'World Class Players'

[gallsman]

I don't think there's a problem with understanding "world class". It's the distinction between "world class" and "best players in the world" that creates the confusion.

[Walter Cronc]

When fully fit I believe so MM.

David Alaba is certainly on that list.

[Maroon Manc]

When fully fit I believe so MM.

David Alaba is certainly on that list.

Alaba is a certainty, best left back in world football by a distance.

Will agree to disagree about Kompany, even in the world cup he would make one huge error every game.

[AZOffaly]

I don't think there's a problem with understanding "world class". It's the distinction between "world class" and "best players in the world" that creates the confusion.

OK, so define it for me, and what is the distinction between the two phrases you mention?  I presume Best Players in the World is essentially the Ballon D'Or. So how do you define World Class?

[blewuporstuffed]

I suppose when fully fit, so is sturridge 

[Walter Cronc]

Goalies
De Gea  Man United/Spain
Neuer     Bayern Munich/Germany
Courtois  Chelsea/Belgium
Cech  Arsenal/Czech REpublic

Full Backs
Jordi Alba Barcelona/Spain


Centre Halves
Kompany  Man City/Belgium
Thiago Silva PSG/Brazil


Defensive Midfielders
Phillip Lahm  Bayern/Germany *** Put him in here rather than full back, could be either.

Midfielders


Attacking Midfielders
Ozil Arsenal/Germany
Muller Munich/Germany
Reus Dortmund/Germany


Attackers
Silva Man City/Spain
Augero Man City/Argentina
Suarez Barcelona/Uruguay
Messi Barcelona/Argentina
Ronaldo Real Madrid/Portugal
Costa Chelsea/Spain
Sanchez Arsenal/Chile
Aubameyang Dortmund/Gabon

Agree with gallsman point though

Messi, Ronaldo, Suarez, Neymar, Augero, Neuer, De Gea and Alaba would be my standouts

[AZOffaly]

Ah no, I don't think Sturridge falls into that category. Certainly he wouldn't make my squad, nor would he make the top 6 strikers definition that Clov uses. In my opinion anyway. However, I have heard that said before, which is part of my curiousity about this subject. Maybe I'm a pedant, but it seems to me that World Class is used as a euphemism for 'Very Good'.

[blewuporstuffed]

Ah no, I don't think Sturridge falls into that category. Certainly he wouldn't make my squad, nor would he make the top 6 strikers definition that Clov uses. In my opinion anyway. However, I have heard that said before, which is part of my curiousity about this subject. Maybe I'm a pedant, but it seems to me that World Class is used as a euphemism for 'Very Good'.

I agree with you in a way, but if Costa is making these World class lists, then I would have a fit Sturridge ahead of him.
The whole thing is very subjective, as shown by that list put together by the Guardian.
It has players like Jamie Vardy and Salah on it 

[screenexile]

In the Premiership:

De Gea
Kompany
Silva
Augero
Courtois
Costa
Cech
Ozil
Sanchez

Thats it for me!

We won't get concensus because we all will have different views.... For me I wouldn't have Costa on that list and while still a really good keeper I don't think Cech ever hit the same heights post the Stephen Hunt incident. Hazard would have been on everyones list last year but one indifferent year and he's not there

I would add the below to your list:

Lloris
Martial
Coutinho
Hazard
Willian
Sturridge

[beer baron]

Hard to define surely but i like to think of it along the lines of AZ's original post where if picking a squad who'd be in it.

I'd have Aguero and De Gea and perhaps Ozil from the Premiership as World class but other than that i don't think i'd pick any although Hazard a season ago would probably be there too.
From La Liga you've of course Messi,Ronaldo,Neymar and Suarez and i'd personally have the likes of Iniesta in there even if he is getting on a bit and Busquets in as a holding midfielder but he causes plenty of debate amongst some . Then there's players like Griezmann seemingly improving every week and when does it go from just being in a rich vein of form to being world class?
In Germany depending on what month you pick it you could have almost any member of the Munich squad in there and Dortmund have players like Reus, Aubameyang and Hummels would be considered World class on their day.

