The best players of the season - 1995/6

(I remember his three goals against Liverpool yes)

I looked at what he had against the top teams (including FA Cup, League Cup):

#1 Manchester United: 2 games, 0 goals, 0 assists (in the first game injured after 17 minutes, after a bad challenge)
#2 Newcastle United: 1 game, 0 goals, 0 assists
#3 Liverpool: 2 games, 3 goals, 0 assists
#4 Aston Villa: 2 games, 0 goals, 0 assists
#5 Arsenal: 1 game, 1 goal, 0 assists
#6 Everton: N/A
#7 Blackburn Rovers: 2 games, 2 goals, 1 assist
#8 Tottenham Hotspur: 2 games, 0 goals, 1 assist
#9 Nottingham Forest: 1 game, 1 goal, 1 assist (goal goal!)

After Nottingham Forest there is a drop of 7 points to #10 West Ham United.

Against the top nine teams Kanchelskis (Everton) had 7 goals (no penalties), 3 assists in 13 games. Not a bad return.

 

Yeah, maybe being in the 75% range for G+A (if strict assists) per game he could have joined the discussion for top statistical output seasons by wingers on the CR7 thread. DBS Calcio does score the season well for him, and 0.3 above his final Man United one. Maybe hard to say if he was necessarily a better player than he'd ever been for United, but over the whole seasons I doubt DBS Calcio's sources would be scoring him higher for 91/92 or 93/94 either. And he really was a prolific scorer as winger for a short time at Everton. Maybe I'd suggest adding him to Gullit, Ginola and McManaman for reasonable ** seasons by PL players and even arguable ***. I'd think of Cantona similar (and rate him highest for 93/94 I think probably) while Weah would be my fairly clear call for number 1 worldwide for that season (and G+A per game stats are actually on his side too largely I think, especially if weighted like the Golden Boot award is now to favour the top leagues if you know what I mean, and taking out penalties and using strict assists - I say per game because he did miss a few with injury).

 

Just as information but this is Weah against the top nine teams (I researched this previously):

#1 Milan: N/A
#2 Juventus: 2 games, 2 goals, 0 assists
#3 Lazio: 1 game, 1 goal, 0 assists
#4 Fiorentina: 2 games, 1 goal, 0 assists (two penalty assists)
#5 AS Roma: 2 games, 3 goals, 0 assists
#6 Parma: 1 game, 0 goals, 0 assists
#7 Inter: 2 games, 0 goals, 1 assist
#8 Sampdoria: 2 games, 0 goals, 1 assist
#9 Vicenza: 2 games, 0 goals, 3 assists (one penalty assist)

Then there is a gap of 8 points to #10 Cagliari

14 games, 7 goals, 5 assists (+ three penalty assists)

I will also look at this for Cantona and Bergkamp (as reference player) later. Both can be found rather easily. Of course there are differences between the teams (willingness to attack) and leagues.

 

Cantona:

#1 Manchester United: N/A
#2 Newcastle United: 2 games, 1 goal, 0 assists
#3 Liverpool: 3 games, 2 goals (1PK), 1 assist (includes FA Cup final: 1 goal)
#4 Aston Villa: 1 game, 0 goals, 0 assists
#5 Arsenal: 2 games, 1 goal, 0 assists
#6 Everton: 1 game, 0 goals, 1 assist
#7 Blackburn Rovers: 1 game, 0 goals, 0 assists
#8 Tottenham Hotspur: 2 games, 1 goal, 0 assists
#9 Nottingham Forest: 2 games, 2 goals (1PK), 2 assists

14 games, 7 goals (2PK), 4 assists (I think without penalty assists). Without FA Cup it is 13 games, 6 goals (2PK), 4 assists. Manchester United scored 73 goals in the league.

Bergkamp:

#1 Manchester United: 2 games, 1 goal, 0 assists (injured in one game, subbed out after 45 minutes)
#2 Newcastle United: 3 games, 0 goals, 0 assists (one good pre-assist but that doesn't count...)
#3 Liverpool: 1 game, 0 goals, 0 assists
#4 Aston Villa: 3 games, 2 goals, 1 assist (another pre-assist)
#5 Arsenal: N/A
#6 Everton: 2 games, 0 goals, 1 assist
#7 Blackburn Rovers: 2 games, 0 goals, 0 assists
#8 Tottenham Hotspur: 2 games, 1 goal, 0 assists
#9 Nottingham Forest: 2 games, 1 goal, 0 assists

17 games, 5 goals, 2 assists. Arsenal scored 49 goals in the league. In these 17 games Arsenal scored just 16 goals (to indicate the different team and situation). It's 'easier' to compare Weah with Cantona I think.

 

I tend to agree or understand with the idea you describe (whether Weah is clear #1 I don't know but he is top three quite clearly I'd say - other than that I agree with the sentiments). I also think Cantona was at his best in 1993-94, and more crucial.

Kanchelskis is occassionally called the best Everton player, on peak form and ability. He's clearly one for ** I think, maybe *** if you take the team form into account.

