glad you add riquelme 2004/05 but i feel his season in 2006/07 is more remarkable considering his superb performance in 2007 copa libertadores & 2007 copa america, almost single handedily help his team, both of his team got to final, 1 won, 1 lose
How certain are you that Baggio's 1992-93 season is that much better than Del Piero in 1997-98? It is also really a shame (but at this board not surprising) that you don't list MvB's 1991-92 season given that you list Baggio and Stoichkov from a season later. Messi and CR7 apart (not considering them here), the most overrated seasons in this list are Ronaldinho 2005-06 (check his OPTA stats), Romario 1993-94, Riquelme 2004-05 and Xavi 2009-10. The most underrated seasons are Zidane 2001-02, Xavi 2008-09, Henry 2003-04, Figo 2000-01 and Bergkamp in 1997-98 (the effect on the Arsenal results in 1997-98 is astonishing).
@PuckVanHeel and @carlito86 Kaka 2005/06 should definitely be there somewhere, that was his best season with Milan. 2006/07 is more hyped because of those performances against Manchester, but 2005/06 was his best season overall in both the league and in terms of consistency. 2:52 - Kaka puts a goal on a silver plate for Gilardino who misses 4:56 - Kaka with another brilliant through ball for Ambrosini who also misses If both Gila and Ambro had just scored the absolute sitters Kaka put on a plate for them, Milan would have been in the final instead of Barcelona, and they probably would have won against Arsenal. Oh, and let's not forget the perfectly valid Shevchenko goal that was disallowed in the second leg; http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x37civx but we'll let that slide because this is about Ronaldinho vs Kaka If Kaka won the CL instead of Ronaldinho in 2006, how would that have effected the perception of the season both players had? Ronaldinho's performances in 2005/06 are hyped beyond belief while Kaka's season is relatively ignored.
It’s been a few years and ld probably like to add a few touches to my previous list of peak seasonal performances Covering 50-60 years of legendary performances is too arduous a task so I’ll go back only as far as the start of the champions league era 1992/93 I’ll split it into categories of so called greatness without specifying the exact order (and of course this is based on my own methodology which is subjective but I will mainly consider peak level/productivity/and my general observations GOAT tier Lionel Messi 2014/15(2nd half season) Lionel Messi 2010/11 Lionel Messi 2011/12 Lionel Messi 2017/18(La Liga) Cristiano Ronaldo 2016/17 (CL KO stage performance only) Tier 2 Cristiano Ronaldo 2011/12 Lionel Messi 2012/2013(La Liga only) Ronaldo 1997/1998 Cristiano Ronaldo 2013/14 (CL only) Tier 3 Lionel Messi 2009/10 Alessandro Del piero 1997/1998(CL only) Lionel Messi 2006/07 (2nd half of season) Cristiano Ronaldo 2009/10 Ronaldo 1996/97 Cristiano Ronaldo 2007/08 Marco Van Basten 1992/1993(half season) Cristiano Ronaldo 2006/07 Zinedine Zidane 2001/2002 Roberto Baggio 1992/93 Cristiano Ronaldo 2012/13 Cristiano Ronaldo 2010/11 Ronaldinho 2003/04(2nd half of season) Ronaldinho gaucho 2005/06 Lionel Messi 2008/09 Romario 1993/94 Rivaldo 1998/99 Kaka 2006/07 (CL only) Neymar 2017/18(first half of season) Cristiano Ronaldo 2014/15(first half of season only) Cristiano Ronaldo 2008/09 CL Ko stage only Tier 3 Thierry Henry 2003/04 Lionel Messi 2013/14 Xavi Hernandez 2008/09 Luís Figo 1999/2000 Arjen Robben 2014/15 Thierry Henry 2002/03 George weah 1995/96 Andrés Iniesta 2011/12 Zinedine Zidane 1997/1998 Dennis bergkamp 1997/98 Frank Ribery 2012/13 Luis Figo 2000/2001 Andrés Iniesta 2010/11 Eric cantona 1993/94 Neymar 2015/16 Luís Suarez 2013/14(PL only) Luis Suarez 15/16
^^ I disagree with a lot of things, I don't think for example CR in 2011/2012 looked/was better than CR 2010/2011 and 2009/2010.. he won things with RM OK, but watching closely he def didn't seem so on point as in the previous two seasons to me... Real Madrid was a better team tho. In fact I would 2013/2014, 2009/2010 and 2010/2011 are my favorite Ronaldo's seasons at Madrid. That is the possible best version of Ronaldo... Then a lot of players reached this level of playing imo including Robben, Ribery, Neymar, Suarez and maybe some others... but no one of them combined consistency, stats, high level of playing and titles like Ronaldo, except for Messi... in this generation (end 00 - 10's).
