7 Biggest Myths In Modern Football

From Claude Makélélé inventing the holding midfield role to 2-0 being the most dangerous lead in football, HITC Sevens takes a look at some of the biggest myths in modern football that are nonetheless still widely believed.
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[@siler22]

Everybody knows biggest myth in football is that your team lost purely because you were to confident,or you didnt watch the game

[@darthbauer5153]

Na mine is because I did watch the game. We would have definitely won if I didn’t try to watch in the victory in action. Lol

[@Abdxlexe]

fr tho everytime i watch a barca game we lose, like i watched the bilbao game both clasicos the game against shaktar, stuffs crazy@@darthbauer5153

[@Erredupizer]

@@darthbauer5153 same, in most extreme cases I sometimes turn off the TV when we're 1-0 down with 10 minutes left hoping that the lack of my watching will help the boys equalize

[@johndroos9486]

I heard the opposite myth "They always loose when I watched".

[@kristianmcconville6417]

I always feel like we lose when I watch

[@bababababababa6124]

Another pretty big myth is that Chelsea is just having a “rebuild season”

[@gurururuwarararara8164]

Billion pound "rebuild", they've actively spent an absurd amount of money only to downgrade their first XI and squad

[@bababababababa6124]

@@gurururuwarararara8164”b-b-but it’s a rebuild we’ll be back 😢🤡” 😂😂

[@jbo4547]

How is that a myth? You have to be an idiot to not see that this is a longer term "project" and the young players they bought need a few seasons together to really gel

[@AntoniusTyas]

If rebuild means preparing for 4 relegations in a trot in the next 5 years, that is not a myth.

[@MihailParshin]

The same is happening at United for a whole decade.

[@GTsvetkovski]

"Paulo Dybala doesn't exist" really caught me off guard

[@evinrock5717]

Favourite current player. Have the same tattoo as him. Honestly need to look further into the “he doesn’t exist conspiracy”

[@sdm_za]

😂😂😂

[@talibong9518]

@@evinrock5717 Are you Dybala?

[@supernerd1999]

Yeah, I thought he was listing myths, not facts

[@amirilan4435]

If this caught you off guard, wait till you discover he does not exist (insert x files music)

[@velikigospar]

THAT Evra clip caught me off-guard.

[@soundscape26]

Exactly 😂

[@BlueflagAlpha]

Same

[@ajamudc]

Yep

[@rspjfrost1400]

It was when he said "well done" in a patronising tone to a female pundit that got me

[@newil_yovac]

I was not ready for my eyes to be violated like that 🙂

[@Liamcb93]

Alfie why don't you upload these as podcasts to Spotify? These talks are the perfect stuff to be listening to on your commute

[@kavoorz379]

While I like the idea, I feel as if the way the video script is written isn’t necessarily ideal for a podcast, as podcasts often times has co-hosts, fan interactions, multi-perspective discourse, all that jazz. Definitely is a great listen nonetheless, but I guess it doesn’t feel very podcast like

[@T.E.S.S.]

@@kavoorz379 yeah, and often they don't have any of that. what a silly take.

[@kavoorz379]

@@T.E.S.S. I’m sorry that my perspective was one that you didn’t share. Maybe many podcasts don’t have these kinds of elements, I just haven’t been familiarized with them in my experience. Cheers for your response!

[@bg22757]

​​@@kavoorz379i wouldn't bother responding to him, he seems like an unhappy person.

[@kavoorz379]

@@bg22757 It’s alright, everyone has their own opinions and a voice. Not everyone is going to like everything we/I say, and that’s totally cool. Nothing wrong or unhappy with what they said, all they did was disagree. It’s just a bit of internet fun at the end of the day. I appreciate the response all the same, have a great day!

[@jaafarchaoui185]

Immobile has never scored a goal when tv is turned on

[@jamieccccccc]

😂😂

[@bcbitchkkv]

Xavi & Iniesta didn't exist outside 2008-2015

[@jaafarchaoui185]

@@bcbitchkkv bro thats 7 years lol

[@dillanjackson8522]

Champions league against Bayern

[@brohdez8857]

Dude for real. I don’t remember him ever scoring while I watched.

[@hecatia8326]

One ridiculous myth that I’ve seen thrown around a bit too much is Juninho’s having a free kick conversion rate of 44% at Lyon. This comes from a misrepresentation of the stat that 44 of the 100 goals Juninho scored for Lyon were free kicks. An absolutely brilliant free kick taker but his conversion rate was definitely not 44%…

[@br-jj6re]

His conversion rate was in the low teens, still a crazy conversion rate

[@doncorleole2356]

It was 12 percent I think

[@brenolelis1883]

Maybe that was in direct kicks at the goal? "Conversion rate" doesn't even make sense in normal free kicks.

[@SanFranFan30]

All I gotta say is 2-0 down is the most dangerous scoreline for the Mexican national team when they're facing the USMNT.

