What I like is that they seem to enjoy setting each other up.
Best front three in history
- Thread starter Kazi
- Start date
Villa was nothing special individually? Wow.
People hate premiership watchers for this exact reason, we ridicule other leagues we dont watch often. Jose is here singing about Hazard being close to Messi and Ronaldo when Neymar is alive and kicking.
Villa nothing special 
I agree with the Premiership watches bit, people say it's the best league in the world when infact La Liga is the best league in the world considering they pretty much win Europa League and CL every 2 years, the Prem is far behind its "competitive" but its not got the best teams.
David Villa was such a brilliant player in his prime, those goals in the World Cup too pretty much guided Spain to the WC in 2010.
Villa was a fantastic goalscorer, suarez is that ronaldo 2007-13 game changer, that messi 2006-present game changer, someone who does not only score goals, but the dreaded task for defenders to not only mark them, but suarez is that special moment type player. A player who will do things out of the ordinary that puts them in that type of player that does not come round every often.
My time watching football, only a few are in that bracket of genius players
henry
ronaldo (brazilian)
CR7
ronaldhinho
messi
zidane
figo
suarez now is in that bracket of special players
I am missing a few more, cannot remember them all. But think we all know where it is going, villa great goalscorer. But Suarez is that genius, and I do not think there is a way of improving barca's frontline, which can always be dangerous. If Barca maybe strengthen the defense more, and the midfield with iniesta's age, time to prepare for iniesta, and maybe even xavi, unless barca got some more gems in their academy. But we could see a really strong backbone of that team, and would not surprise me come 20/20 barca have another 2 more European cups in the locker room, taking them to 7, maybe 8 if they keep improving the team overall
Suarez is nowhere near Messi and Ronaldo.
Villa like Suarez was one of the best strikers of his generation. Suarez does have more individual brilliance but misses far more chances. A case could definitely be made for Suarez being better and I think he might end up being regarded as such, but he's not a few notches above Suarez like ronaldhinio, Messi etc.
Btw, in terms of players in general Xavi was better than Suarez too.
To be fair Hazard is a magnificent player, he's every bit as good as Neymar is and a lot better at decision making.
Ridiculous to see Villa getting so little respect from some posters - what next? Eto'o the African Heskey and Shevchenko overrated?
I think Suarez has moments where he's had the terrifying x factor where you smell fear in the opposition, but Aguero does it more consistently as does Robben and Kaka (in his Milan days).
Not even close.
I actually do think Suarez is the best striker around. There isn't much between him and aguero but he probably shades it. But villa was also absolutely brilliant. Yes, not as good in terms of all round brilliance but like I said, you'd expect him to take a chance with a finishers composure over Suarez any day, who can drill be clumsy in front of goal.
Xavi is a totally different player to suarez, in terms of forwards Suarez has got to be up there with the best. Suarez performances for liverpool for me easily were on par with anything ronaldo has done the past few years, and he proved it with Barca this season, he was half fit and he knocked england out, so he has had a big influence for his country.
If we compare suarez in the last 3 years with ronaldo, suarez has had has big of an impact has ronaldo, and he has also won the big club trophy's and appeared in the big games. Yes suarez has not scored 40 50, but if we talk about his overall play, his influence for liverpool and even barca this year, hes been a genius. Ronaldo's overall play has declined, and he has turned from an overall brilliant footballer, to a pure striker. Should we down attacking players ability to score goals alone? no, but that terrifying player suarez is, cannot be underestimated. Yes not saying he is in Messi's league, but if I would choose from either suarez or ronaldo, no matter the baggage, I would choose suarez over ronaldo, because he has such an influence and he is a nightmare to mark
I'm sorry but there's no way Suarez is better or as good than Ronaldo. You could argue a case for his best premier league season could match ronaldo's or even be better, but overall he's simply not as good.
He's in that next tier, the one where Henry, Eto'o, Aguero, Ibrahimovic etc are IMO.
You didn't include Xavi or Iniesta in that list despite having Zidane (midfielder) and Suarez there (striker) so that's why I mentioned them. No one can argue Suarez to overall be close to Xavi.
Suarez has been quality this season but genius? Nah.
Do what exactly against the best ? Suarez has scored and assisted in every big game he's played this season.
