Gerrard, Lampard, or Scholes

Seaneh

Lampard

Eli Manning wrote: »

Lampard was never at any period the best player in the world.

Neither was Gerrard, tbh.

I don't think Scholes was either though, I think he was, at times, the best in his position (in two positions).

Vanolder

Kevin Nolan

Wow.... What an utterly pointless debate.

Will I Amnt

Lampard

Just had a look at a Messi v Ronaldo thread. Funny how some people that are saying this thread is pointless or you can't compare the 3 or some had better players around them had no problem giving their opinion there.

They are 3 midfielders, be it AM, CM or DM you can still make a call on who plays their role best.

Seaneh

Lampard

It's a ****ing football forum, it's ALL pointless debate.

Chancer3001

Gerrard

I wonder has a single non-Liverpool supporter voted for Gerrard.

Doubt there's too many.

mav79

Will I Amnt wrote: »

They are 3 midfielders, be it AM, CM or DM you can still make a call on who plays their role best.

You can give an opinion on who is best, but there is no right or wrong answer because the play different roles. There is too many variables even to use goal scoring or passing and tackling stats to say one is better than another. Three very good but different players that have graced the Premiership.

Will I Amnt

Lampard

mav79 wrote: »

You can give an opinion on who is best, but there is no right or wrong answer because the play different roles. There is too many variables even to use goal scoring or passing and tackling stats to say one is better than another. Three very good but different players that have graced the Premiership.

Why do we have a player of the season thread ever year so?

mav79

Will I Amnt wrote: »

Why do we have a player of the season thread ever year so?

Player of the season along with man of the match awards are only peoples opinion. Ask different people you get different answers. How many times have you watched a match and think the man of the match award went to the wrong person.

Will I Amnt

Lampard

mav79 wrote: »

Player of the season along with man of the match awards are only peoples opinion. Ask different people you get different answers. How many times have you watched a match and think the man of the match award went to the wrong person.

Exactly. So what's the problem with people afraid to say who they think is better here?
All the moaning about variables, better teammates, different positions etc.
Man up and make your choice.

Cantona's Collars

Will I Amnt wrote: »

Exactly. So what's the problem with people afraid to say who they think is better here?
All the moaning about variables, better teammates, different positions etc.
Man up and make your choice.

Scholes all the way for me,he could control the tempo of a game with ease.

Gerard was/is never a 'proper' midfielder- not a slight on him as Liverpool fans will agree.He never controlled games like Scholes did.

Lampard is in the same mould as Gerard,scored goals but I can't remember too many games in which he ran the show.

eagle eye

PFA player of the year awards: Gerrard 1, Lampard 0, Scholes 0

PFA team of the year: Gerrard 7, Lampard 2, Scholes 2

FWA player of the season: Gerard 1, Lampard 1, Scholes 0

I've always believed that Gerrard was head and shoulders above the other two. He has always been a brilliant crosser of the ball, dead ball specialist, not afraid to go for the 50/50 ball, an excellent tackler most of the time and he can score goals not to mention that he went full on for the 90 minutes. When he played behind the front man for a season or two he was ridiculously good in an attacking sense. Above all though was the level of consistency he showed.

Scholes could not tackle and was never as consistent as Gerrard. Thing about Scholes is that he could run a game if you put the ball at his feet but you have to get the ball for him unlike Gerrard who could go and get it and then stick in the back of the net all on his own.

Lampard for me was similar to Gerrard but never had the intensity about him and often times went missing for long periods of games only to turn up with a winner late on and have everybody raving about him.

Andersonisgod

Gerrard

Blatter wrote: »

What period was this, specifically?

Around 2005, he finished second in the World Player of the Year and Balon D'or

The_Kew_Tour

Tackling is the least important part of the game in Spain and better technical countries.

Amazing how its so much more important to people here.

Says a lot.

Hulk Hands

Lampard

eagle eye wrote: »

PFA player of the year awards: Gerrard 1, Lampard 0, Scholes 0

PFA team of the year: Gerrard 7, Lampard 2, Scholes 2

FWA player of the season: Gerard 1, Lampard 1, Scholes 0

I've always believed that Gerrard was head and shoulders above the other two. He has always been a brilliant crosser of the ball, dead ball specialist, not afraid to go for the 50/50 ball, an excellent tackler most of the time and he can score goals not to mention that he went full on for the 90 minutes. When he played behind the front man for a season or two he was ridiculously good in an attacking sense. Above all though was the level of consistency he showed.

