Best 5 players around imo:

Neymar, Falcao, Messi, Ronaldo and Suarez.

Next 5 are:

Ozil, Cavani, Iniesta, Xavi, Ibrahimovic.

I'd say you could make a very fair argument for any of those 10 being one of the top 5. Just IMO.

Cavani, Xavi and Ibra are top 5 for me over Neymar, Falcao and Suarez.

i think i'd put Suarez slightly above Cavani but otherwise, i completely agree with those picks

EDIT:
Diavolo_mtl's top 5

CRon
Messi
Ibra
RVP (most underrated player in the game for my money)
Thiago Silva

Replace Suarez with Cavani & I'm in agreement.

This!

WTF has Neymar done to justify being in the top 5?

Ibra imo is in the same league as Ronaldo and Messi. He can win you a game all one his own and that's a rare thing

I don't know guys, you underrate Ribery. Yes, maybe not top 5, but one of the best nowadays surely.

Well, there are a dozen of other teams who waste space anyhow.

I've rarely seen him take the game by the scruff of the neck in all honesty. Don't get to see all that much German league football so wouldn't put him anywhere near the top 5, probably not top 10 either personally. That is possibly down to what I watch though, certainly when I've seen him in Europe he may as well not have been on the pitch.

Overall, not quite. But if we're talking in a race for World Player of the Year 2013, Ibra is ahead of Messi IMO.


Yep. Europe needs more places I think, there's always some teams of quality who miss out while teams who can't even get a point qualify from other regions.

What do you think of Croatia's chances now?

Hmh. Hard question. Something's happening with the team, I don't know why, but we're seriously under-performing. Even with the new coach (again inexperienced) we tend to have no actual game-play and create to little. With a coach like Hiddink, I'd say our chances would be great. But since we don't actually have Hiddink, we're in trouble.

I know what I would do. I'd search for some new options and most of all I'd bench Modrić. He's done absolutely nothing to be selected over and over again, and since Rakitić is doing great with Sevilla, I think it's time to give him the full command.

Won the Confederations Cup basically on his own, including against Spain?

Top assists in La Liga along with Fabregas?

27 goals in about 50 for Brazil?

103 goals in 198 matches overall?

I admit he's not made his way into the fabric of people's thinking as world's best in the way the others arguably have, but I see him as potential.

He has completely the full package to become every bit as good as his potential.

I would agree. This year the world's best player, for me, has been a 3 way dog fight between Ibra, Ronaldo and Neymar.

That's an overstatement if I ever saw one. Brazil have an amazing team and a great coach behind them again. Neymar was obviously an important component but he didn't win the thing on his own

And yes, he has amazing potential, but to say he's in the same league as Messi, Ronaldo, Ibra, Cavani, etc for me is massively overrating him

I agree. Personally, I think Neymar is nothing special. Robinho back in his days was much, much better.

I think he is in the same league as those 2 personally. No he's not scoring 50 goals per season but he's not playing in Spain either. And when he did play in Spain he scored over 20 while being benched for a significant amount of games IIRC

I think he's as influential and as important to his teams as those other 2 are, he doesn't get the recognition Messi and Ronaldo get because of the CL factor imo

That's kinda funny, didn't you dismiss them totally as one of the favourites for next year not that long ago?
But, glad you've finally come round to my way of thinking (swear it was you who suggested Spain and Germany were both better - prior to Confed Cup).

If it wasn't you. Apologies.

But someone did.



Yeah he did. Like Maradona in '86. Like Maradona for Naples. Like Ronaldo nearly did in 2004. Sure, these guys didn't LITERALLY win it on their own, but their influence dominated every match the team played in. Kinda like Falcao for Porto then Madrid, and now for Monaco. And certainly for Colombia.



Neymar is a class above the rest of the Brazil team, and like you say, they are amazing. Just because he's only 21 doesn't make me suggest anything else other than he's one of the very best.

I am quite happy to stand alone on this, and I will smugly say I told you so in a year or two's time.

Faster. Not better.

Besides, weren't you like around 8-13 when Robinho was at the peak of his powers?

Nah, I think it's an insult to Neymar to suggest Binho was better. Binho was a great player in his day, but I don't think he ever transcended to one of the best in the world.

I honestly don't remember if it was me or not, if I felt that way then they obviously changed my mind after the confed cup. I don't think I've ever labelled Germany as favourites for anything as they always choke at the final hurdle.

But I personally think that Brazil have some great players on their roster. Silva, Luiz, Cesar, Dante, Alves, Maicon and Marquinhos in defence, Oscar, Hernanes and Willian in midfield and then Hulk and Neymar in attack plus whoever is playing as the centre forward. They have a lot of talent, especially in defence and attack. Their weakest spot is the midfield imo, Oscar is the only stand out for me, but it's still a very good midfield non-the-less.

