01 Mar 2018 09:05:24
If I gave my answer to the question who my favourite premier league player is of all time, you'd think I was a teenager. I'm 45 years old and saw my first game at anfield in 1979. I've seen some amazing players and characters. That said, I'm all gaga over one Roberto firmino. Passion, desire, skill, Ability and most important from a scouse point of view, a cracking sense of humour. DO NOT SELL!

1.) 01 Mar 2018
01 Mar 2018 09:58:42
I completely agree mate Firmino for me too.

2.) 01 Mar 2018
01 Mar 2018 10:01:54
I read earlier that Firmino has completed twice as many tackles (36) as Paul Pogba has (18) this season! His defensive contribution is often forgotten because of his flair and magic. He is my favourite player too mate. Probably not the best in the Premier League as you'd have to give that to Giggs i think for what he achieved in the competition as much as his ability, but Firmino is definitely my personal favourite. He could retire as a Liverpool legend one day in my opinion. He's got everything.

3.) 01 Mar 2018
01 Mar 2018 10:07:15
Has to be fowler for me. Bobby is doing really well tho this season which is a pleasant surprise as he has already out scored my season prediction.

4.) 01 Mar 2018
01 Mar 2018 10:21:18
Another few seasons and he will become a great. I imagine the World Cup could make a huge impact on his value, especially when he outshines neymar and coutinho. Let's hope he's more a Lucas/ xabi to a Suarez/ coutinho.

5.) 01 Mar 2018
01 Mar 2018 10:39:11
Giggs played for a side at the top end of his whole career, rather than being any sort of stand out player, imo.

6.) 01 Mar 2018
01 Mar 2018 10:54:35
will be tough to outshine Neymar and Coutinho from the bench though! He is not first choice, Gabriel Jesus is.

7.) 01 Mar 2018
01 Mar 2018 11:00:45
I see your point JT, but Giggs was arguably the best player at Man United during that time too. The only better individuals to play alongside him were Cantona, Ronaldo and Ferdinand in my opinion. They couldn't match his longevity remotely though.

It goes without saying though, Giggs was very fortunate to play in a great team for so long. But then don't you have to credit the player for never looking remotely out of place there across two decades? It's a tough argument that can go either way really. Did he help make United great, or did United help make him great. I think it was a mutual partnership if I'm honest. Still hate Giggs though because he constantly turned his back on my ancestral country to blow Fergie's trumpet.

{Ed001's Note - Scholes?? Keane?}

8.) 01 Mar 2018
01 Mar 2018 10:49:28
Giggs? I was referring to ability plus character etc. Not just a list of titles as part of a pretty impressive squad it pains me to say. Giggs was a top player no doubt. But Bobby makes me shake my head in disbelief and admiration almost every game. He is the one player we have that I would put a not for sale sign on. I would also really miss his goal. celebrations. he's also ridiculously unselfish.

9.) 01 Mar 2018
01 Mar 2018 11:16:25
Not for me Ed001. Scholes couldn't tackle, and Keane was a better leader than player. If you think about what a winger needs, Giggs had it all, as did Ronaldo Think about what a centre back needs and Ferdinand had it all. Think about what an attacking midfielder/ second striker needs and Contona had it all. That's why i have them as the best individuals. As players, they had no weaknesses that i ever saw.

Keane lacked technical ability which is vital for any footballer, and Scholes lacked tackling which is critical in midfield and why he got sent off so much. Giggs lacked nothing he needed to be a good winger though. He could dribble, he could cross, he could shoot, he could pass and he had pace to burn.

That's my logic anyway. No worries if you don't agree!

{Ed001's Note - Scholes could tackle but he got away with nasty fouls by pretending not to be able to. Keane was a far better player than you give him credit for. He certainly did not lack technical ability at all, he was also an excellent centre back. Giggs was not in the same league imo. He struggled with his passing and crossing, particularly in his early days.}

10.) 01 Mar 2018
01 Mar 2018 11:32:37
I forgot about Schmiechal actually. I think it's fair to say he had every attribute a keeper needs, would you agree Ed001?

If i tell you who i thought Man United's best midfielder was of the last 20 years, I'm sure I'll be laughed at again, but i thought Carrick was better than Scholes or Keane. United were good with Scholes and Keane, but didn't really compete in Europe regularly despite it being quite weak aside from the Italian teams. Carrick took them up a level though and with him they were the strongest rivals to the great Barcelona team in a period where Inter Milan, Chelsea, Bayern Munich etc were also very strong. I don't even think Man United fans appreciate how good Carrick has been for them in the last 10 years. He would've made the difference for England if they'd let go of trying to put Lampard and Gerrard in the same team. Carrick played against Germany in Berlin when England beat them 2-1 around 2008-ish and he was Man of the Match. Then he barely got picked again inexplicably, until he refused call up after Capello didn't even play him once in the 2010 WC. I don't think anyone except Ferguson knew how good he was. He could do everything Scholes could, but he could read the game and tackle as well!