Then from Italy and France you've players like Zlatan,Thiago Silva,Verratti,Pogba and Marchisio.

In truth i'd say it'll change from person to person as a year progresses and i'd say sometimes the less you see of players the better they become in your mind, for example i'd see Marchisio 5 or 6 times a year at most and i always think he looks brilliant but if he was playing in the Premiership or La Liga which i watch both most weeks i mightn't think he's particularly good.

[blewuporstuffed]

When you think of it like that, an end of season tournament between all the top leagues would be interesting! You would imagine the La Liga XI and Bundasliga XI would be much to strong for the PL XI.
I wouldn't be sure that Italy and France wouldn't be ahead as well!

[gawa316]

When you think of it like that, an end of season tournament between all the top leagues would be interesting! You would imagine the La Liga XI and Bundasliga XI would be much to strong for the PL XI.
I wouldn't be sure that Italy and France wouldn't be ahead as well!

I remember the English league used to play the Italian league, think it was early 90's...be interesting to see something like this now.

Pogba is a definite and missing from most lists

[Esmarelda]

1. De Gea
2. Neuer
3. Oblak

4. Carvajal
5. Marcelo
6. Alaba
7. Godin
8. Varane
9. Alderweireld

10. Iniesta
11. Busquets
12. Mascherano
13. Modric
14. Rakitic
15. Sanchez
16. Robben
17. Hazard
18. Bale

19. Ronaldo
20. Messi
21. Suarez
22. Aguero
23. Neymar

[gallsman]

I don't think there's a problem with understanding "world class". It's the distinction between "world class" and "best players in the world" that creates the confusion.

OK, so define it for me, and what is the distinction between the two phrases you mention?  I presume Best Players in the World is essentially the Ballon D'Or. So how do you define World Class?

Have put myself on the spot here!

Someone earlier made a face about Jamie Vardy being on the list. I don't understand that. He's banging goals in in one of the top leagues on the planet, and with an unfashionable team that is far, far greater than the sum of its individual parts at that, which to me, certainly at the minute, makes him "world class". That doesn't mean he's one of the best players in the world though. I'd say the same for Kompany after his injuries and form issues.

At the same time, it's not just the lads at the Ballon d'Or either. De Bruyne didn't make the FIFA Team of the Year (I think that's what it's called) but for me, he's definitely one of the best players in the world, as is Silva or Reus or James Rodriguez or even someone like Julian Draxler. They're not the very best, but they're certainly a cut above the likes of world class Jamie Vardy.

I don't know if that helps explain my thinking on it. Interesting debate though!

[thewobbler]

Jesus,  while we all have different interpretations of world class, 100 players is a bit too broad, and will always require filling up with like Schweiny who was but no longer is, or Martial who isn't but should become, or Coutinho who has the tools but nowhere near the consistency. Consistency really should be the key difference between top players and worldies. The latter does it nearly every week.

My own narrow variation of world class is based in whether Madrid or Barcelona would flex their muscles to get him. This can lead to short lists though as most of the genuine world class players are already at those clubs. So I've got a wider, more morbid criteria which says that if the Madrid bus was to smash into the Barca bus and put them all out of the game for good, then who would those clubs smash records and pull tricks to rebuild their teams around.

In  England:

Ozil, De Gea, Aguero - definitely.

De Bruyne, Kompany, Zabaleta, Silva, Lloris, Kane, Courtois, Fabregas, Willian, Hazard, Costa, Sanchez, Cech, Lukaku, Sturridge - probably.

Shaw, Alderwereld, Alli, Eriksen, Stones, Barkley, Mahrez, Kolorov, Martial, Mata, Koscielny, Coquelin, Ramsey, Giroud, Azpic, Matic, Payet - maybe.

Age would count against a few others. Form of Liverpool and Man Utd a big factor too.

Definitely not vintage times for the EPL in terms of quality. But at least it's exciting.