Best Central midfielders in the world

[Teso Dos Bichos]

Carragher can play in central midfield. He captained the English under-21 team in that capacity and is joint top for caps. He has also played there for Liverpool and the senior side.

[United Pumps]

Would you like some scones, Teso? They are delightful.

To get back on topic I reckon the best central mids in the world are: Essien, Xavi, Pirlo, Gattuso, Gerrard, Scholes, Riquelme, Fabregas and Kaka. It's hard to pick a single player and hail them as the best as there are so many different jobs in the midfield these days. All of the players mentioned above can easily impose themselves on a game but in different ways. Of those I listed Essien is the best physically but his technique doesn't match up to the others, apart from Gattuso. A lot of people would say Kaka at the moment but I think that Pirlo is perhaps more important for Milan.

[RealMadGunner]

It's hard to pick a single player and hail them as the best as there are so many different jobs in the midfield these days.

Thats the point ..

[jpick]

not a bad list at all united pumps. i might de rossi to it. he is very good, as well. and young.
makalele as well, but he is getting up there in age.
one name that is not listed much but had a fantastic year is stankovic from inter.

[nicephoras]

Terry didn't exactly have an outstanding Euro 2004. It's really not clear to me how Sven's belief that Terry is better, or McLarens belief that Terry has done enough to win the captaincy justifies the argument that Terry is the superior. (How many trophies has Steve Mclaren won?)


As for "getting abused by Crespon and Inzaghi" in the CL final...funnily enough, I saw the same final, and yet I didn't see him get abused by either. While it is true that he was the closest to goal when it was scored, I don't think that it automatically implies that Carragher was at fault.

You have to remember that Djimi Traore was starting for Liverpool on that day. That prolly had to do with something.


"Terry has done more." What HAS Terry done for England? I don't recall Terry being outstanding in the WC. If you want and example of top level defending in the WC, look at Metzelder, Cannavaro, Carvalho, Thuram. Terry has never displayed the same ability at the world's biggest games. I mean then again, the biggest game he's played in is an FA Cup final.

So let me get this straight. Carragher plays two games against Milan and his side concede five goals. Yet, somehow, that's not his fault. Terry plays in the World Cup and his side concede a grand total of 2 goals (all of those in a meaningless game after England had gone through) and yet somehow he wasn't very good. Despite central defenders that we're talking about here.
That sure is some fascinating logic.

[TKORL]

So let me get this straight. Carragher plays two games against Milan and his side concede five goals. Yet, somehow, that's not his fault. Terry plays in the World Cup and his side concede a grand total of 2 goals (all of those in a meaningless game after England had gone through) and yet somehow he wasn't very good. Despite central defenders that we're talking about here.
That sure is some fascinating logic.
It is quite reasonable if (god forbid) you think about it. I hope you are aware that the defense is a 4 piece set, in which if one player plays well and the other 2-3 don't, then chances are you will concede goals.

Then again, I believe you'd use the same response as I used if Djimi Traore was playing on the left of Terry.


In any case, just because Liverpool conceded three goals in no way implies that Carragher was automatically at fault. You're just looking at the closest guy to the goal and blaming him. I think a Nobel Prize is in the works for you.

[Walter3000]

And you're blaming Traore for being in the lineup when he was nowhere near responsible for Crespo, and of course not even on the team in the latest against Pipo, even more silly.


John Terry's played with a 3rd string keeper behind him against one of the best teams in the world, and 5 different Rightbacks this season, we dont need to make excuses for his performances though.

How many goals have been conceded by Carragher and liverpool in his last 3 cup finals? 8?

[Seaside Mafia]

I enjoy to read the excuse about Terry having more international experience, because as captain he is an automatic choice, something he earned on form and merit, when the simple fact is Carragher has more European experience because he is older(playing for Liverpool instead of Chelsea helped for awhile).

The idea that Carragher has more big game experience is ridiculous when taking into account Euro 2004. Carragher watched Euro 2004 and played some miserable out of place role in 2006 because he wasnt good enough to unseat Terry, nice PK by the way.

And how about those two CL final games, really got abused by Crespo and Pipo(loan striker mind you).

Again, let the Anti-Chelsea crusade rest, and go back to pondering why ManUnited would spend 35-40 million on the most over rated CM pairing in history.

