Best versions of great players

Paolo Di Canio

"we have to realise it's a doggy dog market"
Joined
Jun 5, 2010
Messages
6,966
Location
Sliema, Malta
When you think of a great player at his peak what version of that player springs to mind?

Long haired Giggs in a baggy long sleeved shirt circa 96/97

Bearded Rooney with gloves

Greasy mullet Ronaldo with white boots and taped ankles

Anyone else spring to mind?
 

Wittmann45

Full Member
Joined
Nov 14, 2006
Messages
6,814
Location
'Keep the flag flying Jimmy'
Ronaldinho with long hair in hair tie (no hair band) in a long sleeve Barcelona kit without any sponsor

Bobby Charlton with the combover that wasn't fooling anyone

Louis Saha with the buzzcut, long sleeve shirt and black gloves
 

Renegade

Full Member
Joined
Nov 11, 2009
Messages
5,393
Scholes is a tough one

99 - box to box midfielder with bright ginger hair

03 - long sleeve, tucked in attacking midfielder

06 - short sleeve, untucked deep playmaker
 

MrEleson

Full Member
Joined
Oct 25, 2014
Messages
2,524
Long Haired Ozil with hair band (his best version 2010-12).

Petr Cech without protective helmet (2004-06)

Bale with short, fresh haircut (2012-14)
 

RashyForPM

New Member
Joined
Jun 25, 2020
Messages
3,183
1) Skinhead Rooney 2008-2010. For those two seasons, the man was electricity in human form.

2) Ronaldo 2007-08. I’m probably biased but it is what it is. Took us to the Double.

3) VdS in his last season, 2010-11. Saved his best for last imo. He was absolutely sensational that season.

4) De Gea 17-18. Just wow. We were the definition of a one-man team.

5) Vidic and Rio 07-09. Rocks. What more can be said?

6) Cole and Yorke 98-99. We all know why. It was as if they shared a brain.

7) Carrick 12-13. Class.

8) RvP 12-13. This is the difference the best striker in the world can make. Led us to the title.
 
Last edited:

Dirty Schwein

Has a 'Best of Britney Spears' album
Joined
Feb 6, 2012
Messages
31,665
Location
Miracle World
Supports
Luton Town
Collar Cantona
Taped-hand Suarez
LeBouf after having his head inflated like a balloon
 

jem

Full Member
Joined
Jan 14, 2010
Messages
9,257
Location
Toronto
Zlatan seemed to instantly age and lose some of his dynamism once he went for the top-knot, moustache look. Youthful, alice-band wearing Zlatan seemed much more iconic (this is probably a Weird Thoughts of Football post...)
 

Nickelodeon

Full Member
Joined
Apr 20, 2015
Messages
2,309
Bald Rooney from 2009-10. Easily the best he ever played. Complete striker.
 

Pexbo

Winner of the 'I'm not reading that' medal.
Joined
Jun 2, 2009
Messages
68,412
Location
Brizzle
Supports
Big Days
Blonde brylcreamed curtains Beckham who could knock the ball past the left back and swing it in a cross while running at full pace.

Long haired Falcao at Atletico.

Broken arm Jamie Vardy
 

R77

Full Member
Joined
Jun 13, 2017
Messages
530
BFS with a bandage on his head. By the time we got him it had moved down to his legs. Ridiculously short time between the two.

Floppy haired Messi before the beard and tats. The fact he always kinda looked like a mildly irritated bank clerk from 1993 added to the aura and mystique.
 

tenpoless

Full Member
Joined
Oct 20, 2014
Messages
16,176
Location
Fabinho's forehead
Rooney pre minoxidil
Moustache-less Ibrahimovic at Inter Milan
Matic when he was younger at Chelsea and looked less like a turtle
 

Infordin

Full Member
Joined
Sep 7, 2016
Messages
3,897
Supports
Barcelona
Tough one

2009 - Long black greasy hair Messi

2012 - boycut hair Messi

2016 - blonde MessI

2017 - bearded Messi
 

Infordin

Full Member
Joined
Sep 7, 2016
Messages
3,897
Supports
Barcelona
Whenever I think of Pirlo, I think of the beardless version in a Milan jersey with long sleeves and white shorts.
 

Synco

Lucio's #1 Fan
Joined
Jul 19, 2014
Messages
6,437
BFS with a bandage on his head. By the time we got him it had moved down to his legs. Ridiculously short time between the two.
2014 was the last hooray of a world class player whose body was already worn down by constant injury troubles.

He skipped most non-essential NT games since about 2012, if he wasn't ruled out anyway.
 

Web of Bissaka

Full Member
Joined
Feb 20, 2017
Messages
8,553
Location
Losing to Comeback Winning!
Pretty boy flashy hair youthful Beckham

Blonde moehawk Pogba

Rio with that unique hairstyle (which Brown also copied).

Shaved head Brown

Short hair Young

Short hair Berbatov

Youthful no-facial-hair Carrick

Slick back Blind

Spiky hair youthful De Gea
 

KirkDuyt

Full Member
Joined
Nov 25, 2015
Messages
24,440
Location
Dutchland
Supports
Feyenoord
Robben with hair. Legend has it, that version existed once upon a time.
 

Dirty Schwein

Has a 'Best of Britney Spears' album
Joined
Feb 6, 2012
Messages
31,665
Location
Miracle World
Supports
Luton Town
Bandage hand Vardy
Alice band Luis Garcia
Bicep curl Valencia
Topless Forlan
Gerrard on a leash Demba Ba
 

KirkDuyt

Full Member
Joined
Nov 25, 2015
Messages
24,440
Location
Dutchland
Supports
Feyenoord
Fat Wesley Sneijder is great too. Or fat Rafael van der Vaart or, the fat guy to rule them a, fat Theo Janssen.
 

B20

HEY EVERYONE I IGNORE SOMEONE LOOK AT ME
Joined
Aug 23, 2003
Messages
27,547
Location
Disney Land
Supports
Liverpool
Baggio with his ponytail still intact.
 

BrilliantOrange

Full Member
Joined
Sep 13, 2018
Messages
1,338
Supports
Ajax Amsterdam
Tough one

2009 - Long black greasy hair Messi


2012 - boycut hair Messi

2016 - blonde MessI

2017 - bearded Messi
Severus Snape messi is my favourite by far, also biased by his likeability at that time compared to in later years..
 

harms

Shining Star of Paektu Mountain
Staff
Joined
Apr 8, 2014
Messages
27,952
Location
Moscow
Seedorf with an afro
Curly-haired Bergkamp
18-years old "Lo zio" Bergomi

(Obviously going by the looks alone)