Best Player you've seen play

[DavidinSouthampton]

Reading this really makes me wish I got out more - to football matches. Mr Zidane seems to get a lot of mentions, and has always been a hero of mine.

But going to a couple of Saints matches a few years ago:
1. There was always a buzz of excitement when Shearer got anywhere near the ball - particularly at corners and crosses.
2. I have seen Matt le Tissier do some fairly amazing things with a football.

 

[patchamalbion]

What a stunning and unique answer.

And when did you watch them play?

The thread is Best Player you've seen play, not best player you've seen on TV.

Unless I've got it all wrong and you have seen them play in the flesh?

but it's my genuine answer....

I saw Messi play v Arsenal in the Nou Camp around 3 years ago and Saw Ronaldo play v North Korea in the World Cup in Cape Town.

I'm also 26 so I'd say they have been the best two players I have seen in the flesh

 

[Postman Pat]

Gazza for England B at the goldstone.

Saw Hoddle play for England at Wembley, he was class, would have been a world superstar if he was playing now.

 

[Buzzer]

Toss up between Nathan Elder, Peter Beardsley or Vicente.

 

[Blackadder]

The George Best and Dennis Law demolition of Crystal Palace in the early 70s. I know it's two players but they were both pretty special.

I was at that game (my brother had a soft spot for United) 100% agree. 5-3 to United. This was a couple of years before our rivalry with Palace started

 

[glasfryn]

Mark Lawrenson was the classiest ever for BHA

this
but while living in Shrewsbury I saw Jonny Haynes playing for Fulham he was old ,classy and could put a passed ball on a sixpence that game will live in the memory
Jonny Giles while playing for Leeds was good as well

 

[Official Old Man]

As it has to be 'live on the pitch' and being an Albion supporter, I'm restricted. Unfortunately Messi has not graced the Amex or Withdean. I remember Lauro as good but Rodney Marsh and his antics will always stand out for me in a game v QPR.

 

[pasty]

Hoddle

 

[Dave the OAP]

Robert corner

Unplayable in his day

 

[DavidinSouthampton]

As it has to be 'live on the pitch' and being an Albion supporter, I'm restricted. Unfortunately Messi has not graced the Amex or Withdean. I remember Lauro as good but Rodney Marsh and his antics will always stand out for me in a game v QPR.

My first Brighton match was vs QPR at the Goldstone in Dec 1967 - Rodney Marsh was great to watch, even though well policed by a debutant John Templeman.

 

[W.C.]

Think it would have to be Zidane. He just seemed to be able to stroll out of trouble.

 

[Mo Gosfield]

I was at that game (my brother had a soft spot for United) 100% agree. 5-3 to United. This was a couple of years before our rivalry with Palace started

Yep...I was there as well ( How many more BHA fans were at the Palace 3 Man Utd 5 game ? ) Amazing game. If I remember rightly Palace raced into a 2-0 lead and then you saw three world class players rip them apart in about 30 mins either side of HT. It was stunning to watch them go up through the gears ( Best and Law got all 5 between them ) and then coast to victory. I feel blessed to have been able to watch Best, Law and Charlton all in the same side, on a number of occasions. If you named the best British players of all time, these three would all be comfortably in the top ten.
( Matthews, Finney, Edwards, Greaves, Moore, Charlton R, Banks, Law, Best and Gascoigne )
George Best...where do I start...if he was playing today he would be up there with Messi and Ronaldo. He had everything. He was two-footed, a good header of the ball, superb balance, a ruthless finisher and incredibly brave. He played in an era when he got little or no protection from referees. He was physically assaulted by every full-back in the country but he kept bouncing back for more. In todays sanitised football, he would wreak havoc...he would be unstoppable. Critics say he wasted his career. He played 9 solid years for Man Utd between the age of 17-26. Was it any wonder that the media circus that surrounded him finally swallowed him up. He was the first pop-star footballer. The fifth Beatle. Every girl wanted him. Today, he would have got some protection. Then, he was fair game and was it any wonder that his game started to suffer. Even in his later years for Fulham and in the States, you still saw flashes of genius that took your breath away.
European Cup Final 1968. Man Utd and Benfica locked at 1-1, early in extra time. Long goal kick from Stepney. Best nutmegs the defender on the half-volley!!!! Races toward goal, shimmies round the keeper and then looks round. Apparently, as he admitted later, he wanted to dribble it up to the line, sit on it and ' arse it ' over the line!!!! However, the full-back and goalie were recovering too quickly and he had to roll it in.
If I had to show todays footballers any old film, it would be Man Utd v Chelsea at Old Trafford ( late 60's/early 70's ) Quagmire of a pitch. Best racing through the centre. Suddenly, you see Ron ( Chopper ) Harris, one of the hardest full-backs ever to play the game, come racing in from the right. He launches himself at Best like an exocet, two footed and about three foot off the ground. Best shrugs him off like a man swatting a fly. It was the most brutal assault you will ever see but Bestie just wriggles away, barely losing stride before taking the ball round Bonetti, as if he didn't exist and rolling it into the empty net.
He wasn't very big. Maybe 10 stone dripping wet. But he was the bravest player I ever saw. He was old school. No thought of going down at the slightest touch. For Bestie, the challenge was to stay on your feet. He didn't shirk responsibility like a lot of players today. He didn't cheat the opposition or the fans. He didn't take the easy way out like so many now.
He was worth every penny, he was world class and he was simply the best.

 

[Noldi]

I used to go to San Siro quite often to watch Kaka, Seadorf and co playing for AC when I lived in that part of the world. in the UK Zola sticks in my mind he was good to watch but so was Peter Ward, a few goalkeepers especially the AC goalie who used to wear gold boots name escapes me at the moment.

 

[Joe Nobody]

When I saw Ronaldo, Ashley Coal made sure that he did not have a great game. Ashley gets in my list, Ronaldo doesn't.

 

[deenomeet]

Back in the 90's I saw Real Madrid at the Bernebau play Real Sociadad in a Liga game. Madrid had the likes of Roberto Carlos, Hierro,Seedorf, Mijatovic, Raul, and many other great names playing.However the one that really stood out was Fernando Redondo, a sensational player, and since remains my favourite player of all time.

 

[perseus]

At the Goldstone, probably Ray Kennedy (Liverpool).

Most exciting Rodney Marsh (QPR).

Most devastating: Ian Rush (Liverpool) 2-2
But Mark Lawrenson and Peter Ward probably equalled them.

 

[smudge]

I was in Barcelona in 04 & we managed to get tickets to see them play Osasuna. Ronaldinho was in his prime, & it was the game where he recieved the ball, back to goal, around the half way line. 2 defenders were coming in from behind & without a look he flicked the ball up over his head, did a 180 & left them both behind. That one turn was worth the entrance fee.

 

[The Birdman]

George Best a couple of times Manchester United at Spurs also meet him in person in Spain .

 

[Jbanged]

Seen messi a fair few times.
Few weeks ago saw the madristas in town. Unfortunately Ronaldo and Bale were poor.

 

[£1.99]

Another one here for Rodney Marsh, when he played against us at the Goldstone he was just brilliant.