Review: Best Dribbler Of All Time

Discussion in 'BigSoccer Polls' started by Daniel96, Dec 23, 2011.

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Greatest Dribbler Of All Time

  1. Pele

    6 vote(s)
    9.8%
  2. Garrincha

    4 vote(s)
    6.6%
  3. Maradona

    6 vote(s)
    9.8%
  4. Cruyff

    2 vote(s)
    3.3%
  5. Zico

    2 vote(s)
    3.3%
  6. Ronaldo 9 (Brazil)

    7 vote(s)
    11.5%
  7. Zidane

    1 vote(s)
    1.6%
  8. Ronaldinho

    11 vote(s)
    18.0%
  9. Cristiano Ronaldo

    1 vote(s)
    1.6%
  10. Messi

    18 vote(s)
    29.5%
  11. Neymar

    3 vote(s)
    4.9%
  1. Ghurst

    Ghurst New Member

    Apr 27, 2012
    Club:
    Fulham FC
    Re: Best v. Maradona:

    In the .........
    60/70's when Georgie Best played, defenders were hard, very hard and forwards didn't get protected. Watch the vids of George Best and notice how defenders just wanted to cut him in half. It takes a special player to ride them challengers and come back for more, Best never looked for a free kick, his mind was set on beating them up with his pure ability, mind you if he did loose the ball, he was the best tacklers at Manchester United according to Sir Matt Busby!
     
  2. RoyOfTheRovers

    Jul 24, 2009
    Club:
    Newcastle United FC
    Nat'l Team:
    England
    Re: Best v. Maradona:


    [What I posted was more for the benefit of the "general audience" rather than being aimed at you, mate: my apologies if I failed to make that sufficiently clear.

    I actually saw Best, "E9" & "M10" in action quite a few times; both live from the stands/press box and on the telly/in newsreels...]
     
  3. RoyOfTheRovers

    Jul 24, 2009
    Club:
    Newcastle United FC
    Nat'l Team:
    England
    Re: Best v. Maradona:


    [Best actually was one hell of a forward-&-back "two-way" player: I was actually going to point that out in response to another post...]
     
  4. irishjim78

    irishjim78 Member

    Jul 25, 2011
    Brick, NJ
    Club:
    Philadelphia Union
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Re: Best v. Maradona:

    No apologies needed sir :)

    My dad's favorite player was E9 (he had the chance to kick the ball around with both E9 and Pele up in New York!) but he said the best finisher he ever saw was Van Basten...seems his career ended much too early though. That is a different topic altogether...

    You are a lucky man. I only have videos on youtube and my father's words to create an opinion on the dribbling skills of the legends.
     
  5. JamesBH11

    JamesBH11 Member+

    Sep 17, 2004
    Re: Best v. Maradona:

    First Best played in EPL and in that time, he was NOT constantly facing 2,3 defenders around ...

    Secondly, name me ANY 5 best DF against Best in his time of near calibre in SerieA of the 80s: Baresi, Scirea, Gentile, Maldini, Passarella, Costacurta ...
     
  6. Ghurst

    Ghurst New Member

    Apr 27, 2012
    Club:
    Fulham FC
    Re: Best v. Maradona:


    Mate, England had just won the World Cup, the depth of British talent was far far higher than it is today, even the Scots had world class players.:)

    As I said before, there was little or no protection for skillful players like Bestie, the fact that he hardly ever missed a game through injury and never wore any skin pads is almost unbelievable. Spend some time checking out the vids on -U-tube, you will see how he was hunted down but rode tackles like a surfer rides the waves :)[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5QqL-ljMoo&feature=related"]The best of George Best - YouTube[/ame]
     
  7. RoyOfTheRovers

    Jul 24, 2009
    Club:
    Newcastle United FC
    Nat'l Team:
    England
    Re: Best v. Maradona:

     
  8. JamesBH11

    JamesBH11 Member+

    Sep 17, 2004
    Re: Best v. Maradona:

     
  9. RoyOfTheRovers

    Jul 24, 2009
    Club:
    Newcastle United FC
    Nat'l Team:
    England
    Re: Best v. Maradona:

     
  10. Ghurst

    Ghurst New Member

    Apr 27, 2012
    Club:
    Fulham FC
    Re: Best v. Maradona:

    :)
     
  11. miscbrah

    miscbrah New Member

    Dec 30, 2011
    Club:
    Chelsea FC
    Re: Best v. Maradona:

     
  12. JamesBH11

    JamesBH11 Member+

    Sep 17, 2004
    Re: Best v. Maradona:

     
  13. RoyOfTheRovers

    Jul 24, 2009
    Club:
    Newcastle United FC
    Nat'l Team:
    England
    [Once again, Jack Charlton, Ron "Chopper" Harris, Emlyn Hughes, Brian Labone, Ray Wilson, etc., etc.: that pretty much "shoots a hole" in that entire section of your argument, doesn't it, mate?]
     