[@chuckobscure5622]

Dos a Cero! 🇺🇸>🇲🇽

[@therealcountryboys]

When i play mexico in fifa as the us i wont score more than 2 as long as they have 0

[@lleyo6894]

June 25 2011 Gold Cup Final USA 2-0 Mexico in the 23rd minute. Remind me of the final score?

[@SanFranFan30]

@@lleyo6894 my point was Mexico being down 2-0 not up 2-0 lmao.

[@Ale_LSH]

Mexico were 2-0 down in that game (and won 2-4), that’s literally what he wrote.

[@pedrovassallo8406]

Just as People in England call the defensive midfield role the “Makelele” role, People in Brazil call it “Volante”, also because of a player who mastered it, Carlos Volante. He, however, played in the 1930’s

[@royeltea]

is volante any different from segundo volante?

[@matheusmota8807]

​@@royelteathe 1st volante has a more intense deffensive role, and the 2st volante has a more constructive role

[@royeltea]

@@matheusmota8807 thanks, due to football manager i was aware of segundo volante but never regular volante

[@seffbergkamp4877]

In Holland we call it "Stofzuiger" which means vacuum cleaner.

[@MattGFC1977]

@@seffbergkamp4877 Roy Keane The greatest holding midfielder ever.

[@HHHBFResurrected]

"2-0 up is the most dangerous score" isn't so much a myth but a good philosophical saying to keep your eye on the prize, ignore the score & focus on playing the game. Don't let that lead change the course of the match - if you're dominate continue pressurizing, if not continue taking calculated risks, if you're under the cosh & the lead is flattering continue weathering the storm. Another example of one of those is "the customer is always right". That's absolute bollox too, but the point of it is to remember the aim is to take their money, not get caught up in irrelevancies like who's more knowledgeable about whatever's being sold to them.

[@fauzan9896]

That... is not a bad interpretation of that statement at all...

[@steveblundell7766]

I thought the phrase was "a team is at its most vulnerable when it is 2-0 up". This phrase cannot be disproved by statistics

[@trapitao1210]

this makes sense because whenever I'm playing and go 2-0 I think of that myth and it stops me getting complacent lol

[@kylehart8829]

But it's completely, objectively wrong from an actual strategic point of view. This reminds me of a recent video where a guy claimed that because basketball teams score less and concede more when they're ahead on the scoreboard, they were actually playing worse and it was "laziness" or "wanting it less". In reality, if you have the lead you should play in a way that minimizes variance. If you try to blow the game open, keep a heavy press, and try to counterattack constantly, you're creating chaos which gives the other team a much better chance of getting back in the game. You should absolutely be more conservative when you have a lead, because it can be worth intentionally slowing down your offensive production to keep the game more predictable. There is a statistical balance you should aim for based on the size of your lead and the time left in the game that ultimately will mean you are sacrificing your scoring or expected score differential to actually *improve* your chances of winning the game, even though it will look stupid that you'd play in a way that means the final score is likely to be 2-1 and you could get the expected score to 3-0 by playing more aggressively. This is because the playstyle that is more likely to score extra goals also has a much more significant chance of allowing the other team to win. Keeping the pedal down while ahead just gives the other team way more chances to break and find a way back into the game.

[@HHHBFResurrected]

@@kylehart8829 Strategically yes, but football (or any sport for that matter) is a psychological game just as much as a tactical or technical one. By changing up the gameplan to be a little slower & more cautious, you're sending a message to the opponent & giving them the opportunity to seize the momentum - and with a two goal lead that's a big risk in football (this lessens the greater the lead is). The key to counteracting this while keeping strategic balance is timing! You can concede the momentum if the clock acts as the pressure source, and depending on the quality of the opposition will determine at what point the clock can be used to your advantage. e.g. in my opinion, the recent game between City & Chelsea, Pochettino had the right idea/struck the right balance but got the timing wrong! Chelsea retreated further & further in the second half, which is fine against that calibre of team, but the addition of the extra defender & then removal of the final attacking outlet both happened 10 minutes to soon. Edit: having reread your comment properly, you essentially said this with less words lol. So yeah I agree.

[@metroop]

I can't unsee what Evra did to that raw chicken, thanks Alfie🥶

[@michaelward5370]

WTF???

[@BongoBaggins]

Myth seven: <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="166">2:46</a> Myth six: <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="352">5:52</a> Myth five: <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="691">11:31</a> Myth four: <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="854">14:14</a> Myth three: <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="1002">16:42</a> Myth two: <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="1179">19:39</a> The Myth King™: <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="1356">22:36</a>

[@nightwing5405]

Thanks!

[@John17489]

Definitely the “6 second rule” it’s never enforced

[@timmemmo4051]

HITC, I am a goalkeeper coach, I strongly agree with everything you said about goalkeepers. The very idea of the near post myth actually makes me shoot near post when I play striker instead of keeper to much success😂. Nailed every aspect

[@dayle6427]

With that myth, didnt it come about because if you are attacking from an angle less of the goal is visible at the near post than the far post so its more "its harder to score at the near post" rather than being easier to save.

