10 ten Prem players as voted by 32000 fans worldwide

Chucky the tree

GuanYin wrote: »

Gerrard is one of the most over-rated players I've ever watched. He can be brilliant on a given day and last season (I think) he carried his team. Compare him to the magic of watching Fowler and McManaman play together (when they cut Arsenal apart in 5 mins for example) and Gerrard doesn't have that.
He doesn't do it every week and the team carries on fine without him. For what it is worth, I'd have Alonso in my team ahead of Gerrard.

Bruce, Adams and Keown all had a warrior persona that made them a joy to watch. You really appreciated their defending (and I'm a striker).

Those are the players that make a league. Not Gerrard and Lampard.

Your Gerrard comments are bizarre.


Steve Bruce? He wasnt even capped for England, good player but no better then any of the top defenders in the big four clubs now, and even about 4 or 5 from other teams. Keown is certainly better then Bruce but I wouldnt say he was much better then alot of defenders. I think alot have a "grass is greener" approach to these things.

And there a big arguement over what make's some a top ten players. Everyone will tell you that Gerrard has been far more of an influence too liverpools recent succes compared to Fowler or McManiman aswell. Technically those lads might of been more enoyable to watch/more skillful but I'd much rather have Stephen Gerrard in my team then those 2 lads. I'd actually go as far as saying Fowler and Stevie arent fit to lace Gerrards boots.

Mr Alan

GuanYin wrote: »

Gerrard is one of the most over-rated players I've ever watched. He can be brilliant on a given day and last season (I think) he carried his team. Compare him to the magic of watching Fowler and McManaman play together (when they cut Arsenal apart in 5 mins for example) and Gerrard doesn't have that.

oh my.

Gerrard has been an animal in midfield for the guts of the last 10 years.

He deserves to be in any list comprised of the greatest ever PL players.

This "brilliant on a given day" thing people go on about is nonsense, he is brilliant on many days, over the course of a season, and he does this every season-for me this wat great players do.

Whatever about him as a bloke, as a player he is phenomenal.

herbieflowers

did someone mention Hollywood pass yet?

Chucky the tree

I have to say Scholes is a shocking ommission, one of the best midfielders in the world over the last 15yrs, if not more. A top top class professional who never got in much trouble on or off the field, avoided the "celeb" lifestyle that seems to be the downfall of alot of players, never made any outragous contract demands.Put his head down and got the job done year in year out which a huge achievement, but to do all that while being world class player and being able to keep your feet on the ground is an amazing achievement in my eyes. Giggs also deserves an honorable mention.


And this is from a Liverpool fan. :pac:

Bubs101

Chucky the tree wrote: »

Everyone will tell you that Gerrard has been far more of an influence too liverpools recent succes compared to Fowler or McManiman aswell. .

There's a reason all of Liverpool's success comes in cup competitions. He is great when the chips are down and the game is really important or in the last 5 minutes but far too often when playing the likes of Stoke, Fulham and West Brom in the league he does absolutely nothing decent. His last minute goals understandably mask this for Liverpool fans

grahamo

Joke of a list. Survey must have been carried out in primary schools around the globe. I don't think I need to explain why Torres shouldn't be on there. Gerrard deserves a place. Giggs and Schmeichel should also be there. People saying Ronaldo shouldn't be there are being unfair. He's been at United 5 years now and has been outstanding.

Chucky the tree

Bubs101 wrote: »

There's a reason all of Liverpool's success comes in cup competitions. He is great when the chips are down and the game is really important or in the last 5 minutes but far too often when playing the likes of Stoke, Fulham and West Brom in the league he does absolutely nothing decent. His last minute goals understandably mask this for Liverpool fans

I'd say that's more to do with the fact he hasnt had a huge amount of quality around him. You expect him to win the league single handedly and score every single goal? :rolleyes:

Bubs101

I'd say that's more to do with the fact he hasnt had a huge amount of quality around him. You expect him to win the league single handedly and score every single goal? :rolleyes

Get off it, Le Tis and Zola can use that excuse not Stevie G. The difference in quality between the top 4 is minimal. He has had quality midfielders around him, he had Owen to work with before, traditionally the best defence in the league in the past few seasons. Reina has won the golden glove 3 times in a row. etc. etc. etc. Liverpool don't win the league because they aren't consistent, Stevie G is the biggest example of it

whatawaster

eagle eye wrote: »

Let me see the greats missing from this list.

