Who is the most overrated player in Europe?

Zlatan Ibrahimovic is rumoured to be the highest-paid player in European football. So he must be good. His team, Inter Milan, rewrote the Italian record books last season and are runaway leaders again this year. So he must be good. His style has been described as half-ballerina, half-gangster and leading coaches queue up to endorse his brilliance. So he must be good.

Yet how many are still waiting to see him have a good game?

It is not just me because I have asked around. Clearly, I have been unlucky, but so have many others.

Last week, again, we waited in vain for Ibrahimovic to shine in the Champions League tie against Liverpool at the San Siro and all we saw was the pouting prima donna who had one chance and blew it, turned a couple of nice tricks, but when the game was going Liverpool’s way reacted only with gestures of frustration. Fernando Torres was a different class.

Ibrahimovic was at Juventus before this and I never saw it there, either. I know I am missing something. I feel the same about Raúl. I have seen him look good on a night when Real Madrid have looked good, but I’ve never seen him look great on a night when the team have been misfiring, never seen him pull his team to victory in the manner of Zinédine Zidane, or even Steven Gerrard.

Every football fan has blind spots. The great player who always seemed overrated. The legend you thought was a myth. Who is yours?

Comments

[globocitizen]

over-rated: Drogba, Carragher,Gerrard, Thierry Henry

under-rated: Hargreaves, Gilberto,

[Nogbad T. Bad]

Going back a few years I would also nominate Toto Scilacci as the most overrated player of all time. He was NEVER, EVER, EVER on-side and must have cost Juventus 20 goals a season by interfering with a good goal from an offside position. Like Milan Baros he fooled people into thinking he was good in a tournament but was actually rubbish.

[kevin Simons]

Overrated I'll take Ronaldinho. His control over the ball has never been that great, and he's not especially good in the hole or on dead balls. He's fine, of course, but nowhere near what he's made out to be. He had a terrible World Cup, and he's been mixed in La Liga since. He does amazing tricks but he gives the ball away very cheaply. There are better players on Barcelona, in spite of their recent results. Underrated I'll take Iniesta. No one mentions this kid but he's great. He fights like mad for the ball, defends like a star, keeps his feet, never looks to the referee for help, he's got great vision as a passer and he can score some vital goals. Sir Bobby came away singing his praises after a CL semi-final two years ago, and he'd never even heard of him beforehand.

[Akinola Jordan]

First things first. Why would anyone talk of a person they don't know. Yes he scored 5 goals this season but Kenwyne Jones is not the most overrated player in the world, if you would watch any of his games and see the impact he has had on Sunderland FC you would be quite different in your words.

He is not a cristiano or a kaka' but he is world class. His work rate is exceptional, his speed on and off the ball is blistering, he can shoot very accurately with both feet and he can header the ball proficiently so how can you say he is overrated, if he was at a quality club such as manchester united or AC Milan you would see how talented he is.

But the most overrated players are John Terry, Frank Lampard, the whole Arsenal side, Steven Gerrard and Didier Drogba.

[You've been framed]

Has anyone heard of Wayne Grace? He is a 30-year-old striker for Team Redbridge, he has the best moves and tricks available and he loves shooting from far distances, really far distances.

He has a scoring record of 3 own goals in a 45 minute warm up game.

He is fast, has great control with his flash white trainers and his grey socks.

Football is his life and being not very good at it is his speciality.

Forget Ronaldo, Rooney etc Wayne Grace is God's gift to football.

[finkfankfunk]

As has been alluded to by others, "overrated" depends on what you expect from a player in the first place. Quite a few pundits in Italy rank Ibrahimovic as one of the greatest players EVER - and his extraordinary new salary is a reflection of how highly he is valued. In my opinion he is clearly not one of the best ever but he is still an excellent player that any sensible coach (or fan that has watched him play more than the odd game) would want to have in his team.

I think the problem with rating Ibrahimovic is that he is so unlike any other player. He is certainly not an outright goal scorer and you can't use the same yardstick to measure Ibrahimovic and say, Inzaghi. Inzaghi scores goals, but that is "all" he does. He does not get any assists, does not win the ball in the air, does not create space for the midfield or other forwards etc.

Ibrahimovic is probably best described as a hybrid between a "trequartista" and a forward. His stats are revealing: he is tied second top scorer in the Serie A and also has 5 goals in the CL. He is also the player with the most assists in Serie A this season (not sure about CL, although his threaded ball to Cruz against Liverpool is probably indicative that he has notched up a few in that department too).

More importantly however is the physical presence that he brings to inter and his unpredictability. This unpredictability is also his Achilles heel - both in terms of his mood and what he will do with the ball. This means he gets an enormous amount of attention from opposition defenders who often try to neutralize him by double-marking him, trying to get him to react etc. This in turn eases the pressure on team mates. The problem is everyone knows what he CAN do and if he fails to live up to that enormous expectation (as he did against Liverpool) he will be slated. Btw, lest anyone should forget, Zlatan ensured Sweden went through the group phase in Euro 2004 with an outrageous backheel goal against italy.

An alternative way of rating someone is looking how much a club paid for them and seeing what the club has gotten in return. If we use that yardstick, the most overrated player is surely Spurs' Bent!

[Eat Thompson Truth]

Francis Murray. He Rubbish!!!!

[Lex]

Okay I am so happy I am not the only one who thinks the most overrated players are

1) Cristiano Ronaldo
2) Thierry Henry
3) Wayne Rooney/John Terry

the reasons here have been so eloquently put by others that i refuse to repeat myself except to say when I watched England Vs Switz at Wembley- Wayne Rooney played abysmally and then everyone gave him a standing ovation (except me, of course).

this is what's wrong with the press/fans and players - if you give them a standing ovation for playing like some pouty sulky kid - how on earth can they improve.

[Frankers]

Clarence Seedorf. It may seem churlish to say that a man who has won the UEFA Champions League four times and with three different clubs is overrated, but I sincerely believe he is. Without doubt he has some lovely ball skills, but he is slow and I have never seen him dominate a big European game and, for me, he too often takes the easy option in possession.

Darren Anderton. Rarely played and when he did, was lightweight, lazy and pretty ineffective in possession. Playing him was Venables' only mistake during Euro 1996.

Michael Owen. Some wonder goals but no front man can be world class if they can't hold the ball up, head, have the strength to hold off defenders nor a left foot to speak off.

On Martin's point, I watch precious little Italian football nowadays but I have never seen Ibrahimovic excel on international or Champions League duty. But I have most definitely seen Scholes!

[Ivan]

I question when people comment on footballers they have only seen play a few times and expect that the few times they have seen them play for them to be spectacular.

Ibra is perhaps overrated if you place him among the best three footballers in the world, on talent he is probably among the best three however he hasn't preformed at his peak in the big games. It is no coincidence that he has won titles at Ajax, Juventus and Inter, his goal scoring record is also very good. I didn't think his 2nd leg performance against Liverpool was that poor. The only moment of note from Ibrahimovic that i remember at world/european stage was that phenomenal goal he scored for Sweden against Italy at the Euros. He is almost at his peak and i agree we expect more from him.

People have said Pirlo is underrated, i dont think so. I think people give him due respect. At times he can be horrible as i have witnessed many a time in serie a and in UCL especially this season. However when on form he is the best deliverer of a football in the world.

And to those who have said Ronaldinho is overrated, perhaps there is a side of truth i.e. comparisons with legends, but make no mistake he was the best player in the world for two years running.

I find bringing up Titus Bramble absolutely hilarious. Who doesn't know this guy is rubbish?

[Jim]

Overrated- John Terry - overhyped and simply not good enough to be England captain.
Ashley Cole - Wayne Bridge is far better.
Raul - brilliant on occasions...but lives on past glories
Ibrahimovic - this guy is way too overhyped...what has he done?
Robben - Came with a frightning reputation but is a one-trick pony.

[Frank]

Raul, Ryan Giggs, Deco, Stewart Downing. Any young Argentinian who looks like Maradona.

How can anybody mention Titus Bramble ? There isn't anybody who thinks he's good so he can't be overrated.

[Nogbad T. Bad]

Jamie Carragher for me. Couldn't hold down a position for years, scratching about at full back or as the world's slowest midfielder, then, when Henchoz vacates the centre half position in he comes as the "anchor" of LFC's spine. When he found he was only usefull to England as an emergency utility filler-in, he threw a huge hissy-fit and withdrew his services.

