoever just trying to be correct and fair with the fans.
ReplyDeletewatching England is a snore fest...i usually start losing interest after 20mins...everything just seems so labored....i can honestly say the only time i have found England entertaining to watch was in the world cup of 1990( i think )where gazza sobbed ...coupled with world in motion by new order
ReplyDeleteI'm not saying you made anything up, but it's possible you took something someone else said and are confusing it with me. The only article I've written about Gerrard's ability this year is the following one, about Alex Ferguson arguing that Souness is better than Gerrard:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.liverpool-kop.com/2013/01/alex-ferguson-claims-souness-superior-to-gerrard.html
Prior to that, I posted a poll in September asking fans whether they thought David Fairclough was correct that Gerrard should be dropped for a few games after poor form:
http://www.liverpool-kop.com/2012/09/should-rodgers-drop-gerrard-lfc-fans.html
In neither article did argue that Gerrard had 'lost his brilliance'.
http://www.liverpool-kop.com/2013/01/alex-ferguson-claims-souness-superior-to-gerrard.html
they will never win f"ckall full stop untill the entire grassroots structure is revamped
ReplyDeletesame here m8 last time i thought we would do anything in a tournament as well
ReplyDeleteThe last time they were entertaining for me was EURO 96.Everything since except the odd one off result has been garbage.I can't remember the last time ENGLAND had a dominant performance and win against a big nation.
ReplyDeletejaimie just read a thread on goals.con and they say neymar is thrilled to be playing against his idols gerrard and rooney
ReplyDeletegermany hesky owen and gerrarg
ReplyDeleteYou have to go back over a decade!
ReplyDeleteand it will probabley be another decade before the next one
ReplyDeleteJust wondering the reason my last comment on another article is being held ? Did it fall foul of the word filter ?
ReplyDeleteJamie, you being a Scot, everything makes sense now ;)
ReplyDeleteFrom one scot to another
Hi Chris. It got caught in the word filter due to derogatory comments directed at another poster.
ReplyDeleteHi Jaimie..Derogatory in what sense ? A person who openly admits to not meaning his comment's on this site can only be described as a troll. Is this the issue ?
ReplyDeleteI tried a rational well formed statistical based argument to the poster's constant snipping of Rodger's and Allen and over use of the word 'crap' (which I believe is in breech of the policy) and it was met with more frivolity.
I'm not upset by the use of the word crap or criticising player's or management, it's just that if your going to hold this view I believe you should be able to rationally argue why.
I enjoy a bit of banter as much as the next man, and am well able to defend any views I hold.. It's just there are a few poster's on this site who post hundred's of repetitive negative snipping comments about the manager and certain player's.. without ever posting a serious rationale of their views.. or being called to task over the issue.
I enjoy the site and like reading your's and other poster's views but I thought this site was expressly against this kind of thing.
and neymar has ?? hes as good as the press have hyped him to be.
ReplyDeletegood but not that good. cant remember gerrard missing an open goal for starters. gerrard has suffered for england due to being wasted for the likes of lampard etc. nice goal from lamps tonight though !!!
Just wondering if my reply will appear in some form and if I can expect a reply from you on this matter ?
ReplyDelete"They are a great team. I always followed England, since I was child. I liked to see (David) Beckham, Lampard, Gerrard, Rooney, among others that are idols.
ReplyDeletePutting words in Neymars mouth.
My inference is perfectly fair. If you can't handle it, that's your problem.
ReplyDeleteHi Chris. Both of your comments are live now.
ReplyDeleteChris - I agree with your points, and also agree that calling players/the manager 'crap' continuously is not acceptable. Posters who do that from now on will have they comments deleted. I try to keep on top of that kind of thing, but due to the sheer volume of comments (and time constraints), I occasionally miss some.
ReplyDeleteChallenging others to justify their views is precisely what this site is all about, and I totally agree that posters who slag off the players/manager/club should be called to task on their comments. However, whilst I agree with your points about the definition of a troll, it's preferable to attack the argument, rather than the person, even when the poster is infuriating/provocative (!)
I have to be consistent on this point otherwise the comment section will descend into sniping and insult-laden backbiting, and that's something I want to avoid.
Your views are always welcome here, and I hope see where I'm coming from.
Oh well.., Neymar has had his say and so has Gerrard.... :-)
ReplyDeleteGood result, 2-1 beating of Brazil, Gerrard Captain.. ROY HODGSON as Manager..,....
Who'd have thought....
Joe Hart is agood keeper.
I do see where your coming from and duly noted Jaimie..
ReplyDeleteMay I just say that the 'league of commentators' is, while in theroy a good idea and a bit of fun, encouraging some people to just load up on totally repetitive and sometimes nonsensical comments just to get on it..
They're are some excellent contibutors to your site( some in the top 10 league).. who like yourself I may not always agree with, but write good arguments to challenge my own thinking and observations on our great club.. and that can only be a good thing.
I appreciate you taking time out to reply.
That was on my birthday, too.
ReplyDeleteGerrard's one of the best players England has ever had and has helped win games and lead us on. His only shortcomings are the abilities of his team ates to not match his quality. Lampard is cut from similar cloth. Rooney is great when he's great but he's inconsistent and like others have said he hasn't really shown his first year potential. He's over rated just like Shearer tended to be.
ReplyDeleteHe said that Gerrard is one of his idols, along with Rooney, Lampard etc. But after tonight a one man team? Oh no, Wilshere, Gerrard, Johnson, Hart, Rooney, Walcott, etc Everyone performed where as Neymar didn't. I am a BIG fan of Neymar but him saying Gerrard is not a "match winner"? No, he's wrong.. For one example, who remembers the 2006 F.A Cup? I suppose Neymar doesn't.
ReplyDeleteSpot on CHRIS.The league of commentators has diluted the level of intelligent insight.
ReplyDeleteIm sorry but am i missing something here? When did Brazil been main rivals to anyone for the World cup again?
ReplyDeleteto be fair england have been crap for a long time. If it wasnt for the media hype no one would ever dream of thinking we had a chance to win any competition never mind the world cup. And honestly speaking I dont think our FA consider it a priority any way.
ReplyDeleteAs far as Gerrard is concerned much of his influence on a game would come via a killer pass or free kick etc so I can understand why Neymar has ignored him. Whereas Rooney would always get the headlines by scoring with a scissor kick or going past a couple of defenders etc.
On paper England have players who play for top English sides that were reaching champion league finals,semi finals. The top english clubs were dominating europe again and it does make me wonder why these players can't dominate the international game.
ReplyDeleteJust goes to show that we all can say this or that player should sign for Liverpool but it still doesn't mean they can all function as a team.
True that.
ReplyDeleteJamie, as you can tell i stick up for my team quite a bit but to delete the negative comments would take something away this format. Lets have freedom of speech and debate the points.
ReplyDeleteI try and re educate some and just enjoy the debate with others. If it gets personal then i get personal back. If someone comes on here for a wind up then i wind up back.......... Time goes by so quick at work. You have little groups of posters who back each other up in the for and against arguments and you become part of the community.
ReplyDeleteThe only way he could have offended nobody would be to list the entire England squad? Should Cole, Hart, Lampard and the rest of the squad also be offended? Also basically all the players he listed (Tevez,Messi,Aguero and Villa) are strikers
ReplyDeleteWas he talking about this?http://www.liverpool-kop.com/2012/11/roy-keane-claims-steven-gerrard-is-not-a-great-player.html
ReplyDeleteDont think you wrote about any loss of ability though!