top five players

[phil80]

Ronaldo has more defensive responsibilities but you still see Messi tracking back to win balls from midfield more especially when he loses it (while Ronaldo prefers to complain to the ref). In regards to vision, there is no question Messi excels over Ronaldo. Messi played in the middle several games for Argentina and showed Riquelme-esque passing and vision. Ronaldo too often forces through balls and his one touch play is by far inferior to Messi's. Now, If your argument is based on Messi being injury prone then that is understandable but it takes more than that to be excluded from the top 5

[phil80]

I think Ibra is up there with Ronaldo for sure.
Agree, in no order I think the list would be

Messi, Ronaldo, Ibra, Kaka, Robinho.....with players like Pirlo, Iniesta, Nesta, Ribery, and Buffon close behind.

[KumarsS]

If you're going to list Zlatan and Robinho, you've got to throw Klose and Totti in there as well. They're the strikers with the most consistent balance of creative quality and clinical finishing.

[Perú FC]

At this moment:

1. Cristiano Ronaldo
2. Lionel Messi
3. Íker Casillas
4. Zlatan Ibrahimovic
5. Michael Essien

Kaká is the best player of the world for me yet, but right now he isn't in the Top 5.

[phil80]

If you're going to list Zlatan and Robinho, you've got to throw Klose and Totti in there as well. They're the strikers with the most consistent balance of creative quality and clinical finishing.
Klose and Totti would definately round off my top 15, but Ibra and Robinho have been in better form than Totti this season (only marginly), and can dominate the game with more sheer talent slightly more than Klose. Dont get me wrong though, I rate Klose as one of the best strikers in the game and his passing abilities for his position are second to none.

[Hendrixforpope]

At this moment:

1. Cristiano Ronaldo
2. Lionel Messi
3. Íker Casillas
4. Zlatan Ibrahimovic
5. Michael Essien

Kaká is the best player of the world for me yet, but right now he isn't in the Top 5.

Essien in the top 5? What a joke.

[Perú FC]

Essien in the top 5?
Yes, in the Top 5, as the title of the thread obviously.

[Hendrixforpope]

Yes, in the Top 5, as the title of the thread obviously.

The title of the thread is "top five players" which obviously excludes Essien from the get go. I'm glad you understand.

[Perú FC]

The title of the thread is "top five players" which obviously excludes Essien from the get go.
I'm agree, that's a laughable definition, especially for "which obviously" use.

[KumarsS]

After reading more of this thread, my top 5 in terms of value to a team:

- Cristiano Ronaldo
- Alessandro Nesta
- Gianluigi Buffon
- Miroslav Klose
- Andrea Pirlo

Though the following 10 could just as easily be included:

- Kaka
- Ibrahimovic
- Casillas
- Lahm
- Messi
- Totti
- Ribery
- Van Nistelrooy
- Iniesta
- Mertesacker

[milivella]

Do you remember my list?

What do you people think about this?
1. C. Ronaldo
2. Gerrard
3. van Nistelrooy
4. Raul
5. Ibrahimovic

Let me know your opinion.

At places 6 and 7, there would be Robinho and Messi.

Well, first of all, thanks again to JuveFE and erick for submitting their opinion to me.

Now, how did I wrote my list? Simply summing up the rankings generated by two fantasy football competitions: Oleole (http://en.superleague.oleole.com/stats.aspx) for European leagues, and UEFA (http://en.uclfantasy.uefa.com/M/stats.mc) for the Champions League. (E.g. my real list would include Pirlo...)

So, how is it different from everybody's list? Here are the players that are in at least 3 lists (excluding mine):
1 C. Ronaldo (9)
2. Kaka (7)
3. Ibrahimovic, Messi (5)
5. Robinho, Torres (3)

Among these 6 players, 4 are in my top 7, Kaka could easily be included using stats from last season (2006-07). What about Torres? I don't know, maybe he's loved because he's a novelty, maybe he's good but stats don't show this.

So: a simple, objective, computation is not far from your opinions. This, I think, confirms what I wrote in another thread (http://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showpost.php?p=13759276&postcount=21): "many people think they have a personal opinion, but it can be reduced to a simple computation (or, worse, it only depends on players' popularity); few real experts have a really personal opinion, not reducible to computations."

[milivella]

1 C. Ronaldo (9)
2. Kaka (7)
3. Ibrahimovic, Messi (5)
5. Robinho, Torres (3)


Or we could see this in another way: in this ranking there is one player from each of the two most popular teams in England, Spain and Italy: see here (http://www.comscore.com/press/release.asp?press=1434).

[phil80]

After reading more of this thread, my top 5 in terms of value to a team:

- Cristiano Ronaldo
- Alessandro Nesta
- Gianluigi Buffon
- Miroslav Klose
- Andrea Pirlo

Though the following 10 could just as easily be included:

- Kaka
- Ibrahimovic
- Casillas
- Lahm
- Messi
- Totti
- Ribery
- Van Nistelrooy
- Iniesta
- Mertesacker
Agree with everyone on that list (though i dont know enough about Mertesecker and i would put messi higher) but I also think Robinho shouldve been included. He has single-handedly won several games for Madrid and Brazil this season (including his performances at copa america).

Good selection with Lahm, he would make my top 15 as well.

[Hendrixforpope]

Agree with everyone on that list (though i dont know enough about Mertesecker and i would put messi higher) but I also think Robinho shouldve been included. He has single-handedly won several games for Madrid and Brazil this season (including his performances at copa america).

Good selection with Lahm, he would make my top 15 as well.


Robinho got Brazil to the final, then did jack-shit in it. I do agree however that he has been pretty outstanding for Real Madrid (unfortunately for me).

[phil80]

He was nonexistent in the final, but that was just one game.

And he's been solid for them since the summer as well

[erick]

robinho is good but i think he is not a big factor in real madrid like other players.

how bout the three top gk

memo ochoa
buffon
cech

[phil80]

If you're talking about last season then yes, but this season he has been one of their most important

[Hendrixforpope]

robinho is good but i think he is not a big factor in real madrid like other players.

how bout the three top gk

memo ochoa
buffon
cech

Nope.

Buffon (not by much)
Casillas
.
.
Everyone else

Let's not get into a goalkeeper discussion though, there are already different threads for that.

[erick]

If you're talking about last season then yes, but this season he has been one of their most important

true but c.ronaldo has won more games for man u then robinho for real madrid. i would not even put robinho in the top five because he would never beat kaka or rona. one more season and the top brazilians will be
1) kaka
2) rona
3)pato
4)robinho
5) anderson

[KumarsS]

'Rona' as in Ronaldinho? The same Ronaldinho who isn't even starting regularly for his club?