  14. JamesBH11

    JamesBH11 Member+

    Sep 17, 2004
    Well... they are good to mention but NOWHERE they could be NEAR the names Baresi Scirea, Krol, Passarella, Kohler, Maldini , Bergomi Gentile and Costacurta of the 80's. All these names are in TOP10 to top25 best DF all times
     
  15. Gregoriak

    Gregoriak BigSoccer Supporter

    Feb 27, 2002
    Munich
    Brian Labone was a tough defender. Gerd Müller stated after the 1970 World Cup game vs. England that Labone was the hardest marker he had to deal with up to that point.

    Another great British defender of that era was Mike England of Tottenham Hotspurs. Other names springing to mind are Frank McLintock, Eddie McCreadie, Roy McFarland, Colin Todd, Mick Mills, Allan Hunter, Kevin Beattie, Norman Hunter, Terry Cooper, Paul Reaney, Chris Lawler, Bob Moncur ...
     
  16. Gregoriak

    Gregoriak BigSoccer Supporter

    Feb 27, 2002
    Munich
    Let's also keep in mind that Serie A defenders of the 70s/80s plied their trade in a highly defensive league which made it somewhat easier for a defender to do well. That's a contrast to the English First Division where the mind-set of most which were involved was on offensive football. It is harder for a defender to do well than compared to a defensive league.
     
  17. PuckVanHeel

    PuckVanHeel Member+

    Oct 4, 2011
    Club:
    Feyenoord
    How good was Colin Todd?
     
  18. PuckVanHeel

    PuckVanHeel Member+

    Oct 4, 2011
    Club:
    Feyenoord
    He was often designated as 'midfielder' (center-halve) in reports so how good was he defensively? Any memories/quotes of players?
     
  19. Gregoriak

    Gregoriak BigSoccer Supporter

    Feb 27, 2002
    Munich
    "Rothmans" voted him into their "team of the season" 1969-70 if I remember correctly and were full of praise for him. Actually I have posted that back in July 2011 but I can't find it right now as that thread probably has not yet been imported to the upgraded forum.
     
  20. Gregoriak

    Gregoriak BigSoccer Supporter

    Feb 27, 2002
    Munich
    I wouldn't think that the meaning of "center-half" in British football lingo is "midfielder". I think it means "anchor" in defense. The main man in central defense.
     
  21. RoyOfTheRovers

    Jul 24, 2009
    Club:
    Newcastle United FC
    Nat'l Team:
    England
    [You're missing the POINT of what that other bloke (I think) & I are trying to say, mate: when you INCLUDE the wide defenders; the English 1st Div. defences of that era are definitely in the same neighbourhood for ability, reputation, etc., as Serie A of the '80s IMO. Do you not count full-backs/wide defenders as a "DF" in Canada?

    The other thing to remember is that "M10" often played as an "AM" or a more withdrawn creative forward during his time in Serie A; so for most/much of the match he wasn't going to be "nose-to-nose" w/a Costacurta or Kohler as his primary marker because Maradona was "roving" about in deeper parts of the pitch. When Best was lined-up as a wing-man, he had a Cohen or Hughes "sticking" to him like glue for nearly the entire match.

    So, my original opinion still stands: Best was a more dangerous and effective ball-mover as a wide player; Maradona was better w/the ball at his feet in more central positions...]
     
  22. JamesBH11

    JamesBH11 Member+

    Sep 17, 2004
    You must be kidding me. NO WAY those English DF in late 60-70s were SAME "neighbouhood" as those names I mentioned of 80s
    They were good but the names in 80s were LEGENDS

    Now, last bold, you can stand by your point which is reasonable. however in fact, Maradona often drifting on thre right as well (maybe 33%) and same with Best who did some dribbling thru the center 33% ... In overall, Maradona was better in dribbling and ball control as I also stand on my point.

    At some (only some) games, Best looked like a king of dribble I agree, but Maradona did MANY MANY games like that = huge difference
     
  23. RoyOfTheRovers

    Jul 24, 2009
    Club:
    Newcastle United FC
    Nat'l Team:
    England
    [Correct, a "W-M"-mould should have technically been added to the "centre-half" part of Todd's description: he was a player who would've worn the No.5 on the back of his shirt in the "W-M" or in a variant formation.]
     
  24. RoyOfTheRovers

    Jul 24, 2009
    Club:
    Newcastle United FC
    Nat'l Team:
    England
    [ONE MORE TIME, the short-hand term "DF" means ALL back-line defenders: NOT simply CENTRAL defenders, mate. That pretty much "puts a hole in the boat" of the key part of your entire argument IMHO...

    BTW, do some more research on the likes of Emlyn Hughes or Ray Wilson before you're so quick to dismiss their status as ELITE defenders: just because you almost certainly have no idea who they were doesn't mean that they weren't GREAT players at what they did on a pitch IMO.]
     
  25. Pipiolo

    Pipiolo Member+

    Jul 19, 2008
    Nat'l Team:
    Argentina
    James, your overall point is correct, but when you are talking about two of the three greatest dribblers or all time (along with Garrincha), there is virtually not much of a difference amongst them. All of them could turn any defender inside out in the space of a floor tile.
     

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