I got the connection. And found it laughable comparing those two. And I actually saw both play so can make a judgment.
1)Pele 2) Di Stefano 3) Cruyff 4) Maradona 5) Beckenbauer 6) Puskas 7 ) Garrincha 8) Mathews 9) Best 10) Messi As per Brian Glanville.
Brian Glanville was one of the finest sports journalists. And all without any media studies qualifications. Not that I would go along with that list but Glanville did see them all playing. Don't necessarily agree with the list or its order but Glanville has seen them all play. He is one of the best sports journalists of all time. Worth reading what he has done. Makes you wonder what he and the others of his erase could have achieved if they had done media studies https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Glanville
Well they'd maybe have learnt how to spell "era" correctly or how to check what they'd written first?? Was sad to see Terry Brain who made one of my all time favourite kids TV shows, Trap Door, has died. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-35907091 RIP Berrrrrrrrk!
Yep, he's 80 odd years old, seen all the greats and still reporting on games. Would help if people could agree what constitutes 'great' or 'legend'. I think George Best is overrated....look at the longevity, influence etc of the very best ones. Best was a trailblazer, a pop star in a sports world, dazzling skills but he didn't have much silverware to show for it all. He burned very brightly for a few years, but couldn't sustain it.
That's not true He played for over 10 years at Man U and made over 350 appearances. He then spent another 10 years pissing it up playing at least once for every club on the planet. Or so it seemed. He made over 600 appearances in a 20 year career. Although latterly some of those were just him royally taking the piss. Oh, he was sensational on the ball as well. In an era when defenders just hit you like a ton of bricks, he regularly just made them look stupid.
Pele thought George Best was brilliant, but what would he know? Look at what Best did on pitches worse than parks pitches with defenders trying to,maim him. If he was playing today on pitches like bowling greens and facing defenders who can't touch anybody he would have had a field day. Once saw him do a bit of skill at Elland Road when .i was working in Leeds which the Leeds fans applauded as did Leeds players. Unfortunately these things, which he did regularly, weren't filmed unlike nowadays where every single moment, even very ordinary ones, can be viewed again and again. As one Man Utd player of the time remarked, if Best had looked like Paddy Crerand he would have played until he was 40.
Saw Best at Boothferry Park, underwhelming on all 3 occasions. (That's no definitive way to judge a career obvs) When you get mentioned as one of the top 10 players on the planet in the last 50 or 60 years, you need to have more than individual skill, you need to have some games or moments the whole planet remembers if you want to be seen as the greatest of all. Apart from the EC68 at Wembley, Best made little or no lasting impact abroad, however revered he is here.
Yeah, let's get back to announcing deaths of people we've never heard of. (I'd only heard of 16 of the 37 deceased in this thread, not including the dogs.)
Too many of the comments relate to the death of Cruyff, so it's not really practical to split them. It would be good if we could try and keep the RIP threads simply to those who have just died though, I've had to delete some inappropriate ****.
So you aren't aware of his performance at the Stadium Of Light (the proper, original one)? He must have made some impression abroad if Pele considered him amongst the best players he had ever seen.
Please refer to my previous comments. Pele is unlikely to have said "Best? He's ****" to a British journalist, he's a very diplomatic chap. No place for Bobby C or Bobby M either. You have to have had a serious influence on the game to get in the TOP 5, and no British player has done yet.
Pele wasn't asked what he thought about Best. He was asked who were the best players he had seen and came up with the name of Best. So the list isn't about skill or ability but who you played with? Pele was surrounded by great players. What influence do you think he would have had if he had been Northern Irish. Conversely, what would George Best have achieved if he had played with the players Pele did? Pele never played outside his home country like Marafona and others so on this logic he should be listed below those who have achieved things in more than one country.
If in any doubt, just Wikpedia Pele, Cruyff and Best and have a look at the 'Honours' of each them Cruyff's Ajax won the EC three years running with a side who were not on the European map. Best's Man U won it once, at Wembley, after extra time with Law and Charlton alongside him. Regardless of Best's flair, ultimately it didn't translate to being a TOP 5 great when you measure it against the influence and legacy of the TOP 5. Just like Zidane, Eusebio etc I more or less agree with Glanville's 10 but millions wouldn't as it's subjective and not an exact science.
