Plako wrote:
That mid-90's team has probably one of the worst records in our history. A pernenial Pot 5 team that scarred us for life and gave us the psychological complex we suffer from today. That team would play an amazing half against a top team and then concede in the dying minutes of a game or they would collapse against mediocre teams like Georgia or Belarus, sometimes at home. That team made me appreciate the win against Armenia at home as I gave up hope after we went down 1-0 and said to myself "Typical Albanian lossers". These guys clawed their back to victory like very few teams have done in the past.
The mid 80's team beat Belgium at home and was one win away from qualifying for the 86' world cup. Yes I agree that Skela is a more skillful player than any of our current players but all I remember from Skela in the NT games was how he would try to run circles against a couple of opposition players and slow down the game. We play very differently now, a more high tempo high press game.
You pretty much said what I was thinking but I didn't want to bash the former players because those guys did have to play in an era where 0 fucks were given for the national team or the sport in general. But I can't take them seriously when the said they were better because player X scored a great goal in a loss..
I mean are you guys listening to yourselves? You're glorifying Ervin Skela like he's messi. Fact is he was a fringe Bundesliga player with limitations regarding pace, physicality and defensive ability. He's kinda like a rich man's Meha and Meha can't even make the roster... Some of you guys are way too nostalgic for these guys to the point where you are saying Skela was playing Tiki-Taka?!? And after Skela and Lala? Team was filled with amateurs like Hidi in goal, Salihi as a winger, out of form Besart Berisha, Alban Bushi, Jupi, etc. Those squads were filled with players playing in random countries like Cyprus, second division greek sides, Albanian superliga players. We replaced those guys with players who are key players in Switzerland..
The point we had more players in top leagues because of Skela, Lala and Lala? What? Gashi was top scorer for Basel and Xhaka a regular starter for Basel which is a bigger club then Anderlecht. Gashi would have been the best attacker on that squad. Lenjani starter in league 1(as will Cana this year), Berisha spot starter for a borderline CL team, Cana has had a more prestigious career than any Albanian player(maybe with the exception of Lala), Mavraj fringe bundesliga player, etc.