Who inspires Liverpool winger Raheem Sterling? Reds fans have not seen much of the the 17-year old, but it's clear that he has the attributes to develop into a top class player. Sterling still has much to learn, and over the next few years, the youngster's plan is emulate former Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo, currently one the world's best attacking players.
Speaking to the Official Liverpool FC website yesterday, Sterling - who impressed during Liverpool's 1-1 pre-season game with Toronto recently - revealed his biggest football influence:
"The obvious idol for me is Cristiano Ronaldo.
You can’t really model yourself on those sort of players, though; you just want to take parts of their game and add it to yours"
If you're going to model yourself after someone then on a football basis, Ronaldo is a good choice. Having said that, if Sterling really wants to learn how to be the ultimate winger, he would be better off studying footage of Liverpool legend John Barnes, who was far superior to Ronaldo in almost every way, and is - IMO - the greatest player ever to grace the Anfield turf. Here is a video to get you started, Raheem:
Barnes was an amazing, once in a lifetime player, and just watching that footage brings a tear to the eye.
I'm so thankful that I got the opportunity to see him play live, but will we ever see the likes of Barnes at Liverpool again...?
Jaimie Kanwar
Speaking to the Official Liverpool FC website yesterday, Sterling - who impressed during Liverpool's 1-1 pre-season game with Toronto recently - revealed his biggest football influence:
"The obvious idol for me is Cristiano Ronaldo.
You can’t really model yourself on those sort of players, though; you just want to take parts of their game and add it to yours"
If you're going to model yourself after someone then on a football basis, Ronaldo is a good choice. Having said that, if Sterling really wants to learn how to be the ultimate winger, he would be better off studying footage of Liverpool legend John Barnes, who was far superior to Ronaldo in almost every way, and is - IMO - the greatest player ever to grace the Anfield turf. Here is a video to get you started, Raheem:
Barnes was an amazing, once in a lifetime player, and just watching that footage brings a tear to the eye.
I'm so thankful that I got the opportunity to see him play live, but will we ever see the likes of Barnes at Liverpool again...?
Jaimie Kanwar
far better than ronaldo in almost every way? can you please explain. and how can john barnes be the greatest player to ever grace the anfield turf? u joking right
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely agree about John Barnes, the greatest British player of his generation. an absolute maestro.
ReplyDeleteI agree totally. Barnes was a class act. The way he showed so much of the ball when dribbling yet was almost impossible to dispossess.
ReplyDeleteHe's no Stewart Downing though!! :P
barnes was fantastic beardsley too but there is only one king kenny god knows what he would cost to buy now
ReplyDeleteNo, I am not joking. In my opinion (you know what opinion means, right?) Barnes is the most skillful, talented, exciting player ever to play for LFC.
ReplyDeleteI don't have time to list the ways that Barnes is superior to Ronaldo; anyone who's watched them both play regularly will know what I mean. Just watch the video - amongst other things, Ronaldo cannot dribble and create as well as Barnes.
IMO, Barnes was a better player than Dalglish. He could do everything Dalglish could do and more. For example, Kenny could not dribble at speed and like Barnes, but there is nothing Kenny could do that Barnes could not do.
ReplyDeletedid you ever see barnes sulking and castigating his team mates on a regular basis? that alone stands for alot as far as being a team player so he's already better than ronaldo on that front.
ReplyDeletebarnes is a legend,he'd prob be worth 50-60mil at his peak in todays football.
ReplyDeleteBut could he do it on a cold, wet night at the Brita- Oh, he did.
ReplyDeletedalgliesh made rush the player he was alsoIMO barnes played in one of the most entertaining sides the world of football as ever seen with other like minded players beardsley,houghton,aldridge all bought by the king,only shame is they never had the chance to terrorise europe
ReplyDeleteCome one Jaimie,
ReplyDeleteDon't try to sensationalise the news by such headlines. Leave that job to other British media.
You could have also tried "Portugese star", "Real Madrid Player" or many more adjectives rather than calling him ManU legend.
Barnes was an absolute class act but i wud never choose him over ronaldo. Think before you talk. Yes, he is got the biggest ego in the game but as a player ronaldo is that damn gud and i don't think barnes is as gud as ronaldo. Sorry guys but thats the harsh truth.
