The 300 best soccer players in the world
04-12-2013
, 06:04 PM
Quote:
9 7 Sergio Busquets - Spain – Barcelona
8 5 Yaya Toure - Ivory Coast - Manchester City
7 9 Toni Kroos - Germany - Bayern München
6 4 Bastian Schweinsteiger - Germany - Bayern München
5 3 Xabi Alonso - Spain - Real Madrid
4 2 Andrea Pirlo - Italy - Juventus
3 Cesc Fabregas - Spain - Barcelona
2 Andres Iniesta - Spain - Barcelona
1 1 Xavi - Spain - Barcelona
Hmmm so we have about 4 attacking midfielders here. Neither Iniesta or Fabregas (both talked about in the attacking mid rundown) were in this category the last time around so they rudely jump in and steal/occupy a couple of spots. Iniesta and his overall work is a must here while I feel more uneasy about Fabregas and not least where to put him here. Despite all the attacking mid/forward movement coming from him these days, I just can't ignore someone with 70+ passes per game. In the Spanish league that's almost the same as Iniesta.
Maybe the big question for some was Xavi or Iniesta as number one. I think the real question is rather if I'll finally have Iniesta go past on the overall 300 list. Despite growing opposite narrative and popular opinion I didn't really think it was close the last time around and wrote a post I might have to dig up again on the issue, but it's definitely closer this time so we will just have to wait and see what on earth I end up doing!
When it comes to the midfielders I really think it's crazy close behind those two and many have arguments over each other.
I just can't put Pirlo over a prime Fabregas though and maybe it's just that which secures Cesc's third place. Even Fabregas gets overshadowed at Barcelona quite a bit but he is no doubt a brilliant 4-3-3 midfielder with superb touches and playmaking whether it's a very fluid midfield role or the attacking-mid that he is mostly associated with.
It's hard to say anything new about Pirlo. The last time I applauded how great it was to see him finally in a 4-3-3 with many modern elements such as passing it out from the back almost always, generally playing possession, even with periods of being higher up the pitch and (at least his surroundings) pressing well.
Into his 30s and slower than at his peak (where I'm pretty sure pre-Messi and C. Ronaldo at various points he MUST have been the best player in the world so **** Cannavaro especially him, Kaka and even Ronaldinho's peak was pretty short) it all resulted in something of a landmark season of more Pirlo touches and passes than maybe ever before. It was godsend.
This season some of those elements have been removed as Juventus for good (not least defensively) and bad has exclusively gone 3-5-2, Pirlo largely remains Pirlo though and overall possession is not down all that much in Serie A at least.
Pirlo is the OG modern deep-lying playmaker. With genius flair and skill. Eyes everywhere and THAT unmatched skill when it comes to deeper passes. Especially over the defense. But overall of course a master passer of the ball any way you can think of.
There are more and more good and great midfield distributors but when it comes to actually creating, Pirlo is in a league of his own.
So Xabi Alonso.... I guess I continue my habit of having him over the likes of Busquets and Schweinsteiger but yeah it's very close.
Someone like Toure, though he is ahead of Busquet's I don't even think has a case in this category. Alonso just improves a team in ways that he can't or at least has never done consistently.
There is nothing not to like about Schweinsteiger's midfield work. His outstanding distribution, leadership, physical capability, all-round skillset. I just think that Alonso is that slight tiny step ahead tactically when the going gets really tough. But it's hard to define how exactly. Maybe some great pushing up winning the ball with his team high up the pitch or the one touch pass or difference making longer ball (where he is the well known master of course) at exactly the perfect moment to start something good.
And he is so crucial for Madrid. I still remember a rather convincing analysis by Laudrup once that he was their most important player, at the very least rivaling Ronaldo. Everything goes through him and if La Liga tv production replays didn't suck like they just happen to do, they'd catch a lot more of the stuff that he starts when replaying one Ronaldo goal after another. Manchester United man marked him the other day and most things fell into pieces with Madrid creating less than in any game in recent memory.
Xabi Alonso is maybe the most consistently constructive player in football with his touches and passes. And it's everywhere on the pitch.
Now Toni Kroos both in the midfield and attacking midfield top 10 is something of a spoiler about just how good his overall rank will be. I think he has become Zonal Markings favorite player, who calls him tactically perfect or maybe it's even the best tactical player in the world. Something like that anyway (will google later) and it's sentiments that I can't really disagree with. He just moves and passes perfectly, finding and taking advantage of space to optimal degrees, and of course on top of that his technique is masterful whether it's control, passing (short, long, delivering) or shooting. I'm so impressed with all these things, that even though he is mainly an attacking midfielder, I'm convinced it translates just great into 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 midfield constellations. I disagree with any claim that the opposite has already been proven when he has played there. Far from it I think.
If I see no argument for Toure's more up and down excellence and decisiveness over the consistent constructiveness and close to perfect tactical teamwork of Alonso in this category, maybe Busquets should have a case over Toure as well.
