Guerin Sportivo World Player of the Year awards 1979-1986

I was thinking about this lately;

To what extent is this a recurring theme across entire popular culture? For being a cultural icon like some footballers have become? Perhaps it is country dependent but here there is for example greater (recurring) fascination with a clearly troubled mind as Marlon Brando rather than a Laurence Olivier or some of the 1970s stars (Hoffmann, Nicholson, De Niro). In music one can think about John Lennon, relative to McCartney (which doesn't entirely match with the accomplishments) or the troubled spirit of Generation-X icon Cobain (something he himself played with in his songs). George Best, Che Guevara...

 

I think Keegan's skills are also a bit underrated - when he was at his best (say, the national team games of 1977 and 1979 in particular). It is not fair to compare him with an explosive player like Gascoigne, but was he less skilled than Gerrard or Lampard?



For example left footed cross at 10:30; or his skill at 13:20 (there's more but these two examples illustrate the idea - no need to dig up more). That 13:20 thing the stuff you see in Ronaldinho, Zidane, Best videos you know (to such a frequency and extent that it gives a wrong impression about their style and/or success with the skill).

Are there games of him that you remembered where he was good or impressive? I think his (all-around) skill and application of it is relatively underrated.

I didn't have fundamental problems with Maradona at #1 by FFT but the Che Guevara comparison by FFT was imho nonsense, and therefore invalid as argument/reasoning behind the placement. If he's some sort of (consequential) freedom fighter or development worker, what does that make of Stanley Matthews, Kenny Dalglish, Johan Cruijff or Ruud Gullit?

For example (and I'm taking a random pick here)

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A New York Times journalist [in 1975] wrote that Cruyff had done more for the spirit of the Catalan people in 90 minutes than many politicians in years of struggle.[37]
[...]
Cruyff used to smoke 20 cigarettes a day prior to undergoing double heart bypass surgery in 1991 while he was the coach of Barcelona, after which he gave up smoking. He also led the anti-smoking campaign developed by the Health Department of the Catalan autonomous government. Cruyff juggled a cigarette pack 16 times in an anti-tobacco video sponsored by the Catalan Department of Health.[69]
[...]
He joined Barcelona just weeks later, two years before the Spanish dictator Francisco Franco died, maintaining to the European press corps en route that he chose Barcelona over rivals Real Madrid because he could never join a club "associated with Franco".[301] As he recalled in a documentary on TV3 channel, "I remember my move to Spain was quite controversial. (...) The president of Ajax wanted to sell me to Real Madrid, (...) Barcelona weren't at the same level as Madrid football wise, but it was a challenge to play for a Catalan club."
[...]
Though Cruyff has never had any political motive throughout his life, he was an advocate of the right of the Catalan people to vote on their own independence in a referendum.[336]
[...]
Former Israeli president and [Labour] prime minister Shimon Peres paid tribute to Cruyff as a cultural figure and writing on Facebook: “Johan was more than just a great soccer player. He was a role model who promoted world peace. He brought the values of education into the game of football and proved that on the field, everyone is equal – Jews, Muslims and Christians – that running fast and playing well will lead to victory in spite of discrimination and racism. Your work promoting sport and peace gave hope to children and youth around the world.”[163]

Sometimes it is also part of 'greatness' what someone achieved (or did in 'big' games) despite the handicap. For example Bobby Charlton after the plane crash, which bothered him throughout his career (with effect on his consistency and variability in stamina; he also smoked ofc, like Platini and many other greats to relief stress and pressure/threats). Or Van Basten after he was advised/urged three times between 1986 and 1988 to stop playing (this isn't a myth; it's also in many euro 1988 previews), and when he finally stopped playing Milan also stopped with scoring goals. But yes, personally I've less sympathy when 'the needle' is pointing some bit towards 'own fault' rather than external (Lubanski as one of the most famous examples, Lentini to some extent).

