PREMIER LEAGUE GREAT

First topic message reminder :

Who would be at the top of your list as the greatest ever player to have graced our game in the EPL?

With loads of star studded entries, mine would simply have to be Thierry Henry.

This is based on his Speed, amazing skill, ability, finishing, flare and arrogance.

Has given great memories through the years, and has obviously still got some class left in him as he eneded up scoring more than Torres/Carroll in the same time frame from Jan!

Great memories inlcude:

1. Goal vs MAN UTD - Highbury - Back to G.NEVILLE, flick up, swivel volley, Top corner.

2. Goal vs CHARLTON - Highbury - Back to goal, back heels into bottom corner.

3. Goal vs Spurs - Highbury - Takes on about 6 players and smashes in bottom corner.


The guy was class and always will be.


Name your top player with 3 memorable moments..............i look forward to seeing them.

How can I have been owned when it is purely personal opinion, all i'm hearing is stats stats and more stats

Because statistics are all that really matters, football is a game where if one team scores more goals than the other...they win.

It would be impossible to debate without statistics, as it's called evidence, otherwise we're all just mindlessly saying what we think, and nobody can challenge it with actually a lot of valid criticisms.

I completely with Ent on this, I don't think you can honestly say while Ronaldo was in the side that Rooney was the main man, I think your views have been twisted by the fact that Ronaldo has left and Rooney has stayed. Ronaldo comes on top in every single way to Rooney while they were in the same side.

I used to reside on man united forums and know very well the opinions of our fanbase, Rooney is and always has been our most important player, he is the one we looked to for a big performance and he is the one we relied upon. Ronaldo might have been a better player but at the time I favoured Rooneys technical ability and creativity, his influence on our team a few years ago has been forgotten by outsiders but he was every bit as important to our team as Ronaldo alongside Ferdinand. We simply played better and looked more dangerous when Rooney was playing, stats cannot and never will tell you enough because if they did it would be Shearer by an absolute mile but we know that not to be the case.

I am with Ghosty. Rooney is a much better team player than Ronaldo. Anyone who recalls the 2009 CL Final where Ronaldo put in the most selfish display I have witnessed.

Who is to say whether Utd would've won the titles they had without Rooney. I know they wouldn't have won the 2010/11 title!

Rooney did seem to play better in the bigger domestic games than Ronaldo. Not sure he's a better player though?

One thing, he works bloody hard for the team and scores and creates goals.

Top player.

I'll throw a name out there.

Paul McGrath, arguably the best defender to ever play in the prem.

Wasn't he past his best come the beginning of the PL?

I could be wrong of course?

Imperial Ghosty wrote:How can I have been owned when it is purely personal opinion, all i'm hearing is stats stats and more stats

I have to agree with the majority here IG. Although you can't faults Rooney's contribution to Man U, to say he was the main reason why Man U won those 3 title's and Champs league is laughable.

The statistics don't lie.

Based on 3 seasons I don't see how Ronaldo could be considered the best player in premier league history, I can understand people saying he was more important than Rooney for a time although I would disagree, best player to grace these shores in the past 20 years, no chance.

Roberto Mankini wrote:I am with Ghosty. Rooney is a much better team player than Ronaldo. Anyone who recalls the 2009 CL Final where Ronaldo put in the most selfish display I have witnessed.

Who is to say whether Utd would've won the titles they had without Rooney. I know they wouldn't have won the 2010/11 title!

Its partly Ronaldo's selfishness that makes him the phenomenal player he is. In his case, I think its more a strength than a flaw. Either way, it wouldnt have made a difference in the 2009 CL final as United were simply outclassed by a vastly superior team.

For large periods of the 10/11 season, Rooney was dismally off-form. Yes, he picked up towards the end but it was generally the goals and performances of Berbatov and Hernandez that won United the title.

Rooney is a very good player but isnt near Ronaldo's level. The fact is that a Ronaldo-Rooney comparison wouldnt even be considered worthy of debate in any other country in the world.

J.Benson II wrote:

Roberto Mankini wrote:I am with Ghosty. Rooney is a much better team player than Ronaldo. Anyone who recalls the 2009 CL Final where Ronaldo put in the most selfish display I have witnessed.

Who is to say whether Utd would've won the titles they had without Rooney. I know they wouldn't have won the 2010/11 title!

Its partly Ronaldo's selfishness that makes him the phenomenal player he is. In his case, I think its more a strength than a flaw. Either way, it wouldnt have made a difference in the 2009 CL final as United were simply outclassed by a vastly superior team.

For large periods of the 10/11 season, Rooney was dismally off-form. Yes, he picked up towards the end but it was generally the goals and performances of Berbatov and Hernandez that won United the title.

Rooney is a very good player but isnt near Ronaldo's level. The fact is that a Ronaldo-Rooney comparison wouldnt even be considered worthy of debate in any other country in the world.

I disagree Barcelona were vastly superior than united in 08/09. I generally feel United got the tactics all wrong in that final, for a large part of the first half United had the upper hand. Only a season before, United had pretty much outplayed Barcelona over two legs.

Incidentally, the 10/11 final I would agree Barcelona had become vastly superior as an improved Messi and David Villa has made Barcelona become one of the greatest teams of all time.