There is no question he plays his role, now even named after him, to perfection. Both with and without the ball. Skilled passing and ball movement, including up the middle which is something of a litmus test separating the good and great midfielders. Then without the ball his spoiler qualities are well known.
I'm also not completely unconvinced anymore of him further forward. He has technique and intelligence to do well, but also with his particular physical characteristics in mind and that you rarely see him "up there", I'm not ready to make it something enough in his favor to elevate him further.
With that I gotta go to sleep but I think I can find hours tomorrow as well, to either argue, expand on some of these orderings (or some earlier ones that I didn't have time for now) or hey maybe even finish the overall 300. Thanks for following
8 5 Yaya Toure - Ivory Coast - Manchester City
7 9 Toni Kroos - Germany - Bayern München
6 4 Bastian Schweinsteiger - Germany - Bayern München
5 3 Xabi Alonso - Spain - Real Madrid
4 2 Andrea Pirlo - Italy - Juventus
3 Cesc Fabregas - Spain - Barcelona
2 Andres Iniesta - Spain - Barcelona
1 1 Xavi - Spain - Barcelona
Hmmm so we have about 4 attacking midfielders here. Neither Iniesta or Fabregas (both talked about in the attacking mid rundown) were in this category the last time around so they rudely jump in and steal/occupy a couple of spots. Iniesta and his overall work is a must here while I feel more uneasy about Fabregas and not least where to put him here. Despite all the attacking mid/forward movement coming from him these days, I just can't ignore someone with 70+ passes per game. In the Spanish league that's almost the same as Iniesta.
Maybe the big question for some was Xavi or Iniesta as number one. I think the real question is rather if I'll finally have Iniesta go past on the overall 300 list. Despite growing opposite narrative and popular opinion I didn't really think it was close the last time around and wrote a post I might have to dig up again on the issue, but it's definitely closer this time so we will just have to wait and see what on earth I end up doing!
When it comes to the midfielders I really think it's crazy close behind those two and many have arguments over each other.
I just can't put Pirlo over a prime Fabregas though and maybe it's just that which secures Cesc's third place. Even Fabregas gets overshadowed at Barcelona quite a bit but he is no doubt a brilliant 4-3-3 midfielder with superb touches and playmaking whether it's a very fluid midfield role or the attacking-mid that he is mostly associated with.
It's hard to say anything new about Pirlo. The last time I applauded how great it was to see him finally in a 4-3-3 with many modern elements such as passing it out from the back almost always, generally playing possession, even with periods of being higher up the pitch and (at least his surroundings) pressing well.
Into his 30s and slower than at his peak (where I'm pretty sure pre-Messi and C. Ronaldo at various points he MUST have been the best player in the world so **** Cannavaro especially him, Kaka and even Ronaldinho's peak was pretty short) it all resulted in something of a landmark season of more Pirlo touches and passes than maybe ever before. It was godsend.
This season some of those elements have been removed as Juventus for good (not least defensively) and bad has exclusively gone 3-5-2, Pirlo largely remains Pirlo though and overall possession is not down all that much in Serie A at least.
Pirlo is the OG modern deep-lying playmaker. With genius flair and skill. Eyes everywhere and THAT unmatched skill when it comes to deeper passes. Especially over the defense. But overall of course a master passer of the ball any way you can think of.
There are more and more good and great midfield distributors but when it comes to actually creating, Pirlo is in a league of his own.
So Xabi Alonso.... I guess I continue my habit of having him over the likes of Busquets and Schweinsteiger but yeah it's very close.
Someone like Toure, though he is ahead of Busquet's I don't even think has a case in this category. Alonso just improves a team in ways that he can't or at least has never done consistently.
There is nothing not to like about Schweinsteiger's midfield work. His outstanding distribution, leadership, physical capability, all-round skillset. I just think that Alonso is that slight tiny step ahead tactically when the going gets really tough. But it's hard to define how exactly. Maybe some great pushing up winning the ball with his team high up the pitch or the one touch pass or difference making longer ball (where he is the well known master of course) at exactly the perfect moment to start something good.
And he is so crucial for Madrid. I still remember a rather convincing analysis by Laudrup once that he was their most important player, at the very least rivaling Ronaldo. Everything goes through him and if La Liga tv production replays didn't suck like they just happen to do, they'd catch a lot more of the stuff that he starts when replaying one Ronaldo goal after another. Manchester United man marked him the other day and most things fell into pieces with Madrid creating less than in any game in recent memory.
Xabi Alonso is maybe the most consistently constructive player in football with his touches and passes. And it's everywhere on the pitch.
Now Toni Kroos both in the midfield and attacking midfield top 10 is something of a spoiler about just how good his overall rank will be. I think he has become Zonal Markings favorite player, who calls him tactically perfect or maybe it's even the best tactical player in the world. Something like that anyway (will google later) and it's sentiments that I can't really disagree with. He just moves and passes perfectly, finding and taking advantage of space to optimal degrees, and of course on top of that his technique is masterful whether it's control, passing (short, long, delivering) or shooting. I'm so impressed with all these things, that even though he is mainly an attacking midfielder, I'm convinced it translates just great into 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 midfield constellations. I disagree with any claim that the opposite has already been proven when he has played there. Far from it I think.
