LFC - all time top 10 players

[Dreambeliever]

Do any of our current lot get a look in yet?

Obviously you have your Kenny’s Barnes, Souness’s etc and generally speaking the only player from the last 25 years to get in would be Gerrard.

Has it changed now we have won the league and big ears of does this team have to win consistently for a few years before any of them break into the very top bracket of players to play for the club?

 

[StevieM]

Van Dijk maybe - but it’s not exactly a level playing field comparing players 2-3 years into their career Vs players who may have spent the best years of their entire career at Anfield.

Allison, Trent, Salah, Mane are all players who might make it in to the conversation over time - if they stay and consistently play like they have over the previous couple of years for the next 3-4 years.

You could make a case for Andy Robertson being one of our best ever Left Backs - partly because they all been mostly forgettable since Alan Kennedy.

 

[tombrown]

I take that sleight of Bugsy very personally

 

[RedStar]

Van Dijk maybe - but it’s not exactly a level playing field comparing players 2-3 years into their career Vs players who may have spent the best years of their entire career at Anfield.

Allison, Trent, Salah, Mane are all players who might make it in to the conversation over time - if they stay and consistently play like they have over the previous couple of years for the next 3-4 years.

You could make a case for Andy Robertson being one of our best ever Left Backs - partly because they all been mostly forgettable since Alan Kennedy.

VvD is a better player than any defender to play for us in the past. As you say the only real question is over the length of his Liverpool career. Hes never going to match somebody like Hansen in terms of medals but I dont think medals are the only consideration.

Have we had a better right wing/forward than Salah?

 

[MomoWASright]

If Trent does stay here his entire career he has the potential to make top 3 of all time. Depending on success he could eclipse Gerrard and the king.

 

[Modo]

All about longevity.
Ian Rush is deservedly in our top 10 but Suarez is arguably the best striker I've ever seen play for LFC.
Same with Van Dijk.

 

[Holle]

Do any of our current lot get a look in yet?

Obviously you have your Kenny’s Barnes, Souness’s etc and generally speaking the only player from the last 25 years to get in would be Gerrard.

Has it changed now we have won the league and big ears of does this team have to win consistently for a few years before any of them break into the very top bracket of players to play for the club?

I'd love to see how many players you shove into your Top 10.

My guess would be about 14.

 

[StevieM]

I'd love to see how many players you shove into your Top 10.

My guess would be about 14.

And half of them Man Utd players.

 

[MomoWASright]

The other half will be City players.

 

[RedStar]

All about longevity.
Ian Rush is deservedly in our top 10 but Suarez is arguably the best striker I've ever seen play for LFC.
Same with Van Dijk.

In my opinion there are 3 criteria for an all time great, ability, longevity and success. Virgil has won a CL and a league title with Liverpool, that puts him in the mix. Suarez won nothing of significance and didnt stay long enough, he doesnt get near the all time list for me.

 

[Modo]

In my opinion there are 3 criteria for an all time great, ability, longevity and success. Virgil has won a CL and a league title with Liverpool, that puts him in the mix. Suarez won nothing of significance and didnt stay long enough, he doesnt get near the all time list for me.

He won the league cup...
Jokes aside, it's a bit dismissive to look at what he won. We all know that he almost carried us to League title. That's probably the best individual season performance I've seen from a Liverpool player. Van Dijk is playing much better team.

 

[RedStar]

He won the league cup...
Jokes aside, it's a bit dismissive to look at what he won. We all know that he almost carried us to League title. That's probably the best individual season performance I've seen from a Liverpool player. Van Dijk is playing much better team.

As I said, there are 3 criteria. He only meets one of them so for ne hes not in the conversation.

Also this "he nearly won the title single handedly" nonsense needs to stop. He was our best player, but he scored 31 out of the 101 we got. Hardly a 1 man team. We had a phenomenal attack with Suarez, Sturridge, Sterling and Gerrard. For comparison Salah scored 32 out of our 82 goals in 17/18, so from an individual perspective thats alot more impressive.

