The best footballer ever?

[ComedyPilot]

Andy Gray.........

 

[accountantpete]

Ronnie?

[media]

]View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kiVq5-u7MH0[/media]

 

[Fnaar]

Alan Whittle... used to play for Everton in the 60s and 70s

 

[mr_hippo]

Picking the 'greatest ever' anyone is nigh on impossible to do. How would today's players cope with the laws and the kit of the 50s? How would yesterday's players cope with todays mollycoddling?
Those of us who played in the 50s and early 60s remember all too well the old wool mix jerseys that got longer and heavier in the rain; the old leather 'casey' was very heavy when wet and when you headed it, it always seemed to be the lace that made contact with your head! The old leather over the ankle boots with the layered studs - I know a few used to adapt the studs by removing a few layers leaving the nails exposed.
Bill Foulkes was playing first team football as well as working down Lea Green pit in St Helens; other professionals were doing the same, would any of today's players be capable of doing a week in the pits and then turning out?
One of the greatest that I saw was Harry Grisedale. 'Harry who?' Harry was an inside forward fot Prescot Cables in the 50s & 60s; most of the then big clubs were queueing up at his door to sign him. Harry's dad had been gassed in the Great War and Harry would not leave him. There must be a thousand more 'Harrys' out there whose circumstances prevented them from going onto better things.

 

[PaulB]

You may well be right about my lack of knowledge letting me down. However, going by the highlights of the Bayern game I saw on Sat night, he came across as a brilliant, natural, aggressive, tough and determined player who did to the defence what I have previously only seen Best and Giggs do. I've noticed similar performances from him on previous occasions i.e. there appears to be some consistency there. I'll take your word about him on the souffle front.

This is ARJEN Robben you're referring to here? Arjen Robben the Dutch tart? You're easily pleased if you thought that diving, cowardly prima-donna was any good. He played in flashes but will forever be damned as a lightweight, chicken-out-at-first-opportunity and hit the floor like an extra in a war film who's been chosen to 'die' spectacularly, wanchor. Maybe he assumed there were acting awards?

'Aggressive', 'tough' and 'determined' are three descriptive terms I don't think anyone who knows anything about football would ascribe to that waste of space. I have a five year-old god-daughter and in a pagger between Robbing and her, I'd honestly fear for him.

 

[Gixxerman]

Cruyff or Beckenbauer get my vote.
Cantona is also up there for sheer entertainment.
Love him or hate him, Maradona was also quality. That goal he scored after the hand of god incident was simply brilliant.
Pele was pretty special too.

If I had to pick one. I would go for Beckenbauer.

 

[PaulB]

I don't really think any doubt exists in the world, does it? It's got to be Paul Stewar.......Pele, I mean. Pele. Edson Arantes Do Nascimiento. Greatest player ever to play the beautiful game. Kenny Dalglish, from these shores. Naturally.

 

[vernon]

Ferenc Puskás

Simples.

 

[User482]

I don't really think any doubt exists in the world, does it? It's got to be Paul Stewar.......Pele, I mean. Pele. Edson Arantes Do Nascimiento. Greatest player ever to play the beautiful game. Kenny Dalglish, from these shores. Naturally.

Quite. I'm amazed that I got to the bottom of page two before he got a mention. Three world cups and a scoring record streets ahead of the rest.

 

[threebikesmcginty]

Neville Davitt

 

[edwardd67]

Jimmy Johnstone AKA Jinky
The greatest Scottish player of all time.

 

[sheva]

Jimmy Johnstone AKA Jinky
The greatest Scottish player of all time.

Hardly a complement.

 

[Monsieur Remings]

Diego Maradona or Zinedine Zidane (but more than likely Adel Taraabt).

Marco Van Basten would also be up there as would Eusebio.

View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cgg36N5pa1k

 

[Aperitif]

Considering his physical problems and background, you would have to say that Garrincha is up there.

Robben can be a joy to watch, but he is also uncredibly cynical. Currently, Messi has to take the biscuit, surely? Although several of his Barca teammates are on the same level. Giggs is particulalry amazing considering there are few outfield players playing at his level at his age, let along ones that rely on their speed and skill. Another player whose talents unfortunately never graced the World Cup...

I'm with FM here. A footballer who had muscles so overdeveloped they caused him a problem walking apparently...a sort of Davywalnuts with international honours - so to speak. And the way that any player of his generation used to whack that sodden (and sodding, no doubt) lump of leather around deserves credit - whatever their talent.

[media]

]View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvT6Br8A7Uo[/media]

 

[pubrunner]

John Charles is the player I'd most like to have seen. World class as a striker and a half back, he was easily the most successful British player to have played overseas, and alongside Boniperti and Sivori fired Juventus to three scudetti. He was voted Juve's best ever overseas player by their fans, not bad considering Platini and Zidane had played for Juve and his scoring record in Italy is nothing sort of sensational given the type of football played there at the time.

+1 For John Charles - Such was his versatility, he managed to break the Leeds United club scoring record with 42 goals in a season at a time when he was appearing at centre-half in internationals for Wales. Sir Bobby Robson described him as "incomparable" and classed him among the all-time footballing greats such as Pele, Diego Maradona and George Best. He also noted that Charles was the only footballing great to be world class in two very different positions.

Charles' accomplishments with Juventus led to him being voted "the greatest foreign player ever in Serie A", ahead of Maradona, Michel Platini, Marco Van Basten and Zinedine Zidane - this in 1997, 34 years after his last appearance in the league. In 2001 he became the first non-Italian inducted to the Azzurri Hall of Fame. In his first year, he was voted the best player in Italy.

Nat Lofthouse, legendary English striker, interrogated once about who is the best defender he ever played against, without a thought replied, 'John Charles'. On the other hand, Billy Wright interrogated about who is the best striker he ever played against, replied that he considered John Charles to be his greatest opponent.

Had John Charles played for a 'glamour' club such as Manchester United, no doubt he'd be much better known and appreciated.

Oh yes, he was never booked.