Liverpool FC Forum

[Effes]

Well the original post was about compiling your list of top midfielders.

Essien definitely deserves to be in that list, he's world class.

Is he f*ck.

What is he "World Class" at, other than trying to break legs?

Man marking, brilliant defensive midfielder (can be better than Makelele ever was), has a hell of a shot on him too.

I think he's better than Mascherano.

[Lando_Griffin]

Well the original post was about compiling your list of top midfielders.

Essien definitely deserves to be in that list, he's world class.

Is he f*ck.

What is he "World Class" at, other than trying to break legs?

Man marking, brilliant defensive midfielder (can be better than Makelele ever was), has a hell of a shot on him too.

I think he's better than Mascherano.

He man-marked Gerrard in 1 match - big wow. When has he ever done it before or after?

Brilliant defensive midfielder? He was sh*t in the 2nd leg at Shatford Bridge...

Brilliant shot? He's scored 11 goals for Sh*tski.

Let's not get carried away, shall we?

I personally think that he's good, but "World Class" is a bridge too far for him.

[Effes]

I beg to differ.

[bigmick]

I don't know about "World Class" simply because if I asked for five midfielders who were better who didn't play in England, I'll probably not have heard of four of the five, or at the very least not be able to remember what they look like anyway. I do think that sometimes we over-estimate players who play in our league and proportionally underestimate players form other leagues. If anyone had told us that Torres was going to be the best striker in the World before we cought him, we'd have probably told them to get fecked and told them that he wasn't in the same stratoshere as Thierry Henri. He probably wasn't but he most certainly is now.

All that said, Essien is a fantastic player IMHO and every bit the modern day footballer. He's certainly in the top three or four midfielders in this country, and arguably at what he does he is the best. Physically he is a monster, and there's not that many players of his hieght who can move from central midfield into a center half slot. Funnily enough, despite his indescretions particularly against us when Mourinho first signed him, he strikes me as being a reasonable sort of bloke as well.

He's one of them players that when I watch him though I can't help thinking that he missed his vocation from a football sense. He looks all over a right fullback to me, and I don't think we'd be debating his World classness if he played there regularly.

[ConnO'var]

Some really intersting names have been brought up.

For me personally, I would pick the following to form a central midifeld trio (used in a 4-3-2-1) as follows.

Essien, Gerrard and Fabregas.

In a midfield 2, it would be Gerrard and Xavi.

[bigmick]

Ah yes Fabregas Conn, another fine player. I can't quite work out why he isn't able to reach the hieghts of a year ago whereby he used to score regualrly from midfield though. I've watched Arsenal a bit recently and he seems to be sitting a wee bit deeper to compensate for their abject lack of a decent holder. Also however, when he does move forwards there doesn't seem to me to be that same surity of movement, that same appreciation of space and clairvoyant like anticipation that there was back then.

I've a hunch that he's never really got himself fully 100% since he came back from injury, the same fluidity of the hips (to quote Sabre) just isn't there. It could also be that the wieght of the captaincy is tipping the scales more towards the responsible than the imaginative side of the ledger. Whatever it is though, I think he's only 75% the player he was 12 months ago.

At his very best though, a wonderful little player and at his age, has the potential to become the best midfield player in the World IMHO.

[ConnO'var]

Ah yes Fabregas Conn, another fine player. I can't quite work out why he isn't able to reach the hieghts of a year ago whereby he used to score regualrly from midfield though. I've watched Arsenal a bit recently and he seems to be sitting a wee bit deeper to compensate for their abject lack of a decent holder.

Bang on head Mick.

The loss of Flamini has had a much greater impact on the Arsenal than many have expected. Denilson is a good player, but he's not a true holding midfielder.

I don't think the captaincy has had too much of an impact though... It's more to do with the fact that in the back of his mind, he doesn't have adequate cover IMO.

The reason for my midfield trio is fairly straightforward..... Essien is the best "Makelel mold" holding midfielder in the business at the mo... I would put Mash a close 2nd or 3rd.

Gerrard..... enough said really. I think he's the best in the business bar none.

Fabregas is the best blend I could think of... creativity, vision etc etc..... and I do agree, he has in him to become the best in the world.

[DanAn]

Hard to rate Essien with his limited game time since injury but nothing looks to have changed to me. He's the best defensive midfielder in the world IMO.

His workrate is unmatched.
His tackling is top class
His positioning is good
He's very strong

I think Masherano isn't far off him but Essien going forward is a much better player.

[Owzat]

Hard to rate Essien with his limited game time since injury but nothing looks to have changed to me. He's the best defensive midfielder in the world IMO.

His workrate is unmatched.
His tackling is top class
His positioning is good
He's very strong

I think Masherano isn't far off him but Essien going forward is a much better player.

I think Essien is streets ahead of Mascherano as an all-rounder midfielder, maybe Mascherano is a better tackler but you need more from a midfielder than the one trick. People loved Sissoko, but for me he was just as limited if not more so

[destro]

1) Gerrard
2) Kaka
3) Iniesta
4) Xavi
5) Lampard
6) Essien
7) Alonso
8) Fabregas
9) Mascherano
10) Scholes
11) Arshavin

The rest are not even worth a mention

[Sabre]

Well the original post was about compiling your list of top midfielders.

Essien definitely deserves to be in that list, he's world class.

Is he f*ck.