Pelters in 3, 2, 1-.

{Ed001's Note - Scmeichel was certainly excellent and the backbone to their team. Carrick was good but not Scholes or Keane good.}

11.) 01 Mar 2018
01 Mar 2018 12:09:54
Every time i watched Carrick he was like a Rolls Royce, Ed. I think that might just be why i rate highest in a player; somebody who can make things look easy. That would explain why i rate the likes of Alonso and Carrick so highly. I've never really been an advicate of midfielders flying around the pitch jumping into tackles and being all action, but it is much more exciting to watch. I guess this is why football is a beautiful game. There are so many great players and everyone has their own preferences and opinions, which make discussion so interesting.

Look at other sports. Golf? Tiger Woods. Tennis? Roger Federer. Darts? Phil Taylor. F1? Michael Schumacher.

Only in football do you get so much debate. In other sports there always seems to be a clear stand out performer, but football can be interpreted in so many different ways because it is the most complex, popular team sport and there are so many ways to play the game.

Thanks for not just rubbishing my view on Carrick though Ed. If Scholes could tackle but just wanted to be nasty that is a shame, because he's done himself a disservice because history will remember him as a world class player who was rash in the tackle and got too many suspension's. I checked the figures and he is 5th most booked player in Premier League history with 97, 1st most booked in the Champions league with 32, and also got 4 red cards too! It's my only thing against him or else I'd say he was better than Carrick because his passing range was better and he couldn't half catch a volley on the sweet spot. I only had Carrick ahead because he offered more protection to his defenders than Scholes, and could pass better than Keane.

12.) 01 Mar 2018
01 Mar 2018 12:19:49
We need to challenge the title next season or else they will move to another club, who will do it!

13.) 01 Mar 2018
01 Mar 2018 12:37:13
I think Roy Keane is exactly what a lot of teams are missing now. He had the ability to do pretty much everything well, whilst driving his team and making sure they knew if they let the team down. Maybe over the top sometimes, but his ability to lead and make players want to give everything is what I think seems to be missing from the top premiership teams now. There’s not many real leaders left.

I think the whole show around his personality blinds people to how good a player he was. I read that Kenny saw how good he was before he moved to Utd as he desperately tried to sign him for Blackburn.

I would love a prime Keane in our midfield right now. Would you Ed?

14.) 01 Mar 2018
01 Mar 2018 12:43:02
Cantona and Giggs were fantastic footballers but To say there were no weaknesses in those players games is being a bit easy on them. Cantonas weakness was that he was a hothead, he was a red card waiting to happen if things didn't go his way, and im not just referring to his kung fu kick.
Giggs is remembered in such a biased fashion, he had at least four or five years of average output at what should have been his peak years, it wasnt until he reached his 30's and adapted his game to play deeper that all this kudos came his way, i mean the guy won player of the year 2009 despite starting 11 games in the league which just smacked of him being rewarded for being ryan giggs rather than what he produced on a football pitch.

15.) 01 Mar 2018
01 Mar 2018 12:48:10
Harry, next year is our year mate! I'm sure of it 👀.

16.) 01 Mar 2018
01 Mar 2018 13:00:37
I agree with you smplfc. Although i think Keane was a touch over rated as an individual, I have always argued that he is the best captain of the Premier League Era for what he git out of his team mates. He is exactly what we are missing, for a start! He might be a total buffoon on the tele, and really bitter towards Liverpool, but he was the perfect leader and excellent at game management.

Semi by the sea, i think overall you were a little bit harsh on Giggs (when you play 20 years at the top, you have to expect the odd blip) but you are spot on about that 2009 award. It was a bit of a sham to be quite honest. He was well past his best by then and it was a bit like an early retirement present wasn't it 🤔.

17.) 01 Mar 2018
01 Mar 2018 15:45:50
Gigs played for united. What are you talking about! Could never, will never pick a utd player. Gigs wasn't even their best player, Scholes was.

I wish to revise my list as I focused my attention on past players and forgot about Firmino.

Gerrard
Fowler
mcmanaman
Firmino
Owen.

18.) 01 Mar 2018
01 Mar 2018 17:23:16
It was almost a lifetime achievement award for services rendered to football and manchester united, but i do concede that despite a few blemishes giggs was for the most part a great footballer and one of the best the premier league has seen.

19.) 01 Mar 2018
01 Mar 2018 23:27:28
SS funny you just said AND I quote ;)
'What are you talking about! Could never, will never pick a utd player' yet you went and picked Owen! lol did he not play for utd?! You put 'him' over Torres? over Alonso (your favourite player out of him and Gerrard), Hyypia, Carragher, Suarez, Sturridge, Risse, Kuyt, Agger, Coutinho the list goes on. You go on about never picking a utd player and you just did, over Liverpool players who did some great things for us.