Another name for the debate : Sergei Rebrov

[Xander Terra]

Ibrahimovic - Everyone bangs on about how prolific he is in Serie A yet he seldom scores against any of the top sides in Italy, it's always teams in the lower half of the table.

Anton Ferdinand - He actually thinks he is his brother and whereas I don't rate Rio as a great his brother is just rubbish.

[k]

carrick is the most underrated player and so is j cole.

[Sash]

Darren Fletcher
Absolutely useless

[Roop]

Tevez is overrated from what I have seen so far. He seems to be heavily reliant on service from midfield.

Diego of Werder Bremen is also very overrated. He had the chance to prove himself at the recent Copa America - where Brazil were without the likes of Kaka and Ronaldinho - and he choked big time. It was very embarrassing.

[Amrit]

Haha any player that's English, or plays for England (which can be two separate things in this day and age). It's because of your media, overhyping anything that steps on to a sporting arena (witness, Andy Murray, Lewis Hamilton, Andrew Flintoff, and most importantly - David Beckham).

[Kieran Murrray]

Rooney's got to be up there if we're talking about Europe's most overrated. While he was good in his Everton days he has been in decline for the last few years, outshined by his team mates in every game. While his work ethic can not be questioned his lack of skill and fitness must.

[curtis sagwete]

I'll have to say that going through people's posts, it's quite obvious that people do not watch football. otherwise names such as:
Gerrad
Pirlo
Raul
Zidane
would be no where near this article.

Ibrahimovich is overrated...and I live in Sweden, so you can understand how sick i get when they praise him. He is extremely gifted, and extrememly technical for a big man, however he doesnt score often enough, tho u cant judge him only on that. But here are his stats in the league this season: 15 goals, 8 penalties hahahahaha. great scorer indeed.

Torres has scored 20 in the league and doesn't take penalties.

[Craig Pedersen]

Wayne ROONEY!

He does not score goals. He runs here. He runs there. He steps on opposing players. He makes faces. He does not score goals. He runs here. He runs there.

A waste,

[Neil McCole]

Overrated? where do I start? how about:

David Beckham - Can't head the ball, no left foot, painfully slow, very rarely scores from play, can't tackle, can't dribble... came second in the world player of the year! I'll never understand it.

Seriously though, Manchester United always seem to be nurturing at least one heavily over-hyped player.

Young Ryan Giggs - do you remember him, George Best wasn't fit to clean his boots. It all went quiet when Beckham arrived. Now the guy is a model pro, and has had many the fine game, but world beater? not for me.

Eric Cantona - A good player who played in the English top flight when the standard of football was probably at its lowest in 30 years. Never did it in Europe. Hated in France. Never wanted by international managers. Never linked with top European clubs. Average scoring record. Idolised as some sort of misunderstood genius. In reality he was a big fish in a small stagnant pond.

[Chris]

If anything Scholes is underrated. His vision, passing and composure on the ball is 2nd to none. Just because he doesn't have a big personality and stays away from the media he is often overlooked. Will Gerrad and Lampard be performing at his level once they reach his age?

[Ed Ross]

i can take the rest... but the guy that said the best Englishman to play for us in at least the last 30 years was overrated is a little far, regardless of his shambles of a private life.

[Stevo]

Ibrahimovic is definitely up there with the most overrated players in the world (although he was at one point a great player when he was at Ajax, as he proved with that wonder goal he scored many years ago).

He was really poor against Liverpool and i've yet to see him perform against one of the top teams. However, surely the most overrated player in the word is Andrea Pirlo!!

Ibrahimovic doesn't get anywhere near as much praise as Pirlo who continues to surprise me with his lack of contribution to games. An image has been created about Pirlo that he is a sensational midfielder who can pass the ball better than any other and without him the AC Milan and Italy teams would simply not function properly. This is very wrong, i mean he's a decent passer of the ball and he can whip in a pretty good cross but he doesn't offer much in an attacking sense. The top midfielders in the world are the likes of Fabregas, Gerrard and Essien all of whom are of a much higher standard than Pirlo.

[Clarence Darrow]

Re: Dan Donaghy

My criticism of the Brazilian league was based on the lack of world class defenders and defensive tactics (which is a criticism in terms of judging how good the forwards really are), not lack of technically gifted players. To quote your post:
"Pele played against the best defenders at international level and still made them look ordinary".
That is my point. I did not argue that Pele would have failed in one of the top European leagues, only that his failure to move on from Santos left him with an incomplete career. What Maradona did in Italy with unfashionable Napoli (2 titles, 1 Italian cup, 1 UEFA cup) will always make him the player I admire more. He took on the challenge of playing outside of his home country and proved himself against the likes of Brehme, Matthäus, Maldini and Baresi. For people to place Pele above Maradona is the greatest injustice since Heskey last played for England (although, admittedly, Pele did help me through a difficult time a few years ago with his informative adverts on a certain subject). Anyway, I have belatedly realised this debate is supposed to be about current players plying their trade in Europe and, to that end, I have 1 word: Deco.

[sardar]

1. terry is the most overrated player in europe. he doesn't deserve a place in chelsea or the england team. Gallas left only due to him, becoz if Gallas will play then there is no place for Terry.
2. Rooney is a good player but he is overrated. he is a striker and the duty of a striker is to score goals which he never did. england lost in the world cup only due to him and i am quite surprised nobody blamed him.
yes it is right that ronaldo cannot perform against good teams but he is a good player. Man utd only win because of him.

[johnsprunt]

i would say ibrahimovic, del piero and filipo inzaghi. however, i totally agree with what people have said about how we cannot criticise players who we do not see week in week out. it would be easy for an italian to say most of the england team.
in the premiership i think terry is overrated, still good, but overrated, because of his 'britishness. Ledley King is v. underrated and if it wasnt for injuries i really think cappello would be playing him now, also if he was at a bigger club he would walk into the england team, just look at his tackle on robben on youtube.
SWP for me is totally overrated, he started well for city with some good goals, but for chelsea he looks totally lightweight. he can't tackle, cross or take players on. he has had a lot of games for chelsea this season and even i could have one or two good ones in that time.

[karan]

carrick is the most underrated player and so is joe cole

[Ian, Glasgow]

Adebayor. I admit he can produce some moments of class but he is just as likely to trip over the ball as control it. His errors in front of goal could well cost Arsenal the league this season.

How can anyone include Zidane in the list of overrated players? He is one of only a handful of players who could truly control, pass and shoot equally well with both feet.

Michael Owen - has been great in the past but not now. Has the standard of the England team dropped so low that a striker with 5 or 6 goals all season in is the running for a place?

David Beckham - has been overrated for years. I think Capello should give him his 100th cap and then move on. Otherwise every time England play the press (and Beckham is a proven master at manipulating the press) will be clammering for his inclusion.

I disagree with those who have nominated Wayne Rooney. He has plenty of skill and a great work rate as well. Where he fails is in the goal scoring department, he dosen't get anywhere near the amount he should.

[Richard]

As an Ipswich fan, I can only think of the following three gems:

A Titus Bramble
B Darren Bent
C Finidi George

The most underrated player of the last 20 years? Stand up Matthew Le Tissier.

[Jonathan Norman]

Aaron Lennon. He's a winger who can't cross a ball, doesn't score goals and rarely beats a player. I realise he's only young but at this stage he's treading water while stronger players (who actually have a game other than running very fast to the by-line and turning the ball over) overtake him quickly.

[Martin von Cicina]

1. Raúl
2. Karhan
3. Ronaldinho

[Andy Hillman]

Although this is post about 130, and will no doubt be buried under a sea of vitriol and "my clubs better than yours" hyperbole, the one thing that staggers me is the somewhat glib assumption that "not at his prime" = "Overrated"

The perfect case in point is Paul Scholes, who, admittedly is not at his peak. But to call him overrated? He scored nearly 30 goals in 60 England internationals, despite being marginalised by Sven who stuck him wheverever there was a spare position. (Check out his international strike rate before and during the Sven era.) He's also scored the best part of 150 goals from midfield for United. How is that overrated?!

[Conor]

I find it incredible how the English press can slam Ibrahimovic yet praise C. Ronaldo at the same time.

Ibrahimovic is consistently brilliant in Serie A but admittedly he fails to shine in the big games. But can the same not be said for Ronaldo? He tears apart most Premier League teams yet he fails to show up against the top four or any of Europe's elite.

Both players are among the world's best but aren't big game players, yet the British press only see this characteristic in Ibrahimovic. They choose not to see this in Ronaldo which is quite pathetic of them.

