this post was submitted on 27 Nov 2023
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Unpopular opinion, but I don't think he influenced much. Mostly because no one else can do what he did or can do. He's extremely unique. His play influenced other false 9s for a very short time until they all failed and moved on. His play as a RW isn't even attempted to be replicated. No one plays that position the way he does. New Messis pop up if they can dribble and are short. Until they turn 18 and it's apparent they are too far off track.
The obvious next big name is Ronaldo who I actually think was influential and the most influential player of the last 20 years. Wingers before Ronaldo were cross merchants. Like Giggs. Like Figo. Like Beckham. Then Ronaldo changed how wingers got involved and they were expected to score as well. Now wingers leave the crossing to the full backs.
But no one more influential than Cruyff.
Figo a cross merchant?! What?!
Yea that's probably wrong on my part.
Rather wingers were more focused on assists. Figo was the assist leader in La Liga before Messi for example. But he also never scored more than 10 league goals in a season. And won his Balon on a season he scored 11 total goals.
The crossing part of wingers was very prevalent in PL because of the 4-4-2 formation of them being wide midfielders like todays wingabcks. That is true.
The situation with mosern wingers and old school wingers wasn't Ronaldo. Sir Ferguson wanted to play Ronaldo closer to goal because of certain attributes that he could offer more than a traditional winger. He was morphed like that from 2006/07 season. For 3 years he was more than a traditional winger. Stereotypically traditional. At that point he was used more like a SS with more freedom.
We did see a similar thing with Henry at Arsenal just as a reminder. Usually that happens with pacy players who are tucked in more when they get tactically ready and get better and better.