One can debate forever about Keegan his exact placement (wm442433 had him at #44) but I did like wm443433 his write up:

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Keegan – It is after four seasons and more than 140 matches in the Fourth Division for Scunthorpe United that Keegan becomes a Liverpool FC player a bit before his 20 years (1971). Here, Shankly transforms the little midfielder into a forward who turns and leaps around the Welsh giant centre forward Toshack. The combo is as astonishing as promising but it would start to gain fame a bit later. After blaring debuts with one goal in his first league match (against Forest), and whilst Toshack is often injured, Keegan doesn't meet the expectations. One begins to talk about the transfer fee of which he was the object for a young player who comes from a low league : 35 000 £. ''Way too much'' one would say, ''he's even not worth it''. ''A robbery with violence'' had assured Shankly before the start of the season.

All the critics about this new face in the English top football would not disappear as Liverpool wins its first First Division title in seven years and prevails in the UEFA Cup in 1973 for its first continental trophy ever. But an European star well and truly was born. Winner of M'Gladbach with two personal goals in the first leg at Anfield, the name of Keegan starts to resonate.
Only vice-champion the two next seasons, The Reds of the now feared and respected duo Toshack-Keegan still manage to win the FA Cup in '74 (Shankly's last game). In the Wembley final, Keegan scores two of the three goals of his team against the club of the city where he was born, Newcastle United (3-0). The same year, he becomes an international player in his own right whilst England has just failed to qualify to the German World Cup.

The 1975-1976 season is the one of a new double League-UEFA Cup. Champion with 1 point more than Queen's Park Rangers, Liverpool arguably most of all impressed in Europe like by eliminating the Barça of Cruyff in the semi-finals. Keegan did not find the back of the nets against the Catalans but as he did 2 years erlier in Wembley, he scored twice again in the E3 final, once in each leg to ensure the Reds victory (the winner at home from the penalty spot, 3-2 and an equalizer in Brugge, 1-1). He is now more and more a player who navigates between the front of the attack and the centre of the midfield where he was initially set up for this final (though he still could be used as a pure forward) and for the whole of his work he is now for everybody a solid value, as there's nobody to disagree on his abilities anymore, first like at Liverpool for sure, where he is more than ever the ''King of the Kop'' but also for manys in the whole country for whom he represents a real enjoyment to watch. Nobody or just a few. Always.

The best would arrive the next season when The Reds are close to make the treble. Champion but defeated in the FA Cup final they win the European Cup. The real one this time ! Keegan has been fantastic in a final where Liverpool and M'Gladbach met again. Present at every corner of the field, in attack like at midfield, on the right and through the centre, still also a bit on the left where he was expected but where it was finally Heighway who occupied the zone, Keegan drove his marker mad. The name of the anti-keegan weapon : Vogts. The guard dog could go back to the kennel. If he has not scored in this 3-1 victory, Keegan displayed a high-leveled performance. In the absence of Toshack since some weeks, his game has evolved. Nominally a forward like in this final, he links more than ever with the midfield from this starting position and appears like a leader for the team that he doesn't hesitate to help in the defensive phases. Technically very reliable at the minimum, as he already shown, very active but also tactically perfect, the European Cup winner 1977 is a so complete footballer. Thus he integrates the circle of the true great players. During that European campaign, he also had scored one of his best goals, in the quarter-finals, against Saint-Etienne. Absent of the first leg match in France through injury (1-0 for ''Les Verts''), Keegan, from the left winger position that he held into that match, scored a lobbed goal against the Yugoslavian keeper Curkovic in the very first minutes of play for a 3-1 win in the end. The mark of a genius – who all in all had quickly learned all of what has to be learned in order to impose himself in top football, we would say, when re-thinking about the critics made in his early days.

After this European triumph in Rome, this lover of the caravan life packs his bags and breaks camp. Direction : Hamburg (nobody knows what means of transport it took however), where he joins an ambitious HSV. The transfer fee : 500 000 £ (do the maths in order to see how his value has multiplicated since he was signed by Shankly coming from Scunthorpe). One of the few British and even fewer English footballers to play outside of Great Britain, Keegan will confirm his international dimension in the very exposed Bundesliga where by the way, he'd form another duo with a big target-man whose the name is Hrubesch this time.

