A world class footballer?

[Norris Cole 0]

I'll throw in a Devil's Advocate thought grenade here:

 

Henrik Larsson?

 

I file him with Gascoigne, in that while not a world class player per se, he was capable of world class performances. You don't come off the bench for Barcelona in a Champions League final and turn the game on its head without being top drawer. I'd have called him world class for maybe two seasons in his prime.

 

From the modern era:

 

1. Laudrup

2. Larsson

3. Gascoigne

 

In that order. I get a little cheesed off when Moravcik is mentioned in such discussions. He did nothing in his career before having a Davie Weir-style Indian summer. Albertz was a better player. If for propriety's sake I need to add another Celtic player to the above list (again, from the modern era) I'd say Petrov. But now we're straying a long way from world class.

[craig 5,199]

If Baxter was on a list with Puskas, that's good enough for me. Baxter was before my time, I never saw him play, but it has always struck me that he was 'world class'.

 

Not all would agree, but for me, Brian Laudrup was world class. And without becoming obsessed with 'criteria', I simply ask myself: did he regularly produce performances Zinedine Zidane would have been satisfied with? I have to say yes.

 

Gascoigne was capable of world class displays, rather than being a world class player per se.

 

Side note 1: Anyone remember the Laudrup video from back in the day? Archie Knox throwing himself about the training ground trying to get the ball off Laudrup before having some sort of breakdown: "You fuckin try then, ah cannae get the fuckin thing aff him!"

 

Side note 2: If I had the option of signing Diego Maradona in his prime, or Zidane in his, I'd pick Zidane. Maradona would not have been the same player in the modern era IMO.

 

Side note 3: I do wonder what the great players of the 90s make of the team/club today. Guys like Amoruso, Mols, Gough etc. are regulars at Ibrox, I just wonder what goes through their heads at times. I mean what did Laudrup make of Sandaza and Kyle?

 

You have a YouTube of the Archie Knox thing ? Sounds hilarious

[BrahimHemdani 1]

I'll throw in a Devil's Advocate thought grenade here:

 

Henrik Larsson?

 

I file him with Gascoigne, in that while not a world class player per se, he was capable of world class performances. You don't come off the bench for Barcelona in a Champions League final and turn the game on its head without being top drawer. I'd have called him world class for maybe two seasons in his prime.

 

I would tend to agree, although I doubt many Celtic fans would accept that Laudrup was world class and Larsson was not.

 

He is by some distance the all time UEFA Cup and Europa League top scorer and was voted to the UEFA European Championship Team in 2004 alongside van Nistelrooy, Ronaldo and Rooney, which is certainly top company; but I'm not sure if he was ever on a world list like Laudrup.

[craig 5,199]

I don't think we can really dispute that Larsson was top drawer quality. He and Laudrup were two very different players - can you imagine how good we would have been if we had Larsson alongside Laudrup ???

 

Personally, I believe that Michael Mols would have eclipsed Larsson but for that horror injury. Probably the best striker I have witnessed at Rangers, including Ally, Mojo and the half-season heroics of Negri. Mols was a sublime footballer - don't think I have ever been so honored to have witnessed a display like the one I saw at ibrox against motherwell when he scored 4 !!

Edited December 30, 2016 by craig

[RANGERRAB 3,677]

I don't think we can really dispute that Larsson was top drawer quality. He and Laudrup were two very different players - can you imagine how good we would have been if we had Larsson alongside Laudrup ???

 

Personally, I believe that Michael Mols would have eclipsed Larsson but for that horror injury. Probably the best striker I have witnessed at Rangers, including Ally, Mojo and the half-season heroics of Negri. Mols was a sublime footballer - don't think I have ever been so honored to have witnessed a display like the one I saw at ibrox against motherwell when he scored 4 !!

 

I remember that game against Motherwell when Mols got the four goals. All four were absolutely brilliant. No tap ins !

[craig 5,199]

I remember that game against Motherwell when Mols got the four goals. All four were absolutely brilliant. No tap ins !

 

I was there with my next door neighbor and his brother in law who was a Man U season ticket holder.... the brother in law said, before half time, "you will lose him to a Man U type team, he is top class"....

 

The goal he scored where he twisted and turned at about the penalty spot and had about 4 Motherwell players guessing where the ball was.... was one of the best goals I've seen. Easy finish but the way he manufactured it in such tight space was unreal

[Norris Cole 0]

You have a YouTube of the Archie Knox thing ? Sounds hilarious

 

Afraid not, I just remember it from the old VHS and it's stuck with me. There may be extracts on YouTube though.

 

Walter and Archie would have scared the bejesus out of me in their prime.

[ranger_syntax 4,330]

A world clas player could walk into any team on the planet.

 

This is the answer.

 

If he would get picked in a 'world eleven' then he is 'world class'.

 

Appealing to favourite players from the past might be fun but is a waste of time when trying to answer the original question.

 

But what should define a world class footballer?

[Uilleam 5,948]

This is the answer.

 

If he would get picked in a 'world eleven' then he is 'world class'.

 

Appealing to favourite players from the past might be fun but is a waste of time when trying to answer the original question.

 

If memory serves, sometime in the mid 60s, the (English) FA organised a match between England and a Rest of the World XI, in celebration of something or other.

Included in the "World XI", were Messrs Baxter, J., and Henderson, W., both Rangers.

 

Therefore, both Slim Jim and Wee Willie would have to be counted as "world class" players.

[Scott7 6,013]

Apart from Baxter only Gordon Smith, Eric Caldow and Denis Law were world class Scotsmen.