Question of the Week: Who will be the Best Players of the Future?

[Mandieta6]

Remember, if you have an idea for a question you would like to see, PM it to me, and each week one question will be selected based on the quality of the question and it's subject. I will not choose the questions on my own, but this is the best way to ensure that we don't keep discussing the same things.

Help save a baby from rape by sending a question.

This week's comes courtesy of Iulian Nemernicu:

Who will be the 10 best players in the World in 2018?

Past Questions:

13/9 - What will football be like in 50 years?
19/9 - What are some rule changes that would improve the game?
3/10 - The European Super-League Discussion
11/10 - How would you spend 50m?
19/10 - Why does ____ underperform?
26/10 - How to stop Barcelona?
13/12 - What players have you come to respect/dislike?
20/12 - Who will win the Euros?
2/1 - Should the Prem introduce a winter break?
9/1 - Who is the most two-footed player?
15/1 - What is the toughest position?
23/1 - Who is Portugal's Revelation Player for 2011?
3/2 - Should the Old Firm compete in the English leagues?
13/2 - Is Guardiola Overrated?
24/2 - Who are the German league's best players?
6/3 - Which players messed up their careers by switching clubs?
13/3 - What is the most shocking transfer of all-time?
16/5 - Your Favorite Player (NOT based on performance)?
10/6 - The 2016 Euro Expansion
12/7 - Best Goal Ever?
3/8 - World Cup vs. Champions League Discussion
13/8 - Yugoslavia
19/8 - Confederations Cup
25/8 - Standarized Pitch Sizes
27/8 - What Transfers Would you Like to See?
3/9 - Most Interesting Team of the New Season
10/9 - Cup-Tied Restrictions
18/9 - The Perfect Footballer
26/9 - Best One-Trick Pony
3/10 - Best Young Goalkeeper
10/10 - Best Goalkeeper Ever
17/10 - A World Without Football
24/10 - Best Utility Player
31/10 - Who will have a Breakout Season?

 

[Mandieta6]

Interesting. 2018 is 5 plus years away, so I'd look at players between the 19-24 year old age group, who will be 24-29 by then. Sure, some players will still be worldclass at 30-32 or more, and some will be at 18-23, but any player who is currently 25 or older is probably there already, and anyone younger than 19 is generally too hard to tell. Some will make it, some won't. As Shifty pointed out in his PM with the question, some of the worldclass players of that year are probably 15-16 but generally, we have probably already heard of some of these players.

Lots of young stars will probably get there by then, or even sooner, assuming they keep training hard. The whole hype regarding Hazard and Oscar is what they could achieve if they develop together. They will both be 26 in 2018, and will probably be two of the best players in the world by then. Gotze, Reus, Kroos and several other young, fantastic German talents will definitely be up there.

Arnau will probably say Isco.

Although all of those are kind of unfair, having already demonstrated top tier talent at a young age. I think Josh McEachran will be up there. I had never been as excited with a youth player as I was with him, and although the last two seasons have not seen him develop as much as I'd like, next year he will probably be playing in the Prem and by 2018, assuming he hits his ceiling, he'll be top. I'll be extremely disappointed if he doesn't make it, moreso than with Kakuta, since McEachran had the footballing brain of a top player when he was 18 and it's just a matter of polishing his play.

Courtois will be the best keeper in the world by then.

Leitner also strikes me as someone who could become worldclass in the future, and other than him I can't think of any young player who has impressed me that much and isn't related to Chelsea off the top of my head.

Oh, Bannan. I'm gonna stick to it. Kid has it, he'll get there. Already a regular and crowd-favorite at Villa, just a matter of getting the move to a better club with better coaches who can get him that extra bit to really stand out.

 

[Arnau]

Neymar is adobe all but Messi

 

[Sir Calumn]

Bannan? Top ten in the WORLD in 2018? Dont make me laugh.

Nor will Pogba by the way.

In no particular order: Messi, Oscar, Neymar, Hummels, Lukaku, Bale, Willian, Kroos, Alexis Sanchez, Sterling (token English - I couldnt quite say Carroll with a straight face)

In reality half of those wont quite make it and will be replaced by players we have never heard of or players who remain top class despite getting on in years (Modric the new Pirlo?)

I would include Moura but he's playing at PSG.

EDIT: I left out Gotze deliberately cos I dont think he's quite gonna make it to the top.

 

[Mandieta6]

Oh yeah, forgot about Lukaku and Neymar. I'm also really digging this Bernard kid from Atletico Mineiro.

Forgot to reread the question, yeah, no way Bannan will be Top 10 in the world, I was just naming players who I think will be at the top.