In a first phase, the English man has to adapt to his new team just like the latter have to do regarding its new teammate when they had not the habit to work around a designated star. Only 10th at the end of this 1977-1978 season with Hamburg, Keegan would however get personal consecration by the end of year as he is designated best player of German league and most of all finally awarded Ballon d'or. Since the arrival of Netzer as the general manager in February, Keegan coincidentally started to provide more and more frequently the great services. He was again, like at Liverpool, the central piece of his team, for the benefit of all. In spite of the fact that he did not play the World Cup in Argentina with England, Keegan is officially crowned number 1 of European football. This time he beats for a few points Krankl, who shone during the mont of June, like he was beaten himself for a few by Simonsen the precedent year. A Simonsen that he had beaten in the European Cup final but who had still scored a beautiful goal in it and who was still delivering great performances in the Bundesliga while Keegan was knowing some difficult four first months in his new country of residence. 2nd in '77 in a tight election, already amongst the very best ones in '76 when Beckenbauer was rewarded more for the body of his work rather than for his year, it was time to put Keegan at the very top. Behind Krankl and 3rd, Rensenbrink, who had hit the post at the Monumental.

Champion at the end of the 1978-1979 season, Keegan would be a Ballon d'or for a second time in a row. The time for compensations is over, the Ballon d'or '79 is then the best elected one in History. More than ever, Keegan is the superstar of the European football. And of Top of the Pops with his single ''Head over wheels'' which meets a big success, not only in the UK but also in Germany and in Austria. Liverpool, Hamburg... that doesn't make you think of something ? Such as the Beatles a few time before, the beautiful and talentuous Kev' represents a true social phenomenon. Who doesn't lack of contracts to make advertising. Everything he touches turns to gold.

Keegan and HSV continue their ascent in 1979-1980 as they reach the European Cup Final. The only title that the club misses after a victory in the Cup Winners Cup three years before when Their English star was winning the big one. With him in the team and after that they have swept-off the prestigious Real Madrid in the semi-finals, it should be a done deal. Unfortunately, Keegan is beaten by his fellow countrymen and best ennemies Nottingham Forest who create a new sensation by winning a back-to-back European title (HSV 0, Forest 1, at Bernabeu). Thus, the number 7 sees the opportunity to win a second European Cup with a different and foreign club fading away.
Though we can doubt that they would have consoled with it, Keegan and HSV also fails at the second place in the Bundesliga with the same goal difference than Bayern but who two points late on them at the end of the race.
On the other hand, Keegan, the one that some wanted to see banned from the national team when he left England to Germany, has qualified England for the Euro '80 finals held in Italy. For the matter, it is even as the captain of the team that he lead his team to their first major tournament since... 1970 ! Exemplary during the qualifiers as the chief but also as the best teammate, he would however show poor form in June and England would not go through the first round. Is that Keegan did not economized himself for both clubs and country since some years now : with the different European campaigns for both Liverpool and Hamburg but also with England for whom he had spared no efforts, especially since '77, when he was the main protagonist in a win over Italy in the World Cup qualifying stage but in a too late awakening for England can make the travel to Argentina.

That year 1980 with all these titles in view but unsuccessful would mark the end of the reign of Keegan on European football which was maybe never really or not fully a reign as him and England never performed very well and whilst for instance, Liverpool was able to conquer a new European title without him (but with Dalglish) immediately after his departure from Anfield.
1980 would mark his come-back to England as well, in the newly promoted club of Southampton. With old stars Channon, Charlie George and most of all Ball but also with his England national side teammate Watson at the back, he would qualify to an UEFA Cup in his first season then, as a striker, would finish as the First Division top scorer for the first time in his career at the end of his second one. Also, isn't he still the captain of the national team that has qualified to the Mundial '82 ? But injured, he'd only play the last 25 minutes of a match against the hosts that ends in a 0-0 and sees both teams eliminated as soon as the first round.