ReplyDeleteBarnes was a legend but i wouldnt say he was better than Ronaldo? only because to be honest players get better and better as time goes on they are highly skilled professionals where as years ago they all had other jobs and went for a few pints after the game! for example people say Pele is the best ever? Id say Messi is the best player ever to play Football just look what the guy has acheived already? but fair play Jamie as you said it's your opinion and everyone is entitled to one id say Stevie G or Fowler are Liverpools best ever players but thats just my opinion. Think we can all rule out Stewart Downing or Voronin as Liverpool finest ever players!!!
ReplyDeletei reckon we'd have another 2 european cups in the cabinte if they were in europe.
ReplyDeleteJaimie,
ReplyDeleteI salute your indefatigability and courage and I actually agree with you on John Barnes being a better player than Kenny Dalglish.
The one they both have in common is a almost incomprehensible speech pattern.
You've opened up a can of worms though Jaimie...guard yourself.
Watched both Digger and Ronaldo. Barnes a legend but Ronaldo all day long. Barnes was class though, loved his slalom dribbling. Pity him, Beardo and Aldo weren't able to do it at European level, as they were a great combination. Certainly not a bad choice by Sterling, as Ronaldo is a fantastic player, though hope Sterling won't be as annoying as him!
ReplyDeletetruth is we will never know but am sure they played the euro champs in a friendly and beat them easly
ReplyDeleteBarnes might be more skillful player than Ronaldo but Ronaldo is much more efficient.
ReplyDeleteLooking at the video makes me miss Rush :)
ReplyDeleteLooking at the video makes me feel sorry for them poor chaps in them pathetic Hot pants they had to wear back then!!
ReplyDeleteMuch more efficient? What does that mean?
ReplyDeleteGood points, OC. For me, the problem with Ronaldo is that he relies too much on other players to perform. This was underlined in the recent Euros - he's not a dribbler like Messi or Barnes, two players who create things out of nothing 90% of the time. Ronaldo usually has to be played into space/crossed to/passed to etc to be effective, whereas players like Barnes and Messi have the magic to escape the tightest of spaces and create something out of nothing.
ReplyDeleteIMO, Barnes also had superior touch, technique and game intelligence to Ronaldo.
Most importantly, there is nothing that Ronaldo can do that Barnes cannot. Conversely, Ronaldo cannot dribble and summon up magic at will when he's hemmed in by 3-4 players.
Ronaldo is a superb athlete with great balance and an amazing ability to score goals, but for me, the reason Messi is better is the same reason Barnes is better: both possess that special individual genius that Ronaldo just doesn't have.
I meant look at the amount of goals Ronaldo scores, scoring 50-60 goals a season now that's hell lot of goals.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Septimus. Dalglish may have won more but Barnes was clearly more talented and skillful overall.
ReplyDeleteBarnes didn't need to score that many goals; he had Aldridge and Rush to do that.
ReplyDeleteRedHeart - how is referring to Ronaldo as 'Man United Legend' sensationalist? Ronaldo played for United, and if you ask any of their fans, they would describe him as a legend. LFC play in the Premier League, so I chose a PL team.
ReplyDeleteJohn Barnes first 4 years at Liverpool was at times genius. The movement, the skills and the game intelligence that his forged with Beardsley and Rush at was at times devastating.
ReplyDeleteId say the only player that i've seen play on that that level since was Thierry Henry peak years at Arsenal.
Barnes is the reason i supported LFC in the first place..in that era as a young black male growing up..the only players of notei could relate to/with were; Barnes, Wrighty and Rocastle, with a few others like Fox etc..but Barnes was pure genius!..scored the best ever England goal (better than gazza's), taking on 5 Brazilians and slotting it home..YNWA..
ReplyDeleteU can't compare Ronaldo and Barnes as Ronald has about 20 different professionals working to get him to the level he's at. But if Barnes was playin in today's game I can guarantee he would b twice the player Ronaldo is. Ronaldo always went missing in the big games in the prem. U never saw Barnes diving( he didn't have 2). Even the balls the pros play with today are designed that much better.Would love to see some of the legends doing what they do best with the technology modern football's have the advantage of. And I don't mean twitter.