Scholes could not tackle and was never as consistent as Gerrard.

Lampard for me was similar to Gerrard but never had the intensity about him and often times went missing for long periods of games only to turn up with a winner late on and have everybody raving about him.

That's complete dross. Gerrard, even by his own fans admission has had seasons where he hasn't been great. He has often had poor games. Until about 09 when where age started to catch up on Scholes, he never had a poor season. He was by and large Uniteds most consistent performer for 10-15 years, much more so than obvious choices like Giggs or Neville.

Also, he couldnt slide tackle. He was a perfectly capable ball winner around midfield but because he mistimes slides (which are only seen sparingly), people assume he was a bad tackler.

Blatter

Lampard

Andersonisgod wrote: »

Around 2005, he finished second in the World Player of the Year and Balon D'or

Would have thought Ronaldinho was the undisputed best at that time in virtually everybodys eyes, no?

RasTa

Lampard

eagle eye wrote: »

Thing about Scholes is that he could run a game if you put the ball at his feet but you have to get the ball for him unlike Gerrard who could go and get it and then stick in the back of the net all on his own.

.

lol.... Jesus, Gerrard is better then Messi too.

Hulk Hands

Lampard

Andersonisgod wrote: »

I've had all that I can stands I can't stands no more. Xavi Hernandez is the greatest midfielder Spain has ever produced. That isn't hyperbole, that isn't a tag line, that is absolutely true. To take place of Pep Guardiola, to put his own stamp on that position and in the process become the embodiment of tiki taka and change how midfielders are viewed and judged. The metronome of Barcelona, the hub of the most successful national side the world has ever known, the man is a bastion of the total football/tiki taka of Michels, Cruyff, Guardiola ect. For me, the greatest midfielder I have ever seen, the greatest midfielder of his generation.

On the debate, Lampard. Statistically his numbers can't be argued, not as naturally talented as either Gerrard or Scholes but his importance to Chelsea under Mourinho under his first reign is unquestionable and I firmly believe that there was a period during that time where he was the best player in the world.

I thoroughly like the Spanish national side but there is no way they have surpassed Brazil of the 60's-70's as the best national side ever. The next WC will judge a lot but they're nowhere near that position yet.

First you say Xavi is the embodiment of tika taka and changes the way midfielders are judged, then you say he is merely a bastion for the football created by Cruyff/Guardiola etc. Is that not a contradiction? Is he the main creator of this style of play or is he merely copying the players before him? Fwiw it's complete bollocks. Xavi hasn't changed the face of midfielding or any other deluded claim you like to make. There was a better midfielder in La Liga immediately before he started getting his game, and there'll be plenty after.

Talib Fiasco

Kevin Nolan

Gerrard easily.

eagle eye

Hulk Hands wrote: »

That's complete dross. Gerrard, even by his own fans admission has had seasons where he hasn't been great. He has often had poor games. Until about 09 when where age started to catch up on Scholes, he never had a poor season. He was by and large Uniteds most consistent performer for 10-15 years, much more so than obvious choices like Giggs or Neville.

Also, he couldnt slide tackle. He was a perfectly capable ball winner around midfield but because he mistimes slides (which are only seen sparingly), people assume he was a bad tackler.

No but what you wrote there is complete dross. Either you are too young to remember or just completely delusional but Scholes wasn't even a nailed on starter for United until the end of the 90s where he shared time on the field with Nicky Butt. Roy Keane was the superstar in that team and the year he missed was the year United won nothing even with Scholes who you claim never had a poor season.

Scholes really didn't become a top player at United until about 2002 and from then until 2008 he was a truly world class player.

Gerrard has been a world class player since he first broke into the Liverpool team until recently enough.

Oranage2

Lampard

This thread reminds me of a Keane vs Gerard thread, ones obviously better but you'll still get the odd deluded guy thinking the wrong answer.

Andersonisgod

Gerrard

Blatter wrote: »

Would have thought Ronaldinho was the undisputed best at that time in virtually everybodys eyes, no?

Of course he did win both awards that year, though I wouldn't say it was undisputed and I think an argument could have been made for Lampard, afterall he did finish second so to say that he could have been first isn't the much of a stretch of the imagination.

eagle eye

Oranage2 wrote: »

This thread reminds me of a Keane vs Gerard thread, ones obviously better but you'll still get the odd deluded guy thinking the wrong answer.