On this, Keegan, recently made OBE makes a last move (for 100 000 £), to his city Newcastle where he finsishes his career with two seasons in the Second Division. He scores here many goals that only reinforce his popularity among the supporters of the Magpies. Newcastle United would come back at the top level in 1984 after 6 seasons of purgatory. But the young Beardsley or Waddle would discover the First Division without the former Ballon d'or who had announced his retirement since February.

Installed in Spain and living his life without worrying much about football during 8 years, Keegan reappears in the game in 1992 as the coach of Newcastle. A complete return to the roots, hence.
With his former Liverpool and Newcastle teammate McDermott as an assistant, he permits to the team to rejoin the elite, the brand new Premier League in 1993 (as the First Division champion... the former Second Division...). Under Keegan, the Magpies display brilliant performances and obtain excellent results since their first season (3rd with Beardsley, Lee, Cole, Albert, Hottiger...). Confirming and showing themselves as a favorite for the title the following season, Newcastle only finishes 6th as Andy Cole left to Manchester United during the winter market. The battle still rages on with Manchester United and Alex Ferguson in the 1995-1996 season during which Newcastle still propose a fantastic show (with Ginola and Ferdinand) but they finally lost their place of leader at the end of March and finish only vice-champion. Keegan signs Newcastle-born and double PL top scorer Alan Shearer of Blackburn Rovers for the next season but King Kev', as he is now nicknamed by the fans of the Meyerside club, will know series of defeats in winter and will be replaced by... Dalglish. This one would end vice-champion his turn in May. An end of the story that strongly looks like a repeat.

After a short stint at Fulham, he's called to succeed to Hoddle as the Three Lions coach in February 1999. He will be replaced by Eriksson after an early exit at the Euro 2000.
He then coaches Manchester City from 2001 until 2005 when he announces his definitive retirement. In January 2008, he goes back to Newcastle where he replaces Allardyce and manages to keep the team in the PL. He quits in september of the same year as he has not obtain to reinforce the team as he would have wanted during the summer market window. Involved in legal proceedings with Newcastle United, he'd obtain 2,2 million euro 11 years after from new president Mike Ashely for wrongful dismissal.

Main European footballing star in the second half of the 70s, Kevin Keegan was a formidable all-rounded player whose the technical qualities have been and still are underestimated by English people of which we could say that they are fussy on this. No-one is a prophet in his own land as it is well known and Keegan has shown it well.
Also, his image in English football has suffered from the fact that he left England and Liverpool to play abroad while his replacement, Dalglish, who was Scottish, had an immediate success with the Reds and for his maybe more fluid game, appeared more like a ''natural talent'' what would suppose that in contradiction, Keegan would have been more of an average to good player who would have worked hard. The long-term story of Dalglish (himself despised by the Celtic fans once he had left their club) with Liverpool would not arrange things for Keegan as for how he would be remembered by some or even manys but who are not everybody. In Newcastle, that's certain, like anywhere else in Europe and even sometimes in South America, Keegan, the player, generally remains in the memories as a fantastic footballer. For his tyipically British qualities but also for all of his other skills that maybe not so much British players had before him.
A good compromise between the ''insular'' and the ''latin footballer'' and able to make the difference alone as well as able to put himself at the service of the team, he represented for sure the dream player for many coaches.

https://footballyesterdayandtoday.blogspot.com/2017/09/fyts-125-greatest-footballers-of-all.html

 

Could have circumstances get any higher and more difficult vs Ecuador? Away at high-altitude stadium, complete different physics of the ball than he is used to, different climate than he is used to, out of world cup at that moment, must win game, underperforming squad, pressure never higher, legacy on the stake... he delivers once again, even "once again" considering international football.

I would say you are really outdated with those texts. Messi did struggle at the begining of his career at international senior level, but he did change that in last 5 years.
(since beginning of 2012 Messi has scored 42 goals in 55 games (all comps, 25/38 in competitve matches, which is pretty damn high for some who is considered to be underperforming. To put you in the context, if Messi didn't score the second goal vs Bayern in semi final, he would have approximately the same goal per game ratio in that ucl season as he has with Argentina in competitive matches since 2012, but i am pretty sure you wouldn't argue that Messi was performing badly without that goal in ucl, would you?)

