Greatest attacking players of the last 20 years

Ok people, let's make a list of the greatest attacking players of the last 20 years (1990 onwards).

Can include strikers, wingers, attacking midfielders.

Try to put it in order of TALENT and achievement but with more emphasis on talent. Also factor in their match winning quality since all of these guys are potential match winners.

Players who played predominantly in the 80's have been excluded (eg Gullit, Maradonna, Van Basten etc)
No more than 15 please

Zidane
Ronaldo (Brazilian - I hate having to specify, as if the other one is even fit to tie his bootlaces)
Messi
Rivaldo
Battistuta
Baggio
Ronaldinho
Romario
George Weah
Henry
Bergkamp
Ronaldo (the prancing pony)
Klinsmann
Hagi
Giggs

Ok I'm sure I've missed out a few, but I got tired towards the end.

So over to you

1. Zinedine Zidane - Truly the greatest midfielder of a generation. Wasn't the quickest, but certainly the best creative football brain ever seen.

2. Lionel Messi - Has achieved so much in so little time in his career. It is a shame he hasn't converted club form to international form, none the less has time on his hands. Has wonderful quick feet and amazing strength on the ball.

3. Ryan Giggs - The greatest premier league player to ever lace boots. Amazing pace and wonderful skill when dribbling with the ball. True legend.

4. Ronaldo - The best striker in the game since Gerd Muller. Could score all types of goals and it is such a shame that injury plagued his career.

5. Alan Shearer - 260 premier league goals. A true predator in front of goal.

6. Dennis Bergkamp - A class act all round. 2 brilliant feet and a wonderful imagination. Great scorer of goals and provider too.

7. Luis Figo - Brilliant player. Along with Rui Costa helped Portugal come out of the shadows in the late 90's. Quick and lethal with either foot.

8. Steven Gerrard - The best English player in the world at the moment. Has changed so many matches from losing positions. Class goals and even class assists.

9. Wayne Rooney - Came out of nowhere as a 16 year old and has certainly stamped his mark on the game. Clever player and has a wonderful feel and touch of the ball.

10. Ronladinho - Along with Messi had the quickest feet in the game. His dazzling dribbles were fantastic to watch. Scored some quite stunning goals.

11. Thierry Henry - Certainly one of the greatest premier league players ever. Truly a skillful individual. Lightning pace and delicate touch when required. Him and Pires certainly had the Overmars and Bergkamp chemistry.

12. Matt Le Tissier - Quite simply a genius. The guy made the impossible possible with some stunning skills and goals. All that without pace. Makes it all the remarkable.

13. Redondo - Certainly an underrated player. Such creativity and was the main architect of the Real Madrid team of the 90's.

14. Xavi - Just magistic in midfield. Such a great passer of the ball. Never wastes a pass and is able to help his team maintain their dominance within a match.

15. Gabriel Batistuta - One the finest strikers of his generation. Helped Fiorentina punch above their weight. Was also clinical in the international scene too. A wonderful finisher.

LK,

I think your list is too Anglo-centric tbh.

Le-Tissier was a wonderful player but no way in a million years does he make the top 15 IN THE WORLD over the last 20 years for attacking players.

I mean do you really think he was a better player than Baggio, Romario, Weah, Rivaldo, Klinsmann?

As for Gerrad and Rooney - absolutely no chance.

Shearer for me was borderline. It was hard to choose between him and Batistuta. But Bati scored 56 international goals in just over 70 games, so I opted for him. But no doubt Shearer was an awesome striker and could have been even better had it not been for the knee injury.

BTW Xavi and Figo are good calls.

emancipator wrote:LK,

I think your list is too Anglo-centric tbh.

Le-Tissier was a wonderful player but no way in a million years does he make the top 15 IN THE WORLD over the last 20 years for attacking players.

I mean do you really think he was a better player than Baggio, Romario, Weah, Rivaldo, Klinsmann?

As for Gerrad and Rooney - absolutely no chance.

Shearer for me was borderline. It was hard to choose between him and Batistuta. But Bati scored 56 international goals in just over 70 games, so I opted for him. But no doubt Shearer was an awesome striker and could have been even better had it not been for the knee injury.

Weah had one good season. Romario was around in the 80's. Baggio again did nothing after the World Cup in 94. Rivaldo was just a plain cheat. Klinsmann again no.

Le Tissier 48 out of 49 pens. No-one on your list can touch that. Plus he single handily kept Saints in the PL for years on end.

I am sorry but you just don't appreciate football if you think Weah, Rivaldo and Baggio were better than Gerrard or Rooney.

