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Football's most beautiful players to watch in past 20 years

135

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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,307 ✭✭✭tanko


    The most beautiful, elegant footballer i've ever seen has to be Bernard Morris:pac:


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,593 ✭✭✭DoctaDee


    paul71 wrote: »
    Actually there is a back I can think of who would certainly fit in the list and as his last year was 96 he is in the timeframe.

    Martin O'Connell was a beautifully elegant footballer, one of those who seemed to have all the time in the world to do what he wanted to do with the ball.

    I'll give you another defender and half Meath man that was great to watch from the sideline not so great on the pitch - Paul Curran


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 26,658 ✭✭✭✭OldMrBrennan83


    This post has been deleted.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,479 ✭✭✭Comic Book Guy


    Paul Barden from Longford was great to watch.

    Super athlete who would just glide past players when on one of his solo runs down the middle of opposition defence.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,113 ✭✭✭galwaylad14


    I think that list is almost more of a "best forwards of the last 20 years" as opposed to "most stylish". Brilliant and all as Gooch is, Maurice Fitz should be a clear number one on that list. Poetry in motion that guy was. Colin Corkery should be there too, and Ja Fallon, Ja was magical to watch. Also Stephen O'Neill, left and right and never looked like he broke a sweat.

    The likes of Conor McManus and Alan Brogan were great forwards but I don't think they have the same effortless style as some of those guys above and that's what this list should be about.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 7,631 ✭✭✭Dirty Dingus McGee


    MDMcA being called an excellent footballer and being mentioned in the same company as Brian Dooher.

    Jesus wept.

    McAuley is a former player of the year.

    He's been a very effective player over the years.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,593 ✭✭✭DoctaDee


    Patww79 wrote: »
    This post has been deleted.

    Aye good old Keith gave something competely different to the game .. usually someone elses teeth back :rolleyes:


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,293 ✭✭✭threeball


    McAuley is a former player of the year.

    He's been a very effective player over the years.

    Dublin aren't half as effective without MDMA. Awkward as a new born giraffe but very effective


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,479 ✭✭✭Comic Book Guy


    Dara O'Cinneide

    I mention purely based on his free taking ability off the ground. Effortless is only way to describe it when in his prime.


  • Registered Users Posts: 89 ✭✭Not that one


    Frank Mc Glynn, Donegal, has been in the top 10 ball players of the past 5 or 6 years.

    Excellent man marker, excellent ball carrier, does not lose possession, clean tackler, still has a burst of pace on the ball, runs great angles in Donegal's attack system.

    Has the knack of holding back from an attack and then ghosting into an "acre" of space and popping over a point or creating a goal chance.


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  • Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 11,451 Mod ✭✭✭✭Hammer Archer


    DoctaDee wrote: »
    He's like a young fella chasing a pigeon...
    threeball wrote: »
    Dublin aren't half as effective without MDMA. Awkward as a new born giraffe but very effective
    Simile central :pac:


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 990 ✭✭✭Ted111


    If my jerseys been cleaned and I put a bit of gel in my hair - I don't think 'beautiful' is too much of a stretch. :pac:


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 17,781 ✭✭✭✭keane2097


    'Young fella chasing a pigeon' was a genuine tea through the nose line


  • Registered Users Posts: 307 ✭✭North of 32


    Joe.ie and the junk words written on it are nothing more than placeholders for all the ads on their website so they can monetize as much as possible the traffic they drive to the site through click-bait. I'd say they're delighted with this thread.

    Pure and utter garbage. Same for Balls.ie; their articles are just word-feces to keep you on the page as long as possible so they can tell their sponsors that "the average balls.ie reader spends 12 seconds on our page/looking at your ads!". I hope to god those people don't think of themselves as journalists. They're just the internet equivalent of walking billboards.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,302 ✭✭✭paul71


    DoctaDee wrote: »
    Aye good old Keith gave something competely different to the game .. usually someone elses teeth back :rolleyes:


    3rd biggest hit I ever saw on a football pitch was Barr on O'Rourke, two bloody hard buggers never figured out O'Rourke got up from it, but indictative of the time he bolocked the player who gave him the hospital pass and said nothing to Barr.