If you also consider Weah his energy and off the ball movement then he is a notch above Cantona I feel (Milan was not as free scoring and scored even a lot fewer goals in the games he missed). But I understand that others might feel different considering that Weah was on paper a striker.

 

Yeah, I suppose Cantona always had a bit more influence on the cohesion of a team and setting moves in motion with impeccable control and vision etc, but maybe that was less evident in 95/96 than 93/94 overall indeed (hard to really make a great call about that from memory though). His crucialness on 95/96, though of course he still showed skills, was more I feel based on decisive goals. And the ratings do seem to favour Weah too indicating the idea he was bringing more outside of goals/assists could be valid for that season even I think.

Who else did you have down as top 3 - maybe Litmanen from Ajax, plus a Bundesliga player in Sammer or Klinsmann? I'd say Maldini seems reasonable for *** and top ten maybe but perhaps by the end of the season (and going into the Euros) he was starting to show signs of decline? Dunno (again hard to go from memory on that one that much). Perhaps Blanc for top 10 seems feasible. Scholl and Rai both made ESM Team of the Year. You've mentioned both Overmars and Desaily I recall (not checked through thread just now in general before posting this though) and maybe even for a 'top few' rank potentially? Figo seems to have been excellent and was a high quality player but maybe the end of season La Liga ratings/XI indicate he should be ** rather than *** (not the easiest Barcelona season to shine in though I guess and he clearly did in patches at the least and the ratings do also show him as one of the clubs top rated players IIRC don't they?). Similarly Savicevic was exceptional in patches (IMO arguably in 'prime' still in some games at least) but perhaps over the season I myself might see where he'd slip behind on a ranking like this, and often he played AM or wide midfield rather than number 10 or SS plus he had some time out injured again.

Del Piero's case is enhanced best by the CL rather than Serie A I suppose, but I wouldn't rule him out from being among the top ones even so.

I've mentioned 13 there without any PL players but I could probably easily round out a top 20 with 7 of them even, possibly even with some more not far behind (but some are short of games and fall back as compared to form maybe). Not sure any merit being considered right at the top for the season though.

 

I see again now Puck you already said you also had Mijatovic and Signori in contention at least among the top few (and Tom had the former at the top end and the latter close behind too).

Unfortunately the Yugoslav Player of the Year (Serbian/Montengrin) was not awarded in 1994 or 1996 it seems but Savicevic rather than Mijatovic took it in 1995 calendar year (but the end to 94/95 more influential in that I would guess, and some of his best or the very best of his best 95/96 form was in 96).

Signori I can understand being not far away, though I wonder if his very best years were a few years earlier (maybe memory misfire though or wrong perception - I saw him scoring goals in 95/96 and being a general livewire in attack for sure though).

 

I was thinking of Weah, Litmanen, Desailly as my top three but on the other hand it feels imbalanced to have three Milan players at 'world class' level (if not more) in comparison to records setting Ajax or Manchester United, Dortmund (the first two teams also playing with 'flair'). Both Weah and Litmanen would be certain in my own top three indeed.

Surprising to see Weah, Roberto Carlos, Thuram and a few others not in Tom Stevens his list - as I'd have Weah pretty certain in a top three position considering his general influence on the results (see Cantona as comparison: http://www.bdfutbol.com/es/p/j99185.html?cat=-&temp=1994-95&equip=-&rival=-&noj=1).

Sammer did not make a single ESM team of the month selection (his first is December 1996) and Klinsmann was there in November 1995, probably on the back of scoring 6 goals against Benfica in the UEFA Cup (4 + 2 in 2 games). Back then a number that hadn't been scored for a while. I don't think ESM is perfect but it would take a jump to wriggle them in the top three.

Desailly didn't make it either, but defensive midfielders and holding players are naturally underrepresented in the ESM selection.

If we limit it to the sides reaching European football spots (which would illustrate the expressed idea):

Weah: 10 games, 7 goals, 1 assist (plus two penalty assists)
Cantona: 8 games, 4 goals (including 1PK), 1 assist (includes the FA Cup final goal)
Kanchelskis: 8 games, 4 goals, 0 assists
Bergkamp: 9 games, 3 goals, 1 assist (also spotted two pre-assists as noted above, which was a typical element of his game)

 

Yeah, I do think I tend to agree that Weah and Litmanen both in a top 3 (or very close, but quite probably top 2) seems to make a lot of sense all things considered.

 

Interesting that Overmars was Ajax Player of the season though, based on the games he was able to play indeed.

Probably adds to his case more than detracts too much from Litmanen's though.

 

That 1999 guide has some very interesting write ups for many, many players. Since they were discussed, for example Rivaldo and Seedorf.

"Star of the team and one of the great figures of the league. He needs freedom to feel at ease and to perform to the fullest. He has a dribble and powerful shot with the left." - this is indeed a good summary within three sentences.

"A wonderful individual quality treasures this midfielder who, in addition, accompanies with an excellent vision of the game and a great winning temperament."

(Una maravillosa calidad individual atesora este centrocampista que, ademas, acompana con una excelente vision del juego y un gran temperamento ganador)

But it has many, many players covered. We now have the knowledge of hindsight too of course.

