Apart from the obvious names Davor Sukor was my favourite player to watch. Was so excited when he came to prem but he never quite lived up to the Sevilla/ Madrid player he was previous.
Eddie Firmani was the epitome of elegance but if an opponent decided to get over-physical, especially to one of our younger players, you knew that retribution would be swift and brutal. A magnificent player.
Stuart Leary was wonderfully graceful, actually a magician. Marvin Hinton was a centre-half calm to the point of nonchalance. Lenny Glover was a fleet-footed winger whose forays were certainly pleasing to the eye, whereas Billy Bonds storming forward with great pitch-devouring strides was raw power.
In the modern era I don't think it's unreasonable to describe Joe Gomez as graceful. Di Canio was flamboyant and stylish, and Darren Bent nothing but a pleasure to watch.
Going back a little, but Liam Brady was a wonderfully elegant footballer for both the Arse and Juventus.
Glen Hoddle was a genius - unlucky to be play in an era where the long ball tactics of Watford and Wimbledon, meant that he spent large part of games watching the ball arrow over his head.
Agree with other posters that Zola and Bergkamp were both a cut above.
Glen Hoddle was a genius - unlucky to be play in an era where the long ball tactics of Watford and Wimbledon, meant that he spent large part of games watching the ball arrow over his head.
Just guided the ball to where it needed to be each time
I would put Scholes in that bracket.
It was either Xavi or Iniesta, at the height of their skills, who described Paul Scholes as the best midfielder in the world!
The word graceful affected my choices - the above were brilliant,a s was zola but not sure they were particularly graceful - another graceful player was Trevor Brooking
Redondo. How Pasarella managed to piss him off and lost him to the 98 WC, was the biggest tragedy to one of Argentina's most talented squads. Beckham and Scholes had goals over him, Scholes could operate in the spaces supremely, but neither of them could define matches against the best in the world. Redondo made McMannaman world class. Athletically supreme when he was young, everyone knew his feint flick was coming but couldn't do anything about it. When he slowed down at Madrid later on, he sat deeper but still found the space to run the match.
If only England could produce brilliant players who can operate centrally, skip laterally, then centre again. Instead of great European players like Beckham who run in straight lines all day long.
Redondo. How Pasarella managed to piss him off and lost him to the 98 WC, was the biggest tragedy to one of Argentina's most talented squads. Beckham and Scholes had goals over him, Scholes could operate in the spaces supremely, but neither of them could define matches against the best in the world. Redondo made McMannaman world class. Athletically supreme when he was young, everyone knew his feint flick was coming but couldn't do anything about it. When he slowed down at Madrid later on, he sat deeper but still found the space to run the match.
If only England could produce brilliant players who can operate centrally, skip laterally, then centre again. Instead of great European players like Beckham who run in straight lines all day long.
Redondo is a good call for gracefulness
One of the things I should say is players develop and become great within the climate they play in. I think when he was marching about in midfield players like him were suited to spanish or south american football. English and most european football at the time was a lot more industrious and about percentages
I do think we have produced those players and Scholes was a good example of it, found space and saw space regardless of where it was on the pitch. Whereas a lot of british players would do a job within a system and not look to retain possession in any area, or to take the ball, turn and look up
Not going to be everyone’s cup of tea, but I always thought Frank Worthington was good value. He really blossomed at Leicester when playing with our Lennie Glover.
Redondo. How Pasarella managed to piss him off and lost him to the 98 WC, was the biggest tragedy to one of Argentina's most talented squads. Beckham and Scholes had goals over him, Scholes could operate in the spaces supremely, but neither of them could define matches against the best in the world. Redondo made McMannaman world class. Athletically supreme when he was young, everyone knew his feint flick was coming but couldn't do anything about it. When he slowed down at Madrid later on, he sat deeper but still found the space to run the match.
If only England could produce brilliant players who can operate centrally, skip laterally, then centre again. Instead of great European players like Beckham who run in straight lines all day long.
Redondo is a good call for gracefulness
One of the things I should say is players develop and become great within the climate they play in. I think when he was marching about in midfield players like him were suited to spanish or south american football. English and most european football at the time was a lot more industrious and about percentages
I do think we have produced those players and Scholes was a good example of it, found space and saw space regardless of where it was on the pitch. Whereas a lot of british players would do a job within a system and not look to retain possession in any area, or to take the ball, turn and look up
Scholes was excellent. Sticking him on the left of a midfield 4 for England was always criminal. The difference is Scholes was good at finding space, and playing in pockets of space. Did he make space by breaking up play, and taking out players with devestating dribbles? Not really. He always looked elegant to me but not devestating. Redondo had the movement of Hoddle whilst defensively being as good as Makelele. Even in the centre of a midfield 3 for England I'm not sure Scholes would have raised our one dimensional game. Redondo could play in any world class league/team at his peak and would have improved them significantly, even England.
