FIFA Player of the year: 2001

[ItalianBoy]

Well this are the major candidates

Totti

Shevchenko

Raul

Owen

Beckham

Zidane

Figo

I say Totti gets it!

[Drummer]

Well theres a shock. Totti the top player in the World in the last year!!!!!!!!!

I think Oliver Kahn gets it. No player has been as good a BIG GAME player as him in the last year (against United , Madrid and the ECL final among others)... Or do they have to be in the italian league to be BIG GAMES????

[Mihajloviç]

Totti ? Have you been watching soccer last year ?

Anyway...I say Olli gets it, he has been superb in every Bayern game.

[Garrincha]

I agree. Nobody has impressed me more the past year than Kahn.

By the way, Zidane shouldn`t even be in that list. His last year was quite unimpressive, IMO.

[Sebastian]

i dont understand why people are pushing TOTTI so far???

[FANTA]

and what about nesta ?

[ItalianBoy]

Drummer( and co.) I know you must hate ITA for some reason, still Totti is one of the best players now! I am a Juve fan so I should say: "Hey, why isnt Del Piero there?"
Well the thing is that I saw this players playand Toti was the best! I dont know why Khan isnt there or whoever! that is just the top ones right now! Nesta is in but not in the top ones. He was also there last year with Totti.Drum, I dont see whats wong with you, who said that BIG games have to be in italy only?

[Severus]

i'll root for totti to win it but he doesn't deserve it when compared to the likes of kahn or even raul who had a fabulous season scoring 35 goals in spain and europe combined leading real madrid to their campionato.

as for del piero he didn't have a solid 2nd half last season orelse he'd be in contention as well because right now he's one of the best strikers in the world.

2002 ?

i predicted a few months ago that in this world cup year he'd have a stellar season and i still stand firm ! all his critics will be silenced.

[ItalianBoy]

I personally would give it to Totti. I dont like much Raul. Sorry. And my second pick is Beckham.

[Sebastian]

Raul???:rolleyes:
1-----beckham
2-----totti
3-----khan....

[Drummer]

I wouldnt argue with you normally (as Im a United fan) but I personally think that Beckham is getting so much plaudits because he is such a CELEBRITY FOOTBALLER. When he plays bad its posted on most papers more than most players. Likewise whenm he plays well. I personally think that giggs or keane deserve it more than him ( not necessarily win Fifa player of the year but certainly rank higher than beckham). I think that keane especially does a thankless job. Its not flashy or even that skillfull but its true grind , determination , heart and power. Of course players win the Player of the year award , more often then not because they have great flair (rivaldo, Figo, zidane etc) as against grit (etc) and all the qualities of keane. I think that he isnt appreciated outside the premiershipbecause he isnt a flair player. Whatever anybody says he is the best at the world at dragging his teams (United or Irealnd) to their limits and sometimes beyond. Anybody who looks at Uniteds success (whoever insignificant you think it is -Italian boy) and look at when they were missing keane , they lost the championship to Arsenal , along with important games he is missing in. Whenever he plays for Ireland the team generally plays 150% above their potential. The results against Portugal and Holland (however lucky) are proof of that. Irelnad have been the biggest nearly men qualifiers of the last few tournaments. They have lost out either in play-offs or by not beating the lesser nations (lithuania, Iceland in important games etc). They havent got great players but , like United they have a great leader, who plays with his heart on his sleeve every match. How many players in the world can say that they have done that for their clubs. Again I will point to the United v Juventus match in 1999 when he single handedly dragged the united players by the scruff of the neck and ultimatly helped them into the finals. He is the man that picks them up when they are down. He missed the final , but only on arrogance on the part of the Germans they would of lost that... Its not always pretty but its very effective. The rivaldos and Figo's and Zidane's have their more opular ways of winning, but I can tell you that not 1 true United or irish supporter would swap keane for any of the above mentioned players. When the chips are down you cant always rely on these players to pick you up. While they can change a match their heads can go down quickly especially Figo's and Zidane's.....