[@T3Draco]

@@dayle6427 If less of the goal is visible on one side compared to the other, then the goalkeeper is out of position, no?

[@SimonWakefieldUK]

@@T3Draco Not really. The near post will generally be the shortest route to goal which gives the keeper less time to react and also the angle is simpler making the chances of hitting the target higher. So if a keeper places themselves so an equal amount of the goal is shown then most shots will go near post and they will concede most of them. So they place themselves so the near post is more covered as the far post is a harder chance, so a keeper intentionally flips the odds because doing so makes it harder overall for the striker to score

[@SirAntoniousBlock]

Well I'm a former goalkeeper too and I strongly disagree, you should never ever get beaten at the near post, if it's cut back there's nothing you can do your job is to cover where your defenders can't.

[@jterode8007]

With the 2-0 lead one, i think it makes more sense that its "The most important goal" is after 2-0. If the opponents score then its 2-1, they're back in the game. I'f it becomes 3-0, then the team is too far ahead. This is similar to tennis with 30-love being the most important point of the gamr

[@1998Cebola]

The first goal is the most important, the second one is the second most important and the third one is the third most important, for the exact same reasons described in the video

[@viniciuscastro4433]

I feel the same, but given the circumstances in which that line is said it has already lost it's real meaning as most things do.

[@Chinaboatman]

@@1998CebolaThe 'most important' goals of a given match are entirely contextual. If a team won 3-0 then the 1st goal was the most important as that goal changed the result from a draw to a win - the 2nd and 3rd goals only changed the scoreline, not the result. For a 2-1 victory: if the teams had been tied 1-1 then the third goal was the most important as again it changed the result from a draw to a win. If one team had been 2-0 up however and the trailing team pulled one goal back to end the score at 2-1 then the 1st and 2nd goals were the most important as without those the winning team wouldn't have won and the losing team wouldn't have lost. The 3rd goal was irrelevant to the result. It's purely context.

[@LiamJM10]

​​@@1998Cebolathe importance of the goals regarding a final scoreline is dictated by which team scores them, not how many goals are within a game.

[@peterlongland6862]

Thank you for tackling one of the many damaging myths regarding goal keeping. Another ridiculous and damaging myths is goal keepers are responsible for clean sheets. For many years as a junior keeper i was to feel ashamed as i failed to achieve this goal ultimately putting myself under so much pressure i failed completely. Later in life and as a club keeper coach i would ask younger keepers "are you responsible for clean sheets" and inevitability one kid will say yes. So i put them in goals and asign 5 other players to be stikers. Usually the keeper will protest that thats not fair to have 5 vs 1 to which i point out that its a teams responsibility to keep clean sheets not a single player. Keepers are not there to keep clean sheets, their job is to make it as difficult as possible to score. An excellent goal is a complement to the keeper. If a team has to score a top goal then the keeper has successfully done their job. Another myth is keepers are over protected. Keepers have the most dangerous job on the field. Its not easy to take the ball from a striker feet by putting your body in harms way. The reason that you cant interfere with a keeper, or any other player in the air, is the heightened chance of landing in an uncontrolled way. This can and has led to spinal injuries. No game is worth that injury. Its also rich coming from strikers who only need to be brushed against who go down for penalty claims. Safety first surely ps that rule exists in other football codes too for the same reasons.

[@dondamon4669]

What football players have spinal injuries

[@peterlongland6862]

@@dondamon4669 clearly more than you think www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7704654/

[@lucaspintooc]

it’s easier to score a goal than to defend a goal

[@Someone_555]

​@@lucaspintoocwrong

[@ScheppundFries]

You are by far the best Football KZbinr/Influencer. Maldini/Baresi is the perfect example for bad sport journalism in today's world. You just can write any stuff you will, and some people will believe you.

[@TFSporkoo]

Chelsea conceded only 15 premier league goals in Mourinho's first season, meanwhile my team (Sheffield United) have conceded more than that in our last 3 home games 😭😭

[@autisticusretardius101]

Suffering with ya there brother

[@Leonfei]

It could be worse. We could have conceded more. (I'm trying to cheer myself up here - it's not working.)

[@maciejbala477]

hey, at least you're well on course for having a record-breaking campaign... in goals conceded

[@filux7329]

correctly flagging goals for offside? GAMES GONE SOFT🇬🇧👑

[@somethinglikethat2176]

It's political correctness gone mad!

[@Seffron]

Political Madness gone correct!

[@footballhipster]

Madness of correctness gone political!

