Kinkladze vs Benarbia vs Silva

If you're being honest and objective Silva is the best player, he isn't a World Cup, European Champ and Premier League winner for nothing. He'd walk into any side in world football with the exception of maybe Barcelona. He is consistent and seems to be humble and no trouble to manage.

Benarbia was a great player getting an Indian summer under a manager in Keegan who appreciated his talent and ability. The marriage of him, Keegan, Berkovic and the Championship was a perfect one at the time. Had he been in his early to mid twenties when he joined us you'd probably be looking at a top 10 City player of all time.

Having said all that my heart will always think Kinky was the greatest. As a 11/12 year old boy desperately looking for an idol to look upto, Kinky was the shining light in a sea of shit. I don't care whether you thought he was lazy, didn't cut the mustard elsewhere or was a 'luxury' player as Joe Royle referred to him, When Georgi was on it, no one could touch him.
 
I can't pick between them. We should just consider ourselves lucky to somehow manage to get great players to watch even when we where not very good.
 
Silva I think was the best player and such a wonderful player to watch. Kinky for the way he brought fans to their feet. The whole timing with Oasis and wonderwall. It was as if it was written for him to come to City at that time. Though Ali for me was the most important. He helped drag us out of the First Division and while the years had caught up with him in the second year I think it was fitting he played his last game against Barca at the City of Manchester Stadium opening.

I think all of them have been important for our club as well as wonderful entertainers. I just can't choose between them.
 
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!
 
I loved Benabia and his partnership with Berkovics but it has to be between the other two.

The original question was who was more enjoyable to watch, not who was the best.

In terms of the better player, without argument, Silva. However, in terms of giving the most enjoyment, for me, it will always be Kinkladze.
Having watched since the early 70's, he arrived at a time when we were as poor as we ever had been at that point. He was an occasional shining light in what others have quite rightly referred to as a sea of shite. He would usually do something in a game that made you glad you made the effort to go despite the crap in front of you. And that is why he gave me more enjoyment than Silva.

Silva plays in a better team and plays better for the team. I would never argue against his ability or what he has given to us. His class is there for all to see and what he provides to the team completely outweighs anything Kinkladze provided, but what Kinkladze did was to get me off my seat or make me stare in disbelief, usually at least once, and Silva does not often come in to that category. Thats not a criticism by the way, what any team fighting for trophies needs is what Silva brings, not necessarily what Kinkladze brought.

But fuck me he was fun to watch. And at a time when that was all we had to look forward to.
 
David Silva because of the elite level & era he's playing in. An absolutely wonderful player and modest man. We are truly privileged to watch him every week.

I loved Ali though,just wished I'd seen him at 22. Wenger rated him as one of the best players in the world when he was at Monaco.

Kinky....well we just needed someone during those dark days. Not rated outside of City.
 
Still Kinkladze for me.

I will never forget the cup game against West Ham. After having scored the breathtaking goal to drag us back into the game for the next ten minutes it was like the Kinkladze show and narrowly missed an equaliser after another mazy run. For those ten minutes he literally had the crowd in the palm of his hand as he repeatedly charged at the West Ham defence. It was a prime example of how a crowd can react to the events on the pitch and visa versa. Kinkladze and the fans fed of each other. I suppose my only other memory was the second half against Stoke in the 2nd division to see such unison and the transfer of energy between the crowd and the player and visa versa.

Similarly the game against Leicester in the cup. scored a wonderful goal and then preceded to create goals for Lomas, and Creaney. I will always remember the commentator describing giving him the ball as passing to the 'master quarterback' who then creates chances with a sublime pass.

Then of course the goal against QPR. Verbal abuse of Vinny Jones in the tunnel he then, from kick off, ran straight at the QPR defence beat about 6 players before being fouled on the edge of the box. He then dusted himself down and smashed the resulting free kick into the top corner. All in the first minute and I think before a QPR player had touched the ball.

Silva is silky smooth, a pleasure to watch but he does not provide a bolt of electricity into the crowd Kinkladze could.
 
For all his moments of brilliance Kinkladze went missing if he got clogged early in a game. Silva doesn't do that. And I think Benarbia had more of those brilliant moments than Kinky did - the first game he played against Birmingham, away at Sheffield Wednesday, the back heel to Goater at Gillingham for example. He ran a game more often than Kinky did, too. It's pity we got him late in his career so trying to pick between him and Silva who's in his prime is a tough one. But there should be another little genius playmaker on this list too, one grown closer to home, and that's Bobby Johnstone.
 
I've never seen a single player stand out in a team as much as Kinky did with us. Unbelievably talented and very Messi-like in that he wasn't doing tricks, it was just pure dribbling and the drop of the shoulder.

His career fell apart at Ajax but it was nothing to do with his ability. Wish he joined us now rather than in the 90's.


Silva is the best tho.
 
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