And I don't think I've ever dismissed Brazil for any big tournament, they're always automatic favourites for a reason because they always have some amazing talent coming through plus this time they're the home nation so an even bigger plus for them.


I seriously do not think he was that influential. Like against Italy for example, he scored the goals, but they dominated as an entire team not by simply giving the ball to Neymar and hoping he does something with it, I don't think he's there yet


I don't think you can be smug about anything, I said he has amazing potential and I can acknowledge that he is on the right path to fulfilling that potential. I just don't think he can be put in the same bracket as those other 4 to 5 players that can be labelled as the best around right now. But in 2 years' time? Yeah, we can probably say that he is, especially if he and his team have a successful World Cup and he wins the CL with Barca within that time frame

Whoever it was, they were wrong



Don't agree there's even a weak spot. They're the perfect team right now. They have everything.



Someone definitely did. I wish I knew who it was. I could always have a look at the confed cup thread if I care enough.



I do




Just as well I don't agree then ain't it



He might only be 21 but he's achieved so much already. His record and statistics are as impressive as anyone you would place in a top 10 in the world.

And he's the fulcrum of the best national team around.

Nah, I've got him as top 5 and I'm standing by it.

Albeit not a single b*gger has agreed with me yet anywhere ha.

I'm not completely on the Neymar bandwagon, I like his talent but I will say one thing he's a hell of a lot better than Robinho ever was for me.

Well, we can always hire the services of Jan Bauer. He's a champion at search for and digging up old posts!

Oh, and this. Robinho, if you see him objectively, has never been world class. Someone to take the bull by the horns. Always preferred being outside the spotlight, in a supporting role. Not saying there weren't moments where he was good, but even entering R-O-B, the first three letter of his name in the list of top players, would be a joke.

Only, his biggest fans would do this, or those that believed the hype that Pele feed the media early on. But even Pele then retracted his statements a few years back, saying that Robson does not have it in him.

Jan Bauer? My evil twin? You don't want to mess with him.

Whoops sorry, comrade! Was typing much too fast at that time. Yeah, I don't want to mess with him either, correct you are in saying that. I bet he's also as good as you in digging up graves, I mean old posts on forums.

Oooo, didn't know you could make mistakes

Oh my! How far the mighty have fallen! How does the view look from down here?

I feel like a mortal.

That's true. I guess it hurts more to watch Sweden play so poorly because I'm rooting for Ibra and it's tough to see mediocre players like Elmander ruin the show....

Elmander the Great!

But his stats man... His stats.

And his performance yesterday was cringeworthy.

I am with you on this.

By the way, I came here to brag to kurt about Chile's win, and then I read he's all "it's just a friendly and a B team"

...I sort of wanted him to be mad about it

(cheers kurt )

Only a fool gets mad about a defeat in a friendly to another good team. Especially when you consider we were testing out a few new players and I would say Vidal aside that's about the first team for Chile? It's a joy to watch great players put on a performance like that too, Sanchez was magical.

Will be interesting how Chile and Colombia get on at the World Cup with it being played in their continent.

Robinho vs. Honduras

Who wants to bet Allegri will keep benching him?

Saponara did pretty well last night as well. He should be given a chance.

By the way, apparently Kaká was played as sort of a playmaker in central midfield last night, and Allegri said he might continue experimenting with that one.

Allegri's new line up:



*1 Just for kicks
*2 He is not yet eligible to play, but Allegri is thinking outside the box
*3 Allegri believes Bonera is the third best Italian defender... ever
*4 Isn't he genius?
*5 He can't be trusted somewhere upfront, better playing somewhere less risky like midfield
*6 Because f@ck you! That's why

comedy thread material!

#6 is totally Allegri.

New possible line-according to Sportmediaset:



Because playing De Jong (a true DM) is too mainstream.

Wait, Honda is already available? Or is this a joke?

Possible lineup for the second half of the season. Emphasis on the word possible here.

It's for January onwards.

Oh my....

That's like bending over and asking for it!

So we drop our best and most consistant performer in De Jong and place Kaka in his place?

I mean this is getting hilarious now!

And I see Muntari is still a mainstay no matter what happens

God Montolivo is such a poor player. The amount of passes he misplaces per game for the position he plays is pretty f@cked up...

So many crap players in Italy...

sorry candreva is the joke...i`d rank Insigne (and even SES) above him

Italy has a game on?

It just finished. 2-2 against Nigeria. Very open and entertaining game.

Gee, missed it. How did our boys do?

Goals

Balo decisive in both goals.