Is Zidane overrated?

Me, I tend to lean towards
attacking midfielders and
'organisers' than forwards
because I've always felt their
job's much harder. I used to play
as a striker myself - a modestly
handy one -, but that only came
about because I didn't have all of
the attributes necessary to fill a
midfield role.
----------

I lean towards the greatest forwards myself. They are charged with making things happen at the point of highest resistance in the pitch. In my lifetime, fat Ronaldo, Messi and C. Ronaldo are the greatest for me. What Messi does on a weekly basis is harder than what Zidane does for me. There are times I think Messi is so brilliant and so freakishly consistent that people become desensitized to the brilliance they come to expect. I remember a goal last season where Suarez brilliantly controlled with his chest and rounded the keeper to score and the media and fans were raving and purring. That's a goal that would be routine for Messi and he scores a similar or better goal like every 3 or so weeks. Even 2 maybe.

I would also rate what Ronaldo does week in, week out higher and more difficult than what Iniesta or Ozil do.

Without the right support
though they start to look mortal.
Without that base behind them
they don't look half the player.
That base was Zidane
Of course players who score the
goals are going to be generally
higher regarded, especially if it is
in the current game.
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Messi and Ronaldo are forwards looking to make things happen up the pitch. Of course they need support. Do you expect them to collect the ball from their keeper, dribble through the entire opposition and score? You make it sound like Zidane played for and carried Stoke and San Marino. The guy played for Juve, Madrid and France with superstar mates. You play well as a midfielder, given the right platform by your team mates the same way forwards need service.

In the Messi/CR debate I'll always lean towards Messi, not because of statistics, but because I think there are more dimensions to his game. Some of the goals he sets up for his team mates are beyond anything CR could even imagine, let along execute.

As far as pure striking capabilities go, I'd go for Ronaldo Naz.

Btw, your above description of what one cannot expect from CR & Messi is what I've often heard Di Stefano used to do - not the dribbling bit, but dropping back into defence and starting off moves he'd often get on the end of at the opposite end. Shame it was A lot of this of course might simply be old-timers waxing lyrical, but it's a pity I never got to watch him so as to judge for myself.

IOAG
talking of another Madrid legend

my grandad went to the England vs Hungary game in 1953 at wembley when Hungary won 6-3 he has maintained ever since that Ferenc Puskas is the greatest player he's ever seen

Yeah, Puskas is another Madrid legend, definitely. Hard to say why from a distance, but Di Stefano's held in higher esteem in Madrid perhaps because career at Madrid was that much longer.

110 COMMENTS?!!!

wow yes, need to make more of these types of articles on the Arsenal board.

thanks to all who participated, this wouldn't have been a success without you.

love all my fans.

112!

Love you very much IOAG. Always a regular in these types of articles of mine. Keep up the good work my brother.

One day an article of mine will have over 200 comments!!!

You deserve it Sainty , the huge effort you put into writing them is so vastly underrated.

Fantastic article, Saint.