My list is not based on achievements or records. Just who played the better football.

legendkillar wrote:

emancipator wrote:LK,

I think your list is too Anglo-centric tbh.

Le-Tissier was a wonderful player but no way in a million years does he make the top 15 IN THE WORLD over the last 20 years for attacking players.

I mean do you really think he was a better player than Baggio, Romario, Weah, Rivaldo, Klinsmann?

As for Gerrad and Rooney - absolutely no chance.

Shearer for me was borderline. It was hard to choose between him and Batistuta. But Bati scored 56 international goals in just over 70 games, so I opted for him. But no doubt Shearer was an awesome striker and could have been even better had it not been for the knee injury.

Weah had one good season. Romario was around in the 80's. Baggio again did nothing after the World Cup in 94. Rivaldo was just a plain cheat. Klinsmann again no.

Le Tissier 48 out of 49 pens. No-one on your list can touch that. Plus he single handily kept Saints in the PL for years on end.

I am sorry but you just don't appreciate football if you think Weah, Rivaldo and Baggio were better than Gerrard or Rooney.

My list is not based on achievements or records. Just who played the better football.

Romario finished his career in 2009.

He played for Barca until 95 and thereafter continued to have success in South America for well over a decade.

He won the WC with Brazil (was the main striker) in 94 and only missed the 98 and 2002 wc's due to injury and disciplinary problems. He played his last game for Brazil in 2005.

Weah played for Monaco, PSG in the early to mid nineties and then had five years at Milan 95-2000. He won the Ballon d'or and was FIFA world player of the year in 95. He won trophies in France, Italy and England.

Rivaldo played for Barca and Milan and was considered the best player in the world for a spell. He won the Ballon d'or and was FIFA world player of the year in 1999. Scored over 30 goals for Brazil.

Baggio - Played for Juve and Milan winning honours at both. Reached a world cup semi and a final scoring five goals in 94. Ballon d'or and FiFa world player of the year in 93.

Whilst I dont' deny that Le Tissier was a fantastic player, one has to look at the level he competed at. It is one thing performing in the 90's premier league but it doesn't compare to playing in European and world cups or the Champions league. The stakes are much higher and the pressure much greater. Le Tissier only got 8 caps for England (a top 8 team at most) and you're telling me he deserves to be above the guys I mentioned.

As for Rooney and Gerrard, they have never been considered the best attacking players in the world in any single season during their careers, Right now there are a few players I'd have ahead of both of them so of course in a list of the best over the last two decades, they would most definitely not be in it. No one outside of England would ever place Gerrard and Rooney above Romario, Rivaldo (and who cares if he cheated in a game, so did Henry and Maradonna) Baggio and Weah in a worlds greatest list of attacking players.

You and I both know that achievements in a team game can be misleading to their abilities. Tell me are Wes Brown and John O'Shea going to be classed as world class defenders when they retire? Not likely.

Rooney and Gerrard have changed many matches. Tell me 2 matches in which Baggio, Rivaldo or Weah have single handily won matches which have won trophies? E.g Gerrard CL 2005 and F.A Cup 2006?

Le Tissier was not blessed with pace, so the fact he has probably scored better quality of goals than the oter players listed is more amazing.

legendkillar wrote:You and I both know that achievements in a team game can be misleading to their abilities. Tell me are Wes Brown and John O'Shea going to be classed as world class defenders when they retire? Not likely.

Rooney and Gerrard have changed many matches. Tell me 2 matches in which Baggio, Rivaldo or Weah have single handily won matches which have won trophies? E.g Gerrard CL 2005 and F.A Cup 2006?

Le Tissier was not blessed with pace, so the fact he has probably scored better quality of goals than the oter players listed is more amazing.

LK,

If you Youtube those guys you'll find many instances where they have put in match winning performances. You don't win World and European player of the year awards if you don't put in regular match winning performances. All of them bar Weah also put in fantastic performances in the WC.

Gerrard's performance in the CL 05 was great but one performance does not make a career. We're talking about talent, achievements and the level at which they played the game.

I honestly think Gerrard and Rooney are fantastic players but I can think of other British/Irish players that have been just as good over the last two decades: Scholes, Keane, Lampard, Beckham, Giggs, Shearer to name some. Gerrard and Rooney would imo fall in the second tier of outstanding attacking players of the last two decades, with the likes of Suker, iniesta, Ginola, Cantona, Del Piero, Papin, Zola, Kaka, Stoichkov, Laudrap, etc..

There are lots of players in this group and a case can be made for each to be in the top group but imo they're not quite there.

