In the premiership... 1) Beckham 2) Drogba 3) Gerrard 4) Ronaldo 5) Van Persie (during his arsenal days when he actually took free kicks)
Ronaldo hits the occasional screamer but most of the time he seems to miss... obviously most free-kick takers follow this pattern but Ronaldo's prowess seems a little exaggerated based on the power and occasionally the distance of his goals. Messi is much better IMO. Off the top of my head anyway... Bale Beckham Ronaldo Fabregas Gerrard (but not corners ffs) Lampard Sigurdsson Henry, Pires, Scholes, Riise, Yaya and many others had/have talent. No-one sticks in my mind for freekicks like Juninho though. EDIT: No-one made the Charlie Adam reference yet...?
Btw this is about the premier league and Ronaldo's free kicks in the PL were consistently brilliant. (They've turned to poo in la liga)
Agree with all that's been said, and that even in that august company Beckham was imperious. Remember one he took against us @ '97 at Anfield. Practically a yard outside the right corner of the box, somehow the **** hit a curling, dipping millimetre perfect ball (not too fast, at all, just splendidly weighted) that James hardly moved for as it whistled into the left corner of the goal - do the geometry, a right-footer from there into the far corner. Outstanding. I do think Gerrard has come closest at crossing a moving ball (but not AS good), but then again I think Leon Osman is the most underrated crosser of a ball I've seen in the Prem, so what do I know?
What have you been smoking that turned your brain to Poo Ronaldo either hit the wall or drive it over the bar 90% of the time That egotistic legs spread stance then whack hit the wall In fairness to those saying it drogba was better at that style No beckham was by far the better dead ball specialist
Why are we calling Beckham average? Easiest one of the best wingers from the Premier League. The fact he had no pace makes his ability even better. Also Beckham took the best pen.
Could argue given his ability to put the ball on the spot from 60 yards away he never had to develop that side of his game. Why run sixty yards when you can bypass so many players by passing it 60 yards
True. I was always taught by my football coaches that the ball moved faster than anyone on the team could run. Which is true. As for the topic, how about players like Seb Larsson & Laurent Robert who were probably more successful at free kicks than a lot of players that have been named so far. I guess over the last few years we've seen the death of the 'free kick expert' and its simply a case of the best player on the team takes them.
Best overall dead ball specialist Beckham by far Best free kick taker around the area (controversial one) Denis Irwin
