Comments on: Andrea Pirlo: Staking His Claim

By: swapnil

swapnil — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 08:09:52 +0000

yup…i agree there.pirlo may not be as quick and skillful as kaka but he’s just damn cos=nsistent and he always comes up with some magic when its most needed..remember his pass to grosso in the wc semis!!

By: Michael

Michael — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 21:10:08 +0000

Also, if I had a gun to my head I’d go with Pirlo.

However, CM/DM is a more naturally consistent position. That must be taken into account. And Kaka has much more mystique than Pirlo. Obviously, defenders are going to pay more attention to him and make his performances more inconsistent/frustrated.

By: Michael

Michael — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 21:01:42 +0000

So do we give the award to the player who is utterly unstoppable at his (inconsistent) best? Or to the player who consistently performs at a great level, just perhaps not an unstoppable one?

Do you award potential or productivity?

It’s an interesting question that can be applied to all athletes in all sports around the world. Who knows which is a better attribute? Most coaches and pundits find potential more appealing…

By: chris

chris — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 20:12:11 +0000

Mike got it right. When Kaka is “on”, he’s amazing. But Pirlo is always on.

Ian, I agree. I’d build a team around Pirlo before I’d build one around Kaka. Though I’ll get back to you in two years with my new answer.

By: Ian

Ian — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 20:09:43 +0000

They’re both fantastic players, but if I had a gun to my head and had to pick one to be on my squad, it would be Pirlo. Every time I see him play for Italy, I gain a little more respect for him. Kaka is fantastic, but much less consistent.

By: Mike

Mike — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 18:12:22 +0000

yeah but think about what you just said, “when kaka is “ON” he is like no one around in elite football today…” that implies that he is inconsistent at times. Pirlo on the other hand, you rarely see a milan or italy game where he isn’t orchestrating something.

By: free beet

free beet — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 17:04:45 +0000

I think its a mistake to compare pirlo to kaka….he is a great player, but kaka is the best player in the world. When kaka is “ON” he is like no one around in elite football today….Just look at his recent goal in the Brasil national game…I mean, that flick is done by only very few players in the world today