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So you mean best player in your lifetime but not the best ever?
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So you mean best player in your lifetime but not the best ever?
I'm a bit mangled but I get ya brah.
Best player I've ever seen live was probably Figo but I don't think he's the best player ever.
I think.
Well, Ronaldo is the best player I've ever seen enough of to give him the tag of best player I've ever seen.
Messi, Best, Figo, Cruyff, Moore, Pele, ZZ, Handofgod etc might well have been better players but as I've only ever seen clips, highlights or the odd game of them I'm not in a position to choose a best player ever.
There's probably very few people who can genuinely choose one either really.
Which Ronaldo we talking about JG?
Whilst we're on the subject, Ronaldinho is rarely talked about in these lists, always wondered why because for me he was unplayable for about 3 years and even after, still damn good.
I was watching an old PSG video on another forum recently and he was unreal at times for them, right about the time Peter Kenyon decided to mess up the deal at the last minute :/
We signed Ronaldo as a second choice.
Whilst we're on the subject, Ronaldinho is rarely talked about in these lists, always wondered why because for me he was unplayable for about 3 years and even after, still damn good.
I was watching an old PSG video on another forum recently and he was unreal at times for them, right about the time Peter Kenyon decided to mess up the deal at the last minute :/
We signed Ronaldo as a second choice.
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Nice.
I've got to admit, I did like watching Hoddle, I met him in a bookies when he was the Wolves manager, I'd had a few sherbets and proceeded to tell the cashier what a great player he was, how he had the ball stuck to his feet and that he could play a ball 40 yards on a sixpence.
He shook my hand, left embarrassed and then she asked me if it was Steve Bull
The only other thing I remember is that he smelt rich.
In terms of the Champions League era one could debate who the best is but the thing about Zidane is I don't think anyone could match his combination of grace and ability. In other words, playing great while making it all look so beautiful and effortless.
Lookup the highlight reels of him from the 2006 quarterfinal against Brazil, even right at the very end of his career he was totally bossing it, making the likes of Ronaldinho look like pub players, they can't get near him. It's like he is playing a different game from the other 21 players, his head is already two seconds ahead of them all, his first touch isn't just a first touch, it is the opening gambit of a perfectly executed plan.
Lookup the highlight reels of him from the 2006 quarterfinal against Brazil, even right at the very end of his career he was totally bossing it, making the likes of Ronaldinho look like pub players, they can't get near him. It's like he is playing a different game from the other 21 players, his head is already two seconds ahead of them all, his first touch isn't just a first touch, it is the opening gambit of a perfectly executed plan.
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Soldato
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The last technically gifted English player in how long?
Zidane will always be better than C.Ronaldo for me, Ronaldo has immense goal scoring but his all round game just lacks compared to a player like Zidane. Zidane looked like he had an aura around him that made his team mates play better when he was really on form, not many players have had that.
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I think I get what Johnny is saying, like, the best player you've seen play regularly?
If that's what he's saying (I think) then it's a really tough decision to make. I've been lucky enough to be born with the explosion of football on television, so watching brilliant footballers and brilliant football has really spoilt me.
I've been lucky enough to watch players like Henry, Figo, Zidane, Riquelme, Maldini, Nesta, Carlos, Cafu, Giggs, Scholes, Xavi, Iniesta, Messi, Ronaldo, gay Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Bergkamp, Veira .. the list goes on, let alone watching players at Wednesday or just good players in English football.
If that's what he's saying (I think) then it's a really tough decision to make. I've been lucky enough to be born with the explosion of football on television, so watching brilliant footballers and brilliant football has really spoilt me.
I've been lucky enough to watch players like Henry, Figo, Zidane, Riquelme, Maldini, Nesta, Carlos, Cafu, Giggs, Scholes, Xavi, Iniesta, Messi, Ronaldo, gay Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Bergkamp, Veira .. the list goes on, let alone watching players at Wednesday or just good players in English football.
Zidane was immense back in his days but sadly that headbutt of his against Materrazi kinda ruined his legacy...last game he ever played for France 
Messi reminds me a lot of him at times, the skill he has with the ball at his feet.
But training with Zidane at Real must be a wet dream come true.
Messi reminds me a lot of him at times, the skill he has with the ball at his feet.
But training with Zidane at Real must be a wet dream come true.
Caporegime
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Ronaldo is probably my number one of all time, proper Ronaldo not Portuguese Ronaldo. Just waiting for cm to tell us how Bale is clearly the best ever... 
I've typed out responses to this several times but because I'm a bit lashed I can't phrase it right so it doesn't get me into an argument one way or t'other.
It's basically all personal preference, I can appreciate all of them in one way but it ultimately comes down to personal choice. My old man used to say "You will never see another Bobby Charlton" and he had seen some great players over the years but always chose Bobby over the likes of Best/Law/Moore etc etc.
I'm gonna stop rambling.
