Greatest player in your lifetime?

[Big Noel]

Maradonna, we'll never see someone win a world cup practically on his own again. And the handball............let it go, let it go

 

 

Not only did he win a world cup on his own. He won Serie A for Napoli on his own too. Then he discovered cocaine...

[madstock]

Despite last May, Maldini must be up there amongst the best players (in his position - not saying he is technically more gifted than Ronaldinho or a better finisher than Henry...). Van Basten wasn't too shabby either.

[wiiksie]

Despite last May, Maldini must be up there amongst the best players (in his position - not saying he is technically more gifted than Ronaldinho or a better finisher than Henry...). Van Basten wasn't too shabby either.

couple of good shouts there.

[christian11]

Jimmy Carter

[Stu Monty]

I know people will think I'm being different on purpose but I'm not.

 

For me it is probably Thuram. Pretty much the most complete defender in my lifetime. Athletecism, pace, reads the game, comanding, passing, scored important goals, was absolute World Class at both full back and centre back.

 

Not only would he dominate attackers he even out showboated them at times with a trick or two to leave them fuming and humiliated. Virtually kept teams at bay on his own a few times for Juventus.

 

As a defensive player myself he's everything you could possibly want in a player.

[Guest tactics truck]

I know people will think I'm being different on purpose but I'm not.

 

For me it is probably Thuram. Pretty much the most complete defender in my lifetime. Athletecism, pace, reads the game, comanding, passing, scored important goals, was absolute World Class at both full back and centre back.

 

Not only would he dominate attackers he even out showboated them at times with a trick or two to leave them fuming and humiliated. Virtually kept teams at bay on his own a few times for Juventus.

 

As a defensive player myself he's everything you could possibly want in a player.

 

I tell you what, that Steve Nicol was a good player wasn't he. I reckon he was probably one of my favourite players of all time

[RedinSweden]

I know people will think I'm being different on purpose but I'm not.

 

For me it is probably Thuram. Pretty much the most complete defender in my lifetime. Athletecism, pace, reads the game, comanding, passing, scored important goals, was absolute World Class at both full back and centre back.

 

Not only would he dominate attackers he even out showboated them at times with a trick or two to leave them fuming and humiliated. Virtually kept teams at bay on his own a few times for Juventus.

 

As a defensive player myself he's everything you could possibly want in a player.

 

ace on cm 01/02 too

[Stu Monty]

I tell you what, that Steve Nicol was a good player wasn't he. I reckon he was probably one of my favourite players of all time

 

The police have been notified.

[Jose Jones]

I know people will think I'm being different on purpose but I'm not.

 

For me it is probably Thuram. Pretty much the most complete defender in my lifetime. Athletecism, pace, reads the game, comanding, passing, scored important goals, was absolute World Class at both full back and centre back.

 

Not only would he dominate attackers he even out showboated them at times with a trick or two to leave them fuming and humiliated. Virtually kept teams at bay on his own a few times for Juventus.

 

As a defensive player myself he's everything you could possibly want in a player.

 

I thought he was better at Parma myself.

 

Still a bit of a left field choice that. It's a lot easier to destroy than create.

[Guest tactics truck]

The police have been notified.

Shit.

[wiiksie]

I thought he was better at Parma myself.

 

Still a bit of a left field choice that. It's a lot easier to destroy than create.

true, but I know where he's coming from. the 98 and 2000 french teams with thuram were unbelievable.

[andyfm]

Maradona by a country mile. Virtually singlehandedly won the World Cup, reached another final, won the Italian League. All in an age where cynical vicious tackles were a fair bit more cynical and vicious than they are in these fluffy times.

 

Ronaldinho may become as good, but he is playing in far better teams than Diego ever did.

[wiiksie]

Maradona by a country mile. Virtually singlehandedly won the World Cup, reached another final, won the Italian League. All in an age where cynical vicious tackles were a fair bit more cynical and vicious than they are in these fluffy times.

 

Ronaldinho may become as good, but he is playing in far better teams than Diego ever did.

thats a good point, especially about the cynical tackles. watch his goal against england again, people like Reid and Butcher trying to scythe him down and not even getting close...

[sammya]

too young to have seen maradonna.

 

Toss up between, Henry, Ronaldinho and Zidane for me.

 

I bet if Henry and Ronaldinho had swapped countries everyone would be saying Henry and eschewing Ronaldinho

[wiiksie]

too young to have seen maradonna.

 

Toss up between, Henry, Ronaldinho and Zidane for me.

 

I bet if Henry and Ronaldinho had swapped countries everyone would be saying Henry and eschewing Ronaldinho

maybe its simpler than that, what if henry played for barca and ronnie didnt...

 

Always been an admirer of henry though, glad to see the media seems to have caught up and place him alongside the barca man in terms of talent, at the expense of the chelskis.

[sammya]

maybe its simpler than that, what if henry played for barca and ronnie didnt...

 

Always been an admirer of henry though, glad to see the media seems to have caught up and place him alongside the barca man in terms of talent, at the expense of the chelskis.

 

He's unbelievable. One season just in the league he got 28 goals and 20 assists. All time great for me but i'm young (24)

[Jose Jones]

He's unbelievable. One season just in the league he got 28 goals and 20 assists. All time great for me but i'm young (24)

 

Henry's a great player, but I don't think he'll ever get the acclaim of Maradona or to a lesser extent Ronaldinho. Henry's an athlete and some of his success comes through pace, whereas Maradona was a short podgy bloke, so with him it was just pure skill. Ronaldinho benefits in this way by being extremely ugly.

[Guest TK-421]

Maradona for me, no one else has ever come close.

[sammya]

No one here seen Pele?

[andyfm]

No one here seen Pele?

 

A great player playing in great teams. From the limited amount I've seen, Jairzinho looked at least as good as Pele.

[Stu Monty]

Pele was shite.

 

On his gravestone is will say:

 

"Here lies Pele, almost scored from the halfway line, almost scored a goal when he dummied it and did the keeper, scored billions against part-timers in Brazil, talked bollock, couldn't get it up....erm, loving husband and father"

 

Possibly.

[Brownie]

too young to have seen maradonna.

 

Toss up between, Henry, Ronaldinho and Zidane for me.

 

I bet if Henry and Ronaldinho had swapped countries everyone would be saying Henry and eschewing Ronaldinho

 

I agree with that - those three are the best i've had the pleasure to watch.

[Rashid]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Of those I have seen since I can remember which is about 1987.

 

Best Strikers - Van Basten, Ronaldo, Henry

Best Midfielders - Maradona, Zidane, Ronaldhino

Best Defenders - Maldino, Baresi, Hansen

Best Keeper - Schmeical, Southall, Kahn

 

Best Captains: Keane, Maldini, Mattheus

[Paul]

Good FF thread shocker!!!

 

I'm in agreement about the four big talents mentioned so far: Maradona, Ronaldinho, Zidane and Henry. Digger, Van Basten and Gullit were all quality too. However, I can't let this discussion go without throwing Kenny into the mix. I've lost count of the number of things I saw him do that were literally breath-taking. He was a genius, in my opinion.

[Stu Monty]

And Thuram achieved all he did after being christened Lillian.

 

Even more reson for him the get the nod.