England 1 Brazil 1 - Terry had a good game. Lampard yet again was utterly turgid. Gerard was excellent, Carragher was once again struggling at full-back.
Time for McLaren to drop Lampard. He simply not doing anything positive - Mr.Percentage Pass - playing it sideways at every opportunity. Git.

[Twenty26Six]

Yet even further, despite playing in a fairly defensive system, Liverpool's defense has yet to attain the stinginess of either Chelsea or ManUtd

Looks just as stingy as Man Utd. Plus, our home form was better than anyone else's.

Best 5 Defences (Goals conceded)
Overall
Chelsea 24
Man. Utd. 27
Liverpool 27
Arsenal 35
Everton 36

Home
Liverpool 7
Chelsea 11
Man. Utd. 12
Aston Villa 14
Portsmouth 15

Away
Chelsea 13
Man. Utd. 15
Arsenal 19
Everton 19
Liverpool 20

[henry1133]

frank lampard easily the most overrated player ever, if barcelona buy him it'l be one of the worst signings in the history of the game!!

baraja is the best, closely followed by albelda! lol
nah stevie G by a mile

[Walter3000]

Hopefully Frank doesnt sign for Barca, so he can lift his 3rd EPL title in 4 years at the Bridge. Maybe set a new EPL record for goals, consecutive games played, etc.

[The Mighty Frog]

Vieira oh ohh ohh ohh
Vieira ohh ohh ohh
He comes from Senegal and he plays for Arsenal
Vieira oh ohh ohh ohh

Vieria oh ohh ohh ohh
Vieria oh ohh ohh ohh
He's so ********in' tall, he should play basketball
Vieira oh ohh ohh ohh

Vieira, Vieira, Vieira

[TKORL]

anyone that has said fat frank lampard should be shot, hes easily the most overrated player ever, if barcelona buy him it'l be one of the worst signings in the history of the game!!

baraja is the best, closely followed by albelda! lol
nah stevie G by a mile
By a mile? Hardly. I happen to think that there are only centimetres between the top players. But obviously Gerrard is a mile ahead of everyone else. Clearly top players like Gattuso, Seedorf, Vieira, Baraja, Essien, Deco are all jokers.

[nicephoras]

Looks just as stingy as Man Utd. Plus, our home form was better than anyone else's.

Apologies - I hadn't noticed that you had tied United on the last day (though my statement is fully true over the past 4 years). As to having a better home record................that just means you had by far the worst away record. I'm not sure what there is to brag about there.

[Berlin1971]

Right now it's Juan Riquelme.

He led Boca Juniors to the Copa Libertadores championship (winning MVP), and in the knockout stages he scored in every game. In the finals against Gremio he scored 3 goals in two legs.

At Copa America, Riquelme scored twice against Columbia, twice plus 1 assist against Peru, and hit a penalty last night against Mexico, leading Argentina to the final against Brazil.

[Moishe]

Right now it's Juan Riquelme.

He led Boca Juniors to the Copa Libertadores championship (winning MVP), and in the knockout stages he scored in every game. In the finals against Gremio he scored 3 goals in two legs.

At Copa America, Riquelme scored twice against Columbia, twice plus 1 assist against Peru, and hit a penalty last night against Mexico, leading Argentina to the final against Brazil.

Clearly over the past 6months the above statement is true. If you want to go back to the world cup last summer he was also considered amongst the best players of the tourney. He was pretty damn good during the ConfedCup, Qualifiers oh yeah and their was that little stint at Villarreal where he led La Liga in scoring and possibly even assists that same season. Factor in he carried Villa the furthest they've ever been in Champions League play. I also vaguely remember him during his first stint at BOCA as the best player in South America. All my bias aside he has been amongst the best middies since his debut in 1996. Leave the Barca stint out as that was purely a coaching decision. Of course when he was in the middle he was as usual briliant.

That being said I'd put Steven Gerrard, Andrea Pirlo, Kaka', Essien up there as well. No right or wrong answer here but like I said, over the past six months no one has been more influential to club or country than Riquelme.

[sanish]

1. Juan Riquelme
2. Steven Gerrard
3. Kaka

http://coolsoccerstars.blogspot.com (http://coolsoccerstars.blogspot.com)

[phil80]

Iniesta, Kaka; and if given a few years- Arteta, L. Diarra

[TKORL]

It's questionable whether Arteta will ever come near a Spain starting XI

[phil80]

It's questionable whether Arteta will ever come near a Spain starting XI
that would be a shame