If I see no argument for Toure's more up and down excellence and decisiveness over the consistent constructiveness and close to perfect tactical teamwork of Alonso in this category, maybe Busquets should have a case over Toure as well.
There is no question he plays his role, now even named after him, to perfection. Both with and without the ball. Skilled passing and ball movement, including up the middle which is something of a litmus test separating the good and great midfielders. Then without the ball his spoiler qualities are well known.
I'm also not completely unconvinced anymore of him further forward. He has technique and intelligence to do well, but also with his particular physical characteristics in mind and that you rarely see him "up there", I'm not ready to make it something enough in his favor to elevate him further.
With that I gotta go to sleep but I think I can find hours tomorrow as well, to either argue, expand on some of these orderings (or some earlier ones that I didn't have time for now) or hey maybe even finish the overall 300. Thanks for following
04-12-2013
, 06:04 PM
04-13-2013
, 12:11 PM
04-13-2013
, 12:14 PM
to Bjorn for doing this
07-05-2013
, 04:15 PM
Quote:
Ok last one (not sure how many readers are left anyway) before the truly elite tomorrow.
41: 25 Rafael Van der Vaart - Netherlands - Hamburger SV
40: 46 Joaquin - Spain – Malaga
39: 34 Pedro - Spain - Barcelona
38: 23 Javier Pastore - Argentina - PSG
37: Francesco Totti - Italy - Roma
36: 45 Arda Turan - Turkey - Atletico Madrid
35: 40 Jeremy Menez - France – PSG
34: 56 Keisuke Honda - Japan - CSKA Moscow
33: Henrik Mkhitaryan - Armenia - Shakhtar Donetsk
32: 41 Lucas Moura - Brazil - Sao Paolo/PSG
31: 12 Nani - Portugal - Manchester United
30: 19 Alexis Sanchez - Chile - Barcelona
Keisuke Honda is finally healthy again and has been playing very well. He is such an intelligent and skilled (passing+kicking) midfield operator.
He can't quite compete with Mkhitaryan's big breakthrough year though. Even if I'm not totally convinced how good he really (really) is, it can't be denied that he's been getting the job done to an extreme degree becoming Shakhtar's big scoring threat.
41: 25 Rafael Van der Vaart - Netherlands - Hamburger SV
40: 46 Joaquin - Spain – Malaga
39: 34 Pedro - Spain - Barcelona
38: 23 Javier Pastore - Argentina - PSG
37: Francesco Totti - Italy - Roma
36: 45 Arda Turan - Turkey - Atletico Madrid
35: 40 Jeremy Menez - France – PSG
34: 56 Keisuke Honda - Japan - CSKA Moscow
33: Henrik Mkhitaryan - Armenia - Shakhtar Donetsk
32: 41 Lucas Moura - Brazil - Sao Paolo/PSG
31: 12 Nani - Portugal - Manchester United
30: 19 Alexis Sanchez - Chile - Barcelona
Keisuke Honda is finally healthy again and has been playing very well. He is such an intelligent and skilled (passing+kicking) midfield operator.
He can't quite compete with Mkhitaryan's big breakthrough year though. Even if I'm not totally convinced how good he really (really) is, it can't be denied that he's been getting the job done to an extreme degree becoming Shakhtar's big scoring threat.
Quote:
Hmm I'll have quite few hours to do this coming up, so finishing the forwards, or almost finishing depending on the amount of commentary I do as I move down the list, would be really nice.
67: 55 Jonas - Brazil - Valencia
66: 65 Nikica Jelavic - Croatia - Everton
65: 36 Raul - Spain - Al Sadd
64: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang - Gabon - Saint-Étienne
63: Oribe Peralta - Mexico - Santos Laguna
62: 69 Fred - Brazil - Fluminense
61: Iago Aspas - Spain - Celta Vigo
60: 51 Oscar Cardozo - Paraguay - Benfica
Outside of Ibrahimovic, Aubameyang is the best performing striker in France this season. His pace can be devastating. The rest of what he can or can't do (he has less than 0.5 successful dribbles per game the last two seasons) will determine how good he really is. From what I've seen (not enough) I do still have some reservations about his overall technique.
67: 55 Jonas - Brazil - Valencia
66: 65 Nikica Jelavic - Croatia - Everton
65: 36 Raul - Spain - Al Sadd
64: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang - Gabon - Saint-Étienne
63: Oribe Peralta - Mexico - Santos Laguna
62: 69 Fred - Brazil - Fluminense
61: Iago Aspas - Spain - Celta Vigo
60: 51 Oscar Cardozo - Paraguay - Benfica
Outside of Ibrahimovic, Aubameyang is the best performing striker in France this season. His pace can be devastating. The rest of what he can or can't do (he has less than 0.5 successful dribbles per game the last two seasons) will determine how good he really is. From what I've seen (not enough) I do still have some reservations about his overall technique.
07-05-2013
, 05:12 PM