The British press need to start watching more football outside of the Premier League as they are embarrassing themselves with their "if he's the best in the Premier League, he's the best in the world" attitude.

[Chip Barbre]

Rooney, hands down. And I'm a United supporter. He does practically nowt at international level, and until he scores 20 in the Premiership like Torres has done, I wish people would quit purring about him. I think he needs to actually become less of a footballer and more of a predator.

He doesn't have the skills to be a true #10. And if he weren't English, there would be far less baying about how great he is.

A close 2nd is Kenwyne Jones. When's the last time so much was made of a bloke with 5 goals to his name?!

[RJA]

Paul Scholes, Paul Scholes, and Paul Scholes because :-

a). He doesn't play.
b). When he does play he chokes in big games.
c). He can't run.
d). He's even lazier than Andrea Pirlo.
e). He can't tackle.
f). Hence he's a liability.

Once/twice a season he'll hit some blistering volley that'll hit the bar, or, sometimes fly into the goal. And for that he's hailed as some kind of footballing genius. It's nonsense.

[dan donaghy]

Re: C.Darrow.

What are you talking about the Brazilian league was never the best and that the great man (PELE) was overrated.

Brazilian players are playing in almost every championship in the world because they are the most technically gifted.

Pele played against the best defenders at international level and still made them look ordinary. He could dribble at pace, head and was an all-round athelete of whose like we'll never see again.

Maradona at 17 wasn't good enough to get in the Argentinian team, then when he did Brazil spanked them in Spain '82. Another whose heroics didn't last for a sustained period of time.

Pele's scoring records at club and national level were astounding. He is the football god and until someone of his ilk plays to that level again, that he shall remain.

[simmojo]

Easy. SHEVCHENKO. Absolute rubbish. The biggest waste of money in football history (and probably the source of most of Chelsea's problems in the last couple of years).

[steve]

Overrated:

Rooney
Carrick
Ibrahimovic
Robben
David Trezeguet
Del Piero

Underrated

Reina
Pirlo
Van Nistlerooy
Ferdinand

[David Lintott]

John Terry is often regarded as a captain marvel figure, a nouveau-Tony Adams. Well, simply, he is is not. As good as he is heading the ball he is terribly slow - just look at the way Agbonlahor turned him last season in Villa's 1-1 draw at the Bridge. He does not have the pace to be truly considered international class. But that's ok. He plays for Chelsea, must be great. Might as well make him captain too. Thanks Steve.

[Nick Cotter]

Kudos Martin. Your article seems to have attracted a healthy balance of the opinionated and insightful as well as the ignorant and moronic. All this Gerrard/Lampard jousting is starting to bore me. They are both very good players that consistently perform for their clubs in both domestic and European competition so how can they be over-rated? And how have Scholes and Giggs name possibly been thrown in to this debate when both of them have been top players in the most consistent team in England for the last 15 years? And as for the guy that chose to use the word Zidane and mediocre in the same sentence: He deserves to be burnt at the stake for crimes of heresy.

Seeing as you’ve asked: Here is a run down of my 4 most overated players:

David Beckham: Playing well in a game against Greece (I repeat, Greece!) over 6 years ago does not a summer make. No pace, no skills, not a goal-scorer, no left foot. The fact he was considered a galctico is laughable. I had the pleasure of seeing Figo, Rivaldo and Overmars play live in 2000 for Barcelona against Chelsea, and Beckham is not fit to lace any of the afore-mentioned wide players’ boots.

Ashley Cole: Having watched a lot of Chelsea over the last few years, I am in no doubt (as are a lot of Chelsea supporters that I speak to) that Wayne Bridge is the best left back at the club. He is far better going forward (both at taking players on and his delivery) and he is also solid at the back and decent in the air. I’m not sure why the general consensus seems to favour Cole. My guess is the fact that Cole is a bit quicker ,he used to play for Arsenal, has a pop-star wife and was consistently used by Sven for England, seems to have given him a higher profile than his ability merits.

Del Piero: I do not watch a lot of Italian football but I have never seen him play well. Ditto Trezuguet although his goal record seems to vindicate him somewhat.

SWP: This one is a bit out of keeping with what has gone before because most people seem to have gone for perceived great players who are merely good. I’m going to go for a perceived good player who is actually crap.. Here we have a winger that has a poor first touch, a dearth of tricks and an inability to cross the ball and a lack of composure in front of goal. Yet still people think that he should be playing for England! At risk of repeating myself: HE IS A SUPPOSED WINGER THAT PLAYS FOOTBALL EVERY DAY BUT YET CANNOT CROSS THE BALL ON A CONSISTENT BASIS.

Cristiano Ronaldo: Before a wave of vitriol is unleashed and I start receiving death threats, hear me out:

Ronaldo is a flat track bully that was conspicuous by his absence against Milan over two legs last season and also in the cup final against Chelsea. His record of 3 goals in 26 appearances against the “Big 3” of the Premiership also supports this. He failed to make much of an impact in the 2006 world cup game against England despite England being down to 10 men for a long time. Undoubtedly, he is a VERY good player that is particularly effective against workmanlike full-backs but I personally will not see fit to eulogise about him as “The Best Player in the world” (As I have heard him referred to 300 times in the last week) until I see him make an impact at the top level. A good player? Undoubtedly. Player of the year in England this season? Almost Certainly. The best player in the world? Let’s wait for a couple of big performances against top teams.

I trust everyone agrees wholeheartedly with my above selections……….

[Angel]

Will,

I agree with most of your comments, you are obviously a ManU fan so you overrated your own players is inevitable,

Rooney, ManU has lost 4 games this year, i don't know whether is a coincidence or not if he was there or not, was playing the same defense in each of those games?
Utd. paid £26 for him and is reportely earning J110, a week, not sure if you argument is enough to justify this. that's is club side, national side, you will have to admit that this guy is not a match winner for England, actually the few times he has decided a game has been against, i'm not going to mention other comparassion written about him as can only be rated as ridiculous now.

Ferdinand, since nobody has paid similar amount of money for a defense, and this will be a record difficult to beat, it was always going to be difficult for him to get rid of this tag, althought this has more to do with ManU overpaying for players rather than his fault, i agree he's a better defender than Carragher and Terry, simply has better technique and makes looks simpler when others need a extreme tackler due to to their bad positioning in the first place, he's also much better than them with the ball, only King is better than him on that side of his game, his lapses are still there, although not that often than before, and now seems to be concentrated for the big games. I predict a tough game for Torres on sunday on this respect.

Scholes, yes, he has been one of the brightest player of his generation, and influential as anyone for his team, in the respect he might have been even underrated, for the national side, he hasn't been as good, in the qualifiers, but this seems to be a problem for most of the middlefield english players, except Beckham. In the tournaments, he has been extremetely dissapointing and there was even a theory saying that he could not play with hot weather.

[Alex-Lfc]

Some of the comments I have read from some of these so called "football fans" are amazing beyond belief. How can anyone say that zidane is overrated. How can anyone say Rooney is Overrated. There was carragher named, Inzaghi, Raul, Gerrard, Pirlo, Anelka. It made me laugh when I read It to be honest. How can anyone say that these players are overrated. I dont think Fat Frank Lampard is overrated either. The amount of goals he scores is amazing and also the goals he sets up aswell. The Idiot that said Anelka needs to brush up on his footballing stats. So many teams want him and would have him in his team and it doesnt matter where he goes whether its Arsenal, Liverpool or even Bolton he scores goals and at the end of the day thats what strikers are PAID to do. Its not to take on 3 players with stupid unnecessary stepovers or help out in defence....its to score goals and thats excactly what Anelka, Raul and Inzaghi do. Id also like to give credit to Rooney. Now being a liverpool fan I have the tendency to dislike him. He is a poor finisher yes but his work rate is fantastic. He sets up more goals than you can shake a stick at and he has more touches on the ball in one game that anyone on the pitch..FACT. I do think on the other hand that Zlatan is not playing to his full ability. I think hes got the case of the England International disease, A.K.A laziness! Ashley Cole should never of left arsenal. That team suited his style of play so much better. Fast passing, fast attacking and can be relied upon when in defence. I dont think there is another right back in the prem that can beat Cole in that criteria. My overrated players are Smith. Riise as well. He used to be such a good player for Liverpool and now when i watch him he is woeful. Zlatan. I hate to say it but Dirk Kuyt. He works his socks off for the club but he gives the ball away so often. But then the amount of goals scored he scored in Holland is remarkable. Its hard to say whether a player is underrated or not for example smith has done poor for Man U and for newcastle yet at leeds he did a great job. Most underrated player in football has got to be Barry. He would get into any team in the Premiership and should of been in the England setup along time ago. Thank god for Capello!

