First of all, this:
Most great players get a season
or a competition that gets to define them.
Fernando Redondo managed to distil everything that made him exceptional
into one game. In April 2000 in the
second leg the a Champions League quarter final with Man Utd The Prince played
in central midfield in what was closest to a 3-3-2-2 formation that doesn’t make
anymore sense thirteen years down the line.
That Steve McManaman was the closest team mate to him should help
explain just how on his own he was. It
shouldn’t have worked. And with anyone
but Fernando it wouldn’t have. Fabio
Capello once described him as the tactically perfect player. He wasn’t wrong. Alex Ferguson said afterwards that he’d never
seen Roy Keane so outclassed. Without
Redondo that formation wouldn’t have held together. He did it masterfully. You don’t really get midfielders like The
Prince anymore. He could do
anything. Defensive or offensive
depending on what the game in front of him demanded. The assist for the third goal is as good as
anything you’ll ever see. Magnets in his
boots reckoned Fergusson. Injury after
his move to Milan robbed us of seeing more of him in his prime, although the
fact he refused to accept his salary while injured and even tried to return a
house and car loaned him by the club should give you an idea of why he’s held
in such esteem. That he’s often regarded
as not fulfilling his talent after winning two Champions Leagues and the
Primera Division twice should tell you how good he was.
No comments:
Post a Comment