How good was Zidane?

[Dicko]

What!?! Please tell me thats a wind up! If you can't see how big of an influence that man had then you really should give up watching football.

He was a genius on the ball, his eye for a pass was unbelievable and had possibley the greatest balance of all time. He was a big lad but he made it all look so easy and done it on the big stage consistantly. When i couldn't afford to get Sky sports in he was the reason i'd go to the pub and watch Madrid play.

Fucking brilliant player.

 

You do know you're describing Ray Kennedy down to a tee there don't you?

[aiyic]

Just watched this clip of Zidane from his early days:

 

YouTube - Zinedine Zidane - Part 1: Early Career (1988-1996)

 

 

 

How good was he at his best and who would you compare him to in today's game?

 

I would compare him to Stevie, but only in the explosive way he could affect a game by leading by example. Both aren't very vocal, so had only their abilities to just play and get about.

 

Obviously players were (and justifiably so) more in awe of ZZ, and Stevie has nowhere near his affinity with gravity, but I would 'compare' them to demonstrate to someone who hadn't seen ZZ before. ZZ had better everything than Stevie - except maybe tackling - but they played similar roles, with a similar strike-rate.

 

ZZ did have moments were he would disappear, it must be said, but he more than made up for them. More volatile too.

[Ted]

I'd say he's the best player of the last 15-20 years.

[loadsoftrophies]

You do know you're describing Ray Kennedy down to a tee there don't you?

 

Haha, i should of mentioned that Zidane smelled of onions, that would have cleared that one up.

[Royal Family]

He was good but he's no Lucas.

 

Spot on. I'm glad there's someone else on the site who knows the true nature of footballing genius.

[loadsoftrophies]

I'd say he's the best player of the last 15-20 years.

 

Yep without a doubt.

[Duff Man]

Can't believe people are writing him off as some sort of Niko Kranjcar. He scored the winning goals in both the World Cup and Champions League finals. I don't know how much more influence you can have really.

[DooooodekNo5]

Technically the best i've seen by a mile, you can watch replays of some of the magic he done over and over and still be in awe and wonder.

 

That penalty in the WC final aswell only he could have the balls to to that in the biggest game of all, he probably aimed for the under side of the bar lol.

 

Top 3 all time for me.

[zico]

Best ever!

[Furmedge]

One of the greatest players to grace a football field. It was just so easy to him.

[Vivaldo]

Great close control but not as effective as the greats in terms what his play achieved for his team, a bit similar to Ronaldinho in that he was more eye catching than effective.

Out of the players I've seen I'd put him way behind Cruyff, Maradona, Beckenbauer, Platini, Van Basten.

 

He's considered one of the greatest IMO because he was that great over a long period. Ronaldinho & Ronaldo at Barcelona were probably the players the past 15 years who were at the same level as Zidane was at his peak but they did'nt play at that level for as many years as Zidane.

Get annoyed when pundits say Messi NOW is as good as Maradona as IMO it's not how good you are over a season or 2 but your whole career. To keep that consistant level of play is what makes a great player.

 

I wouldn't say he was more eye catching than effective. He was very much so effective. He added another dimension to his game after a year I think of his spell at Juve. This came when Juve had no choice but to play him in an attacking position. Initially he was used as a holding midfielder. Once they did this he went onto influence on a massive scale.

 

Good point ref the other fantastic names and they were all fantastic players and fully deserve their iconic legendary status. But football has come on so much since then and the mediocre teams of yesteryear are good if not very good teams now i.e Poland. Training has become more scientific and the standard of players has become better. I can't think of any current players that are 3 levels up on skill, flair and consistency then their peers at this current time because Football is so much more competitive now. Cruyff, Maradona, Beckenbauer, Platini, Van Basten etc were in there day.

 

However I do not want to take anything away from these 'legends'. They played ahead of their time. Lol the Cruyff turn, I remember all the kids trying to put this into practice in my junior school.

 

Rivaldo was another player who was great. I remember his Barcelona team that came to Anfield when they they passed the ball over 100 times before they scored. Anyone remember that? I sat in the Kop in shock and in awe of the footballing lesson our team had just witnessed.

 

Back to Zidane, he won pretty much every major honour within his career. The successful France team was under his lead and influence, they were by far the best team on the planet and should have successfully defended the Word Cup. Pretty much every attack came through him. Truly 'World Class'.

 

All that said, Maradona was still the best player to ever grace the football field.

[RSM]

Great close control but not as effective as the greats in terms what his play achieved for his team, a bit similar to Ronaldinho in that he was more eye catching than effective.

Out of the players I've seen I'd put him way behind Cruyff, Maradona, Beckenbauer, Platini, Van Basten.

