WAS PELE THE MOST COMPLETE ATTACKER OF ALL TIME?
How does one determine what makes a player complete? or in this instance an attacker complete?
In the overall sense, one would easily make reference to someone like Di Stefano who was able to participate in the defensive phase of the game in addition to the build up (midfield) phase and the attacking phase but when limiting it to the question of the most dangerous and complete operator in the final third.. it becomes tougher - which players could claim to have mastered the following arts or possess the following attributes:
- Long-range shooting (curl, power)
- Long-range passing (spreading play, crossing)
- Press resistance/possession play under pressure (decision-making)
- Heading
- Set-Pieces
- Controlling the build up (control of tempo)
- Killer passes in the final third
- Finishing (bicycle kicks, lobs, volleys, chips, megs, standard)
- Dribbling (body feints, tricks)
- First touch/Hold up play (flick ons, chest, one touch play)
- Movement off the ball/Timing of runs
- Pace, Power and Agility
- Ambidextrous
Shortlist for most complete attacker:
- Messi
- C. Ronaldo
- R9
- Cruyff
- Pele
- Van Basten
- Di Stefano
- Zico
- Maradona
- Puskas
- Eusebio
So a rough shortlist of some very complete forwards (included Zico, because on closer inspection - seems to be an incredibly complete player who was not your typical 10 but a super productive forward in equal measure). Now grading these players 1-10 at each attribute is a very subjective exercise, so to avoid that.. I will just discuss if certain players were able/unable to demonstrate mastery of a particular ability and compare how many areas of attack this list of footballers could master.
Long-range shooting
Now, alot of players on that list have obviously scored a range of long-distance goals but I would argue R9, Cruyff, Van Basten can instantly be ruled out as evidence of their long-range prowess isn't as pronounced as the others. Some like Zico who clearly had great set piece ability and could score from range tended to choose not to and majority of his goals result from dribbles into box/being a fox in the box.. so for me from open play Eusebio, Messi stand out.. with the former having a cannon of shot off either foot and Cristiano is also a great threat from range (though his efficiency is questionable). Pele for me is right up there, and I'd have him just behind Messi and alongside Eusebio. Lets not forget his attempt from the halfway line too.
Long-range passing (spreading play,crossing)
An area for me where Pele falls short. His style of play just didn't incorporate long range passing/crossing, as he preferred shorter passes for quick-fired combination play. In this category, Messi, Maradona, Zico reign supreme though crossing wise - for the outside of the foot, I'd probably give it to Cruyff and CR7 is underrated in this respect too.
Press resistance/possession play under pressure (decision-making)
Whilst you'd expect all of these footballers to be A* at this, for me R9, CR7 and Eusebio fall slightly short here. Sort of footballers who were prone to losing the ball under pressure due to the high octane nature of their game and the sheer directness of their play. The rest are as gold standard as it gets, supremely intelligent footballers under pressure.
Heading
Cristiano, Van Basten are real stand outs from this list and everyone else falls short (though Messi makes a decent fist of it to be fair) but Pele absolutely matches them in this regard and is recognised as one of the GOAT headers in the game, some brazillians would argue the greatest leap ever.
Set-Pieces
Now Zico stands out as probably the best of all time, but in terms of ruling players out.. R9, Van basten can certainly be as they're not renowned for free-kick brilliance. Pele is criminally underrated for his set-piece prowess. He is 5th on all time list of set-pieces scored (70+ free-kicks scored during his career) Whilst he didn't possess the sublime grace of a Zico in this regard, he was a threat from a variety of ranges due to his sheer power and accuracy.. mastering the lace knuckleball technique 50 years ago..but also capable of the more deft 'falling-leaf' technique from closer range too.
Controlling the build up (control of tempo)
Whilst I wouldn't place Pele at the top of the list in this regard alongside the likes of Maradona/Di Stefano/Cruyff, he definitely had the ability to control a tempo of a game and was a ball-magnet. He had a playmakers mindset in the final third, in contrast to CR7, R9 and knew when to accelerate or slow a game down in the final third which kept opponents guessing as to when he'd go for the kill.
