Ozil and Cazorla rated best midfielders in Europe

That is true though

 

Akinbiyi was assistant manager of my local club until earlier this year

 

Anyway ... what are you all banging on about ... it's bollox ... there is a new kid on the block....

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Football is getting like American sports nowadays with all these pointless ****ing stats

 

Wow! You must be a child. Best is one of the greatest players ever, up with Pele and Maradona.

 

I wonder with Pele, was he all that? A thousand and however many goals is some achievement, and was obviously the gem of some fantastic Brazil sides, but, without knowing much about his career, I can't put him on the pedestal of Best and Maradona. Then again Best of course had little international career compared to the other two and Maradona was taking God knows what. Would probably say Maradona is #1 for me but that's without having seen any of them live.

Also, do foreigners revere Best in the way we do Maradona, Pele, Cruyff etc?

 

George Best? You had to have been there and seen him play to appreciate just how good he was. He played on **** pitches that were no better than ploughed fields, in an era when it was semi legal for the likes of Chopper Harris to kick you straight into the third row of the stand.

He was almost naturally two footed, incredible balance, etc. he really was something special. Closest contemporary comparison I could give you is Messi! He was that good before fame and the booze got him.

 

... the obvious admiration of opposing fans tells you all you need to know ... every kid in the playground wanted to be George Best in the kick abouts...

 

Best was a genius.

I know that he's mentioned after the likes of Pele and Maradona, but I truly think he was better than either of those two (very fine) players.

 

We also had George Best "Stylo Matchmaker" boots

 

I don't disagree. The videos I've seen of him are fantastic. I was just wondering, if you asked a foreigner to name the best five players of all time, would he come into their thinking?

 

Wee, obviously, you'd have to be of a certain age to remember him. Also, premier league ( or first division) football wasn't widely shown abroad, as it is today. As Georgie was Northern Irish, not many saw him play internationally either. On Workd cups, for instance, which is where Pele shot to international fame.

Having said all this, those that have seen him play, knew they'd seen something special.

 

What's a workd cup? Was that some tournament they had 'back in your time'?

 

Don't give up the day job. Assuming you have one!..

 

World Cups are the pinnacle for footballers and Pele won what 3?

Hard to compare Best due to his lack of an international career and lack of longevity. Amazing as he was there is a reason most go for Maradona and Pele as the best 2; given what they did at club and international level.

 

Don't forget Best was European Footballer Of The Year in 1968 so people would have known about him

 

True. I'd forgotten about that.

 

Don't worry I know that old ****ers like you start losing your memory

 

Yeah fair point. Would just love to know how he'd have got on in a European league.