Kane, Olise, Mbappe or Yamal for the Ballon d’Or? Rio & Giggs Pick Their Winners | The Debrief

0:00Guessing is for game shows, not your business. Workday is the enterprise AI platform for HR, finance and IT. With AI grounded in your context to get work done and done right. It's a new Workday. And what I love, and he did it a couple of times in the World Cup, he's at full speed and then everything just slows down with that pass. Where he's running at full speed, he's got players all around him. One for Mbappe you're talking about. Yeah, and he just produces that pass, just the right time, the right pace. And that is just, you can't teach that. That you've just got that calmness when everything around you is just chaos.

0:38And you just produce that pass.

0:43Before we get stuck into the Ballon d 'Or, right, do you know your highest ever placing in the Ballon d 'Or voting? No. I think it was 22nd in 1999. Was it? The fact that you don't know you didn't care did you? I don't think it was a big thing No it wasn't a big thing the Ballon d 'Or then we didn't know what it was it's obviously huge now in the last 20 years it's been huge but yeah it was nothing that you were really thinking about growing up You didn't go oh he's a great player by the way he's won the Ballon d 'Or did you? Whereas the Cristiano Messi era now if anyone wins that now it's like that's like one of the biggest things above winning in Champions League and even for some people for these kids in this generation it's crazy You know, we'll talk about the Ballon d 'Or now.

1:26When you're picking your player to win it in this year, are you talking about best technical player, player who had the best season, scored the most goals, best stats, like a player who's most won in your team? What is the differing factor for you? I think it's probably consistency, big moments, entertaining for me. Does he get you off your seat and yeah at times at his best it's just unplayable. I always think that is it does this player walk into every team as well does he get into every team in the world now there's no team he can't get into otherwise I don't think he should be considered the best player let's start with Harry Kane then 73 goals for club and country in the calendar year what part of his game do you look at and go I admire it that's it that's a super strength that.

2:14That he can score at any point in the game no matter how he was doing normally he disappears i wouldn't say he disappears but he just floats around he's just evolved his game just so well where he's not up front center forward he's just floating around he's dropping deep he's pinging balls but he always seems to be there at the right moment and he can score every type of goal and once he gets it on that right foot 25 yards out no matter where he is no matter if there's defenders in front of him he's got that shift and that power and that precision to score any type of goal but he's just just floats around the pitch he smells the game a little bit you're just sensing where the game's going it feels like yeah so it's not on that first pass it's right where's the next pass go where am i going to be am i going to be end of crosses am i going to drop deep shoot he's just yeah i mean at the moment he's just the complete center forward talking about dropping deep you played in that role sometimes where you played as a, not a striker, but you played as a 10 sometimes in that hole at different points in your career.

3:17Sentry, how did you decide when to drop and where to go in those areas? It's quite a unique thing for a forward to be able to do that so well. When we've got the ball, the moments when I drop into them little pockets, but also I want to run in behind. So who's picking me up? I'm in between the centre half and I'm in between the deep line midfielder, which you would think probably for you, centre-half, right, it's your worst nightmare, isn't it? Is he my man? So I would try and get in them a little difficult. I'd sometimes stand out on the wing as well. Who's marking you then? So I would try and just float around and try and smell the game as much as possible.

3:55But I thought it was big that at least five or six times I would run in behind and stretch the game. I actually, my first probably eight years, ten years, that was the biggest conundrum in a football match for me was working out when I should push into the striker that dropped deep like a Zola, a Bergkamp, a Cantona, etc. When do I go in there and what's the right time? And I just couldn't get my head around it for the first probably 10 years of my career. Even people like Raul. And all the players I've just mentioned who've done that, none of them are really quick. They weren't quicker than me at that time but they give me my biggest headaches in any game I played at that stage because you just don't know what to do.

4:35No. Do you know what I mean? It's whose man is it? And they're usually the guys who can cause the most destruction. If you don't go to them, they can pass past you. Yeah. If you don't go to them, they can shoot and score from 30 yards. Do you know what I mean? It's just like, and if I do go, then someone's running behind me. It's just like, it was such a mad conundrum. But with Kane, how big do you think he would have been at Man United? Because I always said that time we went to Bayern Munich was the perfect time for Man United to have bought him. I don't know economically if we could have. Yeah.

