He's been immense over there. One of the best players in La Liga this season while we're struggling to make chances since he left.
Iniesta vs Silva
- Thread starter Lord SInister
- Start date
He's been immense over there. One of the best players in La Liga this season while we're struggling to make chances since he left.
The main difference for me was that Iniesta was far more decisive. I can't see Silva scoring the winning goal at the world cup at minute 116 or killing off Chelsea in additional time. He is the only footballer in history to win the man of the match award in a World Cup Final, a Euro Final and a Champions League Final. That says a lot about the type of player he was.
He 'could' have done it, but he was never on the level of Iniesta. That's not a slight on Silva in any way at all, he was and still is a world class player.
One played with Xavi and Messi and one "only" with Aguero
No, he couldn't have. Even if he were as good as Iniesta - and he wasn't but i think it's closer than a lot of people give him credit for - he quite simply did not have the skillset to replace him. And Spain needed Iniesta's skillset like water in a desert
Iniesta was the Spanish Zidane.
Silva a peak Djorkaeff at best.
Silva a peak Djorkaeff at best.
Iniesta is the superior player but that’s no knock on Silva as Iniesta is simple one of the best ever
Iniesta could do everything Silva did but to a higher level.
I actually rate Silva very highly, no bias involved with the City link, just a fact that Iniesta was incredible.
Could pass and move with the best of them at tika taka, dribble to an exceptional standard, killer passes, important goals, always showed up in big games, unbelievable in his prime.
I always favoured him over Xavi as the player I would love at United.
I actually rate Silva very highly, no bias involved with the City link, just a fact that Iniesta was incredible.
Could pass and move with the best of them at tika taka, dribble to an exceptional standard, killer passes, important goals, always showed up in big games, unbelievable in his prime.
I always favoured him over Xavi as the player I would love at United.
I honestly thought he retired from football
A better thread would be Iniesta vs Zidane/Pirlo. Although I find Zizou to be horribly overrated.
Iniesta compares with the likes of Zidane and Laudrup.
Silva compares with the likes of Hagi, Bergkamp and Zola.
Silva compares with the likes of Hagi, Bergkamp and Zola.
Them's fighting words mate. Bergkamp belongs with the first group.
Iniesta and it isn’t even close.
Iniesta by a smidgen. Gap nowhere near as pronounced as sime claim it to be. Both fantastic players.
Stop it, Iniesta was never Zidane.
Yes, Pirlo as other bloke said is a better comparison.
It's been discussed at length before here and there's certainly enough in it to have the discussion. For me, I'd pick Iniesta over Zidane. Both big game players, but Iniesta the better big game player.
Can we close this? With all due respect it’s Iniesta and it’s not even close.
100% Iniesta
100% Iniesta
No. Xavi compares with Zidane and Laudrup
Iniesta doesn't. Iniesta was never the best player on his team, except for post-Xavi Spain...which did feck all
There's not much between any of those players in terms of individual quality imo, all great players. most of the gaps that start appearing are when you get into comparing team accomplishments and there's always an element of right place/right time for that.
Euro 2012? Iniesta was easily the best player in the tournament and toyed with Italy in the group and final games. Iniesta was a truly incredible player. Euro 2012 is actually an illustration of how much better than Silva he was.
Xavi was a totally different player. It's like comparing apples and oranges. Xavi and Iniesta had different roles in the team. The role Iniesta was far closer to the role of Laudrup or Zidane than Xavi's. To me it doesn't make much sense to compare them. There's no evidence from Xavi's early career that he would've thrived in the advanced role Iniesta played (there's also no evidence for the opposite). Spain's just lucky to have had both.
Not even close.I had read post few days ago who was better Rooney or Berbatov.Do people whach game or just read news.
Silva was a great player for Man City....Iniesta is one of the greatest to ever play the game
Iniesta is next to Zidane. Silva is Mata level.
Not only has it been discussed at length before, I'm fairly sure @RooneyLegend was at the centre of one long discussion on it that prompted him to create an offshoot "Iniesta vs Ribery" thread.
