For those that saw both live who was better?

This
I’ve been privileged to see them both at their peak.

Colin The King was awesome - a supreme athlete, good on the ground and in the air, great range of passing and a real eye for a goal. He was, and still is, my all time City hero.

I still get shivers down my spine recalling the day he came back from injury (Boxing Day). He came on at half time when the score was nil nil, and despite the fact he could barely run the emotion generated by his return in all the fans and presumably both teams meant that we won 4-0.

Of current players then he had the grace and energy of Fernandinho, the force of Yaya, the “make it happen” gifts of KdB plus more besides.

That being said I think Silva is the most sublime player I have ever seen wearing our colours. He’s crazily brilliant. And, like Colin Bell, he seems to be a really humble, team centred guy and no doubt a manager’s dream player.

If I’m rhapsodising about Colin nearly 50 years on then I hope we have a whole generation of fans younger than me who will tell their own kids and grandkids about how brilliant Dave was.
This is such a good post and captures it brilliantly for me. A poster of Colin was always on my wall. Dave has the best ball control I have ever seen. Both just sublime footballers that gave their career to Manchester City.
 
Bell. No contest. In direct opposition bell would have stopped silva operating, silva could not have stopped bell.
Disagree, Silva is renowned for dropping into pockets of space and being hard to pick up.its a huge part of his game
 
Silva is part of the best City side ever. Not just for silverware but the level that has been maintained season in season out. The great side of the 60s/70s didn’t finish top 4 every year or play at the highest level in Europe.
 
Privileged to have seen both in their prime and they are very different players. Always said, that in any sport, you can only be the best of your generation and Colin Bell was the best 'box to box' midfielder of his generation. In terms of skill, ball retention, passing ability David Silva is the best I've seen in 50 years plus at City. As 'denislawsbackheel' rightly said, with todays advancements in fitness, diet, training etc. and Pep as his coach, the prospect of just how good Colin Bell would be is mouthwatering.
 
If Silva scored more goals he would edge it by a whisker. I have seen both play, both different players but both vitally important to the team.
 
This

This is such a good post and captures it brilliantly for me. A poster of Colin was always on my wall. Dave has the best ball control I have ever seen. Both just sublime footballers that gave their career to Manchester City.

I couldn't agree more - this captures it perfectly. In his time, there's no player I'd rather have seen than King Colin. Now, the same can be said of David Silva. His performances in the last 2 games alone - and it was only 20 minutes against Napoli - were incredible. I think he's raised his game higher since getting the armband regularly.

We are SO spoiled at the moment it's unbelievable!
 
Football has changed so much in 50 years ,but Colin Bell would be just as good a player in the current team as he was in the 60's & 70's , because of his physique , stamina , speed , reading of the game , and his finishing , Merlin would not have endured the football pitches or the physical nature of football 50 years ago , he would have been kicked off the park. If merlin could take his chances and score more goals he would not only would he be the best player ever for city , i think he would be ranked alongside Messi in the current era. But Colin Bell shades it for me because he scored so many goals and was an all rounder , if you asked Bell to play centre half (and i think he did sometimes after his horiffic knee injury) he would do it,and wouldnt let anyone down. Colin the King or Merlin the magician ,just glad i was lucky enough to see both players in their pomp.
 

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