Pirlo or Xavi?

marbless

Imagine you're picking a team and have to select either Pirlo or Xavi as your midfield general. Which one would you go for?

WesternZulu

Xavi, and it's not even close.

Duff

Xavi. Better rounded IMO.

Pinturicchio

Right now or at their peak?

super_furry

Daddy. No wait, chips!

Talib Fiasco

WesternZulu wrote: »

Xavi, and it's not even close.

But...but...but... Pirlo's beard?

GavRedKing

Xavi although i wished we had got Pirlo when we were in for him

Billy86

Pirlo in terms of cult icon, etc. Xavi in terms of footballers.

The Golden Miller

Totti

Billy86

The Golden Miller wrote: »

Totti

Messi and Ronaldo.

??

Vurnon San Benito

Jack Colback.

CSF

Xavi by such a distance

Giggsy11

Xavi. I haven't seen anyone control the game like he did. It was just amazing.

deadybai

Xavi. Pirlo is completely over rated. Especially since his chip peno vs England at euro 2012.

Turtwig

Xavi.

Dictated the flow of games.

marbless

deadybai wrote: »

Pirlo is completely over rated.

Why did you think that?

CSF

Seriously, how is this poll so close? We are talking about players from 2 completely different tiers of ability here.

keeponhurling

CSF wrote: »

Seriously, how is this poll so close? We are talking about players from 2 completely different tiers of ability here.

not really.

Both are top midfielders, key men in both Champions League and World Cup winning teams.

If find it a tough call to pick one.

Pirlo has penalties and free kicks in his locker, plus a proper beard

bucketybuck

The answer is Xavi, next question please.

I know all the cool kids want to adore Pirlo, but this isn't even a close thing.

CSF

keeponhurling wrote: »

not really.

Both are top midfielders, key men in both Champions League and World Cup winning teams.

If find it a tough call to pick one.

Pirlo has penalties and free kicks in his locker, plus a proper beard

Pirlo was a great player, Xavi comes into the best of all time discussion. There is a big difference between them IMO.

klose

Talib Fiasco wrote: »

But...but...but... Pirlo's beard?

Sat in a vineyard too once.

Frankie Lee

I think if Pirlo played for Barcelona alongside the likes of Iniesta, Messi, Ronaldinho, Busquets, Henry etc. he would have dominated games every bit as well as Xavi.
I wouldn't put much between them and Scholes at his best too. There is no definitive answer as to who was the best but they were all a pleasure to watch.

madcabbage

No Pirlo no party!

Billy86

Frankie Lee wrote: »

I think if Pirlo played for Barcelona alongside the likes of Iniesta, Messi, Ronaldinho, Busquets, Henry etc. he would have dominated games every bit as well as Xavi.
I wouldn't put much between them and Scholes at his best too. There is no definitive answer as to who was the best but they were all a pleasure to watch.

He hardly had a rough time of it playing with Seedorf, Gattuso, Rui Costa, Kaka, Shevchenko, Nesta and Maldini. Pirlo was a great player obviously, but Xavi was the focal point of arguably the best club and best international team in the history of the game, both of which had so much success because of his unrivalled ability (of any player, ever) to keep and dictate possession and the tempo of a game so consistently. Both of those teams came to prominence as he entered his peak, and have since fallen off a little despite still being incredibly star studded, pretty much perfectly in line with his getting past his peak.

For me Xavi is the only player with any kind of an argument to being on par with Ronaldo and Messi from around 2008-12.

jaykay74

Blur

klose

Frankie Lee wrote: »

I think if Pirlo played for Barcelona alongside the likes of Iniesta, Messi, Ronaldinho, Busquets, Henry etc. he would have dominated games every bit as well as Xavi.
I wouldn't put much between them and Scholes at his best too. There is no definitive answer as to who was the best but they were all a pleasure to watch.

You could argue the milan side he was in around 2005 was as good a side as barca in its pomp

Frankie Lee

The style of football I was more hinting at. Xavi is rightly considered the master of tiki-taka, if Pirlo was placed in that Barca team instead of Xavi at the time he could have done every bit as good a job. Conversely if Xavi played in the great Milan team he could emulate Pirlo's more direct passing style too. Both technically masterful footballers with great footballing brains, Xavi will leave a greater legacy but Pirlo was just as talented in my view.

Gbear

Pirlo is one of the best midfielders of his generation. No question about that.

But Xavi is the best midfielder of his generation. Truly among the greats of the game.

thelad95

John O'Shea.

The_Kew_Tour

Seen both play live couple of times and its much much closer then people think.

Xavi for me but to say they are worlds apart is stupid.

Big Pussy Bonpensiero

Xavi is a clear level above. For me, and for a lot of people, he was the single most important person for Barcelona from '06-'11. Not the best, but the most important. A bit of a shame that his peak coincided with Messi's and Ronaldo's as he never got the individual awards, but nonetheless, he'll be remembered as one of the greatest midfielders of all time.

