I'm afraid I just don't agree, but football is a game of opinions and you're welcome to yours. Just players who have played for united, both Best and Ronaldo were better in my opinion.
I voted for George Best simply because he was the best I have ever seen play live. The problem is that for different era there will be different players who are the greatest for that era, and there is no objective way of comparing them. Ferenc Puskas, for example, was key to the Real Madrid team that dominated European football in the 1950's, whereas Pele may be the greatest player to play in World Cups. But were they better than Messi? No idea. I never saw Cruyff play live otherwise I might agree with Godders though.
Never saw them play, but the two associated with being the best tend to be Pele and Maradona. I voted for the latter because he proved himself in a tougher division. It's too early to say Messi IMO.
I couldn't choose one from the lsit. Maradona was incredible, Pele was awesome, Cruyff was years ahead of his time, Alan Ball was hugely underated, George Best wasn't bad either, Marco Van Basten was one of the best proper Centre Forwards I ever saw play, Platini and Hoddle were majestic and I always rated the German skipper from 1990... name escapes me.
Bit tricky to say the best player to ever walk the face on the earth, because it might have been some African man who was never discovered and died in miserable poverty at 29 but I couldn't pick one.
i gotta say me, i was pretty good in the west sussex div 3 south if a scout had spotted me i could of been a legend at camp nou.
I'll put in a shout for Robin Friday: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robin_Friday Dubbed The Greatest Player You Never Saw, which kind of suits this poll. As like all polls of this nature, you can only vote for who you've seen, which makes it virtually worthless, unless you decide to go on the expertise of respected others. I never saw Stanley Matthews play, but I respect the opinion of people who did, and players who played with and against him, and they would say he should be in this poll. Another is Tom Fiinney. I never considered him before, but there was a tribute to him when he died, and it was quite clear that, among his peers, he was considered to be the best. Which just goes to show how being the best is as much about media coverage as it is quality.
Strange TSS I had completely forgotten about him until clicking your link. He made Mark Dennis look like an angel!
I wanted to suggest Stanley Matthews as well...the sheer length of time he played suggests that he was better than everyone else when most would have retired. Difficult to compare player from different times, though I have always said if you were a star in one era you would also stand out now with modern training and diet. Have to say that Giggs has always stood out for me...he cannot be judged internationally as he had the misfortune to be Welsh (only in a footballing sense, I mean ).
His career has been incredible, his attitude to the game outstanding, but when you compare him technically as a player with the likes of Pele, Maradona, Messi, Ronaldo, Cruyff and basically everyone in that list, he is a bit of a distance off. Fantastic player and professional, best player of the Premier League era by grace of the length of his career, but not even close to the 'best player to have walked the earth' in my opinion. Had to vote Messi personally as he's been the best player of my lifetime, and would feel silly voting for someone like Pele or Cruyff having only seen grainy old highlight reels and whatnot.
Far better put than myself but we have the same reasoning, consistently great but never to the standard of the people in this list. Also I have just stopped at 15 names the poll is capped at 15 guys, sorry!
Well I think he's always been better than Ronaldinho, and he's made the list. I think there's always bias in these discussions towards players with flair, who like to do all these fancy step-overs and ****. They're entertaining so they get all the attention.
It has to be Maradona for me, closely followed by Cruyff...but I'm suprised to see that there hasn't been any mention from anyone for Bobby Charlton (49 international goals from midfield) and Paolo Maldini.
I can go back to the likes of Stanley Matthews a wing wizard. The Lion of Vienna Nat Lofthouse who scored 30 goals in 33 internationals. Duncan Edwards who many feel would possibly have gone on to be the best CB we had ever seen. Gordon Banks who was the ultimate keeper. Eusebio, Beckenbauer, Cruyff, the list is almost impossible contain. So much so that I just can't name just one.