I don't think Sterling will get there honestly. Wilshere, maybe Cleverley would be better bets. I also don't get the impression that Bale's cieling is much higher than his current level of play.

 

[Arnau]

Lukaku is ****

 

[Sir Calumn]

Lukaku is ****

Your standard of posting is ****

 

[Sir Calumn]

Oh yeah, forgot about Lukaku and Neymar. I'm also really digging this Bernard kid from Atletico Mineiro.

Forgot to reread the question, yeah, no way Bannan will be Top 10 in the world, I was just naming players who I think will be at the top.

I don't think Sterling will get there honestly. Wilshere, maybe Cleverley would be better bets. I also don't get the impression that Bale's cieling is much higher than his current level of play.

Well I think that's a possibility (about Bale) but I think it's 50:50, I also think he could go astronomical once he is part of a world class team, we will have to wait until Real Madrid sign him before we find out.

Sterling excites me but in reality and sadly probably none of the current England crop, not one of them looks like another Rooney, and even Rooney hasnt stayed top 10 in the world.

 

[chygry]

Your standard of posting is ****

Say that to his face! But on topic, only time will tell...

 

[Mandieta6]

Why is Lukaku ****? I can see why you might not like him, since he's a physical specimen above anything else, but I'm positive that he will become a 'Yayista' as you put it. He has good technique, he needs polish, but he has good technique and it's a matter of time before he becomes an unplayable forward. Once he consistently starts coverting chances and getting precision to his headers, I have no doubt that he will be one of the best forwards in the world. He's pretty good passer, too, I've been impressed with how many chances he has created for others at West Brom so far.

 

[ShiftyPowers]

1. Neymar
2. Toni Kroos
3. James Rodriguez
4. Thiago Alcantara
5. Paul Pogba
6. Leo Messi
7. Marco Reus
8. Isco
9. Romelu Lukaku
10. Henrikh Mkhitaryan

 

[Sir Calumn]

Bah, that Thiago guy again, you have even more of a hard on for him than you do for your German boys.

 

[Mandieta6]

Well, Thiago would be a good answer, and I'm as much of an anti-Thiagoist (I like Arnau's way of just making up words so I'm adopting it, it's called Arnauificationism) as you are.

 

[Sir Calumn]

Arnauificationism is making deliberately antagonistic, frequently off topic, misspelled and completely unsubstantiated and unelaborated one line remarks.

 

[Pogba4Now]

Bannan? Top ten in the WORLD in 2018? Dont make me laugh.

Nor will Pogba by the way.

 

[Mandieta6]

I think Nady would rather Pogba not become a good player rather than have 5 ManU players in that list, even if he won't admit it. Looking at his posts (especially whenever they involve City or Liverpool) he seems like the sort of fan who takes a greater joy in his rivals' defeats than his own teams' wins.

 

[Pogba4Now]

I don't think Sterling will get there honestly. Wilshere, maybe Cleverley would be better bets. I also don't get the impression that Bale's cieling is much higher than his current level of play.

Wilshere > Cleverley despite my bias.

Cleverley is just a great passer, nothing much otherwise. Wilshere is better at controlling and dribbling the ball and is a great passer too. Wilshere is younger also.

Shelvey looks very promising but to bad he plays for that hopeless club that is renowned for turning talents into Heskeys, Cisses, Dioufs etc.

 

[Pogba4Now]

I think Nady would rather Pogba not become a good player rather than have 5 ManU players in that list, even if he won't admit it. Looking at his posts (especially whenever they involve City or Liverpool) he seems like the sort of fan who takes a greater joy in his rivals' defeats than his own teams' wins.

Haha who doesn't like it when a rival team loses?

Well, I have to admit that I enjoy rivals' defeats as much as my own teams' wins sometimes. Part of the reason is that my rival team's defeat is my team's gain.

 

[Mandieta6]

I think Nady would rather Pogba not become a good player rather than have 5 ManU players in that list, even if he won't admit it. Looking at his posts (especially whenever they involve City or Liverpool) he seems like the sort of fan who takes a greater joy in his rivals' defeats than his own teams' wins.

Wilshere > Cleverley despite my bias.

Cleverley is just a great passer, nothing much otherwise. Wilshere is better at controlling and dribbling the ball and is a great passer too. Wilshere is younger also.

Shelvey looks very promising but to bad he plays for that hopeless club that is renowned for turning talents into Heskeys, Cisses, Dioufs etc.

Haha ! Excellent timing.

 

[ARIAGA II]

I used to think I was petty until I read Pobga4Life's posts.