Best current wingers in the world

Discussion in 'The Beautiful Game' started by Dr. Know, Oct 28, 2012.

  1. Dr. Know

    Dr. Know Member+

    Dec 5, 2005
    Macondo
    It seems that current;y wingers aren’t usually considered along the best players in the world as they used to be before.

    Who are the best wingers you can think of currently?

    I can think of Nani and Valencia from ManUtd, DiMaria from Madrid and maybe Mata from Chelsea. Who else would you consider to be top wingers that are amongst the best players in the world regardless of position?
     
  2. JamesBH11

    JamesBH11 Member+

    Sep 17, 2004
    Nani, Valencia and Di Maria are "arguably" wingers ... (they are morelike wide forwards like CR7 06-08 and Messi pre-09) than "true wingers" . Mata is no wingers. He was like Silva, Carzola like 2nd forward, AM who could play on the side ... (due to tactics and formation)
    Others are Ribbery, Robben, Navas A.Young ...
     
  3. Dr. Know

    Dr. Know Member+

    Dec 5, 2005
    Macondo
    Valencia is a pure winger I don’t see how you can claim he’s a wide forward.

    Mata was a winger for Valencia, he’s shifted a bit at Chelsea and become a hybrid kind of like Pedro at Barca. DiMaria is a winger for Madrid.

    Ashley Young is kinda crap.

    Ribery is another hybrid as is Robben though I mentioned him. I’m talking about pure wingers.

    It just seems that Figo type players are rare nowadays.
     
  4. JamesBH11

    JamesBH11 Member+

    Sep 17, 2004
    Agree old Figo, giggs Conti Overmars type areno longer exist ... Yes only maybe Valencia and Navas jesus .. are pure wingers now aday
     
  5. lanman

    lanman BigSoccer Supporter

    Aug 30, 2002
    Valencia is the closest to a "pure" winger that I can think of off the top of my head. There are others, but very few approaching elite status. Part of the issue stems from teams tending to play wrong footed wingers, with right footed players on the left and vice versa, allowing the full backs more space to overlap. Versatility also seems to have curtailed the role of the winger with teams liking to swap players through the match, often to allow the central player to move out to the flank.
     
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  6. Dr. Know

    Dr. Know Member+

    Dec 5, 2005
    Macondo
    IT just seems weird. Is it a new trend that “pure” wingers are no longer part of the modern game. At least on an elite level. Before a lot of wingers were considered amongst the best in the world. Now it seems they’re just a part of the group and none stands out. Yes Ribery and Robben are there but they aren’t the typical definition of a winger.
     
  7. puertorricane

    puertorricane Red Card

    Feb 4, 2012
    Carolina PR
    Club:
    Santos FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Brazil
    Neymar, Cronaldo, Robben, William, doglas costa, valencia, nani, hulk, alexis sanchez, di maria, ribery,

    all wingers and all amongst the best in the world, yes they can play in other positions but are mainly wingers at the moment...

    []__[]
     
  8. JamesBH11

    JamesBH11 Member+

    Sep 17, 2004
    Rightly so .. the most common "traditional" winger coming off from the 4 4 2 formation since late 70's upto late 90's. There the two "side midfielders" got the role to cover their whole flank (from defense to attack = hence call wingers. (note in 4 4 2 diamond they are called side MF, not wingers). In the other hand, "wide forwards" are often found in 4 3 3 or 4 2 3 1 systems, in which they focus more in attack (2/3) and less in defense (1/3) since they got back up from the 3 or 2 MF.

    So now aday in the era that most teams playing with either 4 2 3 1 (70%) and 4 3 3 (20%) they are just "wide forwards" like Pedro, Ribbery, Robben, Gervinho, CR7, Di Maria, Nani, Podolski, Mata , Carzola...
     
  9. MailMan

    MailMan Red Card

    Sep 7, 2011
    Club:
    Real Madrid
    Nat'l Team:
    Portugal
    Porra, Rapaz, Bunda, Popozuda, Fuzil, Caralho, Pau, and Safada are also really good wingers in todays game
     
  10. Excape Goat

    Excape Goat Member+

    Mar 18, 1999
    Club:
    Real Madrid
    Because the teams want to push the best players closer to the goal where they can score. It is actually logic. If they can move wide and cross, they actually move themselves away from the goal and they still have to wait for the strikers to score from the cross. Some of the wingers are actually the best offensive players on the team and the best offensive players should be the one who should be have more scoring chances. Why not just cut inside and shoot with the better foot? It is also got to the evolution of the sweeper position In the old days, one of the central defenders moved up. The fullbacks, except the Brazilians, stayed back. Now, the central defender stayed home.... the fullbacks are free to attack.... which push the wingers into the middle as secondary strikers.
     
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  11. JamesBH11

    JamesBH11 Member+

    Sep 17, 2004
    yes and no ...
    yes like you said due to formation 4 2 3 1 or 4 3 3 those forwards are to provide scoring.
    no ... those names are NEITHER good in crossing NOR good in defense (required as "true winger")
     
  12. Dr. Know

    Dr. Know Member+

    Dec 5, 2005
    Macondo
    You can apply that to players like Alves or Alba or Marcelo but not all fullbacks function that way.

    The typical winger position, a wide player who crosses and also tracks back in defense, seems to be disappearing. Valencia is the only top player that I see that represents the position. And maybe Navas.
     
  13. lanman

    lanman BigSoccer Supporter

    Aug 30, 2002
  14. PuckVanHeel

    PuckVanHeel Member+

    Oct 4, 2011
    Club:
    Feyenoord
    Mainstream tactical developments are indeed related to each other.. That makes it even more interesting what have caused it.
     
