Maguire and Shaw? Really?Strikers:
Lewa
Kane
Ronaldo
RW/Attack:
Messi
Salah
Sancho
LW/Attack:
Mbappe
Neymar
Mane
AM/10:
De Bruyne
Bruno
Muller
CM:
Kroos
Gundogan
Pogba
DM:
Kimmich
Kante
Casemiro
LB:
Davies
Shaw
Theo Hernandez
CB:
van Dijk
Dias
Marquinhos
Maguire
Laporte
Skriniar
RB:
Cancelo
Hakimi
Walker
Top 3 in each position in my opinion. You could probably include the players who could make a fair argument to be included:
Haaland
Grealish
Benzema
Verratti
Alex-Arnold
few others
Rice and Bissouma wouldn't even be up for discussion subjective or not.
where would you place Maguire compared to say Ledley King or Woodgate?Forgot Courtois. Lukaku just can't be world class as his weakness with his technique ultimately doesn't outweigh his pros. In big games Lukaku has always been brutal and has remained to be poor in big games for Inter. He can be the tier below as a striker, but not world class. I would never place Mario Gomez as world class even when he was scoring 40+ per season, same thing now.
Yeah I thought about putting Robertson. He's in the conversation, and like you said the last 2 seasons you can say it's fair to have him there. I guess part of me wonders how much of it is Klopp and how much of it is the individual, and I guess that's why I listed Sancho as a maybe but not in the list. Sometimes certain coaches with their systems get a world class level out of certain players/positions if they just fit a few characteristics. TAA for example last year was at a level of talent higher than Robertson IMO, so I'm not sure if Robertson can ever be world class for me while TAA could... maybe I just haven't paid enough attention though and I'm being biased.
But like, Maguire as an example is someone who I think is an excellent defender, but can never be world class due to the statue-esque nature of his game. He lifts everyone around him and makes a huge difference for us, but I'm ok with having him on the tier below and capping out there. Carrick previously just wasn't world class, but he was a very good holding midfielder, had brilliant seasons, won it all for United... Can't have him world class. Same with Gary Neville.
I guess I can add to the definition that for me, a world class player is also pretty much never just a support piece, but a focal piece to the team. Robertson was key to Liverpool, but when I think world class full backs, I think Roberto Carlos, Dani Alves, Ashley Cole, Evra, Zanetti, etc. Jordi Alba has years of dominance at left back for club and country. Davies has been incredible for Bayern. Is Robertson in that class? Fair enough if he is, guess I just haven't seen him stand out as a world class player but more in the tier below.
Rice and Bissouma are possibly in the top 200 world players, not in the top 100. Def not in top 25 or 50.Strikers:
Lewa
Kane
Ronaldo
RW/Attack:
Messi
Salah
Sancho
LW/Attack:
Mbappe
Neymar
Mane
AM/10:
De Bruyne
Bruno
Muller
CM:
Kroos
Gundogan
Pogba
DM:
Kimmich
Kante
Casemiro
LB:
Davies
Shaw
Theo Hernandez
CB:
van Dijk
Dias
Marquinhos
Maguire
Laporte
Skriniar
RB:
Cancelo
Hakimi
Walker
Top 3 in each position in my opinion. You could probably include the players who could make a fair argument to be included:
Haaland
Grealish
Benzema
Verratti
Alex-Arnold
few others
Rice and Bissouma wouldn't even be up for discussion subjective or not.
Pogba gives world class performances, especially for his country, but only when the team is properly balanced.Reckon that's a pretty good description. I'd go a bit further though and say Pogba IS world class.
Hardly got picked? He got 66 caps despite retiring when he was in his 20s.Scholes is another who hardly got picked by his national team.
Bruno is going to, but need to show up against big team, others nope, not yet, although they are expensive.Club and/or international stars and key players for top sides.
From Man United I think Maguire, Shaw(this season), Pogba, Bruno are world class. Rashford right in the mix, but been a bit too much up and down.
This is a good listStrikers:
Lewa
Kane
Ronaldo
RW/Attack:
Messi
Salah
Sancho
LW/Attack:
Mbappe
Neymar
Mane
AM/10:
De Bruyne
Bruno
Muller
CM:
Kroos
Gundogan
Pogba
DM:
Kimmich
Kante
Casemiro
LB:
Davies
Shaw
Theo Hernandez
CB:
van Dijk
Dias
Marquinhos
Maguire
Laporte
Skriniar
RB:
Cancelo
Hakimi
Walker
Top 3 in each position in my opinion. You could probably include the players who could make a fair argument to be included:
Haaland
Grealish
Benzema
Verratti
Alex-Arnold
few others
Rice and Bissouma wouldn't even be up for discussion subjective or not.
You don't consider Bruno to be world class? Pogba is world class too imo.Can only think of Kante and Kane, outside the City and Liverpool sides, that can be described as world class in the league.
Yeah, I do actually. Pogba has world class potential, and talent. If he had the mentality to match, he'd be a ballon d'Or winner.You don't consider Bruno to be world class? Pogba is world class too imo.
Yeah, I don't get that either. Pogba is way too inconsistent to be classed as WC and it is questionable if he would even be classed as WC if he consistently played at his best.Wait, there are people saying Bruno isn't and Pogba is?
Not concerned whether Bruno is or isn't but that means they think Pogba is the better player and a class above of the two. Wow.