I see you've sensibly decided to omit Romario from your objections

I am not saying that one performance made Gerrards career, but he has put in so many performances over his career that have changed games. He and Rooney have done that time and time again.

I omitted Romario. He was a fine player no doubt, but the the teams he played in gave him that platform to score the amount of goals he has. Though my only criticism of him would be the amount of 'toe' punted goals he had would eclipse Shearer's scoring record.

Looking back on it I wish I fitted Sheringham in.

Emancipator, of course most people on this board are going to have "Anglo-centric" views on this topic, because at the end of the day you can only really comment on what you watch, which for most people is the English or Scottish leagues.

Matt le tissier, brilliant.

Rooney and gerrard?

I know!

Somebody having a different opinion to you, how ridiculous!

How can no one have said Scholes I've admired him for years his touch control and passing to me was always amazing he never did fancy tricks but what he did do was better in my opinion.

The likes of Gerrard and Lampard have never been fit to lace his boots and he is the template Xavi and Iniesta have copied to great affect

marty2086 wrote:How can no one have said Scholes I've admired him for years his touch control and passing to me was always amazing he never did fancy tricks but what he did do was better in my opinion.

The likes of Gerrard and Lampard have never been fit to lace his boots and he is the template Xavi and Iniesta have copied to great affect

Scholes couldn't tackle. He was brilliant at attacking. Shouldn't have amassed the red cards he has though.

legendkillar wrote:

marty2086 wrote:How can no one have said Scholes I've admired him for years his touch control and passing to me was always amazing he never did fancy tricks but what he did do was better in my opinion.

The likes of Gerrard and Lampard have never been fit to lace his boots and he is the template Xavi and Iniesta have copied to great affect

Scholes couldn't tackle. He was brilliant at attacking. Shouldn't have amassed the red cards he has though.

Isn't this thread about the best attackers?

I'm surprised there has been no mention of Zola as yet.

Celtic Warrior wrote:

legendkillar wrote:

marty2086 wrote:How can no one have said Scholes I've admired him for years his touch control and passing to me was always amazing he never did fancy tricks but what he did do was better in my opinion.

The likes of Gerrard and Lampard have never been fit to lace his boots and he is the template Xavi and Iniesta have copied to great affect

Scholes couldn't tackle. He was brilliant at attacking. Shouldn't have amassed the red cards he has though.

Isn't this thread about the best attackers?

I'm surprised there has been no mention of Zola as yet.

Ermmm tackling is part of attack if you lose possession.

Or do you magically expect to be given thev ball?

legendkillar wrote:

Celtic Warrior wrote:

legendkillar wrote:

marty2086 wrote:How can no one have said Scholes I've admired him for years his touch control and passing to me was always amazing he never did fancy tricks but what he did do was better in my opinion.

The likes of Gerrard and Lampard have never been fit to lace his boots and he is the template Xavi and Iniesta have copied to great affect

Scholes couldn't tackle. He was brilliant at attacking. Shouldn't have amassed the red cards he has though.

Isn't this thread about the best attackers?

I'm surprised there has been no mention of Zola as yet.

Ermmm tackling is part of attack if you lose possession.

Or do you magically expect to be given thev ball?

Bit sarcastic there but correct me if I'm wrong; tackling is a defensive thing, no?

Certainly you cannot attack without possession but that is why teams pay big money for good defenders; so that they can do the defensive part of the game to feed the better attackers. Are you trying to tell me that Ronaldo, Messi etc were/are fantastic tacklers? No. The only reason they don't get as many red cards as Scholes is that they don't even attempt to tackle. Sure, they press the possession of other teams, but they rarely go in for tackles.

legendkillar wrote:

Celtic Warrior wrote:

legendkillar wrote:

marty2086 wrote:How can no one have said Scholes I've admired him for years his touch control and passing to me was always amazing he never did fancy tricks but what he did do was better in my opinion.

The likes of Gerrard and Lampard have never been fit to lace his boots and he is the template Xavi and Iniesta have copied to great affect

Scholes couldn't tackle. He was brilliant at attacking. Shouldn't have amassed the red cards he has though.

Isn't this thread about the best attackers?

I'm surprised there has been no mention of Zola as yet.

Ermmm tackling is part of attack if you lose possession.

Or do you magically expect to be given thev ball?

Ermmm if you lose possesion your no longer attacking hence his tackling ability is irrelvant. He could pass better than anyone I've ever seen.

What about Mancini, Del Piero, Nedved Cafu was great going forward

Many of those mentioned such as Mancini, Zola, Scholes, Del Piero were considered for my list but just missed out. Although I may consider Zola to be a better bet than Hagi.

