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In my opinion, I would say Messi is the best playmaker right now. What about you and why?
I think it'd be hard to look past Gerrard for one man who's indispensable in terms of making a team tick.
I guess it comes down to terminology, but I don't really think of Messi or Ronaldo as playmakers. For me, I'd consider them more as finishers, more adept at finishing moves than setting them up. Ronaldo, in particular, is too keen to hold onto the ball and dribble for goal at every opportunity for me to think of him as a playmaker.
That's why I'd go for Gerrard.
:-)
Just my take on what I'd consider a playmaker really.
A playmaker as the name says it, is somebody who makes plays and makes a difference in a game. The reason I ask you if you consider Cristiano Ronaldo a playmaker is because of Maradona. Maradona was even a better dribbler than Ronaldo and he could finish better too.
The playmaker in Barcelona is Xavi. He controls the pace of the game, the direction of attack and what type of attack it is(counter, set. from the flanks, from the middle etc). Messi does not do these.
It is just a personal view, but I wouldn't think of Messi, Ronaldo or Maradona as playmakers. I'd consider players such as Riquelme, Pirlo, Gerrard, Veron, Xavi (as FeriAts has said) to be more in that role. For me, it would be more about making the play by means of controlling the speed and direction of a move, and how the team as a whole would react accordingly.
:-)
When I think about playmakers, positioning, vision and passing ability, not dribbling or finishing, are the attributes that I'd consider important.
For FeriAts. I have a question for you. Who makes more of a difference Messi or xavi?
Robert, I know what you mean,you are talking about the famous midfield "maestro" and I agree with you. That's a playmaker, but the thing is, there is more than one type of playmaker. For example Maradona, he would drbble and get passed 5 guys and than make a simple pass to an open team mate. For me that is playmaking.
That's a fair enough comment, RR.
:-)
As I say, just comes down to terminology.
Modric is the Croatian and Tottenham midfielder. He was probably Croatia's best player at the Euro's last year, and has been played everywhere across the Spurs midfield line - as the holding player, centrally, wide left, behind the forward(s). He's often compared with Cruyff, although that might have more to do with the fact he looks a lot like Cruyff.
:-)
@Redrebel
I don't subscribe to playmaker is the person who makes a difference theory. This must be evident from what I wrote earlier. Ibrahimovic makes a lot of difference for Inter, do you consider him a playmaker. I am more with Rob here.
Actually to some extent Ibrahimovic can be considered a playmaker. When he played for Juventus and his first years in Inter he played second striker. And he did it very well getting a lot of assists. But, now he plays from winger to striker and really doesn't make that much plays anymore.
