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So, to the fourth in this series of 6 articles looking at the top 60 players in world football and probably the hardest listto select. In researching this list I realised our generation is ble sed with a group offantastic central midfielders and picking just 13 was very difficult. In fact, it proved too difficult and I had to choose 4 honourable mentions instead of just 3. I apologise and hope you will understand the difficulty. Thank you and pleaseenjoy, comment, discu s, vent your outrage at my selections and read the next article on the top 10 wingers and attacking midfielders; another rather tasty one I think you might agree. Honourable MentionsPaul Pogba How Manchester United must rue letting him go to Juventus for free back in 2012. Tall, rangy, skillful and majestic, Paul Pogba is the stand-out young player in the world right now. Standing out is something he seems to enjoy as well, with blonde highlights, flashy boots and outrageous pieces of skill on the pitch he has the attributes to back up his confidence. Becoming more and more vital for Juventus as he improves and Pirlo Stanley Johnson Jersey begins to fade he doesnt quite seem to fit what we expect from centre-midfielders nowadays and yet it all comes together perfectly. Just months aftersigning he said Juve can help me to realise my dream of becoming the best player in the world, ifhe continues as he is he mightbe right.Desperately unlucky not to make the top 10 this year, butby next yeardont be surprised to seePaul the Octopus in thetop 5.Ilkay Gundogan Injury has hampered the startling progre s of this graceful deep-lying playmaker in the past 12 months but he is still greatly admired (and scouted) by lots of the big clubs and football experts acro s Europes big leagues. Emerged at the perfect time to replace Dortmunds determined captain Sebastian Kehl and his fantastic pre-injury performances as Dortmunds anchor lead to huge interest from the 2 big teams in Spain and Bayern, as well as numerous top English Elfrid Payton Jersey clubs. Injury kept him out of Germanys World Cup winning squad but expect a resurgence in his performances and thus, the interest in him.Xabi Alonso Couldnt be forgotten after years of string-pulling for Spain and Liverpool then Real Madrid. Never seems to break sweat and yet effortle sly sets the rhythm like a metronome for club and country. Now 32, will still be crucial for Madrid despite the arrival of fellow playmaker Toni Kroos. Effortle sly stylish and composed on and off the pitch, he is the type of player we all wish England could produce one day. And no,Steven Gerrard is not the same.Aaron Ramsey An outstanding 12 months for the Welshman left many Arsenal fans wondering what might have been. Drives from midfield with fantastic energy whilst also displaying composure and technique with his pa sing and playmaking. Added goals to his game this season, scoring 10 in just 23 appearances. Came back frominjury in timeto score the winner in the FA Cup finaland end Arsenals9 year trophy drought in extra-time. His absence coincided with Arsenal falling away from the title challenge they led for so long. A fit Ramsey could be Arsenals greatest signing next season.10. Andrea Pirlo Juventus and Italy 35 A player you cant help but just enjoy to watch, (something many of his opponentshave found over the years), even for the great Pirlo, 35 seems liketheautumnof his career.In his latteryears, Pirlo has refined and nuanced his gamealmostaswell as his beard and arguably reached his peakat the age of about 33 or 34. Without any realphysical attributes such as strength, height or tackling, it is remarkable that Pirlo Wenyen Gabriel Jersey can be deployed so succe sfully as a holding midfield player. What he lacks in physique he more than makes up for in technique however, boasting arguably the best pa sing range in the game, fantastic control and and a creativity and vision unrivalled by almost everyone else. As if that wasnt enough, he is a set-piece specialist and can also bash in some long-rangers whilst also looking like he just got out of bed. DespiteItalys disappointingWorld Cup, Pirlostill managed to againrip England apart with his pa singand vision. Signed offfrom international duty at the end of the tournament on 112 caps,leaving him joint fourth on Italy all-time appearances list.A modern football icon, who any young playmakers should watch and marvel at.9. Cesc Fabregaes Chelsea and Spain 27 After 3 moderately succe sful seasons back home with Barca, Fabregaes has re-joined the Premier League rosterwith Chelsea and Jose Mourinho. The Special One himself said it took him just 20 minutes to convince Fabregaes to join Chelsea over Arsenal, who had first option on him; we will see if the choice will be vindicated. Versatile enough to play about 4 different positions, Fabregaes is best in the centre of midfield where he can not only pull the strings and orchestrate play but can also burst forward into the box to score goals. Was starting to regain form under Tata Martino but was once again in and out of the side in the run-in, facing competition from the likes of Busquets, Iniesta and Xavi. The 30 million Chelsea paid for him may turn out to be a bargain due to his Premier League experience, creativity and goalscoring. Once quoted as saying something along the lines of if you ever see me in a Chelsea shirt you have permi sion to shoot me, Im sure not too many Blues fans would care should he help them lift the title. Should blo som alongside a Matic or Mikel in Chelseas 4-2-3-1 formation and may well turn out to be the signing of the summer ifhe can once again light up the Premier League.8. Xavi Barcelona and Spain 34 Perhaps one of the biggest and most difficult to answer questions in world football right now is: how are Spain and Barca going to cope without their talismanic centre-piece Xavi? Well, if Barcas disappointing season and Spains dire defence Will Magnay Jersey of their World Cup crown are anything to go by, the answer is: not too well. A man who has pretty much defined and created a style and philosophy so succesful, it is now replicated worldwide and has won so many trophies its too difficult to count. Although there were the Me sis and Iniestas that would win thegames for the two great sides of the past 6 or 7 years there was always Xavi who make things happen and provide the chances needed for the superstars to work. It is often said that Me si wouldnt be nearly as good without Xaviesta (as Xavi and Iniesta have become known collectively) but to be quite honest Barcelona andSpainwouldntbe nearly as goodwithout Xavi alone, as shown in the past year with Xavis advancing age making it difficult for him to have the same impact he always has. So difficult, yet so wonderfully simple.Of course, everyone knows Xavi is Rawle Alkins Jersey the best pa ser in the world, but theres more to his game than that. He has great vision, expert control and can also shoot well when he needs to; Xavi is by no means a one trap pony. Undoubtedly the embodiment of a generation and one of the greatest midfielders of all time, Xavi is just starting to fade as his fitne s and mobility falter, as shown at Barca recently. Ivan Rakitic looks destined to replace him but is the task too difficult? After all, the likes of Thiago Alcantara and Cesc Fabregaes have both moved on having been labelled as the new Xavi.The question Barca and Spain are asking right now is: can anyone replace Xavi?7. Luka Modri Real Madrid and Croatia 28 He took time to settle, but now Luka Modri has become the player Real Madrid always hoped he would turn into when they signed him for 33 million fromTottenhamback in 2012. Now as much a defensive midfielder as anything else under Carlo Ancelotti, he allows the so-called Galacticos attackersto play and at
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Posted at 2024-1-9 13:34:45
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