Best front three in history

prarek said:
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.
Click to expand...

He is under-appreciated. Partly because he flew under the radar - relatively speaking - for much of his career at Valencia where he played the majority of his best football. And partly because he doesn't always get his just dues for translating all of Spain's possession into goals in 2008 and 2010. A lot of that possession became increasingly toothless in 2010 and he made the difference on several occasions.
 
I think Villa was way more solo than Suarez at Barça, I remember a video where they lip read Messi telling Villa to feck off because he took too long to pass "Dame de primera, puto!".

Although Suarez was very solo in Liverpool, he demonstrated to be a better teamplayer during his Barça stint.

The difference between Pedro-Villa-Messi is that Iniesta and Xavi were in their primes during that period. This Barça is being carried by the attacking trios and a lot of improvisation, fast break stuff.

Lets not forget the 7-0 Bayern trashing. Iniesta and Xavi weren't as good, Pedro and others failed miserably to generate offense and throw different looks at the germans.
 
Messi, Suarez and Neymar are better than Pedro, Messi and Villa. How's this even debatable?
 
RooneyLegend said:
Messi, Suarez and Neymar are better than Pedro, Messi and Villa. How's this even debatable?
Click to expand...
Exactly! I actually think the individual qualities of that Barcelona side between 2009 and 2011 and impossible to measure. It was the ultimate "system" team that it's difficult to know just exactly how good each of them was. Obviously they were all top quality players but it was such an unconventional side that it's hard to tell where was the line between the players making the system work so perfectly and the system making the players look exceptional instead of normal top players. The current is different, they function in a much more conventional way, I would say they're even a bit close to our team from 2007-2009 in that they get the ball to their front players as quick as possible. It is easier then to see the individual quality of each and in that case, the current top 3 are by far the best in the past 20 years or so IMO.
 
Wasn't there talks a few years back that Messi was unwilling to play from the right? Yet he seems perfectly happy this season to let Suarez play through the middle. Not sure if Ibrahimovic said that or if it was just paper talk but whoever it was is full of shit.
 
Theonas said:
Exactly! I actually think the individual qualities of that Barcelona side between 2009 and 2011 and impossible to measure. It was the ultimate "system" team that it's difficult to know just exactly how good each of them was. Obviously they were all top quality players but it was such an unconventional side that it's hard to tell where was the line between the players making the system work so perfectly and the system making the players look exceptional instead of normal top players. The current is different, they function in a much more conventional way, I would say they're even a bit close to our team from 2007-2009 in that they get the ball to their front players as quick as possible. It is easier then to see the individual quality of each and in that case, the current top 3 are by far the best in the past 20 years or so IMO.
Click to expand...
I agree, its much more conventional football and its yielding better results despite Xavi not really contributing much. Especially the defending, while they still press like crazy they don't live and die by it. They get men behind the ball ridiculously quickly and efficiently. This is leaving them not as vulnerable to the counter as they were before when teams 'beat' the press.

The team was really a combination of all the good stuff falling into place at the perfect time. The set up suited them and the lack of great teams that play pragmatic football also contributed to the success.

Anyways this front three is something else altogether. You have 3 of the best 6 players in world football in the same line who all contribute something unique to the line. While the others perhaps play more disciplined roles in order to rightfully give Messi the control of the attack, they still have the ability to make things happen out of nothing. The Messi, Villa, and pedro combo had messi as too much of a dominant player in it. While the others were good players, they weren't of this suarez/neymar level as individuals. The real argument really is(in recent times) if they are better than Messi, Henry, and eto'o or the Dinho, Ronaldo, and rivaldo freak show.
 
Villa was a special player but not with Barcelona. Even in the treble season he didn't have a really great season (he played well, but nothing outstanding). Neither Pedra nor Villa were as good as Suarez or Neymar this season. How could you compare these 3 to those three when in 2011 the best three players in Barcelona were Messi, Xavi and Iniesta (no mention of Villa or Pedro) while this year the best 3 were easily Messi, Suarez and Neymar?

People who are not rating Villa that highly in this thread are not completely wrong, they're just basing their judgement on his Barca years only. When you go back to his Valencia days and his games with Spain, he was indeed a very special player.
 
prarek said:
Wasn't there talks a few years back that Messi was unwilling to play from the right? Yet he seems perfectly happy this season to let Suarez play through the middle. Not sure if Ibrahimovic said that or if it was just paper talk but whoever it was is full of shit.
Click to expand...

