Rank these 6 midfielders

[Teja.]

I used to watch a lot of EPL as a kid in the early-mid 00s (mostly because my older cousins were into it and it was conveniently on tv) when these midfielders were playing so thought it'd be interesting to see how CW's much more knowledgable football community ranked them from best to worst overall.

Whether to emphasise peak/longevity, club/international and other factors is up to you. I understand the players had different roles etc obviously.

The group is: Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, Paul Scholes, David Beckham, Roy Keane and Ryan Giggs,

 

[Red_Ink_Squid]

My zero thought, pure instinct list is below. I'll consider it a bit more later and see if I still feel the same way.

Keane
Lampard
Gerrard
Scholes
Beckham
Giggs

 

[Lillian Thomson]

Giggs is a great player, but in this list he's not the box to box type goal scorer that the others are.

Keane
Gerrard
Scholes
Beckham
Lampard
Giggs

 

[harsh.ag]

Scholes
Keane
Gerrard
Beckham
Lampard
Giggs

 

[OverratedSanity]

Gerrard
Keane
Scholes
Lampard
Beckham
Giggs

 

[duffer]

Stevie
Lamps
Scholesy
Becks
Keane
Giggsy

 

[GIMH]

Gerrard
Keane
Beckham
Scholes
Lampard
Giggs

 

[sledger]

Rio Ferdinand

 

[sledger]

Anyway,

Scholes,
Gerrard,
Keane,
Lampard,
Giggs,
Beckham

 

[BoyBrumby]

If I was selecting a player to base a team around I'd go for Royston without too much hesitation.

Phenomenal drive and an awesome reader of the game.

Also the only one of the six who could tackle properly.

 

[Uppercut]

Keane
Lampard
Gerrard
Scholes
Beckham
Giggs

I have Lampard higher than most. Maybe the least spectacular of the 6 but you got so much out of him over the course of a season.

 

[Magrat Garlick]

I have Lampard higher than most. Maybe the least spectacular of the 6 but you got so much out of him over the course of a season.

My zero thought, pure instinct list is below. I'll consider it a bit more later and see if I still feel the same way.

funny that these two approaches end up with exactly the same list

 

[Red_Ink_Squid]

Yeah, brilliant list UC.

My thinking on Lampard is the same though. He couldn't do everything that Gerrard and Scholes could do but he was so effective just being Frank Lampard he arguably added more to his team by perfecting one role than he would have by doing a bit of everything.

 

[GIMH]

Keane
Lampard
Gerrard
Scholes
Beckham
Giggs

I have Lampard higher than most. Maybe the least spectacular of the 6 but you got so much out of him over the course of a season.

Didn't have you picking Gerrard over Scholes, maybe I'm mixing you up with Halsey

 

[Uppercut]

I think Scholes is remembered all wrong. In his mid-30s he was phenomenal in a Pirlo role with managed game time, and people sort of imagine that he was always a bit like that. This creates this idea that he was underappreciated in the 2000s because people hadn’t realised the value of midfield distributors, and brings him into a Best in World conversation that he really wasn’t included in at the time.

But in reality he was just a completely different player, an energetic goalscoring midfielder. He didn’t develop the insane passing range and intelligence until much later. Great player and all but I’m not having the idea that he was galactico level and 2000s fans were too uncultured to notice. Gerrard at his peak was always in that conversation, and sure some people think he shouldn’t have been and I see where they’re coming from, but still.

OTOH I’m big on longevity and trophies and Scholes has more of both than almost anyone. So it’s not that I don’t rate him, I mostly just rate him for different reasons.

 

[Pothas]

Is Giggs being underrated here? Maybe a slightly strange player to include with these other ones but surprised he is has been in last place for pretty much everyone.

 

[sledger]

I really like Beckham, he was awesome, but he's a definite last place for me. Objectively a much more limited footballer than everyone else on this list I reckon. Had an amazing talismanic presence though.

 

[GIMH]

I really like Beckham, he was awesome, but he's a definite last place for me. Objectively a much more limited footballer than everyone else on this list I reckon. Had an amazing talismanic presence though.

In some ways more limited. But the things he was good at few have ever been better.

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

Rio Ferdinand

****ing dick, I was just going to put him in my list without comment but you had to ruin it by being a complete bore.

Is Giggs being underrated here? Maybe a slightly strange player to include with these other ones but surprised he is has been in last place for pretty much everyone.

He should be last in this list not because he was the worst player but because he wasn't really a midfielder at all.

For me, it's:
Gerrard
Keane
Scholes
Lampard
Beckham
Giggs

I think Gerrard is comfortably the best of the group, personally. I'd listen to arguments for any of Keane, Scholes or Lampard #2.

 

[Kraken]

Keane is my all time favourite footballer, he has to be first. Scholes and Gerrard a fair way in front of the others as well Tbh.

Keane
Scholes
Gerrard
Lamps
Becks
Giggs