He is consistently performing so well for Argentina that i don't remember when was the last time when Messi performed poorly, but i mean really bad. Consisntently, game after game, deliviring magic despite playing in the team that clearly isn't capable of qualifying to the world cup without him. The way you speak about the topic i hardly think you ever watch Argentina's games, because if you did, you would have no doubts that Messi is a stand-out player, by far, in Argentina's games.


....
Btw, it's not like Zico's case

 

That's why i bolded the "minnows" part. You yourself claimed he couldn't that regardless of who he plays against. You are eating your own words now, he obviously can deliver for Argentina team, which proves his independence of Barcelona system. He created 6 sitters in last 4 games, all 6 were missed, had like 5 or 6 half chances (and no big chance whatsoever) in those games, he scored 3 of them.

Messi missed 8 games this qualfier, Argentina collected 7 points in those games, while in remaining 10 Messi scored 7 goals (which place him 2nd in overal only behind Cavani), made over 10+ big chances out of which only 2 were scored, while Argentina collected 21 points. No Argentinian player beside Messi have scored a goal in last 11 months, etc.
If Messi featured in all of those games Argentina would qualify long time ago so that statement is ridiculous as basically everything you are saying on the topic.

What has he achieved??? Hmmm, beside inspiring Argentina to 3 consecutive finals, which hasn't been done even by Maradona, and by inspiring it means, by far being the best Argentinian attacker of tournaments...

He is the only player since Maradona who was repeatedly man marked and more often than not, double marked by great teams... do you realize that your "he didn't perform in big games" is based on 3 games?

The one vs Germany in 2010 can immidiately be forgotten due to horrendous display by Argentina lead by one of the worst managers in their history, Maradona.
You can argue he wasn't specifcally great vs Netherlands in semis, which i would agree partly, but not fully as you can see in this link:
https://www.whoscored.com/Matches/8...nal-FIFA-World-Cup-2014-Netherlands-Argentina
He was awarded 9.0, which, although is misleading, it defintely show that he was doing at least soemthing right. Plus he scored a penalty lol.

Furthemore, he wasn't bad at all vs Germany at final, but rather just unlucky if you compare his performance vs someone's like Ronaldo in 2002 final when he managed to miss 3 sitters before he eventually scored a tap in past Kahn. Messi didn't have that luxury of missing sitters and that's again all down to the fact that the best team wins games, not the team with the best player. If Messi played in as dominant team he would perform, but argentina is not that dominant.

Your whole premise that Messi didn't prove himself because he hasn't won an international thropy is wrong. Messi did deliver individually on many ocassions, you are just too arrogant or ignorant (you choose) to realize that.

.. i am out of time, i will be back with more construcitve text.

 

This is a weak attempt to protect Maradona's legacy from Messi.

Saying that Messi hasn't done anything for Argentina despite getting them to 3 consecutive finals as Argentina's best player is ridiculous.

Don't be that guy.

 

You are obviously missing the essence of football, which is, as i already said, the fact that better team usually wins, not the team with the best individual. This is not tenis that you can make a conclusion based on outcome. You can't and you are repetedly doing that to put a shadow on Messi. Argentina losing is not equal to Messi being bad.

Are you seriously calling Messi's performance vs Brazil in 3-0 a bad one?
Let me ask you one question, what is a single player required to do, in your opinion, in a game in which opposition beats your ass in all segments of the game?
Tell me, what Messi had to do vs Brazil so that you would consider his performance a good one, or at least an okay one, despite losing?

He was barely 20 in 2007, to put you in the context that's two years before Maradona featured in 1982 WC, he wasn't even playing Europe at that age, but yeah, let's hold it against Messi because, well, there is not much we can hold against Messi so let's better make it count,.. is that really what you are going for? Finding whatever bad thing about Messi to prove an overal point and everything good give credit to Argentina because they are supposed to do that.
You are being way too harsh on evaluating Messi as if Messi, because he is Messi, is required to do double amount of work than anyone to make it to the same level.

