David Beckham - Gentleman.

[bluto]

A reporter trying to stir up shit cos Fergie listed five world class players that had played under him, yet omitted Becks... And Becks quietly agrees.

(Me, too. I thought he had great skill, applied himself but wasn't as good as the engerlish press hyped him.)

He's a typically decent, lovely Chingford chap.

Look... and love.... (apart from his gross misjudgement with tattoos...)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-34353974

[pozbaird]

Disagree... Definitely world class.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=zxbz3DDQzHU

[oaksoft]

A reporter trying to stir up shit cos Fergie listed five world class players that had played under him, yet omitted Becks... And Becks quietly agrees.

(Me, too. I thought he had great skill, applied himself but wasn't as good as the engerlish press hyped him.)

He's a typically decent, lovely Chingford chap.

Look... and love.... (apart from his gross misjudgement with tattoos...)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-34353974

In fairness to him he always seemed a decent guy.

He always played his heart out. I'll never forget that Greece game when he single-handedly saved England from elimination. I'll also never forget that Argentina game either when he scored.

We simply don't have enough players with that attitude in the game.

He may not have been world class but he was a hell of a role model to youngsters.

[bluto]

Disagree... Definitely world class.

Disagree... Definitely world class.

I agree about that catch, but...

Don't recognise the lad.

Mibbe Souf Chingford or the 'Stow...?

[bluto]

In fairness to him he always seemed a decent guy.

He always played his heart out. I'll never forget that Greece game when he single-handedly saved England from elimination. I'll also never forget that Argentina game either when he scored.

We simply don't have enough players with that attitude in the game.

He may not have been world class but he was a hell of a role model to youngsters.

I agree with most of your post, but not the "single-handed" quip.

That referee gave him chance after chance from soft fouls within shooting distance for him to get it right, that day.

[insaintee]

David Beckham... not over rated.

I also think neither Scoles nor Giggs were world class

[WeeBud]

David Beckham... not over rated.

I also think neither Scoles nor Giggs were world class

Opinions are what they are but Iniesta regarded Scholes as the best he had played against at one point

[pozbaird]

Is Zlatan Ibrahimovich 'world class'? I'll go out on a limb and say truly elite players like Pele, Maradona and Messi are unarguably in the world class bracket - subjective as that is. Then there's guys like George Best. Apparently the late Duncan Edwards was a class act.

If Beckham played for Man Utd winning all those trophies for all those years, then fitted into the Real Madrid 'galacticos' team of Beckham, Roberto Carlos, Zidane, Figo, Fat Ronaldo... Then was good enough for AC Milan... Starred for England and captained them, then made a major impact in the MLS....

World class for me anyway. Can we get him for the Saints? As he is now - he'd get a game nae' bother.

By the way, his aftershave and deodorant range is good stuff... 'Instinct' body spray now down to £1.50 in Tesco.... And he nipped a Spice Girl... And he owns his own fitba' team... And he's minted... And he's an ambassador for good causes and seems a grounded nice guy... And he's a good looking guy who women swoon over.

World class cnut! Jealous, who, me? Nah... He only had one foot.

Edited September 25, 2015 by pozbaird

[Hambud]

Opinions are what they are but Iniesta regarded Scholes as the best he had played against at one point

Messi has been quoted as saying that Scholes game was used more than anyone else's as the case study when he was coming through La Masia. In fact check out www.givemesport.com/344869-paul-scholes-the-best-quotes and the list of compliments is endless. Edited September 25, 2015 by Hambud

[bluto]

I was always happy when Scholes was left out of the engerland team.

And heartily applauded his decision to quit International Football far too early.

Me?

Small-minded?

Aye.

ETA: Another proof of Scholes being right up there with Maradonna - though somehow the engerlish media have never dwelt upon it - was his ability to score a goal USING HIS FIST in a World Cup Tournament.

V Poland 1986, I think.

http://www.whoateallthepies.tv/videos/177780/top-5-england-vs-poland-encounters.html

Edited September 25, 2015 by bluto

[Buffs]

Scholes over Beckham, for me.

[Barney63]

I'm no expert, and it is of course totally subjective, but I am genuinely always surprised when I hear Scholes being touted as world class, it honestly never occurred to me that's what I was watching when I saw him play, though he was clearly a very good player. It wasn't really a claim made during his playing career as far as I recall, so I consider this well-meant revisionism of the sort that happens all the time now in the football media saturated world trying to fill air time and sell papers. It's worth remembering many of the swooning compliments from top players came in the immediate aftermath of his retirement, when they had a microphone pushed in their face, and when it would have been extremely churlish not to say something nice about the bloke.

