On the Ball (new Football Focus)

[Atila Reincarnate]

Best, great player yes, the best ever? Debatable. Everyone could argue for many of the fabulous Brazilians over the years, even the despicable and loathsome Maradona, but all opinions are subjective and dependant on the criteria you apply. The best player I've ever seen personally is Thierry Henry in his pomp. Nobody came near him at that time and the fact that he never got European or World footballer of the year is shameful.

[Atila Reincarnate]

ratty Wrote:

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> Another of the Hitler dubs - this time about

> Chelsea

>

>

>

> FAF!

Quality

[Mick Mac]

matthew123 Wrote:

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> George Best was well before my time Mick - I've

> seen many clips of him playing but tell me a clip

> of any player that does not show them at their

> very best. I can only talk about players I have

> seen and on that basis I'm voting for John Barnes.

Before my time too Matt - that does not mean that the attached tribute does not still take my breath away - his speed at going past players and riding vicious tackles, are unrivalled before or since in my opinion.

Only by watching this will you see how good he was. Some of it is incredible. He was untouchable.

John Barnes was a great player for a period, and please do post a youtube link that shows him at his best.

[matthew123]

Wow - just watched this on John Barnes and it just reminded me how great a player he was; passing, crossing, awareness, dribbling and scoring all of the highest quality.

 

[Mick Mac]

I watched all of that Matt. Quite impressive.

[matthew123]

Perhaps the question to be answered is what makes the best footballer

I think Barnes was up against better defenders, and in an era which was probably a lot more physical (although with less hatchet men if you exclude the Crazy Gang). Best was an amazing dribbler and we'll never know who was the most effective as they were in different teams at different times.

[Mick Mac]

Matt - noone would seek to compare Best with John Barnes - surely! Barnes was a good player but noone in their right mind would put him up there with George Best - would they?

I did have a separate thread comparing Best and Ronaldo, and Barnes could be up there with Ronaldo, but not Best. Surely.

[matthew123]

As I said I'm going by just what I've seen - I dare say there were also others before the advent of TV cameras who also deserve mention. Would Best have been strong enough to get around the pitch wearing a pair of these boots?

For me though the best player out there, certainly since Pele, is Lionel Messi - better than Maradona, Cruyff, Best. I think it's only Ronaldo and Alex Ferguson that try and fool the public with notions that Ronaldo is the world's best.. it's highly debatable whether Ronaldo is even better than Kaka once you put to sleep British media hype. Ronaldo can be stopped, and often is stopped, when he faces a strong, fast defender whereas a true master of his art is unstoppable whatever the conditions. In fact Mick I think comparing Ronaldo with George Best does George Best a disservice.

[Sandperson]

ha, ha. Matt, you get funnier by the day.

[red devil]

If someone is used to dining at a table where only beans on toast is served, we shouldn't mock them that their palette cannot appreciate the qualities of fine cuisine when it is presented to them...

[Tony.London Suburbs]

red devil Wrote:

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> If someone is used to dining at a table where only

> beans on toast is served, we shouldn't mock them

> that their palette cannot appreciate the qualities

> of fine cuisine when it is presented to them...

Thats deep Man...fecking deep, if you ask me...

[Sandperson]

I suspect it's the effects of all that hot Bovril he was on about a few weeks ago. Scorched his palette and a side of vCJD to the brain. :))

[matthew123]

Ahh the typical articulated responses from Mancs not happy with an opinion that does not pay homage to the myths of Old Trafford. George Best was one of the greatest but to suggest Ronaldo is some kind of modern day Pele (oh I forgot you already have the White Pele..) really is funny :))

[red devil]

would sir like a dash of HP sauce to go with his beans?..

[Keef]

I don't see anything wrong with Matt's post. Messi is better than Ronaldo, end of.

[????]

See it's back to normal old crap on here yet again...all we need is Atila

[Tony.London Suburbs]

Can't we all just get on Guys?;-)

[Sandperson]

Matt, noone suggested Ronaldo was a modern day Pele (why would we need two :))). I think that Rd and myself just think it's a little ridiculous to suggest that the only two people in the world of football, Ronaldo himself and SAF, think that Ronaldo is one of the world's best players. I'm sure even you see that as a little silly.

[Mick Mac]

I have to say I saw a clip of Messi recently and as he darted past defenders it reminded me of the Best archives.

It remains to be seen what his impact will be over the next few years. George took Europe by storm, and by all accounts his performance against Benfica aged 19, in 1966 reverberated around europe, noone has really made such a dramatic impact in Europe since at such a young age.

[Keef]

I still think it's haed to compare sportsmen from different eras. Bets was quality, but the opposition wouldn't have had the fittness they do today, and stuff like that.

[red devil]

March 9, 1966: Benfica 1-5 Man Utd. European Cup quarter-final, second-leg, Stadium of Light, Lisbon.

The night a legend was born.

United travelled to Lisbon with plans to carefully protect a 3-2 first-leg lead. Somebody forgot to tell Best.

Within 10 minutes United were 2-0 up, and Best's two goals inspired them to a 5-1 win, the first defeat Benfica had ever suffered in the European Cup at the Stadium of Light.

Best's goals were a neat, flicked header, and a run from the halfway line, leaving defenders in his wake before rounding the keeper.

After the game, a fan ran on to the pitch with a knife, intending to claim a lock of Best's hair. Best was pictured after the game in a giant sombrero, prompting the tag of 'El Beatle' which stuck.

United boss Sir Matt Busby wryly said afterwards: "Our plan was to be cautious, but somebody must have stuffed cotton wool in George's ears."

[Mick Mac]

Keef Wrote:

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> I still think it's haed to compare sportsmen from

> different eras. Bets was quality, but the

> opposition wouldn't have had the fittness they do

> today, and stuff like that.

That works both ways Keef - the likes of Ronaldo do not have to deal with tackles. "Come near me and you know i'll fall over". What's great about watching Best is the way he rode tackles, tackles intended to break his legs. Something we will never see again as the game has changed so much. Maradona had the same quality.

Messi is closest of the current stars. He beats players with speed and balance.

[SimonM]

I remember listening to that Benefica game live on the radio - no TV coverage - and scarcely believing what I was hearing. Benfica were giants in those days and Man Utd were not expected to win, never mind tearing their opponents to shreds. I'd personally put Best first of all the players I've seen, and Cruyff second - if only for the amazing penaly he won just after the kick-off of the 1974 World Cup final against West Germany.

[????]

I can't stand him, but Maradonna won a World Cup practically on his own! The rest of that team were shite- the same couldn't be said of Pele or Cruyff (or Best)

[Mick Mac]

I don't think Maradona would have won a World Cup if he came from Northern Ireland. That's quite a big ask.