Top 5 players in the world right now;

[S E P H]

Salah
Chiesa
Haaland
Lewandowski
Payet

Can't argue against that.

 

[cgf]

I think the phrase you mean is "form is temporary, class is permanent"?

Thank you. I couldn't remember the exact phrase (thus using 's instead of "s) but remembered that it had the inverse meaning to what we say in germany so tried paraphrasing.

 

[Evilo]

I feel like y'all are underrating how much of a difference-maker norwegian-Awoniyi is already. Dortmund plays like hot garbage without him.

Whether we judge on current form or peak ability, Messi is the only player that I think it's clear is better than him right now; everyone else is debatable at best.


As I said, I was putting more weight on class than current form since, as you said, it's only been two months.

But even if I put more value on current form, I don't think I would be able to exclude viking-Taiwo from my top 3.

Can't see anything Haaland does that Benz hasn't done better this season. Especially if you add his amazing NT performances.

 

[Lambo]

Max Kruse



Lionel Messi
Taiwo Awoniyi
Erling Haaland
Kylian Mbappe/Neymar

Heiko Westermann! I always say HW4! For ever!

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Messi
Neymar
Lewandowski
Haaland
Kimmich

 

[Albatros]

Robert Lewandowski
Erling Haaland
Mohamed Salah
Trent Alexander-Arnold
Michail Antonio

 

[Duchene2MacKinnon]

Lmaooo this site is amazing

 

[cgf]

Can't see anything Haaland does that Benz hasn't done better this season. Especially if you add his amazing NT performances.

Haaland's combination of size, speed, & finishing are simply unique, and allow him to decide matches with garbage service. I'm all for making it a top 4 instead of top 3 because Benzema & Salah are playing amazing football as well and very different players to Erling...plus Benz' NT performances are unique amongst this troika...but it's silly to ignore that Haaland does things that nobody else in this sport can.

You really need to watch how hapless BVB is without him to fully appreciate how much he changes a match.

 

[Evilo]

You really need to watch Real then
They're absolutely dismal and Benz is the only reason they score.
The guy has 9+7 in 8 games with Real.
Haaland has 9+3 in 6 games with BVB.
Benzema's NT performance torch Haaland this season.
And let's be honest, Benz is much more of playmaker than Haaland (not a knock on him, few strikers are as good as Benz in that regard).

 

[Evilo]

But that said, as I said before, I'm not saying Benz is the best player in the world because Messi has been that guy for nearly 15 years and will be in my book unless proven otherwise.
But who's had the best start of the season?
I think it's Benz. Then Salah/Lewa/Haaland.
Mbappe and Neymar don't belong so far.
And we're focusing on forwards. I could tell you Verratti, Marquinhos, Mendy, and others deserve a mention. But we all know they're never even considered.

But that's 2 months in.

 

[cgf]

That's fair, I haven't seen Real this season without Benz to compare...but I'm not arguing against Benz, only for Haaland.

And agreed, Kimmich should really win, but we know he won't so why bring that up? ;-)

 

[Evilo]

Yeah Kimmich is the same...

 

[Duchene2MacKinnon]

Benz plays in a shit league though. A rare no team league.

He's clearly better than Haaland right now js.

 

[luiginb]

1. Haaland
2. Salah
3. Mbappe
4. Benzema
5. Kane

 

[robertmac43]

1. Haaland
2. Salah
3. Mbappe
4. Benzema
5. Kane

In what world is Kane 5?

 

[luiginb]

Slow starter, he'll pick up. Also doesn't help to have that team/coach behind him. But he's top 5 in my book, don't get the hate.

 

[cgf]

Slow starter, he'll pick up. Also doesn't help to have that team/coach behind him. But he's top 5 in my book, don't get the hate.

Not sure it's hate to exclude someone from a top 5 list when Messi still exists at the same time that Haaland, Benzema, Salah & Lewandowski are playing as well as they are.

...and if we put more weight on peak performances/ability than the way they've started this season, I'm not sure that helps Harry as much as it does guys like Neymar & Mbappe...

 

[Paulie Gualtieri]

Barely anybody has mentioned midfielders or defenders.

 

[Duchene2MacKinnon]

Not sure it's hate to exclude someone from a top 5 list when Messi still exists at the same time that Haaland, Benzema, Salah & Lewandowski are playing as well as they are.

...and if we put more weight on peak performances/ability than the way they've started this season, I'm not sure that helps Harry as much as it does guys like Neymar & Mbappe...

At this rate I’m just going to put everyone on ignore

 

[Evilo]

At this rate I’m just going to put everyone on ignore

Life changer to have three or four idiots on it tbh.

 

[Duchene2MacKinnon]

Life changer to have three or four idiots on it tbh.

Ya I think I have the same guys tbh. Although I rotate a few others

 

[cgf]

Benz plays in a shit league though. A rare no team league.

He's clearly better than Haaland right now js.

Have I ever talked s*** about La Liga? Did I hold it against Pedri in our discussion of the goldenboy? So why would I hold La Liga against Benz? Especially when he's got the NT performances that nobody else in the sub-Messi tier does.


It's the "clearly" that I have a hard time swallowing. If people prefer Benz's playmaking that's totally fine...and from a personal preference perspective, I do prefer more complete fowards like Benz than guys who are just goal-machines like Haaland...but I just can't get on board with anyone being "clearly better" than Erling right now.

Not when he scores goals like the 4-2 he did to stop our comeback in its tracks...when a frantic BVB-clearance turned into a ridiculous goal just because Haaland had the speed to turn that clearance into a long-pass, the strength/size to fight off a very physical defender while receiving that clearance, and the skill to lob one of the best shot-stoppers in germany perfectly, slipping the ball just inside the crossbar, with his first touch.

If that had been any other player in the world, BVB would not have scored there to kill our momentum & we would have had a great chance of securing the tie.

 

[Jersey Fresh]

Life changer to have three or four idiots on it tbh.

Personally, I'm into reading the idiots. Neverending entertainment. Two in particular that really make it their job.

 

[cgf]

At this rate I’m just going to put everyone on ignore

*shrug* people have wild opinions. That'll happen in any sport, nevermind one where no human could have deep knowledge about every significant league. Most of them are funny or ignorable.


I'm just glad that this forum isn't half old men complaining about how germany "can't produce a real #9 anymore because everyone is so soft", and the other half homers trying to hype any german kid who ever practiced with their club's senior team before turning 22...while b***ing that every german kid isn't guaranteed a starting spot at the senior level & that our youth team doesn't get enough hype, at the same time they claim that they prefer our youth to be under-rated...

 

[AB13]

Messi
Lewandowski
Salah
Ronaldo
Özil