adam2102 577 Posted June 10, 2012 Share Posted June 10, 2012 Best player ever?One of my biggest regrets is never getting to see this guy play in real life. He could win matches on his own and relied on nobody for help, unlike the modern "best players" who are best with great players around them. He won a champions league and almost single handedly won a world cup (and got his team to the final of another). In my opinion he is the best to have played the game, what do you think? Check the video to remind yourself of how sublime he was from 7:10 on it shows just how he ran the games. best. player. ever. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
OneDavidCooper 2,505 Posted June 10, 2012 Share Posted June 10, 2012 Best player ever?One of my biggest regrets is never getting to see this guy play in real life. He could win matches on his own and relied on nobody for help, unlike the modern "best players" who are best with great players around them. He won a champions league and almost single handedly won a world cup (and got his team to the final of another). In my opinion he is the best to have played the game, what do you think? Check the video to remind yourself of how sublime he was from 7:10 on it shows just how he ran the games. best. player. ever.Loved him.Went over to watch Real madrid just to see him live. It was a treat. he made the ball talk. Made even the most difficult things look simple.Great, great player and a mean headbutter too. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Godfather 71,874 Posted June 10, 2012 Share Posted June 10, 2012 I hold a few above him.Amazing player and one I'm glad I got to see Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
KBOO72 4,372 Posted June 10, 2012 Share Posted June 10, 2012 It's blatantly obvious that messi is the best player ever . Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
OneDavidCooper 2,505 Posted June 10, 2012 Share Posted June 10, 2012 Not sure its possible to measure "best ever". And how do you compare players in different positions? Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamieD 18,932 Posted June 10, 2012 Share Posted June 10, 2012 and almost single handedly won a world cupEh? Because he scored twice in the final?Remarkable revisionism here If they had won in 2006, that would be a more reasonable (but still inaccurate claim). Zidane was not France's best player in 1998. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
OneDavidCooper 2,505 Posted June 10, 2012 Share Posted June 10, 2012 Eh? Because he scored twice in the final?Remarkable revisionism here If they had won in 2006, that would be a more reasonable (but still inaccurate claim). Zidane was not France's best player in 1998.Wasn't he sent off in a 1st round game and then suspended for 2? Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
derek1872 548 Posted June 10, 2012 Share Posted June 10, 2012 One of the best in his position without a doubt. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamieD 18,932 Posted June 10, 2012 Share Posted June 10, 2012 Anyway, I would say that Zidane is in the very top tier in terms of big-game impact. Few sportsmen have ever been so reliable (headbutt notwithstanding) under enormous pressure. He was never the most dominating player from ordinary game to ordinary game though and, to my tastes at least, was a little too fond of unnecessary showboating. He did the simple things more beautifully than anyone, and that's why it always irked me to see him doing daft little spins in his own half under no pressure and stuff like that.I'd rather have Messi in my club team for a league campaign and I'd rather have Zidane playing for my country in a World Cup final. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
OneDavidCooper 2,505 Posted June 10, 2012 Share Posted June 10, 2012 Anyway, I would say that Zidane is in the very top tier in terms of big-game impact. Few sportsmen have ever been so reliable (headbutt notwithstanding) under enormous pressure. He was never the most dominating player from ordinary game to ordinary game though and, to my tastes at least, was a little too fond of unnecessary showboating. He did the simple things more beautifully than anyone, and that's why it always irked me to see him doing daft little spins in his own half under no pressure and stuff like that.I'd rather have Messi in my club team for a league campaign and I'd rather have Zidane playing for my country in a World Cup final.Good post. Agree with much of that, except that I loved the spins. A pure artist. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamieD 18,932 Posted June 10, 2012 Share Posted June 10, 2012 Wasn't he sent off in a 1st round game and then suspended for 2?Yup.He was decent in the games he played up to the final if I remember right, but not incredible. He never even made the top three players of the tournament according to FIFA. I would credit the whole defence and especially Thuram for France's triumph before I would credit Zidane. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
WeDontDoWalkingAway1872 303 Posted June 10, 2012 Share Posted June 10, 2012 My favourite ever player!One thing that always gets me though is the fact is was his very last game and also the biggest yet he still had the balls to chip the penalty Nutter! Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
OneDavidCooper 2,505 Posted June 10, 2012 Share Posted June 10, 2012 Yup.He was decent in the games he played up to the final if I remember right, but not incredible. He never even made the top three players of the tournament according to FIFA. I would credit the whole defence and especially Thuram for France's triumph before I would credit Zidane.I seem to recall some criticism of his displays for Juventus in some of the big Chumps League games too.For me, he was at his peak when with Real Madrid. He was outstanding in at least 2 Chumps League finals for them. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
