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Thread: Best players per country?

  1. #1
    Join Date
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    Best players per country?

    Looking at that other interesting thread for me thinking about the great players of yesteryear/ present in the various nations. I choose players I've seen although there are some so great before my time as a fan.

    For Brazil and Argentina obviously it has to be Pele and Maradona.
    But who'd be their No 2?
    I'd go Ronaldo and Mario Kempes. But these countries have so many.

    Let's see the others:

    Republic of Ireland I'd say Liam Brady.

    Poland - some older may say Lato, but I didn't see him, so I'd go Boniek.

    England - probably someone from 1966. But from those I've watched I'd choose Peter Shilton.

    Scotland - should be Denis Law. But again didn't see him so I'd choose Alan Hansen

    Wales - John Charles must be but I'd have to choose Gareth Bale ( sorry Giggsy)

    Northern Ireland - George Best. My choice would be Pat Jennings.

    Belgium - Close tie between Marie-Pfaff and Ceulemans for me. I'd choose the latter.

    France - I thought at the time no one would ever better Platini but then came Zidane. I have to go with the World Cup Winner.

    Russia/USSR - Yashin probably.but my choice is another keeper - Dasayev.

    Spain - spoilt for choice. I'd choose Iniesta very narrowly.

    Italy - I dunno where to start. My favourite 2 didn't win anything - Baresi and Maldini. But historically they have so many. Meazza for instance has a stadium named after him. I think I'll settle on Dino Zoff very very narrowly.

    Germany - has to be Beckenbauer right? But there's another captain from 1954 forget his name but has a stadium named after him. Matteus is in there too as would be Lahm. But my choice is Paul Breitner

    Romania - no contest - Hagi.

    Turkey - Hakan Suker

    Uruguay - I have to go with Zidane's choice - Enzo Francescoli.

    Portugal - Eusebio or Ronaldo. I've only watched Crissy Boy.

    Holland - Johann Cruyff. Saw very little of him in an Oranje shirt so I must go Van Basten.

    And so many more from other countries. I'll need a think for more of them

  2. #2
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    Quote Originally Posted by Romanis View Post
    Looking at that other interesting thread for me thinking about the great players of yesteryear/ present in the various nations. I choose players I've seen although there are some so great before my time as a fan.

    For Brazil and Argentina obviously it has to be Pele and Maradona.
    But who'd be their No 2?
    I'd go Ronaldo and Mario Kempes. But these countries have so many.

    Let's see the others:

    Republic of Ireland I'd say Liam Brady.

    Poland - some older may say Lato, but I didn't see him, so I'd go Boniek.

    England - probably someone from 1966. But from those I've watched I'd choose Peter Shilton.

    Scotland - should be Denis Law. But again didn't see him so I'd choose Alan Hansen

    Wales - John Charles must be but I'd have to choose Gareth Bale ( sorry Giggsy)

    Northern Ireland - George Best. My choice would be Pat Jennings.

    Belgium - Close tie between Marie-Pfaff and Ceulemans for me. I'd choose the latter.

    France - I thought at the time no one would ever better Platini but then came Zidane. I have to go with the World Cup Winner.

    Russia/USSR - Yashin probably.but my choice is another keeper - Dasayev.

    Spain - spoilt for choice. I'd choose Iniesta very narrowly.

    Italy - I dunno where to start. My favourite 2 didn't win anything - Baresi and Maldini. But historically they have so many. Meazza for instance has a stadium named after him. I think I'll settle on Dino Zoff very very narrowly.

    Germany - has to be Beckenbauer right? But there's another captain from 1954 forget his name but has a stadium named after him. Matteus is in there too as would be Lahm. But my choice is Paul Breitner

    Romania - no contest - Hagi.

    Turkey - Hakan Suker

    Uruguay - I have to go with Zidane's choice - Enzo Francescoli.

    Portugal - Eusebio or Ronaldo. I've only watched Crissy Boy.

    Holland - Johann Cruyff. Saw very little of him in an Oranje shirt so I must go Van Basten.

