Very underrated rated player if that makes sense. Was phenomenal in the 90s. Real shame about France 98 final
After his knee exploded playing for Inter, a specialist told him he’d never play again. He came back and won the Golden Boot. The bloke is the greatest player to ever put on a pair of boots (although his stats through injuries suggest otherwise compared to Messi etc).
Very underrated rated player if that makes sense. Was phenomenal in the 90s. Real shame about France 98 final
After his knee exploded playing for Inter, a specialist told him he’d never play again. He came back and won the Golden Boot. The bloke is the greatest player to ever put on a pair of boots (although his stats through injuries suggest otherwise compared to Messi etc).
Bobby Charlton,remember how he just glided past defenders and took the net out from 20 yards.But a lot of contenders,Bobby Moore,Beckenbaur,Ginola,Berbatov,and of coutse te great George Best.
Christopher Le Point took things to a whole new level, I remember his debut with fondness.
it was mesmerizing how he looked like he was running backwards through treacle, and when he received a pass from a teammate somehow miraculously the ball would bounce off his shin for a throw in.
He made the game look effortless You don’t see players of his ilk and finesse anymore.
There’s a difference between graceful and skilful, I think some of the players being described as graceful weren’t, but they certainly were skilful. George Best wasn’t graceful and neither was Bobby Charlton, nor was Colin Powell, IMHO. A graceful player is someone who isn’t hurried, comfortable both on and off the ball, reads the game very well and has top dollar positional sense as well as skill, they seem to ghost through a game rarely throwing themselves about or getting too much involved in physical contact. Bobby Moore was possibly the greatest I have seen of that type of player, for Charlton IMHO, it was Marvin Hinton.
Dragan Stojković - had never heard of him, but saw him play a game against Celtic and couldn't take my eyes off him. Sadly, his career was injury ravaged. Robert Prosinecki also played that day.
Another thumbs up with the OP for Henry. Not bags of skill, but an absolute glider with the ball and also incredible intelligence. The way Wenger turned him from an average winger at Juve to the player he become is one of the best pieces of man management we’ve ever seen.
Mortimer hands down the best in class for grace on the ball Bowyer, with the ball he was deceptively graceful and glidy Jensen Gomez Smertin Holmes
overall
Pirlo, could move like water. It upsets me how many people like football yet don't say this guy is the pinnacle of the game Henry, great ball striking technique and such a direct runner and dribbler yet did so in a very elegant gallop Messi but less so because half the time he's nicking the ball away from the toe of someone trying to give him a really dull one Gerrard, absolute Rolls Royce of a mover, hard to describe what I mean but as an athlete he obviously had the physique for the game but the way he could take a pass and without rolling his foot over the ball or doing a million stepovers he could storm past players in a way few have been able to Bergkamp, perfectly weighted feet and never looked like he was out of 2nd gear Scholes, less of a graceful mover on the ball but to see him collect a ball, half turn and on the same movement lick it into the path of a overlapping full back without making them break stride and effectively skinning the opposition full back himself was something to behold Beckham, unrivalled ball striking technique and body shape to deliver horrible balls to defend. He was less gracious of running with the ball though, always looked harassed Paolo Maldini, made tackling sexy and gracious Zinedine Zidane
Mortimer hands down the best in class for grace on the ball Bowyer, with the ball he was deceptively graceful and glidy Jensen Gomez Smertin Holmes
overall
Pirlo, could move like water. It upsets me how many people like football yet don't say this guy is the pinnacle of the game Henry, great ball striking technique and such a direct runner and dribbler yet did so in a very elegant gallop Messi but less so because half the time he's nicking the ball away from the toe of someone trying to give him a really dull one Gerrard, absolute Rolls Royce of a mover, hard to describe what I mean but as an athlete he obviously had the physique for the game but the way he could take a pass and without rolling his foot over the ball or doing a million stepovers he could storm past players in a way few have been able to Bergkamp, perfectly weighted feet and never looked like he was out of 2nd gear Scholes, less of a graceful mover on the ball but to see him collect a ball, half turn and on the same movement lick it into the path of a overlapping full back without making them break stride and effectively skinning the opposition full back himself was something to behold Beckham, unrivalled ball striking technique and body shape to deliver horrible balls to defend. He was less gracious of running with the ball though, always looked harassed Paolo Maldini, made tackling sexy and gracious Zinedine Zidane
Not one mention of Brazilian Ronaldo, come on mate.
Mortimer hands down the best in class for grace on the ball Bowyer, with the ball he was deceptively graceful and glidy Jensen Gomez Smertin Holmes
overall
Pirlo, could move like water. It upsets me how many people like football yet don't say this guy is the pinnacle of the game Henry, great ball striking technique and such a direct runner and dribbler yet did so in a very elegant gallop Messi but less so because half the time he's nicking the ball away from the toe of someone trying to give him a really dull one Gerrard, absolute Rolls Royce of a mover, hard to describe what I mean but as an athlete he obviously had the physique for the game but the way he could take a pass and without rolling his foot over the ball or doing a million stepovers he could storm past players in a way few have been able to Bergkamp, perfectly weighted feet and never looked like he was out of 2nd gear Scholes, less of a graceful mover on the ball but to see him collect a ball, half turn and on the same movement lick it into the path of a overlapping full back without making them break stride and effectively skinning the opposition full back himself was something to behold Beckham, unrivalled ball striking technique and body shape to deliver horrible balls to defend. He was less gracious of running with the ball though, always looked harassed Paolo Maldini, made tackling sexy and gracious Zinedine Zidane
Not one mention of Brazilian Ronaldo, come on mate.