If you look at Del Piero's stats page, 10 goals in 10 games really stand out as impressive so I got curious about that one. From what I've seen he was great in the SF vs Monaco, pretty good against Kiev in the QF (but that round was mostly won by Inzaghi) and not good in the final. In the group stage he faced United (played them once and scored; missed the return leg which was a must win game for Juventus to get enough point for the runner up ranking) and Kosice + Feyenoord where he did well, but I'm questioning quality of those teams. Not saying that it isn't good, but I think it looks better one paper than it acutally was and that there are quite a few players with similar CL campaigns. Don't see how it's particularly better than let's say MvB's two EC winning runs or someone more recent and not so high profile like Drogba in 11/12
Del piero scored 5 goals+3 assists in the QF to final rounds of the CL And he in fact assisted inzaghis second goal vs Dynamo Kiev There are few players in the history of the champions league that were so influential in the latter stages of the competition The SF vs Monaco was legendary without doubt ,particularly the FK which was one of the best I’ve seen in the latter stages of the competition and against the best goalkeeper in the World at that time Fabian barthez (who couldn’t get near it)
Ronaldos last 2 seasons under Jose Mourinho were him at his most complete and creative best As a playmaker ronaldo was never better except in 2006/07 probably but then he was wasn’t averaging 55 goals a season back then In 2010/11 ronaldo was a better dribbler but that’s it He did not take over big games failing against Barcelona several times He wasn’t particularly impressive in the champions league if were being honest and yeah he scored 40 league goals which was a all time record back then but his goals weren’t equally spread out but instead heavily concentrated in big scorelines As a match winner which I rate more than any individual trait in the game ronaldo 2011/12 is unequaled by anyone in this era except Messi 2017/18 Matter of fact 2012 as a whole calendar year is the best ever version of ronaldo This is when he became most decisive In 2012 he scored in 6 consecutive El Classico matches(record) In 11/12 he scored in 27 out of 38 La Liga matches(record shared with Messi) Against top 6 teams in La Liga he was a complete monster A hattrick against 5th place Atlético Madrid in the Calderon a legendary performance and one of his best in a Madrid shirt A hattrick against 6th place levante A hattrick against 4th place Malaga(champions league quarterfinalist) Winning goal against Barcelona to effectively seal La Liga Winning goal against 3rd place Valencia in a 3-2 win Start Watching matches Tropeiro because it is becoming tiresome responding to many of your unfounded claims some of them being downright laughable A 21 year old Cristiano Ronaldo (2007)is better than any version of robben/ribery/Neymar...Suarez WHO A Champions league choker This is outrageous
I know what he did. It doesn't make any sense that you consider it special enough to deserve a Tier 3 ranking. Playing on the favored team, having 2 great rounds against good, but not amazing teams and one final doing nothing happens all the time. What makes it more special than for example Salah last year?
Monaco under wenger was a solid team that provided many young players for the NT that went on to win the World Cup that season Manchester City is a team who’s pedigree cannot be established beyond English shores What have they ever done in the champions league? Competitiveness doesn’t denote overall quality and that’s why many people who insist the premier league is the best simply because it is competitive are wrong Let’s be clear: Del pieros quality on the ball,game intelligence is a tier above Muhammad salah salah 17/18 was just a pacy striker with great finishing but limited technical skills No FKs,no aerial threat,totally reliant on his left foot,average vision In a nutshell i would say as good as Fernando Torres 07/08 But to his credit more of a team player Del Piero was a trequartista/support striker with demonstrably greater vision and class on the ball He was in actual reality not inferior to any player in Europe during 1997/98 besides R9 and that was the latters best ever season In the CL final ADP wasn’t great but created with a great piece of play a clear tapin chance for inzaghi(predictably he missed) In italy they call him Il Fenomeno Vero and before his injury was on Course to being a true football great and if I’m being honest not that much worse compared to Roberto baggio at his best
I see. So basically you don't have a real reason how he is 2 tiers better, after reading this wall of text with little content. Salah was just a random recent nameI came up with, I'm sure there are countless more Van Basten for example.... You won't change my opinion and looks like you won't change yours either, so lets leave it at that.