[Pedro Goncalves]

English players are hugely overrated if you consider their performances for England and underrated if you look at their club games. How can Gerrard and Lampard lead 2 magnificent club sides at home and in Europe and disappear without a trace at a World Cup or European Cup qualification?

[Will]

There are some fatuous comments on this page

Raul has scored the most goals in the Champions League! Ever! Did everyone miss the sublime goal he scored to eliminate Manchester Utd a few years ago? (I think it was the same match Redondo megged G.Neville.) His record is superlative, although he has faded.

Wayne Rooney makes Man Utd Man Utd - every game they have lost this year has been without him in the side. He does, I concede, lack composure in front of goal however.

Ibrahimovic is a talented player and whilst it is wrong to judge him solely on the odd Champions League game, his reputation has suffered for it. It is the same thing that has happened with Totti. But English pundits drunk on the glory of the Premier League love to rubbish foreign players like Totti and Ibrahimovic purely because it is a role reversal to the days English football was ridiculed in Europe.

Ronaldo gets marked tightly in Europe - doubled, sometmes trebled up on by opposing defenders.

Ferdinand is underrated - he is rarely lauded in the press, much less so than Terry has been, purely becasue he makes defending look so much easier than Terry ever has. These 'lapses' of his were present in his youth but are an easy line about him now to which there is little or no truth.

And anyone who thinks Paul Scholes is overrated doesn't know anything about football. End of.

[Damian Williamson]

Ibrahimovic is completely overrated Martin I agree. I have never seen him have a top class game, and all of those saying that they have never seen Cristiano Ronaldo have a good game because they are in Italy obviously never watched the World Cup either.

However, Ibrahimovic´s wages were surely affected by the fact that he threw a strop when Juve got relegated. I have seen comments on here about Trezeguet but at least he doesnt think he is bigger than the club and the rest of the players.

Anyway, Juve had to sell him relatively cheap, and could therefore budget for a huge salary and with the lack of striking talent through Serie A, he was probably the best they could get, given the decline of Adriano.

[Damian Williamson]

Ibrahimovic is completely overrated Martin I agree. I have never seen him have a top class game, and all of those saying that they have never seen Cristiano Ronaldo have a good game because they are in Italy obviously never watched the World Cup either.

However, Ibrahimovic´s wages were surely affected by the fact that he threw a strop when Juve got relegated. I have seen comments on here about Trezeguet but at least he doesnt think he is bigger than the club and the rest of the players.

Anyway, Juve had to sell him relatively cheap, and could therefore budget for a huge salary and with the lack of striking talent through Serie A, he was probably the best they could get, given the decline of Adriano.

[Ian]

Alex - you mentioned Paul Scholes? Are you mental? One of, if not the actual best attacking midfielders of the last 20 years. Trappatoni used to focus his team talks at Juventus on stopping Paul Scholes and you would stop Utd (this in a team of Giggs, Beckham, Keane etc). Several England managers have tried to persuade him to come back. He may now be slightly past his best but overrated he is not. Clearly you dont understand football because on this point you are out on your own!

[Alex]

Wayne Rooney has turned in to the worsrt finisher in premiership football. But most overrated well that accolade would have to go to Micheal Owen and Ryan Giggs for some time now. The odd bit of brilliance and resting on glorious past acvhievemnts does not give you the divine right to be on the team sheet.

[Wayne]

Pirlo is an absurd shout. In fact he's one of the most underrated in Europe. And I agree with most comments regarding Zlatan, those who don't watch Serie A regularly have no right to attack him.

In my view Zidane is a legit shout as someone who has lived on his 2 goals from the WC 98 final. Granted there was sporadic brilliance, yet also a lot of mediocrity. When you look back in a few years time you'll find Figo had a much more consistent career at club level.

Of the ones I can think of, at present the most overrated players in one of the big clubs in Europe are (in no particular order): Cannavaro, Ballack, Rooney.

[David Nicholls]

Can we add the following:
Titus Bramble - everyone knows he's rubbish yet he still gets paid?

Peter Crouch - How much for someone who can only score against rubbish teams?

Jamie Carrager - no pace, no passing ability, but he's scouse so they love him. But knew when to "retire" from England when there were at least 6 better CB's than him and 6 FB's.

C'Ashley - How much? Could he become the new Winston Bogarde?

Paul Gascoigne - let's face it, if he hadn't cried at the world cup, lost the plot regularly or been an alcoholic he would have registered about as much as Joe Cole on the "National Hero" ladder.

Carlton Palmer - only overrated by the England managers who picked him - truly England's lowest point with him and Andy Sinton in the team.

Steve Sidwell - where are you now?

Chris Waddle - What did you ever do for England?

Paul Ince - I would have looked good alongside Giggs, Becks, Kanchelskis, Scholes, Bruce, Cantona et al.

i think we should do an Underrated players list - Near the top would be Bruce for me, Phil Neville, Riise, Barry, Stuart Pearce...

Oh and by the way to the guy who said he is "Scholes blind," get a video of his hat-trick against Poland, and then watch him against Fulham 2 weeks ago. Everything you need to know.

[Danielle Blake]

Fabregas is barely into his twenties, has scored an incredible number of goals already this season and has been the defining influence in several games, most notably against AC Milan. He is definitely not overrated.

I think the most overrated player is Frank Lampard - he is limited technically and in most games for Chelsea and England he has about a hundred shots at goal yet hardly ever finds the target. When he does score, quite often it's a hit and hope shot from distance that takes a lucky deflection off a defender.

Another problem is that he performs well at club level but his good domestic form doesn't translate on to the international stage.

[TRAS]

Jenas is a great call, surely the most overrated player in the Premier League!

Having said that, Theo Walcott must also be up there...

[Dennis Higgins]

I wholeheartedly agree TomRed. I think Wayne has matured into a world class player, both on and off the field. He now seems a fixture in the Utd. side and deserves to be viewed among the best players in Europe at the moment.

[graham]

Barry Ferguson, of Rangers and Scotland.

Always hear the commentators and read the tabloids saying he is, or had been, "dictating the play". It is actually a phrase coined for him. Scores a few good goals a season, has a decent range of passing, tries hard, but who can't stand in the middle of the park in the SPL, wave your arms about and "spray" passes akin to Andrea Pirlo's wannabe. In a team who plays 4-5-1 he is given a "license" to get forward which he does to reasonable effect, but to think that people are choosing Steven Gerrard - one of the finest box to box midfielders of the last 10 years - is nonsense. Barry was less than spectacular at Blackburn.

On the subject of underrated players, Kris Boyd (again of Rangers) is an Inzaghi like player who can't help but score goals. In my opinion, football is about scoring goals and you can only beat who you are up against, which is why the stats of Lampard, Inzaghi and even lesser players like Boyd (and Liedson of Sporting, for example) will always be in demand. Rooney, on the other hand, does not score nearly enough goals and is overrated when he hits a bit of form.

[Bobby singh]

Most overrated player in europe?

Most definitely Frank Lampard, I'm sorry but he is no way better than Steven Gerrard, and should not ever be considered ahead of him in the England set up. And as for his Chelsea form, fair enough he scores goals (mostly against weak opposition) he is surrounded by such a good team, which obscures his weaknesses as a midfielder. And according to the amount he gets paid per week, he is quite easily the most overrated player in Europe in my opinion.

[Dario marchesi]

Kuyt/and Fabregas for me. They compare Fabregas to Ronaldo but he is in another class.

Plus how can anyone say Rooney? He scores goals, makes goals, outruns most people in the Prem. Even out hustled Sol Campbell. He has a sixth sense with Ronaldo and that's why they, Man U, are top and the reason they won it last year and the reason they will be favourites for next year's title. I guess this poll just depends on what team you support and not who you really think is overrated.

[James]

I don't think Lampard or Gerrard are overrated.

Lampard's scoring consistency made him a major force in Chelsea's back to back titles under Mourinho, who rated Lampard as highly as any player he has ever managed.

Gerrard, although inconsistent, is a big game player whose drive and determination have been priceless to Liverpool's cup exploits. I just hope a world class coach in Capello will get them playing together and end the myth that they cannot. I'm sure had Mourinho got his wish and Gerrard had come to Stamford Bridge, he'd have got them playing.

