I am just starting to get into soccer and want to get a feel for who the best players are. I thought the best way to do that would be with a "pound for pound" type list of the top 10 players in the world. Of course everyone wont agree, but a general idea would help me get started. If anyone feels up to doing position rankings in addition to the top 10 thing, that would be much appreciated. Thanks a lot.
Ok I won't do a top 10 of all players as it is just impossible to compare a striker with a goalkeeper. Here is a top 3 for each position just as a guide, not based on current form but on a general level of vaguely recent play. GK Buffon Casillas Cech RB Zambrotta Sagnol Miguel LB Cole Lahm Heinze CB Nesta Terry Puyol DM Makalele Gattuso Marquez Deep lying playmakers Pirlo Xavi X Alonso CM Gerrard Lampard Deco LW Giggs Robben Vicente RW C Ronaldo Zanetti Lennon AM Riquelme Kaka Juninho Forward Ronaldinho Totti Rooney Strikers Shevchenko Eto'o Henry
Your missing Patrick Viera as Defensive Midfield and Cannavaro as CB , I dont how u left him out and put Puyol there. Puyol is not even top 5.
Vieria should be replacing Marquez. I am not sure whether to put Marquez inj the top 5. He is in the top 10, but number 3????? Puyol is a top 5. Even as a Real Madrid fan, I actually like Puyol better than Cannavaro. At least for this season, Cannavaro disappointed me. For Italy and Juventus, it is a different story.
Vieira is not a defensive midfielder, he's a box to box player. It's a completely different position.
Box to box is not a position...He plays as a defensive Midifled that goes up to attack. And Cannavaro should be there because he said it isnt about how they perform right now but in general. And apart from this season, Cannavaro has been excellent, even though he is sooooooooo overrated. I think Puyol is maybe top 5 abut then he would be the fifth.
Box to box is a role, the role played by Vieira. Vieira doesn't play defensive midfield for France, Deschamps did and Makalele does now. At Inter Dacourt plays defensive midfield. Vieira has never been a proper defensive midfielder. Central defence is a position over-flowing with talent. Cannavaro might well be in many people's top 3s but there are so many candidates.
??? Defensive midfield is a role as well, so is attacking midfield. The only positions are left, right and central variations of defence, midfield and attack. Vieira is a central midfielder, neither attacking nor defensive.
I agree in general, but Vieira was a proper DM his first few years at Arsenal when paired with Petit, who clearly was not.
But you don't have to have a defensive midfielder in a pairing. Vieira was the more defensive of the pair, but he wasn't an actual defensive midfielder.
but he is. He is a central Midfield that can play Defensive mid AND/OR a Defensive Mid that can play Center Midfield.
I think he was his first few years. He acted as a midfield destroyer since he lacked the quality he has now.
Essien is not a d-mid. Credit to comme for putting that list up. I might not agree with certain players but at least he had the balls to put a list up for scrutiny.
Disagree. I think the likes of Totti, Ronaldinho, and others are more technically gifted. You would, however, be hard pressed to find many players who are more intelligent on a football pitch than Scholes. Scholes does have excellent technique, though, there's no question about that.
I agree with comme Viera, Essien, and Hargreaves are CM that they play defense but are able to get into the attack. BUt all can play D-Mid