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Andrew Crofts



Herr Tubthumper

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jul 11, 2003
62,709
The Fatherland
The point as I see it is that some players do benefit from bulking up, but others may not (if what makes them a good player is compromised by the bulk) and that the idea that all players would benefit by being more muscular is outdated. I'm not for saying that Messi isn't strong for his size, but would you want him to be bulkier if he lost some of his zip?

Noone may win more 50:50 challenges if he got bigger & stronger, but if he lost some of his pace & agility because of it, would he be a better player? However, if you could guarantee that none of our players would lose any of their pace / agility / zip / flair / whatever you want to call it; then I'd say beef the f***ers up for sure! Imagine Barcelona, with all their skill, but the size of Stoke! :ohmy:

I'm not convinced it is bulk which is needed. I think it's just the way you play, shield the ball, keep it close etc. Vicente is a slip of a man yet he keeps hold of the ball most of the time. A session of weights are needed maybe.
 
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MJsGhost

Oooh Matron, I'm an
NSC Patron
Jun 26, 2009
5,028
East
I'm not convinced it is bulk which is needed. I think it's just the way you play, shield the ball, keep it close etc. Vicente is a slip of a man yet he keeps hold of the ball most of the time. A session of weights are needed maybe.

Agreed.

Back to the Messi example, IMO some of his 'strength' (a good part of it) stems from intelligent transfer of his body weight - he is braced for the nudges as he knows when they are coming and also isn't in the same place long enough for someone to wind up to really clunk him. He's one step ahead in his head...

That said, if you had all of the above AND bulk it would be pretty tough to play against.
 


hans kraay fan club

The voice of reason.
Helpful Moderator
Mar 16, 2005
62,763
Chandlers Ford
Last two posts are bang on. 'Strength' in a footballer is very much about using your bodyweight in the right way, rather than being able to benchpress 300kg.
 


Dec 29, 2011
8,205
Valencia is a good example. Quick and agile but can deliver a hell of a lot of power in tackles or should-to-shoulder situations, much bigger than most the championship players.
 








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