TAA has run games and won games so much from that position. In his best form, he's the creative force of the team. Like no other fullback we've ever had.
Mane vs [John] Barnes - who was the better player?
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Obviously too young to remember Barnes. I assumed no doubt Mane.
Fair assessment. I think Barnes' legacy isn't as high as it could be because of the European ban for English clubs. Without it, it's fairly likely Liverpool add another European Cup or two to their collection and Barnes receives wider recognition, probably more on par with Giggs in terms of reputation.
Mane feels a little under-rated to me, but Barnes had exceptional feet and balance which is the reserve of very few players.
Ok. You go with that. He was actually rubbish
Barnes was a Ballon d'or level player.
Barnes was just before my time, so I’m going to have to beleive this guy…because he doesn’t do if buts and maybes, he does absolutes. Sadio Mane is the best player in the werld.
So was Mane.
Which season?
All of the Liverpool threads on this page have been created by UNITED fans. Get your head around that
The year of 2019 he was incredibly good
Were Liverpool to win a European cup in the late 80s (90 and 88 notwithstanding as it was chosen on the basis of international football) I could see barnes getting it.
Mane as good as he was is arguable wether he was the best player in his own team to begin with.
This is just categorically wrong. Are you thinking of Barnes in about 1997?
I've watched some of his games(all of them between 84 and 90) and many of those 10 minutes compilations. Didn't see any amazing bursts of speed, fast turns or ball carrying at high speed. He had elite close control, very dangerous passing and was great at opening defenses with smart runs(you don't necessarily need much speed to do that; De Bruyne and Muller, for example, are also very good at it), but didn't seem an impressive athlete, especially for his position. As I said, resembled a lot Figo to me.
Definitely this and also because apart from that goal against Brazil, he never really shone for England, though I'm not sure that was his fault, the England way of playing on those days was so prosaic that it didn't really have space for a flair player like Barnes.
He was definitely a better player than Mane though!
Would Gerard make it into the best Liverpool side?
This is what you answered a poster saying he dominated the league with pace, power and grace:
I don’t know what game you watched to conclude that he was relatively slow, I watched him then and remember him as having quick burst of pace, nimble feet, and good speed over distances. Google his name and you’ll find him in lists like ‘the five fastest Liverpool players of the 80’s’. A quick look at youtube gives up vids where he has burst of speed to get ahead of defenders, longer sprints were he is at least as fast as all defenders despite having the ball at his feet, and several examples of him tiptoeing between players, whirling around or change direction suddenly and nimbly. I don’t feel the need to establish if he was in fact one of Liverpools fastest players of the eighties or not, it is however evident that he was fast enough, used his speed well, and by no means was ‘slow and heavy’. That’s a strange claim to make, and even stranger one to defend.
The strangest for me is the condecending impression it gives to write about another posters fairly uncontroversial assesment with ‘because … well’ and ‘ironic’.
With "relatively slow and heavy" I was referring to the fact he had below average athleticism compared to other dribbling based wingers.
I really didn't see much he using pace or explosiveness to beat defenders or reaching an impressive speed with the ball; he basically relied on his close control. He was on par with the likes of Figo, Zidane(at Juventus) and Rui Costa regarding athleticism to me — not really slow like Riquelme, but nothing special either. Laudrup and Savicevic, who were not known for their physical attributes, looked considerably more agile and explosive than Barnes. He definitely was not someone whose speed and power would be marks of his dominance as a player in my book.
I can't talk much about Liverpool in the 80s, but Suárez and Coutinho, in their time at Liverpool at least, were better athletes, let alone Owen, Torres, Sturridge, Sterling, Mané or Salah.
Obviously.
18/19, 19/20, 21/22(2nd)
Barnes is one of my favourite non-united players. Barnes over Mane all day.
I wasn’t asking (that poster) “when did he get x votes and come top ten of the Ballon D’Or?” … I meant when was he winner level … in response to claim he was (*I didn’t say Barnes was either).
I know he’s come top ten… including second in 22, just edging out others arguably better and miles behind the clear winner.
Mane finished 2nd in 21/22. Had Liverpool won the CL, he would have won the ballon d'or. Barnes never came as close as Mane. It's a bad point to make
(not saying Mane is better btw. don't really have an opinion on this)If your point is Barnes was genuine best player in the world material, with Maradona, Van Basten, Gullit and Matthaus around, well....seek help?
Seems ridiculous to me that
A) this thread exists
B) the title had to be edited to point out it was a comparison between Mane and John Barnes rather than Harvey Barnes. I mean come on, ffs!
A) this thread exists
B) the title had to be edited to point out it was a comparison between Mane and John Barnes rather than Harvey Barnes. I mean come on, ffs!
Hey man, people born after Sept 11 attacks are now 23 yrs old, don’t assume that many here know who even John Barnes is.
As an old geezer Barnes is the much better player, there is no contest. Not a slight on Mane, but Barnes is just that much better.
I will take the banning points - wtf are you all discussing this for you weird cnuts.
Well to be pedantic it was only limited to europe back then.Mane finished 2nd in 21/22. Had Liverpool won the CL, he would have won the ballon d'or. Barnes never came as close as Mane. It's a bad point to make
If your point is Barnes was genuine best player in the world material, with Maradona, Van Basten, Gullit and Matthaus around, well....seek help?
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Barnes for me as well although I think it's closer than some of you suggest. Mane is no slouch. Keegan better than both though.
The people have given their answer, John Barnes, powered by Lucozade is the winner
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