Concerning Ibrahimovic, I have often seen Ibra fail to live up to his big expectations. However, his stats are incredible and it is difficult to deny his importance to Inter's recent domestic domination. I feel it's harsh to judge him on the Liverpool games, especially the first leg, when the sending off ended any attacking threat Inter would pose.

Raul is often tarnished as overrated because he doesn't excel in any one attribute, being consistently good, but not great, at everything. A jack of all trades but master of none is perhaps a little harsh, but illustrates the point. His appearence, goals and trophy records pretty much surpass all competition and you don't survive playing for Real Madrid for so long if you're not up to it. Especially considering the regular upheavals Madrid often feel the need to impose on themselves after European disappointment.

Number one of my list of overrated players (although technically not in Europe, I'm sure he'll visit soon as part of his globe-trotting, but hopefully not for the 100th cap) is David Beckham. Over-reliance on Beckham by Sven cost England dear for years. Undeniably he hits a great free-kick, but offers precious little else other than contributing to his own 'overratedness' with his relentless self-publicisation which fuels his pack of cheerleaders.

Secondly, I would include Rooney, but probably only because he was so highly billed and hyped in the first place. Rooney's a far better player than Beckham ever was, and has the potential to be great, but this season it has been hard to ignore Rooney's, at times, shocking finishing and how much he has been eclipsed by Ronaldo. In saying this, Man U's league record without Rooney would certainly indicate he is doing something right when he plays, but I still feel myself expecting more everytime I see him play.

Finally, although it pains me to do so, having so enjoyed watching Henry at Arsenal, evidence would certainly suggest him to be a bit of a flat track bully. The Champions League Final in 2006 summed up how he would shy away from games and sulk when things didn't go his way or when he came up against physical defenders. His time at Barcelona seems to mirror that at Arsenal as he will pick and choose his performances, humiliating lowly teams when in the mood (see hat-trick against bottom club Levante) but going missing in many others. His poor World Cup performances seem to reinforce this argument.

[Owen]

I agree with the Terry and Carragher comments, it seems that to be a "World Class Defender" in England you don't need to read the game or your opponent, just make rash challenges when they get the ball in a dangerous area.

The most overrated player I have ever seen is Henry, he's scored some great goals but very rarely performs on the big occasions.

[Hugo Carreira]

To Chris Thorpe, who named Figo.

Ask anyone in Barcelona. Do you think they would react the way they did to just a good player leaving to Real Madrid? His problem later on was that he was (and still is) a winger, and wingers absolutely need pace. Players in other positions tend to last longer at their best. Figo, like Giggs and other wingers, usually face the fastest opponents on the field. And age can be very unforgiving to your legs. In 10 years time someone will probably be saying that Fabregás is a much better player than Cristiano Ronaldo or Messi. Chances are, he'll last longer than those two.

The usual comparison with Zidane is unfair on several accounts, and one of them is the performance arch during the season (in lack of a better term). Zidane would spend the first half of the season quietly, to start appearing at his best in the second, i.e. the vital and most visible Champions League and World or European Cup games. Figo would just look burnt out by then, a shadow of the player he is (or was, nowadays he's just too old).

[Bill]

I can't see how Raul can be said be overrated these days when he is not really that highly rated by anyone anymore. He doesn't even usually make the Spanish team these days. He does a good job in playing to his abilities: he has a good sense of position, reads the game OK and scores goals, even though he has lost his pace. A bit like Lineker towards the end of his career. Real Madrid fans might overrate him, but who can blame them?

[Josh]

I have to agree with Martin. I liked Zlatan at Ajax and when you see his goals on youtube he looks great but i have never seen him have a good game. Any decent defender can easily mark him out of the game. Also the fact that this inter side are setting records shows how good Italian football is at the moment.

How can anyone say Zidane was overrated?

My shout goes for Rooney. Good player, better than most, but too often made to look average by Ronaldo

[Joe]

Steven Gerrard is a very good player, but I think that he is overrated because so often people judge him on his flashes of brilliance (often in the big liverpool games that make live television, but not week in week out), whereas he is also a player who gives the ball away too much and whose decision making is occasionally (compared to how some people rate him) suspect.

[Will]

Pele, Maradona, Cruyff...and every other player who has been the best of all time.

[Andy, Cambridge]

Ashley Cole. Supposedly great defender especially going forward? Cannot cross a ball for toffee; concedes possession as he struggles to complete even simple 5 yard passes; not great at defending and concedes lots of free kicks as when he gets caught out of position he just fouls the opponent; no good in the air, and also often seems to give the officials verbals/attitude. Hope Capello soon wises up and brings his England career to an end.

[Ian Thomson]

Hmm, normally I enjoy the writings of Martin Samuel and find favour with his points, but not on this occasion.

This is a stereotypical English opinion - devour the Premiership week in, week out, catch the odd highlight of a La Liga or Serie A match, see a few internationals and Champions League games (when an English side is involved, of course) and then proclaim the Premier League to contain the greatest players in the world.

It's saddening. Another great example is Francesco Totti, easily one of the world's greatest players over the last six years, but nobody in England rates him higher than a pub player! Frank Lampard on the other hand......

Martin, have a word with your colleague, Mr Marcotti.

[Gerry]

Jeez. There's one that stands out above all of 'em...

Recoba says "Hi."

[Clarence Darrow]

Raul? Overrated? Don't know what Madrid matches you have been watching Samuel. He has been a Madrid regular for 13 seasons, winning 5 league titles and 3 Champions League trophies. He has scored 20 goals or more in 8 of his seasons and has scored 61 goals in 118 Champions League matches (including the '00 and '02 finals). Admittedly, he had a few barren years while Madrid were rebuilding before his/their rejuvenation over the last season and a half but a player can't do it by himself (Thierry Henry's form wasn't enough to prevent Arsenal from finishing 4th in the past 2 seasons) or perform to the highest standard year on year.

George Best is considered a football genius but, like Raul, he played his best football when part of a great team. However, unlike Raul, Best's career peaked at 22 and was effectively over at 27. For Spain, Raul is perhaps more open to criticism but they are legendary underachievers at tournaments and he has still managed 44 goals in 102 caps. Criticism of Raul is caused by people not fully appreciating one-club players with longevity. They are taken for granted. Some Man U fans still don't appreciate how blessed they have been to have had Giggs for the past 17 years. Anyway, after my case for the defence, my own choice for most overrated player goes to Pele. A fantastic international career, winning 3 World Cups (though after being injured early in the tournament, he contributed as much/little to Brazil’s ’62 triumph as Greaves did to England’s ’66 victory) but what about his club career? Yes he played for Santos and scored an incredible number of goals but neither then nor now is the Brazilian league home to the best defenders in the world.

As a Brazilian legend, he played in a cosseted environment, unlike Maradona who tested and proved himself in the Spanish and Italian leagues, home of great defenders, man marking and brutal tackles. Pele didn’t do that and, as such, he only had half a career. He is the Brazilian Matt Le Tissier.

[Tomred]

Given the frequency with which Rooney's name has cropped up I feel obliged to defend him.

Measuring his ability by how many goals he scores is to miss the point.

When you watch Rooney live (as in at the match rather than on TV) as I do on a regular basis, you understand that the beauty of his game is in it's simplicity and in his decision making. And whilst he works hard (like Dirk Kuyt) that is not where his attributes end (unlike Dirk Kuyt).

He reminds me of a young Paul Scholes (unfortunately this appears to be one season too far for him) in that whenever he gets the ball he makes the right decision 9 times out of 10. He doesn't overcomplicate things without call. If the best pass on is a 10 yard square ball that's what he does. Equally, if the best option is a 50 yard crossfield pass he is equally willing and able to execute the pass accordingly.

Whether playing on his own up front as a target man, or in the "hole", he is instrumental to United. He is an out and out team player who makes us tick, evidenced by the fact that United have yet to lose a league game he has played in.

[Alexander]

You don't watch a lot of Serie A, do you martin?

[joshua]

Eric Cantona. He only ever rose to the small occasions. Whenever Man Utd. played in Europe he hid.

[A Syed]

Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Steven Gerrard, Cesc Fabregas.

[Chris Thorpe]

Figo. Very good dribbler, good shot, good cross. But on a subjective level, just doesnt do it for me as "one of the best"....Overrated.

[Timothy Tanner]

"And one more thing - he likes to portray himself as "Mr Indestructible"...why did he not play against Croatia, then play a full 90 mins v Derby a few days later? The man is a phoney!"

