Let's define "footballing brain" (apologies to Nixon & HTT)

[TRon]

Geremi from our current crop of players qualifies I would say.

 

 

[The Prophet]

Just though of a player with a footballing brain but who doesn't quite have the ability to match it: Cahill.

[mrmojorisin75]

my two penneth after chelping once before about this, it needs to be split into with the ball & without the ball:

 

1. with the ball, imo, it's largely an instinct thing...the natural ability to see a pass no-one else can, or the natural ability to play a pass others can't see or make

 

2. without the ball falls into "football brain" or "intelligence" more for me as a lot of players both defensively & offensively make things happen (or stop them happening) due to an awareness of the game around them and a concentration level, what you'd call intelligent running when attacking for example or great cover from a DM who can see where the play is going to go and positions himself to break it up

 

there are plenty of players with one of these but not the other, or a combination of both but one to a much lesser degree - the truly great players have both in abundance or probably #1 so much they're untouchable

 

this is why i personally rate messi higher than ronaldo, one is an artist the other a blunt instrument....doesn't make either bad players before anyone starts

[Thespence]

It is players who lack real pace & sit in front of the back 4 & spray passes around. Or them forwards/AM who never scored enough goals to be strikers & often come to deep to collect ball & look like. Or them lads from Eastern Europe or South America who play with 10 on there back.

[Shearer9]

Players who play the game upstairs rather than using speed to get them out the shit...perfect example imo was Bobby Moore..don't think anybody read the game better.

I agree with most of what's been said in this thread but it always surprises me when people say things like this or only use the term 'footballing  brain' to describe someone old or slow.  I think most of the great players have had great footballing brains, the likes of Henry, Shearer, Keane, Giggs (the greats of the prem), etc. have all had great footballing brains, as well as the ability to match it.  Having a footballing brain doesn't mean that you can't also use superior pace, technique, skill, strength, or basically any other purely physical attribute to supplement it. 

 

I'd also add that having  a footballing brain is as much about knowing when you can do something as it is knowing when you can't.  See Laurent Robert.  Brilliant left foot, but not a brilliant footballing brain.

[johnnypd]

defenders are missing from this discussion, in terms of off the ball positioning, reading of the game, timing and concentration they're probably the best, italian centre-halves like baresi or cannavaro who werent necessarily the fastest but always got to where they needed to be before anyone else even saw the danger. the age of the sweeper probably saw the best 'footballing brains' ever, players who mastered a defensive readingof the game and could pick a pass better than anyone too.

[Mowen]

defenders are missing from this discussion, in terms of off the ball positioning, reading of the game, timing and concentration they're probably the best, italian centre-halves like baresi or cannavaro who werent necessarily the fastest but always got to where they needed to be before anyone else even saw the danger. the age of the sweeper probably saw the best 'footballing brains' ever, players who mastered a defensive readingof the game and could pick a pass better than anyone too.

 

More of a deep lying playmaker than a sweeper, but Pep Guardiola was pretty special in his day.

[mrmojorisin75]

defenders are missing from this discussion, in terms of off the ball positioning, reading of the game, timing and concentration they're probably the best, italian centre-halves like baresi or cannavaro who werent necessarily the fastest but always got to where they needed to be before anyone else even saw the danger. the age of the sweeper probably saw the best 'footballing brains' ever, players who mastered a defensive readingof the game and could pick a pass better than anyone too.

 

see my post johnny, covers the lot