 

[dantes]

As I said, there are 3 criteria. He only meets one of them so for ne hes not in the conversation.

Also this "he nearly won the title single handedly" nonsense needs to stop. He was our best player, but he scored 31 out of the 101 we got. Hardly a 1 man team. We had a phenomenal attack with Suarez, Sturridge, Sterling and Gerrard. For comparison Salah scored 32 out of our 82 goals in 17/18, so from an individual perspective thats alot more impressive.

Not if you play their goals side by side for a genuine comparison, then you will see that Suarez was a ridiculously better player than Salah.

 

[RedStar]

Not if you play their goals side by side for a genuine comparison, then you will see that Suarez was a ridiculously better player than Salah.

If thats the strongest argument in favour of Suarez as an all time great then its a non runner.

 

[Judge Jules]

In my opinion there are 3 criteria for an all time great, ability, longevity and success. Virgil has won a CL and a league title with Liverpool, that puts him in the mix. Suarez won nothing of significance and didnt stay long enough, he doesnt get near the all time list for me.

Longevity and success are valid criteria for judging a player's career but not, IMHO of course, for judging his intrinsic quality. George Best's career ended far too soon at far too low a level and he never had a chance of doing anything on the international stage, but he was the greatest footballer I've ever seen or ever expect to see. AFAIC individual ability's the only item on your list that constitutes a valid yardstick and by that measure Suarez absolutely does belong on Liverpool's all time list.

 

[dantes]

A good test would be to force yourself to pick a team to win a match, where if it were to lose then you get executed. The players from that team are your all time top 10.

 

[Modo]

A good test would be to force yourself to pick a team to win a match, where if it were to lose then you get executed. The players from that team are your all time top 10.

Alisson

Trent
Van Dijk
Hyypia
Robbo

Mascherano
Alonso/Barnes
Gerrard

Mane
Salah
Suarez

Try me...

I want to have Barnes in there somewhere, maybe for Alonso. But old Barnes wasn't that great. Could left winger Barnes do a job in midfield?

 

[Judge Jules]

I don't think so personally and I'd want him in the side too, plus I'd have to pick the King and Rushy up front, so I wouldn't play 4-3-3.

Clemence

Babbel
Lawrenson
Hansen
Nicol

Callaghan
Gerrard
Souness
Barnes

Dalglish
Rush

Subs: Alisson, (Rob) Jones, Virgil, Sami, Keegan, Beardsley, Suarez - Virgil and Suarez in particular unlucky not to get in the starting eleven, Virgil because the Jocky/Lawrenson combo was pure footballing peaches and cream, Suarez because I'm not playing a front three. Imagine the opposition seeing them coming off the bench though.

 

[Halmeister]

Surely there's been a better right back in our history than Babbel who only played one season? As good as he was that season, he wouldn't make mine. Trent would get in ahead of him as it stands for me, and I'm reluctant to put him in.

 

[Halmeister]

I can't fairly comment on players I haven't seen play, so my XI during my lifetime would be...

Alisson

Trent
Virgil
Carragher (possibly Sami)
Robbo

Mascherano
Alonso
Gerrard

Mane
Suarez
Salah


Loads unlucky to miss out there, particularly attackers. And I'm not sure about that midfield 3 using our current system, but fuck it, that's reading too much into things.

 

[keniget]

The game has moved on so much it's really hard to compare those from different eras.

The speed of thought and execution required now is just on a different level.

In terms of an all-time greatest list you always have to factor in what players have done for the club. We've got a long list of guys that have been around for ages and won loads so it's kinda hard for any of the current lot to make it even if they may merit inclusion on talent.

Klopp has an easier time on the greatest managers list.