We seemed to have many players who could skip laterally in the 70s and into the 80s- such as Hoddle - by the Premiership all the British players emerging were straight liners. Into that brilliant bunch I'd toss Chris Waddle. The most graceful English player I've seen. Barnes was incredible but Waddles movement just had a little bit more balance to it.
Redondo. How Pasarella managed to piss him off and lost him to the 98 WC, was the biggest tragedy to one of Argentina's most talented squads. Beckham and Scholes had goals over him, Scholes could operate in the spaces supremely, but neither of them could define matches against the best in the world. Redondo made McMannaman world class. Athletically supreme when he was young, everyone knew his feint flick was coming but couldn't do anything about it. When he slowed down at Madrid later on, he sat deeper but still found the space to run the match.
If only England could produce brilliant players who can operate centrally, skip laterally, then centre again. Instead of great European players like Beckham who run in straight lines all day long.
Redondo is a good call for gracefulness
One of the things I should say is players develop and become great within the climate they play in. I think when he was marching about in midfield players like him were suited to spanish or south american football. English and most european football at the time was a lot more industrious and about percentages
I do think we have produced those players and Scholes was a good example of it, found space and saw space regardless of where it was on the pitch. Whereas a lot of british players would do a job within a system and not look to retain possession in any area, or to take the ball, turn and look up
Scholes was excellent. Sticking him on the left of a midfield 4 for England was always criminal. The difference is Scholes was good at finding space, and playing in pockets of space. Did he make space by breaking up play, and taking out players with devestating dribbles? Not really. He always looked elegant to me but not devestating. Redondo had the movement of Hoddle whilst defensively being as good as Makelele. Even in the centre of a midfield 3 for England I'm not sure Scholes would have raised our one dimensional game. Redondo could play in any world class league/team at his peak and would have improved them significantly, even England.
We seemed to have many players who could skip laterally in the 70s and into the 80s- such as Hoddle - by the Premiership all the British players emerging were straight liners. Into that brilliant bunch I'd toss Chris Waddle. The most graceful English player I've seen. Barnes was incredible but Waddles movement just had a little bit more balance to it.
I liked Chris Waddle for England, bit before my time as far as seeing him play in the flesh in his prime as he'd moved to France and the only time I was treated to him was when he was at Bradford and looked like he was playing through a really heavy cold against us, this was the game I thought the Bradford keeper Schwarzer was the best player on the pitch in a dull 1 nil defeat
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Was so excited when he came to prem but he never quite lived up to the Sevilla/ Madrid player he was previous.
JJ Okacha made the game look very easy.
Le Tissier was a joy to watch
Eddie Firmani was the epitome of elegance but if an opponent decided to get over-physical, especially to one of our younger players, you knew that retribution would be swift and brutal. A magnificent player.
Stuart Leary was wonderfully graceful, actually a magician. Marvin Hinton was a centre-half calm to the point of nonchalance. Lenny Glover was a fleet-footed winger whose forays were certainly pleasing to the eye, whereas Billy Bonds storming forward with great pitch-devouring strides was raw power.
In the modern era I don't think it's unreasonable to describe Joe Gomez as graceful. Di Canio was flamboyant and stylish, and Darren Bent nothing but a pleasure to watch.
Glen Hoddle was a genius - unlucky to be play in an era where the long ball tactics of Watford and Wimbledon, meant that he spent large part of games watching the ball arrow over his head.
Agree with other posters that Zola and Bergkamp were both a cut above.
Just guided the ball to where it needed to be each time
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16ZOK3sR9WQ&feature=emb_title
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVlob8IT8Lk
At his peak he had such an unflustered approach to defending and attacking. Stand-up defending, no diving in. Attacking with his shuffle and overlap.
I'd sum up SCP playing style as graceful considering he was a defender.
If only England could produce brilliant players who can operate centrally, skip laterally, then centre again. Instead of great European players like Beckham who run in straight lines all day long.
One of the things I should say is players develop and become great within the climate they play in. I think when he was marching about in midfield players like him were suited to spanish or south american football. English and most european football at the time was a lot more industrious and about percentages
I do think we have produced those players and Scholes was a good example of it, found space and saw space regardless of where it was on the pitch. Whereas a lot of british players would do a job within a system and not look to retain possession in any area, or to take the ball, turn and look up
Cripes that's a long time!
Went to Chelsea and they converted him from a CB to full back.
Eamon Dunphy used to glide over the pitch if I remember.
We seemed to have many players who could skip laterally in the 70s and into the 80s- such as Hoddle - by the Premiership all the British players emerging were straight liners. Into that brilliant bunch I'd toss Chris Waddle. The most graceful English player I've seen. Barnes was incredible but Waddles movement just had a little bit more balance to it.
Wednesday fans love him