World Class

[Rosco]

A phrase used so much it has lost all meaning it ever had.

"Luis Suarez is world class" - it's almost a cliche at this stage. 8 league goals is all he has scored.
Is that the standard now for world class ?

Walcott, Helguson, Sturridge, Graham, Odemwingie, Holt, Adebayor, Balotelli and Dzeko have all scored either the same or more than Suarez this season - so how do you describe them ?

And what about the players that are doing much better like Yakubu, with double the amount of league goals playing in a relegation battling side ? Ba and Dempsey both have 16 too.

And how then do you describe RVP, Aguero and Rooney who are all in the 20's in league goals?

And what about Ronaldo and Messi who score almost a goal a game, how do we describe them ?

 

[OLD_Lewy]

he's a world class creator, below par finisher.

next

 

[RedZeppelin III]

is your issue with the fact the term 'world class' is used too easily in football today or that suarez isn't as good as people think ?

 

[Rosco]

is your issue with the fact the term 'world class' is used too easily in football today or that suarez isn't as good as people think ?

Both

 

[dmishra]

Ross, correct me, but weren't you vehemently against using stats to judge players at one point of time? Just curious, I'm not taking part in this debate just yet though.

 

[Hansern]

I'd say he's a world class forward

 

[spider-Neil]

suarez has had a poor season by his standards, anyone who says otherwise is deluding themselves. his return for this season is poor, then the return of the entire attack is poor. from an attacking point of view this season has been a disaster and the only attacking players that can hold their head high is bellamy and maxi given their respective goals to games ratio.

 

[RedZeppelin III]

Both

well then everyone knows 'world class' is used too "loosely" these days . In my opinion it should only be used for the likes of Messi, both Ronaldos , Zidane , maldini, van basten etc . Suarez is "very good" and if he could score more and fix a few of the small flaws he has he'd be "excellent " . He'd then need to do that for a while before he could be considered 'world class'.

 

[peterhague]

well then everyone knows 'world class' is used too "loosely" these days . In my opinion it should only be used for the likes of Messi, both Ronaldos , Zidane , maldini, van basten etc . Suarez is "very good" and if he could score more and fix a few of the small flaws he has he'd be "excellent " . He'd then need to do that for a while before he could be considered 'world class'.

For me the clue to the definition of a 'world class' player is kind of in the name: world class, ie capable of standing comparison with the best in the world. There are probably 50-100 such players at any time, I'd have thought, very roughly.

I'd put Suarez a notch below that level because he just has too many faults in his game, despite how outrageously good he can be at times. He's not a super-effective player like Rooney or Henry or Gerrard.

 

[LeTallecWiz]

Judging a player on a poor season with a team that has struggled to do anything is harsh. You should let go of the vendetta and enjoy one of the world's brightest talents playing for your club. There's a reason he's linked with Real, Barca, Juve etc - it's not because he's as good as Gary Holt or Theo Walcott.

 

[Hansern]

Not that I dont agree with you Neil, cause I do, and Suarez should have had 5-7 more goals in the league. But he has 14 in 34 in all comps, and that is alright.

He'll be even better with some more talented players next to him.

 

[Red Mullet]

Solar class?

 

[Judge Jules]

Not that I dont agree with you Neil, cause I do, and Suarez should have had 5-7 more goals in the league. But he has 14 in 34 in all comps, and that is alright.

He'll be even better with some more talented players next to him.

Well, I disagree with him. Even for a forward player, goals are not the only criterion. Nobody's saying Suarez is the perfect player, but the idea that he's "had a poor season" is nuts.

 

[Woland]

Suarez was awesome today. If he wasn't surrounded by shite that might be more obvious but he is world class. Imagine him next to Torres when he was good. We'd dick everyone on the planet.

 

[keniget]

Suarez was awesome today. If he wasn't surrounded by shite that might be more obvious but he is world class. Imagine him next to Torres when he was good. We'd dick everyone on the planet.

Yup. He'd look great at a top club like United and would score loads more goals without as much pressure on his shoulders.

His record for Uruguay is 1 in 2, he had a great record in Holland and generally speaking hese days he's often the sole source of inspiration in a fairly insipid team. So he doesn't score as many as he should or he tries to do a little bit too much.

 

[Fabio]

Our reliance on him is a bit shocking tbh. Considering what we've spent

 

[Sunny]

Suarez is boss. Anyone who says otherwise is a big fat baldy wobbly bell end

 

[mark1975]

I don't know why you have this thing about big players Ross, you always seem ready to rip into them, you've never come across as Gerrard's biggest fan either. He's not a goalscorer, I said that when he joined, people said he'd push on and score more, I said you only have to watch him play to see he's not clinical. He's capable of creating and scoring out of nothing, but give him a one on one and he's hit and miss. That doesn't detract from the fact he's a top player and an absolute handful, I think you're just expecting too much of him, he can't do it in every game and he's surrounded by lesser players. Put him upfront with Aguero and co for City and he'd be fantastic and much more appreciated.

I think someone said in the match thread, it's simple, we need a finisher. That's when we'd reap the rewards of his work.

 

[Rouge Penguin]

Nice stats, how many of those were banned and injured.

 

[King Binny]

Luis Suarez at 25 now vs. RVP at 25 (2008-09 season) then.

League
Ap: 26+2
Gl: 8

Overall
Ap: 36
Gl: 13

 

[Rosco]

Ross, correct me, but weren't you vehemently against using stats to judge players at one point of time? Just curious, I'm not taking part in this debate just yet though.

Vehemently against using assists as a way to judge a player.

 

[Sunny]

Absolutely right. We should judge them by what type of fringe they have. Sideburns are a no-no

 

[Jack D Rips]

He's a 1 in 3 scorer. pretty good I would say. Maybe not world class as a scorer but he's definitely a world class player

 

[Sheik Yerbouti]

If he had a proper striker partnering him up front we'd see his full worth and talent.

 

[Rosco]

If he had a proper striker partnering him up front we'd see his full worth and talent.

If we had a proper striker up front with him that proper striker would be wasted because Suarez would be busy trying to beat everyone before fluffing a shot.

 

[Modo]

Suarez is more of a finisher in the Uruguayan national team, could it be because he's surrounded by better players (midfielders)?

 

[Fabio]

Suarez needs to play with another creative player.

 

[Sheik Yerbouti]

If we had a proper striker up front with him that proper striker would be wasted because Suarez would be busy trying to beat everyone before fluffing a shot.

Maybe Suarez would have more confidence passing to a proper striker.

 

[Sunny]

Suarez needs to play with another creative player.

Pah ! He'd would be wasted with Suarez's constant fluffery.

 

[Jack D Rips]

Yes lets sell him and buy a proper striker who wont then be wasted