Guys,

A little sum up and purely focus on the under-performing stars. This thread focus on top tier world class stars or close to that who were total crap during the WC.

If you have to choose 5, who it that be? Please think of some one "high profile, high expectation, have been consistently great this year or the past years, either club or international level".

My pick:

1. De Gea. easy pick, he has been godly in MU... but this WC is nothing but a disaster for his status
2. Dembele What can I say... I have always been saying he was Barcelona's panic buy, but I did really expect more.
3. G. Pique has a little doubt here, not because he wasn't bad, HE WAS TERRIBLE. But he's quite overrated at club level IMO.
4. Kimmich. should replace Lahm, nothing but an absolute weak point.
5. Sterling Might be unpopular here, but I think he should be subbed off far more often...

Had disaster performance but I didn't have high expectation anyway:

• Mascherano
• Piotr Zielinski - the star of Napoli,
• MullerAlthough he's getting old, but this was beyond bad.

What do you think?

Anyhow, Pelle mentioned Lewandowski and expertfootball later added with the entire Polish team. I wouldn't go as far as the entire Polish team, but Lewandowski had a disgraceful performance in this World Cup. It's quite baffling to know that he contributed nothing in any of Poland's goals (maybe his presence on the pitch did, but you'd expect more than that).

@iHEART I know I risk to receive a lot of stick by saying that but personally, Lewandoski haven't really impressed me as a striker for a certain time now. He perform relatively well at the moment at Bayern because he is well surrounded but for me he is a lot less lethal than he was a year ago. :( He also have harder time when it matter the most in my opinion.

@Emo

I have been one of Messi's most fervent defenders with regards to his national team performance, particularly against the criticisms of Golazo. Don't try to accuse me of such hypocrisy when it is obvious I hold Messi to the same standard at Argentina which I hold him to at Barcelona.

I agree with Golazo that Messi had a poor tournament in 2018, but I have no need to defend his tournament in 2014 when 90% of the people on this forum are Messi fans who will incessantly exalt Messi to god-like status and degrade Ronaldo... particularly the moderators who take no persuasive action against such since all of you are also Messi fans (yourself, Tuan, Raimondo, Tuanis, etc.). There are more of you than there are of me.

@Dyn: learn to read? Wth man. you said: Mascherano, Rojo, Banega, Messi, Di Maria, Aguero, Dybala, Higuain all constitute an "average" squad, right. Some of the others absolutely considered world class in at least club level, Plz do NOT tweak words and take us for a fool.

Anyone can easily interpret that you considered them not average, or better yet in the same paragraph as have one of the best squad in the world. What the hell do I need to learn to read, then Dyn?

The statement of "dysfunctional team" is spot on.

I dont have to tell you how crap Rojo is that year and even this year. Barely made it to MU's quad and if any one watch MU, can realize he struggled. Mascherano was a converted defender but played to be CDM (he did great though), and Banega at the time was no one, this world cup he had 1 great great game. If we talk about his world cup Argentina was total crap from back to front. Despite the fact that they had one of the best game in the tournament vs the champ France.

People says Messi carried the team (same as Ronaldo carried his team) for a reason, Most of these guys doesn't deliver when they are on national team. The qualification campaign said it all, Argentina almost didn't make it when Messi had 6 games + 2 games out. And before Ronaldo single handedly took Portugal in the play off against Sweden. Those are by all mean carried their teams

Talking about hypocrisy, I do remember to ask you again and again about your statement against Messi in lots of threads. Please, You have never been Messi's most fervent defenders with his national team performance. You also discredited him time and time again. Just much more fair than Golazo, and that's not harsh. Golazo in highlight related to Messi or in whatever chance he will bring down Messi performance, no matter what.

I prefer Messi to Ronaldo, obviously, but I dont discredit Ronaldo when he shined. Talking about fans, trust me Ronaldo has way more.

Dybala has played less minutes than Neymar on the ground after his diving tho.

Hardly. Go back and watch some of those games and remind us who scored the goals that got Portugal to the finals.

You're probably being sarcastic, but he scored 2 goals against Hungary and a goal vs Wales.

Why is it so hard to even admit that Patricio and Pepe were the 2 players who played the biggest role to their Euro 2016 victory? It was their defence and their team performance that secured them the victory.

