this is an interesting thread. I think a key measure here needs to be success rate. I eman lets call a spade a spade here... there are a couple of obvious names that hit a couple and think they are it. I mean roberto carlos is a classic one where he got one wonder strike and tried for ten years to kill people i nthe wall thereafter... Same for ronaldo.. sorry but the guy might exploit the ball today and yes others now copy (with higher success rate) but the fact is 95% hit the wall or are blazed over. As an objective view i have to say that the shout for juninho is a good one but I have to go for beckham. The thing is is this shooting only or also set piece frees cos in both beckham was deadly.
Have to agree with MITO, Beckham definately had that knack of knowing where to place the ball. Think there was a pepsi advert not so long showing Beckham on the beach planting balls into trash cans from about 50 yards out. Did 3 consecutively one after the other. Could have been setup but looked neat all the same
re becks, when that's all you do you're bound to be good at it, he was fk all else use as a footballer One of the most overrated players in footballing history, a winger that could not beat a player. When he was tried in the middle it was all too apparent. Great free taker though and for success rate he was excellent, in the top 2. But jesus did those boots let you bend a ball like fk but I would say Becks pinches it in the modern era. I saw Branco score v Argentina in the old Copa America, just inside the half way line. Ball traveled 40 yards 2 feet off the ground and then went up into the top corner. Best free I've ever seen.
Not sure it was a setup. A few years back for the Galaxy, he hit a ball from 50+ yards through a ring up in the stadium during warm up. Was nuts that he could intentionally do that on the first try.
ok, i will not disagree that for the mast say 10 years he's done f all else but the question is only best free taker... Also i won;t dispute anyone calling out someone form a time i didn't see cos i've no clue. just so long and nobody says ronaldo in the top 3-5 cos he hits the wall more than the target.
DAvid Beckham is THE best ever! People forget how good he was because of how famous he has become in 'celebrity' but his free kicks were incredible and consistent
Then it's missing teeth or smashed nads for a defender or two Not much technique to hitting a dead ball. if it's all you do you all day WILL be very good at it. By the looks of Becks in other areas such as movement tackling dribbling ball retention, he certainly took dead ball kicks non stop and neglected the rest of his game. oh, he could cross too
This ain't no place for man-crush recollections He was a very good kicker of the ball but only a half decent footballer.
Re Ronaldo, anyone that can kick the ball sufficiently hard will make it go all over the place, kicking the valve with your lace bit of the boot with power, not skill, basically Adidas and Nike are scoring goals and they don't even play football, they just make the ball
he was never a world class player. He had a world class foot. The rest of him was flaccid. Jealousy If I was a pro and I played similar position and was in competition with him then I might have been but other than his foot, the rest of his life is insipid to say the least charity work apart, the guy is basically a ventriloquist dummy for his bird and the other marketing whores. Nice points for debate btw, no mention of the other stuff I said about him as a player? Just jealousy eh?
Yes, he played for Manchester UNited, Real Madrid and England at the top level for years with only one good attribute. He was/is a great passer, great technique and was world class. Came 3rd in worl plater of the year I believe. WOn countless trophies under Alex Ferguson who isnt going to play a player that much if they are not very, very good. Im sure he desnt mind his life. Rich, handsome, happy family. Sorry, you do just seem like one of the Beckham haters (which suggest jealousy). Do you also think Owen wasnt world class?
that's more like it Now does it hurt to put a bit of effort in. Real made a fortune off singing him, next you'll be saying PSG signed him because he was world class. United play in a way that suits someone that can cross like he does. 3rd in player of the year Who was first and 2nd? I am sure there's a few players that came third I would consider not world class but had a decent season Wonder how much of it was for free kicks too. he could pass, as long as it was a cross Won countless trophies under Fergie. Countless, how many fingers you got? And fergie got rid of this world class talent after he lost control of the puppet to Posh Kicked a boot in his face, managers don't kick boots at the faces of world class talents. Rich handsome happy family? I love how you presume to know those things, I only comment on what I have seen, the insipid brand and soul selling for a few quid and utter control by that creature he married and the over the top pretense that gives you diabetes. Did I mention he wore a skirt