5:01But it didn't feel like we went for him. How much of a success could he have been? He could play in any team. Because he's got the mentality as well. Doesn't care. Give me the ball, doesn't matter if I've not touched the ball for 89 minutes, I'm going to score a goal. Doesn't matter if I have a quiet game, don't score a goal, I'll score the next. So just that mentality that he's got, he would have been fine at United. And the quality, obviously, that he's got. He just scores goals. Goal scorer. Which is becoming less and less, really. them centre-forwards that looked like Harry Kane, but yeah, he would have been no problem at United.

5:37Right, moving it on, Lamin-Yamal. He's got 25 goals and 20 assists this year, won the Spanish League as well. I have to say that in the last five years, no player has excited me more in a 45-minute cameo than him at a live game. I went and watched him in a game against Inter Milan in Spain. It was one of the most mesmeric performances that I've seen, and the fact that he was so young. 17 years old it was a joke I watch him I watch his movement when the ball's over there I'm watching his movement and the left back is on tender hooks I'm watching the left back and I'm going he doesn't know what's going on there for a young player to have that effect on a full back is unbelievable because he's like I'm scared of him running in behind but I'm also scared of him getting it to feet it's your worst nightmare for a defender because he can go past you dribbling or he can just run in behind.

6:35So he's just obviously got that raw ability but also intelligence when to run in behind. Because a lot of players don't do that anymore. A lot of players will dribble and he has got that sort of, if you go back to that when Messi used to play on the right, that you know what, Robin, you know what they're doing. You can't stop it. I know he's going to eventually come back onto his left foot but now and again he might just carry on on his right foot and it's just that little doubt in a defender's mind that kills you and he's got the ability to do it so you know he's going to cut in and curl it and top corner but you can't stop it but what were you thinking when you used to get a defender 1v1 i was the same as you're my own regards that you know just that little movement and just give you that little which i don't see a lot of players a lot of wingers doing it is just so easy to do that little spin get the ball to feet or spin the other way get the ball to feet running behind no defender I could still lose a defender doing that now or get the ball to my feet just for that little movement now so I used to do that a lot so that's the first thing getting on the ball and then the second bit is obviously your first touch and then that decision making who you're against is the players in better positions I wasn't someone who was just greedy if I spotted someone running behind I'd play them I see me and Yamal doing all that yeah what is it like when you know you've got the fullback on toast just give me the ball just keep giving me the ball please and the fullback knows he's like to the winger to the midfielder I need help stop the ball coming please because he's got me on toast you know Yamal do you see him I actually think he'll end up evolving into that 10 position like Messi did I think so because then he's just he's more in the game you know wingers you do depend on service service and other players giving you the ball whereas 10 you can float around and you can drop a little bit deeper get a touch if you've not had a touch but yeah I mean you're centre half imagine he's in that little pocket what you're doing so you go tight he's going to run in behind you let him have the ball he's dribbling at you it's mad that he can become even more effective well Messi you know when we played in the Champions League he was playing on the right and Patrice did such a good job against him and then he goes to that floating role it's night and day it's just different isn't it you played midfield in Wembley didn't you facing people up it's just like what is going and he can go he's got the whole pitch to go it's mad how does one individual like that change the way that you approach the game as a team it's mad there's only a few players that can do that to a whole team isn't there where you go we've got to prepare for him if you've got say like a Giannino or King Cladzi these brilliant players they weren't in brilliant teams but when you've got sort of Messi who's in a brilliant team as well because there's other players who can hurt you but he can hurt you the most it's very difficult to stop so when you've got these special Di Canio not in great teams but they're still producing moments of magic so it's a lot easier because you can stop the service but when you're they've got brilliant players around and brilliant midfielders and it's hard to stop the service then you're in trouble Right man we've got loads still to come right on this pod but we'll be back shortly after this I've got big news I switched to Verizon and got the new iPhone 18 Pro Shh I can keep my old phone Can I also get the latest iPhone every year Shh Anything else Verizon let me choose Apple Watch Series 12 or iPad on them Everybody listen up Shh Switch to Verizon and get the new iPhone 18 Pro now.

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11:31And you can book a therapy session in minutes and begin in as little as two days, not the national 48-day average. See if you could pay as little as$0 for therapy in seconds at growtherapy.com. slash start now. That's growtherapy.com slash start now. growtherapy.com slash start now. Availability and coverage vary by state and insurance plan. For Michael Alise, now I think this guy, I don't think he's getting the credit maybe he deserves in terms of for being just a great creator. He has 35 assists, 27 goals, but I still think people are sleeping on him a little bit in that sense of the impact he's having on games yeah I had an argument with a Crystal Palace fan before the World Cup oh yeah probably have to apologise to him now because he said Elisa is the best player he's ever seen is he?

