More than 7,000 words! Turam teaches you how to play forward: Big Inzagi is art Benzema is football AI

05 May 30th French magazine OnzeMidial interviewed Inter forward Marcus Toulam. After InterM eliminated Feyenoord in the Champions League in March, the magazine has released all the content on its official website. In this article, Toulam will introduce what he thinks is a top striker.

We are straight to the point. What is the ranking of the top ten strikers in the world in your mind?

I don't like to do this ranking because it depends on the style of your team, your teammates, and a lot of other factors. Football is not a personal sport. Let me improvise the ranking of the world's best forward, which is too wide to do, and I can't do it. But if you want to ask me through this question whether I think I am the top ten forwards in the world, my answer is yes, and I firmly believe that I am the top ten forwards in the world.

Why?

Because now I am 27 years old, this is my third season as a center. I am constantly improving and accumulating a lot of experience. I am becoming more and more proficient in this position. I am very lucky to be a No. 9 player to continue my contributions on the wing, such as assists, dribbling, creating penalty kicks, and also scoring goals.

You are among the best strikers in the world. How to become number one?

Continue to work hard, continue to ask yourself the right questions, and continue to think. I want to be smarter in the game because that's the key to distinguishing good players from top players. Their game wisdom and their ability to predict the situation on the field 30 seconds in advance in the game, and a 30-second lead is huge. Also pay attention to prediction (he paused). In fact, every professional player should be eager to control all those details that viewers may not necessarily see on TV. This will let you know at the beginning of the game what will happen and how the action will end.

I indirectly return to the first question. In your opinion, which forwards are currently in the forefront?

You know, those fans who argue "Is this player better than that", I am a professional player and will not participate in this kind of discussion or argument. I know I still have a long way to go, at least I hope so. I am only 27 years old and I am eager to make progress. I focus on myself and hope to be the best I will eventually be.

Don't you discuss these in private, with people close to you?

At home, we only talk about football. My dad is a former professional player and my brother plays football at Juventus. So yes, we have this discussion. What is the result of the discussion?

Just like those I just said.

How to improve the small details you mentioned?

By ask the right questions, examine your own performance, and analyze the good and bad things. I also like to observe the practices of other strikers and analyze their goals. I watch all the league goals scores every night. If you look closely, you will always find some similarities. For example, you will find that more goals are scored at the near post. Or a player always passes to the same area under certain circumstances. By observing, learning and memory, you can save time. You can then copy these good moves on the field and make the right runs and moves.

Do you have any actions to remember and copy?

For example, the goal I scored in the Champions League yesterday. When Dumfries was preparing for a cross, he was parallel to the defensive line, but eventually he passed the ball back to Barrera. Barrera is not on the defensive line, he is even further backward. From that angle, Barrera's easiest pass trajectory is to the far post. This kind of cross is often the kind that De Bruyne passed to Haaland. Every time he was in front of the defensive line, he would pass to the far post and then Haaland scored a goal. This is my goal yesterday.

So you have already imagined it in advance?

Yes, when I look at the goal or action, I will remember immediately, not stupid. You are not looking at the goal itself, but the forward's position and the passer's position. If you look closely, you will find that the same movement is always the same.

In the 2019 interview, you said you wanted to be "more like a killer". How are you doing now?

From that interview to now, I have improved a lot (laughs). In the past, my goals were more personal and rely on personal breakthroughs. Now, I can score goals in crosses, fill shots, grab points, and headers. I learned to like those less beautiful goals. So, no doubt, I am more like a killer now. Can

go a step further?

(direct answer) Of course. This is the beauty of football. I scored a goal yesterday, and I still have a chance to score another goal next weekend, so I can do this. Every game is like a test, you have to go all out and have a chance to do better than the last one.

What does it take to be the ultimate killer?

To be the ultimate killer, you have to know the result before the action happens. This is back to the prediction and wisdom of the game.

Do you think you have strong wisdom in the competition?

As I said before, you can always do better. No player is the perfect finished product. As Harry Kane said in an interview, he is still learning at his age. Think about it, Kane has achieved so much in the football world and is still learning. So I can obviously continue to learn. Whether it is 20, 27 or 35, no player is fully mature and can always learn new things.

In school, you can improve your intelligence through reading and learning, and you can improve your wisdom through watching the game movements. Are there any other ways?

communicate more with the forward seniors and talk to my dad, he is the top defender. You can learn from anyone, from Lautaro Martinez, Taremi, Arnautovic, Joaquin Correa, and even coach Inzaghi Jr. Everyone who has played or understood the football can help you with one sentence or suggestion, allowing you to reflect and learn faster.

How do you position yourself on the court to increase your chances of scoring?

You must stand perfectly and adjust according to the position of the ball and the position of the defender. You have to know whether the defender is running fast, is he taller or shorter than you.

After you came to Inter Milan, your net worth doubled in the German transfer market, and it is now 75 million euros. What do you think?

(surprised) 75 million euros? They said I'm worth 75 million!

How to interpret this value?

may mean that I have made twice the progress. That's what they said? (Laughs) It means I'm developing well and the team is running well. If the team performs poorly, my net worth may not have increased so much.

Don't you look at these things?

Don't watch. Don't

players like to watch these?

Whether you are a player or not, I like myself very much. According to my dad’s education, I can guarantee that it is not a player who let me do this. I like myself very much before I became a player, maybe it was a bit too much. Now that I am a player, I am not that narcissistic. This has never been a problem.

Back to your value.

This is a positive signal. I don't pay much attention to this. Now you tell me this, it means I did a good job after coming to Inter Milan.

You said you want to be the best self, can you imagine the best self?

