Best Dribblers.

Discussion in 'Players & Legends' started by TKORL, Nov 1, 2009.

  1. Izzy9

    Izzy9 Member

    Apr 21, 2011
    U.S.
    Club:
    Santos FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Brazil
    I agonized over the decision to put Neymar first in dribbling ability over Messi but, in the end it came down to the confidence and audacity that this kid has to try everything on the field and then succeed at doing it due to his superb reportoire of skills and speed. I do agree that he needs to mature a bit.
    It is going to be hard to dethrone Messi. I don't know if Neymar ever will but, he has the potential to do so if he does not get injured like Ronaldo "O fenomeno" and if he does well when he goes to Europe. What will make it tough is that Messi is also young and will continue to get better also.
    I think Neymar can finish third this year in FIFA player of the year behind Messi and C. Ronaldo if Brazil wins Copa America and he does does extremely well. Winning Copa Libertadores would also help but, he would not get the #2 spot.

    Again, I know it is a bit early but, I still give Neymar the edge in the dribbling category.
     
  2. JamesBH11

    JamesBH11 Member+

    Sep 17, 2004
    O
    h yes, this coming Copa2011 will be the real FACE/OFF between Neymar and Messi - we'll see ... and hope they will be all in the final
     
  3. Alessandro10

    Alessandro10 Member

    Dec 6, 2010
    Club:
    Juventus FC
    Ronaldinho in his prime was a great dribbler and superb to watch too.
     
  4. Alessandro10

    Alessandro10 Member

    Dec 6, 2010
    Club:
    Juventus FC
    Dragan Dzajic,Gheorghe Hagi,Gigi Meroni.
     
  5. haihaihai

    haihaihai New Member

    Jan 4, 2011
    Greatest dribblers I have watched?

    Crazy ones...Diego, Rene, El Burro, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Waddle, Gazza, Ginola

    Controlled ones...Zico, Messi, Laudrup, Cruyff, Babington

    With a bit class, eh....Enzo, Redondo, Marangoni, Zidane, Socrates

    smooth...Bocha, Platini, Rui Costa, Neeksens, Ardiles, Falcao, Giresse, van Basten, Rai, Tigana

    half-arsed?...Romario

    ...and Baggio (crazy + smooth...+ what not)

    ...and Zanetti

    ....oh...Littbarski (where does this phukar fit..)


    Among recent fellas?

    Crazy ones...Messi (06 - 08), Dinho, Ronaldo, Neymar (these days...)

    bohemian?...Pastore (at times)

    careful ones?...Roman, Ganso, Iniesta

    Best to the eye?....most recent ones?...Erik Lamela and Pablito Aimar

    I probably forgot at least 20 or so more
     
  6. leadleader

    leadleader Member+

    Aug 19, 2009
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    I think Messi is the better dribbler, he does not need tricks to dribble past people, that's how good he is.

    I also think that CR7 is not such a great dribbler, he is a very good dribbler with ridiculous physical attributes, but in terms of dribbling I have seen at least four players that are better than him.

    For instance, Ronaldinho, he lost his pace, but in terms of dribbling I think he is better than CR7.

    Should we make a distinction between dribblers and tricksters?

    ----------------------------------
    Best Dribblers
    ----------------------------------

    I would like to discuss dribbling with a more specific criteria.

    1st -- Great dribblers with explosive acceleration but not necessarily blessed with great pace.

    2nd -- Great dribblers with good pace but not blessed with explosive acceleration.

    3rd -- Great dribblers without explosive acceleration but who generate a lot of speed or are blessed with good pace.

    4th -- Great dribblers with unusual pace, the kind of pace where the player appears to be slow but actually is a lot faster than he looks.

    5th -- Great dribblers with no pace.
     
  7. JamesBH11

    JamesBH11 Member+

    Sep 17, 2004
    Basically there are 3 types:
    1- Great dribblers with skills and clean techniques (Garrincha, Mathews, Pele, Rivelino, Maradona, Zico, Ronaldo, Zidane, Ronaldinho Okocha ...CRonaldo 2009 to now)

    2- Great dribblers with straight timing and ball control (G.Best, Eusebio, Cruyff, Platini, Basten, Romario, Rivaldo, Baggio, Henry, Messi, )

    3- Dribblers showboat or tricksters (Denilson 97-04, Quaresma before 2010, CRonaldo before 09 as he is getting much better now = less tricks and more runs)
     
  8. haihaihai

    haihaihai New Member

    Jan 4, 2011
    Dribbler as the word applies is only your ability to dribble, as in propel the ball forward successfully. You are referring to the kind of dribbling that combines technique (easy in the eye too...eh) with dribbling. Not a bad combo. That's where my priorities lie as well...
     
