13 Jul 2026 17:25:53
Hi guys/Ed's
What's everyone's opinion on Gazza? Mexico 86 was my first World Cup but I was 6 so can only remember certain bits. Italia 90 I was glued to the screen and remember it vividly. Now I'm not a massive England fan so I maybe wrong but i always found him a bit over rated and certainly don't think the impact he had during that tournament is anywhere near what Bellingham is producing this tournament
{Ed025's Note - oh how we could do with him now Baz, if he had a brain he could have been one of the greats mate, he had skill in abundance and could unlock a defence with ease, a precocious talent but did have his demons but nobody could dispute his talent..
13 Jul 2026 17:44:15
Talented but ineffective.
13 Jul 2026 17:54:11
Shame he never really won anything significant.
13 Jul 2026 17:59:41
He certainly wasn't overrated, he was immensely talented but a flawed human being. Such a shame.
13 Jul 2026 18:05:03
Best English player ever for me.
13 Jul 2026 18:10:37
Gazza seemed to me to be the embodiment of undiagnosed and untreated severe ADHD. Hyperactive and extremely impulsive. He could glide past people for fun with a little shimmy and one twos. Genius moments and brainless moments (the tackle he made that seriously injured him) that probably both came from an impulsive mind.
Up all hours and self medicating. You wonder what could have been if he'd had the right support and treatment early in his career. Would it have focused his genius into something consistent and Ballon d'Or worthy or stifled it?
13 Jul 2026 18:21:04
He was a great player - he was even a handful for Vinny Jones!
13 Jul 2026 18:21:08
He was an exceptional talent for 2-3 years, and really was superb at Italia 90. A dynamo of running, dribbling, and seeing the pass that no one else would have considered.
Sadly, after a great season for Spurs 90-91, he behaved like a maniac in the FA Cup final. Totally over revved, and did his ACL in a tackle that should have seen him sent off.
He spent a year out of the game, and was never really the same again. At Lazio, he struggled for game time (in those days there was quite a cool rule that clubs could only have 3 overseas players in a starting line-up), and ended up at Rangers.
Had one very fine moment vs Scotland at Euro 96, and then trashed his hotel room when he was cut from Glen Hoddle's World Cup squad in 1998.
Ultimately, he was wrecked by injury and media adulation. And of course booze and the ensuing domestic violence.
It's all so sad as he really came across as exuberant and sweet-natured, but, as Bobby Robson said, was as daft as a brush.
13 Jul 2026 18:25:36
You weren't being signed to play in the Serie back in the day if you sucked. Gazza was that dude, end of.
13 Jul 2026 18:27:36
I also think his management team and hangers on could've done a lot more for him. It was about 10 years ago, if that, he was sat alone in a pub by mine. I don't know why he was in Liverpool, but people were plying him with shot after shot. It really was sad.
13 Jul 2026 18:28:24
Ps, he was seen as the kind of player England rarely has - a propulsive creative number 10, like Roberto Baggio at the time.
But from '96 onwards, I think England would have done better with McManaman in that role.
He was astounding for us (apart from his final season), a wonderful dribbler and passer. But often had the Darwins when through on goal.
I know he is not popular with fans as he did a Bosman, but he was an exceptional player.
13 Jul 2026 18:41:43
I agree with Red.
Today, he would be helped through after early diagnosis of a clear need.
As it was, he was left to self medicate and turn to alcohol with the obvious results.
13 Jul 2026 18:55:11
Gazza was special.
13 Jul 2026 18:55:13
His goal and 'dentists chair' celebration at Euro 96 is one of my most vivid football memories.
13 Jul 2026 18:02:40
Ed 025, you know how it works and how it is. Genius always has a flaw. Sometimes small and sometimes fatal. And it seems that in the end, the flaw sometimes end up defining the person.
{Ed025's Note - it certainly defined Gazza ArAy, he was a player who got bums off seats and those types of players are very few and far between these days mate..