    And so many more from other countries. I'll need a think for more of them
    Interesting list, my only opinion being Eusebio was a better (and more honest!) player than Ronaldo

  3. #3
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    Shilton, Rom? Really?
    Never in a million years for me...not even a shoe in for England as Clemence was there more often than not when they were actually competing. Not even England’s best ‘keeper...that was...again in my opinion...Banks.
    Moore, Hunt, Hurst, Peters, Charlton, Ball, Lineker, Gasgoine, Gerrard...or before my time...Wright, Matthews and Finney, just off the top of my head, all have stronger claims.

    Agree about Jennings though...and he was better than Shilton too, who - arguably and slightly irrelevantly I suppose - might not have ever made it with the rules as they are nowadays because he couldn’t kick.
    Last edited by ramAnag; 23-06-2018 at 11:27 PM.

  4. #4
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    Very interesting list Rom. Some exciting names there and twice as many that didn't make the cut. You can't name 'em all.

    Are you a former keeper? I ask because you seem to have an awful lot of keepers in your list. Nowt wrong in that.

  5. #5
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    I think Cristiano Ronaldo is the best player I have ever seen, absolute top class, he still amazes me now at 33 what a player! Close come Maradona and Ronaldinho but Cristiano Ronaldo takes it for me. Messi and Pele wouldn't make my top 10. IMO like.

  6. #6
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    From Surinam I'd pick Edgar Davids, closely followed by Clarence Seedorf or Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink.

    Gullit and Rijkaard were also Surinam eligible. Why didn't that team win the World Cup?

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by ramAnag View Post
    Shilton, Rom? Really?
    Never in a million years for me...not even a shoe in for England as Clemence was there more often than not when they were actually competing. Not even England’s best ‘keeper...that was...again in my opinion...Banks.
    Moore, Hunt, Hurst, Peters, Charlton, Ball, Lineker, Gasgoine, Gerrard...or before my time...Wright, Matthews and Finney, just off the top of my head, all have stronger claims.

    Agree about Jennings though...and he was better than Shilton too, who - arguably and slightly irrelevantly I suppose - might not have ever made it with the rules as they are nowadays because he couldn’t kick.
    I agree absolutely but unfortunately all those greats I didn't get to see.
    My choice was down to these 5:
    Shilton. Lineker. Shearer Robson and Brooking.
    Very close because Lineker could and should have broken Charlton's record. I chose Shilton purely because he played much more games and thus was slightly more consistent

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by MadAmster View Post
    Very interesting list Rom. Some exciting names there and twice as many that didn't make the cut. You can't name 'em all.

    Are you a former keeper? I ask because you seem to have an awful lot of keepers in your list. Nowt wrong in that.
    Haha. I once played in goal and my team lost 10-0. I was a hockey goalie though. But I did play in goal for my Sunday Footy team. Did much better. I used to love defenders in football.

    But you're right just too many for choice. Dasayev I truly admired. Zoff well he was a WC winner, Baresi and Maldini remain my favourite Italian players, so I chose Zoff on that basis purely for playing in 2 WC Finals.

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by Geoff Parkstone View Post
    From Surinam I'd pick Edgar Davids, closely followed by Clarence Seedorf or Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink.

    Gullit and Rijkaard were also Surinam eligible. Why didn't that team win the World Cup?
    Errm..... because you weren't the manager.

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by Geoff Parkstone View Post
    From Surinam I'd pick Edgar Davids, closely followed by Clarence Seedorf or Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink.

    Gullit and Rijkaard were also Surinam eligible. Why didn't that team win the World Cup?
    You know the reason why Geoff. From about the same era, van Bronckhorst could have played for Indonesia. He too chose the Netherlands.....


    It's all down to the FIFA "qualification" rules. An extreme case in point is Januzai who qualified to play for Belgium, Albania, Kosovo, Turkey or England. He opted for Belgium.

    Take a case like this. A player has 2 parents form countries A and B and player was born in C. The maternal grandparents are from D and E. Paternal from F and G. He plays more than 5 years in H. That is 8 countries, so far. I don't know if step-parents or adoptive parents add to the list of qualifications.

    A further possible complication might be you debut aged 16 in country I. You play there until 22 and qualify to play for I. You then transfer to a club in J and play 6 years there and a further 6 in K. You qualify for J and K but could you still go back to I and make your debut for them? That would be 11 qualifications and possibly some more if step and/or adoptive parents further muddy the waters........

    In short, a mess.

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