Kinkladze vs Benarbia vs Silva

[ninjamonkey]

Agree that Silva is the best player City have ever had. It's criminal how he's barely mentioned by media/ fans from other team when talking about the very best. Nobody bar the obvious 2 standout as being better, He's the complete playmaker and it's a shame our lack of movement is stifling him a bit this season. Having said all that, Kinkladze was my hero as a kid, he was genuinely worth the admission fee alone, and he was the one response us city fans in school had to all the City bashing from the glory hunting united fans,

 

[Trautmannesque]

In terms of sheer excitement Gio is the only one of the 3 who you felt could beat all 10 of the opposition in 1 run- many times he certainly got past 4/5/6. Anyone who was at Gigg Lane when he won a penalty for us check out the run he made on YouTube or of course the Soton goal and the classic Gio videos. Of course I love watching David and loved Ali B - which football fan wouldn't but they tend to run or dictate games with little bits of luxury thrown in with nearly every touch- but Gio was the firecracker. The best natural talent running with a ball I have seen at City in 43 years. Check on the bids his pace with the ball from a standing start.
I'm not sure how many of his critics would care to show a bit of empathy for the poor lad? He came from war torn Tiblisi and was dreadfully homesick he even got his Mum to come over and live with him. Carlos Tevez notoriously came from the dirt poor slums but he had an agent who for good or bad was there to guide and support him- Georgi had his Mim for a bit. Do his critics understand what chaos City were in under first Ball and then the 5 managers in. a season. Stockport away, Eddie McGoldrick and GED Brannan?!!!! And Gio was lazy!!!!! So he was supposed to defend, win the ball back and then beat 6 men? To say he is lazy shows a non understanding of the game- same as people with YaYa. Of course he's not going to work as hard as Paul Dickov or Jeff Whitley - neither does David Silva! How many ball winning tackles does David make or how many 50 yard runs tracking back to block someone does he do? Of course he doesn't because that takes away from what he is brilliant at - you would be insane to call David lazy as he works his bollocks off every game in his own way to influence it. Yet Gio is termed lazy!
Oh and if he was so good how come City got relegated? Another old chestnut. So George Best was crap because NI never did anything, oh and King Colin was crap because at his peak (70-76) England couldn't even qualify for a major championship in 74 , 76 or 78(I know he had been injured). Football is a Team game. How come David was not that good when YaYa and Nasri were both out- because It's a team game!!!!!
I think with the players we have now ( and a sensible manager) Gio would turn this team into dynamite with David and YaYa creating the situations- how are you going to mark him- for goodness sake he can hurt you from just outside his own box?
I feel very strongly about this as I love a lot of our past and current players but Gio should have been a world star and wasn't partly because like a lot of us he has his weaknesses but mostly down to circumstance but I can't ever forget what he did for us and those runs and bridge rays of sunshine through very gloomy skies
All the best

I'm in this camp too. I think Silva is our best ever player and that Gio should've been a world star elsewhere.

He could and should have left when we got relegated the first time after an unbelievable first season. He showed loyalty to the fans who loved him and his career then nosedived for reasons that are now well documented. By the time he eventually left, he was a shadow of his forner self.

The fact that some of those same fans dismiss him out of hand pisses me off no end.



He should

 

[crmcfc]

Lets puts this Kinkladze myth to bed.

He played for City 106 times scoring 20 goals (37 games and 4 goals in top division) he was one of the reasons for the relegations over that period.

He was lazy and overweight but because we were so desperate for a hero at that time in our history he was put on a pedestal by a lot of City fans. He had no more than 10 decent games for City in his career, fans think he did the Southampton goal every other game, he went AWOL when he was really needed.

Lasted just 12 games at Ajax after leaving City and then floundered at Derby County for a few seasons.

To mention him in the same breath as Silva is an insult to anyone involved or supporting City.

 

[LadislavMplmx]

Lets puts this Kinkladze myth to bed.

