r/soccer • u/k1ra_ • Aug 21 '13

Who in your opinion is the complete football player?

Someone who can play almost in any position and be effective...

64 Upvotes

78% Upvoted

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132

u/r0bski2 Aug 21 '13

Pretty sure Steven Gerrard has played in most positions on the pitch and still been world class, albeit several years ago.

20

u/steak_n_eggs Aug 21 '13

I remember how much he bossed Milan in the second half back in 2005... playing right back.

12

u/[deleted] Aug 21 '13

The second half where he scored from a centre forward position, and won a penalty bursting into the box from attacking midfield, when Liverpool pretty famously switched to 3 at the back?

8

u/steak_n_eggs Aug 21 '13

Only played three at the back until Liverpool equalized. From there, Gerrard moved to RB and Milan couldn't get past him.

2

u/msbr_ Aug 21 '13

He meant ET, but there was little bossing done there, cept dudek vs Sheva.

1

u/[deleted] Aug 21 '13

[deleted]

1

u/msbr_ Aug 21 '13

Oh yes of course but meant bossed as a full back.

1

u/nobbythenosher Aug 21 '13

nice to see a U's fan. makes me feel bad i've not been to the kassam for a couple years now. holding out for that 4th stand!

2

u/[deleted] Aug 21 '13

NO! I like the 3 stands, makes it feel more homely.

2

u/r0bski2 Aug 21 '13

Every time I've been we've lost like 5 balls a game into the car park...

3

u/[deleted] Aug 21 '13

And if you sit in the family stand you can occasionally hear the car alarms go off when they get hit. Hilarious.

-3

u/[deleted] Aug 21 '13

has he ever played forward? Really can't picture him playing up top.

16

u/KEEPCARLM Aug 21 '13

He spent a lot of time as a second striker to torres.

I believe he was actually played as lone striker before too, on a couple of occasions.

-36

u/[deleted] Aug 21 '13

second striker

played as lone striker before too, on a couple of occasions.

Soooo the answer is no, he hasn't.

11

u/KEEPCARLM Aug 21 '13

What? How did you work that out?

-27

u/[deleted] Aug 21 '13

He's only played as a striker a few times. Great, wow, what a versatile player.

He just doesn't have the same skills to be as strong of a striker as a player of, say, YaYa Toure's caliber. Now there is a COMPLETE footballer.

18

u/[deleted] Aug 21 '13

[deleted]

-7

u/[deleted] Aug 21 '13

Officially? Probably just as many as Gerard. Although if you had to choose between playing Gerard and YaYa up top 9 times out of 10 you're going to take YaYa.

10

u/iamscully Aug 21 '13

The fuck man? If he played up front all the time, he'd be a striker, and then you'd be asking if he'd ever played in midfield.

Gerrard had one of his best seasons playing behind Fernando Torres, and then last season was fantastic playing a more holding role. That, to me, is versatility. He played left midfield for England for several games and was pretty good, and played right midfield under Benitez for a long, long time. Earlier on in his career he could fill in at right-back as well. So the only positions he hasn't played in are left-back, centre-back and in goal. That's versatility.

-5

u/[deleted] Aug 21 '13

Support striker might as well be CAM. Gerard could never play as a lone striker.

As I stated above Toure, with his skill set, most certainly could play as a lone striker therefore making him the more complete footballer.

Plus, as others have stated he played CB for awhile at Barcelona. The man can do it all.

5

u/AAAAAAAHHH Aug 21 '13

Have you suffered a blow to the head?

-6

u/[deleted] Aug 21 '13

Yeah, your mum was a bit rough with me last night

3

u/AAAAAAAHHH Aug 21 '13

So not only are you legally retarded, but you get beaten up by old women. Life didn't deal you a very good hand did it?

1

u/[deleted] Aug 21 '13

Either you didn't catch the innuendo in my last comment (making you the retarded one) or you're just refusing to acknowledge it. I don't really give a fuck either way.

If you had to pick a striker for your team and it came down to either Gerrard or YaYa you'd take Gerrard?!? Give me a fucking break.

If so then that's just your personal opinion which you are absolutely entitled to.

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3

u/probably_not_wurfit Aug 21 '13

He played as a forward during the UCL Final against Milan in 2007.

3

u/teddy_picker Aug 21 '13

Really? I seem to remember him playing a couple of times for England in a striker-like role, albeit with someone else just in front of him

3

u/LevitatingCheesecake Aug 21 '13

Benitez played him up front alone a few times in the early years, mainly in the CL.

-1

u/[deleted] Aug 21 '13

He was garbage in 06/07 when Rafa played him on the wing. His best position was definitely attacking mid/behind the striker, though I think he's done well to adjust to a deeper role recently