Schmeichel
Irwin
Adams
Viera
Seaman
McGrath
Rooney
Andy Cole
Desailly

I'm not saying they should be all in there but theres certainly at least two if not more that should be in there.

Rooney! You are having a laugh, if you put him even anywhere near Gerrard.

Taxipete29

Like all polls of their kind in football and also Players awards, they are heavily weighted in favour of attacking players. Defenders and Goalkeepers rarely get a look in.

I dont think Torres deserves to be there on the basis of one season, but Ronaldo certainly does. He is probably the best player in the world and is far better than alot who have gone before eg Beckham.

For people talking about how influential Gerrard is I feel that Jamie Carragher has been arguably Liverpools most consistent and influential performer for a good few years, but will never get a mention in this kind of poll just like Denis Irwin, The Great Dane and Tony Adams.

whatawaster

Steven Gerrard will be remembered as one of the greatest players, who knows maybe the greatest, from the most succesful club in English history, and one of the most successful in the world. He has absolutely everything.
It's true Le Tissier had more influence on Southampton than Gerrard on Liverpool. But Southampton achieved nothing in his time there, while Gerrard lifted the European Cup and produced possibly the greatest (for various reasons) goals i've ever seen in the FA cup final a year later.


My top 10 premiership players, in no particular order:
Roy Keane
Thierry Henry
Alan Shearer
Steven Gerrard
Peter Schmeichel
Paul Scholes
Patrick Viera
Steve McManaman
Ryan Giggs
Tony Adams

Chucky the tree

Bubs101 wrote: »

Get off it, Le Tis and Zola can use that excuse not Stevie G. The difference in quality between the top 4 is minimal. He has had quality midfielders around him, he had Owen to work with before, traditionally the best defence in the league in the past few seasons. Reina has won the golden glove 3 times in a row. etc. etc. etc. Liverpool don't win the league because they aren't consistent, Stevie G is the biggest example of it

Minimal? Compare the top 15 players who of the top 4 teams over the last 4 years and see who will always come out with the worst squad. Owen hasnt been at the club in 4 years. Since then look at the strikers we have had. Liverpool havent done well because we lack goals. Last season was the first time in god knows how long Liverpool had a player get 20+ goals in the league. It's something Michael Owen never achieved at Liverpool.

hussey

Possibly Jurgan Klinsmann ... although he was only at spurs a short time, he was one of the first big name players to come to the premiership and I believe because of this the premiership really took off.

So possibly an argument for his purely on his influence on the league.

loyatemu

are the people who are including McManaman on the list taking the piss. OK on his day he was a great player, but he was also wildly inconsistent and won virtually nothing playing in a desperately underachieving Liverpool team. I'd take Owen or Fowler before him, not that I'd include them either.

Keane
Henry
Shearer
Scholes
Giggs
Schmeichel
Adams
Gerrard
Viera
Makelele (there has to be a Chelsea player in the list, and he was the key man in their 2 titles. Plus I hate Lampard...)

Xavi6

Agree with the above about McManaman.

Disagree about Makelele, though I never liked him.

yahoo_moe

whatawaster wrote: »

My top 10 premiership players, in no particular order:
Roy Keane
Thierry Henry
Alan Shearer
Steven Gerrard
Peter Schmeichel
Paul Scholes
Patrick Viera
Steve McManaman
Ryan Giggs
Tony Adams

I actually cannot believe you'd bump Bergkamp and Cantona (as the two prime examples) off a Top 10 list and then include McManaman. This is why I hate lists like this.

