Andrés Iniesta

[Fishdoll]

Not sure where the notion comes from that the Premiership was the highest level of football?!

Say hello to Sky Sports.

 

[Caps]

 

[Deco 20]

Ronaldo still produced great things even with two injuries that would have ended anyone elses career. The hat-trick at Old Trafford was special, racking up as many goals as he did in the World Cup was no mean feat either. The only sad thing about him is he didn't go on to become what Messi is currently doing. Ronaldinho is an obvious one i'd have thought, and i'm amazed you think Iniesta was better/same level as Henry - now he was special. In fact, i'd rate him ahead of Ronaldo and Ronaldinho. He was so unfortunate not to win a Ballon d'Or after what he achieved with Arsenal. Everything about him was genius - quicker than almost everyone else, best finisher in Europe (at the time), strong as an ox (He shook the great Desailly off many a time with ease in his pomp), a great creater of goals (he's in and around Giggs and Lampard in terms of assists in a much shorter period) and he could tear teams apart at will.

I rate Ronaldo incredibly highly, he's the most talented striker I've seen, and you're right in saying that he's achieved much in his carreer but he could have done even more.
Ronaldinho is obviously more talented than anyone mentioned here, more even than Messi. By far the best player in the world between 2003 and 2006. He's probably my favourite player, but his decline was swift and irreversible. He was only really on top of his game for 4 or 5 years at most.
While Henry was a great player he's not even close to reaching the heights of either of the two Brazilians. Top player, yes, but not better than Iniesta. The difference isn't great, but I believe Iniesta to be the better player.

Zidane lacked the consistency of Iniesta but had a higher top level. When he turned it on he was unplayable. Xavi's only really gotten the recognition he deserved since Guardiola took over. Before then he was acknowledged as a very good player but not to the extent or praise he currently gets, coincidentally it was really when Iniesta grew into a world class player - difficult for a Barcelona fan to choose, but i'm willing to wager most would say Xavi was/is a bit more important to the team than Iniesta.

I rate Xavi above Iniesta too, atleast for the moment. I disagree about Iniesta having a lower top level... when he does take charge of games he's better even than Messi. It's just not very common. He's also incredibly clutch, as you might know

 

[jamrock]

I must me reading wrong but did someone say Henry is better than ronaldo,dinho and iniesta?.

 

[jamrock]

Sigh. Football doesn't start in the opponent's box. Arguing with the amount of goals Ronaldo and Messi are scoring when talking about greatness is so pointless, I thought everyone knew that by now. How do Beckenbauer, Zidane, Platini, Laudrup, Scirea, Baresi and the likes even fit in into the "greatest of all time" category? After all statistically Robin van Persie is outscoring those players comfortably. How many goals do Messi and Ronaldo score outside Barcelona and Madrid without their so called supporting cast? How many goals has the greatest player of all time scored in the last Copa America and World Cup combined? I'll help you out: 0. How many goals has Villa scored in his last World and Euro Cup? I'll help you out again: 9. Villa with proper supporting cast >>> Messi without proper supporting cast. That's how football works. It remains a team sport, even though the sport has been Justin Bieberized by a shitstorm of 12 year old plastic fans in recent years who go to the hairdresser to get a Ronaldo fauxhawk. Let's not pretend that Messi and Ronaldo are the only cause of the utter domination which Madrid and particularly Barcelona are showcasting right now. They just tend to be the most talented forwards of this generation (although I'm not even sure. Let Ronaldo and Falcao swap teams and see again after 1 year who is considered greater. Falcao is averaging 1 goals per game for Atletico Madrid. Can Ronaldo do the same in that team?). That doesn't diminish the work of other players in other positions. Ronaldo might be considered up there with Iniesta once he wins 3 CLs, 2 ECs and 1 World Cup. After all the man himself admits that team trophies are the most important ones, amiright?

I'm 100 % certain Xavi and Iniesta will be remembered in higher regards in 20 years than Ronaldo. People will remember iconic performances on the biggest stages. Iniesta's World Cup goal or Xavi's EC final performance. The fact that they were the architects of the most successful Barcelona and Spain national team of all time. Not Ronaldo's hattricks against Celta fucking Vigo or Deportivo La Coruna.

U mad now? U better be. One does not simply come into Iniesta's thread and then spout that he can't be mentioned in the same breath as Cristiano Ronaldo.

:beer2:

Could not have put it better if a tried, at the end of the day iniesta will be remembered for one simply thing, clutch

When ronaldo and whoever else, who aren't the greatest of greats.

Comes off the bench to change a cl final
Score the pivotal Goal in the club SF
, the assist the opening goal in the final
Score the two post important goal for there country at the world cup
Step up every time there team needed it at the euros

I could go on

 

[DonAndres]

Cristiano is obviously the 2nd best goalscorer in the world today and one of the best in the last 30 years or so. Iniesta is just better though in terms of talent and memory. I agree with Ursegor that Iniesta will always be remembered for his clutch performances and delivery on the highest stage. In terms of talent he is better than Zidane in my opinion and in terms of playing style he is Laudrup 2.0. More advanced dribbling, more technical, better passing, more titles, trophies, memorable performances, and overall skill than Laudrup (i think i remember iniesta saying laudrup was his favorite player as well). By the end of his career Iniesta will be at LEAST top 15 of all time in my opinion.