  9. haihaihai

    haihaihai New Member

    Jan 4, 2011
    You sounded like my physics teacher some odd decades ago...

    CR has as much clean technique as Piojo Lopez has. Nah...that's not CR. You are reassigning him to a post that he is pretty unfamiliar with. The Zico kinds are light-years different from a CR kind. Close to apples (clean techniques...) vs. Oranges (CR). The second two categories fit him better. His ball control is good, is where most people underrate him. The fella just prefers to combine it with blistering pace, that's it.

    You first category could be further sub-divided between the Diego/Rivelino/Mane/Dinho/Rene/Okocha (Waddle, Gazza, El Burro, Edmundo...even Denilson) types and the Zico/Cruyff/Messi/Laudrup/Platini/Zidane types. Their priorities are the same, but their execution of their dribblings (and the goal they wish to accomplish) is quite different.
     
  10. JamesBH11

    JamesBH11 Member+

    Sep 17, 2004
    Is it a compliment ?LOL

    Maybe its' just harder than a simple formula ?
     
  11. Mysterious

    Mysterious Member

    Jun 18, 2007
    Chicago
    I always thout Hleb was a good dribbler.
     
  12. Charlie512

    Charlie512 Member

    Oct 17, 2010
    Texas
    Club:
    Pachuca CF
    Nat'l Team:
    Mexico
    I always thought the best dribblers were the ones that were the most effective at getting past their marker.
    Major Extra points when they:
    1 Are successful most of the time
    2 Can dribble past defenders starting at a standstill as well as at amazing speeds
    3 Can beat 2-3 players in a very short amount of space.
    4 Break through defenses that set up a wall
    5 Amost impossible to take the ball away or stop them without a foul
    6 Dribble with a purpose. Meaning to open space to create a chance or directly towards goal for a scoring opportunity.

    1 I say Ronaldo and Maradona were the best at this. Very effective most of the time.They showed that dribblers are just as good as a systematic offense. I say C. Ronaldo struggles massively with this one.

    2 Ronaldo and Messi.

    3 Garrincha, Best, Messi , Ronaldo

    4 Ronaldo and Maradona, although Messi did this against Madrid this last game

    5 Xavi and Zidane, for the latter Ronaldo, Maradona, Messi

    6 Maradona, Messi, Ronaldo (C.R. also struggles with this one)
     
  13. JamesBH11

    JamesBH11 Member+

    Sep 17, 2004
    First of all, your definition of dribbler is only HALFWAY correct.
    Let me rephrase: Successful dribbler is who he PASSes (any) opponent(s) in his/her way either at/from a STATIC (marker) or DYNAMIC (blocker on the run) position.

    Secondly, 3 and 4 looked similar in your description. So let sum up:

    1- Good dribbler from Static position
    2- Good dribbler in a DYnamic position (while running)
    3- Good dribbler within a crowd (tight space, can be 3,4 surrounding)
    4- Good dribbler pass 2 or more on pitch (one after another)
    5- Good dribbler using more or various techniques (or tricks)
    6- Good dribbler using sheer pace/speed
    7- Good dribbler with smart moves/ right path (or vision)
    8- Good dribbler with great ball control (keep balls at his feet- so hard to be taken off)
    9- Good dribbler with innovation/creation (of their own)
    10-Good successful dribbler (with greatest percentage of PASSING/number of attempts) - all of the above 9 is to serve this end result!
     
  14. Alessandro10

    Alessandro10 Member

    Dec 6, 2010
    Club:
    Juventus FC
  15. y.o.n.k.o

    y.o.n.k.o Member

    Jan 12, 2010
    Club:
    FC Barcelona
    I think Maradona can also fall under the second category. He had great sense of timing and ball control besides great dribbling skills and clean technique.

    Messi should be listed in category #1 as "successful most of the time" along side Ronaldo and Maradona.

    And it looks like Maradona, Ronaldo and Messi were/are the best dribblers (Top 3 dribblers ever) in all categories. I wonder how many others would agree with that.....I would add Ronaldinho and Garrincha to make it a Top 5 list of all time.
     
  16. Charlie512

    Charlie512 Member

    Oct 17, 2010
    Texas
    Club:
    Pachuca CF
    Nat'l Team:
    Mexico
    Ok. I am good with that. Top 3 Maradona, Ronaldo and Messi

    I would also put up George Best in there, above Ronaldinho even. I agree with Garrincha.

    What about Di Stefano? I heard he was great also.
     