Terry offered himself for the vital match but the England manager didn't think he was fit enough. Unless you want him to force McClaren to pick him, not sure how you can use that against him.

As for my Buffon suggestion, those since have rightly pointed out that a fair few, like myself, don't watch players enough to give fair comment. I'll stick with Toure then, I see him nearly every week so that is enough to give a fair judgement.

[alex]

Paul Scholes - he used to score loads of goals, but even then i never saw him have a good game. He was just a good finisher. I know i'm wrong, i've discussed it with friends time and again, but i just don't see what else he does that is so good. I am Scholes blind, in essence.

[Azhar Khan]

For me, Wayne Rooney is the most over-rated player in Europe. Yes he works hard but so does Dirk Kuyt! Rooney hardly ever scores goals. So whats the fuss about? Is it just because he's scored a few 20 yard goals and is English? Thought so.

[Ben Graham]

I have watched a lot of Ibrahimovic's games in Serie A, and also seen plenty of him at Champions League and International level, and I'd agree that he rarely performs as well as the hype would suggest. He's got a great scoring record this year, but look at the service he's getting from his fantastic teammates and (without wishing to disrespect Serie A too much) look at the quality of defending he's facing.

Regarding the various names mentioned in the comments, most of them are utter bull... Terry, Lampard, even Gerrard, Ronaldo, Fabregas and Zidane have been mentioned, and clearly none of these players are overrated. Each is (or in Zizou's case, was) vital to their team.

The two best shouts in amongst these comments:

Robben (as suggested by ANGEL) - no end product, frequently runs down blind alleys, and to top it all, he's petulant and a diver.

Trezeguet (as suggested by MARIO) - had the potential to be the greatest striker in the world, as it is he's never in his career even been in the top 10 in the world. He just seems lazy every time I see him play.

[Pat]

Martin, I agree with you that Ibrahimovic is overrated, but to that list I would also add Michael Owen and Pippo Inzaghi. I've never seen Raul do much either, but his numbers speak for themselves I guess.

Many of the England players are overhyped as well. Lots of heart, no doubt about that, but far too much headless-chicken play, especially in the big games.

[Kiran]

This article (and a lot of comments) seem to be confusing some one not stepping up in the big games and the issue of a big-name myth.

Thierry Henry for example was/is probably not a myth, but only ever stepped up in one big game and bottled it in countless others...

[Tim H]

Patrick Vieira for me. I could never see what the fuss was all about. He hardly ever scored and passed the ball back or sideways most of the time (and yes, I know he is a 'holding' midfielder.) He wasn't a bad player as such but everyone RAVED about him and I just couldn't see it. That includes for Arsenal and Inter.

[Nick Roberts]

I see a lot of people seem to be having a go at John Terry. Ridiculous so far as I can tell. The Chelsea backline does so so much better with him in it - and whoever is around him doesn't matter, whether it's Alex, Cudicini, Carvalho, Cech the fact is that Chelsea consistently have a stronger defence when he is playing.When Carvalho is teamed up with anyone else he cannot do the job nearly as well.

Terry does consistently perform in the Champions League and he has got a fantastic scoring record in the CL too. As for England, he has not played well admittedly, but then who has? Rooney? No. Gerrard? Only marginally better than everyone else. Ferdinand? No. Especially not in friendlies. One thing i know is that John Terry was voted into the World Cup 2006 squad of the tournament so to say he has 'never performed' for england is erroneous.

Can you think of a striker that always gets the better of Terry in the way Drogba does Senderos or Rooney does Ben Haim etc. ?

[Ale]

I find it wrong to put Raul in this list of overrated players, i think he should be in the category of players with a golden past but a present more inconsistent and not at the top level anymore (i could mention Del Piero, fantastic in his youth until his 1998 bad knee injury, then slowly descending but still capable of great-class matches).

Raul from his beginning to 2002 was the best player of a great Real Madrid, then when Madrid lost the soul that Raul represented and entered the "Galacticos" era of merchandising targeted-on players, they didn't win as much. I thought that it was an injustice that in the years around 2000 Raul didn't win the Golden Boot. Now he's not that player anymore but you can't name him overrated.

[Nick Roberts]

Typical English. You can tell you are basing these comments solely on the few Champions League games you've seen Ibrahimovic etc. play in. I live in Italy and can tell you that far more often than not, Ibrahimovic performs as well as anyone.

I have a friend out here who says the same about Ronaldo, because he says he doesn't seem to perform for United in the Champions League and so he thinks he is hugely overrated. If you said that Ronaldo was overrated to most Englishmen, they would disagree.

My point is that you should not base your judgements on the few CL games that you watch, because it does not give a fair reflection of how these players play week in and week out.

[Darren]

For me, it has to be Jenas.

He has spent his entire top flight career chasing the ball around the park like an 8-year-old on school sports day. How he ever managed to get near an England squad is beyond me.

[Hedley]

I totally agree with Ibrahimovic being the most overrated. In the Champions League, Internationals and Serie A games that I have seen he has looked ordinary.

His stats speak for himself though, and the people who see him play week in and week out will defend him, and I'm sure he is a quality player, just one that seems to lose this quality on the bigger stage. Which, as a Man Utd fan, pains me to think that maybe C Ronaldo is thought of in the same way by people who do not watch him regularly. He does have a habit of of going missing in the bigger games, and I can't remember the last time he produced a top performance in the Champions League. But again, his stats are world class. However, I would rather he scored the goals against Liverpool, Arsenal, AC Milan, etc, rather than against Fulham and Bolton for example.

[Jeronimo]

Did somebody really manage to drop in the names of Zizou and Inzaghi??

Why Zidane can't be called overrated seams obvious to me...he is ZIDANE.

Then on to Inzaghi. Inzaghi doesn't touch too many balls. True. Inzaghi doesn't pass too well. True. Inzaghi is a striker. True. Inzaghi almost always finds the net. True.

Now what's a striker supposed to do? Defend? Run around like a chicken without a head? Pass? Dribble?

No my friends, a striker is supposed to score. In the end it is the goals that count in football. And Inzaghi has the most impressive stats as a striker at the highest level. So please, think, before you write something.

Same thing for Raul. These players might not entertain the fans with beautifull tricks, but they do decide games for their club/nation. And it's winning that counts.

[TONY]

All of them. The best are very good at their job, the rest are just good or adequate. It's the only job in the world where you can be described as brilliant, simply for doing it well.

[The Armada]

"I feel the same about Raúl. I have seen him look good on a night when Real Madrid have looked good, but I’ve never seen him look great on a night when the team have been misfiring, never seen him pull his team to victory in the manner of Zinédine Zidane, or even Steven Gerrard."

You just have to watch almost all Real matches from 1994 to 1996 (for example, his great games in Champions League against Ferencvaros and Juventus in 1995 and 1996) and then the Intercontinental Cup Final of 1998 against Internacional de Porto Alegre, I think (great match and great goal). Then, most of Spain's matches in World Cup 2002, until he got injured. Last few years? Maybe he has not looked good, but we can't ask him to lead the team forever in a club such as Real Madrid. Just research before writing in a journal such as The Times. You have no idea, man. You bet.

[Ale]

i'm from Italy and i watch Zlatan playing every week and if you say Zlatan is overrated then everybody is overrated!i'm not an Inter fc fan but Ibrahimovic is something outstanding since he joined the nerazzurri:he scores regularly(even if lately it's often about penalties and he has suffered knee, hamstring injuries), more than he ever did before at Juventus and Ajax.

He allows team-mates to score with great passes, he displays tricks on the pitch with fantastic skills among 2-3-4 opponent defenders in minimal space.

He has the bad luck, in foreign eyes, of playing in a team that dominates in Italy but still has huge difficulties against strong European teams and in a national team that doesn't suite his capability. Of course it can't be only a matter of teams, he still has some limits but he is absolutely the best player of the Italian leaders of the past 2 years.

[George]

There have been a lot of comments by people deriding others for not being 'big game players'. I just don't think that somebody is overrated just because they consistently dispatch weaker teams.

The reason Liverpool never manage to win the league, and why Arsenal are starting to struggle this year, is not because they don't shape up in the big game, it's because they don't win the others consistently enough. Everyone derided Mr Lampard's four goals against Derby, only to watch Man Utd struggle for 75 mins to get one in.

And those that are deriding Steven Gerrard's ability to perform when it really matters are deluded - Liverpool need a last minute goal to progress in Champs League (a la Sky HD ad)? Gerrard. Liverpool in need of source of inspiration losing 3-0 in final? Gerrard. Liverpool dead on their feet and losing in the FA Cup final? Gerrard, with only one working leg. If anything Gerrard needs to be less of a big game player and get better at dispatching weaker opposition ruthlessly.