[Drummer]

Before I start getting attacked , I want ot point out that my whole point isnt that Roy Keane is the best in the world , but he is the best in the world at what he does, just like rivaldo and figo etc are the best in the world at what they do, its just audiences and coaches generally prefer exciting players and the exciting players are always more obvious and get more votes. But keane is probobley the most consistant performer around. I cant remember his last bad game and I certainly dont remember him having a bad run of poor performances. No player could rally a team (especially Ireland) like Keane does. Rivaldo , Figo , Zidane etc would probobley get important goals for Ireland (if they played for them ) but wouldnt be quite as good at dragging their asses through each match.....

[ItalianBoy]

I want ot point out that my whole point isnt that Roy Keane is the best in the world , but he is the best in the world at what he does, just like rivaldo and figo etc are the best in the world at what they do,
:confused: :confused: :confused:


I am hoping you mean by position, still it dosent make any sense, we are talking SOCCER here and not if they cook well etc. I think your Brain is upside down!;) :D

[ItalianBoy]

But I agree with you, Giggs is one outstanding player.

[Drummer]

How hard is it to understand that I am saying that Keane is the best in the world at what he does in football?? What has cooking got to do with it??? I said that Keane is the best motivater of the players around him , greatest player to get stuck in, greatest player to grind out results and greatest player to drag his team back into a game, where in that sentance isnt there a referance to football??? Its proved my point that you agree with me on giggs greatness. All the flash players are noticed and appreciated more outside of England. England is a tougher (physically, not closer etc) league than most where tough players like keane thrive. Most people would choose Rivaldo or somebody more excitingg like him , to watch then keane, I wouldnt disagree. But when it comes to getting the results week in week out, then keane is your man... Thats my FOOTBALL point...... Can you get your brain around that????:yawn:

[Drummer]

If you have nothing remotely constructive or interesting to say about my posts , dont bother replying.


I am hoping you mean by position, still it dosent make any sense, we are talking SOCCER here and not if they cook well etc. I think your Brain is upside down!

Where did you talk about soccer here in your post??? You mentioned the word soccer but didnt actually talk about it....

[Drummer]

There is another post on the other page to your mad message!!!!!!!!

[B@tigol]

roy keane???? he's good, but not a candidate for the world best player i suggest:rolleyes:
i dunno why some of u hate totti so much, but his performance is superb, last season he guided roma to the scudetto, certainly he's up to that award
raul is great

[ItalianBoy]

Drum, please!

posted by drum:
England is a tougher (physically, not closer etc) league


ENG a tougher league? I dont think you saw many games of soccer outside your ENG. No offence but how come you are getting so mad?
I just said that since we, at least, were talking about the FIFA player of the year, it sounds strange to say Keane is the best at what he does, playing soccer to thean say dont get me wrong I am not saying that keane is the best.
just thatI knows that you are smarter than that. Later;)

[JYT2001]

On the topic of FIFA Player of the Year, I would go for Raúl over Totti. Beckham shouldn't be there and to have Owen there is a disgrace to football.

'Before I start getting attacked , I want ot point out that my whole point isnt that Roy Keane is the best in the world , but he is the best in the world at what he does, just like rivaldo and figo etc are the best in the world at what they do'

Well I thought I'd attack you anyway. The best in the world at what he does?? What exactly is it that he does?? I assume you are talking about as a defensive midfielder. Well I could name quite a few better than him, but I will start with the best Defensive Midfielder in the world, who currently plays at your North London rivals. Yes that's right Patrick Vieira. He is so much better a player than Roy Keane that it is not even funny.

However if you are talking about Keane's reckless challenges, then yes, there is nobody better in the world than him in that respect.

