Future All Time Greats

[soccerfan220]

Also Casillas is a possibility. He has already won a CL, is a goalie, a world cup veteran, and only 20. Plus he plays with Real Madrid, so he is prone to success. If Spain does well in the future (they just won the under 19 championship) he could end up breaking the WC record for games played. Goalies play a long time and he'll probably play in four world cups(which would be five overall)

[Spartak]

Originally posted by soccerfan220
Of the players now, basically, Owen, Ronaldo, Kahn, Zidane, and Maldini.
I agree on all but Owen. He needs to achieve something great. He has great potential but he is always injured and doesn't always come through in the clutch. Give it 5 more years and maybe he will be an all-time great.

I would also throw out Rivaldo into the mix. If you mention Zidane you have to mention Rivaldo. And the player you are all forgetting is Raul. He is still young and has already won 3 Champions League trophies. And another player who doesn't get the respect he deserves is Andriy Shevchenko(who is hurt because he is Ukranian and doesn't get to play in the big international tournaments). When Ronaldo was healthy his first two seasons with Inter he still didn't score as many goals as Sheva did with his first two seasons with Milan.

[Slash/ED]

How can Owen be considered an all time great when van nistelrooy, Hasslebaink and Henry are all far and away better then him in the premiership alone? and that's just the strikers.

I still say you have to include Keane, he's considered by Man Us fans their best player of the last 5 years and has led them to every trophy imaginable.

[usain2010]

truth be told, there will probably be one at most 2 players who will be considered all time greats

remember an all time great is better than being a legend

[soccerfan220]

I know owen isn't now, but htink about it.....already has scored arguably one of the top five WC goals ever, has over 100 goals in the EPL, 4 goals in WC history, 18 goals for england, has won five trophies with liverpool and is still only 22. He has 10 more years playing top level. By then he'll probably have about 400 goals in the premieship and break lineker's record for goals in WC and the record of england national team goals.... he will become an all-time great atleast in English Football... Raul should too, and Keane....why is an all-time great better than legend....? wouldn't it be the other way around?

[Casper]

One would think that surpassing brilliance in leading your team to a World Cup title would be one of the easiest resume items one would look for in an all-time great.

Zidane = yes. A performance that may not have been the equal of Maradonna and Pele, but who else's was better in the last four World Cups?

And his club career hasn't been shabby, either, although not loaded with trophies. But he's got a CL now, and that should also count for something.

[soccerfan220]

Ronaldo's performance in the 2002 final wasn't bad

[BWMcTell]

Originally posted by toot86
Christian Veri is much better then him because he plays with Italy wich is the most defensive team ever!

Dont get me wrong, I like Vieri, but he is kind of a big goon and Ronaldo has much better ball skills. I saw Vieri miss a many more chances during the World Cup than Ronaldo did.

[Naco]

I think that your going to get a lot of different players, because I'm sure everyone has a different definition of 'All-Time Great'.

Sean

[Slash/ED]

"has scored arguably one of the top five WC goals ever" That I definitely disagree with. I just can't see how you can say Owen will be an all time great when Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink is by far the best striker in the EPL and I doubt Owen will ever suprass his ability? Look at this, two seasons with Leeds in England, wins the golden boot twice. Goes to Spain for a year, plays for a team who gets relegated (So you can imagine the service he was getting) and STILL wins the la liga golden boot. Moves back to England and in two years with Chelsea he's won one golden boot and missed out by a goal for this years one, if Owen did that I would bet people would call him better then Maradona, but Hasselbaink did it and he's ignored.

[sydtheeagle]

When the definitive history of football is written it'll clearly be seen that its greatness as a sport lies in its roots in each community around the world in which it's played. The all time greats are, thus, the players and characters that that put the life breath into the game, and not necessarily those who pack the most winners medals into their suitcases. Most of the players we could really today call all-time greats are, thus, long since retired from the game because only history can really judge the depth of the mark they have left.

