Best Player you've seen play

AgileMyth

Post world cup boredom thread and sorry if its been done:

Who was the best player you've ever seen play in the flesh
For me it was either Alan Shearer or Roy Keane. Though I reckon in years to come I'll be saying Seamus Coleman

Saw Shearer in a win over Leeds at Elland Road a few years back and Keano for the first time against Holland in 2001.

SRFC90

Paddy McCourt.

Nemanja91

Paul Scholes

Paul Tergat

Trying to avoid my owns teams players it has to be brazilian Ronaldo at Old Trafford. His performance that night was just stunning.

Wolfe Tone

Scimichael, RVN and Sheringham in his 20 odd goal season at United

Xavi6

Do training sessions count? If so then Zidane, Ronaldo, Figo, Raul, Carlos, Casillas and Beckham would be up there.

If not then Maurizio Gaudino.

EDIT: Can't believe I forgot Weso and Tony Sheridan. For shame

Royale with Cheese

Hmmm, Thierry Henry or Dennis Bergkamp.

Non Arsenal would probably be Michael Essien.

Glico Man

Messi, Henry, Eto'o, Xavi, Iniesta, Rivaldo, Luis Enrique, Figo, Guardiola, McManaman, Barnes, Gerrard, Fowler, Alonso, Mascherano, Torres etc...

But best ?....hard to look past Messi

I should also add, Stoichkov, Romario, Michael Laudrup... so long ago I'd forgotten

Fizman

I've seen Bergkamp and Messi live as well as Ronaldinho in his hay day with Barca so I'd have to go with those three that stand out.

bernardo mac

In Ireland some time back:Andy McEvoy. Class act!

Barr

Didier Drogba.

thekid9

Torres. Went to 2 games in which he scored 5 goals.

Oat23

Ronaldo(While at Madrid), Van Der Vaart(While at Hamburg) and Ruud(While at United & Hamburg). My top 3 anyway.

Oh, and Joseph N'do....;)

GLaDOS

Brian Murphy, unreal 'keeper

applehunter

Denis Irwin vs Turkey Euro 2000 playoff. Pure class and coolness under pressure.

John O'Flynn(Cork City FC) 2002-2004 : For 2 seasons until he did his cruciate in Belfield he was amazing. Such a shame.:(

grenache

Andy Reid (i only attend Championship and Ireland games).

Degag

Peter Schmeichel. Absolutely fantastic goalkeeper player.

Cypher_sounds

Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima, class act.

eagle eye

Maradona.

x PyRo

I've seen Fat Ronaldo & Ronaldinho live.

If not live, Henry is who I think is the greatest* in my lifetime , but I'm biased.

*Bar Messi, but I'll not be boring.

cm2000

Ronaldinho in 2006 without a doubt. Incredible

Seaneh

Ah feck, that's hard.

I'll go top 10.

Kaka
Maldini
Shevchenko
Zidane
Roanldinho
Ronaldo (real, not greasy)
Buffon
Nesta
Giggs
Nedved

Lukker-

Zola.

Reganio 2

Paolo Di Canio

RasTa

Ronaldo, this one



Also Scholes and Giggs. Vidic is the best defender.

Worst was Rory Delap at Old Trafford two season ago during a 5-0 win, couldn't kick a ball.

helimachoptor

My uncle, had trials with Spurs when he was younger but they said he was too small, would have come on line about the same time as scholes (and looks exactly like him, small/red hair). Was a real shame, he played a bit for teams back here but got pi$$ed off with it and pretty much stopped playing after an injury.

flahavaj

Saw Zidane play at the Bernebeu in his last season there.

Also Brazilian Ronaldo at Landsdowne a few years ago.

Anthony Walsh

John O'Shea

/end thread

Ush1

Ronaldinho Gaucho in '07. Scoring an overhead kick against Villareal at the Camp Nou.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=va6NyR42vf0

The white hankeys were flying around me after that!

homerjay2005

ive seen pretty much every top player in the world live over the last few years, except Kaka, i missed the Milan semi in 2007. but united have played everybody at some stage so theres very few players that havent been to old trafford.

Best player ive seen Regulary would be Paddy Evra, the man is incredible to watch week in, week out. it really is a joy to watch him live. every week i just get more and mroe impressed at how class he is.

Messi was not great when he came to old trafford, but then was class i suppose im Rome.

Best performance that impressed me in recent times from an opposition player was Edin Dzeko for Wolfsburg last season, he was sublime in that game i thought, led the line really well and tormented the united back 4 all night.

EDIT: worst player was some lad playing at left full for Popmy last season. i remember sitting there looking at him thinking how the hell are you a premiership football. he was simply horrific to watch.