Iago

Schmeichel: Simply put, without the great dane at their backs United wouldn't have been anywhere near as successful as they were. He was immense, a real inspiration to the team and the backbone that most of Uniteds early/mid term success was built upon.

Shearer: The greatest striker in the premiership by a country mile, and a fantastic team player to boot. Was never afraid to get stuck in or put his head where it hurts. The one that got away from Ferguson but shone everywhere he played.

Cantona: The mercurial Frenchman that brought Leeds the old first division title in it's final year and inspired United the following year. Fantastic player who had incredible vision and ability, I think his greatest talent was in sizing up the available options and always seeming to choose the right one.

Keane: The metaphorical and physical extension of Fergusons will and approach on the pitch. Tonnes of ability matched with preternatural passion and drive for success. Always his own biggest critic, and pushed himself far harder than his team-mates. He was the bedrock of the most successful team in the premiership for the best part of 12 years.

Henry: 174 goals in 254 games for Arsenal, the top-scorer in history for the French National team, winner of the European Golden Boot in 2004 & 2005. Top scorer in the premier league 4 years out of 5 between 2001-2006. Simply put Henry is one of the greatest strikers of all-time. Right up there with Shearer in terms of impact on his team, although his influence was often called into question.

Scholes: One of the quietest men in football, Scholes has gone about his business with a professionalism that others would do well to note. Integral to all the success United have had over the last 15 years he still negotiates his own deals with the club, and gives very few interviews. Consistently referred to by other pros as the best player they've played with/against, it's only his avoidance of the limelight that has prevented him winning more individual awards throughout the years.

Viera: Similar to Keane at United, Viera was a driving force behind a very successful Arsenal team, including the "invicibles" who went unbeaten for a full season in 2003-04. That his fellow players selected him in their team of the season for 6 successive seasons between 98-04 is a measure of the ability of the man. Indeed many will point to his move to Juventus and Arsenals failure to adequately replace him as a key reason they haven't had as much success in recent years.

Ryan Giggs: Being compared to George Best at 17 would be enough to make anybody get too big for their boots, but with Alex Ferguson managing his emergence masterfully Giggs always kept his feet on the ground. The record appearance holder for United, the record trophy winner for United (23 to date, including 10 league titles), the only player to have scored in every year of the premiership and in 12 consecutive Champions League tournaments. It was more than fitting that he should score what was ulimately the winning penalty in the 2008 Champions League final for United. He has won everything there is to offer and while his influence and ability are waning, he is still a respected and established member of the United squad.

Tony Adams: Defenders don't tend to do well in these competitions, mostly because everyone remembers the mazy run the winger made or the 30 goals the striker bagged. Adams was a flawed character, but an incredibly brave and talented defender. The only player to have captained a winning team in 3 different decades, and nicknamed "Mr Arsenal" Adams is a shining example of loyalty and passion to a club. His recovery from alcohol addiction and related problems is also an inspiration to be followed.

Dennis Bergkamp: One of the greatest players of all time, and was the catalyst for Arsenals resurgence in the mid-90's. He was so good at picking out a pass, it seemed as though he had eyes in the back of his head. So calm and collected on the ball, you always felt as if you were watching him play down at the park with his mates rather than in front of thousands of baying fans. He is the leading assist provider for the premier league, and was reknowned for the way he could split a defence open with a cutting ball. Scored some incredible goals along the way but is in my view the ultimate footballer. A player you could watch all day long and never be bored.

rosboy

I'm sorry to disagree with everyone here, but the list is 100% correct. The people surveyed weren't asked who were the best Premiership players. They were asked who were their favourite. Favourite doesn't mean best.

France striker Thierry Henry (34%) is rated the league's favourite player of all-time in Europe, Africa, North America, South America, Oceania and the Middle East, and was second only to Steven Gerrard in Asia.

The current favourite is also foreign: Spain’s Fernando Torres (38%) is rated top.