I don't agree. Even in the premier he actually played well against all the big teams just didn't score. Look at his record his session for example. Scored the winner against Madrid in the the match that gave them a 4 point lead, scored the cl winner, set up goals against bayern. It's just that he had a worse team than aguero at that time (Liverpool vs city).
Oh come on. Suárez was brilliant in plenty of big games for Liverpool, even if he didn't score.
This season he's scored big goals against Real Madrid, Atlético Madrid, PSG, Man City, Juve...played well against Bayern.
I don't mind people saying Agüero is better, I've thought the same at times myself, but this Suárez flat track bully thing needs to stop.
I included zidane, because he does things out of the complete ordinary, that iniesta and xavi are not capable of. Xavi and iniesta are a different type of players, pure CM players who do it differently, and of course they are special players, but I was talking about that individual genius that wins games on their own in special moments, that zidane, the 2 ronaldo's, figo, messi, henry have done. xavi and iniesta win games through complete control over 90 minutes of football, not special moments that says OMG. Xavi will be remembered has one of the greatest, but those 6 seconds of genius, xavi and iniesta are not those type of players. Xavi and Iniesta's genius is ability to just kill a football match through complete relentless control of a football match, fergie calls it the carousel, Pep calls it the control over chaos, which is what xavi and iniesta are, control over chaos that keeps the chaos in line, making sure the inmates never run the asylum, zidane is a bit of both control and chaos.
How is ronaldo so much better than suarez on current form in the past 2 years? I say suarez has been special, very special indeed. Ronaldo's only weapon now that is ahead of suarez is goals, but if we talk about overall ability, assists performances hes done, running past players, one touch, Suarez has everything a special player can do. Henry in his prime I would say was better than CR7. Did I say suarez is better player than ronaldo? oh no, I said on current form the past 2 years, suarez has been sensational. If ronaldo was doing the genius things suarez has done, imagine what the messi vs ronaldo debate would be like? I would say ronaldo like everyone else is in a par below messi, messi is in that special league of 1, that not one player can reach.
Now when I say game changer, suarez is that world player of the year ability, he is still a game changer no matter if he is in a league below, he is still special. I think ronaldo has lost since 2014, a game changer he is just a goalscorer, which is a shame. Ronaldo can be controlled and marked out of the game, I would not even call CR7 a pure genius of a footballer, a powerful special player, but that genius I do not think he has got it like a messi, and even suarez 2012- currently. Would I have ronaldo over suarez at 25 26? hell yes, but would I have the current ronaldo or suarez? I would choose suarez. Ronaldo is still one of the 5 best players in the world, but on form and the levels suarez has been at, suarez has been just has good
Seriously, I want to understand how anyone can think hazard is as good as Neymar?
I don't disagree with any of that. But I have to say that OMG moments, which tend to come from attackers, don't necessarily make them better footballers as per the examples I gave.
I disagree with almost all of that. Ronaldo scores much more than Suarez. So a little more brilliance doesn't make up for that gap in goals. This season itself ronaldo's been better.
I bet Suarez will never win the balon dor. It's all very well saying xyz have world player of the year ability when most of them won't ever.
Ronaldo one of the "FIVE best players in the world" I'm sorry but what on gods name is this?!I don't disagree with any of that. But I have to say that OMG moments, which tend to come from attackers, don't necessarily make them better footballers as per the examples I gave.
I disagree with almost all of that. Ronaldo scores much more than Suarez. So a little more brilliance doesn't make up for that gap in goals. This season itself ronaldo's been better.
I bet Suarez will never win the balon dor. It's all very well saying xyz have world player of the year ability when most of them won't ever.
I think Neuer should have won it, not ronaldo if we talk about the best players in the world, Neuer was the best
So Suarez didn't deserve it even last year. Not this one either.
Who are the 5 best players in the world in order?
Messi, Suarez, ronaldo, Neuer, DDG,
Messi I would put in a league of 1, he is on a different level. But ronaldo defiantly did not deserve that balon dor, considering what Neuer done for germany and Bayern in 2013, they give it to cannavaro in 2006, why not Neuer?
De gea?! What! De gea is better than robben?
I'm just wondering whether you think Ronaldo is the 3rd best player in the world after Suarez or the 5th, because this is all very strange.