Isn’t it so patently obvious that prime Del Piero was higher quality player than salah If you think his goal tally is the sole reason I put him on such a pedalstal you are mistaken Del Piero was juventus 2nd most important playmaker after zidane in addition to being their main goal outlet When did salah ever demonstrate he was a capable playmaker? Del Piero is overrated by a lot of fans but in 97/98 he was genuinely an elite technical player (and amongst the top few players in the world)
“Watching him this season I've witnessed acts of manipulation of a football that verge on the physically impossible. CRonaldo is still young at 21 but I believe that if he continues on this trajectory of development, he could become one of the greatest players ever.” Gary Lineker 2007 https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/f...becoming-one-of-the-greatest-of-all-time.html “Anyone wanting to see a good footballer, to see something different like in the old days with Tom Finney or Stanley Matthews, you'd travel miles to see. Ronaldo is one of them. You want to go and see him in a match when he is absolutely out of this world.” Bobby Charlton 2007 https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/2306026/Dazzling-Ronaldo-strides-among-the-games-legends.html He’s so exciting. Yes, the way he’s playing there’s every chance that he’ll become United’s greatest ever player. “Of course it’s very difficult to compare him and Bestie in the circumstances because you’re going back many, many years. “But I suppose if Bestie was playing in the current United team, then they’d be on a par.” Denis law 2007 https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.express.co.uk/sport/othersport/5074/Simply-the-Best/amp He was a 1 man hurricane and by a clear margin the best ever player In English football history in 2006/07 and 2007/08(and particularly devastating in the former) The headers,the FKs,the predatory finishing,the speed,dribbling,crossing,backheel passes,the skills,strength etc..... just the most frightening complete package It is impossible to put on a individual campaign like this at 21 years old without being one of the most talented footballers of all time Simply impossible
Rare and amazing European Cup performance by Johan Cruyff from arguably his best ever season (1971/72) Complete in every sense of the word with some great dribbling,ball carrying,some help in defense,creativity and crucially two very good goals(the first in particular)
Do you think 2007/2008 was Ronaldo's best season? I thought he was a more complete player in the early 2010s, even if he wasn't as well rewarded in terms of accolades and trophies.
The quotes/comp are regarding his 2006/07 form (not 2007/08) To answer your question Yes and no Yes because a 22 year old doing what he did is almost unprecedented in the history of the game No because as great as he was ,he was still a work in progress with certain aspects such as his longshot,heading technique,positioning were still developing Certainly in terms of the individual recognition+stats+highlight reel moments there aren’t much better Maybe a few seasons by Johan Cruyff Platini 83/84 WITH Euros could be there aswell puskas certainly aswell (1959/60) some of his honved years although not sure which ones That’s it though There is a consensus amongst George bests own teammates and those who faced him in his prime(as Cruyff and even Pelé who rated best highly)that 2008 CR had reached his level This is a fact Paddy crerand,Bobby Charlton,Denis law,Cruyff,SAF,Pelé amongst others confirmed this by 2009 https://www.goal.com/en/news/9/engl...stiano-ronaldo-reminds-me-of-george-best-pele
It was obviously very good but personally I find him more creative vs Celtic away in 1970, Arsenal at home in 1972, Real Madrid away in 1973 for instance (where with a mid-air touch he set up a chance for Rep). I also like him at the very end of his career, which he still combined with productivity against international/domestic top teams. 2007-08 for me. He was a better and more accurate dribbler back then, and had a slightly higher focus on creating chances for others (source the 2016 OPTA yearbook), saw slightly more of the ball as well. He didn't score as many goals perhaps, but also took fewer shots. He himself said a few times it's harder (for him) to replicate that form in the PL than in La Liga, when he was a Real Madrid player. I agree in the early 2010s he became a better header and positionally better. In what way do you see him more complete?
I think that what little loss in dribbling effectiveness he may have suffered (perhaps due to slightly less agility, compared to his leaner EPL days) he more than makes up for it with more experience, more intelligence, and adding a world-class aerial game to his arsenal. Yes, he may have become less well-rounded, but that's only in comparison to someone like Messi, who is perhaps the most complete attacker of all time. Compared to the 'average' world-class player, Ronaldo was still very all-rounded, still bringing top-level passing and dribbling threat for his team. I think being less of a playmaker, compared to his Man Utd days, to become, I'd argue, the most complete goal-scorer of all time (with final third penetration and assists added on top), makes his early 2010s version superior to his late 2000s version.