Scotlands last genuine world class player?

[Iabella Duke]

38 minutes ago, AsimButtHitsASix said:

Well, yeah, world class is a synonym for elite. If you aren't part of the elite then you aren't world class.

Also noticed The Guardian's top 100 players that just came out doesn't feature Robertson but has a handful of left backs in it shows that, for most folk, he's not in the top 3 left backs in the world.

He's left back for the league leaders of the richest league in the world.

That makes him world class.

[AsimButtHitsASix]

Last time Liverpool were top of the league at Christmas they had Jon Flanagan at left back. They won the Champions League with Djimi Traore at left back. Were Christian Fuchs and Danny Simpson world class when they won the richest league in the world?

What drivel.

Very few teams have world class players throughout their starting XI even if you do have a wide definition of what makes someone world class. It's possible for clubs to have weaker players who can either do a specific job set out for them or have enough quality around them to cover their deficiencies. 

We've obviously got a skewed view of Andy Robertson, as good a player as he clearly is, in Scotland and you could argue that the fact he doesn't play for a bigger nation means his stock outside of the UK & Ireland isn't as high as guys like Alba or Marcelo so deserves greater acknowledgement from people outwith our shores, but, worldwide, he doesn't even seem to be viewed as one of the 100 best players in the world.

[MarkoRaj]

5 hours ago, AsimButtHitsASix said:

Well, yeah, world class is a synonym for elite. If you aren't part of the elite then you aren't world class.

Also noticed The Guardian's top 100 players that just came out doesn't feature Robertson but has a handful of left backs in it shows that, for most folk, he's not in the top 3 left backs in the world.

World class isn't a synonym for in the top 23 in the world in all positions though 

[AsimButtHitsASix]

3 hours ago, MarkoRaj said:

World class isn't a synonym for in the top 23 in the world in all positions though 

True. That's just my own personal take on the definition of World Class but ye need to cut it off somewhere otherwise any player who's "pretty good" gets lumped in as World Class

[Monkey Tennis]

50 minutes ago, AsimButtHitsASix said:

True. That's just my own personal take on the definition of World Class but ye need to cut it off somewhere otherwise any player who's "pretty good" gets lumped in as World Class

Totally this.

Robertson is clearly operating at a higher level than any Scot has for a while.

Calling him 'world class' on the back of that however, betrays a towering neediness.  He won't be considered as one of the current greats of the game, anywhere outside Scotland.

[MarkoRaj]

He's better than Kieran Trippier imo

[velo army]

1 hour ago, Monkey Tennis said:

Totally this.

Robertson is clearly operating at a higher level than any Scot has for a while.

Calling him 'world class' on the back of that however, betrays a towering neediness.  He won't be considered as one of the current greats of the game, anywhere outside Scotland.

Towering neediness is a great phrase. I think there is a need from Scotland fans (this one, at least) to have a wonderful player who changes games and gets you off your seat (Faddy certainly had this quality, but only showed it in Scotland games, so won't qualify as World Class), someone to be proud of.

It would be pish, I think, if our "player of a generation" was a bloody left back though. Easily nullified and easily bypassed. I'll await my Andrea Pirlo thank you very much.

[craigkillie]

12 hours ago, AsimButtHitsASix said:

Well, yeah, world class is a synonym for elite. If you aren't part of the elite then you aren't world class.

Also noticed The Guardian's top 100 players that just came out doesn't feature Robertson but has a handful of left backs in it shows that, for most folk, he's not in the top 3 left backs in the world.

 

It shows that, for the people who voted on the Guardian's list, he isn't in the top 100 in the world. FourFourTwo had him at 67th in their very similar list.

[AsimButtHitsASix]

Who was doing the voting for FourFourTwo out of interest?

The Graun will release their full voting lists today so we'll see where he ended up as he was in the long list of 500. I think he'll be bubbling just under the top 100.

[Gordopolis]

He's better than Kieran Trippier imo

That's the thing that stuck in my craw. Trippier and the one with the massive heid from Leicester. Good? Yeah. Any better than Robertson? Nope.

[forameus]

28 minutes ago, Gordopolis said:

12 hours ago, MarkoRaj said:

He's better than Kieran Trippier imo

That's the thing that stuck in my craw. Trippier and the one with the massive heid from Leicester. Good? Yeah. Any better than Robertson? Nope.

But...but...he was pictured on an inflatable unicorn in a pool!

Spoiler

 

Edited December 21, 2018 by forameus

[davidmcc]

Not saying Robertson is world class but as a comparator the Guardian top 100 so far looks highly dubious IMO.

[MarkoRaj]

There you go then. Definitive proof.

How many Scots have appeared in the Four four two top 100 list in the 12 years it's been on the go? Just Fletcher?

[MarkoRaj]

"towering neediness" is Scottish cringe at its best. It's patently obvious that Robertson is an outstanding player, there's no reason not to celebrate that. 

Pathetic need to put people down for any hint of wanting Scottish players to do well and be recognised for it

[AsimButtHitsASix]

For anyone interested Robertson came 118th on the Guardian poll. About 10% of the judges gave him a vote as one of the world's top 40 players and his best result was someone who thought he was the 18th best player in the world.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1TNK0kOMMV32xtanrDNdiZeRDFMbxBLoZ0POl22BQwwI/edit#gid=3

[Guest]

Not really been keeping up with this, but Paul Lambert & John Collins would have to be on my list and Andy Robertson would definitely have to be quoted at the moment as he's widely regarded as one of the best LB's in Europe currently.

Obviously it's all pretty subjective.

[eez-eh]

On 20/12/2018 at 13:07, Iabella Duke said:

He's left back for the league leaders of the richest league in the world.

That makes him world class.

I feel this post confirms my recent findings in the Scotland v Israel thread.

[MarkoRaj]

2 hours ago, AsimButtHitsASix said:

For anyone interested Robertson came 118th on the Guardian poll. About 10% of the judges gave him a vote as one of the world's top 40 players and his best result was someone who thought he was the 18th best player in the world.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1TNK0kOMMV32xtanrDNdiZeRDFMbxBLoZ0POl22BQwwI/edit#gid=3

Hard to take it seriously when you look at individual choices. 13 people didn't have Kevin De Bruyne in the top 40, one didn't have Ronaldo and one had Harry Kane as number 1!

[forameus]

I'm not sure why anyone takes any of these kinds of things seriously.  In a team game, individual player awards rarely hold much weight outwith of their own personal achievement.  Not sure why people get so absolutely seething when they're big pal doesn't get the spot they deserve.  The histrionics around the Ballon D'Or this year being a shining example.

[Guest]

Messi and Ronaldo have stuck out as the two genuinely world class players of their generation, with the likes of Iniesta not far behind, however once we dig a little deeper I'd say everyone else is pretty much of a muchness.

The standard of player is deteriorating as far as I can see, I did have very high hopes for Paulo Dybala but he doesn't seem to have improved much in the past 24 months and the fact that a 33 year old Modric picked up this years Balon d'or speaks volumes of the current crop of player as far as I see it.

Don't get me wrong, there's lots of good and some very good players out there, however consistent performers at the very highest level appear very few and far between........