Can we have that talk? Beckham vs. De Bruyne for the greatest crosser of a football, perhaps ever?

Who is a better crosser?


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André Dominguez

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Beckhams most memorable moment for England was the Sending off in a world cup
Hardly his fault, is it? That was a complete misjudgment of the ref falling for the argies trick.
Same can be said about Rooney's sent off against Portugal: I don't think it was intentional either.
 

Schmeichel's Cartwheel

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Beckhams most memorable moment for England was the Sending off in a world cup
I would argue for the Greece free kick.

We most certainly can't have that talk but De Bruyne is a much much better all round player than our beloved Becks ever was.
No, he isn't. Beckham is criminally underrated retrospectively as a footballer. He came 2nd in the Balon D'Or in the Ronaldo/Zidane/Figo/Raul/Rivaldo/Nedved era.

"much much better" do me a favor mate... :rolleyes:
 

Tom Cato

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Beckhams most memorable moment for England was the Sending off in a world cup
Yes for spiteful fans I'm sure that was the most memorable. I remember following that debacle in the news when it happened. Nice adults who hang the likeliness of the man. Pretty pathetic.
 
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Even when you see Beckham play the odd charity game you can see the crowd mind blown when he hits a long pass and a cross.. it has an ethereal aesthetic quality which is unmatched in the history of football.. truly one of the greatest and beautiful ball striker of all time. KDB is efficient and wonderful passer from our wide no doubt but Gerrard is a better comparison who was also a world class passer from a wide position albeit KDB edges him.

Beck is in a tier of his own.
Yip. I was at the Unicef one... you get it's a charity match, but the ease with which he does things is beautiful to watch. Cross to Scholes about 10 seconds in.


 

Red Star One

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While De Bruyne is probably a more complete and better player, Beckham's long crosses were IMO better. KDB is a master of these low drilled very quick balls, in this he surpasses David, all other types of crosses - not for me.
 
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Firstly let's acknowledge both were/are amazing, you'll have to nitpick to choose a winner between the two.

Given the above, I personally think De Bruyne pips it because while he's proven he can deliver a 'Beckham-esque' ball he also has that absolutely uncanny ability to just ping the ball along the floor for a tap in time and time again. I reckon the chances that come from those balls in are easier to convert than an aerial cross. Seemingly every one he does just slides along the turf too (i.e. not skipping up at the striker etc.), must be a dream for their forwards.

I agree though that there was an certain elegance to the way Beckham whipped a ball in
 

Seaman

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While De Bruyne is probably a more complete and better player, Beckham's long crosses were IMO better. KDB is a master of these low drilled very quick balls, in this he surpasses David, all other types of crosses - not for me.
This is how I see it. Beckham better crosser. De Bruyne more complete and better player. I just don’t get people who bring in achievements to justify the better player. There are hundreds of cases when better player has won less. I know with ex players they tend to get viewed better. But anyone who watched beckham and de Bruyne and says beckham was overall better player is too biased imo. This question would be one sided outside of a United forum. But that’s normal as we fans are all biased
 

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Beckham on crossing for me, but KDB is a fine player and if you think he's better than Beckham fair play to you.
 

harms

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This one came to my mind as well, I can't remember De Bruyne doing something similar, although I may have missed it — I'm not watching every City game. Funnily enough, I remember Pogba doing a similar one for France. Beckham's one is still better, but it's a slight margin. Pogba doesn't have enough consistency to be compared to those two though.


As for the question — I'd still go with Beckham if we're talking strictly about crossing. As an overall chance creating machine, I'd go with De Bruyne. He's the first player since Beckham who can be even compared to him in that department, and that's a high praise already.
 

OleTheGreat

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Sometimes i feel KDB is the best crosser of the football there ever is, was, or will be but Becky was a different class at United and Madrid. He could just ping the ball from anywhere and find a foot or head. Becky all the way!
 

harms

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Beckham by a long mile. In reality, KDB had one amazing season, couple years ago. The next season he was injured and mostly recovering. And this season he is good, but far from the best. KDB cannot compete with the likes of Beckham just on the back of one, granted amazing, season. Most people are comparing top KDB with top Beckham here, but overall career and achievements should be weighed-in.
What are you talking about? He's already on 12 goals and 15 assists and it's still January. He's undoubtedly the best midfielder in the world this season and quite possibly the best player in the league (I'd certainly say so, although there's also a few great choices). Henry's assist record is only 6 passes away, and he's not going to crumble like Özil did.
 

EireRed_GS

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DeBruyne is amazing, but no one comes close to Becks when it comes to whipping in a cross. The lad could put it right on your head from the other end of the pitch every time
 

Volumiza

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Beckham all day every day. To think Beckham only 'crossed' is a massive disservice. Some of his passes into the box were laser like crosses mixed with torpedo like through balls. Astonishing vision and skill to be able to pull some of them off. The speed and accuracy of some of his passes were simply breathtaking and he did it all the time too. Brilliant footballer.
 

