Toepoke Posted March 30, 2015 Share Posted March 30, 2015 Following on from the Wales thread, I thought this would make for an interesting discussion. How would you define a world class footballer? For me it's someone who could be considered for a "World XI" or "World squad". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShedTA Posted March 30, 2015 Share Posted March 30, 2015 Someone who would get a place in most other countries squads i.e a player who would be considered for Spain, Germany , Italy etc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ParisInAKilt Posted March 30, 2015 Share Posted March 30, 2015 For me it's someone who could be considered for a "World XI" or "World squad". This. I think at any given time there's only a dozen or so players who I would consider world class Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scunnered Posted March 30, 2015 Share Posted March 30, 2015 If they could perform on a wet Tuesday night in Stoke. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ParisInAKilt Posted March 30, 2015 Share Posted March 30, 2015 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie Endell Posted March 30, 2015 Share Posted March 30, 2015 Not Darren Fletcher anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shaggycoo Posted March 30, 2015 Share Posted March 30, 2015 Not Wayne Rooney either Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angus_Young Posted March 30, 2015 Share Posted March 30, 2015 Someone who would get a place in most other countries squads i.e a player who would be considered for Spain, Germany , Italy etc Much the same as what I was saying on the Wales thread. Someone that the worlds or europes top clubs would want to sign so I suppose that would extend to this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShedTA Posted March 30, 2015 Share Posted March 30, 2015 Much the same as what I was saying on the Wales thread. Someone that the worlds or europes top clubs would want to sign so I suppose that would extend to this. Yep and when you look at it like that, outside of our keepers, we dont have any do we? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angus_Young Posted March 30, 2015 Share Posted March 30, 2015 Yep and when you look at it like that, outside of our keepers, we dont have any do we? Dunno if I would even even extend it to them, as much as I rate them highly. I would probably say to be world class players would need to be playing or be first choice for these top clubs. None of our players are in that bracket I don't think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dalgety Bay TA Posted March 30, 2015 Share Posted March 30, 2015 Someone who would get a place in most other countries squads i.e a player who would be considered for Spain, Germany , Italy etc Have you seen some of Italy's recent squads?! I take the point you are trying to make however. Much the same as what I was saying on the Wales thread. Someone that the worlds or europes top clubs would want to sign so I suppose that would extend to this. I think thats about as close a agreed definition as you will get. Me and a mate at work always uses this sort of criteria when judging teams/players. For example we looked at the Man Utd team who won the last title of Fergies reign and our opinion was that it was a competent team but certainly not a great one and we are still surprised they won the title so easily that year. How many of that side would Barca, Bayern or Real Madrid want to sign? The answer would probably be none. therefore none of them would be regarded as World Class. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sbcmfc Posted March 30, 2015 Share Posted March 30, 2015 Great idea for a thread! For the record, my definition of world class wouldn't extend to Darren Fletcher pre or post illness. I think a looser criteria of playing at the very highest level and being a 1st team regular at one of the worlds biggest clubs would have let him in 5 years ago. Anyway, I'd say to be world class, you'd have to be good enough to get in any team in the world, possibly allowing for 20 players or so as some positions would have 2-3 players, others might not really have any. Just as an example, Victor Valdes has won everything with Barca, but Iker Casillas was always Spain's number 1. I don't thonk Valdes is world class, but played in a world class team. His medals would make a good case for him to be considered world class. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bzzzz Posted March 30, 2015 Share Posted March 30, 2015 Craig Gordon at his best. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sbcmfc Posted March 30, 2015 Share Posted March 30, 2015 Craig Gordon at his best. I think if he was world class, he would have played at a higher level? When he was at Sunderland before his injury troubles, as far as I know he wasn't being chased by Man Utd, Man City, chelsea etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bzzzz Posted March 30, 2015 Share Posted March 30, 2015 I think if he was world class, he would have played at a higher level? When he was at Sunderland before his injury troubles, as far as I know he wasn't being chased by Man Utd, Man City, chelsea etc. Arsenal were sniffing around him if I e member right. I think Sunderland were VERY lucky to have him. He was a way better player than that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angus_Young Posted March 30, 2015 Share Posted March 30, 2015 Arsenal were sniffing around him if I e member right. I think Sunderland were VERY lucky to have him. He was a way better player than that. Interesting point you make. I don't agree as such with Gordon (although I do rate him) but it just proves how difficult it is to set any criteria for these things. I'm of course biased, but I always considered Andy goram, at his peak , to be as good as anyone that I had seen at that time and would most definitely have rated him as World Class. I can't ever recall bigger clubs being after him or even any bids coming in. In fact outwith The UK I'm not even sure how many clubs would even have known who he was. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ParisInAKilt Posted March 30, 2015 Share Posted March 30, 2015 Nobody outside of Scotland would entertain the idea that Gordon was world class. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rossy Posted March 30, 2015 Share Posted March 30, 2015 Scotland have never had a world class player since Kenny Dalglish retired. I do however remember Barry Ferguson routinely referred to as 'genuinely world class'. Which was utter pish. Obviously. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ormond Posted March 30, 2015 Share Posted March 30, 2015 I had this debate with an old work mate about Scotland before. In our history which players could we truly class as World class. I mean players like Dalglish, Law and Sounness. Davie Cooper does not count just because he used to play for Ranjurs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
At U Peter Posted March 30, 2015 Share Posted March 30, 2015 I think if he was world class, he would have played at a higher level? When he was at Sunderland before his injury troubles, as far as I know he wasn't being chased by Man Utd, Man City, chelsea etc. He's playing for the biggest club in the world now, what more do you want? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GRBear Posted March 30, 2015 Share Posted March 30, 2015 I would say that Rooney is world class. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flure Posted March 30, 2015 Share Posted March 30, 2015 I would say that Rooney is world class. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ParisInAKilt Posted March 30, 2015 Share Posted March 30, 2015 I would say that Rooney is world class. At a push he might have been world class, although Id argue he was never that good and definitely isn't world class now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toepoke Posted March 30, 2015 Author Share Posted March 30, 2015 I had this debate with an old work mate about Scotland before. In our history which players could we truly class as World class. I mean players like Dalglish, Law and Sounness. Davie Cooper does not count just because he used to play for Ranjurs. Cooper's an intersting argument. Fantastic maverick talent but never played at as high a level as he could've (from personal choice). Would that still make you eligible for the world class tag? Ruud Gullit certainly thought so... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GRBear Posted March 30, 2015 Share Posted March 30, 2015 (edited) I would say that Rooney is world class. Easy now Edited March 30, 2015 by GRBear Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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