Bubs101

Chucky the tree wrote: »

Minimal? Compare the top 15 players who of the top 4 teams over the last 4 years and see who will always come out with the worst squad. Owen hasnt been at the club in 4 years. Since then look at the strikers we have had. Liverpool havent done well because we lack goals. Last season was the first time in god knows how long Liverpool had a player get 20+ goals in the league. It's something Michael Owen never achieved at Liverpool.

Yeah but you've still had a great defence and had the best striker in the league last year. The prime reason no stiker has gotten above 20 goals is the rotation policy not the quality of the players. The likes of Johnson and Phillips got above 20 goals because they played every game. Heskey should have led to more goals for Gerrard with his style . Also, Lampard has played with much worse players than Gerrard over the course of his career

ROCKMAN

rosboy wrote: »

I'm sorry to disagree with everyone here, but the list is 100% correct. The people surveyed weren't asked who were the best Premiership players. They were asked who were their favourite. Favourite doesn't mean best.

Well spotted Sir

Iago wrote: »

Schmeichel: Simply put, without the great dane at their backs United wouldn't have been anywhere near as successful as they were. He was immense, a real inspiration to the team and the backbone that most of Uniteds early/mid term success was built upon.

Shearer: The greatest striker in the premiership by a country mile, and a fantastic team player to boot. Was never afraid to get stuck in or put his head where it hurts. The one that got away from Ferguson but shone everywhere he played.

Cantona: The mercurial Frenchman that brought Leeds the old first division title in it's final year and inspired United the following year. Fantastic player who had incredible vision and ability, I think his greatest talent was in sizing up the available options and always seeming to choose the right one.

Keane: The metaphorical and physical extension of Fergusons will and approach on the pitch. Tonnes of ability matched with preternatural passion and drive for success. Always his own biggest critic, and pushed himself far harder than his team-mates. He was the bedrock of the most successful team in the premiership for the best part of 12 years.

Henry: 174 goals in 254 games for Arsenal, the top-scorer in history for the French National team, winner of the European Golden Boot in 2004 & 2005. Top scorer in the premier league 4 years out of 5 between 2001-2006. Simply put Henry is one of the greatest strikers of all-time. Right up there with Shearer in terms of impact on his team, although his influence was often called into question.

Scholes: One of the quietest men in football, Scholes has gone about his business with a professionalism that others would do well to note. Integral to all the success United have had over the last 15 years he still negotiates his own deals with the club, and gives very few interviews. Consistently referred to by other pros as the best player they've played with/against, it's only his avoidance of the limelight that has prevented him winning more individual awards throughout the years.

Viera: Similar to Keane at United, Viera was a driving force behind a very successful Arsenal team, including the "invicibles" who went unbeaten for a full season in 2003-04. That his fellow players selected him in their team of the season for 6 successive seasons between 98-04 is a measure of the ability of the man. Indeed many will point to his move to Juventus and Arsenals failure to adequately replace him as a key reason they haven't had as much success in recent years.

Ryan Giggs: Being compared to George Best at 17 would be enough to make anybody get too big for their boots, but with Alex Ferguson managing his emergence masterfully Giggs always kept his feet on the ground. The record appearance holder for United, the record trophy winner for United (23 to date, including 10 league titles), the only player to have scored in every year of the premiership and in 12 consecutive Champions League tournaments. It was more than fitting that he should score what was ulimately the winning penalty in the 2008 Champions League final for United. He has won everything there is to offer and while his influence and ability are waning, he is still a respected and established member of the United squad.

Tony Adams: Defenders don't tend to do well in these competitions, mostly because everyone remembers the mazy run the winger made or the 30 goals the striker bagged. Adams was a flawed character, but an incredibly brave and talented defender. The only player to have captained a winning team in 3 different decades, and nicknamed "Mr Arsenal" Adams is a shining example of loyalty and passion to a club. His recovery from alcohol addiction and related problems is also an inspiration to be followed.