12:28and he's the best player ever for Crystal Palace I'm going Ian Wright is Ian Wright you're too young to know about Ian Wright he's the best player that's ever played for Palace and he's going no Elisa is the best and then every assistant every goal that he scored in the world cup i'm going to this guy's right he was like and he i think was it was it the first game for france where he swapped from yeah so he went he went there in the hole in the in the hole yeah and just changed it a little bit so he's another one that you know can play out wide but ultimately wants to play that number 10 position and he just floats past players don't they yeah and what i love and he did it a couple of times in the world cup he's at full speed and then everything just slows down with that pass where he's running at full speed he's got players all around him.

13:12The one for Mbappe you're talking about. Yeah and he just produces that pass just the right time, the right pace and that is just, you can't teach that, that you've just got that calmness when everything around you is just chaos and you just produce that pass. You've played this role, you've been one of the best wingers in the world for a long time right, so what separates a winger who can deliver a great ball into the box for a winger who, or a creator who absolutely makes a difference for the centre forwards and makes their jobs easier? You just need to know your teammates and where they're going to be.

13:44Who are you playing with? Where do they like the ball? Where ultimately are they going to be? Where are they going to make the runs? Are they going to come and hold back on the back post? Are they going to run that near post? Are they going to just stay in the middle, cutbacks? So it's just knowing the strengths of your teammates. And not always will you get it right, but more often than not, over a season you'll produce the right pass at the right time in the right places. And obviously we just spoke about two wingers there I think I'd like to get your input what do you think is the difference between those two?

14:18For me I feel that you touched on it Laminia Mal is as happy taking the ball to feet as he is running behind whereas Alise really just wants it to feet and wants to just dominate the 1v1 and create something. Yeah I think that is the difference between them you're probably not worried so much about Alise running in behind he wants the ball to feet and he's very effective at it but yeah it's just that extra it's every defender's nightmare it's the one thing you hate isn't it running in behind it's a nightmare nightmare that's what I say everything's in front I know you talked about them little pockets but at least right okay it might not be safe but someone else can help me there do you know what I mean but when you're running in behind it's you against him yeah and I'd always say it to young wingers now you have to scare the defender that way as well yeah like because it makes it like you say it makes it easier If I know you're only going there to get the ball, I'm not going to take a backward step.

15:10I'm always going to get tight against you. When I look at the top players and I go, Saka's a good example. I think Saka, if Saka ran behind to get on it more, he then adds another level to his game where he becomes even more unplayable. And I think he's a great player, Saka. I just think as a defender, I want him to want to hurt me there more. I think Saka does it really well when the Arsenal attacking on the edge of the box, them little runs in behind, maybe, yeah, probably doesn't do it as much when they're a lot deeper. But yeah, I think he's really intelligent and when on the edge of the box, just them little runs in behind.

15:51But yeah, it's every defender's nightmare when you've got someone who can dribble and beat you and someone who can run in behind and they're quick. Yeah, especially when they're quick. Who gets you out of your seat more? Yamao or Alise? Yamao. Is he? He's, special yeah they're both brilliant both brilliant players Mbappe what do you think of him I mean like the numbers that he keeps putting up world record breaking in the World Cup another 58 goals he's got for club and country last season I don't know yeah it just he's one of them players who just feels like right it's not quite happening I'm going to make it happen and just it looks like he's on fast forward where he gets the ball plays runs him behind and he can dribble as well.

16:35He's probably not as good a dribble as the lads who we just spoke about, but he can more run with the ball. But he is just, he's just so quick. He's so sharp when he wants to be. Is he more than just pace? Oh yeah, he's intelligent. He's intelligent, yeah. I think he's a really intelligent player. Just the spaces that he, but it is just them, them moments. All of a sudden you're watching it and it's just like you're watching the game it just feels like it goes on fast forward and everything just quickens up and no one can live with him. Nice man. As you've been a coach, how much leeway do you give someone like him in a team in terms of more responsibility to do other stuff where you say, no, I want you to focus on what you're good at?

17:19No, he's a match winner. So these players come along every now and again, but you've just got to give them the licence to win your games. And your teammates know that. so they give you that leeway because that's important to get the teammates on board as well that this guy ain't going to track back by the way or he's not going to press for 90 minutes but he'll win you the game and if your teammates accept that yeah alright don't worry about it I'll do that extra little bit when I'll do his pressing then ultimately he's going to win you games he's going to win you trophies he's going to win you tournaments but there's other contenders out there like Haaland Benning and Rod Reidy these types of guys.

