Greatest Ever Player

[Jungle Number 8]

I'm not looking for the usual suspects, what I'm looking for is the player who has had the greatest influence on the game as a whole. For me it can only be one man Johan Cruyff. His legacy is still having and impact on the game today through people like Pep Guardiola. The way the game is played actually changed because of his philosophy. Can the likes of Pele and Maradona say the same

 

[Imatim]

Oops! I thought it was about managers. Apologies.

How about Jock Stein?

Destroyed cattenacio.
Gave us and the world beautiful inventive football. Total football by another name before Cruyff.
Was manager of the first non Latin and British team to win the European Cup.
Managed an average Scotland team to the World Cup finals.
Managed to keep Jimmy Johnstone playing football for at leas an extra 3 years.
Managed Celtic the year when they won every competition they played in.
Inspired other managers like Ferguson, Shankly and others who shall remain nameless
And so on............

 

[SelfDestroyingBears]

Oops! I thought it was about managers. Apologies.

How about Jock Stein?

Destroyed cattenacio.
Gave us and the world beautiful inventive football. Total football by another name before Cruyff.
Was manager of the first non Latin and British team to win the European Cup.
Managed an average Scotland team to the World Cup finals.
Managed to keep Jimmy Johnstone playing football for at leas an extra 3 years.
Managed Celtic the year when they won every competition they played in.
Inspired other managers like Ferguson, Shankly and others who shall remain nameless
And so on............

Carl Muggleton

 

[Lubos left peg]

I read an article by Ronaldinho...it was a brilliant read. In it he spoke about his love for the game and how, when he played football it was all about entertainment. He wasn't afraid to try new things with the ball at his feet. He took that style with him to Barca. I believe if it wasnt for him we wouldnt have had arguably the best team football has seen. I'm not old enough to have seen guys like maradona and pele or cruyff. For me, he's the guy who is the greatest influence for the way modern day players try to play. The wee tricks and flicks that get the fans on their feet..

 

[The Galway shawl]

Ask any barca fan about cryuff. He started the football mentality that still prevails to this day with Barcelona. Absolute giant of the game on the park and more importantly off the park. Ask any kid about the cryuff turn ' 74 genius!

 

[BILLCOWIE1958]

I'm not looking for the usual suspects, what I'm looking for is the player who has had the greatest influence on the game as a whole. For me it can only be one man Johan Cruyff. His legacy is still having and impact on the game today through people like Pep Guardiola. The way the game is played actually changed because of his philosophy. Can the likes of Pele and Maradona say the same

Not sure it was Cruyffs philosophy but a philosophy that he was a part of from the very beginning in Dutch Total Football in the late 60s early 70s
I always had a soft spot for Dutch football even though they beat us in European Cup Final
For a nation of only 14 million they probably outpunched their true expectancy level
3 World Cup Finals is some achievement

HH,?

 

[The Galway shawl]

Not sure it was Cruyffs philosophy but a philosophy that he was a part of from the very beginning in Dutch Total Football in the late 60s early 70s
I always had a soft spot for Dutch football even though they beat us in European Cup Final
For a nation of only 14 million they probably outpunched their true expectancy level
3 World Cup Finals is some achievement

HH,?

Spot on bill he moved to barca 73 they won la liga that year (world record fee) my point is his philosophy of football for barca and Ajax was instrumental in there success. His .influence in modern day manager is evident pep guiardiola being one

 

[The Galway shawl]

They both have academies based on johans philosophy on playing football even SAF was his pupil at playing the game.

 

[Noah Billy]

To those of us who grew into football in the 70s, Cruyff, neeskins, Johnny rep, Ajax, feyenoord and above all the national team really taught us how good football could be. There'll b those on here who remember Cruyff playing at Celtic Park for Ajax (80?81?) aged about 38, he could barely run but it was still a privelage.
Then Maradonna turned up and moved it up a gear. Immense. Dragged Argentina to victory in Mexico by his sheer genius( though the they had some decent other players). Haven't seen anyone that good since

 

[The Galway shawl]

Wim jansen played in that team.?