Lynty

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De Bruyne is the better all rounder, but it isn't as 'clear' as some people are saying.
 

harms

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Perhaps a better head to head would have been Gerrard? He played a similar role to De Bruyne during some of his best seasons for the scousers and had a penchant for those same whipped balls, but there again, am I doing De Bruyne a disservice? He hits the crosses the way he does at City because the attackers are short and mobile and it's obviously their best chance to convert.
Gerrard was pretty good and it's probably fair to say that he's the third best crosser in the league's history (I'm trying to think of alternatives here. Giggs?), but even at his best he didn't do it as consistently as Beckham and De Bruyne. It was more of a moment of genius (with quite a few of those balls flying away). Still a mighty handful player, of course, and I think that that free right midfield role was his best one.
 

Adam-Utd

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Revolusionism at it's finest in this thread. People haven't watched Beckham play for 10+ years so no wonder they forget how good he was.

Go back and watch some youtube compilations of Beckham assists, then we will have this talk again.

De Bruyne is excellent at bending the ball at the right angle into a dangerous area for people to attack, but can he stick it ON somebodys head perfectly from 30+ yards as much as Becks did? doubt it.

Interestingly I think Beckham would have turned out to be a similar style midfielder to what KDB is now, he wouldn't be stick on the right wing.

He'd be the complete box to box midfielder.
 

harms

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Imo Luis Figo was better than both. I love Becks but there must be a reason why he was droped to CM role when Figo was in his prime.

The fullbacks were aware and could double Becks to stop his crosses, but Figo was so unpredictable on the wing that made most fullbacks had no answer to his crosses.

KDB is the best all round footballer, but he is nowhere near the level of Beck's and Figo's crosses.
It had more to do with Figo being able to dribble (and being one of the best dribblers not only of that era, but probably of all-time) & being faster. Beckham had very rarely beaten an opposition's fullback 1 on 1, he usually used his movement to get free of him in a deeper zone and then to make a cross — he was so good that it didn't really matter how deep he was, his crosses always found his target. Hence why he was moved to a deeper CM/RM role and Figo was unleashed as a right winger further up the field.

Figo is one of the few crossers of the ball who come close to Becks — alongside the above-mentioned De Bruyne, but he wasn't quite as good as him in the end. His pace and dribbling made him a better winger & a player though.
 

sun_tzu

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And I've said this everytime Beckham is discussed... He still remains underrated. Yeah he had drive and all but his technical skill doesn't get enough mention. His only weakness was probably dribbling on the ball
It does cross my mind that given the general move to 3 more central midfielders, 2 wide attackers and 1 centre forward these days how things might have played out a few years ago

For example we essentially let kanchelskis go and had beckham on the right wing, but these days beckgam would probably have been one of the three midfielders and kancheslkis a wide forward (a role he would have suited well I think given his ability to cut in and score

....................................................Keane.............................................
..........................Beckham.................................Scholes...................
....Kanchelskis............................Cole.....................................Giggs

I think Beckham would possibly have been even better than he was as a pure winger - he would still be able to drift wide for the crosses but would also be involved more in the general play where his workrate would have been even more useful I think

As you say beckhams ability to beat his man for pace on the wing was his major weakness (though offset by his ability to deliver a cross without having to get past his man) - in the more typical modern set up that weakness would not have been so prevalent - he would have been involved more and would have had the opportunity to play more balls through the middle whilst still having the space to drift out wide... I think KDB is a good comparison
 

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It had more to do with Figo being able to dribble (and being one of the best dribblers not only of that era, but probably of all-time) & being faster. Beckham had very rarely beaten an opposition's fullback 1 on 1, he usually used his movement to get free of him in a deeper zone and then to make a cross — he was so good that it didn't really matter how deep he was, his crosses always found his target. Hence why he was moved to a deeper CM/RM role and Figo was unleashed as a right winger further up the field.

Figo is one of the few crossers of the ball who come close to Becks — alongside the above-mentioned De Bruyne, but he wasn't quite as good as him in the end. His pace and dribbling made him a better winger & a player though.
Yeah definitely agree on the bolded part. Sometimes he would be just over the halfway line and curve one onto a strikers head, in a way from that position that's more of a long ball forward but the way he curled them the ball came is a cross. Unreal.
 

Lynty

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Gerrard was pretty good and it's probably fair to say that he's the third best crosser in the league's history (I'm trying to think of alternatives here. Giggs?), but even at his best he didn't do it as consistently as Beckham and De Bruyne. It was more of a moment of genius (with quite a few of those balls flying away). Still a mighty handful player, of course, and I think that that free right midfield role was his best one.
Downing and Larsson both had a mean cross.
 

WolfInSharp'sClothing

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Beckham for now, with De Bruyne closing the gap. Trent is going to be up there in the discussion in the next few years too.
 

thepolice123

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Revolusionism at it's finest in this thread. People haven't watched Beckham play for 10+ years so no wonder they forget how good he was.

Go back and watch some youtube compilations of Beckham assists, then we will have this talk again.

