Cantona

[Murphman]

I don't have any problem recognising great players from other teams, even mancs in fact I'd love to have seen Giggs Charlton or Best wear our famous shirt. But Cantona?

 

Only a fool would fail to see he was a marvellous player but the mancs on Red Cafe reckon he was better than Henry and I ain't having that, nosiree, Henry is one of the greatest players I've ever seen and I've been watching the game for over 40 years (Feck off Kahnee).

 

Cantona had no real pace and had a highly suspect temperament but is it 'cos he's a manc/scored in 1996 at Wembley/is a bigheaded horrible c*nt that I won't give him the recognition heb desreves. Where does he fit with the 'greats'?

[muleskinner]

One of the better players of the last 15 years in terms of the league but a total failure in Europe.

 

Wouldn't figure in any list of greats I would compile.

[Ombudsam]

Cantona was a fine fine player over here but Henry is better

[Snookie]

He's a great in terms of the premiership but that may be part of the problem. The premiership is driven by hype - Frank Lampard is a world class midfielder, Rio Ferdinand is a world class defender and so on - where evidence doesnt really matter. Any clear idea of what is a great player is lost in Sky's desperate attempts to sell subscription packages by overhyping players. As an aside you only need to read some of the comments on here from the Sky generation about supposedly 'great' Liverpool players of the last 15 years to realise that.

 

For what its worth, Cantona dominated premiership football in a way that few, if any players, have. He always turned up when United needed him and that in my mind makes him a great in terms of the league. He didnt do it in Europe and never managed to transfer that skill to the international stage which may be a real indicator of the standard of the premiership. Therefore i dont think you can call him an all-time great. Henry is a glorious player to watch but is he truly world-class? I dont know. He tends to go missing in the big games at club and international level and that is something that 'greats' dont do.

 

I think the difference between the two may come down to their relationship with the manager. Henry's football is the product of a system designed essentially by Wenger. His skills have been augmented by him also. Cantona on the other hand was the catalyst for turning United into a great team and i dont think Ferguson's coaching can be credited to the same degree with turning him into the footballer he was.

[Guest Derek Cunt]

As an aside you only need to read some of the comments on here from the Sky generation about supposedly 'great' Liverpool players of the last 15 years to realise that.

I think i agree with you, but can you let me know who you would consider great in the last 15 years?

[Rich Gobey]

Lol! I dont know how long your name is going to last on here Derek, but you've certainly got a chuckle out of me.

[Snookie]

I think i agree with you, but can you let me know who you would consider great in the last 15 years?

 

Personally, Liverpool greats are those who regularly win championships, European cups and who define, and can redefine, how the game is played. Apart from Gerrard - who doesnt obviously meet one of those criteria - i cant think of a player who has appeared in the last 15 years who is fit to be talked about in the same way as say Dalglish, Rush, Hansen, Souness, and Kennedy for example.

 

Fowler should be on that list. At 18/19 I thought he could be the best of the lot but he threw it away. Owen, equally should be there but the fact he appeared to play more for his own glory [a bit harsh but i think reasonable] than the clubs means i wouldn't include him on my list of greats. LFC has always been a team driven club. The team is more important than the individual. Funnily enough if Rafa left in the morning I'd still rate him a great. He wouldnt have won the league but he has done something more important; reconnected the club to its soul. And at the heart of that is the team which he has made the focus of the club.

 

There are a number around now who may well become greats - Alonso and Reina for example - but they need to win regularly to be considered greats. Carragher, for what he represents, at the end of his career may be one also. However, hand on heart, as much as i like him, if I'd to choose 2 centrebacks from Lawrenson, Hansen and Carra, he'd be sitting on the bench. He's no where near the quality of those two.

[Earl Hafler]

Obviously a very good player but Zola, Henry and Bergkamp were all better. Bergkamp being a similar type and a better player.

His goal against Newcastle is obscene. Looks like Dreamworks made it.

[Benzo-13]

Obviously a very good player but Zola, Henry and Bergkamp were all better. Bergkamp being a similar type and a better player.

His goal against Newcastle is obscene. Looks like Dreamworks made it.

 

Agree. At the moment Bergkamp is the greatest foreign player to make it in this league. An absolute World Beater.

 

That hat-trick he got against Leicester was surreal and then he scores a carbon copy goal against Argentina in WC'98.