 

[khorne]

guys don't get me wrong, I enjoy a good discussion, but the last two pages really read like if you're comparing players by their stats in fifa.

 

[EdHardy]

Cristiano is obviously the 2nd best goalscorer in the world today and one of the best in the last 30 years or so. Iniesta is just better though in terms of talent and memory. I agree with Ursegor that Iniesta will always be remembered for his clutch performances and delivery on the highest stage. In terms of talent he is better than Zidane in my opinion and in terms of playing style he is Laudrup 2.0. More advanced dribbling, more technical, better passing, more titles, trophies, memorable performances, and overall skill than Laudrup (i think i remember iniesta saying laudrup was his favorite player as well). By the end of his career Iniesta will be at LEAST top 15 of all time in my opinion.

Wow! Iniesta is my 2nd favourite player today. I rate him highly and even think in the 2006 final vs Arsenal, his introduction was the turning point. But technically, passing wise and overall skill, Iniesta isn't close to Laudrup.

 

[Karnivore]

Wow! Iniesta is my 2nd favourite player today. I rate him highly and even think in the 2006 final vs Arsenal, his introduction was the turning point. But technically, passing wise and overall skill, Iniesta isn't close to Laudrup.

Pretty much. Iniesta won't be top 15 either. To a Barcelona fan he might, but it's tantamount to me saying Zola was in the top five best players in the Premiership era - an incredibly gifted fooballer, but realistically, there were a fair few better, and his ability to turn it on in the big games overshadows his lack of real consistency. The same applies to Iniesta. He and Ronaldo are brilliant players, argue all you like over who's better, but they'll both go down as modern day greats rather than all time greats, whereas Messi will knock Pele and Maradona right off their perch (If he already hasn't!)

 

[GiantKiller]

Pretty much. Iniesta won't be top 15 either. To a Barcelona fan he might, but it's tantamount to me saying Zola was in the top five best players in the Premiership era - an incredibly gifted fooballer, but realistically, there were a fair few better, and his ability to turn it on in the big games overshadows his lack of real consistency. The same applies to Iniesta. He and Ronaldo are brilliant players, argue all you like over who's better, but they'll both go down as modern day greats rather than all time greats, whereas Messi will knock Pele and Maradona right off their perch (If he already hasn't!)

What? >.>

Tbh, you saying all this is perfectly understandable if you consider what happened on the 27th of May, 2009.

 

[Stric]

Let's not forget Iniesta won 2 Euros in a row and a WC in between, being one of his sides most important players. The nerve of some people to say he's not an all-time great.

 

[xaviniesta]

What? >.>

Tbh, you saying all this is perfectly understandable if you consider what happened on the 27th of May, 2009.

by only that iniesta regarded himself already as a legend.

 

[xaviniesta]

btw, it's really hard for me to imagine if a player is absolutely vital and influential in 3 CL finals, 2 EC finals and 1 WC final and still not regarded as one of the all time greats is simply beyond me. big game players>goalscorers.

 

[jiopi]

Some examination for the consistency argument few pages ago.

Opta performance index (based on over 200 different statistics) this season La Liga.

Where as Messi and Xavi play consistently in deviation of 2, between 8-10, and 6-8 respectively, Iniesta plays in deviation of 4, between 6-10. And then you can also add his frequent injuries to equation also.

And I believe this actually is one of his more consistent seasons lately. Iniesta is definitely one of the best when on top of his game, but consistency isn't one of his strong points really.

 

[Karnivore]

Some examination for the consistency argument few pages ago.

Opta performance index (based on over 200 different statistics) this season La Liga.

Where as Messi and Xavi play consistently in deviation of 2, between 8-10, and 6-8 respectively, Iniesta plays in deviation of 4, between 6-10. And then you can also add his frequent injuries to equation also.

And I believe this actually is one of his more consistent seasons lately. Iniesta is definitely one of the best when on top of his game, but consistency isn't one of his strong points really.

Yep - in a nut shell, it's Zidane all over again.

He played in less talented sides than Iniesta and was still the difference maker, but consistency was never one of his strong points either. His top level was exceptional though, and like Iniesta he bought his A game when it truely mattered. On the verge of retirement and ignoring his bizarre moment in the WC Final in 2006, he was instrumental in getting France there.

Zidane's regarded as an all time great more so for what he won/did individually. Three WPOTY awards in a period when he was up against Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Henry, Rivaldo, Figo, Nedved etc - he was outstanding at times. Boo hoo if Iniesta isn't regarded so highly to the footballing world as he is in Barcelona history, there have been a number of supremely talented players down the years who never get mentioned in the top 10 players of all time either - Laudrup as already mentioned, Baggio, Stoichkov, Hagi, hell, even Dalglish - to be considered truely great you only have to look as far as Mess today. Special player rather than just an exceptional one.