This sounds like statement of fact and that your opinion is incontroverible.

eagle eye

RasTa wrote: »

lol.... Jesus, Gerrard is better then Messi too.

Please use your brain before you post.

Messi = forward

Subject = which midfielder was best

Andersonisgod

Gerrard

Hulk Hands wrote: »

I thoroughly like the Spanish national side but there is no way they have surpassed Brazil of the 60's-70's as the best national side ever. The next WC will judge a lot but they're nowhere near that position yet.

First you say Xavi is the embodiment of tika taka and changes the way midfielders are judged, then you say he is merely a bastion for the football created by Cruyff/Guardiola etc. Is that not a contradiction? Is he the main creator of this style of play or is he merely copying the players before him? Fwiw it's complete bollocks. Xavi hasn't changed the face of midfielding or any other deluded claim you like to make. There was a better midfielder in La Liga immediately before he started getting his game, and there'll be plenty after.

Why? Why are they nowhere near that position? They've won 3 major tournaments in a row. They've won those tournaments playing a brand of football that has not only been incredible to watch but has changed football. Much like the Brazil side of the 60's-70's were considered revolutionary, so too has this Spanish side been revolutionary.

The embodiment of tiki taka, the shining example of La Masia, the perfect role model for what a Barcelona player should be. He took what Cruyff envisioned and Guardiola performed (and then envisioned) and has put his own slant on him and raised it a level, thus being the embodiment of Barcelona and Spain's tiki taka while being a follower and believer in the Cruyff/Guardiola way of football, thus the answer to your question is a bit of both, there is no two Xavi Hernandez, but his game is in the likeness of Guardiola, without being identical. But he has, this "death by a thousand passes" all revolves around the metronome that is Xavi, while Viera, Keane ect. were dominating games with their power, drive and tenacity, Xavi dominates games with possession. I've never seen a midfielder in La Liga, the Premier League, Serie A or any other league for that matter that compares to Xavi, I don't expect to see a midfielder that can compare to Xavi either.

Rikand

Lampard

Scholes >>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Lampard >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Gerrard

Vanolder

Kevin Nolan

Gerrard by a country mile.

Unearthly

Lampard

Scholes was the best. Very strange how England produced him.

PhlegmyMoses

Lampard

eagle eye wrote: »

Please use your brain before you post.

Messi = forward

Subject = which midfielder was best

It's still an illogical argument from you. You have set ridiculously narrow parameters to choose between the two players. It's handy that football is a team game so people can pass the ball to one another and it doesn't require one man to do it all.

And Rasta's point stands. You have to get the ball to Messi for him to do damage. Rooney can win the ball himself and stick it in the net. Rooney>>>>> Messi?

Vanolder

Kevin Nolan

The_Kew_Tour wrote: »

Tackling is the least important part of the game in Spain and better technical countries.

Amazing how its so much more important to people here.

Says a lot.

Winning ball when you don't have it is essential in football, particularly midfield.

PhlegmyMoses

Lampard

Vanolder wrote: »

Winning ball when you don't have it is essential in football, particularly midfield.

But you have to win the ball a lot less when you keep a ball like Scholes and Xavi.

Unearthly

Lampard

A lot of scholes dirty tackles were on purpose to stop a counter attack.

He did a good job v Barca in 2008 when he was asked to tackle all game.

the untitled user

Lampard

Vanolder wrote: »

Winning ball when you don't have it is essential in football, particularly midfield.

Yeah, but you don't need to tackle to win the ball. The best midfielders have won the ball back through interceptions before it gets into the dangerous positions.

Vanolder

Kevin Nolan

PhlegmyMoses wrote: »

But you have to win the ball a lot less when you keep a ball like Scholes and Xavi.

Scholes should not be mentioned in the same sentence as Xavi, he is one of the greatest players of all time winning world cups and european championships along the way. Scholes is just about beating Kevin Nolan in this poll.

PhlegmyMoses

Lampard

Unearthly wrote: »

A lot of scholes dirty tackles were on purpose to stop a counter attack.

He did a good job v Barca in 2008 when he was asked to tackle all game.

Scholes was a purposefully dirty tackler at times. He was also a decent tackler the rest of the time.

