Kinkladze

[Alioune DVToure]

that's just daft

Ali looked well of the pace for most of the 02/03 PL season. Berkovic was our creative force then.

[Mase]

Ali looked well of the pace for most of the 02/03 PL season. Berkovic was our creative force then.

Was Ali B about 40 at the time?

He's without a doubt the most gifted player I've seen wear a City shirt. To have him at a younger age would have been brilliant!

[Dronny]

Was Ali B about 40 at the time?

He's without a doubt the most gifted player I've seen wear a City shirt. To have him at a younger age would have been brilliant!

Yep, agreed

[Alioune DVToure]

Was Ali B about 40 at the time?

He's without a doubt the most gifted player I've seen wear a City shirt. To have him at a younger age would have been brilliant!

He was probably about 32/33 but the point still stands. Berkovic was a more effective player for us over a longer period of time (two full seasons).

I wouldn't say Ali was more naturally gifted than Silva or Kun, either.

[john@staustell]

Not this old chestnut again?

I watched him live every home match he played, and a few away too. Some of his stuff was amazing, better than anyone could ever do - like the Southampton goal and a run up and down field pursued by the snarling fatty Darren Bullock, taking the piss out of him all the way.

However other times it was like playing with 10 men, totally and utterly anonymous. He wouldn't/couldn't tackle or track back. No big club ever went in for him - until Franny's 'discovery' they were apparently all blind. Ajax came in but his lack of application and overweight made it a non-starter.

There is absolutely no way on this earth he would be playing in a top team today, and it always amazes me how so many people are dazzled by the brilliance to fail to see the whole picture.

[Alex Sapphire]

Was Ali B about 40 at the time?

He's without a doubt the most gifted player I've seen wear a City shirt. To have him at a younger age would have been brilliant!

He was probably about 32/33 but the point still stands. Berkovic was a more effective player for us over a longer period of time (two full seasons).

I wouldn't say Ali was more naturally gifted than Silva or Kun, either.

what you said is that Eyal was better than Ali, and I can't agree.
We got the last couple of years of a world great
and we also had a talented but petulant Israeli lad who showed no loyalty
Ali > Eyal all day long

[Alioune DVToure]

what you said is that Eyal was better than Ali, and I can't agree.
We got the last couple of years of a world great
and we also had a talented but petulant Israeli lad who showed no loyalty
Ali > Eyal all day long

You're on about personal preference; I'm on about who was the better and more consistent player. Ali looked lost in the Premier League most of the time and couldn't toy with teams as he'd done in Division One. Berkovic produced for us right through that first season back. Remember the 3-1 derby, for instance?

Ali showed flashes during 02/03 but that was it. He didn't take a single match by the balls.

[Alex Sapphire]

what you said is that Eyal was better than Ali, and I can't agree.
We got the last couple of years of a world great
and we also had a talented but petulant Israeli lad who showed no loyalty
Ali > Eyal all day long

You're on about personal preference; I'm on about who was the better and more consistent player. Ali looked lost in the Premier League most of the time and couldn't toy with teams as he'd done in Division One. Berkovic produced for us right through that first season back. Remember the 3-1 derby, for instance?

Ali showed flashes during 02/03 but that was it. He didn't take a single match by the balls.

I'm on about who was better
You are on about who had the better 02/03 season.

[Alioune DVToure]

what you said is that Eyal was better than Ali, and I can't agree.
We got the last couple of years of a world great
and we also had a talented but petulant Israeli lad who showed no loyalty
Ali > Eyal all day long

You're on about personal preference; I'm on about who was the better and more consistent player. Ali looked lost in the Premier League most of the time and couldn't toy with teams as he'd done in Division One. Berkovic produced for us right through that first season back. Remember the 3-1 derby, for instance?

Ali showed flashes during 02/03 but that was it. He didn't take a single match by the balls.

I'm on about who was better
You are on about who had the better 02/03 season.

Berkovic had two good seasons for us. In one of these seasons we finished in the top half of the top flight.

Benarbia had one good season for us, in Division One.

Who was the better player for us?

[sandman]

The one shining light in a dark dark era, though remembered by most as a little better than he actually was, lets face it he did nothing at Ajax, I know he wasnt treated well by them but he wasnt proving his worth to them on the pitch when he did get opportunity, I seem to recall he only ended up playing about 10 games for them and then he didnt sparkle at Derby after that.

[Alex Sapphire]

what you said is that Eyal was better than Ali, and I can't agree.
We got the last couple of years of a world great
and we also had a talented but petulant Israeli lad who showed no loyalty
Ali > Eyal all day long

You're on about personal preference; I'm on about who was the better and more consistent player. Ali looked lost in the Premier League most of the time and couldn't toy with teams as he'd done in Division One. Berkovic produced for us right through that first season back. Remember the 3-1 derby, for instance?

