Luka Modric interview on Football Focus

[jezz]

I remember all these players and I think Modric was better than any of them. Different talents and strengths but Hoddle was so naturally gifted but looked better than he was as the game was so slow and we were shit most of the time. Great natural ability but not the hardest worker. Waddle was great for us for a season or two but I'd rather have Ginola. Gazza was potentially great but over rated (because he was English) by many for what he actually did. England were crying out for a star at the time and he came the closest to it but he wasted it so badly.
Bale was the best of the lot but I prefer the type of player Modric was for us - he made everyone around him better. To me Ardiles is the closest thing in our history that compares.

When I say our history I mean the last 40 years or so that I remember.

Gazza wasted his talent but he had loads more than Modric.
Modric is world class but Gazza was a once in a generation footballer.

 

[diamond lights]

Gazza wasted his talent but he had loads more than Modric.
Modric is world class but Gazza was a once in a generation footballer.

Couldn't agree. Gazza caught the eye and had bundles of ability but give me a Modric all day long. He is reliable and professional and Gazza was the opposite. When we needed him in the cup final he went awol. He was good but he believed it when people told him he was great.
The evidence is there to see. If he managed himself properly, which is part of being a great player, he could have won a bundle of medals. What'd he win? An FA Cup winners medal and he was in hospital at the time because of a crazy tackle.

 

[Pellshek]

Chicken badge.

No hard feelings though. He played well, and seemed to give his best, after his Chelsea move fell through, despite a bit of initial stroppiness. He's a bit of a plank, but an outstanding player.

 

[Japhet]

Typical 'talk is cheap' sort of interview. On one hand he talks about the help and support he was given and says how much he loved his time here but conveniently forgets about trying to bugger off to Chelsea and going awol in order to get his move to RM. Great little player but it takes more than that to be considered one of the 'Greats' IMO.

 

[Shadydan]

He got tapped up by Chelsea offered riches and CL football then he got his head down and stayed for another season and was instrumental in our push for 4th so I forgave him for that.

I got no animosity towards him, great player and one of the best I've seen don the white shirt.

 

[GutBucket]

Him and Bale still follow us and watch our games, I like that. I always liked midfielders that could control the tempo like Xavi, Pirlo and Modric, not many like that left in the world right now.

 

[danielneeds]

Couldn't agree. Gazza caught the eye and had bundles of ability but give me a Modric all day long. He is reliable and professional and Gazza was the opposite. When we needed him in the cup final he went awol. He was good but he believed it when people told him he was great.
The evidence is there to see. If he managed himself properly, which is part of being a great player, he could have won a bundle of medals. What'd he win? An FA Cup winners medal and he was in hospital at the time because of a crazy tackle.

To be fair the previous poster said that Modric has done better with his talent, but Gazza could do all the things Modric can - receive the ball in tight areas, play one touch passing, set a team's tempo, but he could do things Modric never has done. Driving through the middle of the park, putting people on their arse for fun, scoring all sorts of goals, inside and outside the box.

Obviously Modric is a manager's dream, great pro, superb talent, but Gazza was something unique and even more special. Just a shame he pissed it away.

 

[Shea]

2 most memorable spurs community modric episodes

1. The guy maintained for years that he was no better than Steed

2. The bs ITK about him being asked how he can leave after the fans cheered his name in a pre season friendly by Niko and responded that he couldn't (only to be wearing a Real shirt a few weeks later)

He was a truly world class player and it was a pleasure to see him represent our club so well for so long.

I only hope that in the coming years some of our current crop can reach the type of levels he operates at. For my money one of the very best midfielders of this era

 

[Sevens]

Gazza wasted his talent but he had loads more than Modric.
Modric is world class but Gazza was a once in a generation footballer.

Agreed. Gazza could've been the best footballer in the world. That injury in the final finished him and he went from being world class to merely a good player after that. But despite his young age for 18 months, Gazza was a classes above what Modric has ever been. I wouldn't put him in the Messi bracket, but he was certainly up there with your Zidane's and C.Ronaldo's.

 

[Sevens]

Not to sound condescending at all to our overseas fans/fans who cannot feasibly get to watch us, who i am sure if they could they would have been at the lane, but Modric really was a player who to really appreciate what he did you HAD to watch him live, every single pass that supporters would call from the stands he would play (bearing in mind we as fans are watching from the stands and can see the whole pitch), he truely was a joy to watch and one of the greatest footballers iv seen live, such a talent and despite the shit he pulled with him forcing the move, i will always feel honoured to have watched him pull on the lillywhite.

My biggest complaint about Modric was that he was often shite against stronger teams in pressure games. His touch would let him down, his usually accurate passing would go astray etc. He really struggled with the pressure. He seems to have gotten over that at Real Madrid though.

 

[Sevens]

For me, he is behind Glenn Hoddle, Paul Gascoigne, Chris Waddle and Gareth Bale.

I'd say in terms of style of play the closest comparison would be Ardiles. Ossie was superior to Modric in almost every department.

