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Rio Ferdinand opens debate over how players are judged with Twitter debate over Gareth Bale vs Ryan Giggs
Rio Ferdinand last night responded to a claim that Gareth Bale, in typically scintillating form for Tottenham against Norwich, was the equal of Manchester United's Ryan Giggs to spark a debate over how players are measured – by individual quality or the trophies they win with their teams.
Ferdinand was full of praise for Bale after his goals kept Tottenham on the coattails of Manchester City and United in the title race.
But the England defender bridled at the suggestion that Bale could now be considered in the same class as Old Trafford's Welsh winger.
Ferdinand's view was that regardless of Bale's talent he can never be considered a great until he has won trophies, citing the careers of Matt le Tissier and Alan Shearer as examples of gifted players who failed to enjoy major success with their teams and by consequence having a legacy less than had they been part of winning sides.
In a team game each player is only as good as those around him, suggsted Ferdinand, and the platform of a winning squad inevitably enhances the reputation of the individual.
Is Ferdinand right? Does Bale need to play for a side that actually wins a major trophy before he can be talked of in the bracket of some of the greats? Or is quality simply quality even if the team cannot match the individual's standards?
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