Or he's changed his mind now he's recognised the space it affords him.
 
I think that Barca's midfield was probably one of the best of all time and this current team's front three is probably one of the best of all time. What probably edges it for me is that Barca team had a better defence.
 
prarek said:
Wasn't there talks a few years back that Messi was unwilling to play from the right? Yet he seems perfectly happy this season to let Suarez play through the middle. Not sure if Ibrahimovic said that or if it was just paper talk but whoever it was is full of shit.
Click to expand...
Ibrahimovic says in his autobiography that he lost his place in the team because Messi went to Pep and complained about having to play from the right. From then on, it went downhill between Pep and Ibra.
 
prarek said:
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.
Click to expand...


I dont care if hes one of the best strikers spain has ever produced.

All that says is that spain produces a shitload of good midfielders and even more bad forwards.

He was good, great sometimes. But you simply cannot put him at the top of the top.
 
Rezyuz said:
I dont care if hes one of the best strikers spain has ever produced.

All that says is that spain produces a shitload of good midfielders and even more bad forwards.

He was good, great sometimes. But you simply cannot put him at the top of the top.
Click to expand...

Try again.
 
Rezyuz said:
I dont care if hes one of the best strikers spain has ever produced.

All that says is that spain produces a shitload of good midfielders and even more bad forwards.

He was good, great sometimes. But you simply cannot put him at the top of the top.
Click to expand...

Villa was undoubtedly one of the best strikers around in his prime. Granted, he had a great midfield behind him at Barca and when playing for Spain, but he was scoring a superb amount of goals for a number of years with Valencia before he ever went to Barca. He’d have had some good players around him there, but nowhere near the very best standard that he played with in the national side.
 
Rezyuz said:
I dont care if hes one of the best strikers spain has ever produced.

All that says is that spain produces a shitload of good midfielders and even more bad forwards.

He was good, great sometimes. But you simply cannot put him at the top of the top.
Click to expand...
You can easily put him amongst the elite strikers Europe has produced in the last two decades or so. Not just Spain and he's done it at every level - La Liga, Champions League, European Championship, World Cup. 20+ goals for 8 consecutive seasons for Zaragoza, Valencia and Barcelona. Top scorer at the World Cup. Top scorer at the European Championships. That's not just a good player, that's a great player.
 
Walters_19_MuFc said:
I don't think Messi, Neymar and Suarez have done enough together to be named the best ever. Guess it may have potential, but they'd need to do it in finals, big games, etc.

From what I've seen, Ronaldinho, Eto'o and Messi was a mouthwatering front three. Rooney, Ronaldo and Tevez were superb too.
Click to expand...

It's so heartbreaking that that became Rooney, Ronaldo, Berbatov and Fergie didn't want to admit he had wasted 30 million quid on Berbatov so proceeded to constantly leave Tevez on the bench
 
Ringo 07 said:
It's so heartbreaking that that became Rooney, Ronaldo, Berbatov and Fergie didn't want to admit he had wasted 30 million quid on Berbatov so proceeded to constantly leave Tevez on the bench
Click to expand...
Yeah it was certainly ridiculous. That front three is what allowed us to have the ridiculously good counters and also their hard work made it possible for us to have midfielders who weren't all that renowned for the defensive prowess but rather their ball skills without us looking vulnerable at the back. Honestly think that's something that's forgotten when thinking of that team and the forward line.

Berbatov upset the whole balance of the side and SAF not accepting that he did was painful to watch week in week out.
 
The way they time their runs and make so many in a match is something special.
 
For me Ro Ri Ro was the best I've ever seen.

At their peaks Ronaldo, Dinho and Rivaldo were special players, and had great understanding with each other in WC. Too bad they all didn't have the chance to play at club level, that would've been something.
 
That's not even fair having those 3, not even that they're machines on their own but their understanding of the others movement is mad. Every goal is like a fifa goals on easy mode.
 
They'll probably break the 122 goals they scored last season even with Messi being out for two months. I've just looked on Transfermarkt and done some quick calculations- at the end of November last season they'd scored 31 goals between them (Messi 17, Suarez 1 and Neymar 13). This season with Real Sociedad still to play this weekend before we hit December they've scored 39 (8, 17 & 14).
 
So insane to think Barca are spoiled with that amount of talent, all three are of a level they'd be a legend at whatever club they played for.

Makes me sick to my stomach, we were lucky with the Class of 92, Cantona and Keane but this lot are of an unbelievable level. It's not beyond impossible they will win at least another two, maybe even three Champions leagues with them at the top.
 