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,048 ✭✭✭Bunny Colvin


    List is fine apart from the fact McDonald is at two. The most over rated footballer of our generation, people seem to forget he was a laughing stock in Mayo and disliked/booed by his own fans for years before he had one good game against Dublin.

    Wow, what utter tripe.

    McDonald was never a laughing stock in Mayo. Some of the begrudgers (every county has them) saw him as a bit arrogant for the long hair and pulled up socks but he was anything but. Any decent GAA fan knew he was a top class player before the Dublin game. He had countless good games in the red and green and won the Club Championship with Crossmolina. Technically he will go down as one of the best players of our generation, he was the type of player you'd pay to watch. The more Ciaran McDonald's that the GAA produces, the better.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,497 ✭✭✭ArnoldJRimmer


    Wow, what utter tripe.

    McDonald was never a laughing stock in Mayo. Some of the begrudgers (every county has them) saw him as a bit arrogant for the long hair and pulled up socks but he was anything but. Any decent GAA fan knew he was a top class player before the Dublin game. He had countless good games in the red and green and won the Club Championship with Crossmolina. Technically he will go down as one of the best players of our generation, he was the type of player you'd pay to watch. The more Ciaran McDonald's that the GAA produces, the better.

    Ciaran McDonald was a joy to watch and had many more good games than bad. He always seemed like a nice enough fella too, but with his unique look, and swagger on the pitch, people equate this with him being a tosser which I completely disagree with.


  • Registered Users Posts: 677 ✭✭✭Cheese Wagstaff


    McAuley is a former player of the year.

    He's been a very effective player over the years.

    I am well aware of his accolades. I am just of the opinion that he is far from an excellent footballer. He lacks the most basic skills, so much so that he is reduced to carrying and handpassing to a better teammate, even the latter skill is a bit dodgy aswell.

    The sad fact is that he has won FOTY and Colm Cooper won't. I was also of the impression that the thread was looking at beautiful and non-beautiful "excellent" footballers. I didn't realise that "effective" and "excellent" meant the same thing.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 17,388 ✭✭✭✭Jayop


    Put me into the McDonald fan club too.


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,198 ✭✭✭PressRun


    Ciaran McDonald was and is dead sound. It so happened he was also one of the flashiest lads to ever play football which seems to instantly turn people off him. People seemed to assume that there must have been an ego to go with the look and the style of play, which may be understandable, but really couldn't have been further from the truth. He might have had a difficult time with some Mayo fans over the years (I'm sure there are a good few inter-county stars in the country who, at some point or another, had a difficult relationship with some fans, especially in more rural parts where players and fans are likely to cross paths more frequently), but anyone I know has the utmost respect for him and would regard him as one of the best to ever wear the Mayo jersey. He's certainly the most naturally gifted footballer we've ever had, in my opinion. To say that he was a "laughing stock" in Mayo is utter garbage, tbh. The man is practically a Mayo legend.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,630 ✭✭✭✭siblers


    Watched Colin Corkery quite a few times play against Kerry and always found him to be on those players who always found space and time on the ball. Brilliant free taker too.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,925 ✭✭✭aidan24326


    McDonald was brilliant but for the most part not that well loved during his playing days.

    As another poster here suggested he was not afraid to be different and Ireland being Ireland and Mao being Mayo some people resented that.

    Its only in hindsight I think that people, Mayo people, properly appreciate him.

    I think you can see that with the reaction to his TV interview from last year.
    Anyone who did not know him assumed he was a arrogant, self important, prick, but then he spoke, for the very first time, and people were fascinated by him.
    Ciaran McDonald was a joy to watch and had many more good games than bad. He always seemed like a nice enough fella too, but with his unique look, and swagger on the pitch, people equate this with him being a tosser which I completely disagree with.

