"He was/is clearly the best player in the league"

[Peyroteo]

Multiple seasons, Henry 00-05 and Ronaldo 06-09. One season, Suarez 2013-14 was insane. Yaya was also incredible but I think pretty much everyone agrees on Suarez.

Hazard in 2014-15 was also pretty clear. 2009-10 Drogba/Rooney and 2012-13 Bale/Van Persie were beyond the rest by a long way but they had eachother to compete with.

 

[RooneyLegend]

For a few seasons, in his prime, maybe 1996 to 99, he was clearly 2 times better than everyone else in the team, and the best player in the league along with Shearer, and in the top 5 players in Europe.

That's nonsense from start to finish. He was never a top 5 player in the world. He was never twice as good as all our players, he was never best player in the league over a period of time.

 

[Champagne Football]

That's nonsense from start to finish. He was never a top 5 player in the world. He was never twice as good as all our players, he was never best player in the league over a period of time.

Nope

 

[Amar__]

Hazard certainly doesn't fall into that category.

Ridicule what he has become all you like, but around 2015 Alexis Sanchez was at a similarly high level. I'd probably have just opted for Sanchez at the time due to having all of the same excitement and talent, but more tenacity and work rate.

Aguero would have also been in the conversation.

This millenium it's been Henry, Ronaldo, Bale, Suarez. That's it.

Not Hazard but Bale

 

[Dozer]

Not Hazard but Bale

PFA player of the year twice in a three year period. So, yes.

People have short memories. Dodgy hamstrings and a few rounds of golf in the years since don’t take anything away from the player he was from 2011-2013.

 

[bosnian_red]

PFA player of the year twice in a three year period. So, yes.

People have short memories. Dodgy hamstrings and a few rounds of golf in the years since don’t take anything away from the player he was from 2011-2013.

He wasn't clear cut though. Van Persie IMO was better in 2013. Suarez as well. Bale scored a good chunk of bangers in the 2nd half of the season and led them to 5th in the end. That's not clear cut best. He was very good, but never the clear cut best player in the league (nor IMO was he ever even the best player in the league, clear cut or not).

 

[bosnian_red]

98/99: Beckham
99/00: Keane
00/01: Teddy/Hasselbaink/Beckham?
01/02: Henry/Ruud/Ljungberg/Pires
02/03: Ruud/Henry/Scholes
03/04: Henry
04/05: Henry/Lampard
05/06: Henry
06/07: Ronaldo
07/08: Ronaldo
08/09: Ronaldo
09/10: Drogba/Rooney
10/11: Vidic/Bale
11/12: Van Persie/Kompany/Yaya Toure
12/13: Van Persie/Bale
13/14: Suarez
14/15: Hazard
15/16: Mahrez/Kante/Vardy/Aguero/Kane
16/17: Kante
17/18: De Bruyne/Salah
18/19: Van Dijk/Sterling/Aguero/Mane
19/20: Van Dijk/Mane/TAA/De Bruyne

In bold the players/years that they were the standout players in the league. Was very young during the first few years so might be way off, but kind of the image I have in my head over when there was a debate and when there was a clear guy.

 

[harms]

Mo Salah for 1 season.
N'Golo Kante for a couple of seasons.

Hardly. De Bruyne was just as good as Salah that year & I doubt people were saying that Kanté was undoubtedly the best player in the league at any given season. Vardy & Mahrez were as important as him in Leicester's title-winning season, and in the year when he had won the first title with Chelsea, as well as FWA Player of the Year, Hazard was voted as Chelsea's Player of the Year.

In fact, those are exactly the cases that this thread is asking to eliminate.

 

[Righteous Steps]

Hardly. De Bruyne was just as good as Salah that year & I doubt people were saying that Kanté was undoubtedly the best player in the league at any given season. Vardy & Mahrez were as important as him in Leicester's title-winning season, and in the year when he had won the first title with Chelsea, as well as FWA Player of the Year, Hazard was voted as Chelsea's Player of the Year.

In fact, those are exactly the cases that this thread is asking to eliminate.

How was De Bruyne just as good? How do you measure that and then not argue Toure was just as good as Suarez in 13/14?

 

[Bwuk]

Bruno Fernandes since January...

 

[RedFish]

At times I thought RVN was better but maybe that’s the contrarian in me, looking back on it though Henry and Ronaldos performances in their periods were the best the league has seen.

RVN was easily was regarded as the top striker at his peak. Henry was there, but the tip no 10 was RVN.

 

[Dave Smith]

Lampard wasn’t even the best player in his team.

This is being a bit silly. Lampard was clearly the best PL midfielder in the mid-late 00's. His goal/assist output between 04-05 reads: 19/21, 20/19, 21/21, 20/11, 20/21, 27/18. On top of that he got 17/8 in 2012-13 when he was 33. So, that was direct involvement in 40+ goals in four seasons, 30+ in two and 25+ in a another two and on top of this he was a midfielder who also got stuck in, did masses of leg work and it is not as if he was a tap in merchant (although he did admittedly take pens).