 

Yeah... a World Cup, the Euro's another world cup final and every domestic honor in the game. But not that effective for his teams in terms of achievement.

[Delmar]

All that said, Maradona was still the best player to ever grace the football field.

 

Best? How about the dude with this record:

 

1956–1974 Santos 1120 appearances (1087 goals)

1957–1971 Brazil 92 appearances (77 goals)

 

I agree, it's all debatable, but the above stats are just staggering.

[shanks69]

zidane is my fav non liverpool player of all time.it would have been amazing if we had managed to sign him.

[Tom R]

Just watched this clip of Zidane from his early days:

 

YouTube - Zinedine Zidane - Part 1: Early Career (1988-1996)

 

[YOUTUBE]__B0SoPjmTU[/YOUTUBE]

 

I only really got to see him while he was at Real Madrid. How good was he at his best and who would you compare him to in today's game?

 

Absolutely nobody.

 

He and Kenny are the two best players I've ever had the pleasure to have seen play.

 

An absolute genius.

 

Messi is the best in the world today, and whilst they're very different players, Zidane was miles better even than Messi imo.

[Tom R]

Best? How about the dude with this record:

 

1956–1974 Santos 1120 appearances (1087 goals)

1957–1971 Brazil 92 appearances (77 goals)

 

I agree, it's all debatable, but the above stats are just staggering.

 

I can never consider Pele as one of the best 5 players of all time because he only ever played in micky mouse leagues filled mostly with fucking bums and then got wheeled out every four years for the world cup.

 

I know he was amazing. But I can'[t possibly put him up there with the likes of Maradonna, Cruyff ir kenny, cos let's face it, I'd have probably got about 400 in the leagues he played in!

[James Dean]

Absolutely nobody.

 

He and Kenny are the two best players I've ever had the pleasure to have seen play.

 

An absolute genius.

 

Messi is the best in the world today, and whilst they're very different players, Zidane was miles better even than Messi imo.

 

If not miles better, he was certainly more pleasing on the eye. Everything he did just seemed so effortless in a way I haven't seen in any other player ever, including Maradona.

[Delmar]

I can never consider Pele as one of the best 5 players of all time because he only ever played in micky mouse leagues filled mostly with fucking bums and then got wheeled out every four years for the world cup.

 

I know he was amazing. But I can'[t possibly put him up there with the likes of Maradonna, Cruyff ir kenny, cos let's face it, I'd have probably got about 400 in the leagues he played in!

 

Brazil was not mickey mouse then, neither is it now. World Cups are not mickey mouse, internationals are internationals. Take away your 400 goals he still got more than Maradona...

 

Almost a goal a game, way over a 1000 games. Twice the number of games played than Maradona, twice the goal ratio. A different era, yes, but what a player...

[TheHowieLama]

I know he was amazing. But

I'd have probably got about 400 in the leagues he played in!

 

he heh...how can I nominate this for worst post ever

[2pak]

The most graceful player to have graced planet earth IMO. Effectiveness and entertainment personified. An absolute joy to witness. Poetry in motion phrase was coined for him.

[Tepid water]

Roy evens could have signed him, but turned down the chance (oops Roy).

 

He didn't really hit the heights when he was younger and hit the big time relatively late.

[Maldini]

Roy evens could have signed him, but turned down the chance (oops Roy).

 

He didn't really hit the heights when he was younger and hit the big time relatively late.

 

where did you get that Roy could have signed him. Don't remember that.

[Ted]

Is it Pele who counts all the goals he scored in club friendlies or Romario?

[Trumo]

Is it Pele who counts all the goals he scored in club friendlies or Romario?

 

Both. Although Romario also counted "training ground" and "kickabout in t'back garden wi t'kids" in his total.

[Tom R]

Brazil was not mickey mouse then, neither is it now. World Cups are not mickey mouse, internationals are internationals. Take away your 400 goals he still got more than Maradona...

 

Almost a goal a game, way over a 1000 games. Twice the number of games played than Maradona, twice the goal ratio. A different era, yes, but what a player...

 

I know he was an unbelievable player.

 

But he can not be rated as the best because the fact is he bottled it when it came to ever playing anywhere decent.

 

He may well be teh greatest player of all time, but its' just simply unfair to assess him against players who played consistently in far, far superior leagues.

 

Oh, and international football pretty much IS Micky Mouse, and ESPECIALLY the world cup. The world cup essentially a tiny handful of games, mostly against dross, with perhaps the occasional high quality opposition match thrown in (May be 2 in a tournament. Perhaps 3 of you're really unlucky/lucky!)