Daniele De Rossi - The most complete central midfielder in Europe

Thought he put on an absolute master class against Madrid yesterday. Was strong in the tackle; passed the ball quickly and accurately over short and long distances; always picked the right moment to pressure the ball during the defensive phase and did so in textbook fashion; supported his team-mates in defensive actions and plugged the holes they left behind when they pushed forward; transitioned quickly in defence-attack and attack-defence; took up excellent positions between the centre-backs when required to do so; picked up both the strikers when they dropped off in front of the defence and second line runs from midfielders; made tactical fouls when they were needed; and contested aerial balls extremely capably.

Dunno if you aren't over-stating a bit but he is certainly top class.

Originally Posted by antonin jablonsky

Dunno if you aren't over-stating a bit but he is certainly top class.

i'll go with that too

whats going on today, bedders?

SN, did you see the thread re Heinze last night? what was he up to for the second?

Anderson > De Rossi.

nft.

I know, i've been going on about him for ages. I would love him here but that's never going to happen.

Originally Posted by Billy Baroo

i'll go with that too

whats going on today, bedders?

SN, did you see the thread re Heinze last night? what was he up to for the second?

I do talk football sense a lot you know.

I was watching when Heinze went walkies, felt a slight twinge of nostalgia. He really aint the same player he was before his injury anymore.

Originally Posted by Billy Baroo

SN, did you see the thread re Heinze last night? what was he up to for the second?

Didn't see the thread, I'm afraid. Was a shocking piece of defending though. If he worked in any other business he'd be fired for performing a basic task as incompetently as that. Nothing new from him either. The @#%&!.

Originally Posted by Rhodzy

I know, i've been going on about him for ages. I would love him here but that's never going to happen.

He's the new Totti, in as much as he'll stay at the club for life I suspect. Shame.

Originally Posted by MUFC One Love

Anderson > De Rossi.

Anderson is more creative, a much better dribbler and quicker. However, as a two-way central midfielder, I think De Rossi is undoubtedly the more rounded player - primarily because he has much better tactical awareness than Anderson. He's also more of a goal threat at the moment.

Originally Posted by Baron_van_Marlon

He's the new Totti, in as much as he'll stay at the club for life I suspect. Shame.

Exactly, you have to admire that about him.
Anderson is not better than De Rossi either.

It was a joke lads.

Originally Posted by MUFC One Love

It was a joke lads.

£#%&!ing liar. Just cos everyone's pissed on your chips

Originally Posted by Barca '91

£#%&!ing liar. Just cos everyone's pissed on your chips

Originally Posted by Barca '91

£#%&!ing liar. Just cos everyone's pissed on your chips

It geniuley was. I love Anderson as do a lot of people and it's a common theme to say he is better than anybody else.

As for De Rossi, I think it could be an exaggeration to say he is the most complete central midfielder in Europe.

Fabregas would surely have some say in that? He's pretty good defensively Fabregas and isn't shy of getting stuck in.

De Rossi pisses on Fabregas from a great height.

Originally Posted by Rhodzy

De Rossi pisses on Fabregas from a great height.

Course he does.
Nothing to do with that he plays for Arsenal.

Originally Posted by MUFC One Love

Course he does.
Nothing to do with that he plays for Arsenal.

In terms of all-roundedness he does. Plus De Rossi has done it for more than half a season.

Originally Posted by Serenity Now

Didn't see the thread, I'm afraid. Was a shocking piece of defending though. If he worked in any other business he'd be fired for performing a basic task as incompetently as that. Nothing new from him either. The @#%&!.

Do you mean the first where he did his old trick of tackling (badly) on wrong side of the attacker? It used to wind me up every time, that did. You can't get any power behind a clearance and at worst you stop the ball dead behind you in the path of any attacker.

Every time I see Heinze these days I smile at the idea that Madrid paid that much for him.

And I agree De Rossi is top, top notch; it's the kind of role that the English game rarely produces but is churned out time after time in central and southern Europe. Someone who can sit in front of the back four and produce superb passes all night while being defensively switched on. From Guardiola to Pirlo today.

Carrick is an exception but in England we only seem to produce attacking midfielders who score but have little discipline for a team game ie Gerrard, Lampard, Platt, Gazza.

Originally Posted by MUFC One Love

Course he does.
Nothing to do with that he plays for Arsenal.

Rhodzy is right.

It's no slight on Fabregas. DDR is just top drawer.

Originally Posted by Rhodzy

In terms of all-roundedness he does. Plus De Rossi has done it for more than half a season.

I understand that Fabregas is overrated and over-hyped over here which puts people off but he is a top player, albeit having a bad patch at the moment. But I have to say whenever I've seen Roma De Rossi hasn't done much to warrant such praise tbh.

Although with SN saying it then there will be some substance to it. Leg Saf just says stuff 'cos said player is the latest flavour of the month.