You'd said all there was to say about him mate. I had thought about De Bruyne, Kaka, Rivaldo, Saviola and Ortega as well but started to lose patience with typing on a phone
Charlton have never really had that type of player since I’ve been watching. Only one I can think of...he was overweight and slow but jesus he was naturally talented and that was Andy Reid. Wand of a left foot.
Mortimer hands down the best in class for grace on the ball Bowyer, with the ball he was deceptively graceful and glidy Jensen Gomez Smertin Holmes
overall
Pirlo, could move like water. It upsets me how many people like football yet don't say this guy is the pinnacle of the game Henry, great ball striking technique and such a direct runner and dribbler yet did so in a very elegant gallop Messi but less so because half the time he's nicking the ball away from the toe of someone trying to give him a really dull one Gerrard, absolute Rolls Royce of a mover, hard to describe what I mean but as an athlete he obviously had the physique for the game but the way he could take a pass and without rolling his foot over the ball or doing a million stepovers he could storm past players in a way few have been able to Bergkamp, perfectly weighted feet and never looked like he was out of 2nd gear Scholes, less of a graceful mover on the ball but to see him collect a ball, half turn and on the same movement lick it into the path of a overlapping full back without making them break stride and effectively skinning the opposition full back himself was something to behold Beckham, unrivalled ball striking technique and body shape to deliver horrible balls to defend. He was less gracious of running with the ball though, always looked harassed Paolo Maldini, made tackling sexy and gracious Zinedine Zidane
Not one mention of Brazilian Ronaldo, come on mate.
You'd said all there was to say about him mate. I had thought about De Bruyne, Kaka, Rivaldo, Saviola and Ortega as well but started to lose patience with typing on a phone
Yeah when you dig deep there’s some real gems. Remember Redondo for Real and AC Milan. Natural class.
Charlton have never really had that type of player since I’ve been watching. Only one I can think of...he was overweight and slow but jesus he was naturally talented and that was Andy Reid. Wand of a left foot.
Great shout, remember the first time I saw him and he could also fit into the most ungraceful category too the way he ran arms and hips waggling all over the place like a boxer dog chasing a kite but his technique was fantastic and if you disregarded the waddle gait he had, he could glide as well when cutting inside
I'll add Petrov who played for Villa. Only saw him play in the flesh once I think away at villa park and he was on a different level but his movement stood out to me, it's also the day I realised you don't need to be 6 foot 4 to be a dominant centre forward. Angel absolutely humiliated our defence that day and spent the entire game with his back to the goal
Pirlo is a great shout. Absolute majesty with the ball at his feet - truly sublime. That pass for Grosso's goal in the wc semi - special memories of that, watching my former father in law stand up even before the ball went in the net and shouting 'PIRLO' at the top of his voice. Closely followed by my former brother in law running out into the street screaming his fucking head off. Sicilians. 😁
Tony Currie as far as opposition players go. An excellent player on grass but streets ahead of anyone else as I recall when we played QPR when they had an artificial pitch.
Comments
He wasn't exactly built for out and out speed but I have never seen a player faster over 10 yards. It's no wonder his knees went.
it was mesmerizing how he looked like he was running backwards through treacle, and when he received a pass from a teammate somehow miraculously the ball would bounce off his shin for a throw in.
He made the game look effortless You don’t see players of his ilk and finesse anymore.
George Best wasn’t graceful and neither was Bobby Charlton, nor was Colin Powell, IMHO.
A graceful player is someone who isn’t hurried, comfortable both on and off the ball, reads the game very well and has top dollar positional sense as well as skill, they seem to ghost through a game rarely throwing themselves about or getting too much involved in physical contact.
Bobby Moore was possibly the greatest I have seen of that type of player, for Charlton IMHO, it was Marvin Hinton.
In general, Ronaldo or Messi
he was at one point one of the greatest midfielders in the country.
Mortimer hands down the best in class for grace on the ball
Bowyer, with the ball he was deceptively graceful and glidy
Jensen
Gomez
Smertin
Holmes
overall
Pirlo, could move like water. It upsets me how many people like football yet don't say this guy is the pinnacle of the game
Henry, great ball striking technique and such a direct runner and dribbler yet did so in a very elegant gallop
Messi but less so because half the time he's nicking the ball away from the toe of someone trying to give him a really dull one
Gerrard, absolute Rolls Royce of a mover, hard to describe what I mean but as an athlete he obviously had the physique for the game but the way he could take a pass and without rolling his foot over the ball or doing a million stepovers he could storm past players in a way few have been able to
Bergkamp, perfectly weighted feet and never looked like he was out of 2nd gear
Scholes, less of a graceful mover on the ball but to see him collect a ball, half turn and on the same movement lick it into the path of a overlapping full back without making them break stride and effectively skinning the opposition full back himself was something to behold
Beckham, unrivalled ball striking technique and body shape to deliver horrible balls to defend. He was less gracious of running with the ball though, always looked harassed
Paolo Maldini, made tackling sexy and gracious
Zinedine Zidane
In his Liverpool days he was the ONLY winger to give John Humphrey a proper roasting, nobody else came close.
My favourite player.