[@cheangizzz]

This is all Superleague's fault

[@sethparker3381]

Had no idea that I'd be watching a video of Patrice Evra gently licking a raw chicken today, yet here I am 😂

[@franze4]

alfie exposing the average brit ball knowledge 💀

[@nmarcus7233]

They don’t know ball 😂😂😂

[@ninjalectualx]

Brits don't appreciate or deserve the premier league. They should be forced to trade it to the US for the NHL plus the lesser of the two Ultimate Frisbee leagues

[@LiftandCoa]

​@@nmarcus7233like at all

[@bzilla1090]

Fun Fact: In his 900 match career for Milan, Maldini kept 400 clean sheets in all competitions, and 69 for the Azzurri, taking his total to 467 clean sheets in 1029 matches. When it comes to Paolo this is the record people should be talking about which is absolutely incredible.

[@nikolamitrovic3841]

Bruh, have you done meth instead of math, cuz it don't add up my guy

[@2lxu]

@@nikolamitrovic3841 900 match career for Milan, 400 clean sheets for Milan. 69 clean sheets for Azzurri. 469 clean sheets, unless he's rounded it. Quite simple.

[@nikolamitrovic3841]

@@2lxu if you read the original comment you can see the math error

[@bzilla1090]

On the Maldini thing, as a Milanista, and an Italian, Maldini played 900 matches in club football, with 400 clean sheets during that period. But, that "record" I could never understand where people got those numbers from lol. remember Milan went undefeated for nearly 3 years, but it was nowhere near anything like that, during the 93/94 season we had an incredible defensive campaign, Sebastiano Rossi kept 32 clean sheets just during the 93/94 season conceding only 15 goals which includes the 4-0 champions league final destruction of Barcelona, but the record is wildly inaccurate.

[@carlorado82]

They talk about them being a center back duo. I'm pretty sure Maldini played as a left back during 93/94 season and most of his early career, with Baresi and Costcurta as Center back. But still that number seams a little low.

[@bzilla1090]

@@carlorado82 correct, Paolo started at RB, then Tassotti took over, Costacurta and Baresi played in the center most of the time and Paolo shifted out left.

[@jonpeley]

"We play better with 10 instead of with 11" Helenio Herrera.

[@ethanpower381]

You're missing out if you've never had Greggs in the Andromeda Galaxy

[@eddixon2015]

Mine would be that Brazil’s historic success is due to their attacking prowess alone. When Brazil have won the World Cup, they have always been a menace to score against. If you look at their team now with, Marquinhos, Eder Militao, Thiago Silva; and Allison, there’s an argument to be made they’re better at defending that going forward. I think the 2002 team with the three R’s is probably their most top-heavy WC Winning team, but even then they had Cafu, Lucio, and Roberto Carlos. The 1994 team had Cafu, Dunga, Aldair, Marcio Santos, and Taffarel, and they only gave conceded three times all tournament, two of which were vs the Dutch.

[@MatheusFernandes-xf4zm]

Another myth is that Brazilians won by playing "free football" , in reality all the best Brazilian teams aristocratically share the responsibility to defend and the freedom to attack.

[@gabrielmeireles8851]

Here in Brasil, we have a internet myth that people and social media pages just love to believe It's true, involving Romário and Johan Cruyff at Barcelona. With a certain degree of variability, the story basically goes like this: Romário asked Cruyff if he could take a Holiday trip to Brasil, to celebrate Carnaval. Johan responded that If he score twice in the matchday, he would allow him to go. Romário then proceeded to score two goals in the First half, and then by the end of the initial 45min he would've asked Cruyff to sub him off (some versions say that he intentionally picked up a red card), saying "Mister, my flight leaves in an hour".

[@mlenzi5476]

I've heard this story

[@BrianStorm742]

Yup that's some fake bs right there

[@godgamingmaster770]

i actually believed it 😭😭

[@mlenzi5476]

@@godgamingmaster770 me too 😭😭

[@godgamingmaster770]

@@mlenzi5476 I'm having an identity crisis now. If that was fake, then what is real? 😭

[@13Joshuahun]

That Patrice Evra clip is deeply unsettling!

[@joachimhovgaardramlau3064]

Day 4: 7 greatest seasons before Retirement (like Cruyff’s season with Feyenoord)

[@xernecraft]

I need that. We need that.

[@joachimhovgaardramlau3064]

@@xernecraft everyone needs that.

[@1998Cebola]

This is the one!!

[@ethandalton6480]

Also, the myth that it was easy for Dixie Dean to score as many goals as he did because the offside rule didn't exist

[@carltonleboss]

The offside rule did exist, it was just made significantly easier for forwards a few years prior.

[@Yhsprs711]

Very similar to the myth of Pele being overrated, either because offside wasn't a thing/he didn't play in Europe...both are false.

[@steveblundell7766]

And "Messi is better than Maradona because in the 1980s players had more space." This is false reasoning

[@RW-nr6bh]

There has been an offside rule for the entire history of football.

[@DJMavis]

Begs the question why nobody else was doing it.