Son Of A Vidic

Lampard

Scholes was a rare vintage, a player that comes along once in a generation, if at all. The others? I wouldn't even mention in the same sentence as him.


This is what Lionel Messi said about Scholes...

"At La Masia his name was mentioned a lot. He's a teacher."


This is what Pele said about about Scholes...

"If he was playing with me, I would have scored so many more."


This is what Zinedine Zidane said about Scholes

"My toughest opponent? Scholes of Manchester. He is the complete midfielder."


This is what Xavi said about Scholes...

"In the last 15 to 20 years the best central midfielder that I have seen - the most complete - is Scholes. I have spoken with Xabi Alonso about this many times. Scholes is a spectacular player who has everything. He can play the final pass, he can score, he is strong, he never gets knocked off the ball and he doesn't give possession away. If he had been Spanish then maybe he would have been valued more."


Thsi is what Pep Guardiola said about Scholes...

"Out of everyone at Manchester United, I would pick out Scholes - he is the best midfielder of his generation. I would have loved to have played alongside him."


This is what Luis Figo said about Scholes...

"I'm star-struck when I see Paul Scholes because you never see him. On the pitch you can't catch him. Off the pitch he disappears."


Thius is what Cristaino Ronaldo said about Scholes...

"When we were in training, I used to do a lot of tricks which hardly any players at the club could do. Once i was showing my skills to Scholes. After i finished it, Scholes took the ball and pointed to a tree which was about 50m from where we were standing. He said, I'm going to hit it in one shot. He kicked and hit the tree. He asked me to do the same; I kicked about 10 times, but still couldn't hit it, with that Accuracy. He smiled and left."
http://www.ibtimes.com/sportsnet/top-10-quotes-about-paul-
scholes-781763

PhlegmyMoses

Lampard

Vanolder wrote: »

Scholes should not be mentioned in the same sentence as Xavi, he is one of the greatest players of all time winning world cups and european championships along the way. Scholes is just about beating Kevin Nolan in this poll.

Scholes is as good as Xavi imo.

eagle eye

PhlegmyMoses wrote: »

It's still an illogical argument from you. You have set ridiculously narrow parameters to choose between the two players. It's handy that football is a team game so people can pass the ball to one another and it doesn't require one man to do it all.

And Rasta's point stands. You have to get the ball to Messi for him to do damage. Rooney can win the ball himself and stick it in the net. Rooney>>>>> Messi?

No you see Rooney is what I'd call a tweener, he is a midfielder/forward. A great player in his own right albeit inconsistent.

There is nothing illogical about what I said. Gerrard was the complete midfielder and always one of the best in the world for quite a long period. Scholes was great at spraying the ball around the pitch but he could not tackle. If they had been playing for the other ones teams I think United would have been better while Liverpool would have been worse IMO.

Liam O

Vanolder wrote: »

Scholes should not be mentioned in the same sentence as Xavi, he is one of the greatest players of all time winning world cups and european championships along the way. Scholes is just about beating Kevin Nolan in this poll.

Is picking the only 2 major trophies Scholes didn't win on multiple occasions supposed to trick us? The reason England haven't done better is because of playing their Gerrard's and Lampards over their Scholes and I'd be tempted to say Carrick. The best they've looked that I'm old enough to remember is when they had Hargreaves in there. It's no coincidence that they looked so good when that was the case and it's a shame Scholes didn't get to play at more WCs.

Vanolder

Kevin Nolan

PhlegmyMoses wrote: »

Scholes is as good as Xavi imo.

:eek:

FFS! I've heard it all now.

G.K.

Lampard

Scholes unquestionably, but the others are closer than a lot say imo. Gerrard and Lampard v. close, the former just nicks it if I have to pick one.

Red Crow

Lampard

eagle eye wrote: »

PFA player of the year awards: Gerrard 1, Lampard 0, Scholes 0

PFA team of the year: Gerrard 7, Lampard 2, Scholes 2

FWA player of the season: Gerard 1, Lampard 1, Scholes 0

I've always believed that Gerrard was head and shoulders above the other two. He has always been a brilliant crosser of the ball, dead ball specialist, not afraid to go for the 50/50 ball, an excellent tackler most of the time and he can score goals not to mention that he went full on for the 90 minutes. When he played behind the front man for a season or two he was ridiculously good in an attacking sense. Above all though was the level of consistency he showed.

