Our Club has had some brilliant flair players but to put Taarabt in their along with them does a gross disservice to their memory. I know we've become accustomed to watching some dire stuff over the last 16 years or so and that may be the reason why some fan's judgement gets clouded but I would urge everyone to cease throwing out the words "brilliant" and "genius" so facilely because it does nothing but diminish the meaning of the terms and lowers the standards through which true greatness is measured.
Well then perhaps they weren't as great as they're made out to be? Although I highly doubt that. There were one or two greats in my time too (eg Sir Les) and this lad doesn't come close. At least not yet anyway.
Sir Les was a totally different type of player and above all personality from Bowles and Marsh. Any comparison between him and Taarabt is ridiculous.
We haven't actually been overrun with flair players, we just like to think we have a tradition. In my time only Marsh and Bowles truly legendary. Stainrod, Byrne and Wegerle were the right type, classic QPR number 10. Adel has the talent to join the legends, he's nearly there simply on the basis of the Championship year. I'm with Imaz re Les, great player but a classic CF, not a number 10. I think we should have a whip round to get you to a home match, then you'd see how much the crowd loves him and how much he lifts us. Trouble is, not sure there would be enough willing to donate.... Balls, put the smiley in the wrong place. Old dog, new tricks.
Of course he was a completely different player. An out and out striker vs a play-maker. However, I'm talking about great players. Great players are great players regardless of their position. Ferdinand was a great player (striker) IMO. Taarabt has done nowhere near enough to be classed a "great" player. Perhaps there's some ambiguity about what "great" player means. A great player is generally regarded so by all football supporters irrespective of their Club. How many people outside QPR would consider Tarbs a great player today? Not very many - if any. Great potential yes. But great player certainly not. Perhaps in time but not now. Let him have one good Premiership season before we even start laying those accolades at his door.
I've seen him play in the flesh four or five times. Twice the promotion season, once at home and once away last season and once the season he was on loan. And yes, of course the fans love him. Why not? But I prefer to be as nonpartisan as possible and although he does some things great players do, he does a number of things great players would never do. Cracking talent nonetheless. I have a problem with that Stan. If he's nearly one of our best on the basis of one great season in the second tier then perhaps I've been judging the boy on too high of standards. Put it this way, Matt Le Tissier was a great player in my opinion because he did it regularly and at the top level. Tarbs has done neither as of yet. I'm hopeful that he will soon. People mightn't agree with me but I also think Trev Sinclair was a far better player than him too. Yes, he was a winger but they're comparable as dribblers in the mid-field line. Then again, my memory could be clouded with misty-eyed visions of days of yore.
I see and to an extent agree with your view of a great to a point - the extended career of stand out performances. Ultimately, it does tend to boil down to the rose tinted memory in years to come. Adel will be talked about for years for his skill, goals and even the unproductive flicks and nutmegs and time will fade those non-performances. I wasn't around to see him but the stats would suggest that Bowles wasn't on it every single game otherwise he'd be a Pele or Messi. Can't fault people for remembering the good.
Believe me even Bowles and Marsh had off days. I remember watching Bowles at LR playing for Carlisle (as far as I remember) before he signed for us. To be honest I wasn't that impressed at the time as he seemed lazy, over elaborate and lost possession. It's a very long time ago and back in the old Second Division but we won easily. Taarabt can lift a crowd just like Marsh and Bowles did. Beautiful football is hard to define but all three had it, it's the magic of the game.
Great minds, eh Matt? Or is it fools seldom............... That's a cracking point right there. I hadn't thought of it that way. In my head, Andy Sinton never had a bad game! But of course, the truth is, like most players he had some good some bad and a hell of a lot of average. Not fair to hold Tarbs up to the light like we do Messi and Pele!
I never saw Bowles or Marsh. I never even saw Wegerle. As great as they all were, did any of them score a goal like either Taarabt's against West Ham or Fulham?
Good point. Its pretty much the same as what Matt said above. Having realised this, I think I've been overly harsh on that kid. Quite naive of me really to presume that Bowles, Marsh etc were always tearing teams to shreds!
Never saw Wegerle live but yes both Marsh and Bowles scored many beautiful goals. Possibly how I remember things and because I was away from UK for most of Bowles time at Rangers but I remember Marsh as the better goal scorer which was some achievement as he could never have been accused of being quick. It's all about as I mentioned the beauty of the game which is why for me Carlos Valderrama was the greatest of all time even though he preferred not having to run!
Tarbs somewhat ungainly but mesmerising dribbling definitely reminds me of Marsh although Rodney played a more advanced role that Adel usually does.
Here's 2 as good and one header that I'd love to see Adel do, all from one game. [video=youtube_share;K1DMG9fCdB4]http://youtu.be/K1DMG9fCdB4[/video] Stan was different, he drifted past players and passed/curled the ball in. I'll try and find some examples.
There's something about the lad that drives me mad though! I don't know what it is because he seems like a decent kid.
I have seen Bowles and Marsh have long periods off form either of them had the talent that Taarabt has now I love the Bowles/March eras but simply not comparable in terms of skill and fitness etc
