+1. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif) The guy is good, but his hype-to-performance ratio is beyond imagination.

He's the best left back I've ever seen and, easily, the best England player I've ever seen.

Each to their own.

ashley cole overated (IMG:style_emoticons/default/huh.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/huh.gif) define bale then..... cole for me is best LB atleast in England and then the way he handles of field events is amazing

This post has been edited by CrazyMilanFan: Apr 18 2011, 06:30 PM

So, let's try this one:

Casillas
Lahm - Silva - Nesta - Cole
Xavi-Schweinsteiger-Iniesta
Messi-CR
Drogba

You think he's better than Maldini? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/huh.gif)

I think you mean Gareth Bale. Unless you mean English player.

Yeah, that's what I thought about too when I first read Kurt's post. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/innocent.gif) For me I think the 1st spot goes to Paolo, and a distant second is Roberto Carlo. Anyway, the best English players (of recent times, of course) that I would rate would be Beckham, Lampard and Ferdinand in that order.

Terry is a better defender than Ferdinand in my view.

Roberto Carlos was great too, I don't think Cole is at that level.

Probably. But he's a sick basturd. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/mad.gif) And wears slippery boots. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif) But really both are on the same plane, I think that's round about what players can aim to be whose names aren't Maldini and Nesta. I like sliding tackles in my defenders, clean, accurate, sliding tackles that aren't coated in malice.

And this is something most defenders of today lack - they are just plain scared of going on the attack when defending.

Well, it's not easy to pick the right players since I watch some leagues (quite) often but some (quite) rarely, but here it goes:

This season Eto'o really impressed me a lot, I mean, he is one of the best strikers nowadays, carrying a poor Inter this season. Of course, Messi is an easy pick also. David Villa also is one forward that has been impressing me a lot. Xavi and Iniesta are obvious picks. I figure I now need a more defensive midfielder to complete the midfield+attack part. Essien looks like a save choice.

Thiago Silva is really amazing, but Nesta is nowadays not the best central defender anymore like he used to be for many, many, many, many, many, many years. Lúcio also has been a central defender that has impressed me for many years, and I guess nowadays he would be the better pick. Neuer has become a great goalkeeper and has impressed me a lot, while Julio César has made some failures lately. Full-backs are tough to choose. I will go for Maicon, should be the best right-back even though he might not have his best season. Lahm usually is great also.

Et voilà:

I started watching Milan from about 1999 and towards the end he played at CB anyways, not LB. When he did play LB towards the end of his career, it tarnished his reputation in that position a little because he was beyond awful. Cole is the best left back I've ever seen. Maybe he'll get worse, but he rarely ever puts a foot wrong positionall and when he does his pace makes up for it. Going forward he's something else. Lahm is the overrated big name LB, in my opinion. Whenever he plays there he just seems to make mistakes, he's a far better RB.

I have mostly watched Lahm play for his country and for them he always looked good. Not so whenever I watched him play club football.

Cole has never really impressed me personally. I've seen some very good games from him and some average ones but I can't recall a game in which he wowed me. Can't recall a bad game either.

Maldini never was beyond awful, your head is!

Also, Roberto Carlos >>>> A.Cole

reading the bold part, makes me not taking you one bit serious when it comes to left-backs... in those ''beyond awful'' days of Maldini as left-back he was better than Cole ever has been

Yeah I just came back for this... so Kurt you have not seen Maldini at left back in his prime years but what about RC, don't you think he's better than Cole?