18:01Do you think any of them get near the four we've mentioned? Yeah, yeah. I think Roger was the outstanding player in the World Cup. Haaland with his goals, obviously. And Bellingham just seems to just hit levels, just keep hitting levels. How good can he be, Bellingham? Well, he just takes the game by the scruff of the neck, doesn't he? Which is a bit old school. He's a bit old school, you know, Akeem, Brian Robson, just right, it's not quite happening. I'll make it happen. Which for a young play, still quite young, is just amazing. You're just born with that. I love Benadam. I think he's a joke.

18:35Like you say, I think he's a throwback. I don't think people keep saying he's like Zidane. I think he's very different to Zidane. Zidane's like a I don't know I kept saying I think he's like poetry in motion Zidane isn't he? And I think also it's hard to compare back then because stats weren't a thing back then. Did you ever go into a season thinking halfway through I've only got a certain amount of goals I've got to get this number to be considered a good player are to be considered great now. Whereas now I think that if I don't get a certain number now, you're not going to be in a conversation for anything.

19:05I remember when it first came in, the word assists. It was like, well, when I was, you made a goal. I'm making goals. I made a goal at the weekend. But yeah, it is more about stats now. But yeah, he's, Bellingham's like, yeah. The only problem he's got is where his best position is. Is he a 10? Is he an 8? Because he's the best in any team in the world, at both probably. but yeah you just let him as long as you've got the defensive sort of stuff you just let him do what he's got to do it's mad because if it's purely about numbers Harry Kane comes first and Bape comes second and Haaland would come third but that's just not the way it is and I think that's one of the grey areas for everyone who's talked about the Ballon d 'Or what's the criteria do you know what I mean there's got to be a blend of a few different things I think to be considered the best and how important or strong is the World Cup performance when voting as well Yeah, I think you've got to take it into consideration, obviously.

20:02But then, do you punish Lamin Imal because he wasn't fully fit? He'd missed the last bit of the season. Do you punish him for that? Because that's just bad luck. Same with Rodri. Rodri didn't really have an impact in the season because of injuries. Then plays in the World Cup and is probably the most effective player at the World Cup. Yeah. So it's... I don't know. I don't know what the criteria is. The players that get you off your feet might not be the ones who are just banging the numbers out so defenders don't win it either defending's easy all right then so i'm going to drill down on this give me your top three in reverse order so number three first oh

20:47geez okay i'll go uh bellingham third Mbappe second Laminimo Winger stayed together first Yeah Wow So no Kane No I'm Welsh I can't be putting two English players in I can't Top three I can't be putting Is it English players in there I can't That's throwing me Because I think Kane deserves to win it I wouldn't disagree with you But I like players that get me off my feet Yeah Kane's numbers are unbelievable But I like players that You want to be entertained when you go to or to my i'm the same i'm the same but at the same time what's your three my three are based on a full season the the full calendar year i would go number three olise mbappe kane this year the amount of goals to the kane squad i just can't look past him and he's won everything in germany didn't win obviously the champions league got close but didn't but But that consistency over the season is just phenomenal.

21:54And then he scored goals at the World Cup. And Bape, he got 50-something goals over the course of the season as well. And at the World Cup, it was ridiculous numbers-wise. Yeah, I wouldn't disagree. You know, I wouldn't disagree with it. If Kane gets it, I wouldn't say. Shocker. Yeah, yeah. But at the same time, and I'll put at least a third, because his numbers are jokers, but he's also entertaining and he just does things that you go, oh, my days. but actually my favourite player to watch is Lamin, Lamin-Yemal every time I watch him I'm sitting there I could just stack up popcorn and just watch him and just scream and shout you know I'm like watching games he just makes me scream and shout it's mad but I don't know if it's because it's fresh in my mind when Spain played England and I was watching O 'Reilly he's not a defender defender he's grew up being I think he was a 10 a midfielder so it's very unfair but I was just watching his movement.

22:49I was just thinking, how are you going to defend that? That was the first time I looked at O 'Reilly and thought, you're not a defender by trade. Yeah. And there's no shade on him. Any left back at Wembley at that time, they're in trouble. Yeah. Because I was just watching his movement and they had the ball and they were just dominating possession. And you just know it's coming. It's wave after wave after wave. And eventually, we'll weigh down. Eventually, we'll make a goal, score a goal. There's nothing you can do about it. That is mad. I love him yes Giggs he loved chatting about the Ballon d 'Or we'll obviously find later this month who's going to win it so thanks again and I'll let you know who wins it if it's anywhere near what your top three says cheers mate thanks

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