[pozbaird]

I always thought Scholes was a dirty wee cnut. Couldn't believe the amount of times pundits simply said his tackles were always simply 'mistimed'. Having said that, he's a dirty wee cnut that I'd loved to have had in my team.

[saintnextlifetime]

Most of the guys , mentioned above , simply pale into insignificance , when compared to the sublime, footballing genius of Paisley lad , Archie Gemmill. .

[Balmullo Bud]

Best English midfielder since Gascoigne, but even more effective than him on the pitch IMO. Again it's all opinions, but the list of top players and managers that have classed him as world class is massive.

He was an all rounder, had a long career and always on the ball, bossing games. He had great engine, great vision and reader of the game, great going forward and breaking up play in front of his defence, amazing passer, hardly ever lost the ball, great feet and touch, goals from headers, long range pile drivers, late runs into the box for goals and a lot of dig.

He was a nasty wee f*cker on the pitch and did get some reds from dirty tackles, but what a player to have in your team. A Makelele, Gerrard and Xavi rolled into one.

Still remember his two bloody goals at Hampden that ended up sinking us in the playoffs. He was the difference between two ordinary teams in that playoff unfortunately.

Surely a 5"6 fiery gingerheed should be Scottish anyway.

[saintnextlifetime]

Best English midfielder since Gascoigne, but even more effective than him on the pitch IMO. Again it's all opinions, but the list of top players and managers that have classed him as world class is massive.

He was an all rounder, had a long career and always on the ball, bossing games. He had great engine, great vision and reader of the game, great going forward and breaking up play in front of his defence, amazing passer, hardly ever lost the ball, great feet and touch, goals from headers, long range pile drivers, late runs into the box for goals and a lot of dig.

He was a nasty wee f*cker on the pitch and did get some reds from dirty tackles, but what a player to have in your team. A Makelele, Gerrard and Xavi rolled into one.

Still remember his two bloody goals at Hampden that ended up sinking us in the playoffs. He was the difference between two ordinary teams in that playoff unfortunately.

Surely a 5"6 fiery gingerheed should be Scottish anyway.

Who . .

[Balmullo Bud]

Who . .

Oops, sorry, didn't mention his name. Thought you'd work it out from the posts discussing him just just before, Bud... Vinnie Jones.

[shull]

I thought it was Stevie Aitken.

[RickMcD]

As a few have said, it's all subjective. Separating Becks and Scholes is near impossible but Beckham caught the eye a bit more with some special goals and great crossing. There is a video of all Scholsey's goals for united I saw not so long ago and a lot of them are sensational.

I always thought we'd never see a player to match Pele but Messi is close and has years in him yet. He might just eclipse him. I was lucky enough to see the fantastic Real Madrid forward line of Canario, Del Sol, Di Stefano ,Puskas ang Gento. Those five were all world class and behind them they had Santamaria at centre half who was probably the best that ever played with the possible exception of John Charles.

I think British players who would be regarded as world class would include George Best, Bobby Moore and probably the likes of Stanley Mathews, Nat Lofthouse and Billy Wright. Gordon Banks was a world class keeper.Jimmy Greaves would qualify I think.

It's hard to come up with a Scottish player who fits the bill. Kenny Dalglish probably comes close. My all time hero King Denis. Jimmy Johnstone might count. Sure I've forgotten a few. Two I think should have made it were Jim Baxter and Jimmy Smith. For a year or two I think Baxter was world class. He was an absolute delight to watch.Cheeky, arrogant and at tines lazy but what a player. Jimmy Smith should have become a world class player but off-field misbehaviour and injury finished him far too young. And Shull's hero Andy Ritchie had all the skills to be a world star.

Where have all our great players gone? I genuinely believe that if we picked a team of our best players over the last 15 years and could time travel and have them play any Scottish team from say 1960 until 1990, they would get stuffed in every game. I really believe that.

[windae cleaner]

As a few have said, it's all subjective. Separating Becks and Scholes is near impossible but Beckham caught the eye a bit more with some special goals and great crossing. There is a video of all Scholsey's goals for united I saw not so long ago and a lot of them are sensational.

I always thought we'd never see a player to match Pele but Messi is close and has years in him yet. He might just eclipse him. I was lucky enough to see the fantastic Real Madrid forward line of Canario, Del Sol, Di Stefano ,Puskas ang Gento. Those five were all world class and behind them they had Santamaria at centre half who was probably the best that ever played with the possible exception of John Charles.