    I met Ciaran McDonald once (in a nightclub - he wasn't drinking) and found him to be very down to earth and a nice guy. I remember thinking he seemed very different from this notion of an arrogant so-and-so that seemed to be the lazy media consensus at the time.

    He was a gifted footballer but I always thought Mayo made a mistake moving him out to the half forward line where for all his great range of passing he could be a bit ponderous at times. He was lethal closer to goal and should have been left there.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 890 ✭✭✭brocbrocach


    Niall Buckley
    Seamus Moynihan
    Kevin Walsh
    Tony Boyle
    Anthony Lynch


  • Registered Users Posts: 9,286 ✭✭✭seligehgit


    TBH I don't know where the lazy media narrative about McDonald arose from... He was certainly different from your average footballer both on and off the pitch.Ciaran McDonald certainly didn't cultivate this persona considering he was incredibly media shy,never gave interviews and did his talking in the pitch.He didn't feel the need to rebut much of the garbage that I'm sure was spoken and written about him down through the years.


  • Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 11,451 Mod ✭✭✭✭Hammer Archer


    Not from open play as much, but I absolutely love watching Brian Sheehan's technique when taking free kicks from the ground. It seems like he barely touches the ball yet it'll sail 50 or 60 metres. His free against Donegal in the league earlier this year where he judged the gale force wind across the pitch was incredible.


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,386 ✭✭✭✭DDC1990


    Not from open play as much, but I absolutely love watching Brian Sheehan's technique when taking free kicks from the ground. It seems like he barely touches the ball yet it'll sail 50 or 60 metres. His free against Donegal in the league earlier this year where he judged the gale force wind across the pitch was incredible.

    Yeah, watched him hit a few belters over the years. Best i've seen was two he hit against Crokes in Ditzgerald Stadium in a County Final a few years back. Miles out.

    His point against Cork two years ago in PUC from down around the sideline was immense as well.

    Rory Beggan actually strokes frees with less effort IMO. Beautiful style.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 26,658 ✭✭✭✭OldMrBrennan83


    This post has been deleted.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,474 ✭✭✭deadybai


    How in the name of jaysus is Bernard Brogan not on the list? Every bit as good as Conor MacManus. And a joy to watch


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 924 ✭✭✭homewardbound11


    McDonald's foot passing was of a standard that has yet to be seen since his inter county retirement . Miss that about the current game .


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,293 ✭✭✭threeball


    deadybai wrote: »
    How in the name of jaysus is Bernard Brogan not on the list? Every bit as good as Conor MacManus. And a joy to watch

    Brogan is not a beautiful footballer to watch. He kicking technique is very square and rehearsed. He's admitted as much himself. Not a naturally gifted mover or footballer. Alan much more so.
    Excellent footballer but not aesthetically pleasing to watch (unless you're a woman)


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  • Registered Users Posts: 7,806 ✭✭✭corny


    McDonald's foot passing was of a standard that has yet to be seen since his inter county retirement . Miss that about the current game .

    Lots of hyperbole on this thread but that tops the lot.

    Certainly filled a highlight reel McDonald but for every great pass there'd one where he'd give the ball away.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,302 ✭✭✭paul71


    DoctaDee wrote: »
    I'll give you another defender and half Meath man that was great to watch from the sideline not so great on the pitch - Paul Curran

    I will raise you a Dublin defender going back a bit more Mick Deegan was a joy to watch.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 812 ✭✭✭rightyabe


    Adrian Sweeney- Donegal


  • Registered Users Posts: 7,806 ✭✭✭corny


    Only showed it for a season or two but Colm McCullagh was brilliant to watch when Mickey Harte gave him a free role.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,630 ✭✭✭✭siblers


    Also, nowhere near the level of players in this thread but Paul Sharry for Westmeath is a lovely footballer, always wonder if players like him would cut the grade on stronger teams.