Gbear

THFC wrote: »

Xavi is a clear level above. For me, and for a lot of people, he was the single most important person for Barcelona from '06-'11. Not the best, but the most important. A bit of a shame that his peak coincided with Messi's and Ronaldo's as he never got the individual awards, but nonetheless, he'll be remembered as one of the greatest midfielders of all time.

I'm sure double European Championships, a World Cup, 3 CL and 5 leagues is ample reward for him in that period.

He'll be remembered as the heartbeat of Messi's Barcelona.

Skylinehead

CSF wrote: »

Seriously, how is this poll so close? We are talking about players from 2 completely different tiers of ability here.

Don't be ridiculous. Both are the fulcrum of the midfield, both controlled games pretty much every game they played. Both have pretty much won it all, although Xavi in better sides usually. Both are rightly regarded as being some of the very best to play in the game. There's nowhere near the difference you're making out.

Liam O

Skylinehead wrote: »

Don't be ridiculous. Both are the fulcrum of the midfield, both controlled games pretty much every game they played. Both have pretty much won it all, although Xavi in better sides usually. Both are rightly regarded as being some of the very best to play in the game. There's nowhere near the difference you're making out.

A lot of players were made to look better by Xavi. He was far superior in a defensive sense with his pressing energy levels in his prime. Pirlo looked very stylish himself but didn't raise the performances around him as much as Xavi.

I like Pirlo and respect his career hugely but Xavi is Xavi and the main man in the best midfield of all time.

Bounty Hunter

I was vote no.100

made it 61-39 to Xavi

Skylinehead

Liam O wrote: »

A lot of players were made to look better by Xavi. He was far superior in a defensive sense with his pressing energy levels in his prime. Pirlo looked very stylish himself but didn't raise the performances around him as much as Xavi.

I like Pirlo and respect his career hugely but Xavi is Xavi and the main man in the best midfield of all time.

That's perfectly fine, but that doesn't change CSF's ridiculous hyperbole.

smileyj1987

jaykay74 wrote: »

Blur

Pfft it was all about oasis .

GreNoLi

Could not choose one over the other but gives me an excuse to post my Dream Team XI.

Buffon

Cafu Thuram Nesta R.Carlos

Pirlo

Xavi Iniesta

Messi Ronaldinho

L.Ronaldo

Schwiiing

GreNoLi wrote: »

Could not choose one over the other but gives me an excuse to post my Dream Team XI.

Buffon

Cafu Thuram Nesta R.Carlos

Pirlo

Xavi Iniesta

Messi Ronaldinho

L.Ronaldo

I'd swap in Maldini for Thuram. But I'd go along with the rest.

Talib Fiasco

Schwiiing wrote: »

I'd swap in Maldini for Thuram. But I'd go along with the rest.

Or swap in Maldini for Robbie C in order to get full chem. on Fifa Ultimate Team lol lol lol

keeponhurling

Talib Fiasco wrote: »

Or swap in Maldini for Robbie C in order to get full chem. on Fifa Ultimate Team lol lol lol

I'd have Franco Baresi ahead of Nesta

PhlegmyMoses

Pirlo goes into the overrated pile for me, if he is being compared with Xavi. Brilliant player who had a nice renaissance at the end of his career after a couple of less than spectacular final years at Milan. But he needs to go into the Scholes/Kaka/Alonso tier, all sitting below Xavi, who was the best of his generation.

Blue giant

GreNoLi wrote: »

Could not choose one over the other but gives me an excuse to post my Dream Team XI.

Buffon

Cafu Thuram Nesta R.Carlos

Pirlo

Xavi Iniesta

Messi Ronaldinho

L.Ronaldo

No Cruyff, Zidane or Maradona. Actually no older players at all.

GreNoLi

Only included players that I have watched, hate to leave out the likes of Zizou, Figsi. Keano, Eto'o, Lahm etc.. but I think my team would work beautifully together.

Too Tough To Die

Lampard is better than both. Scores more goals, innit?

bucketybuck

Too Tough To Die wrote: »

Lampard is better than both. Scores more goals, innit?

Grow up.

Donnielighto

Neither really a midfield general though. Pirlo seems to have more leadership but individual quality, Xavi hands down.

The Golden Miller

bucketybuck wrote: »

Grow up.

Well that seems to be the criteria for the best these days. Because Ronaldo scores the most goals, so he must be the best player according to many

WoollyRedHat

They both sound like expensive Italian suit brands.

smileyj1987

Honestly it has to be Xavi buy my god pirlo is a joy to watch also !!!
I think Xavi is feh better player but I haven't saw anyone who can pass a ball like pirlo even under pressure . The closest to me would be Alonso .
I do think they are two complete different players and are both a joy to watch .

Donnielighto

The Golden Miller wrote: »

Well that seems to be the criteria for the best these days. Because Ronaldo scores the most goals, so he must be the best player according to many

Than someone else who plays as an attacker, pretty important criterion, not the only one. I hardly think you're being genuine though. I wont be responding to posts btw, so dont expect one if you see this.