'I said that Keane is the best motivater of the players around him , greatest player to get stuck in, greatest player to grind out results and greatest player to drag his team back into a game'

What are you basing this on?? There are plenty of better motivaters than him. Stuck in?? When does he get stuck in. He makes agressive and poorly timed challenges, but so do Montero and Repka, what is that supposed to prove. Grind out results and get his team back into the game?? A defensive midfielder's main job is to chase the ball down, win back possesion and distribute it to other, more creative players, Patrick Vieira great example. When Man Utd are looking to 'grind out results' Keane rarely chases after the ball, usually just fouls people.

[ItalianBoy]

See drum before shitting on me you better check your post, cuz it wasent that clear! And plus we were talking FIFA player of the year and to me Totti is WAY better than Raul, he is a media creation to me
I mean nice moves but Totti personally is better.

[Drummer]

What has Viera won at Arsenal???? F~ck all.... Keane is a winner. Dont try and tell me that any f the players you have mentioned would have the same effect on The Irish team. I must point out that Viera's disciplinary record is crap compared to keanes, but that doesnt really matter. Viera is a better attacking midfielder because he is more skillfull than keane. If you arent part of a World class team (in Italian fans perspective, ie france) AND you arent a flash player, ie look good in games (ie exciting ) then there is no hope of you ever being seen as a great player, you will always be 2nd best to the Prima Dona's. Keane isnt flashy or exciting , why would you want to watch him? Again you people cant accept the truth, Montero and repka, what have they won that makes them so special, what have they dragged their country's further than their expectations?? Have they driven their team on in tough times and gotten results? You see you seem to think that if you have a few good or even great games that you are a world class player.. Have you even watched viera play this season. Up till 2 weeks ago he had been having a shit campaign. The last bad patch keane had was when he was sent off for Ireland against Russia about 5 years ago. You see you know what you will get from keane each game no matter whats happening around him, which is more that can be said of alot of players... Again you are just stuck in your own hype on the Italian league and flashy players. Beckham is not as great as he's made out to be, likewise Keane is greater than most cynics ( flair player lovers) give him.
Again I said that Keane is best at what he does, defensive midfielder but more importantly hes the engine and heart of any team he plays in.. A poll done several times in the Premiership among the top managers has several times produced Keane (not Viera) as their preferance player if they could choose 1 from a team of their choice. You seem to know s much about english football as i do Italian, or are the managers in England wrong as well??
As much as you think I am wrong you are wrong as well, Montero and Repka please give me a break...... They may be good but they are no Keane and tghey certainly wouldnt carry the Irish team as far as he has, that takes alot of CHARACTER something which you both seem to be lacking in your preferance to players.......... :D

[Garrincha]

OK, Drummer, we all get it: You're a Keane fan. Most of us are not, so we do not share your enthusiasm for the Irish workhorse.

But what the guys said about Montero and Repka... man, it was irony. Let me quote from JYT2001:

He makes agressive and poorly timed challenges, but so do Montero and Repka, what is that supposed to prove?

Now, I believe he meant that in his opinion Keane is as violent as the other two players. He wasn't comparing their curriculums, or which trophys they won - and just between you and me, Montero actually did quite well at Juve in that department. Comparing Keane and Repka on anything other than roughness would be silly, as that's one of the few thing they have in common (their profession would be another thing in common, and both belong to the human race too - not much else :D). Keane IS a better player than Repka, and nobody in their sane mind would argue that. We simply don't share your obvious enthusiasm for Keane; I respect it completely, though, and applaud you for recognizing the value of a hard-working and not-terribly-talented footballer.

I agree that the hard-workers in soccer (what we call in Brazil "Piano-Carriers", as they work hard to allow the "artists" to perform) are unfairly forgotten in "best player"-type elections. I think Dunga was the best player of WC '94, and not Romario. I think many teams depend MORE on their "piano-carriers" than on the "superstars", but the stars get all the media attention. But do you actually believe Keane should be considered for Best Player of the Year? Because that's quite a stretch, even for a diehard keane fan... :rolling:

[Drummer]

thanks for at least aknowledging my opinion . I never said that Keane should be suggested as a World player potential. These Italian fans put words in your mouth if you dont watch them. I originally said that I thought that if Beckham was to be considered as a potential World player , that I thought that Keane is above him in the que.. I do love that player (keane) and think that he , above beckham , deserves the recognition he has earned. But not in the world arena. I just meant that keane is alot more important to United (and most of its fans) then Beckham and has proved so over the years. Beckham has a long way to even catch up and play as good a season as Keane has produced.. 99' was keanes year, I thought that it was a shame that he wasnt really a front runner for that acolade. Again classy players are noticed more , it doesnt mean that we dont aknowledge their consistantly high performances.... I hope that clears that up Garrincha because you seem to be a clear minded message poster, alot less biased..........

[ItalianBoy]

by drum
These Italian fans put words in your mouth if you dont watch them



HAHAAHH how about this drum person cant stand the truth and the only way to fight me is with sarcasm?
Please
And by the way
to me Beckham is WAY better than keane but for sure Keane is a hell of a player. I agree with you also that Vieira is worst than Keane

[Pedro]

Ummm...yeah right guys. I have to say I smiled to myself a lot while reading through this thread.

"This guy is the best because he works hard...."

"No! THIS other guy's better because he inspires his team"

C'mon. What do we mean by best? It can't be just one result - like who scores most goals, because of course a striker is expected to score more than a defender.

Yes I'm biased in favour of my two favourite players, Figo and Rui Costa, but I also think there are some pretty good objective reasons to say they're best. They are both playmakers that control the pace of the game when they play. In both cases, there teams depend on them to create the chances for goals. Figo especially consistently beats his man on one to one encounters and makes the most consistent contribution.

Sure Zidane is a great player, but I do find him to be a bit more 'show' than 'go' sometimes.

Beckham? Yes he deserves an award. For most OVERrated player. I won't deny the guy has talent, grit, and is an especially gifted free kicker - but please - as a guy running with the ball, he does not compare to Zidane, Figo, Ronaldo, Costa, Veron, the list could go on and on before we'd reach the calibre of players where Beckham belongs.

I.T.boy, it must be especially galling to you to see Figo leading a poll that you started huh? Whatsamatta...can't find enough biased countrymen to come on here and vote for Totti? By the way, I really like Totti, I think in a few years he might deserve to be on such a list...but not now. Italy has lots of good players, it's just that at the present time, none of em are in the top class. Ouch eh? I gotta make my comments like that before Figo gets old and fat. ;)

[Drummer]

"This guy is the best because he works hard...."

I just want to point out that I never said that Roy Keane is the best in the world (even though I think he was in 99') but that I dont think that he gets the recognition his consistant performances merit. I thinkl he is under the bracket of great players who do a thankless job and leave the prestigous 'whos the best' competitions to the more celebrity, flashy players,, like the Rivaldos and the Figo's. Im not saying they dont deserve it, just that no matter how well keane plays he would never win it because he is not an exciting player, he is a grinder, alot like Davids, but without the drugs............

Thsi whole discussion started when I said something similar to Beckham? Yes he deserves an award. For most OVERrated player . And I said that Giggs or Keane are better performers consistantly.......

Italy boy cant see beyond his own believes, he is like one of the england propaganda machines ( except and Italian one) that try to convince the english public that England are feared and respected around the world in the international scene. NEWSFLASH Italian clubs are not feared around europe anymore Italy boy........

[Severus]

either are jewish clubs. but they still managed to give chelsea a stern beating. what happened there drummer ??? i thought chelsea were one of the premierships best LOL ....

NEXT ROUND OF EUROPEAN ACTION:

juve - the arse

roma - liverlesspool

inter - ipswich

THE TEST IS ON MATE !!!!!!!

forza italia ...

forza ipswich !!!!!

[Drummer]

If you can call Lazio one of the best Italian clubs then chelsea are surely better then that, thats my point!At least chelsea can scor more than 3 goals and do well in their league, yet Lazio's name is still mentioned as one of Italy's best!!!! Chelsea finished 6th in the EPL, Lazio did qualify for the CL in Italy didnt they???????? How did they do? Where are the other top Italian qualifier that didnt get into the 2nd Phase groups?????

Lazio couldnt even finish 3rd in their group to get into Uefa cup. Or is that cup crap, because there are more Italian teams in that then the CL.
Ipswich arent even huge EPL team. Liverpool should do well against Roma (like last year). Arsenal arent as good as they have been recently, but should put ot up to Juve (overrated) who were a LITTLE bit lucky at home to Celtic, just as well the ref was a fan!!!!!!!!!

You fans talk of Chieva being top of Italy and any team can win it etc.. The bet Chieva can hope for is a euro spot, like Ipswich have gotten. Would you fancy Chieva against Leeds ( like Inter v Ipswich)?? There is not much differance in quality between the EPL and the Serie A........

[Severus]

ahh not quite.

lazio were an ECL team
chelsea WERE A uefa club

lazio lost to a french club
chelsea got burned by a jewish club

notice the difference ???

as for the other CLUBS - it was only one that didn't make it to the 2nd phase and that was parma.

[Severus]

furthermore, serie A has 6 clubs still in europe while the EPL has 5.

[Drummer]

4 of which are in the crappy UEFA cup ( a point made by Italian fans when Liverpool lost to Roma).

[Drummer]

Also half of Chelseas team wouldnt travel for the ist game away.......

[Severus]

Originally posted by Drummer
4 of which are in the crappy UEFA cup ( a point made by Italian fans when Liverpool lost to Roma).

EUROPE nonetheless.

[Severus]

Originally posted by Drummer
Also half of Chelseas team wouldnt travel for the ist game away.......

good point. that game should not have been played in tel aviv, a neutral site with everything that's been going on should have been a no-brainer however, they had the chance to make ammends in london but failed to do so. that is what i fault them with.

[ItalianBoy]

sev leave DRUM alone, I waisted my time! he keeps on changinf things are like crazy! Pedro
biased countrymen

No, I just can tell when a player is good or no. Figo!? Well Figo is good at what he does and that is running on the right side and than pass it to Raul etc but TOP player? no really! I dont see where the greatness in Figo is! And please!!!!!!!!
ITA not in the TOP????? HAHAHAHAH thats a good one, especially coming from a Portugal fan!
PLEASE!

[Garrincha]

One more thing that occured to me looking at the list of wannabe "best players" in this poll: Where's Veron? IMHO, Veron is the absolute BEST midfielder in the world today. Why is he not in that list?

[ItalianBoy]

maybe cuz he is not one of them? I think Veron has good moves but on contrast he prefers to get away!

[Severus]

Originally posted by Garrincha
One more thing that occured to me looking at the list of wannabe "best players" in this poll: Where's Veron? IMHO, Veron is the absolute BEST midfielder in the world today. Why is he not in that list?

YES i'm convinced this guy knows his 5hit. veron e un campione. that's all i have to say about him. he went to parma and brought them a uefa cup. he did it cos without him they were pretenders. which they are now again and that's an overstatement.

he then went to lazio and brought them their 2nd scudetto --- he did because the year before milan made them look like inexperienced rookies without him. now look at lazio. they're in shambles. could you believe that fiore, liverani and mendieta still cannot fill the void left by one man ? i admire veron greatly and do not disagree with the notion of him being the best midfielder today. he's just simply a phenomenal talent that oozes style AND WINS above everything else. i can go on for days about this guy.

[ItalianBoy]

wel its the 3rd scudetto sev, but what about contrasti? the guy keeps on evitating them? I think he is good but not the best!

[Drummer]

He was probobley the best when he was in the Serie A, but now that hes in the crappy unclose, unexciting EPL he obviously doesnt have any ambition.......... Right Italy Boy!!!!!!!!

[ItalianBoy]

No I tink he still good and I tink MANU kicks ASS!!!!!!!!!!!!