[EclipsE]

This was the first time I saw Galatasaray play a whole game (not just highlights). I was so impressed by Hagi's performance in this game. He was the brain behind almost all of Galatasaray's attacks. He made nice flicks, dribbles, backheel's you name it. Even the English fans gave him a round of applause when he tryed to send Hakan Sukur on a breaj away with an in the air back heel. If it the defender didn't manage to deflect it, it would of worked too!!

The second thing player that stood out was Hakan Sukur. This guy had great ball control for a big guy. His second goal was world class. He got by to Leeds defenders and rifled a hard low shot past Martyn. I hope to see him on a big club next year.

Anybody else see this game??

 

[giani_82]

I've seen it
Hagi is great, before, now and forever. There are just players that read through the game. It's amazing. Their experience, class, skills, confidence, this is what is going to be remembered. Even now I get impressed with players like him (the veterans of Levski played far better than our team, well I'm exaggerating, but they CAN). And Gheorghe is among these great players.
As about Hakan, he is a nice awl for the defence of the opponents , he is classy player, and may be he can also become a legend as Ghika.

 

[Argentina]

hagi played well, and so did his whole offensive line...they played a smart counterattack on leeds....hakan sukur was the best galatasaray player without a doubt..he was the main threat in the leeds box....i dont think there was an applaud for hagi's pass, it was an applaud that the defence cleared it...hehe they were boooing the team the whole game....there was no respect given to galatasaray at all...even when there was a minute of silence for the death of 2 leeds fans.

 

[EclipsE]

Giani: when you said the veterans of Levski played better or CAN play better than the rest of the team, it struck a thought:

It seems like the Balkan players get better with age. They get wiser, better vision it seems and they just become more well rounded. This is not a good thing because no one wants to have their players at their best and with a high age. Just look at Suker and Boban at the world cup. However, there are exceptions (for now atleast). (i.e. Chivu, Ilie, Mutu, Simic, Stankovic, etc) Hopefully, the Balkan players can be at their best when they are 27-28 not 31-32.

Again, this is just a thought, I may be proven wrong.

 

[Argentina]

i think that is a problem...balkan players get good when they are late in their prime....they dont become players that are young and great right away...they take too long.i think illie hasnt played to his highest skills...he is going to get wiser in a few years and play very smart football....as for chivu, he is young and dont expect him to be solid at the back..he will make mistakes that will cost you in a big compitition if you decide to start him in one. stankovic has been disapointing and that is why that lazio wants to sell him...like other eastern european players, he will be good when he is 28 or 29

 

[giani_82]

Yep, EclipsE, they are like wine, they get better with ages, still I don't think recently there are players like Lacatus and Sirakov, Iskrenov, Hagi, Savicevic, Prosinecki around cauz football is now mostly money. These players were hot even when they were young. And experience makes them involved more deeply into the game. Since we depend much more on technique than on physique. So with the experience they know how to compensate for this lack of physique, and since their technique is high level it helps them improve their movement, determination, look over the game, faster reaction, etc. I know some of this from experiencing it myself. And as argentina said, they are the best at the age of 28-29. Later, it seems to me they also improve, but their physique fades because of the poor training they got back here. There is one more thing, some players like Hristov who went out later got a very bad injury just because his condition from Bulgaria is very low. In young players that could be fixed, BUT our youngsters are not like the others. They are easily affected, and their moral goes lower once they are reserves for too long.
I really doubt if we should let these guys so young- they will get better training and salary, but they might be ruined.

 

[EclipsE]

Hmm, interesting comments giani.

I am wondering why you think the training is so bad in our countries compared to italy, spain. Is it the training facilities simply?

 

[giani_82]

First of all, in many of the provincial teams the methods for training are from prehystoric times-at least from ten years before. Even at some of the major clubs. I have heard from a player in such a club that he does not even get tired at training. And there is some observations I made. When Ljupko Petrovic came to Levski, our team changed totally. We pressed Juve the whole match at Sofia. The players said his trainings are different every time. And he (responsible for Zvezda's triumph in 1991 more or less) updates his info about football as soon as he could get. Having in mind that coaches like him are one from 10000000 in Bulgaria, I think the performance of Levski was an exception. And the other teams get tired before half time, having in mind they play against "world powers" as Shumen.

 

[EclipsE]

Hopefully, our gopd damn post- communist governments will donate some money to the football federations.

 

[carlito]

i THINK GALATASARAY PLAYED A GREAT GAME LED BY HAGI, HAKAN, AND TAFFAREL. YOU SHOULD NOT FORGET THE EFFORTS OF TAFFAREL. EUROSPORT CHOSE HIM THE MAN OF THE NIGHT.
THE TEAM AS A WHOLE PLAYS A VERY SMART GAME. THEY USE THE OFFENSIVE LINES PERFECTLY. THEY HAVE GREAT COUNTER ATTACKING LINES.

 

[giani_82]

At least our federation does not get anything. Even if it gets the people in it would send the money to some accounts in the foreign banks .

 

[EclipsE]

carlito: forgot about taffarel, oops, he was kicking a$$.

giani: yah, its a shame there is so many scandals in our leagues. I bet the profits the owners make just go in their pocket, they probably don't think twice about upgrading their club.

 

[giani_82]

Ohh, the club presidents are weird. There is one that spent 10 mil marks for his team for five years, and they did get no trophy. Another put some dirty money into football, he lost some of them, but they are all as clean as a toilet once the water is released.
There are so many kind of presidents, I doubt whether we are circus or something.

 

[Nick54]

oh and sucked in to Leeds, the pommy bastards r out.

 

[Guest]

Galatasaray fully deserved the win and i really wish them the best luck against arseholes sorry imeant arse nil holes

im very happy that they showed the english that even without fans there good and remember that the turks got it hard i really think that uefa was rascist in lettin no fans comin to elland road ne way

forza galatasaray

comon galatasaray you can do the english again (inshallah)