Dennis Bergkamp: One of the greatest players of all time, and was the catalyst for Arsenals resurgence in the mid-90's. He was so good at picking out a pass, it seemed as though he had eyes in the back of his head. So calm and collected on the ball, you always felt as if you were watching him play down at the park with his mates rather than in front of thousands of baying fans. He is the leading assist provider for the premier league, and was reknowned for the way he could split a defence open with a cutting ball. Scored some incredible goals along the way but is in my view the ultimate footballer. A player you could watch all day long and never be bored.

Although Rosboy is correct , Great Post .

Chucky the tree

Bubs101 wrote: »

Yeah but you've still had a great defence and had the best striker in the league last year. The prime reason no stiker has gotten above 20 goals is the rotation policy not the quality of the players. The likes of Johnson and Phillips got above 20 goals because they played every game. Heskey should have led to more goals for Gerrard with his style . Also, Lampard has played with much worse players than Gerrard over the course of his career

Excactly, and gerrard scored the most goals he has in the league ever last season. Of course it's the quality of player. Do you think heskey, Kuyt, Crouch are 20+ goals a season striker in the premier league? Compare that list of strikers with Henry, Drogba, Van nistleroy, Rooney and you'll see how bad we are. In his 13 years of being a premiership striker heskey has hit double figures 4 times, 3 of those he got excactly 10 goals and only once he did it for liverpool. 39 goals in 150 apps for Liverpool, hardly prolific.

Lampard first scored double figures in the premiership in 03-04, his 3rd year at chelsea.

eagle eye

Ok lets say you are picking a top ten list.

The first five players that come to most peoples minds are

Roy Keane
Alan Shearer
Thierry Henry
Peter Schmeichel
Eric Cantona
After that you have a bunch of players vying for the rest of the places

Any of the following could be there

Dennis Bergkamp
Patrick Viera
David Seaman
Tony Adams
Ian Wright
Denis Irwin
Paul Ince
Paul Scholes
Ruud Van Nistelrooy
David Beckham
Ryan Giggs
Andy Cole
Dwight Yorke
Robbie Fowler
Steven Gerard
Michael Owen
Gianfranco Zola
Matt le Tissier
Paulo DiCanio


and I'm sure I'm forgetting a couple there too.

But basically theres a top five elite players and the rest don't really matter after them five.

Edit to add, I forgot who my sixth would be and thats Peter Beardsley.

Xavi6

Bergkamp, Scholes and Giggs were better than Cantona.

He gets a lot of recognition due to his notoriety. Good player, but not near as great as the three above.

Flamed Diving

mike65 wrote: »

The top 10 players in Premier League history as published by Barclays Global Fans Report 2008

Thierry Henry
Steven Gerrard
Eric Cantona
David Beckham
Dennis Bergkamp
Alan Shearer
Cristiano Ronaldo
Fernando Torres
Roy Keane
Gianfranco Zola

Top 3 for 2008

Fernando Torres
Steven Gerrard
Cristiano Ronaldo.

http://www.setanta.com/uk/Articles/Football/2008/12/11/Feature-Barclays-Global-Fans-Survey-/gnid-31064/

Rubbish.

Xavi6

Thanks for your insight.

eagle eye

I GuanYin wrote: »

Bergkamp, Scholes and Giggs were better than Cantona.

He gets a lot of recognition due to his notoriety. Good player, but not near as great as the two above.

I don't agree at all with that. I hated Cantona as a person but he won the last Division One title with Leeds United and left them and they disappeared off the radar without him. He joined United and they came to the top. I don't think its any accident that he was in winning teams so often. He was a very special player.

Scholes is good at what he does but seriously overrated by a lot of people and Giggs has been great too, but neither would be in the category of elite players to me, what I mean by elite is that they were irreplaceable.

None of the top five I mention could be replaced by someone of their standard, while Scholes was often replaced by Nicky Butt who done a great job in his absence and the overall quality of play from United did not suffer in his absence, it has done since Butt left United.
Similarly with Giggs, while he was in the team the ball went through him a lot but without him they still won games the same as with him.

Xavi6

How is Giggs not an elite player? For a decade he was head and shoulders above any other left winger in the world. He was untouchable in that position.

