Gazza v Gerrard

I’ve just had a full blown debate with a Liverpool, Arsenal and Man Utd fan in work about who was the better player. Myself and the Man U fan said gazza the other two said Gazza would be way behind the likes of Gerrard Scholes and Lampard. What’s the thoughts? Gazza will always be number 1 for me.
 
Gerrard, Lampard, Scholes all had better careers than Gazza but every English man i have spoke about football with through work etc all say gazza is the best.



Prob because his performances at world cup 90 and Euro 96 right enough.


On his day Gazza probably better but he never had for whatever reason the dedication and proffesionalism of the others mentioned.
 
Gerrard, Lampard, Scholes all had better careers than Gazza but every English man i have spoke about football with through work etc all say gazza is the best.



Prob because his performances at world cup 90 and Euro 96 right enough.


On his day Gazza probably better but he never had for whatever reason the dedication and proffesionalism of the others mentioned.

I think it's safe to say he had some psychological challenges and negative external influences on him throughout his career that did him no good. He needed a lot more positive support off the field from so-called friends and family than he ever received, while many of them simply leeched off him.
 
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I’ve just had a full blown debate with a Liverpool, Arsenal and Man Utd fan in work about who was the better player. Myself and the Man U fan said gazza the other two said Gazza would be way behind the likes of Gerrard Scholes and Lampard. What’s the thoughts? Gazza will always be number 1 for me.
Only one of the players mentioned proved their worth in anther country.
Only one was amongst the best players in the world during a World Cup.
That English commentators have been desperately looking for a new Gascoigne, building up and ruining some decent players in the process, tells me all I need to know.
The others three, all truly great and probably world class players, are not held in such awe as Gascoigne.
The only argument against Gascoigne is that the others were at the top for longer.
 
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Only one of the players mentioned proved their worth in anther country.
Only one was amongst the best players in the world during a World Cup.
That English commentators have been desperately looking for a new Gascoigne, building up and ruining some decent players in the process, tells me all I need to know.
The others three, all truly great and probably world class players, are not held in such awe as Gascoigne.
The only argument against Gascoigne is that the others were at the top for longer.

Remember when Barkley burst on to the scene at Everton and they labelled him the new Gazza:))
 
I think it's safe to say he had some psychological challenges and negative external influences on him throughout his career that did him no good. He needed a lot more positive support off the field from so-called friends and family than he ever received, while many of them simply leeched off him.



Cant disagree with that, its easy in hindsight to look back now and pinpoint it bit at the time seems like to many people enabled his behaviour rather than helping him get to the root cause of his mental issues.



I am just glad i got to see him play for Rangers a wonderful talent and a joy to watch
 
Gazza was a footballing genius. Gerrard was a different sort. He was utterly brilliant and he had the better overall career but Gazza could do things very few players have been able to do. You’d put them beside one another in midfield. Both match winners but very different players.
 
The game changed a lot from the early 90s when Gazza was at his peak, to the mid 00s when those 3 were at their peak.

Gazza had more talent than all of them, but could he have coped with the demands of the faster game? Would he have looked after himself enough to play at the top level?
It’s an argument I use with old timers regularly.
Would Millar and Brand score as many as McCoist did in the eighties an nineties?
Would Henderson and Wilson be as productive against the packed defences of the Cooper era?
Could Baxter and McMillan be as proficient today as yesteryear?
My view in all three is No.
Gascoigne though, I believe could have made that transition.
However I think guys like Lampard and Scholes, with their forward runs, would have been unplayable back then.
Gerrard, more a Souness in style, would still have been world class though.
 
Cant disagree with that, its easy in hindsight to look back now and pinpoint it bit at the time seems like to many people enabled his behaviour rather than helping him get to the root cause of his mental issues.



I am just glad i got to see him play for Rangers a wonderful talent and a joy to watch

Back then people just thought of people like Gazza as a bit of a daft lad. How many times was the term daft as a brush used to describe him. I've often Wondered how he'd have got on in today's game had he been looked after the way today's players are?
 
Gerrard was a complete CM - could play any variation, or any position.

Gazza was better as the AMC.
 
If you're asking me who I'd want over their career? Gerrard, no question.

At the peak of his powers, Gazza had a level of talent that had even Gerrard looking at him like a school boy meeting his idol last week.

I can't think of any British player with such a raw natural ability (in my lifetime at least)

Closest I have seen was Joe Cole in his younger days and even then he was miles away from Gazza.
 
Gazza was better. Far far far better.

Gazza also came at the end of the footballer era and Gerrard was in in the footballer/athlete era where the game became faster etc...

No surprise that the English teams started gaining more success in this era with the influx of the foreign attitude, technical ability and pace of the english game, it's a great combo.

Gazza would be cast aside in this era for not looking after himself, he wouldn't be a commodity and it would be unlikely that people would invest time and money into him. An extreme example would be Ravel Morrison.
 