[@gustavobourguignon4995]

The most dangerous score in football is being 1-0 up against Uruguay

[@MatheusFernandes-xf4zm]

Another myth is that the Brazilian teams were free to create without tactical obligations, when in reality the Brazilian teams have always been aristocratically organized between those who attack and those who defend.

[@DrZaius3141]

In the German speaking world there is a huge myth/saying that the fouled player shouldn't take the penalty (because he might be in the wrong state of mind). This has also been disproved from what I could find.

[@rspjfrost1400]

As an English man i would add that an ENgland player shouldn't take a penalty when facing Germany

[@samuelgordino]

​@@rspjfrost1400Ad Portuguese, I would say English players shouldn't be talking penalties. 😂

[@123kidxpac123pac]

This is completely right, however minor addendum, that last point isnt true for my team. It is a myth for everyone else though. Good vid

[@brightntuliart]

Can you make a video about African football leagues more specifically the South African and Egyptian football leagues, and how SA reached the semis of the recent Afcon despite majority of the squad playing in a domestic league.

[@nickvickers3486]

That would be cool! I don't so much about it, but from what I can gather the SA league is very professional, well-supported, and has a lot of investment going into it, so that should really help to develop players. Also it probably helps the players gell better together as they play with and against each other week in week out and are used to common styles of play in the league which they can then apply to the national team. I'm just speculating but on the other hand the fact that must African sides have all the top players playing abroad could make it more difficult to make a cohesive national side because they don't have the advantages listed above. Let's hope Alfie takes a look!

[@patrickmoen8577]

One of the biggest myths in football is that the "Miracle of Bern" was indeed that, a miracle. The Germans were not the plucky no-hopers they are portrayed as. Sure, they lost 8-3 to Hungary in the group stage, but that was with a second-string team. They went on to comfortably beat two very decent teams in Yugoslavia and Austria on their way to the final, hammering the Austrians 6-1. Meanwhile, Hungary had to survive a bruising quarter-final against Brazil, before being taken to extra-time by Uruguay. The final was played in heavy rain, which suited Germany far better. Also, the Germans had boots supplied by Adidas which featured previously unheard-of exchangeable screw-in studs. The Germans had the added advantage of being dosed with methamphetamine. The German equaliser should have been disallowed due to a foul on the keeper, and Puskas had a goal disallowed for offside, which by all accounts was a very close call. The Hungarians should have won the match, but calling the German victory a miracle is a bit of a stretch.

[@LiftandCoa]

LOOOL

[@Leonardohummel]

2-0 might be a myth, but as an Argentinian watching my team giving a football lesson to france in the world cup final until 78 minute i would reconsider

[@siddarthbalakrishnan9657]

There was also the Netherlands game in the qfs which was basically the same thing but until the 83rd minute

[@aajbajwaj296]

you DID NOT need to include that Evra clip 😭😭

[@nachoalvarez7171]

Even more coming from a youtuber who only does photos and not videos

[@murrayyyy3799]

My favourite is when people say “it’s not VAR that’s the problem, it’s the people using it”. Like how did nobody think of that, you truly are a genius

[@reda84.]

You realise there's plenty of people who want to abolish VAR as a whole

[@Miraglyth]

It's not said as an attempt to be revolutionary. It's said because that's literally the assertion being made, usually to someone unaware or disbelieving of it (particularly believing that the technology of VAR is entirely counter-productive in improving decision-making).

[@soundscape26]

Another one I see way too often is ball possession being a clear indication of which team were the better and/or deserved to win the game.

[@EmpressTouch]

Being in possession doesn't just grind an opponent down physically; the lack of player-enjoyment in chasing down the ball for long periods can create nervous tension in itself. Man City - in possession, have created a way of winning that Arsene Wenger so badly wanted to do at Arsenal, but weak officiating allowed opposing teams sufficient leverage to thwart 'The Beautiful Game' by foul means. Don't get me wrong; what Man City does WITHOUT possession is nothing short of unfortunate. But in possession, they are something we SHOULD all aspire to, as wannabe athletes, in ourselves...

[@darreltan1694]

Fortunately that one seems to have faded in recent years.

[@LiftandCoa]

this

[@nickvickers3486]

How much possession a team had in the final third may be a better indicator?

[@RS-zp1we]

Thanks for including a picture of Ed de Goeij (the guy next to van der Sar) in the goalie bit. Made my day (not really, but you get what i mean)

[@michaelward5370]

I honestly thought Ed deGoey was a really good goalkeeper!!

[@benhebbby]

The Maldini quote should actually be interpreted as "if i have to make a tackle then myself or someone else has already made a mistake". Which is much more accurate as CBs statistically make much fewer tackles than any other outfield player because they're the final line in defence and relying on them to make a challenge leaves you exposed.

[@BrianStorm742]

Is it a real quote though?

[@DrDoom333]

Please do a vid on the 7 biggest teams that flopped. Teams that were expected to dominate and yet completely and utterly failed. I think of the galacticos and psg when I imagine this.