Even in 07/08 Barcelona outplayed us over the two legs but our defence was imperious.

Rooney is near Ronaldos level and he is held in far higher esteem on the continent than he is here, any team in the world would take him a heartbeat but it seems fashionable to downplay the ability of english players.

All Time Great wrote:

J.Benson II wrote:

Roberto Mankini wrote:I am with Ghosty. Rooney is a much better team player than Ronaldo. Anyone who recalls the 2009 CL Final where Ronaldo put in the most selfish display I have witnessed.

Who is to say whether Utd would've won the titles they had without Rooney. I know they wouldn't have won the 2010/11 title!

Its partly Ronaldo's selfishness that makes him the phenomenal player he is. In his case, I think its more a strength than a flaw. Either way, it wouldnt have made a difference in the 2009 CL final as United were simply outclassed by a vastly superior team.

For large periods of the 10/11 season, Rooney was dismally off-form. Yes, he picked up towards the end but it was generally the goals and performances of Berbatov and Hernandez that won United the title.

Rooney is a very good player but isnt near Ronaldo's level. The fact is that a Ronaldo-Rooney comparison wouldnt even be considered worthy of debate in any other country in the world.

I disagree Barcelona were vastly superior than united in 08/09. I generally feel United got the tactics all wrong in that final, for a large part of the first half United had the upper hand. Only a season before, United had pretty much outplayed Barcelona over two legs.

As far as recall, United started very strongly but once Barca scored their first goal (about 10-15 minutes in) they dominated possession and controlled the game quite comfortably. Perhaps United got their tactics wrong but I'm not sure if that would have affected the end result considerably.

Imperial Ghosty wrote:Even in 07/08 Barcelona outplayed us over the two legs but our defence was imperious.

Rooney is near Ronaldos level and he is held in far higher esteem on the continent than he is here, any team in the world would take him a heartbeat but it seems fashionable to downplay the ability of english players.

Rooney is highly rated worldwide but just not anyway near to the degree that Ronaldo is.

Messi and Ronaldo are in a league of their own. They are the 2 standout attacking players in world football.

I'd place Rooney in the tier below that alongside around a dozen other great attacking players (such as Van Persie, Drogba and Aguero at Premiership level).

Van Persie is every bit as good as Ronaldo at the moment, were he playing for Barca or Madrid we'd all be raving about him being the best in the world but at a less glamorous club it wont happen.

Imperial Ghosty wrote:Van Persie is every bit as good as Ronaldo at the moment, were he playing for Barca or Madrid we'd all be raving about him being the best in the world but at a less glamorous club it wont happen.

Erm, RVP is widely recognised as one of the best strikers in the world, football fans can see through glamour. There's a reason why Real Madrid have been successful in La Liga this season, it's because Mr (not so great in your opinion) Ronaldo has scored 31 goals in 26 games with 7 assists.

At what point have I said Ronaldo is not a great player?

Imperial Ghosty wrote:Van Persie is every bit as good as Ronaldo at the moment, were he playing for Barca or Madrid we'd all be raving about him being the best in the world but at a less glamorous club it wont happen.

Real Madrid have several players who are top class other than Ronaldo (Ozil, Kaka, Benzema etc) yet Ronaldo remains their top star. He would remain their biggest star even if Van Persie joined...or Rooney..or pretty much anyone else other than Messi.
This isnt a criticism of those players, its just a testament to how good Ronaldo is.
If one was to conduct a global survey asking football fans which player they would most like to join their team, Ronaldo would come 2nd to only Messi. And there would be a large gap between those two and the rest.

Ronaldo is the top man at Madrid without doubt but for the most part Benzema and Kaka have either been out of favour or not performing so while they are big names they haven't been playing like one. I think what Van Persie has done in the past 15 months is second to none because he does not have the team to back him up, it is all him, at a bigger team I think he would outscore the pair of Ronaldo and Messi.

It all depends on the team, for instance I would rather have Ronaldo back at United than Messi because I feel he suits our style of play better and i'd also have Rooney and Van Persie above him. I rate Messi as the best player in the world but there are other players who would improve the team more such as a Hazard, Modric or even Ozil.

Imperial Ghosty wrote:Ronaldo is the top man at Madrid without doubt but for the most part Benzema and Kaka have either been out of favour or not performing so while they are big names they haven't been playing like one. I think what Van Persie has done in the past 15 months is second to none because he does not have the team to back him up, it is all him, at a bigger team I think he would outscore the pair of Ronaldo and Messi.

It all depends on the team, for instance I would rather have Ronaldo back at United than Messi because I feel he suits our style of play better and i'd also have Rooney and Van Persie above him. I rate Messi as the best player in the world but there are other players who would improve the team more such as a Hazard, Modric or even Ozil.

So you would rather have Hazard (a rookie), RVP, Rooney, Modric and Ozil at United rather than the undisputed most gifted and talented player in the world in Lionel Messi?!

....I think I need to stop debating on this forum.

It's not about being the best player, it's about being the best player for the TEAM, I know for a fact that Ronaldo and Rooney fit perfectly into any system while Van Persie is a proven world class goalscorer in England. People seem to completely ignore the team in question and the system they play but instead assume that the best player in the world would be the most wanted when he is not.