Dear Lord, Messi nearly scored as much as our whole squad, and to think that Suarez did not start playing until October as well. Look at all those goals and assists. They also seemed like they enjoy playing with each other, and show no sign of jealousy. Even though they play for another club, i'm just glad i get a chance to watch these magicians play.
Messi-Neymar-Suarez is the first trio in history to finish a Champions League season with at least 7 goals each.
De gea?! What! De gea is better than robben?
I'm just wondering whether you think Ronaldo is the 3rd best player in the world after Suarez or the 5th, because this is all very strange.
How is it strange?
Put it this way, back in 2014 you could make a case Neuer robben and ronaldo were the 3 best players in the world, messi was defiantly not deserving to be nominated that year, and Neuer should have easily won it, how ronaldo won it that year was a farce. How is DDG less of a player than robben? considering the backline was so poor for united, DDG kept making match winning saves, and hey Madrid want him badly, so I say his performances have made a case of him being the Madrid number 1 he is up there with the best. Would I want robben or DDG? DDG also any day of the week, which shows how good of a player DDG is.
The balon dor does not measure how good a player is, the Neuer example I give proved that. Xavi has never won one, does that make him less of a great player? no. If we see the performances on the pitch, and suarez, DDG, Neuer have been up there with the very best, and no matter if they do not win a balon dor changes that.
Let's agree to disagree.
We're too far apart in our views. De gea being ahead of Robben and Neymar, and Ronaldo being the 3rd/4th/5th best footballer makes no sense to me at all.
Fair enough
I never said ronaldo was 4th or 5th, I think he is the third best player. Suarez was at a new club, injured in the summer and scored 25 goals with 21 assists is pretty fantastic, for someone starting at a new club. Like I say on current form and season, suarez has been the better player.
And we will end it there
Heh, remember when some thought Neymar was nothing but a show pony and just another Robinho.
No doubt Suarez/Messi/Neymar is superior talent/class wise. But the other 3 just played 10x better together.
Modern barca muppets just go with the flow, their front 3 was dire half of the season and neymar and even now they rely on counter football to break a defense mostly rather then just completely obliterating it like in 2010.
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Villa was good not special.
How many seasons did the Villa + Messi + Pedro trio have? Doesn't seem like more than a season or two?
Yeah just three together - 1 excellent season in 10/11 which was part of the (in my view) best club season ever, 1 in which David Villa suffered a leg break and another with neither him or Pedro (or Alexis...) being consistent over the season.
Villa joined in 2010, they won the Champions League that season. Then at the end of 2011 he broke his leg, missed Euro 2012 and was never the same player. He fell behind Alexis and left in 2013.
Probably useless but nevertheless an interesting piece of trivia.
Apparently, the birthplaces of Messi, Neymar, and Suarez all form a straight line on the map.
Apparently, the birthplaces of Messi, Neymar, and Suarez all form a straight line on the map.
The difference, and it's obvious, lies in the midfield rather than the front three.
Messi-Neymar-Suarez... 3 of the top 5 offensive players in the game?
Ronaldo I would have second behind Messi... and then Hazzard, Auguero, Robben in the mix.
Ronaldo I would have second behind Messi... and then Hazzard, Auguero, Robben in the mix.
It's hardly an outrageous opinion. Neymar is fantastic, so is Hazard. I'm sure Hazard would also thrive playing with Messi and Suárez.
He can thrive, but I dont think Hazard is a scorer like the way Neymar is. I liken Hazard to Ribbery and Neymar to Robben. Similar players but one is more of a creator than a scorer and the other is the opposite.
Top 10 goals by them this season. I think number 6 should be higher personally..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=204&v=l3RLhIvHXCE
That's just blatant disrespect on possibly the greatest forward Spain has ever produced. Without him they wouldn't have won the Euro and the World Cup. Seriously have a look at his performances. For all the talk about Spain's midfield his goals were a thing of beauty and he made most of them on his own, they weren't laid out to him on a plate.
Look at that World Cup campaign.
1st goal - Beats three players on his own and scores. Solo effort.
2nd goal - Long strike from outside the box. Solo effort.
3rd goal - 40 yard strike catches keeper off the line. Solo effort.
4th goal - Lay up by Iniesta.
5th goal - pounces on a rebound.
Villa was a special special player.
It's nothing but ignorance that would let anyone call him not special. I loved this goal - match winner no less in an important game.