POF
Full Member
- Joined
- Sep 23, 2014
- Messages
- 3,798
When I said that 2-3 years of performance wasn't enough to label a player world class, you said:I rarely label players world class, I'm not a fan of the label itself and hasn't used it for Kanté, so I'm not sure where you get that low bar from and world class is a temporary label not a permanent one. And it's interesting to see you talk about Kanté being good for 2-3 years and now reducing it to 1 game or one tournament. My point on that subject was that this label has nothing to do with previous generations and it's not a permanent one, you should simply rank him during the 2-3 years that you deemed to be good and I said one of the best, you are the one who said world class.
As for my bar, it's a peculiar one, if I really have to give that label I look at the current CL semifinal contenders and believe that any player that can currently start for them is world class. And again it's not a substitute for all time great which actually is a permanent label.
I am obviously taking the extreme by comparing that to a single tournament or game, but I'm curious. How long does that point in time have to be?It's a label that simply assesses the level of player at a certain point in time
I did bring up world class by saying that he has been labelled as such by many and as a result is overrated.
It's also a purely personal opinion but I really struggle with the notion that a purely destructive player (even one as good as Kante) can be considered one of the best midfield players in the world. A creative player or one who can control the tempo of games is far more valuable in my opinion.
It's no coincidence that his successful years coincided with having forwards like Vardy, Mahrez, Hazard, Costa, etc in incredible form in counter attacking sides. When he's in a team that controls the ball and needs to create, he is far less effective.