Awesome player. Would've loved him in our 7 shirt.

[Snookie]

Obviously a very good player but Zola, Henry and Bergkamp were all better. Bergkamp being a similar type and a better player.

His goal against Newcastle is obscene. Looks like Dreamworks made it.

 

Zola is the one player to play in the English league in the last 20 years that i would have given anything to see play in a red shirt. He was glorious.

[floyd]

Been mentioned in here, the press like to hype up anything, if it serves their agenda. One of the finest involving the "Graeme Hick" of United, was his comeback game at Greyskull against us, and Robbie banged in 2 glorious goals, but those southern tw4ts could only go on about that cvnt.

[Maharajkumar of Vizianagram]

 

 

Speaking of great foreign players I remember Boksic putting on an unbelievable display at Anfield a few years ago. Think the game was 0-0 but the guy was pure class

 

I definitely remember that performance. He played out of his f***ing skin.

 

Even Tommy Smith mentioned it in his column.

[berdoing]

When the big book of bestest players in the whole wide world gets written, I don't think either Cantona or Henry will be among the top 20. Maybe the top 50.

 

By best, meaning most effective. Because that is what football is all about, being effective.

[Guest Anders Honoré]

If anything, Henry iss effective. He's topped both the goalscoring and assist charts for the past few years, ffs.

[fred milne]

Obviously a very good player but Zola, Henry and Bergkamp were all better. Bergkamp being a similar type and a better player.

Zola and Bergkamp probably had more natural talent but I think Cantona had a stronger, winner's mentality.

[RP]

If anything, Henry iss effective. He's topped both the goalscoring and assist charts for the past few years, ffs.

 

 

I hate that bullsh**. With a passion.

[Cobs]

top quality player

 

 

I'm convinced we would have had No.s 19 & 20 had we signed him.

 

 

He was better than Bergkamp or Zola in the premiership for me though not as good as Henry.

[Dominus Maximus]

Cantona was s****. No where near top - 10 foreign players in PL....

 

Bergkamp nr 1 by a mile.

Reidle nr 2

[smithdown]

Don't think many non-mancs would have him down as a 'great' player.

[jimmylibel]

He was a great scorer of big goals. Every run-in he'd net about four or five back post headers to clinch three points. This was his greatest attribute.

Think it shows how actual talent at that level is perhaps slightly overrated. Sheer character and determination can offer a lot as well. I'd rather have Cantona playing for me away at Bolton needing three points to stay a point clear with five to go in the league than any of those three.

 

I agree with you on the goal scoring as I mentioned but it's the way he's made out to be a really skillful, creative player that annoyed me.

 

I'd rather have Henry or Rooney away to Bolton to be honest but if we're going down that route you could say the same of Shearer at his prime and he's not regarded as a 'great'.

[Cobs]

I agree with you on the goal scoring as I mentioned but it's the way he's made out to be a really skillful, creative player that annoyed me.

 

I'd rather have Henry or Rooney away to Bolton to be honest but if we're going down that route you could say the same of Shearer at his prime and he's not regarded as a 'great'.

but he is

[jimmylibel]

but he is

 

Do you think so? I'd say he's regarded as that by Newcastle and Blackburn fans but in terms of this thread and what we've been talking about in terms of skill etc I wouldn't say Shearer is in that class. Fantastic player though he was.

[Ombudsam]

you could say the same of Shearer at his prime and he's not regarded as a 'great'.

 

No offence but "YOU WHAT"

[Cobs]

Do you think so? I'd say he's regarded as that by Newcastle and Blackburn fans but in terms of this thread and what we've been talking about in terms of skill etc I wouldn't say Shearer is in that class. Fantastic player though he was.

ahh, soz

 

not a great in skill level like those, no.

 

 

but a 'great' nonetheless. The best striker since Rush.

[jimmylibel]

No offence but "YOU WHAT"

 

As I said, in the context of this thread he's not regarded as a 'world great' is he?

 

 

 

ahh, soz

 

not a great in skill level like those, no.

but a 'great' nonetheless. The best striker since Rush.

 

I agree with that but that's not the debate I was having. I think someone else had mentioned Rushie in this thread in the context of Cantona being regarded as a 'greater' player than he was. Which was obviously crap.

 

In hindsight, 'great' is the wrong word for what I'm getting at but I think you know what I mean.