He played for City 106 times scoring 20 goals (37 games and 4 goals in top division) he was one of the reasons for the relegations over that period.

He was lazy and overweight but because we were so desperate for a hero at that time in our history he was put on a pedestal by a lot of City fans. He had no more than 10 decent games for City in his career, fans think he did the Southampton goal every other game, he went AWOL when he was really needed.

Lasted just 12 games at Ajax after leaving City and then floundered at Derby County for a few seasons.

To mention him in the same breath as Silva is an insult to anyone involved or supporting City.

pretty much this^^^^what some of you need to realise is fans of other teams look at these boards...these comparisons to Messi are embarrassing lads

 

[geoff hammond]

Lets puts this Kinkladze myth to bed.

He played for City 106 times scoring 20 goals (37 games and 4 goals in top division) he was one of the reasons for the relegations over that period.

He was lazy and overweight but because we were so desperate for a hero at that time in our history he was put on a pedestal by a lot of City fans. He had no more than 10 decent games for City in his career, fans think he did the Southampton goal every other game, he went AWOL when he was really needed.

Lasted just 12 games at Ajax after leaving City and then floundered at Derby County for a few seasons.

To mention him in the same breath as Silva is an insult to anyone involved or supporting City.

Its uneven playing field when comparing Kinkladze v Silva.

I would love to see what Kinky could have done playing in a team that spends many games camped on the edge of the opponents box with the likes of Aguero and Yaya to interract with.

Kinky did go missing in some games but he played in poor teams that were mostly on the back foot and and couldnt give him enough possession in the sort of areas that he could hurt opponents.

Silvas greatest asset is his reading of the game in front of him and being able to deliver the ball to players who have made intelligent runs into dangerous places. However even he would have struggled to be effective playing alongside some of the players that kinky had to run out alongside.

Kinkladze however is the best dribbler of a football i have ever seen play for City .

I will never consider the mention of Kinkladze's name an insult

 

[warringtonblue]

Lets puts this Kinkladze myth to bed.

He played for City 106 times scoring 20 goals (37 games and 4 goals in top division) he was one of the reasons for the relegations over that period.

He was lazy and overweight but because we were so desperate for a hero at that time in our history he was put on a pedestal by a lot of City fans. He had no more than 10 decent games for City in his career, fans think he did the Southampton goal every other game, he went AWOL when he was really needed.

Lasted just 12 games at Ajax after leaving City and then floundered at Derby County for a few seasons.

To mention him in the same breath as Silva is an insult to anyone involved or supporting City.

Also,add in the fact that he held the club to ransom,

 

[Plays By Sense Of Smell]

I'm finding it really difficult to split them. Not in terms of talent as such because Silva wins that hands down. Certainly the best player I've seen in a city shirt, and this in a time where we are spoilt!

Benarbia was such a lovely shock. Never heard of him and that first game he turned up (my memory fails me) it was a 'who the fuck is that' moment!

But.. In terms of affection Kinkladze shades it. He was such a ray of light during such a shit time! People on here have questioned his talents but for fucks sake he shared a pitch with Craig Russell!!! I loved him to bits and his affection for the club was there for all to see when he cried when we got relegated. In, arguably, the worse city team ever he shone! And I still reckon he'd slip in to today's team!

It was Birmingham at home, September 2001. He made the kind of passes not seen at Maine Road, at any rate not by anyone in blue, for many a year. There was one little run around from a short corner he worked with someone (Edghill? Horlock?) that took the breath away, It was 3-0 at half time and after the game the Brum manager said he only wished City had signed him one week later.
Mind, no one's picked up on the name I added a few pages above, can you all be too young to remember Bobby Johnstone?

I'm too young, but my grandad (born around the turn of the last century) always said he was his favourite player. Though he never saw beyond 1991, he'd seen pretty much everyone before.

 

[franksinatra]

Lets puts this Kinkladze myth to bed.

