Who can we actually class as world class players?

[Didsbury Dave]

That comment widens the discussion nicely. What world class players have City ever had?

Trautman definitely. Bell and Lee maybe. Watson possibly. Kinkladze too I'd say when he was in his prime, his first season.

Can't think of many more candidates to be honest.

 

[Warwickhunt]

World class players do it when the time is right.

Which is why we can honestly say we have nobody at our own club at present, although I believe Hart has the potential in a niche position.

Class is over a period of time, which is why, as much as I hate to admit it, both Scholes and Giggs were world class.

The last truly world class player in this country was Thierry Henry.

Cristiano Ronaldo never did it in World Cup and European Championship finals.

Not read most of the thread but i agree with the above...it's all about over a period of time, maybe not with our opinions but certainly amungst professionals. Charlton, Busby and Ramsey have been noted to wax lyrical about Stiles and his importance (and greatness) to a team (the sport we're on about) to the point where it is said he could read a game and interject into the oppositions play both on a world stage and amungst the finest europe had to offer with aplomb....was little nobby half blind stiles world class?...

Corrigan 4 years before the cessation of his career was world class.

That's a strong statement, i liked corrigan, but never classed him world class.
For me, pat jennings and shilton were the best british keepers at the time.
i assumed being world class means you would get into a world XI at the time, for me, corrigan wouldn't have.

 

[The Fat el Hombre]

Anelka in his prime was probably one of the closest

 

[The Future is Blue]

Yes difficult one that Dave! We have probably all had our favourite players who we think may have been "world class" but I can't remember many City players, if any, featuring in World XI's or coming close to being European Footballer of the Year etc....correct me if I'm wrong. We've had the likes of Deyna, Weah who had done it elsewhere. Colin Bell was most complete player I've seen so obviously a long time ago but maybe, just maybe ,we'll have our next one very soon!

 

[Fat Chance]

Not read most of the thread but i agree with the above...it's all about over a period of time, maybe not with our opinions but certainly amungst professionals. Charlton, Busby and Ramsey have been noted to wax lyrical about Stiles and his importance (and greatness) to a team (the sport we're on about) to the point where it is said he could read a game and interject into the oppositions play both on a world stage and amungst the finest europe had to offer with aplomb....was little nobby half blind stiles world class?...

Corrigan 4 years before the cessation of his career was world class.

That's a strong statement, i liked corrigan, but never classed him world class.
For me, pat jennings and shilton were the best british keepers at the time.
i assumed being world class means you would get into a world XI at the time, for me, corrigan wouldn't have.

You mean you think it's a strong statement, Corrigan did shuff both Shilton & Clemnce aside to acheive international caps (Liverpool or Forrests offerings or the turmoil involved at city done Joe) and almost single handedly kept us in the old first division before we eventually dropped.

 

[Didsbury Dave]

Anelka in his prime was probably one of the closest

Anelka was on the way, and Tevez is. But I don't think either are quite "world class" by my definition - they would get in a world 11.

We've had a few who might have been when younger. Weah, even Stuart Pierce. Definitely Peter Scmiechal.

 

[Warwickhunt]

That's a strong statement, i liked corrigan, but never classed him world class.
For me, pat jennings and shilton were the best british keepers at the time.
i assumed being world class means you would get into a world XI at the time, for me, corrigan wouldn't have.

You mean you think it's a strong statement, Corrigan did shuff both Shilton & Clemnce aside to acheive international caps (Liverpool or Forrests offering or the turmoil involved at city done Joe) and almost single handedly kept us in the old first division before we eventually dropped.

nope, just saying joe was world class when he wasn't was strong.
as for clemence, if he hadn't played for liverpool he wouldn't have been picked for england imo, was never a fan of his.
for joe to get in a world XI, he had to be better than another 2 british keepers in jennings and shilton, which he wasn't.

 

[Fat Chance]

You mean you think it's a strong statement, Corrigan did shuff both Shilton & Clemnce aside to acheive international caps (Liverpool or Forrests offering or the turmoil involved at city done Joe) and almost single handedly kept us in the old first division before we eventually dropped.

nope, just saying joe was world class when he wasn't was strong.
as for clemence, if he hadn't played for liverpool he wouldn't have been picked for england imo, was never a fan of his.
for joe to get in a world XI, he had to be better than another 2 british keepers in jennings and shilton, which he wasn't.