De Bruyne is excellent at bending the ball at the right angle into a dangerous area for people to attack, but can he stick it ON somebodys head perfectly from 30+ yards as much as Becks did? doubt it.

Interestingly I think Beckham would have turned out to be a similar style midfielder to what KDB is now, he wouldn't be stick on the right wing.

He'd be the complete box to box midfielder.
They are much closer than most people would think. Becks played something like a CM who drifted wide to deliver crosses. It's abit similar to how KDB would play for City.

Becks had the better long ball and crossing but KDB's technical ability and application on the pitch are easily better.
 

Guv77

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Until De Bruyne pin points one in the back of the net from the halfway line, no contest!
 

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De Bruyne has re-invented (for want of a better word) crossing with the way he plays. His crosses always seem to be a mix of a whipped in ball/through ball and I haven't seen anyone in my 15 years of football who is able to do that in the way which he does, it's absolute class and he is easily the best midfielder in the world in terms of the complete package.

Beckham as a pure crosser of the ball was better but the whip and ability to pick out a man with pinpoint accuracy each and every time was unparalleled.
 

Gio

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Imo Luis Figo was better than both. I love Becks but there must be a reason why he was droped to CM role when Figo was in his prime.
Nice to see Figo recognised here. Although Figo playing the more advanced role in that Real team wasn't really to do with his crossing being better or worse, but the wider array of attacking qualities he brought to the table. He could come inside and run the game from the hole, he could go both sides of the full-back and he could cut onto his left more smoothly. And where Beckham had the clear edge was in his engine and attitude which, compared to Figo, were better suited to grafting in the centre of midfield, especially given how top-heavy the Galacticos side was.
 

Matt007a

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De Bruyne is certainly the best crosser in the EPL since Beckham. His low crossing ability in particular is absolutely world class. He is also better at linking the play from back to front, although he benefits from playing through the middle, while Beckham almost always played wide and left that job to Scholes/Keane/Veron.

He doesn't have the accuracy of Beckham at putting high balls into the box though. Nobody combined his incredible accuracy with such power and whip. Beckham could also cross even when he wasn't near the box, the best example being the Ronaldo assist on page 1.
 

Luke1995

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What ? Beckham could send balls into the box from literally any part of the pitch. He could receive a pass from Schmeichel and literally kick it to the opposition's box.
 

Abe144

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Beckham is the best crosser I've ever seen. He beats KDB there no contest
 

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Gerrard was pretty good and it's probably fair to say that he's the third best crosser in the league's history (I'm trying to think of alternatives here. Giggs?), but even at his best he didn't do it as consistently as Beckham and De Bruyne. It was more of a moment of genius (with quite a few of those balls flying away). Still a mighty handful player, of course, and I think that that free right midfield role was his best one.
I always thought Gerrard was a pretty fantastic passer and crosser of the ball in one way, but in others, dire, because he never weighted his passes in line with the capability of the recipient, as in, he'd thunder every pass at 100mph not giving any regard to differing levels of 1st touch and connection technique. Contrast that with Beckham's velvet touch or even De Bruyne and his driven balls, and there's a mark against Gerrard even if his accuracy was high in any given game.
 

adexkola

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15 years from now people will still be talking about Beckham - and not so much about KDB. Nuff said.
To be fair, if you l
It does cross my mind that given the general move to 3 more central midfielders, 2 wide attackers and 1 centre forward these days how things might have played out a few years ago

For example we essentially let kanchelskis go and had beckham on the right wing, but these days beckgam would probably have been one of the three midfielders and kancheslkis a wide forward (a role he would have suited well I think given his ability to cut in and score

....................................................Keane.............................................
..........................Beckham.................................Scholes...................
....Kanchelskis............................Cole.....................................Giggs

I think Beckham would possibly have been even better than he was as a pure winger - he would still be able to drift wide for the crosses but would also be involved more in the general play where his workrate would have been even more useful I think

As you say beckhams ability to beat his man for pace on the wing was his major weakness (though offset by his ability to deliver a cross without having to get past his man) - in the more typical modern set up that weakness would not have been so prevalent - he would have been involved more and would have had the opportunity to play more balls through the middle whilst still having the space to drift out wide... I think KDB is a good comparison
That setup would have been ace. Probably would have suited us better in Europe too during that period.
 

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When watching one of those crosses compilations right after each other it becomes pretty clear that Beckham launches laser guided missiles with great power and pace perfectly onto the head of whoever he picked out at the receiving end. From all kinds of angles. Often while running at full speed down the wing, which is quite a demanding feat.

De Bruyne is really good at what he does, especially those low balls, but his precision, pace and power is pretty far away from Becks. More snow on the ball, and noticably less pace. I reckon City would have scored shitloads more with a prime Beckham on the right wing.

Quite depressing looking at good old Becks compared to the crossing of Valencia.
 

lex talionis

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David Beckham -- best ever crosser of the ball in my lifetime, there being no close second.

But KDB may be the better footballer overall, but not my much. Maybe even a draw depending on which slice of David's career we're talking about. Incredible footballers, both of them.