Buzzer
Languidly Clinical
- Oct 1, 2006
- 26,121
Agreed. Franco Baresi was one of the greatest tacklers, Jan Molby one of the greatest passers of a ball and Casper Ankergren the greatest time-waster the game has ever seen.
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[Albion] The definition of a World Class Player
- Thread starter Lenny Rider
- Start date
Agreed. Franco Baresi was one of the greatest tacklers, Jan Molby one of the greatest passers of a ball and Casper Ankergren the greatest time-waster the game has ever seen.
GT49er
Well-known member
You mean that 0-0 draw in 1961-62 when we were the first team to take a point off the team that won the league by a comfortable margin of eight points, with a goal difference of +56?
I remember that as being a bloody good result for us..........
We did not sign him as a CF he was converted to a CB by Ian St John before he ever played in the league when still at Pompey and St John was his manager.
Mark played very little for Liverpool in midfield and was noted mainly for his partnership with Hansen.
Don't allow facts to get in way.
GT49er
Well-known member
He played quite a bit in midfield for us when we were desperately trying to survive in the First Division; he played midfield when we had a 17 year old Gary Stephens playing at CB alongside an old war-horse we acquired from Blackpool reserves, Peter Suddaby. Wonderful days of survival against all odds! At Liverpool he was a CB - and one of the best. Hansen and Lawrenson remains one of the all-time great CB partnerships.
Dorset Seagull
Once Dolphin, Now Seagull
That’s stirred a few memories as Mike Cornwell is one of my best mates and I played alongside Mick Edmonds for Hove Boys
I remember Usain Bolt talking about elite athletes and saying how they have to have the technical, physical and mental ability to repeatedly perform and influence at the highest level no matter what the circumstances or where in the world they are. This makes sense to me and something I remember when considering world class football players. I also think it’s a case-by-case judgement and difficult to specify a definitive rule. In football the highest level is the business end of the Champions League and International tournaments. If a player can repeatedly shape and influence these games I’d say they’re world class.
As an aside there’s been lots of previous discussion on this site about Wayne Rooney’s class. In my mind he doesn’t satisfy the above criteria. Yes he has a champions league winners medal but I don’t recall him repeatedly influencing and shaping many, if any, games. Someone like Zinidane Zidine does however. As for Lawrenson I can’t recall the finer detail of how he performed at Liverpool. Can someone who does know the details apply this theory for me?
As an aside there’s been lots of previous discussion on this site about Wayne Rooney’s class. In my mind he doesn’t satisfy the above criteria. Yes he has a champions league winners medal but I don’t recall him repeatedly influencing and shaping many, if any, games. Someone like Zinidane Zidine does however. As for Lawrenson I can’t recall the finer detail of how he performed at Liverpool. Can someone who does know the details apply this theory for me?
One word Silk
Johnny RoastBeef
These aren't the players you're looking for.
- Jan 11, 2016
- 3,157
Rooney at his best was definitely one of the best players in the world at that time, which surely makes him world class ( at that time)?
Zidane at his best was one of the best players ever, the level above world class.