Ali showed flashes during 02/03 but that was it. He didn't take a single match by the balls.

I'm on about who was better
You are on about who had the better 02/03 season.

Berkovic had two good seasons for us. In one of these seasons we finished in the top half of the top flight.
Benarbia had one good season for us, in Division One.
Who was the better player for us?

God you're persistent. You must have had a schoolboy crush on Eyal.
I hope I've made it clear I think Ali was better, so you can stop asking anytime you like.

You've qualified your position 3 times: Eyal was better than Ali, was a better player for us, in 2002/3

It would be nice to be able to compare Eyal at 34/5 with Ali, but we can't do that. Spose the best comparison is the send off we gave each of them.

[Florida Blue]

Those are some amazing goals and technique. Thing I noticed is that EVERY goal was with his left, did he ever shoot with his right. Looks just like Robben, everyone knows you need to stop his left, but no one can.

[Alioune DVToure]

God you're persistent. You must have had a schoolboy crush on Eyal.
I hope I've made it clear I think Ali was better, so you can stop asking anytime you like.

You've qualified your position 3 times: Eyal was better than Ali, was a better player for us, in 2002/3

It would be nice to be able to compare Eyal at 34/5 with Ali, but we can't do that. Spose the best comparison is the send off we gave each of them.

Nope, the best comparison is how they played for us. No other criteria interest me in the least bit.

And you can fuck off with your snide digs. You're the one who challenged me by rubbishing my opinion in the first place.

[Hazy2]

little genius, highlight of the day. Cheers

[Lee_R]

Good little book.. especially for 1p & pp :)

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Kinkladze-The-P ... 1903158605


Btw I agree with the comment about him not tracking back but again isnt that down to coaching?.. Also when he went to Ajax he was played as a winger because they also had Jari Litmanen who was their main player in that area. I think it was mismanagement tbh but yes he did gain weight.. thats his mums fault though for force feeding him ;)


And.. Ali Benarbia yes amazing player. Where the hell was he in his prime? I mean.. I know he was in France at Monaco, PSG, Bordeaux etc but for a player of his quality in his prime he only won 2 domestic trophies :/

[Alex Sapphire]

God you're persistent. You must have had a schoolboy crush on Eyal.
I hope I've made it clear I think Ali was better, so you can stop asking anytime you like.

You've qualified your position 3 times: Eyal was better than Ali, was a better player for us, in 2002/3

It would be nice to be able to compare Eyal at 34/5 with Ali, but we can't do that. Spose the best comparison is the send off we gave each of them.

Nope, the best comparison is how they played for us. No other criteria interest me in the least bit.

And you can fuck off with your snide digs. You're the one who challenged me by rubbishing my opinion in the first place.

by your criteria Arni Arason was better than David Seaman

look back up. I rubbished the silly dialogue developing in a Gio thread. You chose to take umbrage.
But if you have shit opinions they will get rubbished.


Thoughts of Gio always lift a day, so thanks to the OP.
ADVT, fuck off yourself

[Alex Sapphire]

the biggest problem with Gio is that we (for once) more or less quadrupled our money on him...

then pissed it away on crap

but they can never take away those memories

[Alioune DVToure]

by your criteria Arni Arason was better than David Seaman

look back up. I rubbished the silly dialogue developing in a Gio thread. You chose to take umbrage.
But if you have shit opinions they will get rubbished.

Thoughts of Gio always lift a day, so thanks to the OP.
ADVT, fuck off yourself

You really are such an arrogant, condescending prat that you can't even see what shit you're talking.

You picked me up on two things I replied to Mase, and yet called me persistent. Arason played a couple of games, which doesn't bear comparison to an example involving fellas who played for us for multiple seasons. Your argument for Ali B being a better player for us than Berkovic seems to be based upon the fact that Berkovic acted like a dick at the end. That makes a lot of sense. You don't dispute that he had two good seasons to Ali's one. And I don't believe for a second that you used to appreciate (or even watch) Ali in France before he came to us - not that that's got anything to do with how he played for us in any case.

As for your heroic 'stopping a silly dialogue developing', I'll say it again: arrogant, condescending prat.

[Alex Sapphire]

You really are such an arrogant, condescending prat that you can't even see what shit you're talking.

You picked me up on two things I replied to Mase, and yet called me persistent. Arason played a couple of games, which doesn't bear comparison to an example involving fellas who played for us for multiple seasons. Your argument for Ali B being a better player for us than Berkovic seems to be based upon the fact that Berkovic acted like a dick at the end. That makes a lot of sense. You don't dispute that he had two good seasons to Ali's one. And I don't believe for a second that you used to appreciate (or even watch) Ali in France before he came to us - not that that's got anything to do with how he played for us in any case.

As for your heroic 'stopping a silly dialogue developing', I'll say it again: arrogant, condescending prat.

[sheblue]

Great little player.