There's been a bunch of stuff on the BBC website this week about Eric Cantona given that it's some anniversary of him kicking a palace fan. I saw him play for United at loftus road a couple of times in the 90s and for me he's the best player I've seen in the flesh. So as we're still a working week away from our next fixture I thought I'd throw it open to the forum. Who is the best non-qpr player you've seen at loftus road??
Best is the greatest player I've ever seen live at Loftus Rd, but he was well passed his best by then. I presume the OP means players in their prime? If so, I find it very difficult to pick just one out, but Aguerro has to be right up there.
The best should have been Gordon Banks but for some reason he nearly always had a nightmare against us........ The Leeds side that Revie put together in the early 70's and that great Liverpool side of the late 70's take some beating....
The Keegan/Toshack partnership for Liverpool......always like the little and large strike partner system. Crouch and Defoe another one.
I think you are right. Stan scored 2 or 3 that day (think it was new years day 74) and poor George just stayed out wide. In the end Dave Clement just pushed up and left him all very sad. Bergamp was a special player. Scored a great goal at the Bush one year. Lashed this ball into the net at the school end. Only player I have seen hit a ball harder was Mark Hughes who scored a similar goal against us at old Trafford back in 83.
Stan Bowles (for Carlisle) In all seriousness best player seen in the flesh was Maradona. I'm so old i've even seen Ferenc Puskas play albeit in a 5 a side tournament.
Suarez last season.. Pure quality. The best I had seen before that was Rooney when he scored after 30 or so seconds against us a few of seasons ago. I think he may of scored both. His movement and pace was quite incredible. When I was a kid I remember sitting on the wall behind the goal in the loft.. 1975/6? Kevin Keelan was in goal for Norwich and was unbeatable and saved a penalty to keep it 0-0. I think it was a daytime game so the old 70's strikes were in place and we had a half day off school. Keelan was as good as Phil Parkes in my young eyes and I would pretend to be him after that when I played in goal to be a bit different, as you did in those days.
I saw Maradona playing for Napoli 3 or 4 times, at a time when Serie A was stuffed with greats. He was so easily the best player I've ever seen live it's ridiculous. And he took huge punishment every minute of every game. Best pure attacker I've seen was van Basten and the best defender Maldini, my all time favourite player (yep, even beats Stan).
I'm with you nines. I nearly fifty years I can't remember seeing a better player at Loftus Road than Luis Suarez (that includes Stan & Rodney). Not just once. Both times he played here he was breathtaking. His awareness & speed of thought were out of this world. Horrible little s*** but boy can he play! Thank you (?) Mr Dalgliesh for taking him off & bringing Carroll on. Suddenly two down became three two up & was the start of the run to avoid relegation.
Van Basten gave one of the most amazing displays of a striker I've ever seen in a match against Gothenburg when he scored four which included one of his trademark overhead kicks. He also had a perfectly good goal disallowed just before he scored his first and within a couple of minutes repeated an almost identical goal which was allowed, he was different class as were that great Milan side...
I was there that night too. The Argentina World Cup winning team of 1978 were on a sort of world tour. Wembley had terracing then and I was high up behind one of the goals. Maradona picked this ball up deep and just ran at the England defence. I have never seen a player go past opponents at such speed. The crowd gasped. It was great to catch maradona then playing for fun. Of course later on he was Argentina and it all got to him.
I was at the end behind him when he made that run, beat four defenders like they were cardboard cut-outs and shot inches wide. The only player to win a World Cup despite his team-mates...
