Do we have any world-class players?

[Paperino]

Jorginho came third in Ballon d'Or once. AM told me that meant he is world class.

 

[King87]

Kai is verging world-class

 

[Paperino]

I dont know what world class is but the closest we have is probably Saliba and Saka.

 

[Abhishek Arora]

Declan Rice

 

[Farzad]

Kai is verging world-class

Bro he tarnished your legacy, unfairly i think; everyone can be wrong on a player. I would never make a call this dumb and obviously disastrous; i mean this had disaster written all of it from get go. I wouldn’t make call as terrible as Kai but i am blooming genius; unfair to hold you to same standards

 

[Sebastes]

Saliba is world class.

Then Partey, Gabriel and Saka are really good, but not quite wc. Partey probably is wc on ability, but can’t be considered at this point.

Another step down are Øde and Rice.

I don’t see how Martinelli is even in the debate tbh. He might become one day, but has a long way to go imho.

 

[Farzad]

i think Saliba brings it this season and stays fit he can be considered Wc. He still has a small sample size but skill level is all there. He already is one of top 3 or 4 CBs in world and maybe the best

 

[DJ_Markstar]

Depends how you're defining world class, but I think a good barometer is top 5 in the world.

Can anyone name me 5 better right wingers than Saka? or 5 better CBs than Saliba? Rice is in the debate, other than Rodri (which is debatable) who is clearly better than him?

You can make an argument for half the team based on this criteria.

 

[boonthegoon]

Rice and saliba

 

[King87]

Saliba is far and away the best defender in the league though, absolutely world-class footballer imo

 

[Dokaka]

Saliba, Rice and Saka are clear to me, Øde on form is also close but he tends to go into slumps which isn't ideal. Partey on form is also clearly world class but he never plays. Gabriel is also knocking on the door but not quite there IMO.

Definitions vary but mine is "would start for 99.99% teams in the world". Saliba has a genuine argument for the best CB in the world right now, whereas someone like Rice and Saka probably have a player or two in their positions that are better but not enough to disqualify them for being labeled world class.

 

[Paperino]

Rice world class? Only on this forum and in England.

 

[jones]

This thread is so dumb.

We answer his question and then he keeps changing the parameters.

Really it’s the “Debate the definition of world class with OnlyOne” thread ffs.

@OnlyOne is world class at sh*tposting tbf

 

[jones]

Look at his stats in La Liga, he had multiple great seasons.

You're responding to @UpTheGunnerz. Still waiting for his purple patch of consecutive posts that are not absolute condensed garbage

 

[db10_therza]

@OnlyOne is world class at sh*tposting tbf

When he does threads like this they just feel like an alley-oop for @Macho to get bits off his chest tbh

 

[jones]

When he does threads like this they just feel like an alley-oop for @Macho to get bits off his chest tbh

Yeah similar to me after @UpTheGunnerz comes bumbling along to post his drivel. Forlan who won two Pichichi and European Golden Boots, was thoroughly world class for six or so years only to be called a purple patch merchant by AMs memelord

 

[Oxeki]

Kai is verging world-class

A world class virgin, you mean?

 

[Tir Na Nog]

I do still think we need to see some of these guys vs Europe's elite. The real top top teams. Saka, Saliba and Rice are the only three in the conversation currently and even then I just need to see a wee bit more proof.

 

[Lakersgooner24]

None atm, but I'd put Saliba as the closest. Will need to see how the rest of the season pans out though (I want to see how he performs in the CL KO's). The likes of Saka, Rice, and Ode are also the tier below imo. Pretty much need to see how our players do in the CL to properly assess.

I wouldn't consider players from other sides who haven't performed in big CL matches as world class, so only fair to enforce the same criteria for our own players.

Depends how you're defining world class, but I think a good barometer is top 5 in the world.

Can anyone name me 5 better right wingers than Saka? or 5 better CBs than Saliba? Rice is in the debate, other than Rodri (which is debatable) who is clearly better than him?

You can make an argument for half the team based on this criteria.

This is why I think the "world class" discussion is kind of pointless given the criteria would differ per person. I wouldn't consider an arbitrary number like top 3 or top 5 per position as my barometer for world class tbh. It would have to be more of a case by case basis for me.

For example, there's currently a lack of talent up top. Aside from Kane and Haaland, there's not a player I'd unequivocally label as world class. I'm a huge fan of Osimhen, but I wouldn't put him at that level yet, and the likes of Lewy and Benzema are past their primes now. Same goes for positions such as LB, where Davies, Theo, and Robertson are probably the highest profile names atm, but none of whom I'd consider world class.

My point being, I wouldn't want to be obligated to consider a player to be world class just because they got it by default, so to speak. On the flip side, you could also have more than an average number of top players playing the same position who could be "deserving" of that title.

 

[AberGooner]

I don't see many better defenders than Saliba and Gabriel going about, nothing that I'd want to swap them for anyway. Whether that makes them world class I don't know.

Rice as a 6 would be very close to that level for me. Saka has to be considered for his consistency alone. Knock outs of the CL should be a good gauge on where a lot of these are at.