Only reason Lampard wasn't seen as the best CM of his PL generation was due to media sucking off St. Stevie whenever they got the chance.

 

[lysglimt]

Ronaldo was the only truly clear cut one, also Shearer in 95 and begrudgingly Suarez for a season.

Henry was brilliant but Van Nistelrooy pushed him close in every season. Same as Cole with Shearer in the mid 90s.

Well i almost agree with Shearer - but this in my opinion was when a certain Schmeichel was at his best, so I would not say anyone was a lot better than him

 

[GuybrushThreepwood]

As excellent as Hazard was, I never thought he was 'clearly' the best player in the league. In 2014/2015, I think that you could argue that Sanchez individually was just as good as he was, and also had a strong case to win the player of the season award himself, with the fact that Hazard played for a title winning team swinging it in his favour.

From 2014-2017, Sanchez did have a clear lead over Hazard in terms of both goals and assists, although I accept that those stats don't paint the full picture. He won Copa Americas with Chile during the summers of 2015 and 2016, and reached the Confederations Cup final with them in 2017, so he didn't have much a break during that period.

 

[cyril C]

Suarez is probably right... City did have Aguero and Silva but yeah, Suarez was probably clearly above them at that time.

No way Bale was head and shoulders above RVP though!

Suarez was (our) embarrassment and Aguero + Silva were the ones that we regret we never have.

Bale (in EPL) was not as good as RVP, when he left for RM, my memory said he was good but not consistent enough, at least this is what some RM fans said. I think it is better to compare EPL performance only because not many people watching other leagues, except for Lewandoski of course whom is another one that we regret.

 

[kaiser1]

As excellent as Hazard was, I never thought he was 'clearly' the best player in the league. In 2014/2015, I think that you could argue that Sanchez individually was just as good as he was, and also had a strong case to win the player of the season award himself, with the fact that Hazard played for a title winning team swinging it in his favour.

From 2014-2017, Sanchez did have a clear lead over Hazard in terms of both goals and assists, although I accept that those stats don't paint the full picture. He won Copa Americas with Chile during the summers of 2015 and 2016, and reached the Confederations Cup final with them in 2017, so he didn't have much a break during that period.

I agree with this. I don't think Hazard was that above his competition

For more than 1 season Henry, Ronaldo
one freakish season Suarez, Salah

 

[SpyLuke10]

atm De Bruyne imo.

 

[Skills]

17/18 is split in half between De Bruyne and Salah. De Bruyne was better in the first half of the season and city pretty much sealed the title by January, and Salah was better in the second half.

Salah's form was also perfectly timed for the PFA awards, it's why he ended up with the individual accolades. There wasn't anything between them though, and I personally think De Bruyne should've won.

 

[GuybrushThreepwood]

It's still scary to think that the insane level that Ronaldo produced in 2007/2008, was still before he reached his peak or prime level which was largely from 2010-2016 when he was aged 25-31.

If Shearer hadn't missed the entire second half of 1992/1993 through injury, I wonder how many Premier League goals he would have ended up scoring that season; he already had 16. His goal-scoring during 3.5 half years (excluding the 2nd half of 1992/1993) with us was ridiculously good.

 

[UpWithRivers]

Season​	Player​
1994–95	Alan Shearer
1995–96	Peter Schmeichel
1996–97	Juninho
1997–98	Michael Owen
1998–99	Dwight Yorke
1999–2000	Kevin Phillips
2000–01	Patrick Vieira
2001–02	Freddie Ljungberg
2002–03	Ruud van Nistelrooy
2003–04	Thierry Henry
2004–05	Frank Lampard
2005–06	Thierry Henry
2006–07	Cristiano Ronaldo
2007–08	Cristiano Ronaldo
2008–09	Nemanja Vidić
2009–10	Wayne Rooney
2010–11	Nemanja Vidić
2011–12	Vincent Kompany
2012–13	Gareth Bale
2013–14	Luis Suárez
2014–15	Eden Hazard
2015–16	Jamie Vardy
2016–17	N'Golo Kanté
2017–18	Mohamed Salah
2018–19	Virgil van Dijk

 

[amolbhatia50k]

For definitely the best,

Henry (PL)
Ronaldo (PL)
Messi (La Liga)
Ronaldhinio (La Liga)

 

[amolbhatia50k]

Season​	Player​
1994–95	Alan Shearer
1995–96	Peter Schmeichel
1996–97	Juninho
1997–98	Michael Owen
1998–99	Dwight Yorke
1999–2000	Kevin Phillips
2000–01	Patrick Vieira
2001–02	Freddie Ljungberg
2002–03	Ruud van Nistelrooy
2003–04	Thierry Henry
2004–05	Frank Lampard
2005–06	Thierry Henry
2006–07	Cristiano Ronaldo
2007–08	Cristiano Ronaldo
2008–09	Nemanja Vidić
2009–10	Wayne Rooney
2010–11	Nemanja Vidić
2011–12	Vincent Kompany
2012–13	Gareth Bale
2013–14	Luis Suárez
2014–15	Eden Hazard
2015–16	Jamie Vardy
2016–17	N'Golo Kanté
2017–18	Mohamed Salah
2018–19	Virgil van Dijk

Is that the PFA list? Didn't know Vidic won it twice?

