Categories of players. What defines a legend?

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CorporateBlue

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Got into an argument with a blue mate about this and it got me thinking, what is everyone's definition of a legend?
Here's my starter for ten .. (kept it to those since I started going late 70's, although none made it before current success)

Legends: Best part of their career at City, adored by almost everyone, grudgingly respected by other fans
Kompany
Aguero
Silva

Elites: World class while at City for decent period
KDB (expect to move up to legend at some point)
Yaya
Fernandinho

Heroes: Not always the best, but bled blue and loved forever
Zabaleta
SWP

Big contributors: Success wouldn't have been possible without them
Sterling
Walker
Bernado

(dons tin hat)
 
Absolutely anything if you play for the Rags or Dippers
 
Barcon said:
Started going in the 70's and no mention of Bell, Lee, Summerbee, Booth, Doyle, Book, Tuart, Corrigan etc..?
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Was the late 70's, but more like the early 80's.I guess you could add Corrigan and Tueart to the Hero list, as I didn't really see the others play that much..
 
bluemoon32 said:
Hopefully we'll calm down on the fucking statues for a few years
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I know what you’re saying but hopefully not, if Kev does 10 years, carries on playing at this level & wins a CL as well as being captain for a period, you would think he’d be in line for one. Ederson could easily do 10 & win umpteen trophies/golden gloves, what if Haaland does the business ? Phil could end up being the PL’s most decorated player ever, now that would be something….statues are for the player, to be immortalised in that way must feel incredible, I say keep erecting them
 
Was just about to start a similar discussion...well done !! Hmmm...No mention of Bell, Lee, or Summerbee ?? I do see you are from the USA and perhaps are a younger supporter, no offence meant !! Somewhere between George Washington being in the British Army and now...perhaps Oakes, Brook ,Johnson, Doherty and my namesake Bert could also be deemed as legends !!! It needs a proper definition and some kind of time limit perhaps ?? However a very relevant interesting post given the bile from some fans to Raheem. Would not call him a legend, but perhaps as an older chap, could we use the term semi,it does happen ;-)
 
Berts Neck said:
Was just about to start a similar discussion...well done !! Hmmm...No mention of Bell, Lee, or Summerbee ?? I do see you are from the USA and perhaps are a younger supporter, no offence meant !! Somewhere between George Washington being in the British Army and now...perhaps Oakes, Brook ,Johnson, Doherty and my namesake Bert could also be deemed as legends !!! It needs a proper definition and some kind of time limit perhaps ?? However a very relevant interesting post given the bile from some fans to Raheem. Would not call him a legend, but perhaps as an older chap, could we use the term semi,it does happen ;-)
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Not from the USA mate, ended up here. Went to Maine Road from late 70's and had season ticket for 20+ years.
I wish I was a younger supporter!
Never saw Lee or Summerbee live, and only saw Bell in his failed comeback game, so it's more based on who I saw for me.
 
There was a radio programme on Century, and if you rang up you had to call Gary Owen a legend.
 
There are genuine legends (bell, lee, summerbee, Kompany etc). There are other players with legendary status for moments (dickov, goater, tueart).
For me a true legend performs and achieves things over a prolonged period of time. The others have legendary moments but aren’t legends.
 
CorporateBlue said:
Not from the USA mate, ended up here. Went to Maine Road from late 70's and had season ticket for 20+ years.
I wish I was a younger supporter!
Never saw Lee or Summerbee live, and only saw Bell in his failed comeback game, so it's more based on who I saw for me.
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Thanks for the reply..you do make another interesting point though whch I suspect many people agree upon. Legends, seem to be players within a recent period ?? Lucky enough to see the triumvirate. There are some players like Bert who for various reasons transcend Blue history. For me at least, Bert was one such player. Never saw him play but not only was he a great Goalie, but genuinely seemed to wish to atone for what happened in the war and loved the way he was accepted in the NW. Supported England and got an OBE.
Please do no remove me from the forum for this, but I believe his Uncle Wolfgang ;-) bombed a place we all hate..a joke and happy to remove if deemed offensive.
 
Wouldn't disagree with the categories of the OP

But the "Hero" section, since the late 70's.....

You'd have to have Barnes, Corrigan, Lake, White, Uwe, Kinky, Morrison, Weaver, Goater, Dickpv (if only for THAT goal), Horlock, Ali B, SWP, Dunne?? (He was POS for 4 years!!), Tevez

Heroes / cult heroes - surely the above all qualify, plus a few others I've probably missed
 
A legend loves the fans before they love themselves, they stay with the club in their best years and it's not all about achieving.

Colin Bell
Mike Summerbee
Vincent
Silva
Aguero

After that we have some absolute monster players, but if we include every great player it waters the legend tag down IMHO.
 
Legends for me are the players that are truly professional, but the team ahead of themselves, connect with the fans and culture of the club, have a cult status and work hard that the fans can connect to.

This generation that includes David Silva, Kompany, Aguero Zabaleta, KDB and Fernandinho.

Sterling and Yaya were close, exceptional players, but I never truly felt a connection like the ones mentioned before (like they weren't 100% committed)
 
It's an interesting question and very similar to what you define as world class when describing a player. It's all about opinions and there is no right or wrong answer.

My person opinion to be a legend is you have to have ALL the following:-

1) Minimum 300 games (Haaland could score 100 goals in 100 games and win back to back PL and CL but i would not define him as a legend for this club)
2) Fan affection/Song
3) Memorable moment(s)
4) Leave when they are no longer at their peak

Success to me does not come into it otherwise only 3/4 clubs would have legends.

Based on my criteria the likes of Yaya, Aguero, Kompany, Hart, Zabaleta, Silva, KDB, Fernandinho are all legends as are the likes of Dunne, Power, Bell, Lee, Summerbee.

Sterling for example only has number 1, he never had a song (a rehashed Lescott song?), i can't think of any memorable moments, some will say the southampton winner to keep the run going but was that important in the grand scheme of things? And he is leaving to a rival at his peak. He will go down as an elite contributor, just like Walker, Stones, Barry, Nasri, Dzeko, Tueart all will.

Then you have the cult heros like Goater, Dickov, Kinkladze, Rosler,
 
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