I agree with Golazo that Messi had a poor tournament in 2018

Just out of curiosity, do you believe Ronaldo had a good tournament?

But this is getting so out off topic, so I wont be replying anymore.

@iHeart: Lewandoski is on the top list of lots of article in this category foe the same reason as you mentioned.

@quikzy: thats why I think Sampaoli was a huge mistake too. I also think Messi should be benched sometimes, to give him motivations and also makes sure the opponent's defend must reshape to cope.

Smolov who was supposed to be the leader of the Russia team didn't do much, other revelations are to watch however for this promising team.

@Dynastian Sorry, I don't want to accuse anyone of anything mate, just saying it how I see it. I just think the way you first made your point was very accusative of Pupper of bringing Ronaldo into the debate while he wasn't the one who started talking about Messi in the first place. That all.

@quikzyyy Woah, you are propably right. Harsh. :P

De Gea was the worst, imo. I just try casumo free spins anytime here to forget his play.

@Tuan Kimmich ? Many German were worse, I rate this boy very high he is able to play everywhere but yeah, he couldn’t escape from Germany sinking.

My downs :

• Olivier Giroud : 7 games 0 goal, contributed defensively but had 0 accurate shot.
• Mascerano : got old and caused Argentina many goals.
• Caballero : poor overall and pulled some “ Karius “ moves.
• Muller : 5 goals each World Cup past seasons, he was inexistant in this one.
• Sadio Mane : I expected more from him, they had to pass groupstage.

@tiki Who was worse for France, Giroud or Matuidi?

Giroud did his role as anchor man pretty well but failed to connect with some passes, still as a World Cup winner I wouldn't dare to mention him but it's a reality that he failed a lot.

Giroud all the way, Matuidi was decent. winning a trophy doesnt make you untouchable or escape the critics, loosing the trophy at the other hand doesnt make your tournment bad. its about individual performence and Giroud's was poor, he created spaces and defended... But his stats were inexistant in 7 games.

I dont think Giroud has a poor tournament, I dont think any France player had.

No one expected lord Giroud to brag goals, but a constant thread and space creator the France, I agree he should have scored more, that's why he's on the top list, but he did fine overall IMO

Well tuan, Giroud despite his joker role in club, was the main weapon for France somehow. He actually and surprisingly had a good stats in NT so he was expected to score and he was feeded many times.
If DD wanted a space creator 9, KB9 is the best in the world in that role, with him we could have combined more with Mbappe and Grizzy creating more chances.
As a fixation 9, there was La cazette not called, then there was Gameiro who attack spaces like Ben Yedder but DD didn’t call them to. He played it the British way with covering mid and defense and going on counters or looking for a long ball at times to Giroud, looked like Chelsea of Drogba and Mou.
We weren’t the most attacking team, but we were the hardest to beat. And we certainly benefited from Germany, Spain and Brazil struggle. We faced any of them which doesn’t matter but it wasn’t a convincing win in my eyes despite being fully deserved.
Aussies 2-1, Peru 1-0, Denmark 0-0, then the team highered the level after beating Argentina 4-3 from that moment I knew we could make it that way.

At the end DD brought it home, but not with the style of Football I expected this generation to play. At the end he was right only result matter in this competition.

DD tried to play like you expected... but he changed more like as an adaptation. Yes a team needs a basic philosophy/strategy to build around, but to get far you need to be able to adapt too. Which France did, but teams like Spain and Germany failed to do.

Emobot7

Who was worse for France, Giroud or Matuidi?

Matuidi did bad for you? Idk man, I feel he had a solid World Cup, did better than Tolliso imo.

@Pelle True that my good man, if theres 2 thing I got from France campaign, it was their defensive solidity and their adaptivity. Still impressed with their feat to be fair, it goes to show sometime, the team which are younger are those with the most flexibility.

@amir Yeah, but Giroud also did good in my mind despite not scoring. I mean, of all the player on the field, they are 2 of those who haven't really been the most decisive. Griezmann, M'bappe and Pogba scored important goal at different point and the defense all played a key role. Matuidi and Giroud were good but not decisive, which is why I compared them.

league offers better pay attention to the players who pleasantly surprised fans in 2018.