Iniesta - Is there another? | Announces retirement

Yagami said:
There's two central midfielders who I've been in awe of live. Scholes and Iniesta. No other central midfielder I've seen live enters their tier.


That was the only joy Liverpool fans got in those years, to be fair. Now the roles have been reversed!
Click to expand...

If you've seen Iniesta live, I reckon you've seen Xavi too?

Someone better live than on screen, imo.
 
Still crazy to me that Barca had Messi, Iniesta and xavi all in their primes in the same team. The greatest player ever + the two greatest midfielders ever.
 
Rooney in Paris said:
Would be a weird one considering Modric is above Zidane. Incredibly overrated player.
Click to expand...
What made Zidane so special was that he was incredibly well rounded as a player. He was technically and physically dominant at the same time. I remember Roy Keane and Paul Scholes praising Zidane for his grit and physicality. Zidane had more tools in his locker than the likes of Iniesta and Modric. Apart from his obvious technical superiority, Zidane was great with his left foot, strong in the air, adept at taking set pieces, had magical tricks and flicks and was a leader. Iniesta and Modric don't really have these qualities although the latter has shown leadership qualities for his National Team.


You can't quantify this but Zidane also had a special aura and presence on the pitch. He was the main man unlike Iniesta and Modric. While tricks and flicks aren't the most important thing, players like Zidane and Ronaldinho will always be loved for the extra entertainment factor. The things Zidane could do with a ball were crazy. Most players and managers are still in awe of him.


Why do you think he's overrated? Inconsistent performances in league campaigns?
 
MiceOnMeth said:
Still crazy to me that Barca had Messi, Iniesta and xavi all in their primes in the same team. The greatest player ever + the two greatest midfielders ever.
Click to expand...
Which is why that team circa 2010-12 is the greatest team ever, in my opinion. Or at least, the greatest team in my lifetime.
 
TenonTen said:
What made Zidane so special was that he was incredibly well rounded as a player. He was technically and physically dominant at the same time. I remember Roy Keane and Paul Scholes praising Zidane for his grit and physicality. Zidane had more tools in his locker than the likes of Iniesta and Modric. Apart from his obvious technical superiority, Zidane was great with his left foot, strong in the air, adept at taking set pieces, had magical tricks and flicks and was a leader. Iniesta and Modric don't really have these qualities although the latter has shown leadership qualities for his National Team.


You can't quantify this but Zidane also had a special aura and presence on the pitch. He was the main man unlike Iniesta and Modric. While tricks and flicks aren't the most important thing, players like Zidane and Ronaldinho will always be loved for the extra entertainment factor. The things Zidane could do with a ball were crazy. Most players and managers are still in awe of him.


Why do you think he's overrated? Inconsistent performances in league campaigns?
Click to expand...
Pretty much this - inconsistency throughout his career. I'm obviously not denying he was an incredible player, but I do feel like there's a myth that has developped around him - his highlights reel is incredible, and he was basically "poetry in motion" when he was on it, but he wasn't a consistent performer. He had the ability to turn it on in the biggest games and deliver world-class performances in WC decisive games, in CL finals, etc. but could also be anonymous in many league games. In the same way the casual viewer will say he had an incredible 98 WC - which he didn't, he was underwhelming, got red carded, and shone in the final (in the same way that Mbappé's 22 WC is overhyped, but I digress). When it comes to international tournaments, you'd be better served by pointing at the 2000 Euros, which was pretty much flawless (that team was a machine) or the 2006 WC which was a brilliant summary of Zidane - capable of the best and the worse.

And I was just reacting to the comparison to Modric, who I personally see as an absolutely perfect CM, with a longevity and consistency that very few can rival. Not a particular slight on Zidane, and certainly a personal bias considering how much I appreciate consistency in a player.

I guess it comes down to these hypotheticals we like to create, like who would you want on your side before a WC or a CL final - Zidane, for sure. But who would you rather have for a league campaign? I'd go for Modric.
 
Amazing player, but not as good as Modric, who is the perfect central midfielder. Xavi can't dribble, Iniesta has limitations off the ball, Modric can do it all and in any system. A perfect blend of technical ability and athleticism.

What works when comparing Haaland-Mbappe or Messi-Ronaldo works for midfielders as well. Modric's versatility is unparalleled. So is his longevity. Iniesta and him are almost the same age; Iniesta retired from high-level football six years ago while Modric is still playing for Madrid and international football.
 
kouroux said:
I'd also add Busquets tbh
Click to expand...

Definitely. I saw him play for Spain a couple of years ago and he was still outstanding. The way Xavi and Busquets would move their bodies around the ball was incredible.

I sometimes wonder how good those four would all have been without each other. I think Iniesta was perhaps the most important in that Barcelona team.
 
11101 said:
Definitely. I saw him play for Spain a couple of years ago and he was still outstanding. The way Xavi and Busquets would move their bodies around the ball was incredible.

I sometimes wonder how good those four would all have been without each other. I think Iniesta was perhaps the most important in that Barcelona team.
Click to expand...
Messi, clearly.

Between Iniesta and Xavi it is hard to say. History has shown that Xavi basically was the style of play. Once he left, the overwhelming midfield dominance of tiki taka stopped being viable for spain and barcelona alike.
Iniesta was better to watch though. And always the man for the big occasions. Lots of trophies that might not happen if he's not there showing up with MotM performances.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.