++ [ originally posted by Andy ] ++
Okay, thats all fine and dandy. However I think that the best players in the world perform on the big stage, in the limelights, when the pressure is on, when the stakes are against them. Its one thing to be very good in a league like the EPL or Serie A, in which there is always a next game. So in that way the pressure is off a bit compared to knockout tournaments such as the CL and WC. I have always maintained that the best players play well in every competition...
....This cannot be said about Henry, as he has not really impressed outside of the EPL and few good matches in the CL. In the last WC Henry did absolutely nothing, and then in Euro 2004 I do not remember him doing anything. He did not leave an impression. That tells me that Henry can't cut it on the big stage. Coincidence with the league he plays in? Maybe so but thats another story..
I have never thought of Totti to be a World Class player and to me he is the bane of Italy. Totti does not do much to inspire the Azzurri with his childish acts on the pitch, and the NT seems to play better without the Totti monkey on their backs. He can only perform with his Roma side, so he goes in the same class as Henry.
Zidane has been the best player in the world since Maradona, and he has shown the utmost class in all competitions he has played in. He was great with Juventus (before Ancelloti), he was simply amazing in France 98 leading Les Blues to winning the WC, he was very good in Euro 2000 and in Euro 2004 he was class especially against England of all countries. Thats a great player.
Ronaldo might do little to help the team overall but he scores goals wherever he goes, no matter the competition. This is something Henry cannot do and in my books he will not go down as one of the world's top players in history.
Edit: Hmm, are there any players in the EPL that are actually world class?
Yes there are world class players in the premiership maybe they are not world class in your eyes but they are all the same.
Bergkamp is a world class player and so are Campbell, Cole as in Ashley, Henry despite your reservations is world class by anyone's definition.Vieiria has very few peers in the midfield department
Van Nistelrooy is world class, Rooney is a world class talent in the making, Ferdinand is a world class defender and Heinz is looking the part. giggs is a world class talent and Scholes and Ronaldo aint too shabby either
Cech is a world class goal keeper, Terry is almost getting there, not too many defenders are as versatile as gallas, Cavalho just oozes class, Makelle@s absence is still felt at Real Madrid, Lampard is getting there, Robben is world class, Duff has his moments of world class
Gudjohnsen is a higly under rated talent and has the potential to be world clas if he is not that already as is Drogba
Gerard is a world class midfielder as is Alonso
No there are no world class players in the Epl just because you say so
And by your reckoning anyone who shines on the big stage is a world class performer like Baros, Klose, and so many other players wh have scored in big tournaments
By the way Henry scored 4 goals in the world cup 98, 3 in euro 2000, 2 in euro2004 and he played only 1 and a half games as an out an out winger in 2002 as he was sent off.
But by your definition of world class, Sheva is not 1 as he has not played in a big tournament with his country.
Point of note , Zidane was very good in world cup 98, not amazing, if he didnt score those 2 goals in the final, he would not have gotten the world acclaim he thoroughly deserves as he was better in 2000 imo
But then again how many players that have played the game are actually better than Zidane
I see that in order for you to prove that Henry aint so great, you have to pick all time greats, why not just compare him to the very goods and you would see how he holds up
Yes the Epl flatters him a little but you cannot say he is not world clas because he is