Great example of that is WC 14, when he was clearly the golden ball winner and the stand out player of the tournament (beside James whose team exited too early). Messi scored more than Robben, dribbled more than Robben, he created more than Robben, he came farther with his team than Robben, his goals and assists resulted in more goods than Robben's, Messi's contribution (dependence) relative to his team is greater than Robben's, Messi wasn't inferiror to Robben in semi final when they faced each other, etc.
but there are many who will argue that Robben was more deserveful of golden ball than Messi. That's very straight forward example of the bias that Messi, for being Messi, is constantly being faced with.

You are doing it here again...
First of all, you are failing to recognize that Argentina is an average team the way they perform excluding Messi, but you still go on the card that Argentina is a big nation therefore Messi should do better and he is the reason they underperform.
No, that's wrong, Argentina is underperoforming for a prolonged period of time, and Messi is one of very few bright spots in that team (with Mascherano and ocassionaly Di Maria and Romero).
The bias in your evaluation is exactly the way you spoke about his performance against Peru. What difference does it make if he made those 3 big chances only in second half and none in first half? We are evaluating performance for whole 90 minutes, not a consistency of delivering within the game itself,
so if Messi created 2 big chances in first half and one in second, you are claiming that his performance would be better in overal than how it actually happened?
Do you even consciously hear yourself what you are typing? It's nonsense to find any kind of perspective in which Messi's hasn't performed.

What about the period against Ecuador between 70th and 79th minute, Messi was so awful in that period. He got dispossesed and failed to pass two times, i guess his whole performance is ruined because of that and it proves Messi is bad for Argentina... lol, that's exactly the type of bullshit Messi is forcing you to nit pick on to make him look worse than he is.
I personally believe that his overal game vs Ecuador was WAY worse than any of his last 4 performances for Argentina (Peru, Venecuela, Uruguay). He basically did nothing beside scoring 3 goals (which are product of not so good defending on Ecuador's side, but you can't take away credit from Messi for exploiting it), creating one big chance for Di Maria. He completed 0 dribbles and had maybe 2 good forward passes in overal...

 

The bottom line is that if you want to make the difference in the game you need good enough team behind you to do so.

I will again refer to Ronaldo's performance vs Germany in 2002. He had good enough supporting cast. He actually missed 3 sitters before scoring a tap in after Khan's biggest mistake in his career. That's the sort of support Messi needed (not only Messi, but everyone) to make difference in finals, but he didn't have it. That's where discussion ends. The fact you think that Messi's starting point in final is the same as of those above proves how little you know about football and i would even go as far as claiming that you never played football competitively because you would understand the feeling on your own skin what it means no having competitive enough team.
What you merely find as Messi not living up to the moment is his struggle to do something (anything) with inferior team and limited resources. I would understand if Messi missed 3 clear chances vs Germany, Chile, Brazil or whoever you are arguing against, but he hasn't, he didn't even get to those chance because he doesn't have team that can put in him in that situation.

Here is a picture to demonstarate the point:
Now try to convince me or anyone here that Kempes, Batistuta, whoever in history of football would be able to "live up to the moment" in those ocassions. You can't compare those players with Messi, nor their accomplishments, they are not Messi. Messi is dealing with completely different situations (we have never seen before) and he is coping with it the way we have never seen anyone coping with it.
After so many years it's insane to think that anyone doubts in Messi's abilities to make the difference in the game, but seriously.. as Guardiola said, he is the best player in history, by far. Games like this vs Ecuador just reminds you why..

The fact that Argentina reached those finals is miracle itself, because their game is not deserveful of it.

Btw, if Ecuador is that bad as you refering to, why di Maria didn't score vs them, why Benedetto didn't score? Why it had to be Messi with 3 great goals? Why once again his teamamtes missed all sitters?

 

I'm not sure how much credit you should get for beating a Belgium side coached by Marc Wilmots who still hasn't beaten a top side at a tournament and who lost 3-1 to Wales at Euro 2016 (a larger margin of victory than Argentina managed).
That was also an overrated Dutch side, which has been proven in their results since that World Cup.

Arguably you lost to the first good side you met at that world cup.