 

Interesting. What have you seen of Del Piero that you give him three stars? (probably I overlooked something...) The rest is not surprising.

 

Good work comme. Possibly I err on he side of Roberto Carlos still being in the list at least. Overmars too I'd think. I wonder too (just as something to possibly discuss/investigate) whether the gap between Caminero and Scholl is too much or perhaps if they could meet in the middle at **. I think Scholl was probably good in European competition from what I vaguely remember (as Klinsmann, and yeah of course certainly Del Piero which is where his case is enhanced the most I'm sure).

 

I checked this now.

Champions Cup 1995-1996
GR Borussia Dortmund vs Juventus 1-3 1 goal (37) 2 assists
GR Juventus vs Steaua Bucuresti 3-0 1 goal (39) 1 assist
GR Juventus vs Rangers (Glasgow) 4-1 1 goal (30) (free kick)
GR Rangers (Glasgow) vs Juventus 0-4 1 goal (11)
GR Juventus vs Borussia Dortmund 1-2 1 goal (90) (free kick)
GR Steaua Bucuresti vs Juventus 0-0
QF Real Madrid vs Juventus 1-0
QF Juventus vs Real Madrid 2-0 1 goal (17) (free kick)
SF Juventus vs FC Nantes 2-0
SF FC Nantes vs Juventus 3-2
F AFC Ajax vs Juventus 1-1

Memory can be deceptive at times. I thought he had an assist in the semi final (and the magazine/book had it wrong) but it was Vialli (at 1:25).

11 games, 6 goals (0 penalties, 3 free kicks), 3 assists

Considering the age he had (21 years, almost 22) he might be one of the most natural free kick takers there has been (at the highest level).

 

If you are going to give adp *** based on what he did in the champions league I fell like ferrara, sousa, and peruzzi deserve higher ratings.

 

Yeah, interesting topic - I suppose his generation had full experience of the previous ones great free-kick takers so maybe he even built up some observational technique that he could deploy from a young age (Zico, even Baggio)? But yeah I agree and that same skill of curling the ball into the top corners was used from open play ofc too (the trajectory doesn't matter so much in that case but then again it has to be performed in motion and under pressure).

 

With regards to textual descriptions you looked at World Soccer, the European Football Yearbook and... ?

 

Yes, I thought about too, about fatigue kicking in during the second half of 1995-96.
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/del-pieros-star-beginning-to-wane-1353347.html

I agree he was fantastic within the time he was given. Especially in the group stage (the autumn of 1995 as they say), a bit less fresh and spry in the knock out stages. Of the KO matches I don't have a good recollection of the tie vs Real Madrid however.
http://www.myjuve.it/giocatori-juve...ite-disputate-champions_league-33-E1-101.aspx
http://www.myjuve.it/giocatori-juve...partite-disputate-coppa_italia-33-CI-101.aspx
http://www.bdfutbol.com/es/p/j95842.html?cat=Ser&temp=1995-96&equip=-&rival=-&noj=1

For example in the home match against Borussia Dortmund he was given only 25 minutes (brought in immediately after they were 0-2 down) and he diminished the deficit to 1-2 late in the match, although Juventus was already secure of the 1st place in the group.

But primarily because of this - and the supposedly more erratic form towards the end (confirmed by DBScalcio and also Gazzetta I suppose) - I hadn't expected a *** assessment. He only completed 11 of 34 league matches (albeit tied to other commitments too). But within the 2111 minutes (equals 23 full games) he had 6 goals and 9 or 10 assists. One thought that arose in my head was, maybe primed by the draft thread: if his name was George Best would we still give him ***?

Perhaps it is also a matter of: if we give season X *** what do we give season Y of the same player? If you get what I mean. And vice versa that seasons get underplayed because of that. But in this case it is a ~60-70% appearance rate and with sliding form towards the end if I'm not wrong.

It speaks for Del Piero, yes, that Juventus had no qualms to displace the 'magical' Baggio although his form and shape was on the slide for a while (since around 01 March 1994). Difficult to say however how important Del Piero was for Juventus at that time - 1997-98 is a different matter I'm sure even considering the 'controversies' of 1997-98.

 

Thanks. If you see/saw some interesting polls or surveys that might be interesting to post somewhere too.

It is mere trivia and only one match but I just noticed that he came on for Del Piero in the 1995-96 semi final at half-time and then scored a valuable away goal 4 minutes later.

 

I watched the Borussia vs Juventus 1-3 match in the morning and Del Piero was playing well indeed (1 goal, 2 assists) and he played 84 minutes there. At that age he was already more tactically disciplined than Baggio (imho) yet at the same time he was also a forward of moments, like so many superstar forwards. With 'moments' I mean that although he was disciplined in his task and not moving 'out of sync' with the rest of the team, it is not that he had many off-the-ball movements or 'made' players around him better (makes the team 'tick'). But if you have 5 or 6 quality 'moments' in a match then you can say you've done your job very well, especially in that context of the time. He also seemed to be conscious of what he was doing and what his task was, as hinted at above.

I wonder what @PDG1978 his impression or memory is (he often has good observations and descriptions for players).