He played for City 106 times scoring 20 goals (37 games and 4 goals in top division) he was one of the reasons for the relegations over that period.

He was lazy and overweight but because we were so desperate for a hero at that time in our history he was put on a pedestal by a lot of City fans. He had no more than 10 decent games for City in his career, fans think he did the Southampton goal every other game, he went AWOL when he was really needed.

Lasted just 12 games at Ajax after leaving City and then floundered at Derby County for a few seasons.

To mention him in the same breath as Silva is an insult to anyone involved or supporting City.

Also,add in the fact that he held the club to ransom,

Oh please do tell. I can hardly wait.

 

[franksinatra]

Lets puts this Kinkladze myth to bed.

He played for City 106 times scoring 20 goals (37 games and 4 goals in top division) he was one of the reasons for the relegations over that period.

He was lazy and overweight but because we were so desperate for a hero at that time in our history he was put on a pedestal by a lot of City fans. He had no more than 10 decent games for City in his career, fans think he did the Southampton goal every other game, he went AWOL when he was really needed.

Lasted just 12 games at Ajax after leaving City and then floundered at Derby County for a few seasons.

To mention him in the same breath as Silva is an insult to anyone involved or supporting City.

Its uneven playing field when comparing Kinkladze v Silva.

I would love to see what Kinky could have done playing in a team that spends many games camped on the edge of the opponents box with the likes of Aguero and Yaya to interract with.

Kinky did go missing in some games but he played in poor teams that were mostly on the back foot and and couldnt give him enough possession in the sort of areas that he could hurt opponents.

Silvas greatest asset is his reading of the game in front of him and being able to deliver the ball to players who have made intelligent runs into dangerous places. However even he would have struggled to be effective playing alongside some of the players that kinky had to run out alongside.

Kinkladze however is the best dribbler of a football i have ever seen play for City .

I will never consider the mention of Kinkladze's name an insult

That is a pretty accurate summation of events from that period. Interestingly you only have to look at the number of goals scored between the two periods to see the vast difference in quality of the two teams. Like all offensive players their skillset is based upon the domination of the ball and the ability to create. The kinkladze team of that period neither had a midfield strong enough to impose itself or a striker with the intelligence to create space or make runs to utilise the little mans outstanding talents. Rosler and Quinn were good targetmen but not adept at making runs or creating space.

Sadly the players of that period such as Paul Walsh and Maurizio Gaudino who would have suited KInkladzes game had both left.

The poster above highlighted the fact Kinkladze only scored four premiership goals as a point of reference in his attempt at debunking the KInkladze myth. Similarly David Silva has managed only four goals in two of his seasons with the club, even though the team has scored significantly more than the Kinkladze team, and finished third and second in the league. Based on that stat he must not rate David Silva highly either as Kinkladzes strike rate as a percentage of goals is significantly better. That is not a criticism of Silva it just highlights the stupidity of stats, particularly when considering his role of the player, to solely judge a player.

A player like Kinkladze would have revelled in the freedom enjoyed by creative players in modern football. The continual interchanging of positions and the role of dropping into pockets between the back four and the midfield like we see so often in modern football. Football in 1996 was much more restrictive, with set positions, I cannot even remember wingers playing on the opposite flanks like we see so often today.

It is pretty depressing for me some posters only contribution to the thread has been to criticise Kinkladze. To me this is a thread to remember and reminisce about three fantastic players who have represented the club, yet some have contributed nothing but insults.

Kinkladze I will always consider the most entertaining player I have seen (That was the question in the thread not who is the best) because the art of dribbling and beating an opponent is the part of the game I enjoy the most. However I can fully understand others who consider the awareness and flicks of Ali or the grace and guile of Silva as more enjoyable. It is not about who is right. Personally I feel very grateful to have watched all three.

 

[carlos tevez is a blue]

Benarbia in his prime.
Silva.



















































































































































































































































Kinkladze.