Whom do you rate....?

Among the players since you started watching football (not all time legends you have heard about or seen highlights of), who would you rate as the best at the following:

1. Taking freekicks?
2. Crossing the ball?
3. Most elegant tackles?
4. Scoring off the head?
5. Dribbling past players?

1. Taking freekicks? - Del Piero
2. Crossing the ball? - Figo
3. Most elegant tackles? - Maldini
4. Scoring off the head? -
5. Dribbling past players? - Zidane

1.Juninho Permbucano
2. David Beckham
3. The Kaiser,Alessandro Nesta
4. Gerd Muller(going by what i seen on video clips)
5. Diego Maradona,Luis Figo,Ronaldo,Cristiano Ronaldo,Robinho,Garrincha,Johan Cruyff,Pele

Taking freekicks - Juninho/Van Hooijdonk
Crossing the ball - Figo
Most elegant tackles - Maldini
Scoring off the head - Shearer
Dribbling past players - Kinkladze/Zidane/Ronaldinho(i appreciate the ones that don't need pace or acceleration to get past players, it's more impressive)

1. Taking freekicks?
Juninho, Rivaldo, Beckham

2. Crossing the ball?
Figo, Beckham, Barnes

3. Most elegant tackles?
Hysén, Carragher, Hansen

4. Scoring off the head?
Shearer, Crespo, Karl-Heinz Riedle

5. Dribbling past players?
1998 Ronaldo, Okocha, Ronaldinho

1. Taking freekicks?
Laurent Robert was exceptional at taking freekicks, and would go through periods where you genuinely felt he wouldnt miss. But in terms of style and beauty, I always liked Rivaldos left foot. Though Hagi was about when I was relatively young, I liked him from the 1994 World Cup and Ive seen him take some nice free kicks.

2. Crossing the ball?
I go with the Beckham and Figo votes.

3. Most elegant tackles?
And the Maldini votes.

4. Scoring off the head?
Shearer was an excellent at heading the ball, but certainly the best the Premiership has seen was Les Ferdinand.

5. Dribbling past players?
David Ginola is the best footballer Ive ever seen in person, and he excelled at this, could glide past people on either foot. Brazils Ronaldo was, at his peak, always wonderful to watch too, would just surge past players with the ball stuck to him.

1. Taking freekicks?
Mihajlovic, followed by Platini. This one is the easiest for me!

2. Crossing the ball?
Figo & Beckham

3. Most elegant tackles?
Maldini

4. Scoring off the head?
I am just not sure.... vieri, shearer, crespo, klinnsman, a lot of good contenders

5. Dribbling past players?
Romario/Baggio/Ronaldo

1. Taking freekicks? Easy, that's Pi-air. Sinisha and Juninho don't even come close when he was at his best.

2. Crossing the ball? Beckham

3. Most elegant tackles? Boularouz

4. Scoring off the head? Larsson

5. Dribbling past players? Nuno Gomes v Turkey

1. Taking freekicks? Del Peiro
2. Crossing the ball? Beckham
3. Most elegant tackles? Maldini
4. Scoring off the head? Shearer, Batistua, Larsson
5. Dribbling past players? Giggs, Zidane

1. Taking freekicks: Juninho
2. Crossing the ball: Beckham
3. Most elegant tackles: Ayala or Maldini
4. Scoring off the head: Larsson
5. Dribbling past players: Messi

1. Taking freekicks – Van Hooijdonk, Dave Beckham, Rivaldo
2. Crossing the ball – Dave Beckham, Cafu
3. Most elegant tackles – Philip Cocu , Paulo Maldini
4. Scoring off the head – Henrik Larsson, Alan Shearer
5. Dribbling past players – Ronaldo, Marc Overmars

1. Taking freekicks – Pirlo
2. Crossing the ball – Beckham and Figo
3. Most elegant tackles – Nesta
4. Scoring off the head – Vieri and Crespo
5. Dribbling past players – Baggio and Ronaldinho

I am very surprised that no one else rated Mihajlovic as the best fk taker... I have never seen anyone better, or have a higher ratio of converting free kicks!! He holds the all time record in Serie A for scoring the highest number of free kick goals (29 i think), and that just tells half the story... coz he used to be incredible... when he took a fk, most people already assumed a goal like we do in case of penalty kicks. I remember when he joined Inter at the end of his career, if we were a goal down near the last 15-20 minutes, Mancio would bring in Sinisa instaed of a striker - coz all we needed was a fk!! But it was during his days at Lazio when he was unstoppable.

When someone puts Del Piero or even Pirlo above him in terms of fks, its either just complete bias or they just haven't seen enuf of Mihajlovic. There is no way these guys are better than Mihajlovic.... absolutely no way.

I am sure Bobo Vieri will have something to say in this.

I cant believe Im the only one who mentioned Giggs in getting past players, Im not got to cry about it though.

Spankeltoe wrote:I cant believe Im the only one who mentioned Giggs in getting past players, Im not got to cry about it though.

For sure, in that case, Giggs would be up there.

But dribbling past players? I have my doubts.

Slight difference.

Why, does it make you feel like crying?

Giggs is/was good, but not as good as Ronaldo or Baggio at their peak IMO.

Spankeltoe wrote:I cant believe Im the only one who mentioned Giggs in getting past players, Im not got to cry about it though.

