1. Ronaldo (you never should have sold him imo) 2. Cantona 3 Giggs 4 Scholes The 'great' players Wayne Rooney David Beckham Keane Carlos Tevez Rio Ferdinand Peter Schmeichel http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/34311859 Surprised he included Tevez... no Irwin, Robson, Hughes, Van Nistlerooy etc
I'd classify Schmeichel as world class. Best keeper I've ever seen play the game. Keane as well but no surprise that Fergie hasn't wanted to give him the highest praise. He listed some examples of what he considers to be "great players". I'm sure they don't comprise the definitive list, just some examples. You don't win 13 league titles with only 4 world class players and 6 great players. I agree that we should never have sold Ronaldo. It's that kind of visionary insight that make you the Confucius of Not606.
Pretty pointless thread (quelle surprise) as it all depends on how you view 'world class'. Hard to argue that Scholes, Giggs, Ronaldo and Cantona weren't amongst our best players ever under SAF, along with Keane and Schmeichel, but then he could be being a bit selective after their various arguments. Tbh you could also add Rio, Vidic, Irwin, Stam, Robson, Rooney, RVN, Beckham etc as also being up there with the best. But there's the problem - you can list as many great players as you want and it's all up to the individual where they place the arbitrary mark of being 'world class'. SAF is just obviously much more selective than your average Liverpool or Chelsea fan...
World class means they would have made it into a worlds best 11 in there prime, and I think there are only a few who would have. Obviously Ronaldo would have, as would probably Scholes, Schmiechel, Giggs and RVN. Vidic and Rio at there best where as good a partnership as there was in Europe, so I think they'd have a chance too. Not sure there are many others who would have made it into a world 11 though
Schmichael, Keane, Van Nistelrooy and Ferdinand definitely were 'world class' but I see where Fergie is coming from, every person's definition of world class seems to be different.
I think there should be a different term for that, best in the world maybe. For me 'world class' are players among the best in the world in their positions. For example there are currently more than 2 world class centre midfielders or centre forwards so are the other behind those just simply good?
Or United fan....given you want to add another 8 players plus to that list.... Good dig though; despite the obvious flaw...
It's not beyond reason though that in Fergie's twenty odd years at United he'd have had more than four world class players. Keane definitely was, for a period he was simply the best centre mid in Europe, considering the vast majority of the worlds best play in Europe he was world class. Irwin - only Maldini was better in my opinion so he was, in his position. Stam was. Robson most certainly was. van Nistelrooy 100% was, no debate. Who was a better centre forward at the time? Raul? Anyone else? Henry was knocking about at that time too, what's his record in the champions league by comparison for instance? And both Schmeichel and van der Sar were as keepers.
For the RS it is the player who currently occupies that position in their team: hence mignolet is world class as is the Brazilian midget
I don't disagree, Swarbs was just being a wally! Just depends where the line is drawn I guess. In my view there are 'world class players' which are players who are in the top 2-3 in their position (crudely speaking). Then there are players who are above even that level, players who are true greats and recognised as such internationally, not just in the P.L. Cantona definitely is not in this league but Ronaldo definitely is. These players are exceptionally rare. It's also difficult to determine how much consistency you need to be viewed as world class retrospectively. Kaka for instance was world class for a time, but faded quickly.
A good definition for world class is a player able to be seriously considered ina world XI at the time. Using that definition I would add only schmeichel. The likes of Beckham were good for United but at no time was he in a possible world XI.
Sorry none of them are top world class players, all very good, but not world 11 players. And Fat frank, get real
