The best players in history

[New York Red]

There is an interesting little debate going on about the best players in history. It really is an unresolvable debate given the aura that some players will have particularly when people have never seen certain players actually play. I suppose that makes the debate different for old c*nts like me and Murph.

 

In any case, how would you rate the top 20 players that you've ever seen play? Take your time and think about it and rank them. I'm curious to see how the overall rankings would work out if you summed them up. I always thought that Pele was better than Maradona, but that was only based on limited viewing of him in the early 70's by me. But frankly, given what he has won and with his documentable and unreal goalscoring record I'd have to say that Messi is the best for me. Best and Cruyff had unreal individual skill and for me they have to be up there. Beckenbauer was a different player altogether; not backbreaking individual skill, but a commanding presence, a leader and defensively brilliant.

 

So, what's your top 20? Take your time in ranking them.

[New York Red]

Hahahaha. OK, f*ck it then...

[_00_deathscar]

You know, I was going to do this and even typed out a reply, but my head started to hurt after about #7.

[Nebraska Red]

You may need to kick it off with your top 20

[Murphman]

Arshavin

Pele

Maradonna

Messi

Best

Cruyf

Zidane

Beckenbaur

Moore

Gerrard

Baresi

Dalglish

Ronaldo

Placcy

Tostao

Eusebio

Maldini

Muller

Suarez

Collymore

[Nathan Explosion]

Hahahaha. OK, f*ck it then...

 

You did tell people to take their time.

[Nebraska Red]

You did tell people to take their time.

I am only just in to my long hours of research

[Ste M]

Based off players that I've seen play....

 

Messi

Zidane

Ronaldo (the real one)

Baresi

Maldini

Bergkamp

Batistuta

Henry

Barnes

Ronaldo (the fake one)

Keane

Vieira

Xavi

Iniesta

Figo

Raul

Gullit

Boban

Del Piero

Romario

 

After the top 2 it's not really in order, I've missed loads off there too, some because I didn't see enough of them (Sammer, Hagi, Stoichkov), some because they weren't consistent enough over long periods (Ronaldinho, Djorkaeff, Savicevic), and some simply because of numbers (Baggio, Van Basten, Cafu, Zanetti, Buffon, Nesta). It's very late 80's/90's centric, although with a smattering of modern players. I also debated long and hard whether to put our own captain in there, and I did at first, but didn't want to seem too much of a 'homer'.

[Kvarme Ate My Food]

You never seen Maradona?

[Tommy Cockles]

20 is way too many, man.

 

5 would have been more workable. So lets do 5.

 

Pele

Maradona

Cruyff

Dalglish

Beckenbauer

[dorgie]

Maradona

Pele

Cruyff

Messi

Ronaldo (Portugal)

Zidane

Jarzinho

Gascoigne

Dalglish

Brady (was world class from about 1976 to 1984)

Keane

Ronaldo (Brazil)

Platini

Beckenbauer

Bergkamp

Van Basten

Gullit

Suarez

Gerrard

Falcao (Brazil '82 vintage)

 

 

Of course I'll think of loads of others that I should've included, but those are the first 20 on instinct

[Ste M]

You never seen Maradona?

 

By the time I was properly able to comprehend a player's ability, he was 28-30 and nowhere near what he had been a few years previously. I'm not going to sit here and honestly state I rated him as better than the players I've named when I simply haven't seen him play at his best. I remember him vividly from Italia 90, and he was awful. Picked on name alone by the time the final came round.

 

I've no doubt he's maybe the greatest ever, but it's about players I've seen.

[muleskinner]

20 is way too many, man.

 

5 would have been more workable. So lets do 5.

 

Pele

Maradona

Cruyff

Dalglish

Beckenbauer

 

Zidane

Messi

Maradona

Dalglish

Ronaldo

 

 

in no order tho

[Nerik]

Would be great if we could do it position by position with all of us voting. Maybe make it post 1980 etc.

 

No one mentioned Cherno Samba and Le Tallec yet?

[baz2107]

messi

Zidane

maradona

van basten

ronaldo (brazil)

baresi

ronaldo(portugal)

xavi

maldini

iniesta

suarez

baggio

gerrard

matthaus

gascoigne

henry

roberto carlos

Raul

Hagi

Stoichkov

 

only top 5 in order, too late on a sunday to be putting in order

[Case]

Dalglish

 

Then in no particular order from players I have seen play (thus no Pele, Eusebio, etc ...)....

 

Cruyff

Rudi Krol

Johan Neeskens

Gerd Muller

Gregorz Lato

Paul Breitner

Platini

Socrates

John Barnes

Maradona

Baresi

Beckenbauer

Hansen

Maldini

Liam Brady

Iniesta

Messi

Zidane

Alec Lindsay

[Ramón Benítez Hernández]

Here's 20, but f***ed if I'm going to put them in order.

 

Maradona

Dalglish

Batistuta

Bergkamp

Maldini

Cryuff

Barnes

Beckenbauer

Matthaus

Suarez

Messi

Ronaldo

C.Ronaldo

Zidane

Van Basten

Henry

Gerrard

Gascoigne

Xavi

Zico

[_00_deathscar]

I've always been interested - where does someone like Steven Gerrard rate in these things?

[surf]

maradona

messi

ronaldo (real one)

romario

bergkamp

[domlfc]

In no order

 

Zidane

Messi

Maradonna

Hansen

Dalglish

Henry

Suarez

Weah

Maldini (Paolo)

Van Basten

Bergkamp

Souness

Ronaldo (Portugal)

Barnes

Iniesta

Casillas

Viera

Gerrard

Ronaldo (Brasil)

Raul

[Stanley Leisure]

I want everyone's top 50 assistant managers by tomorrow morning.

[Hassony]

I want everyone's top 50 assistant managers by tomorrow morning.

 

 

 

 

Archie Knox

Brian Kidd

Steve McClaren

Jimmy Ryan

Walter Smith

Carlos Quiroz

Mike Phelan

rene meulensteen

[drdooom]

Archie Knox

Brian Kidd

Steve McClaren

Jimmy Ryan

Walter Smith

Carlos Quiroz

Mike Phelan

rene meulensteen

 

Gareth Keenan

[Nerik]

Pity Zico is not getting a mention.

[domlfc]

Pity Zico is not getting a mention.

I nearly did but never seen that much of him. Someone did mention him already though