[@EmpressTouch]

PSG are still a very young football club, in the global sport's long history. Otherwise, they'd have won the 'top table' by now - FFP or otherwise...

[@MihailParshin]

Well, England and Brasil almost every WC or Euro/Copa. They are always favourites, but almost always fail(at least Brasil is only so for the last 20 years, but still a lot of 'failed' attempts).

[@bertensap5533]

"I had someone try to convince me that the refs are conspiring against Rotherham I mean why?" That really caught me off guard

[@Dere2727]

The biggest myth is that finishing ability is the most important attribute of a striker, and that if they’re not getting any chances it’s their teammates’ fault

[@AJ-ct8om]

7 good teams who suffered huge defeats. Not necessarily big clubs, Barcelona weren't great when they lost 8-2 but sides that are actually good and consistent who conceded 5 or more

[@rsen507]

So basically you mean 7 biggest defeats incurred by highly inform teams.

[@AJ-ct8om]

@rsen507 effectively. I mean, maybe the video has been made and I've missed it 🤣 but every now and then you get an unexpected humiliation

[@johnpark4650]

A 5-0 El Clasico and certain 7-1 will be surely in the list XD

[@HajjoRere]

Seven biggest humiliations would probably be the best title

[@AJ-ct8om]

@HajjoRere possibly but it's all subjective to what constitutes a humiliation compared to a team of its level. Real Madrid on a 7 match winning streak and top of the League but losing 5-0 to Barcelona in one of the all time great games, is more humiliating and shocking than Bournemouth losing 9-0 to Liverpool for example. World Champions Spain losing 5-1 in the opening game to the team they beat 4 years prior in the final, and then going out at the group stages is huge. As too Brazil losing to Germany in the semi final of their home tournament etc

[@JayTechZM]

Myth: David Bentley's restaurant/ pub never existed

[@sreeradhmuch]

Every video of yours I just keep waiting to see what you have to say about Freddy Adu and I'm never ever disappointed.

[@xmrjacko4547]

Can’t believe this is how I learned that goldfish don’t have two second memories

[@alexsch5583]

Brother I absolutely adore the tiney tiny bits of social commentary you season into you videos. That's peak political education and based as hell, keep up the great work

[@lucaslonchampt613]

Day 22 of asking a "What Went Right for Stade Brestois?" Video This is currently, by far, the best season in club history, one which could result in their first ever qualification for Europe in over 70 years of existence. There's a fascinating story to tell, from going bankrupt and slowly climbing back, to various great names that played there such as Ribéry, Makélélé or José Luis Brown, to the story of the Brest president going up against the Colombian drug cartel. Plus, you can have a lot of Brest related puns. And hey would you look at that, you just talked about Makelele

[@mastertrams]

Not only Brest this season, but Lens last season too. Maybe a "Rise and Fall of Lens"... Though that does feel harsh considering Lens are still 6th in the table...

[@lucaslonchampt613]

@@mastertrams I dunno, I think Lens is still doing good. They are 3 points away from 3rd spot. A win against Brest and they are right back into Champions League contention

[@truthoverlies1820]

Alfies not replying as he's secretly working on the video for your suggestion..in a week or so we will see what went right for stade brestois? on our youtube feed, thus mak8ng it a nice surprise for you.

[@lucaslonchampt613]

@@truthoverlies1820 Nah if he is ever making the video, it's probably after the season is over tbh

[@rsen507]

Well that was aggressive mate, and I loved it 😂

[@anthonyhastings5961]

Bob Holness of Blockbusters fame played the saxophone on Gerry Raffertey's Baker Street

[@Alfie_1]

I want to know about the Syrian rebels to be honest

[@truthoverlies1820]

Apparently the hardest thing in football is to score a goal..personally I think keeping a clean sheet is much harder. The stats back that up.

[@soundsurg3on]

Absolute top tier video!

[@chrisfraser5088]

That Evra clip….i….i dunno 😵‍💫

[@Malky24]

It's good to know that Patrice Evra probably has spectacular diahorrea on the regular. Needed that knowledge.

[@whoisabdalle8295]

Top 7 best premier league teams to get relegated

[@FrCheese1893]

In Czechia we have a "rule" called 'Csaplár's trap' which means that leading <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="120">2:0</a> at half time (not any other time, just after the first half) isn't going to win. Don't know how successful this theory is though, but I would say it is bigger percentage than which you presented.

[@nickvickers3486]

Cool! I guess the losing team has time to think things through and plenty of time to get back into the game. If they could then pull one back early in the second half it's game on!

[@MultiRani10]

Apart from the usual extraordinary video we are always treated to, I was shocked to hear at the end of the video that YT is trying to shut this channel down. I have 2 Theories: A: Alfie is making one of his remarkable sarcastic comments, would be a perfect fot for a consiparcy related video B: it is actually happening because Alfie talks about topics no one dares to talk about, but that is what makes this channel so unique. I would go with B, and if that's true then I call up on the community of this channel to continue watching the video's and liking them so they get recommended to other football fans.

