Who are the most OVERrated players in the world?

[Kaveh Ahangar]

How many saves has Barthez really had to make this tournament? I don't recall one world class save. I give the credit to the back four rather than Barthez. With him in goal you always know you are in for a chance with a blooper...like his fumbled chest save against Portugal the other day.

I haven't actually been sitting there with a save-counter totalling them for you In 4 games, he has played well enough to not concede, all of the credit can not go to the back four. I don't recall a "blooper" from Barthez in France colours for a long time, he has never let his country down from what I have seen.

A great deal of fuss has been made about his save against Portugal. The ball was struck very hard, and he had the wall right in front of his line of sight so he would have seen the ball very late. He did well to divert the ball away within such a crowded penalty area. Have you forgotton Schweinsteiger's goal yesterday? it was straight at Ricardo and he had a long time to see it, but still he managed to let it go straight through him.

Coupet has had a far better season and is a far better goalkeeper and everyone in France knows it...apart from Domenech!

How would you know? have you seen every single Marseille and Lyon match this season? I highly doubt it.

[zereshk-ali]

I haven't actually been sitting there with a save-counter totalling them for you In 4 games, he has played well enough to not concede, all of the credit can not go to the back four. I don't recall a "blooper" from Barthez in France colours for a long time, he has never let his country down from what I have seen.

What's with all the eye rolling? you should see your optometrist about that.

Well if you can't recall any decent or crucial saves from him then why are you giving him credit? I recall far more crucial interceptions and tackles from Thuram, Gallas and Sagnol - the real reasons behind France's impressive defensive record.

The times when Barthez has been called into action he has been anything but impressive - as per the Ronaldo shot. I think the fact that he was the only goalkeeper out of the semi final nations not to make the squad of the tournament says a lot.

A great deal of fuss has been made about his save against Portugal. The ball was struck very hard, and he had the wall right in front of his line of sight so he would have seen the ball very late. He did well to divert the ball away within such a crowded penalty area. Have you forgotton Schweinsteiger's goal yesterday? it was straight at Ricardo and he had a long time to see it, but still he managed to let it go straight through him.
.

Well, it was straight at him from a very long distance out and he still managed to totally misjudge the flight of the ball. It really is indefensible, but yet you still try...
Ricardo is not a particularly good keeper anyway - he is a fantastic penalty stopper but his footwork and positioning are dreadful and he is overtheatrical. The goal he let in was also a very bad mistake.

How would you know? have you seen every single Marseille and Lyon match this season? I highly doubt it

:bs:
What kind of criteria is that? To have watched every Marseille and Lyon match this season before knowing who is a better goalkeeper? Do you have to watch every Barca and Persepolis game to know that Messi is a better player than Madanchi?

I watched Coupet on several occassions in the champions league and he looked a far better keeper than Barthez. According to a France Football survey 69% of fans wanted Coupet ahead of 28% for Barthez...I think they probably watched one or two of both Lyon and Marseilles games this season.

http://france.worldcupblog.org/group-g/coupet-or-barthez.html

Oh, and finally he was voted goalkeeper of the year by his fellow players last season:

http://observer.guardian.co.uk/sport/story/0,,1784730,00.html

"Coupet's 'crack-up', as Domenech described it, had been on the cards. Two weeks ago, when he learnt that Barthez had pipped him to the starting place, Coupet said that he did not know how he would react when he met his rival in Tignes. He had 'plenty of reasons to feel perplexed', having been voted goalkeeper of the year in France by his peers. He was impeccable last season as Lyon raced to a fifth consecutive French title and impressive when he took over from the suspended Barthez for World Cup qualifiers.

All the while, Barthez seemed to be digging his own grave. After a six-month ban for spitting at a referee during a Marseille 'friendly' in February 2005, the former Manchester United goalkeeper described his community service punishment as a 'waste of time'.

Barthez did little for his declining popularity with gaffes that led to goals in France's matches against Israel, in a World Cup qualifier, and against Costa Rica, in a friendly. He was even jeered by the crowd at the Stade de France throughout the 2-1 defeat by Slovakia a couple of months ago."