ReplyDeleteGreat points, Chris. Totally agree - Ronaldo is waited on hand and foot by sports scientists, nutritionists, personal trainers and countless others.
ReplyDeleteronaldo is much better than barnes
ReplyDeletebarnes was a quality player but ronaldo is so much better example ronaldo has better free kicks ronaldo also is captain of portgual ronald and scored over 60 goals this season mostly playing on the left hand side
ReplyDeleteTo be fair Digger also struggled at times at international level too. Though, in my view, he had better players at times to play with at international level with Linekar, Waddle, Beardo, yet they, including Digger, were rubbish in '88, absolute rubbish. Barnesy was as fallible as Ronaldo is at international level, in England teams that were possibly better at times than the Portugal side that Ronaldo plays in. Having the ability to create something out of nothing that Barnes had, isn't always enough as illustrated by his England career. A moment here and there he shone for England but beyond that, he was much less effective than Messi in his early years was for Argentina (now he is much better, awesome against Brazil earlier this year!). Both Ronaldo and Barnesy have proved to be very fallible at international level, though not necessarily the same reasons. Apart from a song and a goal against Brazil, his England career was nothing to write home about. If someone said to me Barnes was worse than Ronaldo at international level , I would find it hard to argue against it.
ReplyDeleteThough I agree, Ronaldo isn't a silky dribbler like a Messi, Barnesy, Giggs, etc (I love these kind of dribblers but...) and can sometimes depend on service but the overall player, I take Ronaldo.
its ironic that houlier rejected him because he was 'too skinny'
ReplyDeleteRonaldo will be remembered for years to come on a global scale just as previous greats like pele, ronaldinho, zidane, Henry, Brazilian ronaldo because of his unique style of play that kids nowadays liken themselves too. As much as I loved Barnes because of his success at
ReplyDeleteLiverpool and as a black person breaking barriers for football and racism, he does not have that sort of recognition. Ronaldo is a record breaker and is part of an era where football produces more talents that can surpass his and that hasn't happened. Only player that can ever say I was better than c.ronaldo is currently messi. Ronaldo is superior overall because he can play as a winger, a striker, an attacking midfielder and John Barnes cannot. For me ronaldo defines what football is at the moment, ego driven sport backed by alot of money. Ronaldo > Barnes (plus he's achieved more and he's still 26, enough said).
So, you are saying Ronaldo's free-kicks is good. So, his 30~ awful ones before he even hits the target makes him good? For me, to call someone a set-piece specialist he needs to at least do it on a consistent basis. Sure, he takes many of those free-kicks from far far away with low chance of success but as seen in almost every game he also misses 2-3 from close range that should at least had tested the goalkeeper. Sorry for the rant but I'm annoyed and will never understand how so many people claim Ronaldo to be the greatest free-kick taker in the world. (Have heard numerous commentators and "experts" state that)
ReplyDeleteBarnes or Ronaldo, maybe even a little of both. Whichever Raheem envelopes into I do hope he stays with LFC. The boy is class and can only get better. You may now return to your "Best to Grace Anfield" dispute.
ReplyDeleteif only el hadji diouf had been skinny.
ReplyDeleteokay i am impressed. I wish we had him at Liverpool today. What a great talent indeed
ReplyDeleteHey Jaimie, Barnes never really performed for England. Do you think he was a world class player though ?
ReplyDeleteBarnes was world class...people seem to forget that he almost single handedly dragged England back into the infamous 86 world cup quarter final Argentina with his 20 min cameo produced two world class crosses for Gary Lineker of which he should of the latter chance away.
ReplyDeleteOverall English flair players don't tend to shine well in the national team. Plus England fans treated him pretty abysmally towards the end of his career. The San Marino game when he was booed for 90s mins at Wembley by his own fans game changed the way I supported England.
are u stupid , obv cr7 is way better
ReplyDeleteOMG, how deluded.
ReplyDeleteApart from a moment here and there, he was cack for England and that is why he was forgettable in a England shirt. Very little to excuse the let down he was at international level, for all the hype, the class and quality he showed for us at Anfield. That 86 tournament was probably the best international tournament of his career, which he hardly played in though...which says it all really (like Rooney I guess that, a nice 2004 but here we are in 2012, largely forgettable England career since). Just call his England for what it was....poor. Great for us and Watford though.