 

[Woland]

Going with balance because otherwise it would be nine forwards and VVD. This would beat any side in the history of footy. We don't need a keeper, he'd only be watching

TAA
VVD
Hansen
Robbo
Gerrard
Souness
Molby
Dalglish
Mane
Salah

 

[RedStar]

Longevity and success are valid criteria for judging a player's career but not, IMHO of course, for judging his intrinsic quality. George Best's career ended far too soon at far too low a level and he never had a chance of doing anything on the international stage, but he was the greatest footballer I've ever seen or ever expect to see. AFAIC individual ability's the only item on your list that constitutes a valid yardstick and by that measure Suarez absolutely does belong on Liverpool's all time list.

If you are judging whether a player is one of the 10 best players ever to play for a club you surely have to consider what they contributed to that club and how long they stuck around. What they achieved elsewhere isnt relevant.

Best played 11 seasons in Utds first team (470 appearances), winning 2 leagues and a European Cup. He was also, as you say, one of the most skillful players ever to play the game. He is by any reasonable measure an all time great for that club. His situation is in no way comparible to that of Suarez.

 

[RedStar]

A good test would be to force yourself to pick a team to win a match, where if it were to lose then you get executed. The players from that team are your all time top 10.

Would that be a good test? Or a totally arbitrary one that you have decided upon because it fits your agenda, we should rename the thread "10 players most likely to save you from firing squad" then

 

[StevieM]

Would that be a good test? Or a totally arbitrary one that you have decided upon because it fits your agenda, we should rename the thread "10 players most likely to save you from firing squad" then

It’s Dantes - everything always ends up being like the Red Wedding meets Act 5 Scene 2 of Hamlet - everybody that’s important always dies.

 

[Judge Jules]

Surely there's been a better right back in our history than Babbel who only played one season? As good as he was that season, he wouldn't make mine. Trent would get in ahead of him as it stands for me, and I'm reluctant to put him in.

It's a fair question about Babbel. He gets in my side because at his best (and as I explained to RedStar that's the criterion I go by - to me it doesn't matter one bit that he was around for only one full season) his was the best combination of attacking and defending I've yet seen in a Liverpool RB. If I were picking on defensive skills alone I'd go for Rob Jones, whereas on attacking skills it would indeed be Trent, who'd need to improve his defending to get in my side.

 

[Judge Jules]

If you are judging whether a player is one of the 10 best players ever to play for a club you surely have to consider what they contributed to that club and how long they stuck around. What they achieved elsewhere isnt relevant.

Best played 11 seasons in Utds first team (470 appearances), winning 2 leagues and a European Cup. He was also, as you say, one of the most skillful players ever to play the game. He is by any reasonable measure an all time great for that club. His situation is in no way comparible to that of Suarez.

I respect all of that but I don't agree with it. In my previous post I set out what I see as the difference between judging a player's career and judging his ability, and I stand by that. On the subject of Suarez specifically, I factor his time at Ajax and Barca in as well.

The reason I rank Best as the best ever is that he was more than simply very skilful. In addition to being able to do everything Messi and co.have done since, he could and did also tackle like an earth remover when he had to come deep for the ball. No other player since Best has had such a comprehensive skillset.

 

[StevieM]

It's a fair question about Babbel. He gets in my side because at his best (and as I explained to RedStar that's the criterion I go by - to me it doesn't matter one bit that he was around for only one full season) his was the best combination of attacking and defending I've yet seen in a Liverpool RB. If I were picking on defensive skills alone I'd go for Rob Jones, whereas on attacking skills it would indeed be Trent, who'd need to improve his defending to get in my side.

Surely Steve Nicol gets a shout for RB ahead of Babel?

 

[Whaddapie]

If I'm picking a real team, it's most likely...

Allison (I was slightly too young to see Clemence at his peak)

Lawrenson. Hansen. VVD. Nicol

Mane. Gerrard. Souness. Barnes.

Kenny. Rush.

If I'm picking our best ever 10, regardless of position, it's Kenny, Stevie, Souness, Jockey, Digger, Molby, Rush, Beardsley, Lawrenson, Mane.

 

[Grjt2]

Surely Steve Nicol gets a shout for RB ahead of Babel?

Stevie Nicol was an incredible player, and always gave you reassurance that everything would be okay. Bit of an annoying bell as a pundit now though.