It's more fun than arguing about United though so I say do it again!
Silva is a great player, no doubt about it. Playing a role for Spain is one thing, but having Iniesta’s impact is another.
But this comparison is an insult to Andres Iniesta.
You need new friends.
But this comparison is an insult to Andres Iniesta.
You need new friends.
2012 was Xavi's.
He had a slow start. Spain had a slow start.
Then he stepped up and Spain started playing teams off the park. The midfield dominance won them those titles and he was the by far most important component in that machine.
Barca haven't been the same since his retirement(2015). Their decline started when his age started to show(2012).
Since I never watched much of City I don't know Silva that well. Sure I've seen him play but I don't remember any particular moment unlike a great like Iniesta.
Iniesta put in one of the greatest individual performance I've seen from a player in the 2009 CL final. He tore us to pieces that night and from there he his reputation just grew greater and greater.
I think someone compared it well with the Pokemon comparison. Iniesta - Charizard Silva - Chameleon.
Silva is a great player but we all know Iniesta is on the next level when reviewing both of there respected career's.
Silva is a great player but we all know Iniesta is on the next level when reviewing both of there respected career's.
Iniesta without doubt, if you even watched half of Barca games you’d know it’s him, I still don’t get the Xavi love over him he did so much more. Most underrated midfielder in the world.
Really compared it well?
feck me Pokémon to compare two great footballers.
I don’t know anymore..
Silva was excellent but Iniesta was on a different level altogether.
Can't take you serious considering your downplaying Xavi in your previous post. Maybe you would of been smart enough to know my post was getting to the point that Iniesta is a better player then Silva in my opinion.
Iniesta easily. Silva was brilliant but Iniesta was on another level.
For a while during the peak Pep Barca years, my nickname for Iniesta was 'the real best player in the world'. It's not even a close contest. Like a few have said above, Silva is a Man City great, no doubt, but Iniesta is one of the very best midfielders to ever play the game!
Last edited:
Iniesta would easily be in any all time XI's made up of the GOAT for each position.
Silva would be Class of 92 level. World class player but not a GOAT.
Silva would be Class of 92 level. World class player but not a GOAT.
Both of them often combined well whenever they played together actually.
The thing though is that Iniesta was great while he had Xavi as the main man controlling the midfield, we all saw how Barca and the Spanish midfield started fading as Xavi was fading. On the other hand Silva was the one playing the Xavi role at City, so i'll say he was better at controlling the midfield tempo than Iniesta was.
Silva is better in the final third than Iniesta was (more goals and assist), he's a way better set piece taker and is more versatile.
But Iniesta was a better dribbler, quicker and was more exciting to watch. He also shined in big games, something that Silva rarely did.
With all that been said, i think it way more closer than a lot of people here seem to make it. What might be clouding a lot of people's judgement IMO is that Iniesta was part of (and an integral part) THAT Barca team.
The thing though is that Iniesta was great while he had Xavi as the main man controlling the midfield, we all saw how Barca and the Spanish midfield started fading as Xavi was fading. On the other hand Silva was the one playing the Xavi role at City, so i'll say he was better at controlling the midfield tempo than Iniesta was.
Silva is better in the final third than Iniesta was (more goals and assist), he's a way better set piece taker and is more versatile.
But Iniesta was a better dribbler, quicker and was more exciting to watch. He also shined in big games, something that Silva rarely did.
With all that been said, i think it way more closer than a lot of people here seem to make it. What might be clouding a lot of people's judgement IMO is that Iniesta was part of (and an integral part) THAT Barca team.
It's somewhat unfair on Silva because he didn't really play for peak Barca which is probably the greatest side the world has ever seen, but based on what they showed for their respective clubs / Spain, it has to be Iniesta and it's not even close.
Iniesta. I don’t think you need to question that. Silva is good but Iniesta can be in the category of one of the best in their role. It’s like comparing Giggs to Ronaldo.