[@rspjfrost1400]

Alfie pointing out the truth is always a dodgy thing and is potentially a problem for him. As you say we MUST protest if it happens. Mass media has areas it simply will not touch. 1 example. As an Everton fan, i have said for years regarding Usmanov's links ruining us and Moshiri was a puppet. Andros Townsend on BBC 5live Monday NIght Club brought this up that its not Moshiri's money anyway: he would know since he played for us. What followed was a brief silence followed by Rory Smith making a jokey remark about lawsuits and it was never brought up again. Alfie has covered it in his Everton video. He is touching on stuff Mass Media simply stays silent on and he is rightly preparing for the worst.

[@JLchevz]

What I freaking love about this channel is the unapologetically sarcastic tone of voice lmao

[@aramanon]

Before Makalele there was The Diamond, Nobby Stiles behind Charlton and Kidd at 8 and 10 with Best and ashton on the wings. Souness anchoring Sammy Lee, Ian rush and Sir Kenny. Before Makale made it boring (developing ruthless talent to make up for zidane and figo refusing to jog back past halfway for Real) it was the Beckenbaur role, a free sweeper playmaker behind the back four, also favoured by Gullit and Moore and Baresi and Sammer, that only went out with the changes to offside tactics and better pitches and a lighter ball making length of the pitch moves more common moving the sweeper in front of the back four rather than behind (see also Pirlo destroying all before him).

[@eyanarant2827]

Alfie posts I watch, Alfie cries I cry, Alfie mad I'm mad. Love you bro keep it up.

[@ryoryo9936]

I’ve heard that 2-0 nonsense from hockey commentators as well. Although, strangely, I don’t think I’ve ever heard it said by a basketball person.

[@franohmsford7548]

What would be the equivalent......75-50 is the most dangerous scoreline? 95-75? 110-90?

[@federicofuentes6146]

So the near post "truism" was taught to me when playing goalkeeper and I never questioned it but it passed the smell test for one reason: like Alfie says, your job is to make it as hard as possible to score. By positioning yourself solidly against your post you're forcing either a cross or a shot in a more complicated angle than just a straight shot into the bottom or top corners of your post. The difference is not enormous, but you're giving your defenders a chance to cover a cross and you're still giving yourself a chance to dive to the far post without conceding the easy angle. Not sure if any of this makes sense, but my point is, I don't think of this as a 100% myth, there's some truth to it, I feel.

[@kripos2201]

Always great content man, keep up the good work!

[@aurumcaelo]

Didn't need to see that patrice evra clip.

[@somethinglikethat2176]

It really should be deleted from the internet.

[@BlueflagAlpha]

I was drinking coffee when that showed up

[@mathiasdiernhofer7714]

Great video (as always)! I don’t know if that would make for an interesting video, but I would love to hear your thoughts about the 7 (biggest/best) teams in which their captain was arguably their worst player, since (at least in my opinion) many teams seem to just give their best player the captaincy, especially recently.

[@chesswithivan8346]

The 2-0 one might come from the times of away goals - you lead 2-0, and just 1 goal makes the difference between an awesome home result and a tough 2nd tie

[@SimonWakefieldUK]

I think its more a statement about mentality rather than a statistical fact its become. At 2-0 mentality wise its hard to get the mentality right. You know that if you can get the 3rd the game is basically dead so you might want to go for that 3rd but you know that leaves you exposed and if they exploit it and it gets back to 2-1 suddenly its all to play for again. But if you go the other way and defend the 2-0 lead you invite them on an it can increase pressure and make conceding more likely.

[@dargoid]

Ref are definitely not against any singular team in particular. But there's a tendency of seeing a team getting a wrong decision either via referee or VAR, and proceed to wrongly get an advantageous decision for them the next game. And the cycle repeats for the next team.

[@richardbrown679]

Excellent content like most of you videos, keep up the good work Alfie 👏

[@patrickcranley7526]

You are my favorite channel on KZbin. Thank you for your consistent, original, and phenomenal content. I root for Hull in their matches because of you ❤

[@jacobnatoli4930]

Well well, we can add Alfie to the list of corrupt public figures on the FA’s unstoppable quest to down the mighty Rotherham United

[@ygrbooks]

I just love all of the topics you have chosen so far and that is a rare feat, so:👍👌👏 and ❤! Please keep on doing your excellent work, enhancing the world of football, but so much more, with your incredibly funny, deep and intelligent comments.

[@saoirsedeltufo7436]

Would love a full video on those daft conspiracies if you have the time, that Dybala one sounds like great fun!

[@the_one_the_only4651]

(Day 3) Make a video on Liechtensteiner football, and why the landlocked microstate of only 38,000 people is the only UEFA nation without its own football league 🇱🇮

[@friggincanvee]

Your content is so enjoyable, and it's just still images for video. Testament to your writing.

