How highly do you rate... Robert Pires?

[wyn davies]

Fantastic in his day,brilliant when they won the European Cup as it was then, packed in at 28 before returning later on a shadow of his former self for Fulham, top No7.

[Cclay]

I live a few doors down from his old house (i.e. the one shown in most of the old documentaries):

http://i1.mirror.co.uk/incoming/article843699.ece/ALTERNATES/s615/An++exterior++view++of++the++house++belonging++to++Manchester++United++footballer++George++Best++in++Bramhall++August++1973

... which incidentally is just around the corner from Ronaldo's old house.

A few things:

 

1. He was so well regarded the house had bundles of flowers outside when he died even though he hadn't live there for decades.

2. The present owner didn't dare move them.

3. A lot of women I've worked with used to bunk school to sit outside the clothes boutique he owned just in the hope he'd pop in ... (more innocent times)

4. Since I moved to Manchester in 1980, saw him drunk almost as many times as Alex Higgins ... just a case of which one went first really!

5. It was like watching a ballet when he played.

[Beren]

#4

 

Both so talented.

[Guest neesy111]

My Uncle was at the same trial's as Best at Man Utd, still maintains he's the best player he's seen.

[Incognito]

Remember him with Rodney Marsh at Fulham...my old man always reckoned that Best was the best he'd seen.

[GideonShandy]

He played in an era when "flair' players like him (and Jinky Jim Smith and Tony Green) were routinely kicked all over the park, and thus tended to have short careers. With the protection that referees give today, he'd have been comparable to Messi, I reckon.

[Tooj]

This story is fantastic btw.

 

http://www.4dfoot.com/2011/11/14/when-george-best-set-out-to-humiliate-johan-cruyff/

 

Even the greatest George Best fans had to admit, by 1976, that his best days were well behind him. 30 years old. Addicted to alcohol. Kicked out of Manchester United. George Best, many argued, was now a pale shadow of the genius dribbler he used to be.

 

That’s also what Dutch journalist Bert Nederlof thought. With the Holland vs Northern Ireland World Cup qualifier approaching, Nederlof was assigned the task to write a portrait of George Best. Nederlof flew to London to watch Best play for his new club Fulham against Southampton. After 90 minutes, Nederlof had seen enough. He wrote that Best was a fallen superstar no longer able to do what it takes to be a good footballer. Nederlof would soon regret those words.

 

 

A few hundred miles away, British journalist Bill Elliot was traveling with the Irish squad to the stadium where they’d meet Holland. The Orange squad, and their captain Johan Cruyff, in 1976, were synonymous with greatness. Elliot asked Best what he thought of Cruyff. “Outstanding”. “Better than you?”. George looked at the journalist and laughed. ‘You’re kidding aren’t you? I tell you what I’ll do tonight… I’ll nutmeg Cruyff first chance I get.”

 

What follows is Elliot’s description. “Five minutes into the game Best received the ball wide on the left. Instead of heading towards goal he turned directly infield, weaved his way past at least three Dutchmen and found his way to Cruyff who was wide right. He took the ball to his opponent, dipped a shoulder twice and slipped it between Cruyff’s feet. As he ran round to collect it and run on he raised his right fist into the air.”

 

“Only a few of us in the press box knew what this bravado act really meant. Johan Cruyff the best in the world? Are you kidding? Only an idiot would have thought that on this evening.”

 

While there doesn’t exist video evidence of this historic scene, Nederlof confirms that Best had played an absolutely incredible match, inspiring small Northern Ireland to a 2-2 draw against the best team in the world. “After the game, I caught the eye of the Dutch coach, Jan Zwartkruis. He gave me the most cold stare I’ve ever witnessed. Perhaps I shouldn’t have told him before the game that Best was nothing to worry about”.

[cp40]

is teh Pele quotes about him a myth or true?

[Tooj]

Can you do Essien next please?

[Beren]

Can you do Essien next please?

 

(Probably change it on Wednesday or thereabouts)

[Guest Brazilianbob]

Let's put it this way. You couldn't mark him put of a game because he loved it if you put 2 or 3 men on him.  He saw it as a challenge and just upped his game.  In most cases you just had to hope his team-mates had a poor game.  If he was in his prime today he would probably be better than Messi because he knew nothing was beyond him in terms of skill on the ball if he really wanted to do it.

[Cronky]

The first time I saw him was 1968, Man U v ourselves at Old Trafford. It was the weekend after he'd first been voted Footballer of the Year, and unfortunately he decided to put on a show. Man U won 6-0 and Best got a hat trick.

 

He just beat man after man until he was fouled. You dreaded seeing him in possession because there seemed to be no legal way of stopping him. If the game had been played today, we'd have ended up with seven men.

 

I think he was inconsistent and a bit greedy, as you'd expect from a maverick individual, but when in the mood he could destroy a team single-handed.

[Guest firetotheworks]

My dad will swear blind that he's better than anyone that he's seen since (he hasn't seen Messi, though)

[Ronaldo]

My dad - a very good player in his time who was on Everton's books for a while - was one of those who would swear he would never see better players than Best and Maradona. I insisted he start watching Spanish football, which he eventually did.

 

He now says without hesitation that Messi is the best player of all time by a mile.

[Decky]

I remember when he died there were a million George Best fivers released in Ireland. I managed to pick one up and still have it in the original packaging.

 

http://i.ebayimg.com/t/George-Best-Framed-5-Five-Pound-Note-Manchester-United-Northern-Ireland-/00/s/MTYwMFgxMTg5/$(KGrHqJHJFcFBuFyokMtBQmlcm7ik!~~60_58.JPG

[Belfast Mags]

Too young to have seen him play but his status here is beyond question.

