Gandalf
Full Member
Micky Quinn
widest player I ever saw
widest player I ever saw
Sane does not play on the wing for Bayern anymore but more as a left no. 8/10 in combination to Müller. Whereas Gnabry is more the inside forward and Coman one that matches to your explanation.In modern football there are different kinds of players featuring on the wing, although most players skillset are not exclusive to one of this categories only, we can distinguish wide players into three categories.
1. Pure wingers: the most natural wide men, they enjoy staying wide and enjoy taking on their fullbacks constantly, they usually possess good pace, bags of tricks and are individualistic in their play regardless of if they play on their natural foot or as inverted wingers they stay wide tormenting their fullbacks by constantly taking them on vertically. Popular examples Leroy Sane, Barca Dembele, Ismailla Sarr, Kingsley Coman.
2.Wide playmakers: They usually combine the skill set of a number 10 and a Winger, they have good vision, passing ability and close control combined with horizontal dribbling skills, they aren't as quick as a pure winger and would sometimes move into the half space instead of hugging the touch. Popular example Hazard, Sancho, Messi, Ziyech.
3.Wide strikers: they play from the wing but their primary focus is getting into goal scoring positions, either by getting on the end of a cross from the opposite flank or making a run behind the opposition defense or striking the ball from the edge of the box, they primarily focus on getting, they are usually quick like the pure wingers but with better finishing and make a lot of outside to inside runs. Popular example C.Ronaldo (Madrid version) M. Salah, Rashford.
So among this three categories of wingers which do you fancy watching the most.
On the field, Ryan Giggs is everything you'd want from a winger.
Looked 40 when he was 21.Robben. Most exciting player ever. Best hair too.
Yeah but he will still look 40 by the time he is 60.Looked 40 when he was 21.
He was superb. Loved it when he was in the sideKanchelskis was always exciting to watch. What pace and vision.
This. Plus most of them can’t even cross to save their lives. So if they can’t get a shot in they hit the 5 yard pass sideways and backwards and you lose all momentum.Wide strikers bore me. Cut in and shoot spammers. Can't argue with how effective the role has been in the modern game but it lacks some of the artistry and selflessness that I appreicate in older style wingers.
Nope, he was a wide striker on the right.Peak Robben was every 3 of those.
Exactly. Taking the example of Robben above who was a wide striker he was paired with Ribéry who was a wide playmaker. Results were something like this in a seasonthe best combo is always 1 wide striker and 1 wide playmaker.
Underrated comment and well explained.Wide strikers bore me. Cut in and shoot spammers. Can't argue with how effective the role has been in the modern game but it lacks some of the artistry and selflessness that I appreicate in older style wingers.
Peak Nani took the piss. Until we moved him to the left to accommodate Valencia.As a few others have stated, much prefer the old traditional wingers to modern inside forwards. I hate the sight of them jogging back or standing with their hands on the hips on the halfway line whilst the opposition full back is given the freedom of the pitch to get a free cross in unchallenged.
For me the best wingers did it all. They were genuine midfielders. Could cut inside and go on the outside, cross and shoot, all with either left foot or right foot. They could switch the play, or drift inside and play pass and move with the CMs, then place a through ball for a CF. They could get from box to box, challenge a big bastard in a 50:50 tackle, and didn't let the opposition full back look like prime Roberto Carlos every game we played.
As for favourites: Kanchelskis, Beckham, Giggs, Nani, Pires, Ginola, Joe Cole, Figo, Nedved..
Yeah, he was a little frustrating at the start but he was really coming into his own and then for whatever reason SAF lost faith in him. Playing on the left wasn't an issue for Nani either, he could cross and shoot with either foot, go inside and out from either flank. What never made sense to me was making Young first choice LW. I'd have had Nani the first wide player in the team, then picked one of the other wide players depending on form/fitness.Peak Nani took the piss. Until we moved him to the left to accommodate Valencia.
Sigh.
He was a different kettle of fish on the right. Bigger threat to cross on his right foot and was an absolute menace cutting in on his left. Defenders had no chance. I couldn’t believe SAF’s treatment of him in the end either. To go from our best player for a solid 18 month period to bench fodder. Fergie really got pragmatic late on.Yeah, he was a little frustrating at the start but he was really coming into his own and then for whatever reason SAF lost faith in him. Playing on the left wasn't an issue for Nani either, he could cross and shoot with either foot, go inside and out from either flank. What never made sense to me was making Young first choice LW. I'd have had Nani the first wide player in the team, then picked one of the other wide players depending on form/fitness.