Of the players around today (or recently retired), we can only guess at whose contribution will be of such magnitude. But of those who might just be in the running, Tony Adams, Roberto Baggio, Roberto Carlos, Paolo Maldini, Zinedine Zidane, and Roy Keane are the ones that come to mind. They are joined by hundreds of unsung heroes who play for teams in Division Three and Serie C and the like, some of whom spend entire careers with only one team, and who are the true greats of the greatest game. For me, Steve Bull is the best example. Never played in the top flight but I'd be happy to field eleven Bullys any day of the week, and I don't even support the Wolves.

[Slash/ED]

Steve Bull is a legend, he even has England caps, but because he didn;t move can't be an all time great, like Le Tiss. A legend is simply someone who will be remembered long after they've stopped playing, for whatever reason, in that way Jimmy Glass is a legend.

[gibby_03]

Here's a quote in the Owen-Hasselbaink comparisson...

A few years ago in an EPL game between Liverpool and Chelsea, I'm sure many remember it, Owen scored early to give 'Pool the lead. A few minutes later, Hasselbaink unfurled a beauty from about 30 that equalized. In the second half, Owen scored again on a nice volley to put the Reds back in front. And guess what? A few minutes later, Hasselbaink ran past two defenders onto a ball and scored from a sharp angle. And I can still hear the announcer...

"What Michael Owen can do, so can this man!"

Maybe that's an awkward example, but the fact is they're both great goal-scorers, but Jimmy can just turn it up one notch higher when he needs to it seems. So when it's all said and done, I think Hasselbaink may rank just slightly higher.

Owen certainly has time on his side though. I can't wait to see him try.

[Slash/ED]

"may just"!?!?! Does out scoring him spectacularly every year mean nothing!?!?! Just because he isn't hyped up doesn't mean he isn't good, if Owen had Jimmys scoring record I gaurentee you he would have won world player of the year AT LEAST once by now.

[gibby_03]

Look, Hasselbaink is my favorite player, I love the guy and I'd put him against anyone in the world. I'm just saying that Owen has years in front of him where he may win Euro and World player of the year awards and the like. There's just no way to predict the future. But, at the present, he's gonna have to out-gun Jimmy to do it, and I just can't see it at the moment. Jimmy has so much weight on all his strikes, he's a threat to score whenever he touches the ball. Owen is good around goal, and can run like a race-horse to create chances. He doesn't have that "X" factor like Hasselbaink.

And you're right, Owen's gonna have a tough time being the Premiership's top scorer while Jimmy's still around!
Too bad for him;)

Long Live JFH!

[Spartak]

Why can't Hasselbaink get into the Dutch starting eleven if he is so great? Do you think Kluivert and RVN are going to be all-time greats as well?

[soccerfan220]

Slah/ed: A top five goal in wc history has nothing to do with the epl. Name me five better goals than that one in WC

[Slash/ED]

Maradonas, that Saudi fellas one, Rodriquez goal in this world cup, that goal dunno the persons name where pele laid it off to him without even looking, Bergkamps in the same world cup.

What is so special about kicking the ball and running past two people? There was no technique involved at all he just kicked it ten yards ahead and ran, just raw pace, no technique, nothing special.

[Slash/ED]

Originally posted by Spartak
Why can't Hasselbaink get into the Dutch starting eleven if he is so great? Do you think Kluivert and RVN are going to be all-time greats as well?

God knows, they say he doesn't suit their style of play.

[Naco]

Niehter Owen or JFH should be considered all-time greats, IMHO.
Owen, for one, is too young, and if he gets better, he could become one.
Hasselbank(sp) on he other hand, while he has scored boatloads of goals in the EPL, is hasn't exactly put Chelsea at the top of the table, nor does it mean he could score this many in Spain/Italy. I believe, just because he scres doesn't mean he should be considered a great.

I also argree with the fact he doesn't fit into the Dutch's style. The EPL is much different than the 3-4-3 possesion style that Holland seems to use.

Sean's .02