On the otherhand, there were players capable of doing the same job as Cantona. Bergkamp being the most obvious example.

Scholes is in his 15th season for United whereas Cantona had 5. For me Scholes' overall contribution to Premiership is more than Cantona's and for that reason I would have him ahead.

eagle eye

I GuanYin wrote: »

How is Giggs not an elite player? For a decade he was head and shoulders above any other left winger in the world. He was untouchable in that position.

On the otherhand, there were players capable of doing the same job as Cantona. Bergkamp being the most obvious example.

Scholes is in his 15th season for United whereas Cantona had 5. For me Scholes' overall contribution to Premiership is more than Cantona's and for that reason I would have him ahead.

Whatever. I've said my piece, you just come up with ridiculous points regarding length of service.
And while Dennis Bergkamp was a very special player in his own right, he was no Eric Cantona and no he could not replace him.

Xavi6

eagle eye wrote: »

Whatever. I've said my piece, you just come up with ridiculous points regarding length of service.
And while Dennis Bergkamp was a very special player in his own right, he was no Eric Cantona and no he could not replace him.

That's not a ridiculous point. Scholes has 15 years of success. Cantona has 5. Scholes has consistantly contributed to the winning of trophies in different United teams over a considerable amount of time. Along with Giggs he is the only player still in the United team since 1994. He has won 8 Premierships and 2 Champions Leagues FFS!

But if a rational debate isn't of interest to you and 'whatever' is your counter argument then maybe it's best that you say no more.

LuckyLloyd

eagle eye wrote: »

Ok lets say you are picking a top ten list.

The first five players that come to most peoples minds are

Roy Keane
Alan Shearer
Thierry Henry
Peter Schmeichel
Eric Cantona
After that you have a bunch of players vying for the rest of the places

Any of the following could be there

Dennis Bergkamp
Patrick Viera
David Seaman
Tony Adams
Ian Wright
Denis Irwin
Paul Ince
Paul Scholes
Ruud Van Nistelrooy
David Beckham
Ryan Giggs
Andy Cole
Dwight Yorke
Robbie Fowler
Steven Gerard
Michael Owen
Gianfranco Zola
Matt le Tissier
Paulo DiCanio


and I'm sure I'm forgetting a couple there too.

But basically theres a top five elite players and the rest don't really matter after them five.

Edit to add, I forgot who my sixth would be and thats Peter Beardsley.

I actually agree with this line of thought - though I would switch Cantona and Scholes between the two lists. And then stick Vieira in the elite group. But the idea is sound.

Keane, Shearer, Henry and Schmeicel were simply astonishing for a prolonged stretch of consecutive games. Absolute beasts who made everyone on their team better players through sheer presence alone. I'd consider Scholes and Vieira to be in the same vein.

After that you are talking about amazing players who were the key figure in countless victories. But I don't think their careers have been as rounded or consistently flawless as the six named above.

Anyway, such things are subjective and the way in which the game is presented to us by the visual and print media serves to distort the truth of the matter. Myths are created and distributed, and after a while they pervade people's assessments and perceptions. And eventually amount to a veritable haze that sits between our thoughts / opinions and actual reality. In my opinion, Le Tessier and Cantona are the two prime examples of this phenomenon.

redout

Stuart Pearce is worth a mention. Another unsung hero.

Nalz

I GuanYin wrote: »

...Cantona.....
not near as great as... Giggs.

Bit harsh on the King eh?

Also I notice Beckham getting left out of alot of these lists, I think he had nearly as much of an influence as Giggs on United winning the treble and several league titles. He's just not liked because of his off the field persona

My top twenty players, in order, from the Premiership were

1) Shearer
2) Keane
3) Henry
4) Schmeichel / Cantona
5) Irwin
6) Adams
7) Bergkamp
8) Seaman
9) Scholes
10) Fowler
11) Viera
12) Owen
13) Seaman
14) Beckham
15) Gerrard
16) Giggs
17) Yorke
18) Zola
19) le Tissier
20) Sheringham