05 Feb 2021 11:00:57
Hi boys, here's a question. Since Bielsa has came in, many players have came and went, and the people who stayed have came on leaps and bounds. But what I want to talk about, is the Phillips Vieira comparison. If Phillips was the one to go instead of Vieira, do you think Vieira would've become an England international, like Kalvin. I know what bermo would think haha.
05 Feb 2021 11:12:15
I rated Viera highly but it’s a question that we will never have an answer too. At the time I would of said viera was better than Phillips which is why we got good money for him.
05 Feb 2021 12:57:41
Think Ronnie showed a great deal of promise and may possibly have been better than Kalvin he’s certainly much more mobile than kalvin and I believe it was his athleticism and potential that helped realise such a high fee.
Does not explain why Ronnie has not come to the fore since though or why bigger moves have not materialised it may actually turn out that the highest transfer fee realised for Ronnie was the money we got, which let's be honest we desperately needed at the time, now look at us?
A bigger shame for me was losing Lewis Cook, I think under Bielsa’s guidance he could be as good as any young English midfielder in the Country.
05 Feb 2021 13:33:11
Neither Vieira nor Cook appear to have pushed on. Vieira on loan, not playing much, Cook back in tbe Championship.
Also I know they are CDMs but just 1 goal for Viera and 2 for Cook in their careers is well below par.
05 Feb 2021 14:39:49
To be fair Kalvin goals record is actually not much better. The original post posed the question was Ronnie better?
At the time he was, but then Lewis Cook was given his first team debut before Kalvin so for the club, therefore, at that time he was assessed ahead of Kalvin.
Afterwards comparisons become very difficult as Ronnie and Lewis playing higher level of football than Kalvin but appearances opportunities would have been greatly reduced to Kalvin at Leeds.
I still maintain technically Lewis was most gifted but then Kalvin met Bielsa and well we know the rest from there.,
05 Feb 2021 15:49:21
My original question, do you think Ronnie would’ve became an England international, like Kalvin.
05 Feb 2021 16:41:39
No I do not believe Ronnie would have, but not sure Kalvin would have without Bielsa and this role, I actually believe if someone paid a massive amount of money for Kalvin he would not seem anything like as good.
05 Feb 2021 17:48:45
Very different players
Worth noting that belisa didn’t want veria to go and at that time viera was the one wanted by the bigger clubs and the England international and not Phillips
That said Phillips has come on leaps and bounds while viera hasn’t. I think he would of under belisa but then anyone comes on under belisa that is what belisa does better than anyone he gets players and improves them
To be honest i think it comes down to what you want Phillips is the better passer and class act in that way veria will cover more ground and do a far better defensive job
But like compareing carrick to batty.
05 Feb 2021 17:49:26
Yes, that’s my point. Kalvin, under bielsa, has changed his position, made it his own, and now is a full England international. I preferred Kalvin to Ronnie, but with bielsa’s training, who’s to say he wouodnt of became an England international aswell.
05 Feb 2021 21:25:51
I think everyone Bielsa has wanted who has listened and taken his philosophy on board have got better by a couple of levels.
Viera if committed would also have done. I think the talent was certainly there that he could have been an international by now.
Wasnt he rated as one of the worlds top 10 prospects at the time?
We will never know of course but to me I'd take him back for the right price.
06 Feb 2021 08:05:46
Views could have made international but the move was bad for him. Limited playing time and stunted development just when he needed to push on and get game time. Unfortunately we were desperate for money at that time and we couldn't turn that fee down.