World class players?

[DOMNOLAN]

....Baines was a little maestro but I’d genuinely have him some way behind Pat van de Hauwe even in the Everton reckoning. Van de Hauwe was magnificent at both ends of the pitch playing LB, he had a Rolls Royce engine and won a league winners medal playing most of the season at CB.

Sure he may be down the list in Everton rankings, but at the time he was genuinely world class.

 

[Eggs]

Maldini is quite possibly the best left back ever - that's like saying unless you're as good as, for example Baresi, you're not a world class centre half. I think Baines in his prime would have slotted into any team in the world, so I'd say he was world class.

World Class for Everton? As fairly recent players (in their prime playing forn us or not), I'd go Southall, Gascoigne, Lineker, Kanchelskis, Baines, Etoo, Rooney, (Lukaku I'm still unsure about).

As far as being able to play in any team, Gravesen left us to join arguably the best team in the world (toss up between Madrid and Barca) although I wouldn't call him world class - what does denote a world class player?.

...I put my definition on the first page, which meant a player would walk into any team in the world. Gravesen might have done a job for Real, but it’s not to say he’d be a regular for Brazil or other top international sides at that time.

 

[Eggs]

Sure he may be down the list in Everton rankings, but at the time he was genuinely world class.

...well it is all about opinion.

 

[paulbefc]

Baines and Lukaku in my lifetime. Lukaku was and is a world class slotter that a lot of our fans didn't deserve.

I don't think Rooney was slotting quite enough from 02-04. Had he stayed just one more season I'd include him.

 

[Papa Shango]

Depends on your definition of world class I suppose.

I'm very strict and class it basically as any player who would get regular game time at any club in the world without question.

So in my lifetime, Southall, probably Lineker, Rooney would be on the cusp of that during his time here with us (first time around obviously).

All the other usual suspects are a bit below that I reckon.

 

[catcherintherye]

Rooney was world class, in that between 2004 and 2010 he could have walked into any side in the world. He just didn’t have long enough with us.

Lukaku isn’t world class, but bizarrely there’s probably not a side in the world who wouldn’t take him if he was in top form.

There was a period around 2012 when Baines was easily amongst the 2 or 3 best left backs in the world. Not sure if that would count as world class or not but his peak was right in the gap between Cole declining and the likes of Alaba And Jordi Alba starting out.

It's funny, thats my definition of world class, could get into any side. He has more top division goals than Harry Kane (at the same age) and 52 international goals. I think he's top draw.

Rooney was world class in that he hardly had a weakness. In my time watching Everton Baines at left back for a bit, Kanchelskis probably for a season.

From what people have said, Lineker, Southall, Ball, Lawton, Jones, Parker, Southworth, Alex Sandy Young, Geary etc all world class.

 

[Zatara]

Kanchelskis...Get the feeling people don't like mentioning certain players due to the short periods spent at the club. He was without doubt World class and improved us by about 5 to 6 league places that year. His performance against Sheff Wed away was the best single performance of an Everton player I've seen.

It's funny, thats my definition of world class, could get into any side. He has more top division goals than Harry Kane (at the same age) and 52 international goals. I think he's top draw.

Rooney was world class in that he hardly had a weakness. In my time watching Everton Baines at left back for a bit, Kanchelskis probably for a season.

From what people have said, Lineker, Southall, Ball, Lawton, Jones, Parker, Southworth, Alex Sandy Young, Geary etc all world class.

Kanchelskis would walk into any team at right wing. He was undoubtedly the best player in his position on the planet at the time.

 

[Goat]

Mo Besic.

 

[catcherintherye]

Kanchelskis would walk into any team at right wing. He was undoubtedly the best player in his position on the planet at the time.

Interesting really. Why did United let him go? I agree with you overall, but that does weigh on my mind.

I've just done a little fact check. With Kanchelskis we got 57 points from 32 games. We got 4 from 6 without him. Thats a really high PPG number for him. Had he have played 38 games, at the rate we went with him we score 67/8 points. That season we'd have finished 4th and within 3 of Liverpool in 3rd. I suppose he made a massive difference to the team.

 

[Nyhus]

John Stones was world-class, as was (and is) Romelu Lukaku.

Pienaar too.

 

[roydo]

Interesting really. Why did United let him go?

You dont recall the rumours? Rumours that both Fergie and Keane have referenced?

 

[No8Bally]

The Golden Vision

 

[Calvin Aldi]

Southall
Lineker
Rooney

Just below world class I would say Kevin Ratcliffe and Kevin Sheedy.

 

[Izzy1878]

They said you were done. They said you should be benched. They said you were never elite. They said you were overrated. They said your dynasty was over. They said you were a cheater. They doubted you from the beginning, but today they call you Calvert Lewindowski.

 

[TheBigIguana]

John Stones was world-class, as was (and is) Romelu Lukaku.

Pienaar too.

Stones? Not sure about that. Pienaar had a six month spell when he might have been but that's awfully brief.

For me Baines between 2010 and 2014 and Rom the last two years with us are the only ones. Richarlison could get there if he keeps trending upward. It's a shame how short the list is.