The Myth of the Eye Test

"The problem with the eye test is that really stupid people have eyes"

The whole Salah vs hazard debate is an ultimate example of how the eye test can give people a false perception, because while hazard is the much better and more exciting dribbler, this has given people this false perception that Salah can't dribble and that he's basically a stat merchant which is crazy. Although I do think the eye test also works against certain players to a degree because while both Ronaldinho and Neymar are highly rated, I feel like people underrate their technical skills such as their passing shooting etc as their dribbling is what is mainly thought of.

The eye-test was never meant to be “Do I find this player enjoyable or not?” It was always meant to be “is this player as good as his stats say in reality?” The word has absolutely lost all meaning the past few years

Twitter is a diseased app. A lot of these guys don’t actually watch football and are deluded to the fact that players spamming unnecessary skills ≠ ‘technical’ anyone that knows Football will know that Saka is one of the most technically gifted players just look at his first touch and the way he receives the football, even when he is back to goal only Hazard is as good as Saka when protecting the ball. People are just blinded when it comes to certain players they let their hate for them cover their actual ability.

I agree, this is why I separate eye test and aesthetic merchants, you described aesthetic merchants perfectly

The majority of people don't really understand football. They've grown up on a diet of fancy compilations and silly freestyle football clips. Most people barely understand the fundamentals of professional football in terms of positioning, spatial understanding, pressing, first touch, what they do without the ball, etc. Put them in a game, and most will crumble. People, in general, have always appreciated fancy players' tricks, and I get that, but when it comes to effectiveness and impact on the game, it's usually the 'Saka's' that come out on top without people realizing.

People, they're the worst. This is a rare example of common sense; the least common thing on the internet. Bravo.

I will never forget, England vs Switzerland quarter-finals - my dad texts me "Saka hasn't been very effective" and I was in disbelief because I watched this man in that very game beat the Swiss left back 5 or 6 times and absolutely everything dangerous England did that game came from him and then I'd also watch him sprint 90 yards to get back and provide decent support defensively - two minutes later he scores his banger and pops was quiet. I know if he had beat the left back with some crazy elastico/rainbow flick/jogo bonito concoction he would never have texted me that BS.

This is the only sport that hates efficiency lmaoo some football fans are goofy as fuck

The way Bellingham plays is aesthetic and efficient. What a player has to do to not be called stiff? It is, biomechanically, very hard to play the way Messi has been playing.

A great example of a player that passes the eye test for me is Pedri. Not because he is fancy or silky. It’s because he understands how to seek space between lines a an elite level. He also sees passes other people don’t, so instead of choosing the safe option and passing it sideways or backwards, he dares to pass between defenders creating space and opportunities. His abillity to progress the ball through tight pressure with small combinations is also elite. While there are stats for progressive passes, there are no stats for vision, risk calculation, weight of pass, spacial awareness etc. Or atleast that i know of. When Pedri got injured last year, the flow of Barcas game got far worse and so did the results. You can’t quantify it you just have to watch it.

Case in point, Saka was England best attacker. Foden, considered silky did naff all. He doesn’t have the intelligence to run in to spaces or create spaces like Saka does. Foden is overly protected by the media

I think another key aspect people overlook is off-the-ball movement and positioning. Haaland is a massive shout, his presence alone changes the defensive shape for a lot of teams. And if he doesn't score or get an assist - he is called for being useless. Yet, if you do any analysis, you can see that his positional play and runs are what creates the opening for either Foden, Silva or KDB to take advantage of. Another good example of this is how Odegaard commands his team forward and reads the game. Sure he has a lot of flair in his play but what enables him to be so impactful and game changing is his ability to scan and read the game prior to getting the ball (He is always looking around). As well as his ability to constantly press all throughout the 90 - its something a lot of 'highlight' bozos miss.

The eye test only matters when it’s something you wanna see for some people, as if everyone is going to play the same exact way

Hazard saying hes more talented than Ronaldo is a perfect example of this

Suprised Havertz isn’t in the thumbnail too. He’s such a unique player

I love how you incorporate basketball as well and other sports using it as analogy it really helps put things into perspective

Similar story with Vinicius, he's the most efficient winger in the world right now, yet I often hear people discrediting him because his dribbling style isn't elegant enough. To an extent I get it, it often looks like the seas part for him, but if that's happening consistently, it's probably not a coincidence.

The truly great generational superstars can do both at the same time.

so nice how we still have people who understand what football is, thank you Fam!