Great mention. Where did you get that number by the way? Here's my top ten, in no particular order: Carlos Valderrama Michael Laudrup Ricardo Bochini Diego Maradona Michel Platini Didi Georghe Hagi Pele Francescoli Fernando Hierro --> Very underrated Also, no one mentioned Fran (From La Coruña 1990s). He was amazing.
Oh OK, I made quite a negative reference to Xavi before but definitely in the context of a possible inclusion among 'the top 10 best ever'. What's obviously fruit of a precocious enthusiasm with a present phase. But, sorry, he ain't a 'nobody'. Gmonn's video proves he is pretty good. But, c'mon, very, very far from a top ten.
You can find the info on the French Federation Football site : http://www.fff.fr/servfff/historique/historique_new.php?cherche_joueur=kopa&x=0&y=0 What about Zico ?
I'm not too impressed with this video and hence, the reason I suspect many of you do not rate Messi a world class passer. Like 95% of these passes are through balls. Sure, they require vision on Messi's part but they aren't the most difficult passes to make. Yes, there are some exceptions when a neat ball (with proper speed) is placed in a narrow area but most of them it seems like he waited for a striker to make a run and then just put it between two defenders.
That's great, I've been to that site before but never paid attention to the match chronicles. Thanks. I forgot, although I really like my list. Also, at the risk of being flamed, I think if Zidane deserves a mention, Riquelme deserves a mention.
Both were among the best at distributing strategically the ball in midfield, though I feel most of the names you mentioned were better at making deadly passes to open up chances. Looking at the FFF site match chronicles, you'll see for example that Zidane's assists per game ratio (23 assists in 108 caps) is far inferior to Kopa's (20 assists in 45 caps) and Platini's (20 assists in 72 caps).
the thing about assists is that you can set someone up, but for it to count as an assist they have to score so its very subjective how someone looks at assists
Correct. It's only one criteria between others. It was certainly easier to deliver assists for Kopa for example who had someone like Fontaine playing in front of him than for Platini who had... nobody.
Fair enough ,me either follow the South-American scene , so perhaps there are excellent passers too,who I even dont know their name(s) ... Ganso for example ,I only learn to know in this website a few weeks ago in one of the video's added in a topic about which players deserve a chance in the Brasilian NT. He's very good ,but I understand Dunga not taking him at this moment...
Dunga is correct in his politics of following a politics of 'coherence'. His work started in 2007 & it's not just because a 'genius' decided to start playing two months before a Cup that he has to call him. Unless he were obviously a Pelé - as he put it before calling the 23. But Ganso is among the 30.
The difference between Platini and Zidane is the "quick thought + speedy move" Zidane is clearly among the best in vision, HOEVER, his style is too often slow in passing and making direct. what I meant is TIMING - so that he made a lot of good movements but same time he mis-timed his team mates, or his team mates could not cope with his styles passing. Hence his direct pass is inferior to Platini - he who is very quick and direct in style.
Yeah,there are a lot of 'Dungahaters' but he follow his own principle :the team first,discipline and hard work... And his 23squad looks the right choise IMO. That he cut Ronaldinho and Adriano was logical for me,the only player I would NOT take to SA was Baptista... Maybe he played well in the WQF ? What would surprise me ,coz I was rarely impressed when I see him play in Europe... Yeah ,Ganso is one of the 7subs,only called up when someone(in his position) got injured just before the tournament ,what happened more than once in the Brasilian WC-past... He's likely a player for WC2014 !
Sure. Besides being a hell of a shooter Ganso is also a clinical passer. [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JAwGbGQ1C70&feature=related"]YouTube- PAULO HENRIQUE LIMA[/ame] But let's hatch Ganso, Neymar, Wesley, Kléber - all of them practically adolescent - to the 2014 World Cup under the regency of more experienced 30-year-old Robinho, 25-year-old Pato, 29-year-old Nilmar, 29-year-old Tardelli & (why not?) 32-year-old Kaká!... We don't want Ganso to be a new Schillachi, do we? ... PS: Baptista notwithstanding is a disciplined & classic piano carrier - a type of player imo useful in any NT.
Messi isn't a "top ten best passers ever" of course, for one thing, that's not his job, he's not a midfielder. But he is a major component of Barcelona passing teams to death, so not world class is absurd. Yes, that video is mostly through balls. But it seems like you don't realize the difference between pushing the ball between two defenders, which anybody can do, and what's shown on the video. For one thing, sometimes the two defenders are three and four defenders, and sometimes they're 25 yards away from the passer. Here's Paul Scholes by comparison. [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69gwR8CcTL0&NR=1"]YouTube- The class of Scholes[/ame]
noone mentioned him yet and he surely deserves to be mentioned [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bHiv3JngHoU"]YouTube- Francesco Totti - The Passing Machine[/ame]
More evidence. I never saw a better and so consistent passer in my life. And I'm 43, so I was able to watch Platini, maradona, van basten, zico, baggio etc etc all of them also live at the stadium. I am not saying he's the best player I ever saw, just the best passer I happened to watch. His passing was always his plus, especially first touch passes. now less so cause of age and injuries but still... [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5dpjqIlMM5k"]YouTube- Francesco Totti Passing (Part 1)[/ame] [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFxMG8NsiYk"]YouTube- Francesco Totti Passing (Part 2)[/ame]
Jari Litmanen [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=saTGBjIwC-s&NR=1"]YouTube- Jari Litmanen Saksaa vastaan[/ame]
Guti's a very good one, very underrated too - [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zk378iPjfhA"]YouTube- Guti Pass Compilation[/ame] Another one who is likely to be forgotten is Bergkamp - [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0Ko3TEjzPQ"]YouTube- Dennis Bergkamp's brilliant assists[/ame] Among the more well-known ones, Zidane - [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5K8ba85qrxA"]YouTube- Zinedine Zidane - Real Madrid Passing Compilation[/ame]
why is xavi hernandez not on this list??? he is perhaps the most underrated player in the game...his poise and vision on and off the ball is truly magnificent to watch. He personifies the beautiful game in every aspect.
Germanys Wolfgang Overath was superb in the 70s as was Gianni Rivera and Sandro Mazzola of Italy. Alain Giresse was brillaint for France in the 80s.i remember the Irish player Liam Brady in Juventus marvellous.The greatest Argentine enganches I have seen are Norberto Alonso(River Plate) World cup winner in 78 but injured early on.Ricardo Bochini(Independiente) also a World champion ath end of his career in 86 as Maradonas reserve.But heres a gallina who recognizes the magic of a Bostero Juan Roman Riquelme a true passing genius who was of couse the axis of Argentinas famous goal in the 06 mundial v Serbia.Some of his passes to palermo for Boca are just beautiful even I have to admit holding my nose Today in europe there is nobody in Xavis class truly the best player in the World today not the seleccion so called star