What is he "World Class" at, other than trying to break legs?

Man marking, brilliant defensive midfielder (can be better than Makelele ever was), has a hell of a shot on him too.

I think he's better than Mascherano.

He man-marked Gerrard in 1 match - big wow. When has he ever done it before or after?

Brilliant defensive midfielder? He was sh*t in the 2nd leg at Shatford Bridge...

Brilliant shot? He's scored 11 goals for Sh*tski.

Let's not get carried away, shall we?

I personally think that he's good, but "World Class" is a bridge too far for him.

Yup. I'd say Very good where you say good, but definitely not world class. We understand quality the same way.

[aCe']

Just a few points here...

I dont think hes very hard to replace..
I dont think he'd make a top5 or top10 list even if you're going to consider attacking and defensive midfielders in such a list...
John Obi Mikel being in that list is a crime...
John Obi Mikel being 5 places above Scholes in that list is a crime..


anyways...
ill give you my top10 central midfielders list...

1. Gerrard
2. Kaka
3. Xavi
4. Essien
5. Lampard
6. Fabregas
7. Scholes
8. Seedorf
9. Ballack
10. Iniesta

The likes of Ronaldinho, Giggs, Deco and Pirlo deserve and honourable mention and would be somewhere in a more expanded list i guess if only for what they've achieved in their careers... but for the top 10 in the world today imo its hard to see past this bunch...

scholes, seedorf and ballack in your top ten after those comments

After what comments ?
and whats wrong with having Scholes, Seedorf and Ballack in a top 10 CMs list ? Scholes is playing in arguably the best side in club football in recent times and is still a vital member in their squad... he rarely has a bad game and can control the tempo of the game better than any other CM around atm imo... its hard to argue that despite his age hes still one of the best central midfielders in the world and probably the best central midfielder since the premiership began...
Seedorf im not sure youve seen much of to be honest so ill just leave it at that... and Ballack iv already gone over that...

Utter rubbish.

For a start, he can't tackle to save his life!

He did a tremendous job of controlling our 4-1 spanking of the Mancs, didn't he...

Lets just put it this way because wer obviously not going to agree on anything here me and you...
if he (Scholes) played for us we'd all be calling him one of the best central midfielders in the world if not the best... and you only need to look at what theyr doing this season and what they've been winning in the past few to see what an important part of their success hes been..

Abd about Essien... hes probably the best in what he does.. better than Mascherano and better than Alonso... offers more than both at either end of the pitch despite not having mascherano's tackling skills or Alonso's passing ability... if he isnt world class (given his position) then i dont know who is !

[Festy]

Abd about Essien... hes probably the best in what he does.. better than Mascherano and better than Alonso... offers more than both at either end of the pitch despite not having mascherano's tackling skills or Alonso's passing ability... if he isnt world class (given his position) then i dont know who is !

if Masch is a better tackler, Alonso is a better passer and Gerrard is better attacker, then what makes him better than those three ? and don't you think Fletcher, Carrick, Anderson, Hargreaves and every manscum midfielder should also be in that list ?

[Bad Bob]

Ah yes Fabregas Conn, another fine player. I can't quite work out why he isn't able to reach the hieghts of a year ago whereby he used to score regualrly from midfield though. I've watched Arsenal a bit recently and he seems to be sitting a wee bit deeper to compensate for their abject lack of a decent holder.

Bang on head Mick.

The loss of Flamini has had a much greater impact on the Arsenal than many have expected. Denilson is a good player, but he's not a true holding midfielder.

I don't think the captaincy has had too much of an impact though... It's more to do with the fact that in the back of his mind, he doesn't have adequate cover IMO.

The reason for my midfield trio is fairly straightforward..... Essien is the best "Makelel mold" holding midfielder in the business at the mo... I would put Mash a close 2nd or 3rd.

Gerrard..... enough said really. I think he's the best in the business bar none.

Fabregas is the best blend I could think of... creativity, vision etc etc..... and I do agree, he has in him to become the best in the world.

Cesc is a fantastic little player that, IMO, is slowly being wasted at Arsenal.  I can never quite work out what Wenger is playing at with his midfield selections most times I watch them.  People go on about Rafa rotating and Fergie freshening up the side but Wenger chops and changes a hell of a lot as well.  He's tried Denilson, Diaby and Song in that holding role, had Nasri playing deep or on the flank, Cesc sometimes plays the (new) Gerrard role and sometimes sits deeper, Arshavin's out on the wing or tucked in behind the striker, Van Persie plays all across the pitch but rarely up top it seems.  I think all of these experiments have caused Cesc problems.  Add that to his major injury this season and a long, exhausting summer with Spain and he looks a shadow of the player that was probably the best in the league for the first half of last season (before Torres got going and Ronaldo got a lot of penalties under his belt ).

[metalhead]

Ballack was one of the best midfielders in the world at his times with Bayern Munich, he was Germany's best player in the Euro and the WC.

The thing is Bob, Denilson does not get the best out of Fabregas in the Arsenal midfield, both of them are more of attacking midfielders, mascherano type of midfielder will definitely get the best out of him. Gerrard is another player that would suite Fabregas, he is a wonderful player for Arsenal.

My top 10:

1.Gerrard
2.Kaka
3.Essien
4.Xavi
5.Scholes (at his prime)
6.Fabregas
7.Deco
8.Ballack
9.Iniesta
10. Gattuso