Footballing Rebels

Where did they all go? Capricious talent is being swept under the rug constantly nowadays in exchange for end product and the occasional trick.

I'm as big a fan of Kaká and Riquelme as anyone else, and I'm definitely one that believes that someone with great awareness of his surroundings, and a majestic stride, is just as great to watch with a football as someone like Ronaldinho or Ronaldo throwing in tricks and step-overs constantly.

The problem is that even Ronaldinho and Ronaldo are slowly fading as footballing rebels. They're amongst the best players in the world because - as we're often told they should - they do the simple thing 9 times out of 10 (which of course, makes that 10th time all the more special). But is it getting to the stage where we're actually crossing out flair all together?

Naturally being a Liverpool fan I'm a massive Benitez fan, but even I question the lack of involement Garcia gets in games - though at the same time understand perfectly why he's left out. Mourinho has turned England's most care-free footballer into a machine of consistency, but does he now lack what made him so great to watch in the first place? -I am of course talking about Joe Cole.

The fact is that whilst as a fan of my team I'd rather we had a player who 9 times out of 10 does the simple thing, as a fan of football in general I'm just wishing we had more players who try and do something special 6 or 7 times out of 10.

It's those infuriating moments inbetween magic that make those special moments all the more bewildering. An artist can't paint the Monalisa everyday and a song-writer can't churn out the White Album at a whim.

So, with all this in mind, who was the greatest Footballing Rebel? and of course, who are the current day footballing rebels - those who frustrate us over and over with their constant attempts at the impossible, but make it worth while when they pull it off?

We Dutch are real Footballing rebels.... every now and then we have great in-fights!

Okocha was / is a good example. Or Mostovoi, check out Samba De Baiano's signature.

George Best, the greatest footballing "rebel" of all time............now, Cristiano Ronaldo, but, you just know he does those stepovers and fancy Dan tricks to often without any end product.

the ultimate rebel must have been George Best.

Obviously there have been many players with dubious records in terms of behaviour but at least Best combined it with absolute brilliance.

Favourite: The first name that springs to mind is Djaminha. Such an incredible left foot, the ball seemed to be attatched to it like elastic. Seemed to have the most inventive tricks and a great influence over Deportivo yet his attitude - which I guess singles him out as a rebel/maverick - seemed to get in the way of greater things.

Current:

Luis Garcia, Quaresma, Robinho, Ibrahimovic, Van Persie, Trundle () et al all spring to mind as some of the most infuriating players, despite obviously being free-spirts. Are there many others?

Another prime example is Denilson.

SLB e Millwall wrote:Cristiano Ronaldo, but, you just know he does those stepovers and fancy Dan tricks to often without any end product.

But that's not true. Ronaldo has been scoring and assisting an awful lot since the turn of the year. He's doing the simple thing more and more often which is clearly making him a better player, but less of a maverick IMHO.

Obispo, Luis Garcia, Quaresma, Robinho, Ibrahimovic and Van Persie are too effective to be real rebels I'm afraid.

well, that's what happens when you're working for even 5 minutes, you end up responding late.

other rebels:

Maradona
Romario
Cantona
Effenberg

I suppose there is a difference between a rebel and a maverick/magician.

Obispo wrote:

SLB e Millwall wrote:Cristiano Ronaldo, but, you just know he does those stepovers and fancy Dan tricks to often without any end product.

But that's not true. Ronaldo has been scoring and assisting an awful lot since the turn of the year. He's doing the simple thing more and more often which is clearly making him a better player, but less of a maverick IMHO.

I know what I'd prefer.

toon h wrote:well, that's what happens when you're working for even 5 minutes, you end up responding late.

other rebels:

Maradona
Romario
Cantona
Effenberg

I was about to mention him...

Mario Basler? Though he was more of a wildchild than a rebel, really. From what little I remember of his early career, he was great for Bremen and never really managed to take that with him to Bayern. Or am I mistaken?

Basler is a good example. Smoking, being rude to everyone, a true prick, but those magical moments that still made it worthwhile.

Parks Lives wrote:

Obispo wrote:

SLB e Millwall wrote:Cristiano Ronaldo, but, you just know he does those stepovers and fancy Dan tricks to often without any end product.

But that's not true. Ronaldo has been scoring and assisting an awful lot since the turn of the year. He's doing the simple thing more and more often which is clearly making him a better player, but less of a maverick IMHO.

I know what I'd prefer.

Don't blame you in the slightest. If Garcia could do it more consistently then I'd love it

forgot about Basler.

Ibrahimovich is a bit of a rebel as well, and a trickster if he wants to be.

Then there was Edmundo...

One of the best of all times must have been Socrates.

I didn't realize Socrates was such a rebel. He just smoked a lot or not?

Surely as he fucked Sheep and fathered over 10 kids, Garrincha should be included.

toon h wrote:I didn't realize Socrates was such a rebel. He just smoked a lot or not?

That, and his obsession to play unbelievably beautiful football, trying to do it "better than necessary". This may have cost Brazil the 1982 WC.

Bernd Schuster is another prime example, especially as far as internationals are concerned. A genius who probably could have become the best German player ever (named best player of the tournament in 1980 (EC), at the age of 20), but prefered to retire from international football at the age of 24, after an argument with the coach.

Basler was a rebel in every sense I remember. What a pr*ck, but equally what a talent.

We've also forgotten about Gazza!

A genius one minute, a hotheaded idiot the next (Fa Cup final injurying himself), crying infront of millions (1990 V Germany), burping into microphones and outraging a nation (at Lazio), telling Norway to F*ck off, wearing fake plastic tits, setting people on fire (jimmy 5 bellies),

totally invisible in a game (Euro 96 V Scotland) before doing the incredible (again, Euro 96 V Scotland), or simply being a breathtaking midfield player (V Holland Euro 96, Italy in Italy in 1997, Belgium in 1990),

an erratic, flawed genius. Who should never be forgotten. Especially by Tottenham fans

Di Canio is another one that immediately springs to mind. Genius.

Luis Garcia an artist? You must be kidding.

Ailton must be a rebel. I don't believe he gave a damn about any game he played in, it wouldn't surprise me if he didn't know where in the league his team was, as long as he did something brilliant once in a while he's happy.

waft the hapless youth wrote:Luis Garcia an artist? You must be kidding.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=StOgy9G52Vg

Paints a pretty enough picture for me.

He's not fit to clean Pinturrichio's brush!

Perhaps not. He's good enough to run rings around Del Pierwho though.

He's not fit to clean Pinturrichio's brush!

Djalminha !!! Such a talented player, yet such a nutter ... anyone remember him headbuting Irureta ?

Djalminha, great call. What a talent.

He used to do the tricks you'd try in the playgroung in proper matches.

Vampeta, bit of a rebel, gay posing and all.