Well whoever picked Corrigan ahead of Shilton did'nt agree with you, Shilton was a numbers man, in his prime he never get his hand in the top corner...what was always suprising about him for my money was the teflon manner he avoided ever touching for blame for anything. I sat all excited and watched the Poland game in '73 to see the prick dive over the slow moving ball, next news he popped up with the parker heel free kick caper and Parker touched for the blame..i bet Maradonna thought he'd touched proper when outjumping a 6ft 1inch goalie allowed to use his hand (feet on the deck the idiot/worlde class me arse).

 

[Warwickhunt]

nope, just saying joe was world class when he wasn't was strong.
as for clemence, if he hadn't played for liverpool he wouldn't have been picked for england imo, was never a fan of his.
for joe to get in a world XI, he had to be better than another 2 british keepers in jennings and shilton, which he wasn't.

Well whoever picked Corrigan ahead of Shilton did'nt agree with you, Shilton was a numbers man, in his prime he never get his hand in the top corner...what was always suprising about him for my money was the teflon manner he avoided ever touching for blame for anything. I sat all excited and watched the Poland game in '73 to see the prick dive over the slow moving ball, next news he popped up with the parker heel free kick caper and Parker touched for the blame..i bet Maradonna thought he'd touched proper when outjumping a 6ft 1inch goalie allowed to use his hand (feet on the deck the idiot/worlde class me arse).

shilton played for england for far too long i agree with that, i always blamed him for the hand of god goal over maradonna, he should never have been beaten in the air.
corrigan still wasn't better than jennings, who imo was the best british keeper around at the time, so wouldn't have started in a world XI. then there's the likes of sepp meier who was a better keeper than joe aswell. any of them 2 or even more would have kept joe out of a world XI in the 70's, i still don't say joe was world class, undoubtedly a good keeper, just not world class.
I always thought joe and shilton should have been fighting for englands no1 jersey, and not shilton and clemence, like i said before, clemence imo was only being picked because he played for liverpool.
I just think when it comes to saying someone was world class, it's said a little too loosely at times.

 

[Fat Chance]

Well whoever picked Corrigan ahead of Shilton did'nt agree with you, Shilton was a numbers man, in his prime he never get his hand in the top corner...what was always suprising about him for my money was the teflon manner he avoided ever touching for blame for anything. I sat all excited and watched the Poland game in '73 to see the prick dive over the slow moving ball, next news he popped up with the parker heel free kick caper and Parker touched for the blame..i bet Maradonna thought he'd touched proper when outjumping a 6ft 1inch goalie allowed to use his hand (feet on the deck the idiot/worlde class me arse).

shilton played for england for far too long i agree with that, i always blamed him for the hand of god goal over maradonna, he should never have been beaten in the air.
corrigan still wasn't better than jennings, who imo was the best british keeper around at the time, so wouldn't have started in a world XI. then there's the likes of sepp meier who was a better keeper than joe aswell. any of them 2 or even more would have kept joe out of a world XI in the 70's, i still don't say joe was world class, undoubtedly a good keeper, just not world class.
I always thought joe and shilton should have been fighting for englands no1 jersey, and not shilton and clemence, like i said before, clemence imo was only being picked because he played for liverpool.
I just think when it comes to saying someone was world class, it's said a little too loosely at times.

Well Mucka it appears you've now got fat Joe down to a possible 4th/5th in line of goalkeepers of his era amungst a crowd of multi nationals. If when Joe turned serious and lost his weight he just so hyperthetically did actual perform at a world class level for a team struggling both on and off the pitch would it be recognised to be so...i doubt it, but that don't mean it ain't so cause i've watched all the keepers your mentioning and Corrigan in that last quarter of his carreer (it seems there is a big truth in bigger people maturing slower) was the match of 'em. Remember the Dutch smashing the Zoffs and Meyers of this world in '74...i doubt very much Corrigan would have been beat from 40 yards in his primetime...his waist went slim, he was big lad and he could get his hand into the inside angle....your oppo Shilton could never do that. Thanks for the chat.