Messi and Ronaldo .... clearly the

[Gamma]

banana skin

[Lazie]

for a starter, who would be better than him at that position? are you saying that playing that position, a player cannot be the best player in the world?

I did say he was the best in that position. Claude's issue is when he played, there were better players around him. Real Madrid had Ronaldo and Zidane. Chelsea had Drogba.

[Gamma]

my point is he made them better ... look what happened in each case when he left? real still had zidane and chelsea still had drogba ....

[Lazie]

my point is he made them better ... look what happened in each case when he left? real still had zidane and chelsea still had drogba ....

Agreed, there isn't another Claude ... the problem Real had was they went out and got more attacking players instead of balancing the thing. In Chelsea's case ... its the same reason Mourinho run leff the EPL ... there was Manchester United.

[Paul Marin]

Did Gamma really say Makelee? He did his job and was probably the best at it, but to be mentioned as best in the world? Naaah dude. He wasn't the best player in the Real Madrid squad and neither was he the best at Chelsea, but he was certainly the best in that position.

The bias against defensive players comes from a footballing press who know nothing about football. Defensive players have a skill that attacking players don't, without it, you don't have a foundation from which to win games. The football establishment just doesn't have the cojones to ever pick a defender over an attacker because goals appeal to the base instincts of the masses - simple. Also, regarding Makelele not being the best in the RM squad...there are a few people "in the know" that seem to disagree with you...

==========

1. Zidane remarked the following after Makelele was sold and Beckham was bought:

Why put another layer of gold paint on the Bentley when you are losing the entire engine?
2. In his autobiography, published in 2006, McManaman described Makelele as the most important and yet least appreciated midfielder at Real.

3. Retired former Real Madrid player and captain Fernando Hierro criticised the club for both Makelele's departure and the manner of his departure, saying:

I think Claude has this kind of gift – he's been the best player in the team for years but people just don't notice him, don't notice what he does. But you ask anyone at Real Madrid during the years we were talking about and they will tell you he was the best player at Real. We all knew, the players all knew he was the most important. The loss of Makélelé was the beginning of the end for Los Galacticos… You can see that it was also the beginning of a new dawn for Chelsea. He was the base, the key and I think he is the same to Chelsea now.

[Za]

can a defender or a defensive player EVER be the best player in the world? if so what would it take?

I don't know how you define best player in the world. If it's by FIFA player of the year awards then you have guys like Cannavaro and Matthaus. The point is
yes, defenders can be best EVER player in the world. A lot of focus is placed on attackers and their goal scoring exploits. But every once in awhile you'll get
a defender that does his role so well, he'll overshadow his contemporaries and even transform the game.

[Paul Marin]

..."poof"

[Paul Marin]

I don't know how you define best player in the world. If it's by FIFA player of the year awards then you have guys like Cannavaro and Matthaus. The point is
yes, defenders can be best EVER player in the world. A lot of focus is placed on attackers and their goal scoring exploits. But every once in awhile you'll get
a defender that does his role so well, he'll overshadow his contemporaries and even transform the game.

If by "defender" you include "defensive midfielders" then hmmmm...like one Claude Makelele perhaps?