The best player you have ever seen live

AC Jimbo said:
that kinda backs up my argument though no? The way he is spoken about now after suffering all the injuries - imagine what he would have achieved if he'd not suffered the
Click to expand...
I was watching a documentary about great players in a bar in cprus recently. Ronaldo was one of those included and rightly so.
 
Chris Waddle for Spurs against Boro at Ayresome.
Best I've seen.

Waddle only had one 'trick' but nobody could get near him.

Thierry Henry blotted his copybook for me.
Semi-final own goal by Festa at FA Cup semi-final at Old Trafford.
Smug get kind of arrogantly adopted a kind of messianic pose after the goal in front of us Boro fans.
Fair do's it was his corner but an OG for goodness sake.
Never liked the smug get after that. His handball against Ireland in the play-offs was poor form too.
 
Another vote for Henry. An incredible combination of skill, athleticism and understanding of the game. Felt like he was cheating a lot of the time.
 
Probably Pepe in a friendly against Argentina a few years back. The way he read the game was incredible, his positioning flawless and he didn't lose a single 121 that evening.

See also Rio Ferdinand for Man Utd and Thiago Silva a few months back at the Riverside. In Silva's case he was a full five yards ahead of our players when the ball was being played up - superb awareness.
 
AC Jimbo said:
My little lad asked me the other day who the best player I've ever seen play live is, and its a great question.

After lots of thinking I went for Thierry Henry. Absolutely unstoppable at his best and a pleasure to watch in the flesh.

What would your answer be?
Click to expand...
I had the good fortune to spend a year at Bordeaux University in 1994/95. I knew nothing of them but bought a season ticket as they were rumoured to have some talent. Three stood out - Lizarazu, Dugarry and a certain Zinedine Zidane. It was obvious from his very first touch that he was from another planet. I spoke to mates at home and none had really heard of him (he made his France debut that year). I couldn't stop talking about him. Skill, vision, power and pace - he had everything.

A certain Francois Grenet was also in the squad but he didn't make much of an impression...
 
Badonde said:
Chris Waddle for Spurs against Boro at Ayresome.
Best I've seen.

Waddle only had one 'trick' but nobody could get near him.

Thierry Henry blotted his copybook for me.
Semi-final own goal by Festa at FA Cup semi-final at Old Trafford.
Smug get kind of arrogantly adopted a kind of messianic pose after the goal in front of us Boro fans.
Fair do's it was his corner but an OG for goodness sake.
Never liked the smug get after that. His handball against Ireland in the play-offs was poor form too.
Click to expand...
I would say waddle as well, sensational that day. People forget in his pomp how good he was. Whilst at Marseille he was one of the best playmakers in Europe.
 
Last edited:
AC Jimbo said:
that kinda backs up my argument though no? The way he is spoken about now after suffering all the injuries - imagine what he would have achieved if he'd not suffered them
Click to expand...
I get you, but I think all that's missing is some stats to shut up the numberwangs. But you have to care about that...
 
AC Jimbo said:
I firmly believe that if Ronaldo Nazario hadn't suffered his injuries he would now be spoken about in the highest of conversations, alongside the likes of Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Cruyff, Maradona. Injuries robbed him of being an absolute legend of the game.
Click to expand...
He's my favourite non-Boro player. I was always excited to see him play, especially for Brazil. Messi is similar. There aren't many players I would go and watch just to see that specific player but they are two I wish I had got the chance. I agree that he could have been the greatest of all time. He was like a combination of Messi's technical ability with Cristiano Ronaldo's athleticism. He had it all, just not the luck to avoid the big injuries.

Cristiano Ronaldo is a great player but there's no joy in watching him. He doesn't do anything special or different technically, he's good at everything but primarily he has the edge because he's an exceptional athlete and incredibly determined.
 
FabioPorkpie said:
Aside from Juninho, I’d have to say it could be any one of three or four from that Arsenal team. I remember them thumping us once and my dad applauded a goal of theirs. I was shocked and he just looked at me and was like ‘what can you do other than applaud that?!’ And he was spot on, they were incredible.
Viera was the best for me. Just completely dominated the pitch. But how do you seperate him, Henry, Bergkamp. Even Pires was something special
Click to expand...
That Arsenal team made me appreciate football as a whole instead of watching it from a purely partisan point of view, convinced Boro were being wronged in some way by bad referees and a general conspiracy against a small town from the north east. I’d started to be quite angry at times during Boro games, a fat teenager taking out his frustrations at the match by shouting and swearing at the opposition and officials.

It sounds far-fetched but I really think Wenger’s Arsenal teams of that time changed how I watch football matches.
 
AC Jimbo said:
My little lad asked me the other day who the best player I've ever seen play live is, and its a great question.

After lots of thinking I went for Thierry Henry. Absolutely unstoppable at his best and a pleasure to watch in the flesh.

What would your answer be?
Click to expand...

I’ve been lucky to see a few of the modern greats including messi investa etc but I’d still say mine would be

Xavi
 
AC Jimbo said:
I firmly believe that if Ronaldo Nazario hadn't suffered his injuries he would now be spoken about in the highest of conversations, alongside the likes of Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Cruyff, Maradona. Injuries robbed him of being an absolute legend of the game.
Click to expand...
me and a couple of mates had a weekend in madrid,with a pal from school who was working over there at the time and we saw big Ronanldo come off the bench on his debut and score twice, but zindane was the master that day. .I thought the opposition was cannon fodder mind.
 
Nano said:
He's my favourite non-Boro player. I was always excited to see him play, especially for Brazil. Messi is similar. There aren't many players I would go and watch just to see that specific player but they are two I wish I had got the chance. I agree that he could have been the greatest of all time. He was like a combination of Messi's technical ability with Cristiano Ronaldo's athleticism. He had it all, just not the luck to avoid the big injuries.

Cristiano Ronaldo is a great player but there's no joy in watching him. He doesn't do anything special or different technically, he's good at everything but primarily he has the edge because he's an exceptional athlete and incredibly determined.
Click to expand...
Same, he was absolutely ridiculous, especially in that Season in Barcelona.

Didn't get to see him much when he went to Italy, but he still banged in 50 in 70 games, which is incredible in that league at that time, and that's with injuries too. That injury to him robbed us of what would have probably been the worlds best ever player, but for those 2-3 years and the 98 world cup my mind was made up anyway.

He was ridiculous in that game for Real when man U beat them 4-3 (but real still went through), and that was when he was about two stone too heavy, and a few years after his injury.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top