Love Gazza but Gerrard was far more complete as a player. Gazza couldn't tackle. Couldn't play all over the pitch. Didn't score a lot of goals from outside the box, not in comparison with Gerrard anyway. Gerrard was also good in the air and scored a number of headed goals which I never recall Gascoigne doing. You could argue that Gascoigne had more God given talent maybe, he was certainly more skilfull, but out of the two you would have to be an absolute idiot to chose him over Gerrard for your team.
 
Love Gazza but Gerrard was far more complete as a player. Gazza couldn't tackle. Couldn't play all over the pitch. Didn't score a lot of goals from outside the box, not in comparison with Gerrard anyway. Gerrard was also good in the air and scored a number of headed goals which I never recall Gascoigne doing. You could argue that Gascoigne had more God given talent maybe, he was certainly more skilfull, but out of the two you would have to be an absolute idiot to chose him over Gerrard for your team.

The pish never stops with you does it. I’d be shocked if you’re old enough to have seen any of Gazza’s career bud.
 
Gazza is the best English player of the last 50 years and one of the best ever.
Gerrard was a wonderful player but not in Gazza's class.
Agreed. In terms of pure talent just no contest, gazza was a special player.
Gerrard a more modern energetic player, but pure skill wise, no contest.
 
Love Gazza but Gerrard was far more complete as a player. Gazza couldn't tackle. Couldn't play all over the pitch. Didn't score a lot of goals from outside the box, not in comparison with Gerrard anyway. Gerrard was also good in the air and scored a number of headed goals which I never recall Gascoigne doing. You could argue that Gascoigne had more God given talent maybe, he was certainly more skilfull, but out of the two you would have to be an absolute idiot to chose him over Gerrard for your team.

One of Gazzas most memorable moments was a headed goal for us ;)
 
One of Gazza most memorable moments was a headed goal for us ;)

No denying it! But I can't think of many more. Gerrard was at least very good at pretty much everything. Gascoigne was brilliant technically and his skill and flair were unreal at times, especially for an Englishman. But Gerrard was genuinely Roy of the Rovers for Liverpool on many occasions, and often in what was a pretty average side.
 
Back then people just thought of people like Gazza as a bit of a daft lad. How many times was the term daft as a brush used to describe him. I've often Wondered how he'd have got on in today's game had he been looked after the way today's players are?
Think gazza was a bit more than daft as a brush. Remember thinking that until reading his book and then thinking he’d always had a bit more serious issues. Not got his troubles to seek unfortunately but what a player.
 
Agreed. In terms of pure talent just no contest, gazza was a special player.
Gerrard a more modern energetic player, but pure skill wise, no contest.

Gerrard was quicker. More athletic. More consistent. Better passer. Better at tackling. Far more versatile...

Not to mention he and better stats for goals scored and assisted.
 
Gazza wins easily in terms of natural ability.
Gerrard wins in terms of inspiring others and consistency over time.

A midfield with both in it at their peaks would win multiple Champions Leagues.
 
Gazza was the most talented player of his generation with a special gift,if he lead the life style of SG he would have been ever better,a football genius
 
Was thinking about this the other day when Gazza was doing the half time draw.

for me it’s Gazza by a distance. He’s close to Maradona standard and would probably have matched him if it wasn’t for injury.
 
Pretty sure Gazza was the gaffers idol growing up. Pretty sure I seen a documentary type programme where he is back where he grew up and talks about having his Gazza England jersey on.
 
Gazza was the most talented player of his generation with a special gift,if he lead the life style of SG he would have been ever better,a football genius

But he didn't. He only has himself to blame for that. Football genius with the ball at his feet but thick as pig shit and mentally weak.
 
Not nice behave yourself or you should be banned dafty

For saying the truth?! Had he had half of Gerrard's mental strength, or players like Scholes and Lampard, then it wouldn't even be a debate. But his career if we are being honest wasn't anything like it could have been. To a large degree it had moments, not phases.
 
Bit unfair to compare as football has changed so much in the last 20 years, however Gazza was often overweight, had alcohol issues, mental health issues, injury problems, never got close to fulfilling his potential in my opinion. And was still world class. If it had turned out differently for him we would be arguing who was better, Gazza or Best.
 
For saying the truth?! Had he had half of Gerrard's mental strength, or players like Scholes and Lampard, then it wouldn't even be a debate. But his career if we are being honest wasnt anything like to could have been. To a large degree it had moments, not phases.
Not for your first reply very disrespectful to a Gers Legend and suspect
 
Hmmmmm....as someone above said, you ever see gazza play?

Not as much as Gerrard, granted, but enough to know that I'm not just imagining things or basing it off nothing.

Gerrard was a more complete player for me, and certainly a more dependable and consistent one. Nobody else will change my mind, but Gascoigne was a genius, albeit a flawed one.
 
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