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 334 ✭✭skywanderer


    What Troll added Diarmuid Connolly to this list? He will be remember for alot of things, none of which are positive and if I wrote what I really think of him I'd be breaking the charter.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,481 ✭✭✭robbiezero


    Not from open play as much, but I absolutely love watching Brian Sheehan's technique when taking free kicks from the ground. It seems like he barely touches the ball yet it'll sail 50 or 60 metres. His free against Donegal in the league earlier this year where he judged the gale force wind across the pitch was incredible.

    Worth a look for the commentary alone



  • Closed Accounts Posts: 7,631 ✭✭✭Dirty Dingus McGee


    What Troll added Diarmuid Connolly to this list? He will be remember for alot of things, none of which are positive and if I wrote what I really think of him I'd be breaking the charter.

    Well that's clearly not true.

    He'll be remembered by most people as being a great footballer with a ridiculous skill level.

    Sure there's a bit of Father Damo to him but most people will remember his football ability.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,351 ✭✭✭Littlehorny


    Instantly thought of Maurice Fitzgerald when i read the title, others i would add are Declan Browne, Mickey Linden and Graeme Geraghty.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,549 ✭✭✭Limestone Cowboy


    What Troll added Diarmuid Connolly to this list? He will be remember for alot of things, none of which are positive and if I wrote what I really think of him I'd be breaking the charter.

    He's an unbelievable footballer regardless of whatever else he is. Can't say I like some of his antics but his skill levels are off the chart.


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 3,249 ✭✭✭MaroonAndGreen


    Ciaran McDonald has claim to be the most talented footballer without an inter-county All Ireland. If Mayo had managed to win one he'd be held in higher regard imo


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,407 ✭✭✭megadodge


    Just have to add my support for Ciaran MacDonald too.

    As a Roscommon man I had the misfortune of watching him destroy us many a time, but I do have a memory of one particular match where there were 4 to 5 Mayo 'fans' behind me who never stopped bitching about him from before the match even started. Unsurprisingly he was having a very good game, but that didn't matter to these muppets - His tan, his hair, his tatoos, God knows what else and it actually got so bad I eventually turned around to them and said "if ye don't want him we'd love to have him". The amazing thing was, a whole load of random Roscommon supporters who had listened to the sh*te all backed me up. The man was class!


    Lovely interview with him here
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQksCHa9fGQ


  • Moderators, Entertainment Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 11,882 Mod ✭✭✭✭Say Your Number


    Declan O'Sullivan not mentioned on that article or here? I find that utterly insane :eek:

    Marty Clarke and Benny Coulter from Down.

    John Galvin from Limerick.

    I think we can add Gary Brennan to the list, I saw him kill Sligo's dream in the flesh last week :(

    David Kelly, Johnny Davey and Mark Brehony, three Sligo players who would make most inter county teams.

    Also Paul Taylor, was as talented as McDonald but was effectively finished in his mid-twenties :(


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,293 ✭✭✭threeball


    Declan O'Sullivan not mentioned on that article or here? I find that utterly insane :eek:

    Marty Clarke and Benny Coulter from Down.

    John Galvin from Limerick.

    I think we can add Gary Brennan to the list, I saw him kill Sligo's dream in the flesh last week :(

    David Kelly, Johnny Davey and Mark Brehony, three Sligo players who would make most inter county teams.

    Also Paul Taylor, was as talented as McDonald but was effectively finished in his mid-twenties :(

    Don't think you'd describe any of the above as beautiful to watch. Taylor had good technique in fairness, best of the names mentioned


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 890 ✭✭✭brocbrocach


    Declan O'Sullivan not mentioned on that article or here? I find that utterly insane :eek:

    Marty Clarke and Benny Coulter from Down.

    John Galvin from Limerick.

    I think we can add Gary Brennan to the list, I saw him kill Sligo's dream in the flesh last week :(

    David Kelly, Johnny Davey and Mark Brehony, three Sligo players who would make most inter county teams.