And the lad that said Roy Keane was overrated because he didn't have any skills is an interesting chap. He defined a decade at the biggest club in the world through his work rate, reading of a game and ability to bring not just the best, but what was necessary to get the job done out of everyone around him. Imagine what he could have achieved if he had been 'good'.

I have never seen anything of Raul to suggest that he deserves the adulation he receives. Not to say he doesn't deserve it, just that I've never seen it.

[Paul H]

John Terry - Admittedly he is superb when the ball is crossed into the box, meaning when he plays against average premiership teams (who play this way) he looks great. However, as soon as you put him up against a decent team with creativity and spontanaeity in attack, he looks out of his depth.

He's never done it for England, he never does it in the Champions League, and he needs a fast centre half alongside him to make up for his deficiencies. He's not half as important to Chelsea as he thinks he is (Cech and Carvalho are the genuine world class players in the Chelsea defence), yet fans and pundits alike deify him for his "british bulldog spirit" and never say die attitude. This simply masks the fact that as an all-round defender, he's not much better than average.

In England alone, Ferdinand, Woodgate and even King are far more accomplished and polished defenders, and he is nowhere near the likes of Nesta, Maldini and Puyol.

As for his "leadership skills", if harassing the referee with an over-inflated sense of self importance just because you have the captain's armband on is "leadership", then you're the man JT!!

And one more thing - he likes to portray himself as "Mr Indestructible"...why did he not play against Croatia, then play a full 90 mins v Derby a few days later? The man is a phoney!

[Paul McCullough]

At the moment, or a month ago, Cesc Fabregas has been overrated. It wasn't his fault though. He had some good matches last season and the beginning of this season and lots of people decided that he had already arrived. He still has a long way to go. He's not a strong enough presence in the midfield, his shot selection is poor and on top of it all he has a sneaky meanness that has never served anyone well. Finally, I think that people are starting to back off their earlier statements about his greatness.

Regarding Ibrahimovic, Raul, Inzaghi, it's easy to dislike those guys when they're not scoring. But it's the nature of their game for people to swear and scream at them for 88 minutes and then forget it all when they find the net to win the game.

[Dan Crellin]

Wayne Rooney - He looked a world beater at Everton and at Euro 2004. He plays like a schoolkid wanting to be in all positions. He is a very, very good player, but he's definitely not the 'white pele' they sing about. His inferiority to Ronaldo is almost embarrassing.

[Si Clayton]

Any player can be regarded as overrated, it all depends on opinion. I for one would totally agree on Zlatan Ibrahimovic. You can be overrated when people see you out of your comfort zone. Lampard is brilliant for Chelsea but so poor for England, does that make him overrated?

[Tomred]

I am no fan of Ibrahimovic, however I have only seen him in a handful of World Cup and Champions League games. On the strength of those performances I would have to go along with Martin Samuel's assessment that he is overrated, however I must confess that I seldom, if ever, watch Serie A these days.

I assume that Martin Samuel is in the same boat, given his anecdote about Valentino Rossi in which he admitted that a few years ago his exposure to Italian football was "limited to the odd sighting on Channel 4". I would imagine that we can add to that the occasions when an Italian side are drawn against an English side in the Champions League. Even still, not enough exposure on which to make a well informed judgement on a player...or Valentino Rossi.

As for my nomination for most overrated - Jamie Carragher. Worshipped by Liverpool fans due to him being a local boy and undeniably honest and hardworking. But I can't help but notice that most of his "heroic" last ditch tackles come as a result of him being out of position in the first place. To those who think Rio Ferdinand is overrated, he might not stick his head in front of goalbound efforts in the manner of Terry or Carragher, but his style is about being one step ahead and not letting the shot come in in the first place.

[tapfuma]

Don't know about being overrated footballer but i put forward roberto carlos for overrated free-kick taker. scored one great one against france and ever since he's been shooting them high up in the stands or always found the wall.

also i think rooney always becomes a great player each time he scores against arsenal and he will get his obligatory hat-trick against bolton on wednesday. good player rooney but not as some make him to be (the man to win the title) because of one ronaldo. take out his performances and you get your answer.

[K]

It is quite difficult to say someone is overrated as depending on where you come from people see different things in footballers.

Generally, English footballers have a lot of heart and little brains, cue Lampard, Gerrard. Therefore someone who values artistry and skill considers them overrated compared to Fabregas, Pirlo etc. And someone who values the goalscoring midfielder wonders why the heck Pirlo is so respected. Incidentally, I agree that Ibrahimovic is slightly overrated.

[Nathan]

I have read most of the comments on this board and I have to ask you all and even Martin, how many full football games of these players do you watch?

It is all well and good seeing one or two games a season of a few foreign players who might underperform against an English team in Europe like mentioned in the article.

It is another watching those player consistently over a number of games and seasons and not just 5 mins a game on MOTD!

Some players might go missing in certain games or maybe are not consistent enough...
To add the likes of Aimar, Kaka, Gerrard, Henry, Rooney, Ferdinand and even Zidane (seriously how did you manage to think Zidane was overrated, to the mug who put his name in) is silly!

Maybe sometimes those players are hyped up but they are all class footballers, world class on some of them is open for debate!

The only logical suggestion from anyone I can see is Jenas, who probably had his best 3 months in football recently, but has gone missing again!

[Angel]

Martin, could you please let us know how many games you have watched of Ibrahimovic or Raul playing. What is your definition of overrated anyway?

You don't have to go that far to find overrated players, Rooney (that one that was going to be like Pele, remember?) and Terry (i thought he has a bigger salary than Ibrahimovic), but of course you won't name them as they are English and you could find yourself into trouble if you do.

[Matt]

Pirlo is a good shout, but for me it's got to be Riquelme.

He's only ever good in a team which is utterly dedicated to playing around him.

[Ian Jones]

It used to be David Beckham but now it is Frank Lampard.

[Paul H]

JOHN TERRY - The British public and press love him because he is the classic English centre half with the "bulldog spirit". He puts his head in where it hurts and gets stuck in. This simply masks the fact that he is not even close to the top defenders when it comes to pure defending. Admittedly, he is superb in the air and wins the majority of headers in his own box. However, he is extremely slow, needing a faster defender to play alongside him as a precaution. Maldini is slow, but he doesn't need that insurance policy because he is always in the right place.

Also, when has Terry ever done it on the highest stage? He consistently fails to deliver in an England shirt, and has rarely performed well in the CL. It's a complete myth that Chelsea's defence is nothing without him, the crucial player in Chelsea's backline is PETR CECH! As for the England team, Ferdinand, Woodgate and even King are far better all-round defenders than him.

And one more thing - if the definiton of great leadership is harassing the referee with a complete lack of respect at every opportunity, thinking you have a God-given right to do so because you are captain, then, yes, JT, you are a great leader!!!

Rant over!!

[Charles D]

To you muppets who think Lampard can only score goals, you are obviously not football people. Watch a game (that does not mean sit around drinking and swearing at everything) that lampard plays in and you will see his AMAZING passing range, his long balls out to the wing are superb, his one touch and move is what makes Chelsea tick. His movement is also what allows him to score so many. Anyone who thinks he is that overrated is not a real football fan. I will admit, his form for England has dipped in the World Cup and after, but he is still an excellent player.

As for Terry, that was a really stupid post. Again, watch the game against Derby or Sunderland this past week. He bossed the game, winning all the long balls played against him (and there were a lot). You may say, it is Derby and Sunderland, but with the amount of headers he had to win with their tactics/players, it was immense.

[H.U.]

Zlatan Ibrahimovic last season led his championship winning team's offence with a remarkable 15 goals and 3 assists for 18 points in 25 starts.

This season his contribution has tranformed to new heights. Ibrahimovic has recorded 17 goals and 10 assists for 27 points in just 25 Serie A games this season, putting up the best single-player offensive statistics in the Italian league. Such numbers would be wanted by any club in the world and comprise the reason why the player is rumoured to be the highest-paid player in European football.

Please may someone explain to me how the player is overrated? soccerstatistics.blogspot.com

[Martino]

Claude Makélélé

Once a position defining player. Now overrated and kept in the team merely because of reputation.

Clearly inferior to Obi Mickel and Essien.

[Joop Aelbrecht]

How about Cannavaro? Rated as one of the game's top defenders, but vastly overrated as FIFA Player of the Year.