  15. Dr. Know

    Dr. Know Member+

    Dec 5, 2005
    Macondo
    Yeah Bale as well but he’s erratic. I don’t know if I would consider him at an equal level to Valencia or Navas.
     
  16. El-CapitanoR7

    El-CapitanoR7 Member

    Oct 30, 2008
    La la land
    Club:
    Real Madrid
    Nat'l Team:
    Italy
    For me Jesus Navas is the best in the world as a " pure" winger.
     
  17. JamesBH11

    JamesBH11 Member+

    Sep 17, 2004
    agree ... in this "doom days" of pure wingers , my list of who could cover the whole flank including defense and can do good crossing

    1- Jesus Navas
    2- Valencia
    3- Di Maria
    4- Carzola
    5- Riberry

    The rest are just wide forwards ...
     
  18. msioux75

    msioux75 Member+

    Jan 8, 2006
    Lima, Peru
    In SA the 4-3-3 system was the most used since mid-60s to mid 80s.
    Less teams seems to used a sort of 4-4-2 with a false wide forward, playing most in midfield areas (closer to winger definition).

    btw, if you asked to SA fans, most will say that a winger = wide forward (50s-80s)
     
  19. msioux75

    msioux75 Member+

    Jan 8, 2006
    Lima, Peru
    Jefferson Farfan, anybody? :)
     
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  20. El-CapitanoR7

    El-CapitanoR7 Member

    Oct 30, 2008
    La la land
    Club:
    Real Madrid
    Nat'l Team:
    Italy
    Second on my list. Great winger.
     
  21. PDG1978

    PDG1978 Member+

    Mar 8, 2009
    Club:
    Nottingham Forest FC
    Understood, although I think Garrincha's role for example (an attacking winger in a 4-2-4 and maybe WM type formations too) would equate more to Figo's role than to C.Ronaldo's. Not sure so much about the 4-3-3's you mention but maybe the wingers still stayed wide a bit more than modern 'wing-forwards' (assuming the team didn't play with 3 strikers)?

    On a related note did the number 10's such as Zico play advanced of the other 2 in midfield so more like a 4-2-1-3 (when Zico was playing as an 'AM' in Brazilian football - that seems to be the case from what I've seen including the highlights of the 1981 Intercontinental Cup Final although for Brazil he played more as a forward in a 4-4-2 or 4-4-1-1 at times as he did usually for Udinese it seems)? Thanks in advance as I know you'll give an answer with good info as always.
     
  22. condor11

    condor11 Moderator
    Staff Member

    Apr 2, 2002
    New Zealand
    at least for Peru he plays much better as the support foward, going up the middle (which is what he was when he started with Alianza)
     
  23. Dr. Know

    Dr. Know Member+

    Dec 5, 2005
    Macondo
    Yeah I’ve never considered Farfan to be a winger.
     
  24. JamesBH11

    JamesBH11 Member+

    Sep 17, 2004
    Let me add in:
    At WC58, Garrincha played as right winger in 4 2 4 (modified WM and pre-4 4 2 version) This Brazil 4 2 4 could well be 4 4 1 1 (when defense only Vava up) and 4 2 3 1 (when possession)

    ---------------------------Vava --------------------
    -------------- Pele -----------------------Garrincha
    Zagalo ---------------------------------------------
    -----------------------------Didi -------------------
    ------------------- Zito -------------------------------

    At WC62 to 66: Brazil played as 4 3 3 with Garrincha and Pele being forwards:

    ------------------------Vava -----------------------
    -------------Pele -----------------Garrincha------
    -----Zagalo --------------- Didi ------------------
    ------------------- Zito ----------------------------

    This 4 3 3 tighten up space in midfield more than the 4 2 4 in previous WC (where Garrincha played fultime on the WING) Here in4 3 3 he was allowed to come into the box when needed.

    ===============================================
    Now the true 4 4 2 was well developped in late 70 and popular thru out the 80 to late 90 - by most teams ... remember from Liverpool78 to ManU 99?

    ------------------ A.Cole --------- Yorke --------------
    Giggs ------- Scholes ----------Keane -------Beckham
    Irwin ------- Stam ----------- Jpohnsen----- Neville
     
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  25. PDG1978

    PDG1978 Member+

    Mar 8, 2009
    Club:
    Nottingham Forest FC
    Yes, true and also Brazil '70 went on to play with Jairzinho more as an attacker (like a winger in a 4-2-4) and Rivelino more in midfield (sort of equivalent to a winger in a 4-4-2).

    I wasn't thinking of it at the time really but in the Auction Draft Cevno organised a year or so ago, I actually copied the Brazil '62 type formation slightly with my midfield and forwards like this:
    --------------Matthaus----------------
    ----M.Laudrup------Platini-------------
    -----------Pele--------------Rensenbrink--
    ---------------Shevchenko----------------
    At the time I thought more of the recent Barcelona type system with Laudrup taking Iniesta's role and Platini's Xavi's vaguely (but from starting positions on the opposite sides). Laudrup and also Rensenbrink weren't so much in the typical winger mould as Zagallo or Garrincha anyway.

    Yes, Garrincha did excel in that role that gave him extra freedom to move around didn't he.... When Pele was injured Amarildo took the inside left role and did very well himself to be fair.

    You might also be able to help with the queries I had about Zico's role for Flamengo when he played as an AM. Was it a 4-2-1-3 he mainly played in?
     
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