I think British players who would be regarded as world class would include George Best, Bobby Moore and probably the likes of Stanley Mathews, Nat Lofthouse and Billy Wright. Gordon Banks was a world class keeper.Jimmy Greaves would qualify I think.

It's hard to come up with a Scottish player who fits the bill. Kenny Dalglish probably comes close. My all time hero King Denis. Jimmy Johnstone might count. Sure I've forgotten a few. Two I think should have made it were Jim Baxter and Jimmy Smith. For a year or two I think Baxter was world class. He was an absolute delight to watch.Cheeky, arrogant and at tines lazy but what a player. Jimmy Smith should have become a world class player but off-field misbehaviour and injury finished him far too young. And Shull's hero Andy Ritchie had all the skills to be a world star.

Where have all our great players gone? I genuinely believe that if we picked a team of our best players over the last 15 years and could time travel and have them play any Scottish team from say 1960 until 1990, they would get stuffed in every game. I really believe that.

Alex Ferguson blamed Maggie Thatcher the other day in an interview

[bluto]

Alex Ferguson blamed Maggie Thatcher the other day in an interview

It seemed an entirely reasonable position to take, I agreed.

[RickMcD]

I'm a wee tad younger than you (wouldn't be hard ) and obviously haven't seen live all the players that you have but I've got to disagree with you on that, especially the further back you go. Those players, I have no doubt, were a joy to watch but I think that modern training techniques and fitness levels would probably mean that the more modern players would win, irrespective of their ability compared to the oldies. I generally look on comparisons in all sports in a way that I heard someone use athletics as an example back in the 80s - "If it wasn't for the stopwatch, there would be people who would argue that Roger Bannister would beat Coe and Ovett". [/b] Basically, sportsmen, in all sports, generally get better - it does not mean they are as good to watch.

It's not anything that can be proven either way, so that's just my (correct ) opinion.

No, it can't be proven either way but come on, time travel works brilliantly well both ways. We're talking about a team game, not an individual's race against a stopwatch. If my mythical team from let's say 1975 arrived today, most of them would walk into the team. There's no substitute for skill. Footballers in the 70's weren't generally as fit, not arguing about that, but I'm assuming when they arrive you would let them get properly fit. As a corollary I would add that a present day team going back in time, to the levels of fitness then, would get swept aside. It was always a $64,OOO question in football. Would the most skilful team win or the best drilled? I would go for the better skilled nine times out of ten.

You mention Roger Bannister. He had put in a shift as a doctor on the day he broke the four minute mile. His race was at 6 o'clock in the evening on a cinder track. How would our present crop of milers do in those circumstances? Suppose Bannister had a decent pair of modern spikes and access to modern day food supplements and by that I mean legal ones? The current mile record is only 16 seconds faster set in 1999 so Bannister's time is impressive.

I reckon I could name forty or fifty players from 1960-90 and you would struggle to name an international from 1990 onwards who would be chosen ahead of them. Can you come up with let's say half a dozen players from 1990 onwards who you think would walk into an all time Scotland team and maybe some of the other lads might comment?

[Herbie]

Went to see Sir Alex tonight at the concert hall and Nicky Campbell asked him about this. He basically articulated his thoughts about this as follows....

1. He doesn't give a f**k what anyone thinks as he is the greatest manager of all time.

2. Defenders don't count. Only 1 defender in 50 years has ever win the Ballon d'Or.

3. He's only included players he believed could fundamentally change a game in an instant.

4. He conceded that it is totally subjective.

[RickMcD]

Went to see Sir Alex tonight at the concert hall and Nicky Campbell asked him about this. He basically articulated his thoughts about this as follows....

1. He doesn't give a f**k what anyone thinks as he is the greatest manager of all time.

2. Defenders don't count. Only 1 defender in 50 years has ever win the Ballon d'Or.

3. He's only included players he believed could fundamentally change a game in an instant.

4. He conceded that it is totally subjective.

I reckon in reply ;-

1. Could be argued. He's right up in the top few in history.

2. Of course defenders count. No use having strikers scoring five every week if your defence is shipping six.

3. Dead on if you can find them.

4. Correct.

[StanleySaint]

I always assert to my friends down here that Gemmill's goal is the best in world cup history taking in to account the basic skills levels of the respective players. As for Beckham, I'd rather have him own the club than play for it!!