Top 5 Footballers of Your Lifetime

Forgot about Rivaldo. Watched a video of him on youtube the other week. Absolutely fantastic footballer. Could do everything and scored some of the most spectacular goals you're ever likely to see.
 
My top five, watching live, (and not in any particular order):

Danny Blanchflower
Jim Baxter
George Best
Duncan Edwards
Stanley Matthews

Nobody outside uk in that list, because most of the games I've watched have been purely local games.

I've seen better footballers, e.g. Pele and Eusabio, but they didn't play to their best on the occasions that I saw them.

If I were to include those I've seen on TV, then Zidane would top my list.
 
NokkonWud said:
I'm sorry, Riquelme isn't as good as Scholes. Riquelme has had 1 season of total dominance in a season in a top league where Villareal did very well. Scholes has consistently been incredible for over a decade.
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I never said Riquelme was better than Scholes, I just said he's a much better passer of the ball - the main reason I included him in my top 5. You're a Man U fan, you're bound to be a little biased towards Scholes and I'm not surprised you're surprised he isn't ahead of Riquelme in people's list.

You said it yourself "we all have differing opinions".
 
My little bunch,

Larsson - there are few better front men who can do everything
Bergkamp - His skills on the ball are legendary and he just seemed to have an aura of greatness about him
Zidane - ditto
Maldini - A true master defender and what a servant to Milan
Keane - no one better in bossing a midfield
 
NokkonWud said:
Beckenbauer?

He wasn't bad, he was an expert at what he did (but not as good as Maldini or Ferdinand). Someone did name Mathaus though!
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I've no idea how you can mention Ferdinand alongside the all time greats. I don't think he can even be considered as one of the best in the past decade, two top class seasons throughout a career just doesn't do it for me.
 
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[ASSE]Hinchy;11800274 said:
Forgot about Rivaldo. Watched a video of him on youtube the other week. Absolutely fantastic footballer. Could do everything and scored some of the most spectacular goals you're ever likely to see.
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He was an excellent player, but I think it says a lot that you've forgot about him. I think my lasting memory of him is against Turkey at WC2002 and that infamous dive, which is a shame really.
 
weringo said:
I've no idea how you can mention Ferdinand alongside the all time greats. I don't think he can be considered as one of the best in the past decade, two top class seasons throughout a career just doesn't do it for me.
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Ferdinand has been solid for a very long time. I rate him incredibly highly and I've have him ahead of many, many CBs across the world. Especially now he's dropped the air of 'it'll be alright' about him.
 
Syph said:
Ferdinand has been solid for a very long time. I rate him incredibly highly and I've have him ahead of many, many CBs across the world. Especially now he's dropped the air of 'it'll be alright' about him.
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I also rate him very highly, but the fact is he's only been "solid" for about 2 years, before that he was almost a liability - he could be counted to make at least one glaring mistake a match. Gladly for England and United he's cut that out of his game now but I think most expected him to do it long before the age of 29.

No doubt one of the best in world right now but he hasn't had the career to be considered as one of the all-time greats.
 
Diego Maradona. Cheat or not he had the talent.

Marco Van Basten. Utter genius.

Peter Beardsley. Best servant the Toon ever had and on his day he was awesome.

Zidane.

Ronaldo. I can't stand the arrogant little ..... but his talent is undeniable.
 
Viper² said:
Ferdinand? Are you joking? Beckenbauer was better than Maldini and Ferdinand put together.
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I dont agree with Ferdinand, quite how he can be mentioned in the same breath as those two i dont know. :p.
But Beckenbauer was not better than Maldini.
Maldini learnt off the best, Baresi, and bettered him.
He is world class all across the backline, and even now, at his age, he still doesnt have too many problems with 'the worlds best'.
(although he does 'slip up' more nowadays).
 
weringo said:
I've no idea how you can mention Ferdinand alongside the all time greats. I don't think he can even be considered as one of the best in the past decade, two top class seasons throughout a career just doesn't do it for me.
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Two?
He's been brilliant since his days at West Ham, then Leeds. He's our only player to turn up to all major International events where he was hands down our star player in 2002 and again in 2006 (alongside Hargreaves). He always performs in big games and there aren't many strikers that challenge him as a defender.

In Ferdinand, even before this season he's always been in the best 5 defenders in the World, this season for me he's quite easily the best. I would certainly put him up there on merit alone.
 
BoomAM said:
He is world class all across the backline, and even now, at his age, he still doesnt have too many problems with 'the worlds best'.
(although he does 'slip up' more nowadays).
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I was watching him this season in a few matches and every time he was still the best player on the park. No problems getting up and down the left wing, short passing was incredibly and tackles to perfection.
 
NokkonWud said:
I was watching him this season in a few matches and every time he was still the best player on the park. No problems getting up and down the left wing, short passing was incredibly and tackles to perfection.
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Not bad for his age is it? :p.
 
NokkonWud said:
Two?
He's been brilliant since his days at West Ham, then Leeds. He's our only player to turn up to all major International events where he was hands down our star player in 2002 and again in 2006 (alongside Hargreaves). He always performs in big games and there aren't many strikers that challenge him as a defender.
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I can't agree, he was always talented which is why he was so highly rated in his early days and United paid so much for him, but as I said before he didn't mature into the player he is today as quickly as he should have. His lack of concentration had even Silvestre covering for him in defence at times.

Compared to some of the top centre backs of the last few years, Ferdinand's career doesn't compare.
 
BoomAM said:
I dont agree with Ferdinand, quite how he can be mentioned in the same breath as those two i dont know. :p.
But Beckenbauer was not better than Maldini.
Maldini learnt off the best, Baresi, and bettered him.
He is world class all across the backline, and even now, at his age, he still doesnt have too many problems with 'the worlds best'.
(although he does 'slip up' more nowadays).
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The only bad thing on Maldini is that he didn't win anything at the top level, i.e. World Cups.
 
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