re: fletcher

alot of ppl don't know that when fletch was breaking into the united team he was just recovering from a broken leg, not to mention he was only 19 and still had'nt developed physically to to kind of level he's at now.

Bump!

Well it turns out this 200 best players in the world mess was just the warmup.

I posted this rather cryptic update last month:

Then a few days ago this:

So, what will replace the 200 list is an ongoing top 300 which will be published one of the next few days.

The positive is that it will always be up to date. Both the ranking (it just has to be ongoing to stay relevant) and player profiles, functioning hopefully as a massive (power ranking) index (with thoughts) on the best players in the world.

The negative is that right now, where main priority has simply been updating every single writeup so far, that quite a few of the top players won't have writeups yet.

To kind of make up for that, and to create some top 50 suspense, when it's all ready I'll be doing a massive top 50 (maybe just 40 or 30) liveblog in this thread with quick thoughts about the players and their rankings. Just whatever comes to mind.

To make that a little bit more fun, if there is interest, I'm also doing a little competition (actually the main reason for this premature bump) where whoever gets the most of my top 30 correct receive a modest 100$ cash prize.

MEANING everyone will have a few days (lets say a Wednesday deadline but that could be extended) to post their top 30 of the best players in the world and whoever has the most players (with a 5 point bonus for exact placement) that's also in my top 30 wins the prize.

So get your entries in.

Do we post or do we pm?

1. Messi
2-300. everyone else

might try to contribute something of real value at some point, for the lulz of everyone else.

I should say for those wanting to participate in my little contest, that in theory players previously ranked lower or on the notables list, can be in the top 30.

The whole list is completely fresh. Only the original writeups (but with updates) remain.

Up to you. Wouldn't mind PMs actually. Might make it easier to keep check. Also, even though I don't have U.S accounts Stars shipment I can definitely arrange (and that's the plan) so preferably ppl have an account there.

Interesting, and I'm looking forward to it already. Is it top 25 or top 30?

Yes top 30.

My mistake with the 25.

hmmmm interesting, I'll try to remember to send you something.

In case of the same number of points, we might need a tiebreak.

I say punishment for the biggest mistake. The higher you ranked a player not in my top 30 the lower your tiebreak ranking.

And just re-quoting for those (maybe interested) who got lost halfway in the text:

Hm, I've got no chance but I'll give it a try anyway.. if only as a thank you for all the tl;dr posts that I did actually read

montolivo of FLorentina has only one way to go and that is up. that goes with D aquilani and other young Italians.

decent list, I like it

Thanks. I can barely even get myself to look at it though. By now so much just looks wrong.

BC spoke the truth here and especially after a World Cup season I think, everything just changes.

But it won't be an issue with this new list that I can just change all the time.

Also planning on some kind of change log and a ranking history in each player's profile. Eventually that should paint a good picture.

Damn top 30 itself is hard enough, but trying to match Björn's list makes it even harder.

Easier for me as I don't watch nearly enough football (apart from Ajax and CL) and I do read his posts

Thanks for the entries so far. We need more! So PM me please.

Just to clarify on the 5 point "bonus rule", what I intended, but didn't really say sadly, was simply that if you for an example correctly have say, current Bundesliga top scorer Theofanis Gekas as 7th best player in the world, and I somehow have that too, then you get 5 points instead of just the 1 point you get if he's somewhere else in my top 30.

OK I've sent something, don't have much confidence and definitely gambled on a few players.

30 players in best form right now?

I hope not, because that's not what I based mine on :S

Well it's a balance act as always between form and perceived ability but even though, since this is meant to be a pretty dynamic list, that form will count for more than previously, it isn't everything and even injured players (especially those among the very best) won't just get automatically passed by everyone happening to be playing their best at this very moment. Some players have earned a lot of credit, lets just say that.

bjorn's asking for peoples lists to help him construct his top 30 ldo

jk

i am not even going to try to send in anything. it'll be hopelessly lol.

I know it was a joke, but if he wanted help he would have asked for our personal top 30, not a top 30 that tries to match his.

ok thanks, i had the Barca team and 19 others

Unfortunately I didn't have the time to really give it a lot of thought since I'm in the middle of Law School finals, but I've sent over a thirty...I wonder if it's even in the right ball park. And I'm sure I forgot someone obvious.

Just a brief update.

I'm making good progress. I think I've done about 40 player updates the last couple of days, but definitely won't be done Thursday.

And Friday... well that doesn't seem like a good massive-live blogging-day, SO there will definitely be at least a couple of more days for any new entries.