Who is the most intelligent winger of all-time?

[Physiocrat]

Shouldn't Best also be classified as a forward. I mean the more I watch of him, the more he seemed like a wide forward than a byline hugging and whipping crosses/pull back pass winger.

I'd agree with that assessment.

 

[Lord SInister]

I'd agree with that assessment.

Yeah, he seemed like the younger, pre-Pep version, of Messi. The one who was selfish on the ball and although capable of playing great passes(an underrated trait of Best,), but mostly preferred hogging to the ball. We can only imagine if somehow Fergie replaced Bubsy during those, what would have Best became. Probably GOAT.

 

[harms]

Dutch greats are likely to score highly in this too because of the way they are taught to play the game. Resenbrink, Keizer, Moulijn and Robben, in particular.

Hm, form the very little that I've seen of him he didn't seem that intelligent, at least he didn't stand out in that department. Very much the case of technique over brain (although his technique was immaculate).

Cruyff's comment on him sound very much a backhanded compliment once you see him do this trick like 15 times in one game (usually successful though, surprisingly enough):
"Coen mastered one movement better than anyone: threatening to pass his opponent through the center, and then speeding past him on the other side. He was an exceptionally talented football player. A typical product of the Dutch school."

Obviously with those past greats you have to get lucky with what specific games you get to watch.

 

[General_Elegancia]

Agree with Moulijn, he didn't seem to be a kind of an intelligent player. He had great techniques and skills but a bit of ball hog and sometimes individualistic. The Dutch media during 60s also criticized him for his inconsistency performance too ( and that affected for his position in National Team).

 

[General_Elegancia]

Shouldn't Best also be classified as a forward. I mean the more I watch of him, the more he seemed like a wide forward than a byline hugging and whipping crosses/pull back pass winger.

For me, he could be classified as both wing-forward in 4-3-3 role aka Vinicius, Dembele, Sterling or Mane/Salah role or a pure winger in 4-4-2 system like Giggs. In today games, I think he will play in 4-3-3 wing forward and could still be one of the best players in the world. He was a generational talent of player.

 

[Fortitude]

Hm, form the very little that I've seen of him he didn't seem that intelligent, at least he didn't stand out in that department. Very much the case of technique over brain (although his technique was immaculate).

Cruyff's comment on him sound very much a backhanded compliment once you see him do this trick like 15 times in one game (usually successful though, surprisingly enough):
"Coen mastered one movement better than anyone: threatening to pass his opponent through the center, and then speeding past him on the other side. He was an exceptionally talented football player. A typical product of the Dutch school."

Obviously with those past greats you have to get lucky with what specific games you get to watch.

Was a very long time ago now (when I first deep-dived) him that I read he had a bit of a hero complex, or probably more a sense it was on him to make something special happen, which led to dwelling on the ball, but I remember my interpretation at the time was of someone overthinking situations rather than being unaware of what was going on.

I think the onus when one has so much talent is to utilise it, but obviously not to try and force magic every time; I don't consider him a mindless head down dribble merchant, however.

I've not given him much thought over the years, though and did add him to that list as an addendum.

 

[Lord SInister]

For me, he could be classified as both wing-forward in 4-3-3 role aka Vinicius, Dembele, Sterling or Mane/Salah role or a pure winger in 4-4-2 system like Giggs. In today games, I think he will play in 4-3-3 wing forward and could still be one of the best players in the world. He was a generational talent of player.

If Best was motivated and not distracted, he would have been better than anyone playing today, maybe not Messi. But other than that, I have no doubt he would have been the absolute best.

 

[Demyanenko_square_jaw]

He's obviously not of the standing for this thread, but Steve Coppell is famed for his intelligence as a winger.

Some other British/Irish wingers that caught my eye for smart, efficient creative playing during some random watching of old games have been Gordon Strachan, Kevin Sheedy, Trevor Steven and John Robertson. However i'm not sure if winger/side-midfielder was strachan or Steven's main position. Sheedy and Steven were particularly impressive against the bayern midfield lead by Matthaus and Lerby, getting involved with intelligent play over a wide area and making what on paper was a basic flat 4-4-2 very dynamic.

 

[BayernFan87]

Regarding modern players I can really judge I'd probably go with Ribéry.

When van Gaal was our coach he tried to convince him to play on the 10 because he saw something different in him, but Ribéry didn't want to play there.

However when he aged and lost a bit of his speed and dribbling skills he transformed into a "playmaker winger" that showed great vision and passing skills.

Hazard is also a good shout.

 

[Fortitude]

Some other British/Irish wingers that caught my eye for smart, efficient creative playing during some random watching of old games have been Gordon Strachan, Kevin Sheedy, Trevor Steven and John Robertson. However i'm not sure if winger/side-midfielder was strachan or Steven's main position. Sheedy and Steven were particularly impressive against the bayern midfield lead by Matthaus and Lerby, getting involved with intelligent play over a wide area and making what on paper was a basic flat 4-4-2 very dynamic.

Yes 80’s Everton are a great shout for this, as should be Clough’s Forest, both were really intelligent and dynamic 4-4-2’s with clever wide play. Everton not being able to play in Europe during their pinnacle is a real tragedy as they are a bit of a footnote in history you have to research to know anything about these days.

Good shouts.

 

[Gio]

Some other British/Irish wingers that caught my eye for smart, efficient creative playing during some random watching of old games have been Gordon Strachan, Kevin Sheedy, Trevor Steven and John Robertson. However i'm not sure if winger/side-midfielder was strachan or Steven's main position. Sheedy and Steven were particularly impressive against the bayern midfield lead by Matthaus and Lerby, getting involved with intelligent play over a wide area and making what on paper was a basic flat 4-4-2 very dynamic.

Good shouts. Those wide midfielders were influential in elevating those British 4-4-2s to make them really tick on the European stage.

On Trevor Steven, he ideally preferred to play through the middle but was typically used out wide. Tyler and Gray discuss this in the commentary here in this 1990 cup semi-final between Rangers and Aberdeen: