Nightmare Posted December 12, 2018 Share Posted December 12, 2018 Imo, Giggs and Bale were/are world class, whereas Hughes and Ramsey, not so much. All four are better than anything we've produced for the last 30+ years, though, which is sad. I think Andy Robertson is just below the level required to deserve the title, but class definitions of players are always going to vary outside the very top players. It's probably fair to say that he's not on the level of Marcelo, Alaba or Sandro (and probably a few others as well), but that he absolutely could be a top three LB in the world in a couple of years. Either way, he's the best Scottish player there's been since the 1980's, and it's great watching him playing well at the top level every week. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topcat(The most tip top) Posted December 13, 2018 Share Posted December 13, 2018 Imo, Giggs and Bale were/are world class, whereas Hughes and Ramsey, not so much. All four are better than anything we've produced for the last 30+ years, though, which is sad. Hughes wasn’t even the best Welsh Goal poacher of his generation. Ian Rush was only two years older, come to think of it he still is 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AsimButtHitsASix Posted December 13, 2018 Share Posted December 13, 2018 Wales might be able to produce the odd world beater every now and then but, until very recently, always had some absolute bumpkins in their team as well. It's not like there's a set coaching standard bringing out a raft of good players with the odd player who rises above it. Scotland, in my lifetime, have always managed to put a team of good players but no-one exceptional in it which I'd probably rather have. What good is Ryan Giggs on the left wing if yer defence is made up of guys playing for Hereford, Shrewsbury, Cardiff reserves and Rotherham? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topcat(The most tip top) Posted December 13, 2018 Share Posted December 13, 2018 16 minutes ago, AsimButtHitsASix said: Wales might be able to produce the odd world beater every now and then but, until very recently, always had some absolute bumpkins in their team as well. It's not like there's a set coaching standard bringing out a raft of good players with the odd player who rises above it. Scotland, in my lifetime, have always managed to put a team of good players but no-one exceptional in it which I'd probably rather have. What good is Ryan Giggs on the left wing if yer defence is made up of guys playing for Hereford, Shrewsbury, Cardiff reserves and Rotherham? With International football and particularly with teams from smaller countries it's always going to be a bit of a "mixed ability" affair. The important thing is whether the more prosaic talents are inspired by playing alongside the stars to bring their "A game " or whether the stars slack off towards the level of their team mates. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanMc99 Posted December 13, 2018 Share Posted December 13, 2018 Andy Robertsons liverpool form has been top class for a year now, another season of this and he would have earned himself that status. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Northboy Posted December 17, 2018 Share Posted December 17, 2018 On 13/12/2018 at 12:45, DanMc99 said: Andy Robertsons liverpool form has been top class for a year now, another season of this and he would have earned himself that status. Leaving aside the superstars of the game I think anyone who is a regular first team player for a team competing in the latter stages of the Champions League (with the expectation that they might win it) can reasonably be considered as world class. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
senorsoupe Posted December 17, 2018 Share Posted December 17, 2018 30 minutes ago, Northboy said: Leaving aside the superstars of the game I think anyone who is a regular first team player for a team competing in the latter stages of the Champions League (with the expectation that they might win it) can reasonably be considered as world class. I will have to disagree with you there. Case in point Loris Karius 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Northboy Posted December 17, 2018 Share Posted December 17, 2018 1 hour ago, senorsoupe said: 1 hour ago, Northboy said: Leaving aside the superstars of the game I think anyone who is a regular first team player for a team competing in the latter stages of the Champions League (with the expectation that they might win it) can reasonably be considered as world class. I will have to disagree with you there. Case in point Loris Karius Fair enough - I still think it's a reasonable criteria but would benefit from a certain number of appearances over a certain length of time to cull out the likes of Karius. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GordonS Posted December 17, 2018 Share Posted December 17, 2018 Leaving aside the superstars of the game I think anyone who is a regular first team player for a team competing in the latter stages of the Champions League (with the expectation that they might win it) can reasonably be considered as world class.Djimi Traoré says no. -1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkoRaj Posted December 18, 2018 Share Posted December 18, 2018 22 hours ago, Northboy said: Leaving aside the superstars of the game I think anyone who is a regular first team player for a team competing in the latter stages of the Champions League (with the expectation that they might win it) can reasonably be considered as world class. If you add consistently to this then I'd agree. Means you're cutting out the dross-anomalies mentioned 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMDP Posted December 18, 2018 Share Posted December 18, 2018 I think we can say Robertson is world class. He's been consistently brilliant for a solid amount of time and is a standout in an excellent side. I'd rate him as perhaps the best left back in the world, there is only really Alba that I can think of on the same level consistently. Some of the other names mentioned are mad. Davies? Marcelo? Marcelo is an absolute liability. I'm at every Atletico Madrid home game and they have the joint best defence in la liga. I'd absolutely bite your hand off if offered Robertson at left back, he would comfortably be first pick and improve the left side. -2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RandomGuy. Posted December 18, 2018 Share Posted December 18, 2018 Yeah, Robertson is a top, top, left back. Definitely the best Scottish player I've seen play in the 20 odd years I can remember. Alba, Alaba, Sandro and Marcelo the only players that spring to mind you could even argue are better. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CountyFan Posted December 18, 2018 Share Posted December 18, 2018 Marcos Alonso? Or are we ignoring him since he's technically a wing back? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkoRaj Posted December 18, 2018 Share Posted December 18, 2018 23 minutes ago, CountyFan said: Marcos Alonso? Or are we ignoring him since he's technically a wing back? Not as good imo. Better set piece delivery but Robertson is all round the better full back 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melanius Mullarkey Posted December 18, 2018 Share Posted December 18, 2018 Andy Considine. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fisherman Posted December 19, 2018 Share Posted December 19, 2018 I think we can say Robertson is world class. He's been consistently brilliant for a solid amount of time and is a standout in an excellent side. I'd rate him as perhaps the best left back in the world, there is only really Alba that I can think of on the same level consistently. Some of the other names mentioned are mad. Davies? Marcelo? Marcelo is an absolute liability. I'm at every Atletico Madrid home game and they have the joint best defence in la liga. I'd absolutely bite your hand off if offered Robertson at left back, he would comfortably be first pick and improve the left side.Is he really a standout or does he stand out to us as he's Scottish? Some on here didn't have Fletcher as world class when he was playing consistently for a Man Utd team winning premier league's and Champions leagues, just a thought. Marcelo is absolutely world class, been around at the highest level winning trophys for 10years. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordopolis Posted December 19, 2018 Share Posted December 19, 2018 Is he really a standout or does he stand out to us as he's Scottish? Some on here didn't have Fletcher as world class when he was playing consistently for a Man Utd team winning premier league's and Champions leagues, just a thought. Marcelo is absolutely world class, been around at the highest level winning trophys for 10years. Good points. Tho you could make the converse argument re Marcelo: do we have an 'edited highlights' perception of him as some sort of flawless 8-10/10 every game type of player just because we rarely see footage of run of the mill matches the likes of which the previous poster referred to? I do agree that he (Marcelo) is definitely world class, but think it's important not to make a glass ceiling for Robertson by painting an unrealistic and unattainable picture of Marcelo's abilities. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AsimButtHitsASix Posted December 20, 2018 Share Posted December 20, 2018 If ye had to make a 23 man squad of the world's best players. Would Andy Robertson be in it? Probably naw. So yer pushing it to say he's World Class. Coupla years time tho'... 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Northboy Posted December 20, 2018 Share Posted December 20, 2018 1 hour ago, AsimButtHitsASix said: If ye had to make a 23 man squad of the world's best players. Would Andy Robertson be in it? Probably naw. So yer pushing it to say he's World Class. Coupla years time tho'... I doubt he'd be in it either but your argument implies there are only 23 world class players available. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AsimButtHitsASix Posted December 20, 2018 Share Posted December 20, 2018 Well, yeah, world class is a synonym for elite. If you aren't part of the elite then you aren't world class. Also noticed The Guardian's top 100 players that just came out doesn't feature Robertson but has a handful of left backs in it shows that, for most folk, he's not in the top 3 left backs in the world. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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