13 Jul 2026 19:13:55
One of the best players to ever grace Scottish football, seeing him and Laudrup together calls back to days that will never be seen up here again, quality wise.
It's a shame his life ended up going off the rails. Money can't take away your demons, and often makes them worse.
13 Jul 2026 19:21:29
MonsterSouness - Ryan Giggs has the most assists in PL history with 162.
McManaman was ahead of him when he left.
13 Jul 2026 19:38:26
We say players are generational talent, Gazza definitely was. He had everything, but he needed a strong manager like Whiskey Nose Fergie. He was a lads lad, but someone should have got a hold of him before he went into self destruction mode. An absolutely fantastic player.
13 Jul 2026 19:17:19
Ed025 I was born in 1975 82 my first World Cup zico and co.
How I think of Gazza is there was England before Gazza then England with Gazza then England after Gazza. I think John Barnes was a better player but Gazza made England tick and nobody made them play better in my life time.
If the likes of him and Barnes were around now we would walk this World Cup and do it in style.
The worst thing that Gazza did was sign for Spurs they just let him run wild.
If I am not mistaken he had his heart set of joining Liverpool and following Beardsley but not sure Kenny wanted his madness.
{Ed025's Note - thats what we are lacking certainly Grino, Gazza and Barnes walk into this England side mate but it seems most football these days is about possession and playing the ball backwards, its so boring to watch and is a symptom of why Arsenal won the league imo, no Arsenal players should be picked on Wednesday because they are burnt out or in Madueke,s case never picked again because he is absolutely crapper than crap..
13 Jul 2026 20:08:04
Not sure his life was ever on the rails, Rugby. He had quite a reputation in Liverpool.
13 Jul 2026 20:21:00
Saw the Gazza documentary recently. Think his biggest mistake was moving to Spurs instead of Utd. Did it to get his parents a house and car, and his sister a sunbed. The innocence of it all! Much as I can't stand him, Fergie might have worked with him as he did with Cantona and been a better minder for him than El Tel.
Gazza was different gravy - but had and has his demons, sadly.
13 Jul 2026 20:21:53
England's most talented player by an absolute mile.
He was unstoppable on his day.
13 Jul 2026 20:36:56
Just after reading his most recent book, he said when he was leaving Newcastle, he really wanted to join LFC as they were the best team about then. He spoke to Kenny, so we were obviously interested, but the club said they hadn't the money at the time, it was a record transfer fee £2.2m.
13 Jul 2026 20:42:12
John Barnes is my all time hero. I still love him now. However, he rarely performed in an England shirt, for whatever reason.
13 Jul 2026 21:11:10
Gazza is my favourite England player. He was exciting and so skillful on a level not seen since. Now we produce athletes who can carry a ball and play inside themselves. Gazza was the exact opposite of what we see today, unfortunately.
13 Jul 2026 21:13:48
Gazza was an absolute legend to me. His ability was off the scale & unfortunately, his demons were as well. Absolutely love Gazza, was so entertaining to watch!
13 Jul 2026 21:17:08
Rome, Barnes was treated disgracefully by England fans. After his worldie goal in Brazil, fans fell into the racist trope of saying he was lazy.
He scored one of the best free kicks I have ever seen vs Holland.
It was a bit embarrassing for the Wembley crowd who had booed his every touch.
He would have achieved more for England if the fans had just ignored his skin colour.
14 Jul 2026 11:55:31
He had loads of ability, but he didn't look after himself physically, so he didn't fulfill his potential.
His physical issues were down to his complex mental issues.
He had a good career, but it could have been a lot better.
Seeing him now, and knowing more about his problems, he deserves some credit that he did what he did and for so long.
I reckon it's because his love of football is as strong as it is. Or was.
14 Jul 2026 16:40:23
Spot on, Monstersouness. Barnes was levels, man. The guy was begging to play for England and gave his all whenever he got the shirt, and many England fans treated him disgracefully.