It's basically all personal preference, I can appreciate all of them in one way but it ultimately comes down to personal choice. My old man used to say "You will never see another Bobby Charlton" and he had seen some great players over the years but always chose Bobby over the likes of Best/Law/Moore etc etc.
I'm gonna stop rambling.
Caporegime
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Pretty much. How does one even go about defining "best"? It's a totally personal choice in my opinion, there are too many factors and no real way of giving the "greatest" title to any one player. It's easier to group a collection of outstanding players and just pick your favourite considering many players have all done incredible things during their careers.
Exactly, I've debated it with mates and it's always personal choice.
And this is without biased as much as I can be......
I prefer Ronaldo over Messi, I like his raw power and pace more than the trickery of Messi, I can appreciate it but it just doesn't get me going like seeing Ronaldo smash one in and bulldoze through defenders.
I preferred Cantona over Bergkamp, I liked how he had a presence on the pitch and could whip a crowd into a fever with one turn, I really liked watching Bergkamp play but if I had to choose it would be Cantona (I'm trying to be impartial but I picked two bad examples) Where as Zola from the same kind of era lit up the Premier League and he was exciting to watch and that was in a poor Chelsea team back then but you could see him sceming in every game trying to unlock defences.
Let's try another, Nesta and Baresi, now Baresi at the end couldn't run to catch a bus, he knew it and every striker against him knew it but his positioning on the pitch was outstanding and he kept the attackers from creating chances just because he was always in the right place, he didn't have to chase. Nesta, he was talked up as the best defender in the world at one point and whilst I can appreciate he is a great defender, he never really did anything out of the ordinary of what you would expect a defender to do.
I'm talking **** now, apologies but you get my drift I hope.
Regarding Baresi, I think that's the hallmark of a properly great defender, Maldini had it, Nesta had it, Baresi certainly had it.
It's the ability to see in to the future, to read players minds and to know what a forward is going to do before he tries it and then to shut that door before it's opened.
I can't remember which defender said it, but they basically said that a defender that comes off the pitch with muddy shorts isn't playing well (because he's let forwards get the better of him and had to make a last ditch tackle to fix it, if he was defending well that wouldn't have happened), I'm not totally sure I agree with it, I think there is a certain art to a last ditch tackle, but I see the point he's making, and I think that against good players, chances are always created.
Anyway, I've had a drink too. I don't think I could nail it down to one player that I've enjoyed watching more than others, same goes for the best.
People will argue, but really, at the very top of the pyramid of great footballers, they're interchangeable, there are a few that regardless of order are in a top list, I also, hate and loath people that throw around the word 'legend' or 'world class' or simply refer to good players as 'great', good players can have the odd brilliant game, but that doesn't mean they're suddenly great players or whatever.
I don't know if that makes sense teither
, crabbies ginger beer is awesome though.
It's the ability to see in to the future, to read players minds and to know what a forward is going to do before he tries it and then to shut that door before it's opened.
I can't remember which defender said it, but they basically said that a defender that comes off the pitch with muddy shorts isn't playing well (because he's let forwards get the better of him and had to make a last ditch tackle to fix it, if he was defending well that wouldn't have happened), I'm not totally sure I agree with it, I think there is a certain art to a last ditch tackle, but I see the point he's making, and I think that against good players, chances are always created.
Anyway, I've had a drink too. I don't think I could nail it down to one player that I've enjoyed watching more than others, same goes for the best.
People will argue, but really, at the very top of the pyramid of great footballers, they're interchangeable, there are a few that regardless of order are in a top list, I also, hate and loath people that throw around the word 'legend' or 'world class' or simply refer to good players as 'great', good players can have the odd brilliant game, but that doesn't mean they're suddenly great players or whatever.
I don't know if that makes sense teither
, crabbies ginger beer is awesome though.Shurrup .
I adored watching Maldini play. Magnificent.
What a team.
Franco Baresi
Ruud Gullit
Filippo Galli
Marco Van Basten
Carlo Cudicini
Roberto Donadoni
Dejan Savicevic
Alessandro Costacurta
Brian Laudrup
Paolo Maldini
Demetrio Albertini
Zvonimir Boban
Marcel Desailly
Stefano Eranio
F Galli
Gianluigi Lentini
Massaro
Nava
Christian Panucci
Jean-Pierre Papin
Sebastiano Rossi
Tassotti
.I adored watching Maldini play. Magnificent.
What a team
.Franco Baresi
Ruud Gullit
Filippo Galli
Marco Van Basten
Carlo Cudicini
Roberto Donadoni
Dejan Savicevic
Alessandro Costacurta
Brian Laudrup
Paolo Maldini
Demetrio Albertini
Zvonimir Boban
Marcel Desailly
Stefano Eranio
F Galli
Gianluigi Lentini
Massaro
Nava
Christian Panucci
Jean-Pierre Papin
Sebastiano Rossi
Tassotti
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