My Dad seen him play for Northern Ireland and I know loads of people who did and they all say he was nothing short of remarkable.

Literally nothing was beyond him, could go round players for shits and giggles all day long.

So many stories I wouldn't even know where to start.

Never fulfilled his potential which is the saddest part for me, pissed it all way to the demon drink.

Was at his funeral which was a really emotional day, never seen crowds like it, an incredible send off for one of the world most talented footballers.

 

 

[Decky]

Did you manage to get one of the fivers yourself BM? It was remarkable really, I think they only came out in Northern Ireland and despite the small population here, the 1 million notes went like hotcakes.

[Belfast Mags]

Did you manage to get one of the fivers yourself BM? It was remarkable really, I think they only came out in Northern Ireland and despite the small population here, the 1 million notes went like hotcakes.

 

Did indeed, took a couple for posterity. I collect pretty much anything to do with Northern Ireland football so they were a must have.

[newsted]

A natural genius as a player, but flawed as a man, as are we all. He was the best I've ever seen in person, if he'd been able to keep his lifestyle in check I have no idea what he could have achieved. When I was a kid I wanted to be him, he loved to play football, he went on the pitch and was so much better than everyone else he would just take the piss. It didn't matter if defenders kicked him in the air, he was hard as well, he'd get up and take the piss again. Good trainer and hard worker too by all accounts.

 

Probably should have chosen better role models than him and Ozzy like

[merlin]

Definitely the most talented British player I've ever seen. His ability to go past opponents was second to none. Wonderful close control of the ball, and no real weaknesses in his game.

 

In terms of talent he was the equal of any player, apart from possibly Messi. But he didn't achieve anything like his capability. It was like he reached the top and then got bored and failed to kick on.

Pretty much this - fantastic talent, could win a game on his own and scored some amazing goals.

Was the superstar of his generation along with the likes of Bobby Moore, but Best took full advantage of his appeal to women. He was a good friend of Eric McMordie the former Boro player and they both came over to England together for trials at Man U..McMordie got homesick and went home, later signing for Boro whereas Best went back for a while but then returned to Man U and the rest is history...

When Man U played Boro in a cup game, he told McMordie that if he had any more sex his 'b---s would drop off..!'

The drink and pop star lifestyle ruined his career...strangely enough although he once got a hat-trick against us, he said his toughest opponent was our N.Irish RB, David Craig, who often kept him quiet at SJP.

 

A bit like Gazza - self-destructive streak prevented him reaching his full potential.

 

Best knew a good player though...he was the first to lobby for Peter Beardsley to be given an England place when even SBR & Co were picking Hateley....

[Optimistic Nut]

Good one.

 

To be honest, I never seen him play so I can't really judge him but I'm really interested on reading what people have to say. Reading on him his peak seemed relatively short, and it has always surprised me the huge reputation he has over in the UK/Ireland. Again, I'm too young to ever having seen him play.

 

Is he really considered in the same echelon as Pelé, Maradona, Cruyff or Di Stefano? Not over here at least.

Good one.

 

To be honest, I never seen him play so I can't really judge him but I'm really interested on reading what people have to say. Reading on him his peak seemed relatively short, and it has always surprised me the huge reputation he has over in the UK/Ireland. Again, I'm too young to ever having seen him play.

 

Is he really considered in the same echelon as Pelé, Maradona, Cruyff or Di Stefano? Not over here at least.

Good one.

 

To be honest, I never seen him play so I can't really judge him but I'm really interested on reading what people have to say. Reading on him his peak seemed relatively short, and it has always surprised me the huge reputation he has over in the UK/Ireland. Again, I'm too young to ever having seen him play.

 

Is he really considered in the same echelon as Pelé, Maradona, Cruyff or Di Stefano? Not over here at least.

 

Found that last sentence interesting actually and probably shows how our respective countries media view their legends. Obviously I've never seen di Stefano play, but when it comes to listing all-time greats he probably wrongly doesn't role off the tongue like Maradona, Cruyff, Beckenbauer, Platini...Best is probably the same to the rest of the world. We consider him in that level but worldwide, he probably isn't.

 

Or I'm ignorant to how highly regarded di Stefano's rated over here?

[Village Idiot]

Found that last sentence interesting actually and probably shows how our respective countries media view their legends. Obviously I've never seen di Stefano play, but when it comes to listing all-time greats he probably wrongly doesn't role off the tongue like Maradona, Cruyff, Beckenbauer, Platini...Best is probably the same to the rest of the world. We consider him in that level but worldwide, he probably isn't.

 

Or I'm ignorant to how highly regarded di Stefano's rated over here?

 

I may be victim to the Real Madrid media hype machine, but he's considered one of the "four greats" over here.

 

Then again he was the centerpiece of 1950s all conquering Real Madrid side (god, how I hate writing that), and my dad always says that until he saw Messi no player had been better than him in Spain.

[TheGuv]

When he died all i remember is this song being played

 

[Beren]

A Tooj request: Michael Essien

 

On the decline now, but a fantastic player who was the lynch-pin for so much of Chelsea's success in particular. His work allowed Frank Lampard to go forward unfettered from midfield and set them up into a formidable and solid Chelsea team. I think he will go underrated in history's annals but I thought in his prime he had fantastic composure, up against better a better pool of players than there are today too.

 

http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01452/michael-essien_1452808c.jpg

[Oakie Doke]

never heard of him.