 

[Amar__]

PFA player of the year twice in a three year period. So, yes.

People have short memories. Dodgy hamstrings and a few rounds of golf in the years since don’t take anything away from the player he was from 2011-2013.

Hazard also won PFA player of the year, so? So did Giggs, Kante,Mahrez, etc., so has anyone named them clearly the best players in the league in some year?

Bale scored lot of screamers in one or two seasons, and that's about it. He was never clearly the best player in the league, any manager in the league would take the likes of Aguero, Hazard, even Silva ahead of him, I am pretty sure in that.

 

[red4ever 79]

Can think of only a few.

Shearer - At his peak was the best
Henry - Unstoppable
Ronaldo -2008 season

 

[amolbhatia50k]

Interesting that Vidic is the only defender to win the award twice and only third player overall aside from Henry and Ronaldo. What a player.

 

[Redcy]

Ronaldo
Henry
Suarez
Shearer

Larsson in Scotland
Laudrup in Scotland?

Going back in time beyond PL there must be some but I can't think who they would be.

 

[DanClancy]

Not true, most likely wasn't even our best player.

That's nonsense from start to finish. He was never a top 5 player in the world. He was never twice as good as all our players, he was never best player in the league over a period of time.

In the late 90's and early 00's Keane was one of the top 5 players in the world. For anyone who watched United regularly they would tell you Keane was easily United's best player during that period.

 

[norm87cro]

I know he plays for City but surley Aguero is a great argument? He has been consistently scoring/dribbling for City in a span of three managers and he is just such a joy to watch

 

[Josh 76]

Ronaldo
Henry
Suarez
Shearer

Larsson in Scotland
Laudrup in Scotland?

Going back in time beyond PL there must be some but I can't think who they would be.

John Barnes 1987-89

 

[Dancfc]

Rooney was the best player for most of that season. He was dragging our team to the title kicking and screaming. Without his Injury Chelsea wouldn't have won anything.

I disagree, the reason it got took to the last day that season was we were sloppy as hell whenever we had breathing space, nearly every time we had 1 game cushion at the top we drew or lost and it drove me insane.

However whenever it was win or lose top spot, we delivered, so if you got the extra points, I'm confident we would have responded accordingly.

 

[RooneyLegend]

In the late 90's and early 00's Keane was one of the top 5 players in the world. For anyone who watched United regularly they would tell you Keane was easily United's best player during that period.

No he wasn't. He was just a strong combative but limited midfielder. Certainly one of the best midfielders in the world at the time but no way was he a top 5 player overall. Very few midfielders reach that level and he wasn't one of them.

 

[Adisa]

Drogba in the Ancelotti double season.

Hit 37 goals despite not being the designated penalty taker and missing 2 months of the season (one ACON and the other culmination of injury's/suspensions).

He would have hit figures in the 50's had he took penalties and/or played the whole season.

Not clear cut. Rooney was ace that season as well.

 

[Sparky Rhiwabon]

Ronaldo was the only truly clear cut one, also Shearer in 95 and begrudgingly Suarez for a season.

Henry was brilliant but Van Nistelrooy pushed him close in every season. Same as Cole with Shearer in the mid 90s.

Cole was never that close to Shearer, although his best season was at Newcastle before he came to United

 

[paulscholes18]

Demba Ba in 13/14

 

[Skills]

Cole was never that close to Shearer, although his best season was at Newcastle before he came to United

Surely Cantona was up there for the best player in the league around that time

 

[Dancfc]

Not clear cut. Rooney was ace that season as well.

He was. My comments were a nod to just how good Drogba was not for any slight towards Rooney.

To put his numbers that season into context he outscored CR7 without taking pens and would have outscored Messi in less games had he been our spot kick taker.

 

[Sparky Rhiwabon]

Surely Cantona was up there for the best player in the league around that time

Up there but was he ever clearly better than Shearer?

 

[Skills]

Up there but was he ever clearly better than Shearer?

Don't know, but if he was a legitimate challenger throughout that time it surely also rules Shearer out for that time period.

 

[Sparky Rhiwabon]

Don't know, but if he was a legitimate challenger throughout that time it surely also rules Shearer out for that time period.

Oh I see what you mean, yeah probably. I find it quite difficult to remember specific seasons that long ago

 

[RUCK4444]

Up there but was he ever clearly better than Shearer?

Cantona was a much better all round player and leader. Shearer is an elite level striker who happened to be a c*ck and not much of a leader.

Depends if your comparing goals scored alone. If I'm picking a team I pick peak Cantona over Shearer every day of the week and that's not a decision skewed by bias or nostalgia. You can't underestimate Cantona's presence and influence within a team.