Having scoured the forums up and down i notice the term 'world class' brandished about like its going out of fashion. Do you have to have won a world cup to be classed as world class? I wouldnt say Torres is world class...expensive yes..world class? No! No way does he influence matches for Spain like Zidane did for France who for me was truly World class. Do we in our ranks at Spurs have a truly World Class player? i dont think so strictly speaking. Does your importance in a team influence your playing class level? Kevin Davies is immense for Bolton....does that make him World class for Bolton fans? Is Messi world class? how influential is he for Argentina? not as influential as Zidane was on a consistent level for France...so is he world class yet? What makes a player world class? discuss
Everyone has different definitions of World Class but 'Arry says Luka's World Class and that's good enough for me.
World class, for me, is a player that would get into a World XI at the time. That would include players like Messi, Xavi and Ronaldo, for example, but not Aguero, Rooney or Modric, say.
so as i thought its all a matter of interpretation and the bolton fans are right in classing Kevin davies as world class As for a world XI...all these teams are biased and picked by numpties at FIFA.... PNP...what is aguero lacking that is hindering him being classed as world class according to you? winning trophies for a 'team'? hype? multiple expensive transfers?
I like that definition too but I think there's a strong case that there hasn't been a World Class right back for a long time.
I'd like to think that a world class player is one who can shine in a game no matter who or what level the opponents are. Unfortunately some national team bosses stick to favourites so some that shine domestically can never show themselves on the world stage.
I'd agree with that, mostly. You have to think of players who would be in a majority of people's world X1. Messi and Ronaldo, certainly. I suppose most of the rest of the team would create quite a debate.
I don't go along with the "World Eleven" definition. Maybe that's what it used to mean (maaaybe) but, unless practically the whole world is misusing the phrase then it has a different meaning now. For me it means a player who is good enough to play with/against the very best teams and players in the world and not look out of place. Not only is this clearly how players/managers/pundits/public use the phrase it also means that there can be more than one world class goalie on the planet at one time. There could be times when there are ten world class strikers in the Prem alone. Why not? Other times there might be none in the whole world. Modric is borderline world class IMO. No other names at Spurs really spring to mind. Berba was also borderline and King may well have been if only his knee had some cartilage in it for the last few years.
To be honest the term "World Class" is just vastly over used.I think all teams have a player at one time or another is "World Class" to them,but not to others. There are very few truely "World Class" players,in the last 40yrs i would say no more than 10-20 really come to mind.Everyone has their own opinion though. e.g. Almost the entire Brazil team of the 1970 WC were there or there abouts.
Not just the best X1: - World Class means would be in the earth's 23 man squad for the galactic championships. If you asked every fan to pick this I expect there would be about ten players in almost everyone's squad and another 40 or so with many mentions. So possibly you could say that 50 players were world class. From Spurs, Modric, Ledley when fit a few years back and Bale would get in for me.
i like Chuckchucklechuck's explanation as i am a bit of a romantic and it is true that mediocre players can have moments of world class brilliance in a match regradless of what level it is.....as i think football is a peoples game and i dont really take to anything that smells of eliteism....
I'd have to agree with Dona's suggestion that a lot of players can have moments of true brilliance in a game. World class players are the ones that can do it on a regular and prolonged basis though, in my opinion. Keepers are a great example of this. Gomes has pulled off some truly world class saves during his time at Spurs, though I doubt anyone would call him a world class keeper. His trio of saves against Arsenal during the Danny Rose Goal game that kept us in the lead are probably the best example. His save from Malbranque's shot when we played PSV in the UEFA Cup is another.
The overuse of the term world class is a byproduct of Sky's oft-repeated lie that the Premier League is the best league in the world, because it means that by believing one lie you then believe another (i.e. John Terry is the best centre back in the world - FFS, he's rated higher than Bobby Moore on PES, which is an utter travesty) Are there world class players in the PL? Yes, several - Aguero, Tevez, Silva, Drogba, Essien, Vidic, Given, Reina, Modric - but you probably couldn't make a first XI of legitimate world class players from the Premiership, whilst you can with La Liga and, until a whole bunch of them retired at the same time a few years back, Serie A.
I don't think winning a world cup for example is a requirement of being world class. Ryan Giggs was undoubtedly a world class player, as was scholes in his hey day but neither won a world cup or even went to an international tournament in Giggs' case. Agreed it is a phrase which is used far too much. Often you hear it said that a 'keeper has made a "world class save", this does not mean the 'keeper himself is world class. As has been demonstrated by the opinions on this thread it is entirely down to the interpretation of the individual. Tottenham certainly have players capable of doing something "world class" (a save, a pass, etc) but I would not put any of our players in that category with the exception Modric who I think would get into virtually any side in the world. Maybe that is a good definition, "a player is world class when they would get into any team in world football" ?
Ledders would if he had two knees, but that's about right. We've had world class players in every position at Spurs, but we'd need to violate the laws of physics to have a team featuring the likes of Jennings, Blanchflower, Mackay, Hoddle, Waddle, Gascoigne, Greaveas and Klinsmann.
If only, chuck in maybe Ginola, Villa, what a team that would be! Agree Ledders is world class when fit, which is not very often
