Silva Vs Iniesta

[intheknow!]

Now if you asked most people in World football who is the best Silva or Iniesta, I'm sure they would say Iniesta. Plays for Barca, won everything, first team player for Spain, won all the honours blah blah blah. BUT hang on, wait a minute, check out these stats (inclu his Spain career):

Games(Goals)

Silva

League-232(37), Cups-18(3), Europe-38(7), International-52(13).
Total-340games (60)goals

Iniesta

League-248(25), Cups-35(2), Europe-76(7), International-61(10).
Total-420games (44)goals

Silva has 74 assists in 288 games. Iniesta has 38 assists in 359 games.
(Club games)


League-248(25), Cups-35(2), Europe-76(7), International-61(10).
Total-420(44)

Silva has 74 assists in 288 games. Iniesta has 38 assists in 359 games.
(Club games)

Bearing in mind Silva is 2 years younger, hasn't played with players of Barca's quality and has played 80 games less than Iniesta.

If Silva played for Barca I think he would be held in a much higher regard. Not because everyone loves Barca, just because they and their players have done it all over the years and it's hard to argue with that.

Obviously stats don't tell the whole story.

Silva who played for a fairly poor Valencia side outscores Iniesta in League football, International football and they are equal on European football.

Iniesta might have the medals but hopefully Silva will get them with us!! :-)

 

[TCIB]

It's hard to compair as you say because i always think Iniesta as being half of a team with Xavi. I personally think Silva is better stats or no stats.

 

[alky313]

Rarely doesn't Iniesta get the second to last touch on the ball. He usually supplies the ball that sets up the goal. If your assists counted a statistic like that then maybe you'd have an argument. But Silva is no Iniesta. They are different players. I'd argue that Silva is a classic 10. Iniesta and Xavi are amazing in that they have redefined the attacking midfield roles. One could argue that they'd be nothing without Messi.

It'll be interesting to see how Silva plays in the Messi role at Spain.

 

[Dax777]

Where did you get your stats from

 

[MCFC1993]

You have to bear in mind though that Iniesta has been playing with players similar to him and of his ilk for quite some time, messi, xavi, ronaldinho...who will have took a lot of weight of his shoulders when it comes to assists and goals, its like putting silva in the barca team, he wont set up at many as he does here because they have other players similar doing that job. I'm not going to compare them both, i'll just chuck them both in the World Class category.

 

[TTS]

Yeah, I see your point, but here's the thing: Silva often plays in the 'Messi' role if you like, that drifting no10 who plays in between the lines. Iniesta tends to pick up the ball deeper, drive into that space between midfield and defence, and then pick out another player (often the No10 who's already there!). So people are right when they say that it's often Iniesta who plays the pass before the pass before the goal.

I agree with what I saw as your implied point about not automatically putting Barcelona players on a pedestal simply because they're Barcelona players though.

 

[hidera2]

people are comparing them two almost everywhere! i doubt there will be any conclusion about who's better. both of them are excellent in different ways.

 

[zeven]

currently Silva is the best.

 

[QuickSilva]

i rate silva in the same bracket as xavi and iniesta

i knew he was class at valencia, but he has improved beyond my wildest dreams since he arrived


off to watch the pass to jecko again!!

 

[Rammy Blue]

Never thought I would say this but if I had to choose one of the two I would take Merlin over Iniesta.

They are different kinds of player and I would love to have them both as not much between them but Dave is a legend.