Making a list of Great Number 10

[squidward123]

Excellent point. However, Diego will never be like Zico. Diego has good vision but he is too slow. Zico was much quicker and a much better dribbler.

well you haven't seen diego play much in germany then. I said he could become which means he has time to improve.

Quicker you mean speed of running? Who cares we let the ball do the running :D

[celito]

well you haven't seen diego play much in germany then. I said he could become which means he has time to improve.

Quicker you mean speed of running? Who cares we let the ball do the running :D

I just think Zico was much more versatile. He had amazing passing and vision, but he could also dribble. When I see Diego on the field, he looks like a heavy player.

[squidward123]

I just think Zico was much more versatile. He had amazing passing and vision, but he could also dribble. When I see Diego on the field, he looks like a heavy player.

how often in the last year have you watched him?

[The Old Lady Hertha]

how often in the last year have you watched him?

Diego will never be that great of a player because he's never played well for Brazil. He will be never more than a better Marcelinho. Which is not that bad by the way.

This year will be important for Diego. He must show that he can really carry a team by himself. There were games where he did that, but now he is truly the man at Bremen. Klo$e is gone, Frings may not be ever the same after his injury. He looked really good against weak opposition with Klo$e in the first half of the season...then Klo$e basically tanked it for the rest of the season and Diego didn't perform as well either against the same opposition. Sure, I think he is the best player in the German league last year, but he is surely not even world-class right now. Only a few players deserve this class, and a #10 classically anyways now is a position that is on the downturn.
As for a list of #10s....

1) Pele
2) Maradona
3) Zidane
4) Zico
5) Baggio

[squidward123]

Frings may not be ever the same after his injury.

What are you talking about, it's only an MCL. Not like he hurt anything else in the knee. MCL heals by itself.

And diego is only 22.

[The Old Lady Hertha]

Frings is also on the wrong side of 30. Thats why I said he MAY not be ever the same.

To me, I don't think I see Diego ever matching Kaka and Ronaldinho. Does anyone else do? I think he should model his game more like Riquelme, slow playmaker. With, maybe, hopefully, a more sunnier demeanor :D

[squidward123]

bundesliga is a pretty lax league in terms of fixture congestion with a massive winter break so he'll be fine on recovery. he's only actually 30.

diego will not be like kaka or ronaldinho. he'll be a slow playmaker old fashioned one

[dannytoone]

I know I'm biased but I have to say Rui Costa. Batistuta once said that Costa handed 90 percent of his goals to him on a silver platter.

[argentine soccer fan]

Three great historic Number 10's from Argentina who didn't do much with the national team:

1) Ricardo Bochini

2) Norberto Alonso

3) Angel Clemente Rojas

[squidward123]

Three great historic Number 10's from Argentina who didn't do much with the national team:

1) Ricardo Bochini

2) Norberto Alonso

3) Angel Clemente Rojas

Did they have problems with the coach and/or teammates?

[argentine soccer fan]

Did they have problems with the coach and/or teammates?

Rojitas was an idol of Boca Juniors in the 60's. He was a member of the national team that qualified for the 66 world cup, but was left out of the WC squad by enigmatic coach Toto Lorenzo. He also played for Argentina in the late 60's, but Argentina failed to qualify for the 70 WC. His career was cut short by injuries and by his lack of emphasys on staying fit.

Beto Alonso played for River Plate in the 70's and 80's. He was a member of the team that won the 1978 World Cup. Some say that Menotti was pressured by AFA or by the military junta to put him on the squad. But Menotti preferred a lineup without a true enganche and with Mario Kempes as the number 10, so Alonso hardly played.

Bochini played for Independiente in the late 70's and 80's. He had 27 caps, but was behind Maradona in the depth chart, and his WC career consisted of a few token minutes at the waning moments of the 1986 world cup final.

[squidward123]

Rojitas was an idol of Boca Juniors in the 60's. He was a member of the national team that qualified for the 66 world cup, but was left out of the WC squad by enigmatic coach Toto Lorenzo. He also played for Argentina in the late 60's, but Argentina failed to qualify for the 70 WC. His career was cut short by injuries and by his lack of emphasys on staying fit.

Beto Alonso played for River Plate in the 70's and 80's. He was a member of the team that won the 1978 World Cup. Some say that Menotti was pressured by AFA or by the military junta to put him on the squad. But Menotti preferred a lineup without a true enganche and with Mario Kempes as the number 10, so Alonso hardly played.

Bochini played for Independiente in the late 70's and 80's. He had 27 caps, but was behind Maradona in the depth chart, and his WC career consisted of a few token minutes at the waning moments of the 1986 world cup final.

thanks for the info, much appreciated.

[The Old Lady Hertha]

I never thought of Bochini as ever being an even great player, but I suppose thats because of his being overshadowed by Maradona. No shame I suppose, but even in the games I've seen with him I thought that he had good skills, but not necessarily a world beater.

[argentine soccer fan]

I never thought of Bochini as ever being an even great player, but I suppose thats because of his being overshadowed by Maradona. No shame I suppose, but even in the games I've seen with him I thought that he had good skills, but not necessarily a world beater.

Bochini was a player similar in style to Riquelme today. Not much of an athlete, but a cerebral player with great vision. He was a superior passer and dribbler. While he was mainly an assist man, he was also a very capable goalscorer who seemed to score most of his goals in important matches and at important times.

Like Riquelme, he considered himself above running when the opponents had the ball. He didn't think it was the role of a creative player to chase after the ball. Once he was asked his opinion of Johan Cryuff, and he said, 'Great player, it's a shame that he runs so much.'

With Independiente Bochini won four Argentine titles, four Copas Libertadores and two intercontinental cups.

[squidward123]

Like Riquelme, he considered himself above running when the opponents had the ball. He didn't think it was the role of a creative player to chase after the ball


My kind of player :D It's a shame running and fitness is emphasised so much. You just need to be fit enough to not lose concentration for 90 minutes. We're playing football here, not triathlon.

Also this fitness stuff makes you play it on the wings a lot while I prefer down the middle, and wings - which inevitably leads to a high cross in the air - only when you can't play it down the middle. Or at least make a short aerial cross if you do play wings or preferably pass it in along the ground from the side.

And then they say "what if they clog up the middle". Oh well then get yourself some better technique. Look at barcelona their players are all so good with the ball under pressure. They'll pass it to a guy right under your nose and still keep the move going because they also know how to move SO well.

[passtheblizz]

Socrates from Brazil... almost always forgotten but a great player. What about Zidane? One of the great modern players in my mind. He does everything AND won his team a WC in 98. Top ten for sure in my book.

[passtheblizz]

... and apparently he was already mentioned. Sorry.

[Mighty_Mouse]

I know I'm biased but I have to say Rui Costa. Batistuta once said that Costa handed 90 percent of his goals to him on a silver platter.

Agreed. Rui Costa was incredible.

[futbol_Jonz]

Socrates from Brazil... almost always forgotten but a great player. What about Zidane? One of the great modern players in my mind. He does everything AND won his team a WC in 98. Top ten for sure in my book.

Socrates is always forgotten, and he was an amazing player, a doctor, who smoked a 2 packs of cigarettes a day. However, socrates wasn't a number 10, he played in the defensive midfield role, but because he played for brazil, he did more attacking than defending. And Zidane was the best number 10 of modern times, i still get depressed when i see footage of the materazzi incident.

[johan neeskens]

Dennis Bergkamp deserves a mention. In his role for Arsenal I mean.