The best self must first grow long hair like Kevren (laughs). Seriously, the best thing to do is to master all aspects of the game. My dream is to be able to... (He pauses). When you watch TV games, you sometimes say, "Why didn't he see this!" Because you have a wide-angle perspective and can see everything on the field. My dream is to have this kind of down-looking perspective after playing, and it is impossible to make the wrong choice, 100% successful, 100% correct decision, and 100% perfect.

Do you think this is possible?

Everything is possible. When Neymar was in Paris, he sometimes felt like he saw everything. So is Benzema, always one step ahead. This is what I pursue.

Some people say that the most difficult thing in football is to score goals. What do you think?

The most difficult thing is to keep scoring goals. Let people stop wondering if you will score. You scored the goal when you came on the court, and Haaland did it. People think this is normal now, but what Haaland, Messi and Ronaldo do is amazing. Anyone can score a goal. But it is too unusual to score so many goals in one, two and three seasons. You have to understand that once you score a lot of goals, you become the target. The opponent will prepare for you, but you can still score goals. This is the most difficult one.

Is a single game difficult?

You can score goals in one game. In football today, you may have 3-3 or 4-4, and you have opportunities. What I personally pursue is long-term stability.

Your coach Simeone Inzaghi was an excellent striker. Have you talked about this role?

Yes, he gave me advice and shared some things that he had only realized in his later years, especially his feelings. Having a coach who is a forward is a dream for a forward. Because some things are only understood by the forwards.

For example, his brother Philip Inzaghi didn't play well...

Simone Inzaghi played well. As for Philip, it may not be that good-looking, but that is a unique art. Always wandering on the edge of offside, it's beautiful. Whether beauty or not depends on your definition. For me, it’s an art to run on the edge of offside, get rid of the defender, calculate the passing trajectory, pay attention to offside and goalkeepers, and then score goals.

Do you want to add this art to yourself?

Of course. Which striker doesn't want to have the running feeling of Philip Inzaghi? I was laughing at saying that Philip was not good-looking.

As an audience, he is not that eye-catching.

It depends on how you watch the game, and also on your understanding of the game. Many people have their own opinions when watching the game, but they have to play to understand something. As a forward, seeing Philip's running position was wonderful for me.

Your dad has played with Trezege, Anelka, and Henry. Have you ever communicated with them?

Yes, they gave me advice. Suggestions vary from person to person, depending on what they like to do. But communicating with these players can save a lot of time.

Is there a saying that impresses you?

Henry said something about repeating your favorite moves on the court. He told me: "If you like and are good at a certain move, you have to try your best to put yourself in that position. You can't play football randomly, you have to create a situation you are good at." The more situations you master, the harder you will be to be stopped.

But this will get you into a routine.

If the routine is effective, it won't. Haaland always scores goals in the same position and he won't be bored. If it works, do it, it's simple.

Are there any strikers who you don't like in style?

No. Every striker has something I can learn. Are you talking about all forwards or top forwards? I don't know all the forwards. But among the top strikers, there is no style I don’t like.

What contemporary forwards have you analyzed?

When I was a child, I watched Adriano and Daro. I didn't analyze it at that time. But if you want to say one thing that I observe carefully, play smartly and easily learn is Karim Benzema. If a child asks me, "I want to be a forward, who should I look at?" I definitely say it's Benzema. This guy is a football computer. You give him questions, he gives answers in seconds, correct everything, settle everything, is the ChatGPT of football (laughs). Give him something, he can zoom in twice or triple. His football culture, position and details are simply incredible.

Who inspired you outside of football?

Apart from football, Mohamed Ali. He is confident, charming and calm. Even if he engages in a fierce sport like boxing, he can bring lightness and poetry. So yes, Muhammad Ali.

Can you become a great athlete without a personality?

cannot. It can even be said that it is impossible to become a great athlete without a little bad temper. Sometimes… (He paused and continued). The bad temper I am talking about is not really bad temper, it is that something will explode, maybe it is bad movements or bad eyes. This is the gap between top athletes and non-top athletes. Some people cannot understand this mentality.

For example?

Some reactions or words may be inappropriate for others. For example, Mbappe is not understood because he has a strong competitive mentality. Some people think that it is arrogance, but it is not, it is just the mentality of a top athlete.

Then you, Marcus Toulam, have a bad temper?

Yes, but I try to... (He pauses). No, I will correct it. It’s not a bad temper, but a strong personality. Yes, I have a strong personality. This is no secret, it has been since childhood (laughs). But it's not a bad temper, it's a strong personality.

Can't be a top player without strong character?

pair.

When watching TV, what do you think of this player when you play football?

What do I think of myself? I can't be on the court while watching TV (laughs).

I mean to watch the game again.

I can't look at myself. Have to ask others.

But you will watch the game back?

Yes, but I don't look at it from the perspective of fans, but from the perspective of analysis and progress. There are always dissatisfactions, and there are always questions that make me irritated. I will say, "Why do this?" "Why not that?"

As an analyst, what do you think of yourself?

When analyzing myself, I get angry because I always feel that I can do better.

You will be 28 years old in a few months. When will you approach your peak?

What does

When will you be at your top status?

When I master everything that I should master (he pauses and continues). Do you want a specific age?

pair.

I can't give it.

Benzema won the Golden Globes at the age of 35.

I don't think Benzema's peak is 35 years old. He has always been a unique player. When he partnered with Ronaldo, people didn't pay much attention to him. Benzema was amazing when he was in Lyon, as was Real Madrid's early days. He has always been Benzema. After Ronaldo left, he attracted more attention in Real Madrid. But I won't say, "I'm at this age."

But you haven't reached the peak yet? Close?

Yes, I'm not too far.

How did this progress come about?

As I said throughout the interview, through constant reflection, communicating with my dad or someone who has played football, always think about how to be better.