A Conversation for Talking Point: Football

Eric Cantona

Post 1

Bright Blue Shorts

One of the greats? Or media hype?

He did at least get a song about him ... ooh, aah Cantona smiley - smiley
Always good for a quote although the sack of s**t one may not get past the moderators.

BBS


Eric Cantona

Post 2

androyd

A great player but had a petty violent streak which stopped him from ultimately fulfilling his potential on a world stage. Never mind the assault on that fan, he committed several unprovoked assaults on opposition players which by and large went unremarked on by his adoring media seagulls, but were the reason he left France in the first place.


Eric Cantona

Post 3

Orcus

That chant started as Ooh Aah Paul McGrath didn't it?

Wasn't he recently voted by the fans of said club as their best ever.
Me thinks that'll be the bunch of fiteen year old Man U fans voting as he most certainly was not up there with Best Charlton and Duncan Edwards.

(Incidentally, I watched that assault on the Palace fan. Didn't the guy run down from the back of the stand to hurl racist abuse at him? Some might say he asked for it)


Eric Cantona

Post 4

androyd

My daughter used to rate Cantona, her being a dedicated Gooner and all all but one incident made her change her mind. It was at Highbury and United had just had an attack about fifteen minutes into the match which had gone out for a goal-kick - all the players were walking back up the pitch. Cantona on seeing that Winterburn had turned his back and that the ref was also not looking, ran across the pitch and raked his studs hard down the back of Nutty's legs for no apparent reason. I'm sure Nutty had said something at some point previously, he is certainly no angel, but it was certainly not in the most recent phase of play and the two were actually playing on opposite sides of the pitch and hadn't been involved in any tackles up to that point. It was in fact the most gratuitously premeditated assault I have ever seen on someone who had his back turned with the ball out of play. This was not a niggling stamp or elbow or even punch thrown in the heat of the moment. Le grand Eric would not be able to play in the current climate in England and his temper stopped him from reaching the heights of greatness.


Eric Cantona

Post 5

Orcus

That indeed is an incident not worthy smiley - sadface
Maradonna also had a temperament like this. I remember watching him get booed off the pitch at the Nou Camp in the Spanish World Cup for such an incident. He was soon to be playing for Barcelona.
Never liked Maradonna, and have to admit, although i somewhat defended his actions above, I never particularly liked Cantona either. Can't say as I would have minded having either in my side mind. One of Liverpool's greats is Graeme Souness, not the nicest of characters either (and he played side by side with Jimmy Case - I would not have fancied playing against either - let alone the two together).


Eric Cantona

Post 6

NexusSeven

Does every successful side need a 'bad boy' then? That roguish, aggressive or malicious element that makes a side tick?


Eric Cantona

Post 7

androyd

I wouldn't have fancied meeting either of them in the street for that matter!!! Case was a great player for Liverpool in his day butwould he get into the current side - I think not. If he did he wouldn't be there for long!!smiley - smiley


Eric Cantona

Post 8

androyd

Every successful side needs one or two 'ballwinners' otherwise you just sit back and let the opposition do their best which is never a sound policy. These are players who are prepared to put in a robust tackle/challenge in midfield, who close down opposition players wuickly and deny them time and space to pick passes. However the likes of Maradona and Cantona were never in the style of Souness et al whose came from a hard but fair give it and take it without moaning school of thought. Maradona and Cantona and to an extent Beckham are more of the niggling/reaction type of lashing out/kicking in retaliation to a real or imagined slight school. Not genuine hard men but skillful players with a short fuse.


Eric Cantona

Post 9

NexusSeven

On the subject of ballwinners, I remember some sort of documentary or somesuch a few years back that detailed the build-up to the '66 World Cup finals, and the setup of the England team.

Apparently Alan Ball's whole game plan, as dictated by Sir Alf Ramsey, was to "get the ball and give it to Bobby [Charlton]".

smiley - biggrin Now that's what I call coaching at its finest. smiley - winkeye


Eric Cantona

Post 10

androyd

Exactly - a classic ballwinners job is to get the ball off the oppositions talented players and give it to your own - its a talent in itself.


Eric Cantona

Post 11

Orcus

So what's the gameplan of American Samoa's ballwinner? smiley - bigeyes


Eric Cantona

Post 12

Eusebio - squad number 11

Re. "Ooh Aah Cantona"; we had a great laugh when Wrexham played Manchester United in the FA Cup at Old Trafford.
This was United's first game without Cantona following his forray into the Selhurst Park terraces, and a group of us Wrexham fans unfurled a huge banner proclaiming ...
"Ou est Cantona?" smiley - biggrin

Of course we never got credit for this piece of genius as every other club in the land jumped onto the chant!

It was at this game we also had the chance to taunt the United fans with "Are you Chester in disguise?" when we went 1-0 up!!!!


Eric Cantona

Post 13

Orcus

Love good chants smiley - oksmiley - oksmiley - ok
In fact, another thread is required for this smiley - biggrin


Eric Cantona

Post 14

Dinsdale Piranha

Every team that hopes to achieve something must have a ballwinner, e.g., Bryan Robson, and a 'hard man', e.g., Stuart Pearce, Ron 'Chopper' Harris, Graeme Souness, etc. The first to give your flair players something to work with, the second to stop the opposition taking liberties. Sometimes these two roles are combined, as with Roy Keane, but a team without both won't win consistently.


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