WeDontDoWalkingAway1872 303 Posted June 10, 2012 Share Posted June 10, 2012 Anyway, I would say that Zidane is in the very top tier in terms of big-game impact. Few sportsmen have ever been so reliable (headbutt notwithstanding) under enormous pressure. He was never the most dominating player from ordinary game to ordinary game though and, to my tastes at least, was a little too fond of unnecessary showboating. He did the simple things more beautifully than anyone, and that's why it always irked me to see him doing daft little spins in his own half under no pressure and stuff like that.I'd rather have Messi in my club team for a league campaign and I'd rather have Zidane playing for my country in a World Cup final.Think you are under-rating him a little. He bossed just about every game with ease but I do agree he stepped it up for the big games. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamieD 18,932 Posted June 10, 2012 Share Posted June 10, 2012 Good post. Agree with much of that, except that I loved the spins. A pure artist.Sometimes his flashy stuff was necessary, and his close control under pressure was a joy to watch, but sometimes I just felt it was over-the-top and unbecoming of so great a player As far as I'm concerned, it is impossible to do a stepover without looking like a prick. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Henders82 537 Posted June 10, 2012 Share Posted June 10, 2012 One of my favourites and definitely up there. Just so elegant on the ball. Watched a couple of videos this morning actually - against brazil in 2006 he was just... In terms of the 98 world cup I don't think he was quite the player he would become - turn of the century I believe he stepped it up. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amac9 2,060 Posted June 10, 2012 Share Posted June 10, 2012 For me he is still the greatest. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamieD 18,932 Posted June 10, 2012 Share Posted June 10, 2012 Think you are under-rating him a little. He bossed just about every game with ease but I do agree he stepped it up for the big games.Yeah, but he didn't though. As OneDavidCooper mentioned, he never really managed to show what he could do when it mattered for Juventus at the highest level and was liable to kind of glide through less important games doing attractive but inconsequential things that delighted the fans but didn't really actually contribute to anything.When he really turned it on, he was Pele/Maradona level. I'm not underrating him at all. I rated him enormously highly, just not as often as I would have liked. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamieD 18,932 Posted June 10, 2012 Share Posted June 10, 2012 My favourite ever player!One thing that always gets me though is the fact is was his very last game and also the biggest yet he still had the balls to chip the penalty Nutter!That is still the greatest display of nerve I have ever seen from any sportsman. Kind of overshadowed in the end by the headbutt but it was ridiculous. To do that, in a world cup final, in your last game, against the best goalkeeper in the world... Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Struth 137 Posted June 10, 2012 Share Posted June 10, 2012 Was at Hampden for the CL final. What a goal Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laudrup91 35 Posted June 10, 2012 Share Posted June 10, 2012 It's blatantly obvious that messi is the best player ever .He isn't as good as Ronaldo, let alone Zidane Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
derek1872 548 Posted June 10, 2012 Share Posted June 10, 2012 Was at Hampden for the CL final. What a goal You have been to some amount of games. Thank fuck for that 6 figure salary you earn mate Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
polishranger 98 Posted June 10, 2012 Share Posted June 10, 2012 I think in terms of pure skill Zidane is top 10-15 ever. Different story though if we'll count in his leadership, mental toughness, ability to make those around him better, or to show up in most important games. So I think he is not the best player ever, but if we could pick any player from any era to start a team most coaches would choose Zidane first, cause you start with a captain, right? Anyway, my most favourite player ever for sure; I even have for EURO 2012 polish national team shirt but with Zidane on the back Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Godfather 71,874 Posted June 10, 2012 Share Posted June 10, 2012 You have been to some amount of games. Thank fuck for that 6 figure salary you earn mate He's been to more finals than Seedorf.. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamieD 18,932 Posted June 10, 2012 Share Posted June 10, 2012 I think in terms of pure skill Zidane is top 10-15 ever. Different story though if we'll count in his leadership, mental toughness, ability to make those around him better, or to show up in most important games. So I think he is not the best player ever, but if we could pick any player from any era to start a team most coaches would choose Zidane first, cause you start with a captain, right? Anyway, my most favourite player ever for sure; I even have for EURO 2012 polish national team shirt but with Zidane on the back What did Zidane achieve as a captain? Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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