The Guardian's 100 best footballers of 2021

[Tugay One Cup]

It’s not mate, I’d say Ederson is brilliant at passing & crucial to our game but not a great shot stopper so is considered behind Allison.

TAA is a pretty ordinary defender to put it mildly but brilliant ball player but is considered better than Walker.

I don't particularly rate Alisson. As far as I'm concerned, Ederson is the better overall player. But that doesn't change the fact that there are better keepers than Ederson.

Kyle Walker's a world class defensive fullback. Alexander-Arnold is a world class attacking fullback. The difference between them on an individual level is that the latter often scores spectacular goals and regularly provides stunning assists to change games for Liverpool and that will put him ahead on these lists because attacking players are almost always given preference. Hence why the best centreback in the world comes in at 14th.

He's not in the team for his defensive abilities. They don't need a Kyle Walker at right back because they've got an unspectacular midfield who work their arses off in order for him to get forward and often take up similar positions to De Bruyne.

He's a brilliant overall player, regardless of how much people want to overplay his defensive inadequacies. And I don't like saying it because he comes across as a ****.

 

[Gorton_Tubster]

It’s not mate, I’d say Ederson is brilliant at passing & crucial to our game but not a great shot stopper so is considered behind Allison.

TAA is a pretty ordinary defender to put it mildly but brilliant ball player but is considered better than Walker.

Terence Trent Darby is realtively no better than Gary Neville. He's in a successful team, they get talked about a lot. Remember, just because the media say so doesnt mean its true, and quite a lot of the time the opposite is true.

I'd actually say Walker with all his experience, knowledge, application AND actually being good, is the best in the world at the moment. And if he played for lfc thats what we would be being told!

 

[Maldeika]

We have 12 of the 100
Bayern 7
Liverpool 8
Chelsea 10

The order isnt that important. We’ve clearly been recognised

I think the order is important.
The orchestrator of that Bayern team are Kimmich and Müller - not Lewy or Neuer. Lewy is a great striker - but it is the others that get him into the scenes. It is Müller that commands the offense - who triggers the moves, who organizes the presses and cheerleads the others to do that - who is the assistant coach on the pitch. And Kimmich that adds to that with his moves and passing - and commanding the rest of them. (Alaba and Boateng had a role in that, too - but this two are the major ones for the team to function).

Oh, yes, it is just the mighty Bundesliga... - and the EPL is soooo much bigger - I know how the perception is but you can only conquer the mountain that you are facing. The team leads the UEFA coefficients and has lost one match since 2019 in the CL - and in that match key players have missed. Only draw was with a C team away against Atletico Madrid.

So rank 28 for the guy that was best assistant of the 5 top leagues in 19/20, 20/21 and leads 21/22 again and rank 18 for the orchestrator just does not seem right for me...

 

[lasereyes]

I wouldn't really get hung up on position names. Doesn't really have much bearing on what happens on the pitch.

Kyle probably wouldn't get into the Liverpool because he's not suited to the way they use their fullbacks and it would just put more creative pressure on their inspirational midfield. Horses for courses.



Probably, but then I don't think that's a bad thing because Trippier is decent in his own right.

No point continuing this clearly. Happy new year

 

[lasereyes]

He's a decent enough player but I can't help but feel this completely over the top praise he's been getting is just the pendulum swinging back the other way after he got over the top criticism in his early Chelsea days.

The Balon d'Or shouts were fucking hysterical.

Correct. Whenever I have watched him, he's made one fuck up or another. Good penalty taker - I'll give him that.

 

[Deleted member 87819]

Can anyone see behind this paywall?

The 30 best players in the Premier League in 2021 - ranked

Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea dominate Telegraph Sport's year-end list - but who comes out on top?

www.telegraph.co.uk

 

[walker_is_faster]

 

[j.cbluelongsight]

Where is maguire England's best defender

 

[Marvin]

The Guardian is the media organisation that above all others has led the smear campaign against Manchester City and yet here we are advertising their article for them!

 

[Deleted member 87819]

I’m curious about the other positions too