SlickRic

Liverpool: Fernando Torres.

Everyone else: Michael Essien.

Atlas_IRL

Paul Scholes.

Went to a game where United beat Fulham 3-0 at Old Trafford with Rooney, Ronaldo et al. Everything went through Scholes, he pissed all over everyone else on the pitch.

Vanbis

Manutd: Patrice Evra, Roy Keane, Paul Scholes, Ronaldo.

Portugal. Luis Figo.

Real Madrid: Ronaldo ( Brazilian ) @ Old Trafford.

rednik

Keeper : Schmeichel
Defender : McGrath
Midfield : Iniesta
Striker : Van Basten

amiable

Until i saw Messi in the Nou Camp 2years ago it was Ruud Gullit.
Although he was old playing for Chelsea i've never seen anyone control a ball so effortlessly

GavRedKing

Was lucky to see Zidane play 4 times, away to Majorca 04, at home to Deportivo and Valencia 05 and Lansdowne Road.


Ronaldihno and Ronaldo (fat) get mentions also.

dobsdave

Dalglish.

keano_afc

I remember Christian Vieri being absolutely brilliant against Ireland at Lansdowne Rd a few years back. Other than that, seeing the Invincibles in their pomp with Henry, Pires and Cole raiding down the left was great to see in the flesh.

Pinturicchio

(Brazilian) Ronaldo
Alessandro Del Piero
Pavel Nedved
Paddy McCourt :P
Ronaldinho
Roberto Carlos

And the winner, of course, Kevin Kilbane.

deise48

Vanbis wrote: »

Manutd: Patrice Evra, Roy Keane, Paul Scholes, Ronaldo.

Portugal. Luis Figo.

Real Madrid: Ronaldo ( Brazilian ) @ Old Trafford.

i agree with ronaldo i was at the game at old trafford where he scored the hat trick never will see anything like it again

JimsAlterEgo

Atlas_IRL wrote: »

Paul Scholes.

Went to a game where United beat Fulham 3-0 at Old Trafford with Rooney, Ronaldo et al. Everything went through Scholes, he pissed all over everyone else on the pitch.

was at same game, masterclass in controlling a game. Def best individual performance I have ecer seen.

kensutz

Wes Hoolahan and Darren Huckerby

frantic190

ScienceNerd wrote: »

Brian Murphy, unreal 'keeper

He should be Irelands no.2, no.1 when Given retires. Best goalkeeper I have ever seen play in the League of Ireland, and he is still playing below his standard in the Championship.

Best player I have ever seen play is Zinedine Zidane, and Pat Fenlon made him look average.

Gillington

Yeah seen Zizou,Torres,Anelka,Drogba,Roberto Carlos but completely biased answer is Georgi Kinkladze(I think I've said this in another thread,deja vu) but the little man was mesmerising to watch,the ball just stuck to him.

As a defender my whole life I tend to watch defenders play,movement off the ball and all but Richard Dunne is an absolute top quality player to watch.Not the fastest and gives the quicker strikers a yard or two,the slower ones half a yard,the man rarely puts a defensive foot wrong

gleep

Seen a lot of Celtic in the champions league against very decent sides and players, have to say Henrik Larsson was honestly the class act in all games he played.

Also the little man, Lubo Moravcik vs Juventus in the 4-3 game at Celtic Park. He absolutley bossed the game, nut-megged Nedved for fun all night, very very underrated player.

CorkMan

Best player I ever saw: Iker Casillas.

Best player I ever saw come on as a sub: Raul

I went to Salou in May last year and found out Barca had their finale against Villarreal. Saw Messi playing, but IMO Casillas is, taking in the past 10 years, better.

delta_bravo

Jimmy Aggrey

yermandan

Roy Keane, Zidane and Ronaldo at OT when he scored the hat-trick in the CL 1/4 final and got a standing ovation from everyone in the ground.

Someone earlier mentioned Paddy McCourt. I remember him playing for Sligo Rovers (may have been a diff team) against Shels a good few years ago and could not believe what I was watching. Myself and the auld lad thought he would be snapped up by a top 4 team very soon after that!

Edit: It was Derry City, not Sligo McCourt was playing for that day

Leiva

Graham Barrett

oldyouth

Paul McGrath at the height of his career. I've never seen positional awareness or reading of the game like it. He made it look as if there was nothing to it

murpho999

Was very young at the time but I saw Maradonna play in Dublin for an Argentina v Ireland friendly. Think it was 1979 but could have been 1980. Didn't realise then how good he was to become. Was very young at time but it's great to say that I saw him play in the flesh.

As for modern day, I saw Gary Breen play for Ireland a few times, surely no one can beat that.