[Rob1234]

I doubt that there are many people commenting here that have any real experience of watching European football/players week in week out. I watch a fair bit, but even that would only amount to me having seen Pirlo/Ibrahimovic 5 times or so in their career.

Even within the Premiership I would feel uncomfortable commenting on any player from outside my own team that I watch religiously every week. Unless you live a sorry life spending your weekends watching a constant feed of football first, Spanish football and football Italia, then I’m afraid that it's all just guess work and hearsay, so please stop posting comments under the pretence that you should be Europe's top scout.

[Andrew Bell]

Anyone who doesn't rate Raul knows very little about the beautiful game. Real Madrid's fans have seen one or two good players over the years and the club certainly believe in playing the game in the right way. It's no accident that he is almost a demi-god at the the Bernabeu, he is an exquisite talent with the goals and the trophies to back him up.

Buffon is also the best goalkeeper on the planet.
I think that English fans often deem players from overseas to be overrated because they only see them play once or twice a season. Even the likes of Ronaldo and Fabregas have games in which they flatter to deceive.

Zidane used to have the same problem, every big international tournament everyone seemed to realise he was the greatest player on the planet by far but 6 months later people would have forgotten about him, not realising that he'd been playing exactly the same for Juve or Madrid week in week out.

[Andrew Bell]

ROY KEANE! One of the most average players of recent times, a better version of Robbie Savage. No doubt he was a strong captain and a strong influence and inspiration to the more talented players around him but what footballing skills did he possess?

A hard working player with no skill. What kind of a great player can't beat a man or have any technical skill? I used to laugh at the clowns who claimed him to be better than the greatest player of the last 20 years, Zidane.

[Hafiz]

I am a man utd fan but hate to admit it...i think rooney is really overrated as a striker...doesnt score enough goals for a striker. Ok he does have a phenomenal work rate but as a striker you are supposed to score goals too and, correct me if i am wrong, i dont think he has that many assists to his credit. Once he improves his finishing (which i think is average to say the least) I think he will be even better than Torres but until then he won't be a complete striker.

[Mario]

DAVID TREZEGUET

[DENTON]

WAKE UP ENGLAND!! Your obsession with viking footballers like Steven Gerrard is why you'll go even longer without winning ANYTHING!

For a true reflection of a player - ask someone who sees him day in day out - his coach. Rafa Benitez realised very quickly when he got to Liverpool that Steven Gerrard had to be part of his set up but didnt want him anywhere near the 'brains' of his team because of his poor short passing game, severe tactical indiscipline and inabilty to dictate tempo. Basically, all the things you expect from a decent midfielder. Cue an entire season on the right of midfield and why Rafa entrusts the 'brains'/'running' of liverpool to proper central midfielders like Xavi Alonso and Lucas Leiva who dont viking aimlessly around a pitch.

Last time arsenal and liverpool met - Cesc Fabregas 109 successfull passes. Steven Gerrard 33. Sky pundits judged Gerrard man of the match. Discuss.

[Ale]

Kaka!let him go alone in counterattack, he may run 60 metres and get into the net with the ball, he's the best in the world.

Then, don't let him the chance of running open spaces, order your players to close in on him immediately when he gets the ball and he will rarely get past of them, he's not good at dribbling when he is pressed by defenders, he has not the great technical skills of the likes of ronaldinho,c ronaldo or ibrahimovic.

He has a good shot from 20-25 metres but he doesn't even kick free-kicks, and he doesn't deliver creative assists. Here in italy, minor teams don't let him run and his last 2 domestical campaigns in Serie A are absolutely not great.

[Russell]

Paul Scholes - doesn't score many goals any more, lacks pace. Lampard does everything better than Scholes.
Also, John Terry (slow), Ballack.

[john]

Raul overrated? he's the all time Champions League scorer and this without taking penalties! Review the 2003 Real Madrid-Manchester U. at Bernabeu.

[DENTON]

Frank Lampard is the best goal scoring midfielder in the world - FACT.

Research this all you like - only ONE midfielder, in the WORLD professional game has managed to score more than 20 goals a season for 4 seasons in row (this year, he will make it 5). His name is Frank Lampard. Please lets end this Frank lampard overrated nonsense right there.

[Lee - Brighton]

This debate could easily have been called 'Players you love to hate'. With so many opposite opinions on Gerrard and Lampard it just shows how difficult it must be to be a manager. Both are world class players on their day, but have different styles. Lampard is a high scoring midfielder - how many others across Europe score consistently as he does? Yet his critics don't see that as they just don't like him. Right now he is underrated by Chelsea, if his contract talks are anything to go by. Chelsea will miss him if he goes. Who is there to fill the gap?

As for over-rated players, Rio Ferdinand is always top of the pile for me. Very overrated player. So is Anton, nowhere near good enough for the Premiership. If this was about overrated teams then that would be everyone's favourite blind-spot team - Brazil, despite Martin's main article.

[Kevin Hennessy]

Whoever would have guessed that this blog could have degenerated, within 10 posts, into a Lampard v Gerrard bitchfest.

Agree about Ibrahimovich though vastly overrated player.

[Angel]

Martin, i'm really disapointed by his articl. i'm sorry to say that as i normally rate them and look forward to reading them, and consider your writing style respectful, logical and articulate.

I am not a Raul fan by any means. i have always considered him overrated by the spanish press. as the supporters of Real Madrid in Spain account for approx 70% of all fans, it's inevitable their players are sometimes overhyped. however, from that to say that you never saw him playing a good game, i have to take that literally, and i assume you have not watched Raul playing really often. in my view, there are three competitions where a player can be rated, national league, champions league and national team.

Raul is the record scorer in CL and with Spain, and twice top scorer in the PL. in 8 seasons he has scored more than 20 goals, in one of them 32. he has a total of 61 goals in the CL. of course he has not been as good as Zidane or Maradona, but to say that you never saw him play well, says more about you than about him.

I agree with you, though, Ibrahimovic is a overrated player. he does perform well in the Calcio, but fails constantly in the CL and with his national team. I am surprised you said he has the highest salary in European football, i thought that "honour" corresponded to John Terry. in either case and salary wise, who would you think deserve more his salary Terry or Ibrahimovic?

For your information, there was a survey from a sports spanish newspaper about who was the most overated player in La Liga, here is the result.

1st. Robben.
2nd. Henry.
3hrd. Pablo Aimar.

[karan]

john terry
steven gerrard
frank lampard
zinedine zidane -lacked consistency

[James]

I can't help but notice that most of the players that have been mentioned are mainstays in Champions League sides, particularly English ones. If all these players are so bad, how come the English sides are doing so well in Europe?

[Richard, Nottingham]

Who is the most overhyped and overrated player in Europe? Easy, look no further than whoever the great British press is plugging. My vote goes to Frank Lampard. And Pipo Inzaghi (the Italians love him for some reason).

[Dave]

There are so many overrated players but as a general rule of thumb if you are english you are not as good as you think you are.
The list of not as good as you think you are includes the aforementioned Gerrard (hollywood passes to no-one in particular) Lampard (conceited and needs 3 other central midfielders with him) Carragher (No way has he ever been a world class player) Terry (better than carragher but needs a Makelele to do his work for him because he believes all his hype and is too lazy to actually do his job)
Rooney (Doesnt score anywhere near enough goals - skilful though).

[Viraat]

just so all u people know, lampard's deflected goals only mount to 6% and as for penalties only 17 so far.

gerrard has to be the most overrated. okay, u had a good game in the final of CL now ur world class and yada yada...

world class players have guts. what happened to gerrard when england got a penalty? the only person who stepped up? guess who - lampard.

[Adrian R]

I think the majority of the England squad. It is rare English players do well abroad, yet foreigners enhance our game no end. The fact Lampard and Gerrard are seen as world class but can't do much in the national team must mean something. The same could be said about Ferdinand, Terry, Owen, etc. The only player I believe has performed well for club and country is Beckham.

Declan, it might have had something to do with being the last real big player at the club, someone whose reputation started overshadowing him and who is starting to decline, it doesn't mean he wasn't a fantastic player who did so much for us. Look at how he was the main man behind two league titles, one of which we never lost in, three FA Cups and two European finals. Oh and being one of the main assister's and top ever scorer for the team.

Our current side has won nothing yet but even if it goes onto be massively successful, which I believe it will, doesn't mean the likes of Veria, Campbell, Lauren were no good.

As for my pick, Bu