  17. phil80

    phil80 Member

    Aug 25, 2007
    I know this is not the standard, popular opinion. but for me, Ronaldinho was a better dribbler than Ronaldo. Ronaldo was the better overall player and has a better legacy, but in terms of just dribbling ability, Ronaldinho in his prime would get the edge.
     
  18. TKORL

    TKORL Member

    Dec 30, 2006
    Club:
    Valencia CF
    I think Ibra is one of the very finest. I would rate the best dribblers as:

    1) Messi
    2) Ibrahimovic
    3) Riquelme
    4) Unsure...
    5) Robinho? Lavezzi? Zanetti?

    Somewhat surprising for me at least, is that there don't seem to be many Brazilians that would belong in such a list. Perhaps Mesut Ozil could be in this discussion too, but haven't seen enough of his dribbling yet.

    I can't evaluate any Spanish players on dribbling, because they just keep passing the ball!:D
     
  19. Charlie512

    Charlie512 Member

    Oct 17, 2010
    Texas
    Club:
    Pachuca CF
    Nat'l Team:
    Mexico
    I can see where you are coming from but if you look up videos of both Ronaldo(pre-injury) and Ronaldinho on youtube you can pretty much see that Ronaldo has Ronnie beat. In his dribbling, Ronaldo was faster and more effective than Ronnie. Both used tricks but Ronaldo always used them for a purpose and were effective most of the time. Ronnie had tricks but he was sort of a showboat and wasn't as effective.
    If you focus on Ronaldinho's prime vs Ronaldo's prime during the time they both played together in the early 2000's then you might have a point. However, if we see Ronaldo's dribbling before he was injured, we see dribbling skills that have been some of the greatest of all time.

    Here is link of R9 dribbling mostly pre-injury: http://youtu.be/GEb8aKeA1Ec
     
  20. y.o.n.k.o

    y.o.n.k.o Member

    Jan 12, 2010
    Club:
    FC Barcelona
    I think that in terms of timing in dribbling Ronaldinho was better than Ronaldo. But Ronaldo was better at beating multiple defenders and his tricks were more effective.

    Also, I think that the likes of Maradona, Garrincha and Messi each had/has their dribbling strengths and advantages over the rest when compared against each other.

    What's amazing to me is how great Messi is at dribbling without using any fancy tricks, yet he is comparable to the likes of Maradona, Ronaldo, etc. He just relies on perfect ball control, pure technique, great sense of timing, change of pace/direction and spacial awareness. If I'm not mistaken Garrincha relied on the same things, i.e. he didn't use many fancy tricks if any at all. Or at least I haven't seen footages of otherwise.

    Can you guys imagine a team with all 5 of them on it at the same time?!:eek: Who would you have to play in the other 5 field position to make it effective/balanced as team?

    ------------------Ronaldo------------Messi--------------------
    -----------------------------------------------------------------
    --Ronaldinho------------Maradona---------------Garrincha--
    -----------------------------------------------------------------
    ----------------------------???????-----------------------------
    -----------------------------------------------------------------
    --???????----------??????------------?????----------???????--
    -----------------------------------------------------------------
    -------------------------------GK-------------------------------
     
  21. phil80

    phil80 Member

    Aug 25, 2007
    I would say Ronaldo had a more traditional and direct approach to his dribbling, but Ronaldinho showed a more complete and total ball control. Ronaldo used his intelligence in change of pace and movement (along with his dribbling technique), with Ronaldinho it seemed like it was more pure ball manipulation and deft quick touches. Either way, I wouldnt say there is that much difference as they were both incredible dribblers and among the very best at their peaks.
     
  22. TKORL

    TKORL Member

    Dec 30, 2006
    Club:
    Valencia CF
    I would disagree, Ronaldo showed incredible control combined with sprinter like speed and extreme agility. He had it all........
     
  23. Charlie512

    Charlie512 Member

    Oct 17, 2010
    Texas
    Club:
    Pachuca CF
    Nat'l Team:
    Mexico
    Regardless, at the end what matters most is the effectiveness of their dribbling. And Ronaldo was far more effective than Ronaldinho.
    Yes he was extremely fast with and without the ball and the merit lies in that he always had great control of it during those runs.
     
  24. phil80

    phil80 Member

    Aug 25, 2007
    I never claimed otherwise. I said Ronaldo was more reliant on his change of pace/agility (in addition to his ball control/dribbling technique) while Ronaldinho had more precise deft touches and ball manipulation.
     
  25. leadleader

    leadleader Member+

    Aug 19, 2009
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    I agree. In my opinion, Ronaldinho showed more versatility when he lost his pace, than Ronaldo when he started loosing his pace.
     

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