ReplyDeleteBarnes was not handed 20-30 penalties to convert every season. The man was a god - end of! So much more substance than peacock Ronaldo. See the quality of his crossing and overall end product as well - incredible! I think we could have done with a little of that last season.
ReplyDeleteobiviously .its writers opinion...may be legend in liverpool world..not even england...that perhaps explains he came as sub in WC most important match & ENG lost..when it matters the most...did i say Sub..ouch???
ReplyDeleteman utd fans actually hate him now not really a legend is he
ReplyDeleteid bet you five hundred pound he isnt a man utd legend
ReplyDeleteLionel Messi has not produced at international football level for Argentina but we all know that he is a world class player. El Hadji Diouf had a great 2002 world cup but was a flop a club level football we know that he is not world class (apart from Pele). It all about that moment when a player consistently raises that bar to the highest level. For me Barnes did that while playing in difficult surroundings. In the video you see how many goals he created or scored away from Anfield. I remember watching a game vs Birmingham city in 95 and I was in the blues end and with in seconds of the kick off hearing someone say "get the black b*stard" when he received the ball. This was 95, so the amount of abuse that he has taken over the years and to still reach those heights for me that's world class. It kinda poetic that he didn't produce the goods for England as it was a refection that society didn't produce the goods for him.
ReplyDeleteIs this a joke??? Ronaldo is far superior to John Barnes. What he and Messi are doing today is unprecedented. It's simply revolutionary! C.Ronaldo in 3 years at Madrid is already 10th ALL TIME TOP SCORER as a WINGER!! having amassed an incredible 146 goals in less games. Those kind of stats are almost supernatural. Plus, Ronaldo is much more versatile, boast better shots and is more dynamic in his play. Also, you said Ronaldo can't produce a moment of genius?? Did you watch any of his games last season?? There were at least 5 matches where he produced a moment of genius to snatch all 3 points for Madrid when they where struggling or having an average day. Ronaldo is the complete modern player. Wicked in the air, comfortable with both feet, can pass, cross excellently, has decent vision for a player of his type...the list goes on. Right now..I honestly believe there's absolutely nothing he CAN'T do.
ReplyDeleteThe fact that Ronaldo stil has at least another year of improving and another 5 years at least playing at the highest level suggests that by the end of his playing days it would be ludicrous to compare him to a player like John Barnes who isn't even top 50 of all time.
But right now though: Ronaldo > John Barnes.
I don't care about Messi (I think you'll find Messi has been really good in the last year or two, so to say he hasn't performed is showing ignorance, though I have no doubt the likes of experts Hansen, Lawro, etc, will keep playing up the stereotype of him not producing the goods at international level! Phenomenal against Brazil earlier), etc, in the context of your original post and my reply. I know Barnes was a class act for us and was quality at club level but I also acknowledge he was shit for England. Possible to have both impacts. No amount of commenting about society and getting booed will change that or soften that stance, which it seems your trying to do. One of the points of this thread is about good he was, not cultural problems he had to put up with. I think his England career was rubbish for a player of his class, hype and quality.
ReplyDeleteI'll leave it there as it will start getting repetitive for both sides.
People aren't they prefer Barnes to wind you up mate. It's a matter of opinion as there is no gauge here.... But Barnes was better, get over it.
ReplyDeleteNever read so much deluded rubbish on all my life. John Barnes is not even close to Ronaldo not even close. The only area of his game that is better is his dribbling - Ronaldo is superior in every other area
ReplyDeleteNo, it is you who is deluded. How old are you by the way? I would bet my house that you never watched Barnes play regularly for Liverpool (on TV or live). If you did, you would not be saying that Ronaldo is better. Barnes was ten times the player Ronaldo is IMO, and was superior in every department: dribbling, first touch, technique, shooting, crossing, passing etc.
ReplyDeleteBarnes made other players play well; he was an individual but also fantastic for the team. Most of the time, he created something out of nothing, whereas Ronaldo mostly relies on his team-mates to create for him/send him into space, which is one of the reasons Messi is the superior player. Like Barnes, Messi creates out of nothing most of the time. Ronaldo does not.
Delusional kop fans...
ReplyDeleteCR7 is already legend beside messi..
but john who?