Scholes could not tackle and was never as consistent as Gerrard. Thing about Scholes is that he could run a game if you put the ball at his feet but you have to get the ball for him unlike Gerrard who could go and get it and then stick in the back of the net all on his own.

Lampard for me was similar to Gerrard but never had the intensity about him and often times went missing for long periods of games only to turn up with a winner late on and have everybody raving about him.

Wow that is a rubbish post tbh. Basing anything on awards is also a crap aguement.

Rayne Wooney

Lampard

Vanolder wrote: »

Scholes should not be mentioned in the same sentence as Xavi, he is one of the greatest players of all time winning world cups and european championships along the way. Scholes is just about beating Kevin Nolan in this poll.

LOL, nice try.

And your hero Stevie G is what 60 votes ahead of Nolan, and that's with most people admitting to voting with their "hearts".

Scholes is Everest to Gerrard's Kilimanjaro, both are great summits but one far far eclipses the other when compared.

eagle eye

Corvus Maximus wrote: »

Scholes was a rare vintage, a player that comes along once in a generation, if at all. The others? I wouldn't even mention in the same sentence as him.





This is what Zinedine Zidane said about Scholes

"My toughest opponent? Scholes of Manchester. He is the complete midfielder."
'Is he the best in the world? He might not get the attention of Lionel Messi and Ronaldo but yes, I think he just might be,' the former France captain said.

This is getting ridiculous with the quotes. Here is another one from Zidane about Gerrard.
I posted the PFA team selections. If everybody thought Scholes was so great consistently then he would have been selected for a lot more than two PFA teams of the year.

Gerrard has seven, I repeat seven.

Red Crow

Lampard

Vanolder wrote: »

Gerrard by a country mile.

A country mile is the same distance as an ordinary mile. Just thought I'd let you know.

The_Kew_Tour

Vanolder wrote: »

Winning ball when you don't have it is essential in football, particularly midfield.

Yes but slide tackling is not be all and end all. You can get the ball back in number of ways.

Liam O

G.K. wrote: »

Scholes unquestionably, but the others are closer than a lot say imo. Gerrard and Lampard v. close, the former just nicks it if I have to pick one.

With Gerrard and Lamps it depends on what you want imo. I didn't appreciate Lampard for a very long time but his record really speaks for itself. As a second striker he wins hands down. Leader by example and consistently great. Able to break down the most stubborn of defenses consistently. With Gerrard he's who I'd have as a 3rd midfielder because of his great engine and his ability to lift the performance of the players around him. Tried a few too many hollywood passes for a while but once he got used to the advanced role had the engine to get up and down the field and really upped his finishing ability. It's a testament to the player that he was able to change his game like that.

eagle eye

Eli Manning wrote: »

A country mile is the same distance as an ordinary mile. Just thought I'd let you know.

You don't know what you are talking about as per usual. A country mile is much longer than a mile but doesn't have an exact distance. Its a reference to people from the rural parts who say that something is a mile away when its actually farther.

Backstreet Moyes

Eli Manning wrote: »

Wow that is a rubbish post tbh. Basing anything on awards is also a crap aguement.

It really is it is far easier to get selected for awards when your the heartbeat of a top team and the best player.

It's far harder to stand out when your in a team full of world class players you get overlooked by more explosive players. But if you watched Scholes you see he was the man who made it all click sitting deep and dictating play. His first touch, vision and passing range is superior to the other two and if he stayed forward he would have matched the other's in goals. Without a doubt the best player of the three but they are all world class.

eagle eye

Nuts102 wrote: »

It really is it is far easier to get selected for awards when your the heartbeat of a top team and the best player.

It's far harder to stand out when your in a team full of world class players you get overlooked by more explosive players. But if you watched Scholes you see he was the man who made it all click sitting deep and dictating play. His first touch, vision and passing range is superior to the other two and if he stayed forward he would have matched the other's in goals. Without a doubt the best player of the three but they are all world class.

So you are suggesting here that the players who played against him wouldn't realise that? Because the PFA awards are voted on by the players obviously.

the untitled user

Lampard

In 20 years since he came on the scene, nobody has come close to Scholes' range of passing in the professional game (not even Xavi or Pirlo, the next best two). Gerrard and Lamps might have gotten on the highlight reels more with their goals, but they were never able to turn a game the way Scholes could with a single 60yd cross field pass.

Probably been posted already, but this compilation should give you some indication of Scholes' range of passing:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3AHuFCoybo