Killer passes in the final third
Pele was an absolute master in this regard.. Jairzinho goal in 1970 as well as Carlos Alberto goal in the final. Two iconic assists in the same tournament which have stood the test of time and they were just the tip of the iceberg. Once again the same culprits probably come up short, CR7 for example is very average IMO when it comes to killer passes. Whilst this is a highly contested category, for me Pele has the perfect blend of insane imagination, flair technique and efficiency of execution to reign supreme in this category.
Finishing (bicycle kicks, lobs, volleys, chips, megs, standard)
Now that is just one aspect of finishing, but it is fair to say with a reputed 1000 goals to his name.. Pele has to go down as one of if not
the most versatile finisher of all time. I'd have him alongside Zico, Van Basten and Messi as my favourite finishers in that list of players.. any situation in the box, they have all the tricks in the locker to make the ball land in the back of the net.. But the first two and Pele - could also do it with either foot effortlessly.
Dribbling (body feints, tricks)
In football you tend to get guys who either excel at the classical lace dribbling, with slaloming runs and use of body swerves to weave through opponents or you get guys who are the 5* skill masters and like to embarrass and confuse opponents with their street skills. Very rarely do you find a guy who possesses a blend of both.. Dinho in his prime perhaps, Maradona to an extent but for me Pele in his prime combined all the best attributes you want as a dribbler.. both simple, yet superfluous and entertaining in equal measure. He could body swerve with the best, yet he was a pioneer in bringing street skills.. that Brazilian magic to the big stage.
First touch/Hold up play (flick ons, chest, one touch play)
Now this is where guys like Cruyff, Pele, Eusebio and Di Stefano distinguish themselves from Messi, Maradona and Zico. They could hold the ball up as good as your best strikers, and play with a man up behind them as well as win tough physical encounters by outmuscling opponents not just out-thinking them. For example, the way Messi regularly got snuffed out by sides like Chelsea.. I can't see that happening to Pele, who eventually proved he could dominate a physical defensive side for example Italy in 1970. His first touch was simply sublime and allied to his athleticism made him virtually unstoppable at times.
Movement off the ball/Timing of runs
We have recently seen from CR7 just how important this attribute is. He is a GOAT footballer in this regard. For me Pele's performances in the 1970 World Cup were reminiscent of recent Cristiano performances, in that he knew his body wasn't the powerhouse it once was but through his sheer ability to read the attacking third, and the ability to time runs and pick up space.. he was an incredible goal threat. The way he times this run and makes the goalkeeper look silly.. iconic.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-UzRsvCsC4c
Pace, Power and Agility
The original Ronaldo is probably the greatest force of nature the game has ever seen, and the two portuguese powerhouses Ronaldo and Eusebio were also fine physical specimens.. but Pele is right up there and IMO with his superior sense of balance/agility, arguably eclipses all of them as the perfect footballing specimen from a physical perspective. That is what gave him that God-like quality which transcends the likes of Messi/Maradona.. they seem like demi-gods, the most gifted humans ever due to their diminutive stature and mortal nature, whereas Pele is truly divine in that sense. He just seems to have it all.
Ambidextrous
Messi, Maradona, Puskas and probably Cruyff (who had a penchant for preferring the outside of the foot) probably fall short when compared to the others in this regard. Pele dare I say it, is arguably one of the most ambidextrous player in history, he has zero hesitation in unleashing shots with his weaker foot (bit like Cristiano) which is incredible considering he's from the 60's. He was like Bobby Charlton in this respect and even in his other videos, he doesn't hesitate to play killer passes with the weaker foot either.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGiLXL0RmRY
SUMMARY
I'd say long range passing aside, Pele pretty much nails every other aspect of being an elite attacker. I wish I'd seen more of Di Stefano in his physical prime to see if he can also be a real competitor, I'd say Messi is an outstanding challenger despite his physical deficiencies and lack of a top tier right foot but O Rei do Futebol is truly the indisputed king for me.