The list was for best attacking players of the last two decades from ALL around the world.

Since we live in such a globalised goldfish bowl I didn't think it would be too hard to also consider players outside of the British Isles. We've had the opportunity to see most of these players through the champions league or the international competitions. Besides, many of the La Liga and Serie A matches have also been televised in England over the years through various outlets.

I'm glad that at least some people realise that such a list has no place in it for the likes of Gerrard, Rooney and dare I say it, le Tissier. I'm really not sure how LK came to the conclusion that these players are more deserving of a spot than Baggio, Romario, Rivaldo, Weah and Klinsmann.

If your talking Romario what about Stoichkov the two of them were great to watch at Barcelona and you can't forget Henrik Larsson or Figo or Rui Costa

Well I have my opinion and those who are moaning about individuals not includeded can provide their own lists for a laugh.

I am sorry emancipator, but by going snips on youtube and not providing me with matches changed by Rivaldo, Baggio, Weah or Klinsmann just cheapens your list. They are not worthy of my list and never will be.

Wayne Rooney has been ripping defences to shreds since he was 17 years old, he scored his 152nd goal for Man Utd yesterday at 25 years old. As an attacking force he is brutal and effective.

To me the mark of a great attacking player is the end product...the goal. How many midfielders have scored 20+ goals over five consecutive seasons ala Frank Lampard? Home or abroad...

Steven Gerrard has probably done it over a longer period of time than Paul Scholes who I absolutely loved watching play by the way.

I can't see the point in asking a question if you are going to pick holes in posters replies/opinions.

FreekShow wrote:Wayne Rooney has been ripping defences to shreds since he was 17 years old, he scored his 152nd goal for Man Utd yesterday at 25 years old. As an attacking force he is brutal and effective.

To me the mark of a great attacking player is the end product...the goal. How many midfielders have scored 20+ goals over five consecutive seasons ala Frank Lampard? Home or abroad...

Steven Gerrard has probably done it over a longer period of time than Paul Scholes who I absolutely loved watching play by the way.

I can's see the point in asking a question if you are going to pick holes in posters replies/opinions.

Great post FS.

I see some people have some sense.

FreekShow wrote:Wayne Rooney has been ripping defences to shreds since he was 17 years old, he scored his 152nd goal for Man Utd yesterday at 25 years old. As an attacking force he is brutal and effective.

To me the mark of a great attacking player is the end product...the goal. How many midfielders have scored 20+ goals over five consecutive seasons ala Frank Lampard? Home or abroad...

Steven Gerrard has probably done it over a longer period of time than Paul Scholes who I absolutely loved watching play by the way.

I can's see the point in asking a question if you are going to pick holes in posters replies/opinions.

This is a debate and discussion forum. People post their lists and we discuss them; sometimes we agree, othertimes we disagree. No list is exempt, mine included. Besides I've acknowledged that my list isn't perfect and actually agreed with some of LK's suggestions, such as Figo. Politely disagreeing is not tantamount to stifling debate or picking holes. If the objective was simply to post a list, it wouldn't be much of a discussion thread.

I'd have to disagree with your definition of a great attacking player as the one who scores the most goals. Great attacking players can also be providers, playmakers etc, ala Zidane, Rivaldo etc.

Apart from the briefest of mentions how has Cantona not been mentioned more?

My top five would be...
1. Messi
2. Fat Ronaldo
3. Diving Ronaldo
4. Cantona
5. Henry

emancipator wrote:

I'm glad that at least some people realise that such a list has no place in it for the likes of Gerrard, Rooney and dare I say it, le Tissier. I'm really not sure how LK came to the conclusion that these players are more deserving of a spot than Baggio, Romario, Rivaldo, Weah and Klinsmann.

I'd say that this is a rather condescending way in politely disagreeing with someone's views?

FreekShow wrote:

emancipator wrote:

I'm glad that at least some people realise that such a list has no place in it for the likes of Gerrard, Rooney and dare I say it, le Tissier. I'm really not sure how LK came to the conclusion that these players are more deserving of a spot than Baggio, Romario, Rivaldo, Weah and Klinsmann.

I'd say that this is a rather condescending way in politely disagreeing with someone's views?

I agree

But I only wrote it in response to this:

I am sorry but you just don't appreciate football if you think Weah, Rivaldo and Baggio were better than Gerrard or Rooney.

Ok I'm sure I've missed out a few, but I got tired towards the end.

You kinda get the point why your list isn't taken with seriousness if you admitting to a half bothered job of putting it together.