Enigma_87 said:
For me Ro Ri Ro was the best I've ever seen.

At their peaks Ronaldo, Dinho and Rivaldo were special players, and had great understanding with each other in WC. Too bad they all didn't have the chance to play at club level, that would've been something.
Click to expand...

Individually at their peaks I'd agree they were better players, but Ronaldo was long past his peak in 2002 and Ronaldinho was a few years off his peak. Rivaldo was the only one you could reasonably claim was at his peak then. In terms of understanding and combination play this lot are miles ahead of them, for me.
 
Brwned said:
Individually at their peaks I'd agree they were better players, but Ronaldo was long past his peak in 2002 and Ronaldinho was a few years off his peak. Rivaldo was the only one you could reasonably claim was at his peak then. In terms of understanding and combination play this lot are miles ahead of them, for me.
Click to expand...

Past his peak in 2002, yet still completely out of this world. What a player Ronaldo was.
 
I like how even the hardest attempt to try a hipster opinion that they arent is just laughed down at this point. they are the 3 best players in the world right now, playing at effectively their peaks.

This lot are cheating.
 
Danny1982 said:
People who are not rating Villa that highly in this thread are not completely wrong, they're just basing their judgement on his Barca years only. When you go back to his Valencia days and his games with Spain, he was indeed a very special player.
Click to expand...

That was a great Valencia attack with Silva, Villa and Mata - loved their kits back then too

I think Neymar, Messi & Suarez make eachother even better which I find remarkable. There's no complacency there either which means we will continue to see more of this which also means I need to see as many matches live as possible before it ends
 
This front three is just unfair, Barca have activated cheat mode.
 
Brwned said:
Individually at their peaks I'd agree they were better players, but Ronaldo was long past his peak in 2002 and Ronaldinho was a few years off his peak. Rivaldo was the only one you could reasonably claim was at his peak then. In terms of understanding and combination play this lot are miles ahead of them, for me.
Click to expand...
Maybe I didn't formulate it pretty well. I mean that individually they are the best of the lot in their respective peaks. They had a great understanding in 2002 but I agree with your sentiment that their peaks didn't overlap.

If they all were playing at club level(although not in their peaks as they are from different generations) I think their understanding and combination play will be up there with the other partnerships. However each 3 of them has one of the highest profiles in the game so would've been impossible to combine them in one team at a time.
 
Poor Roma have really been on the end of some European stuffings haven't they. I mean if it isn't Messi, Suarez and Neymar this week, it's Alan Smith, Carrick and Evra last time...
 
They actually look even more fluid than last season which you would probably expect with Suarez taking a season to adapt to his new environment and young Neymar naturally maturing and improving individually. Last season it was a bit more mechanical, i. e. Messi playmaking and Neymar scoring. Now Neymar also participates a lot more in creative and combinational duties and what you get as a result is that goal for the 2-0 (first video). I'm in awe.
 
diarm said:
Poor Roma have really been on the end of some European stuffings haven't they. I mean if it isn't Messi, Suarez and Neymar this week, it's Alan Smith, Carrick and Evra last time...
Click to expand...

Off topic here but Roma can't have any complaints tonight, the way they set up was as though they'd never watched this Barca team play before. You don't give that front line 1/3rd of the pitch to move into by setting up your back line as high as they did. It's just madness.
 
diarm said:
Poor Roma have really been on the end of some European stuffings haven't they. I mean if it isn't Messi, Suarez and Neymar this week, it's Alan Smith, Carrick and Evra last time...
Click to expand...

Would you happen to be referring to the Argentinian Alan Smith?
 
Cait Sith said:
They actually look even more fluid than last season which you would probably expect with Suarez taking a season to adapt to his new environment and young Neymar naturally maturing and improving individually. Last season it was a bit more mechanical, i. e. Messi playmaking and Neymar scoring. Now Neymar also participates a lot more in creative and combinational duties and what you get as a result is that goal for the 2-0 (first video). I'm in awe.
Click to expand...

Agreed.

The amazing part to me is how much fun they have when playing together. You can really tell they love playing with each other. Amazing to be honest. Egos of each player not getting in the way at all. I mean Messi had a hat-trick chance today, but he let Neymar take the pen.
 
Pexbo said:
Or he's changed his mind now he's recognised the space it affords him.
Click to expand...
Xavi had to change a lot of minds last season. He lessened the friction between Luis Enrique's orders and the players willingness to follow them.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.