 

[Sevens]

I remember all these players and I think Modric was better than any of them. Different talents and strengths but Hoddle was so naturally gifted but looked better than he was as the game was so slow and we were shit most of the time. Great natural ability but not the hardest worker. Waddle was great for us for a season or two but I'd rather have Ginola. Gazza was potentially great but over rated (because he was English) by many for what he actually did. England were crying out for a star at the time and he came the closest to it but he wasted it so badly.
Bale was the best of the lot but I prefer the type of player Modric was for us - he made everyone around him better. To me Ardiles is the closest thing in our history that compares.

When I say our history I mean the last 40 years or so that I remember.

Modric better than Hoddle?! I never saw George Best or Bobby Charlton but since I've been following football (1980) Hoddle isn't just the best player I have seen to grace the English game, he is out there by some margin. I'd actually go as far to say that he is the third best player I've ever seen, behind Maradona and Messi.

 

[Veuve Clicquot]

Fair enough if you don't like him, but no there was no need for the idiotic homophobic comment.

@Woodyy why have you rated this as spam? Are we supposed to ignore offensive (in this case homophobic) comments?

 

[Woodyy]

@Woodyy why have you rated this as spam? Are we supposed to ignore offensive (in this case homophobic) comments?

Was it really that bad? Jesus..

 

[Veuve Clicquot]

Was it really that bad? Jesus..

There shouldn't be any tolerance of homophobic, racist or sexist comments on public forums, regardless of how 'not bad' you think they are. Sorry to the mods for being off topic but I have to respond to this.

 

[diamond lights]

Modric better than Hoddle?! I never saw George Best or Bobby Charlton but since I've been following football (1980) Hoddle isn't just the best player I have seen to grace the English game, he is out there by some margin. I'd actually go as far to say that he is the third best player I've ever seen, behind Maradona and Messi.

Would love to agree and much as I loved him as a player I think we look at him through Spurs tinted glasses. I think he was on a par with Le Tissier and the like but I think we forget he had some awful games where he was pretty ineffective. The same happens here in Belfast when George Best is mentioned. Brilliant as he was people here claim he was the best ever. I agree with you that Maradoni and Messi are the two ahead of anyone else.

 

[Sevens]

Would love to agree and much as I loved him as a player I think we look at him through Spurs tinted glasses. I think he was on a par with Le Tissier and the like but I think we forget he had some awful games where he was pretty ineffective. The same happens here in Belfast when George Best is mentioned. Brilliant as he was people here claim he was the best ever. I agree with you that Maradoni and Messi are the two ahead of anyone else.

He was head and shoulders above Le Tissier! That's nothing to do with Spurs tinted spectacles. And all players have awful games where they are ineffective. Every time I saw Ronaldo live at WHL he was anonymous. Bale's last season with us is described as a wonder season and yet people forget that when switched to a free role his all round play was generally poor and glossed over by the fact he kept popping up with wonder goals.

Hoddle did struggle with injuries and the game was much different back then (bad pitches, ruthless defensive players literally getting away with breaking people's legs etc) but when he was fit he was amazing. He could do everything Le Tissier could do and a lot more besides. Best first touch I've ever seen, best passer I have ever seen, best dead ball specialist I have ever seen, most two footed player I have ever seen (including Nedved), best long range shot I have ever seen. To this day I haven't seen another player who can put as much back backspin on long range passes that Hoddle did. The amount of times it would fool defenders and goalkeepers who would look like misjudging fools rushing out to intercept a pass that simply stopped dead or slow down (I even saw one roll back once) when it hit the deck.

In today's game Hoddle would be worth £150m. Playing on these modern pitches and not having lumps kicked out of you every game. It's actually scary to think how good he would be. He'd literally be untouchable.

All I can think of is that you don't actually remember much of Hoddle. Let me refresh you. And bear in mind that back in those days cameras weren't at every ground....

 

[ILS]

Along with Scholes he is one of my two favourite footballers in the last 20 years. Loved the way he received the ball with his back to play and with a drop of the shoulder was turned and moving the ball up the pitch. Little magician and one I make my 6 year old concentrate on when watching real, makes football seem a very simple game.

 

[danielneeds]

Would love to agree and much as I loved him as a player I think we look at him through Spurs tinted glasses. I think he was on a par with Le Tissier and the like but I think we forget he had some awful games where he was pretty ineffective. The same happens here in Belfast when George Best is mentioned. Brilliant as he was people here claim he was the best ever. I agree with you that Maradoni and Messi are the two ahead of anyone else.

Le Tissier basically had no responsibilities in a team that never really competed for trophies. It was a case or him turning it on when and if he felt like it. Glenn ran our midfield, when we were a competitive team winning trophies domestically and in Europe. No comparison.

 

[Gaz_Gammon]

For me, he is behind Glenn Hoddle, Paul Gascoigne, Chris Waddle and Gareth Bale.

And a country fucking mile behind Ardiles.