*Official* English Football Season 2012-13

[Furball]

Bale's performances for Spurs in their CL year were surely better than Gazza's in Italia '90, and the CL is undeniably the 'highest level' today. Gazza was quality but he wasn't "run past the entire Inter Milan team and score an amazing goal three times in one ****ing match" quality.

The World Cup is more important but that's not far from saying Bale's worse because he's Welsh.

That Inter Milan performance is the most over-rated in history.

 

[Jarquis]

but... but.... but you're a bitter Arsenal fan

 

[Uppercut]

To be fair though, that's what I kind of mean about it not being an apt comparison. Bale's style of play is a lot more direct and thrusting than Gazza's was, and so he'll inevitably be more prolific. .

It's sort of how I feel when comparing Zidane to Ronaldo. In a lot of ways I prefer the way Zidane plays the game and at one point I would have said he was the best player I'd seen. It's not really ideal comparing them but if I did, I would probably have to accept that the player who constantly scores incredible goals out of nothing is just worth more.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Haha, I love it how that now he's good, he's no longer Welsh, but "British". Same thing happens with Andy Murray in the tennis.

I only mentioned British as it was mentioned in the press that Bale was the best Brit since Best.

 

[cpr]

Gazza was quality but he wasn't "run past the entire Inter Milan team and score an amazing goal three times in one ****ing match" quality.

The thing people forget, he was. It wasnt a run at speed past them, but a 'lets dance between 4 players and slide it under the goalie' player instead (theres a classic goal for Lazio on that vein - many more too). He could beat a player both with pace and with skill. 2 or 3 people could crowd him and he'd still get the ball away. Although most people think of him as a 'chunky' player, he had more pace than many give him credit for (bit like Rooney), and a natural grace with the ball at his feet.

Italia 90, England didn't really beat the big teams, but Gazza did. He twisted and turned the Dutch midfield in the group stages, set up Platts saving goal against Belgium, and when Cameroon took the lead, he dragged the England team forward and turned it around.


As people mentioned, Giggs at 23 was just as phenominal as Bale, if not more so. By 23 Giggs had 3 Premierships, 2 FA cups and a League Cup, and had been instrumental in all of them. His game already had everything - bar a right foot of course.

 

[Uppercut]

You don't really get people raving about the early Giggs very often. Not like you do with Gazza. Maybe you just have to **** up the rest of your career for people to appreciate how good you were when you were younger.

 

[sledger]

Worked for Steven Gerrard.

 

[Nate]

HOW DARE YOU z

 

[GIMH]

You don't really get people raving about the early Giggs very often. Not like you do with Gazza. Maybe you just have to **** up the rest of your career for people to appreciate how good you were when you were younger.

I don't really agree, I think it's just that people rave about Giggs as a whole.

 

[sledger]

Has just signed a new 1 year deal as well. Phenomenal athlete really.

 

[The Sean]

1,000 senior appearances (including internationals) coming up for Giggsy on Saturday if he plays against Norwich - which would have a nice symmetry to it as it also marks the 22nd anniversary of his debut.

He'd already be well past the 1,000 mark if he hadn't unluckily been injured just before every Wales friendly for about fifteen years.

It'd be nice if he got to 1,000 United appearances as well - he's currently on 931 - but that would involve him playing on for at least two more years after this one. Still, given how good he's been over the second half of this season, and how fit he still looks, I wouldn't put it past him.

 

[sledger]

Read earlier that Phil Jones, and a couple of other Utd players, weren't even born when Giggs made his debut. Incredible stuff really.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Top player (leave the stuff he has done off the field to one side) and shows no sign of a massive deterioration in ability despite his age. Certainly one to follow in regards how to keep yourself in shape past 30 etc...

 

[Furball]

You don't really get people raving about the early Giggs very often. Not like you do with Gazza. Maybe you just have to **** up the rest of your career for people to appreciate how good you were when you were younger.

It's because a) people have forgotten how good he was as a kid and b) the emergence of the likes of Beckham and Scholes made Giggs seem older (he was only 22 when Beckham stuck one in from the halfway line.)

I'm pretty sure Giggs is a double YPOTY winner, a feat only matched by Cristiano Ronaldo.

 

[sledger]

Fowler and Rooney also both won it twice iirc.

 

[The Sean]

It's because a) people have forgotten how good he was as a kid and b) the emergence of the likes of Beckham and Scholes made Giggs seem older (he was only 22 when Beckham stuck one in from the halfway line.)

I'm pretty sure Giggs is a double YPOTY winner, a feat only matched by Cristiano Ronaldo.

Ronaldo only won it once as I recall, but he also won the senior award in the same season, which only Andy Gray had done before.

Fowler won the Young Player award twice, and I think Rooney did too.

 

[sledger]

Arsène Wenger refuses to alter his Arsenal tactics to stop Gareth Bale | Football | guardian.co.uk

That'll end well. It's not as if Arsenal will have an inexperienced 21 year old full-back lining up against one of the most mercurial and prolific wingers in the world or anything.

 

[Cevno]

Respective age' of the current squad when Giggs debuted.

 

[Ikki]

Giggs, a great player, but definitely being overrated due to longevity. I don't think Giggs was ever considered the standout player in the league or even really in contention (top 3). I don't think there was even a time he was the best player in his own team. And during his youth the premier league was quite a way behind the rest of Europe. I'd definitely say Bale right now is getting plaudits Giggs never really got at a similar age.

Ronaldo only won it once as I recall, but he also won the senior award in the same season, which only Andy Gray had done before.

Fowler won the Young Player award twice, and I think Rooney did too.

He should have won twice. He won the PFA award for all players, yet missed out on the youth PFA award to Fabregas, which is a bit stupid.

 

[GIMH]

True in as much as the united championship winning sides always had a player who was 'better'

Early-mid 90s - Cantona
Late 90s - Keane
Early 00s - Keane, Scholes, Beckham, van Nistelrooy (not sold on all of them but)
Mid 00s - Ronaldo, Rooney
Now - Van Persie

That being side he's still been fundamental to most of those sides which means IMO he deserves to be applauded for his longevity

Btw no point anyone arguing with me about which players I've overlooked or the merits of those I've selected in those examples, more a means to an end to establish my point, didn't put heaps of thought into it