Central Midfielder

[depuente]

Who is the best Spanish central midfielder in Spain and the best central midfielder in Spain overall.Give me the top ten.

[Iberian]

Do you mean Spanish & foreign La Liga players combined, or just national?
By central midfielder, do you also mean DMs and AMs, or just CMs?. There are very few that are just strictly CMs, clear it up a little.

[depuente]

When I say central midfielder I mean attacking and passing midfielders like Zidane and Ronaldinho. I am not talking about wide midfielders or defensive midfielders. I am talking about playmakers.

[Iberian]

Well, if you want nationals:

1. Guti, Valeron, Xavi, Iniesta.
Who is first is a matter of taste, but Xavi is the one in better shape, while Guti is the most capable, a notch below world class (or just deprived of enough games through several years at Real). Iniesta is the future (if they let him play enough he could be perfect), and Valeron is well past his prime, but he was the best.

5. De La Peña. Very capable, A-list material but irregular.
6. Yeste. Very good, but perphaps hard to evaluate by him being at Athletic.
7. Baraja. Has seen better times, but hard to forget as he is a very tough
midfielder that likes to go forward. He was the base of the best Valencia.
8. Martí (Sevilla), almost unknown, but always a must in every team he has played, the most regular and reliable CM.
9. Arzu (Betis)also unknown, but actually a very decent CM.
10. Alvaro Novo(Atletico-Glasgow Rangers). Played at Glasgow this year, so it's hard to tell, but he has been one of the top scorers there with 18 goals, a key in their last minute league title last week. I just put him in the list because in truth Spain's main problem these days is finding enough CMs for the NT. I could give you a lot more strikers and defenders than CMs besides our wingers like Joaquin, Vicente and Reyes. I am not putting wingers here even if they can be playmakers (these can), or strikers like Raul that travel to the midfield as part of their game, as they are still called strikers.

Foreigners:

1. Ronaldihno
2. Riquelme (what a year he's had, and Barca still doesn't want him)
3. Deco (he is the reason why Barca doesn't want Riquelme)
4. Zidane (he is still the classiest one, even though past his prime)
5. Baptista
6. Assuncao (Betis)
7. Ibagaza (didn't turn out as well as he did last year in Mallorca)
8. Aimar (he should be in the top 3, but isn't)
9. Beckham (he is not that bad as CM, and I am running out of names)
10. I don't know....Arango is not that bad (Mallorca), I like him.

Overall:...
1. Ronaldihno
2. Riquelme
3. Baptista
4. Deco
4,5 Xavi or Guti
6. Zidane
.....

More or less, I am probably skipping someone, but I don't have a database built in :D

[vomiton]

Well, if you want nationals:

1. Guti, Valeron, Xavi, Iniesta.
Who is first is a matter of taste, but Xavi is the one in better shape, while Guti is the most capable, a notch below world class (or just deprived of enough games through several years at Real). Iniesta is the future (if they let him play enough he could be perfect), and Valeron is well past his prime, but he was the best.

5. De La Peña. Very capable, A-list material but irregular.
6. Yeste. Very good, but perphaps hard to evaluate by him being at Athletic.
7. Baraja. Has seen better times, but hard to forget as he is a very tough
midfielder that likes to go forward. He was the base of the best Valencia.
8. Martí (Sevilla), almost unknown, but always a must in every team he has played, the most regular and reliable CM.
9. Arzu (Betis)also unknown, but actually a very decent CM.
10. Alvaro Novo(Atletico-Glasgow Rangers). Played at Glasgow this year, so it's hard to tell, but he has been one of the top scorers there with 18 goals, a key in their last minute league title last week. I just put him in the list because in truth Spain's main problem these days is finding enough CMs for the NT. I could give you a lot more strikers and defenders than CMs besides our wingers like Joaquin, Vicente and Reyes. I am not putting wingers here even if they can be playmakers (these can), or strikers like Raul that travel to the midfield as part of their game, as they are still called strikers.

Foreigners:

1. Ronaldihno
2. Riquelme (what a year he's had, and Barca still doesn't want him)
3. Deco (he is the reason why Barca doesn't want Riquelme)
4. Zidane (he is still the classiest one, even though past his prime)
5. Baptista
6. Assuncao (Betis)
7. Ibagaza (didn't turn out as well as he did last year in Mallorca)
8. Aimar (he should be in the top 3, but isn't)
9. Beckham (he is not that bad as CM, and I am running out of names)
10. I don't know....Arango is not that bad (Mallorca), I like him.

Overall:...
1. Ronaldihno
2. Riquelme
3. Baptista
4. Deco
4,5 Xavi or Guti
6. Zidane
.....

More or less, I am probably skipping someone, but I don't have a database built in :D

Very good job, I also added to Josico (CM Villareal) he isn´t a playmaker but he always starts with criteria Villareal´s attack and defensively he is great

[ReyesIsMyMate]

Foreigners:

1. Ronaldihno
2. Riquelme (what a year he's had, and Barca still doesn't want him)
3. Deco (he is the reason why Barca doesn't want Riquelme)
4. Zidane (he is still the classiest one, even though past his prime)
5. Baptista
6. Assuncao (Betis)
7. Ibagaza (didn't turn out as well as he did last year in Mallorca)
8. Aimar (he should be in the top 3, but isn't)........

aimar is, accoring to diego maradona, the only player he'd pay money to watch. that's saying something as it crossees the boca vs. river divide, and parts a druggie from a fix :p

Aimar has been injured quite a bit, and has been left to rot on the bench by Clownio Ranieri this season before his departure, so that's why he's in 8th as opposed to in the top 3. he's still got time to show what a class act he is....

Guillermo

[DSC05]

I'm not sure Valeron is well past his prime just yet ;). I believe he was one of the most fouled player this year, so the other clubs knew not to let him have any space.

[laudrup]

10. Alvaro Novo(Atletico-Glasgow Rangers). Played at Glasgow this year, so it's hard to tell, but he has been one of the top scorers there with 18 goals



You're confusing Alvaro Novo, who is a right side winger with 3-4 very good seasons in Mallorca and 2 horrible ones in Atletico Madrid with NACHO Novo, who is an ex-3rd division (from powerhouse CD Huesca, I think) player that somehow made himself a professional career in Scotland and earned a transfer to Rangers. From what I know from him he is a fast, intelligent forward in the mold of a younger Munitis.

In any case, Novo from Rangers and Novo from Atletico are not the same guy, and neither of them play offensive midfield.

I think that as far as playmakers go, Zidane was the best I've seen in a decade, and Guti, Xavi, Deco and Riquelme are the best you can see in Spain right now.

In my mind, Ronaldinho isn't really a playmaker, in that he doesn't make the team dance to his tune like Deco or Xavi do. He is more of a inspirational player that can come up with the impossible out of nowhere. As far as his team goes, their playing style is not that conditioned by him being in or out of the starting XI. It's a difficult difference to see (since an inspired Ronaldinho can win games by himself), but I know it is there.

[Revelian]

9. Beckham (he is not that bad as CM, and I am running out of names)

You're just too shy to admit that he's the Don. Don't make excuses for your choice. You know he's the first name you thought of.

Revelian

[Revelian]

aimar is, accoring to diego maradona, the only player he'd pay money to watch. that's saying something as it crossees the boca vs. river divide, and parts a druggie from a fix :p

Aimar has been injured quite a bit, and has been left to rot on the bench by Clownio Ranieri this season before his departure, so that's why he's in 8th as opposed to in the top 3. he's still got time to show what a class act he is....

Guillermo

I'm English. I hate Argentinian footballers, naturally. I think Aimar is awesome. He is so direct.

Revelian