[@pedroferreira9468]

Hi Alfie I’m a huge fan of your content and for that I thank you a lot. Are you planning on doing a video of the recent scandal of corruption by Benfica ? Big shout out from Portugal 😁

[@bobafett9739]

One of your best to date, loving your snark

[@WastedxSkillz]

Loved the video, and for some reason, the heart at the end gave me a smile 😊

[@coffeyallday]

#4 is a weird take to me because if you were to build the perfect soccer player in a lab, from a physical and athletic standpoint, you'd probably build someone that looks a whole lot like Cristiano Ronaldo

[@needfoolthings]

Which is the weird take? The myth or the debunk?

[@RuntyMcTall]

@@needfoolthings presumably the myth that Messi was just born to be a perfect football player, since at a glance Ronaldo's physique looks more suited to it (and therefore you might assume that people would be more likely to think that he was the one born with the advantage, not Messi). Of course Ronaldo's physique is largely of his own making and Messi's short stature has helped him to be such an incredible dribbler with a low centre of gravity (and anyway both of them have worked really hard for decades to get where they did and so either way it would of course be a myth).

[@turdforbreakfast]

always love your vids, Alfie. Don't usually comment on vids but here's one to boost the algorithm .

[@stevw6013]

On the goalkeeper bit "He made that save for the cameras" is one that does me. Utterly stupid and there's never another way the keeper could have saved it 🤦🏻‍♂️

[@Omnipotentmonkey]

I think the "2-0 is the most dangerous lead" thing is really more accurately phrased as "it's the most DECEPTIVELY dangerous lead." a 1-0 lead is obviously, blatantly precarious, to a point where it's a given that it is the most ACTUALLY dangerous lead, by far, and throwing away a 3-goal lead is a SUBSTANTIALLY rarer event than a 2 goal lead. meaning that 2-0 hits that sweet spot between not being OBVIOUSLY dangerous in the way that a 1-goal lead is, but not being statistically safe to anywhere near the degree that 3-goal-leads are. the key point being that it's disproportionately dangerous relative to HIGHER leads and not as comfortable as it might appear.

[@greenonion11]

Surely the biggest myth is that clubs are more than just businesses and fans are more than just customers

[@somethinglikethat2176]

Players should play for the love of the game and if they sign a contract that ends up hurting the billionaire owner they should be willing to take a pay cut.

[@LiftandCoa]

​@@somethinglikethat2176why are we scking dick for billionaires? THEY are the one giving out those "hurtful" contracts. Its on THEM. Not the player. wtf is this

[@TomPage51]

The weird thing I learnt from this hat is that from 2-0 up you're more likely to lose than draw It probably won't go wrong but if it does it'll probably go really wrong

[@anthonykanes3279]

Despite the simple concept, this channel and Alphie just seem to get better and better with age, just like a fine wine! Unbelievable work Jeff!! 😂❤

[@jordancrichlow2429]

Great video Alfie!

[@zacsayer1818]

“Sitting” in front of the back four - when did people lose the ability to differentiate between tenses when it came to sat and sit/sitting?

[@keithwellerlounge74]

The goalkeeper one that I hate the most is 'he has to clear everything up there', in other words the goalkeeper should recklessly knock anyone over in their way as long as they catch the ball. We've actually seen this attitude knock players out and put them in hospital - but by the actual rules this is dangerous play and shouldn't be allowed.

[@kokovox]

Great video mate!

[@VictorMurp]

One that always gets me is "right before half time is the worst time to concede" I don't even understand the logic. Surely conceding right before getting a 15 minute break to regroup isn't the worst time.

[@nathanpollard1223]

But the half-time break's a period of increased lucidity, & you also can't respond or fight back for 15 minutes.

[@danieldamoh7663]

This might be the greatest video of all time. On my way to play the smart ass with my friends

[@craigfairlie9247]

The quote about Maldini reminds me of the Strachan quote 'Velocity' - it's reported but there's never any footage of Strachan being asked or saying it

[@kd9017]

great video as usual

[@jamesmolinaro4461]

It came out 2 min ago give it time it could fall off after a bit

[@mrsomeone846]

You finally uploaded! I resorted to watching Rory Jennings yesterday.

[@richiel5557]

Your dry humor is amazing

[@treedude217]

Thank you so much for mentioning the Ronaldo/Messi one. Drives me mad every time I hear it

[@KaIliev19]

In Bulgaria is getting damn mad over the referees helping Levski, CSKA and Ludogorets (especially Ludogorets) to reach the top 3 meanwhile Cherno More is fighting against the BFU, The referees and other thing, which is...

[@F1Krazy]

There are, unfortunately, some leagues where the referees are indeed bent (Bulgaria being one of them), but most of the fans making accusations of referee bias are fans of clubs outside those leagues