If you're going to be opinionated about the debate then have some arguments to back up your fact other than "I don't have a save counter" and not being able to recall a single crucial or decent save from Barthez this tournament.

[Kaveh Ahangar]

Zereshk,

I believe Domenech made the right decision to pick Barthez ahead of Coupet. I would have done the same. If you prefer Coupet, you are entitled to your opinion.

I do not doubt that Barthez has lost popularity. This is not a popularity contest though, and Barthez was adjudged to be the better keeper. Coupet should grow up and learn some professionalism. Kahn and Lehmann have battled fiercely for the No.1 jersey, but they behave as gentlemen. This was clear for all too see in the way they embraced after Germany's post WC celebrations (not to mention that Lehmann agreed to step down for Kahn to play his last international match). Coupet simply wouldn't have the temperament to handle WC football.

[zereshk-ali]

Zereshk,

I believe Domenech made the right decision to pick Barthez ahead of Coupet. I would have done the same. If you prefer Coupet, you are entitled to your opinion.

I do not doubt that Barthez has lost popularity. This is not a popularity contest though, and Barthez was adjudged to be the better keeper. Coupet should grow up and learn some professionalism. Kahn and Lehmann have battled fiercely for the No.1 jersey, but they behave as gentlemen. This was clear for all too see in the way they embraced after Germany's post WC celebrations (not to mention that Lehmann agreed to step down for Kahn to play his last international match). Coupet simply wouldn't have the temperament to handle WC football.

Sraosa,

The point the article was trying to make was that Domenech's choice of Barthez was not in fact his decision at all and was decided by the senior squad players that were close to Barthez.

The cold, hard facts of the matter are that the French public and his fellow professionals believed that Coupet had a better season than Barthez - something that you ridiculed me about when I first suggested it. This would suggest that those most informed on the subject believe that Coupet is a better keeper than Barthez.

In any case, it was you that brought up the point in the first place, questioning my assertion that Barthez is an over-rated goalkeeper. Well, that's your opinion too, but I originally included him in the list because I feel that he is not the keeper he was in 98 and I think I have made my case that Barthez is still only in the French team on reputation ahead of merit.

I would suggest that, based on his performances for both Lyon in the Champions League and for France in the internationals that Barthez was ruled out of, your statement that "Coupet simply wouldn't have the temperament to handle WC football" is more fanciful than mine that Coupet had a better season than Barthez.

[IranPuma]

Maybe for Ghana, but for Chelsea with the support he has, he should be taking the scoring title every year. Also if he was so great Mourinho and company wouldn't always be looking for a replacement. I consider him like Adriano perfectly built, athletic, strong, fast, but lacks the football sence that seperates him from the likes of Nistelrooy, Henry, Klose etc.

Amir HF I agree with Torres but not Villa, Villa does incredibly well for that small frame.

I'd like to add Zlatan to the list aswell. Horribly overrated.

Drogba plays for Ghana? news to me...Ivory Coast last i checked outplayed Argentina and Holland just had trouble finishing. Drogba is a freakin beast and is not overated....Crespo and Ronaldinho?...thats a little bit crazi, Sounds more like players you just dont like hearing bout maybe? I mean maybe they get alot of attention bcuz they do alot of things for there team, i mean thats the way it is. Rooney might be overrated...but you cant underesitmate the kid...

And why say Totti? leave that to other critics...last i checked he single handedly owned Iran's national team WITH HIS DAMN CLUB TEAM =]

[186forever]

Either way you guys keep praising Villa and Torres just like the coach did, even though 2 of Villa's 3 goals were penalty's and so was one of Torres' goals. So they didnt really stand out as much as some may insist in this tournament...yeah the others might be getting older and worn out but these guys arent anywhere near world class, they play for Valencia and Atletico for god sake.

I never said they re world class
I think they have a great future though

[The-Iron-Ghost]

RUUUUUD VANISTELROY & Drogba