    Also Paul Taylor, was as talented as McDonald but was effectively finished in his mid-twenties :(

    I'd agree with all them but the Sligo lads bar Taylor, sorry :o Taylor was brilliant, reminded me of Paul Flynn, waterford hurler, physique-wise.
    I think Declan O'Sullivan could've been the best footballer of all time, injuries made him a "only" a great great player.
    Also Mickey Linden and Adrian Sweeney, mentioned above, are a good shout.
    McDonald was very nice to watch, prone to Hollywood play though, which lessened him.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,016 ✭✭✭Hulk Hands


    What Troll added Diarmuid Connolly to this list? He will be remember for alot of things, none of which are positive and if I wrote what I really think of him I'd be breaking the charter.

    Plenty of it is positive. Watch his first score here at 10 seconds. Majestic stuff. He might be overrated on the scale of how effective he is but hes a perfect example of a beautiful player to watch.


    Ciaran McDonald has claim to be the most talented footballer without an inter-county All Ireland. If Mayo had managed to win one he'd be held in higher regard imo

    Most talented you could argue. Absolutely nowhere near the best however. McDonalds certainly someone who's overrated on a effectiveness scale. Time and the highlight reels have been very generous. Very good player but you couldnt compare him to someone else in that conversation such as Declan Browne or Sean Marty Lockhart.

    Maurice Fitz is the clear number 1 as far as the thread title goes. Lads like Corkery and Ja Fallon would be up there also. Loved the Paul Taylor mention earlier. Ollie Murphy was a great watch also

    Edit: Cant forget Martin McHugh either. Stylish


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 17,388 ✭✭✭✭Jayop


    Ive watched David Kelly a load over the last few years at County and club and he could have got on any team in the country imo. Whippet fast and skill to beat a man with ease. Great player to watch.


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,621 ✭✭✭Nidgeweasel


    What Troll added Diarmuid Connolly to this list? He will be remember for alot of things, none of which are positive and if I wrote what I really think of him I'd be breaking the charter.

    Ridiculous thing to say. He is an outrageously talented footballer.

    He scored a point against Donegal in that semi final that was out of this world. Two solo dummys and over from about 40 meters while never breaking stride or losing balance.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,814 ✭✭✭flasher0030


    PressRun wrote: »
    Ciaran McDonald was and is dead sound. It so happened he was also one of the flashiest lads to ever play football which seems to instantly turn people off him. People seemed to assume that there must have been an ego to go with the look and the style of play, which may be understandable, but really couldn't have been further from the truth. He might have had a difficult time with some Mayo fans over the years (I'm sure there are a good few inter-county stars in the country who, at some point or another, had a difficult relationship with some fans, especially in more rural parts where players and fans are likely to cross paths more frequently), but anyone I know has the utmost respect for him and would regard him as one of the best to ever wear the Mayo jersey. He's certainly the most naturally gifted footballer we've ever had, in my opinion. To say that he was a "laughing stock" in Mayo is utter garbage, tbh. The man is practically a Mayo legend.[/QUOTE]

    Absolutely correct. I think that interview on TV has put almost all of the begrudgers back in their box. There were quite a few Mayo folks who had formed their opinion about him, without ever meeting him. But when has was portrayed as a human being - shy and nervous on the TV, it struck a nerve with people. For some reason, we much prefer someone who is vulnerable that someone who is confident.

    Anyway, I played footie with him at underage many moons ago. Fab guy back then. Never met him since. But he was quite reclusive back then, considering the level of attention he got, even at the tender age of 18. Will always be a hero of mine.


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  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 334 ✭✭skywanderer


    Hulk Hands wrote: »
    Plenty of it is positive. Watch his first score here at 10 seconds. Majestic stuff.

    Yes majestic, he ran half a mile without ever hopping the ball, it should have been a free to the opposition; I guess Joe McQuillan was reffing that day with his Dublin Jersey on inside the black one.

    There was plenty of other players you could add to that list without this dis-likable person.


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