1. Taking freekicks? Beckham......and i include delivery
2. Crossing the ball? Beckham........Figo was not as good
3. Most elegant tackles? Beckh.......Maldini
4. Scoring off the head? Shearer. these days c.ronaldo..seriously
5. Dribbling past players? maradona of course. these days messi.

L r d wrote:1. Taking freekicks? Beckham......and i include delivery
2. Crossing the ball? Beckham........Figo was not as good
3. Most elegant tackles? Beckh.......Maldini
4. Scoring off the head? Shearer. these days c.ronaldo..seriously
5. Dribbling past players? maradona of course. these days messi.

bluenine wrote:Why, does it make you feel like crying?

Giggs is/was good, but not as good as Ronaldo or Baggio at their peak IMO.

Spankeltoe wrote:I cant believe Im the only one who mentioned Giggs in getting past players, Im not got to cry about it though.

Ronaldo in that 2 year period was the best around by a mile. But...it was just for 2 years. Otherwise definitly he would be my choice also.

Krimbo wrote:Taking freekicks - Juninho/Van Hooijdonk
Crossing the ball - Figo
Most elegant tackles - Maldini
Scoring off the head - Shearer
Dribbling past players - Kanchelskis/Zidane/Ronaldinho(i appreciate the ones that don't need pace or acceleration to get past players, it's more impressive)

Kanchelskis! Kanchelskis!

I can't even remember him beating players with his pace never mind beating players with trickery!

Ok maybe at Man Utd with his acceleration but are you sure about skill?!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rySVv9Ka5Ag

Ok I think this is genius but he didnt beat anybody just took the absolute pi55 out of a small scottish team...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQJtZF_6Fyc&feature=related

How did I forget Maradona

Good call.

L r d wrote:1. Taking freekicks? Beckham......and i include delivery
2. Crossing the ball? Beckham........Figo was not as good
3. Most elegant tackles? Beckh.......Maldini
4. Scoring off the head? Shearer. these days c.ronaldo..seriously
5. Dribbling past players? maradona of course. these days messi.

The Bulk wrote:

Krimbo wrote:Taking freekicks - Juninho/Van Hooijdonk
Crossing the ball - Figo
Most elegant tackles - Maldini
Scoring off the head - Shearer
Dribbling past players - Kanchelskis/Zidane/Ronaldinho(i appreciate the ones that don't need pace or acceleration to get past players, it's more impressive)

Kanchelskis! Kanchelskis!

I can't even remember him beating players with his pace never mind beating players with trickery!

Ok maybe at Man Utd with his acceleration but are you sure about skill?!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rySVv9Ka5Ag

Ok I think this is genius but he didnt beat anybody just took the absolute pi55 out of a small scottish team...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQJtZF_6Fyc&feature=related

I just wanted to put a little guy on there. I was going to put Ginola on but thought it would appear biased. I seem to remember a game where he took on a bunch of players, i think it might've been for City, which is probably why he popped into my head.

Krimbo wrote:

The Bulk wrote:

Krimbo wrote:Taking freekicks - Juninho/Van Hooijdonk
Crossing the ball - Figo
Most elegant tackles - Maldini
Scoring off the head - Shearer
Dribbling past players - Kanchelskis/Zidane/Ronaldinho(i appreciate the ones that don't need pace or acceleration to get past players, it's more impressive)

Kanchelskis! Kanchelskis!

I can't even remember him beating players with his pace never mind beating players with trickery!

Ok maybe at Man Utd with his acceleration but are you sure about skill?!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rySVv9Ka5Ag

Ok I think this is genius but he didnt beat anybody just took the absolute pi55 out of a small scottish team...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQJtZF_6Fyc&feature=related

I just wanted to put a little guy on there. I was going to put Ginola on but thought it would appear biased. I seem to remember a game where he took on a bunch of players, i think it might've been for City, which is probably why he popped into my head.

Haha, it's just that whenever I think of Kanchelskis in Scotland I laugh because he knew he was taking the piss but didn't care. He used to do stupid things like that all the time and then smirk. He liked to entertain himself when the games got boring. Great sense of humor plus he is supposed to be a really nice guy too.

Brilliant entertainer was Andrei

1. Taking freekicks?
Mihajlovic
Beckham
Chevanton
Juninho P
Del Piero
van Hooijdonk


2. Crossing the ball?
Barnes
Beckham
Karpin
Moravcik*
McAllister*

*didn't play in wide positions


3. Most elegant tackles?
Maldini
Nesta
Rio

4. Scoring off the head?
Bierhoff
Kennet Andersson
Lucarelli
Trezeguet
Shearer
Vieri


5. Dribbling past players?
Maradona
Baggio
Gascoigne
Drulovic
Ribery
Giggs
Robben
Overmars
Figo
Barnes
Joaquin

Pierre Littbarski wrote:Best at volleys

Spankeltoe wrote:

Pierre Littbarski wrote:Best at volleys

TBH - you can't even debate it regardless of Nationality or club allegiance.

I witnessed 2 of his best live in the flesh.

Spurs v Man U (89?)

Oldham v Man U 93 or 94 ? at Wembley.


* I have a mate who supports Man U and his parents took us - used to love Hughesy as a kid.

1. Taking freekicks?

Van Hooijdonk

2. Crossing the ball?

Beckham

3. Most elegant tackles?

ScholesTigana

4. Scoring off the head?

Peter Houtman

5. Dribbling past players?

Messi

Pierre Littbarski wrote:Best at volleys

HughesLe Tissier