 

[BILLCOWIE1958]

Wim jansen played in that team.?

In the Feyenoord team that beat us in Milan

HH?

 

[The Galway shawl]

In the Feyenoord team that beat us in Milan

HH?

Same wim mate had to look it up cos am just a wean compered to you. But remember when became manager that was the craic HH☘☘

 

[Larry7]

On the Cruyff/Holland/total football/Barca issue... Much is made of Celtic being the first team from the British isles to win the big cup, but it's seldom mentioned that we were the first Northern European team.

Before Big Jock defeated the cattenacio, Ajax/Feyenoord/Bayern/ManUre thought it the realm of fantasy for a non-Latin team to win it. They took a leaf from our book of beautiful, inventive, attacking football.

You're welcome, Johan/Pepe/Lionel.

 

[BILLCOWIE1958]

On the Cruyff/Holland/total football/Barca issue... Much is made of Celtic being the first team from the British isles to win the big cup, but it's seldom mentioned that we were the first Northern European team.

Before Big Jock defeated the cattenacio, Ajax/Feyenoord/Bayern/ManUre thought it the realm of fantasy for a non-Latin team to win it. They took a leaf from our book of beautiful, inventive, attacking football.

You're welcome, Johan/Pepe/Lionel.

They were the 1st non Latin team to win it HH?

 

[Maestro]

For me it is Diego Maradona. An exceptionally skillful player with incredible balance probably helped by his low centre of gravity, only Zidane comes close. He destroyed Scotland at Hampden as a boy. His awareness of his surroundings, speed of thought and incredible ball control have never been seen since. The Mexican world cup in 86 was completely his
and there was some class players in that world cup! I remember nearly rupturing myself grabbing a ball at halftime n trying some of the things I just watched him do! Always produced his magic wherever he went in his great career. Dissapointing WCF in 90 but was in a clogging argue team. Youtube has lots of fantastic Diego magic that just blows my mind God bless you Diego you incredible crazy genuis!

 

[michael duffy]

love all of the above, no celtic, no ajax, no Cruyff the legacy of jock and the lions is legend that's when I stood on the terracing at the celtic end(the jungle wiz too mental!!!) in awe of what I was lucky enough to be watching,but great players,i'm giving a shout out for Eusebio. "the black pearl" had everything,skill.strength, power. presence you take him out of Benfica,portugal.he did for them what Maradona did for Napoli,if it wasn't for the fixed 66 world cup, who knows...jist sayin HH

 

[Steviebhoy67]

For me Messi is an absolute genius. Like Jinky it shows you dont need to be 6ft tall to play the beautiful game. No rolling about or screaming at refs. A team player. HH?

 

[Jimbo55]

Agree Messi is the best footballer I have ever seen in terms of actually playing "the beautiful game " although I may be ridiculed I think our very own Jinky could have been at least his equal if he had played in this era away from Scotland where scottish referees would nt be able to allow opposition players to kick him off the park

But I do think in terms of playing and also leaving a football legacy style it must be Cruyff

 

[Jungle Number 8]

For me it is Diego Maradona. An exceptionally skillful player with incredible balance probably helped by his low centre of gravity, only Zidane comes close. He destroyed Scotland at Hampden as a boy. His awareness of his surroundings, speed of thought and incredible ball control have never been seen since. The Mexican world cup in 86 was completely his
and there was some class players in that world cup! I remember nearly rupturing myself grabbing a ball at halftime n trying some of the things I just watched him do! Always produced his magic wherever he went in his great career. Dissapointing WCF in 90 but was in a clogging argue team. Youtube has lots of fantastic Diego magic that just blows my mind God bless you Diego you incredible crazy genuis!

I get where you’re coming from regarding Diego but I’m looking for more than being a great player , how else have they improved or taken the game as a whole to another level. As much as Maradona was arguably the worlds best there is no way he has had the same level of impact on the game as Cruyff has.

 

[Jimbo55]

Maradona does have the legacy of his cocaine use