Soldato
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Oh yeah totally. However they are being judged in one set of circumstances ie as part of an uber successful team. Which to be fair, is how all footballers would like to be judged!
The 3 best players in the world... your thoughts?
- Thread starter Robbo
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Oh yeah totally. However they are being judged in one set of circumstances ie as part of an uber successful team. Which to be fair, is how all footballers would like to be judged!
Caporegime
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1. Messi
2. Ronaldo
3. Eboue
2. Ronaldo
3. Eboue
That's the problem really. I think the most talented player in the league last season was Fabregas. I think one of the most talented players in the league this year will be David Silva. But neither of them will get the goals Rooney et al get. Silva probably doesn't get half the assists he should either as despite him perhaps not being the second to last person to touch the ball, so many moves are created completely because of him.
I don't really think there is a list either, just tiers like some above have mentioned. Tier 1, the obvious 2. Tier 2 contains players like Rooney, Fabregas, Xavi, personally I would say Silva (but I would, just like you would say Rooney), probably Aguero. An in-form Torres would be in there, Villa, Eto'o, Sneijder. In fact Tier 2 would be full of the very best players from the top 3/4 teams of their respective leagues in a variety of positions. Vidic wouldn't get the plaudits Rooney does, but you wouldn't say he wasn't world class in his position. That's enough for me to put him in Tier 2.
Also worth noting that Dzeko, who everyone on here had completely written off as a flop already, and who has 90 minutes less on the pitch than Rooney has only scored 2 goals less (was 1 ahead before today), and all from open play. He's also been damn near MOTM in every game he's played this season. He's replicating the form he had at Wolfsburg which made him a Ballon D'or nominee, which would probably put him in Tier 2 as well.
You could split it down and down but I don't think you can put players in a list. Eventually you will have equally good players in various positions that can't be separated by a spreadsheet, just how important you think that player is to their team. Just my opinion of course
Edit, sorry, forgot about Bale. He's Tier 2. Tier 3 is everyone else.
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At the end of the day though sooner or later the best talents get snapped up by the best clubs, say Messi was at Bolton would he be the best player in the world? No. Would he ultimately be snapped up by a Barcelona? Without doubt.
Xavi for a large part of his Barca career was never thought of as one of the best midfielders in the world, playing in the sides he is now though has seen him reach his pinnacle and now rightly so he is viewed as the best.
Zat Knight for example isn't considered as one of the best players in the world because he's at Bolton it's because he's ****
I disagree, the likes of Silva & Sneijder are not in the same class as Xavi or Iniesta. I agree with your premise that Ronaldo and Messi are the top two then there's a batch of players below them but a lot of those you mentioned are a further run down the ladder.
Torres is no where near the best players in the World. No where near.
There is no substance to the argument "on his day" either, he's not had his day for the past ~20 months and Liverpool played an amazing hand to get ~50 million for him ( I know it was related to the Carroll deal )
I don't like doing a list of players either, I'd say right now Messi is the best player in the World but the "chasing pack" (I can't think of another way of describing them) is pretty close to each other.
There is no substance to the argument "on his day" either, he's not had his day for the past ~20 months and Liverpool played an amazing hand to get ~50 million for him ( I know it was related to the Carroll deal )
I don't like doing a list of players either, I'd say right now Messi is the best player in the World but the "chasing pack" (I can't think of another way of describing them) is pretty close to each other.
Soldato
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I think Silva and Kun would be up there were it not for the team they played for.
Thats not a pop a City but its a fact
Thats not a pop a City but its a fact
Soldato
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I go
Messi
Ronaldo
Iniesta
I always think about the players who do it in big games at a high level and under pressure when no-one else is managing to make a break-through or have the creativity to get through a stubborn defence when trying to put someone ahead of the chasing pack.
And that puts Iniesta ahead of the likes of Villa, Xavi and Fabregas for me. Xavi is a guy that never makes mistakes but by the same token he never dribbles much past 2 or 3 players like my top 3 do.
I think Rooney is up there as well, really top-class player. I like Suarez but like to see him score a few more in England which i think he will do this season to be fair.
Messi
Ronaldo
Iniesta
I always think about the players who do it in big games at a high level and under pressure when no-one else is managing to make a break-through or have the creativity to get through a stubborn defence when trying to put someone ahead of the chasing pack.
And that puts Iniesta ahead of the likes of Villa, Xavi and Fabregas for me. Xavi is a guy that never makes mistakes but by the same token he never dribbles much past 2 or 3 players like my top 3 do.
I think Rooney is up there as well, really top-class player. I like Suarez but like to see him score a few more in England which i think he will do this season to be fair.
Just like Fabregas never got the recognition his deserved because he was at Arsenal. I bet after this season at Barca he's lauded as one of if not the best midfielder in the world. Certainly not considered below Iniesta or Xavi like he is at the moment.
Soldato
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What?
I'd love to see you explain this 'fact'.
Because they have gone to a side that is building rather than one that is already there.
Think about it.
In the past only a top top team could have had the finance to buy either player so their move would have been a "step up". In this case City are still a "work in progress" and this is only their first CL season.
Had Silva had the same performances last season in a barca shirt winning the CL rather than in a City shirt getting a CL place he would prbably already be talked about in more glowing terms.
So you're referring to the ignorance of part-time fans that can't look beyond a shirt rather than the players actual ability/form?
edit: Messi's out on his own then there's Ronaldo and then a gap before a group of anything upto 15 players that some might say deserved 3rd spot. I'd have no problem putting Aguero and Silva in that group of 15 players.
edit: Messi's out on his own then there's Ronaldo and then a gap before a group of anything upto 15 players that some might say deserved 3rd spot. I'd have no problem putting Aguero and Silva in that group of 15 players.
Soldato
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Yeah thats pretty much what i mean. He doesnt actually have to get better, just be the same in better surroundings.
He needs to get in the team first!!
Soldato
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No. Not at all. Thats fairly obtuse.
What im saying is that being a great player will obviously have more of an impact if you are winning titles and playing in CL finals with other great players than it will if you are a great player in a lesser side challenging for CL qualification etc.