Which Spurs players would you describe as being ‘genius’?

[Led's Zeppelin]

I’ve heard Jennings now a few times, interested to know why.. rarely hear a keeper mentioned as a genius.

Actually, I think that's a really good question.

I saw him from his early days when he could easily have been described as a dodgy keeper, had the term existed then.

He was prone to positioning mistakes and a lack of confidence, hesitance in coming off his line one minute, then dashing out when he should have stayed...and even his handling could be unpredictable.

But he undeniably grew to be a huge presence and commanded his area like few other keepers I've ever seen.

Genius? It's hard to make that assessment for me...I think many a really good keeper would have done a great job with defenders like Mike England and midfield giants like Dave Mackay ( a true and undeniable genius) in front of him.

But I think his personality and the calm that he acquired with experience made him an outstanding member of every team he played for.

If others think of him as a genius, I'm happy not to disagree.

 

[Fergus]

Some players are merely very good but then have occasional totally inspired moments of genius. My favourite occasional genius moment is Robbie Keane dumping Khalid the Cannibal on his arse without touching him.

 

[teok]

 

[Freddie]

Dalmat was gifted no doubt but to be a genius you have to do it consistently. There are loads of players who have occasionally done ridiculous things, but there are precious few that do it time and time again. Kane, gazza, hoddle etc produced time and time again.

Was a bit in jest but he remains one of my favourite players. Him and Ginola played at a time when we were bereft of any kind of excitement. I know he wasn't as good as I remember but he got me off my seat at a time when a mazy run and a positive goal difference was all we had to get excited by.

 

[DJS]

Keano was a genius and until Kane emergence was my favourite all-time player (started seriously supporting in 91, although was a spurs fan without knowing it prior to that lol).

Sheringham not had many mentions from admittedly skimming through thread, he may be a bit of a bellend but he was an incredible player and made the other players, in particular his strike partners better.

In the days of one up top I wonder how a player like him would dare now, effectively a second striker?

I guess you could play 3-5-2.

Although in first two seasons he did play up top on his own, so guess it was later in career he went more supporting striker.

 

[yusrisafri]

Many brilliant players after I started being a fan in 1981.

Ardiles, Waddle, Ginola, Modric, Keane, Defoe, Bale, King, Son and many more.

But for me, the true geniuses for Spurs can only be reserved for a few. Before I name them, I would like to say that Kane will pròbably fall into this list one day, but as he isnt a natural skilful player and can look clumsy on a bad day, I would leave him out for now.

Ok, so IMO, the true geniuses, based on the unbelievable skillsets that they possessed, are

Hoddle, Gascoigne, Berbatov and Dembele

 

[McFlash]

Keano was a great little player, maybe not genius levels because there are very few that meet that criteria for me.
One thing I will say about Keane was that he could volley a ball dropping over his shoulder like a genius. I can't think of anyone better at that specific skill.

 

[Gassin's finest]

For me, genius indicates a degree of intelligence and inventiveness as a footballer that is much higher than the normal performances of a football player. Talent can be tied to it, but pure skill or physicality doesn't nessecarily correlate with that.

For example Gareth Bale was/is physically and technically many measures above the average player. But he is a very optimised football player, based on disruption and power.

Harry Kane however has developed such a strong understanding of the game and his own strengths, and such an extraordinary and consistent technical level, that he could quite legitametly be considered a genius.

Given that, the few Spurs player who I've watched in my life, that I would consider football geniuses, would be:

Hoddle,
Gascoigne,
Ginola,
Modric,
Dembele,
Kane.

 

[wishkah]

in my adult life:
berbatov: the control, those spinny flicks on the by line where he saunters into the box
VDV: just the awareness of the flicks, that goal where he dummys a take down and hits it into the net with his other foot.

don't see bale, eriksen or kane as genius. world class - yes. skillful - yes. Annoyingly Ndom has more of the genuis than most.

 

[Mycroft Jones]

Good God would never have expected Dalmat's name to come up in a thread like this! Anyone who thinks Ndombele is lazy should have been at the Spurs reserves game I saw Dalmat play against Southampton. Every time he got the ball he played an incisive pass to a team mate and was never dispossessed - sadly he also never left the centre circle.

 

[Freddie]

Good God would never have expected Dalmat's name to come up in a thread like this! Anyone who thinks Ndombele is lazy should have been at the Spurs reserves game I saw Dalmat play against Southampton. Every time he got the ball he played an incisive pass to a team mate and was never dispossessed - sadly he also never left the centre circle.

That's what true mavericks do!

 

[alfie-king-conn]

has anyone mentioned Greavsie? no greater genius? and with Gilzean? and for my money the great forgotten genius was Alfie Conn, and iconic moment when he sat on the ball against Leeds after he had saved us from relegation

 

[LSUY]

In my lifetime: Ginola, Modric, Berbatov, and Keane. I think the thing that ultimately set them out from other incredibly talented players is their control of the ball was at times simply unbelievable - e.g. I doubt Kane or Son could have scored that throw-in goal against Blackburn that Keane did.

 

[Schoon-related]

Has anyone mentioned Sherwood? Genius player AND manager.

 

[nipponyid]

Dave Mackay.

 

[sundanceyid10]

Genius to me means a player that could do out of the ordinary things, things that are way beyond most players. A lot of the names being mentioned are absolutely fantastic players and have been a joy to watch but not what I would describe as a genius. Sheringham for example a hugely underrated player who made everyone he played with better, but he is not what I would describe as a genius.

Hoddle, Greaves, Gascoigne, Ginola we’re absolutely genius.

 

[Terry & Terry]

Genius to me means a player that could do out of the ordinary things, things that are way beyond most players. A lot of the names being mentioned are absolutely fantastic players and have been a joy to watch but not what I would describe as a genius. Sheringham for example a hugely underrated player who made everyone he played with better, but he is not what I would describe as a genius.

Hoddle, Greaves, Gascoigne, Ginola we’re absolutely genius.

In my 60+ years the only player I would add is John White.

 

[sundanceyid10]

In my 60+ years the only player I would add is John White.

My dad would agree with you, I was to young to see him play but my dad saw him and loved him, no one was ever quite like The Ghost.

 

[Terry & Terry]

My dad would agree with you, I was to young to see him play but my dad saw him and loved him, no one was ever quite like The Ghost.

I was away on holiday when he died. We bought a newspaper and all it merited was a small footnote which I missed the first time through. Today it would be front page news. It ruined the holiday. I was miserable for the rest of it. My favourite player dead,

 

[Romulus]

I dont put any spurs player under the genius title because I reserve that for such rare talents but if I had to choose one closest id only choose Kane simply because of his speed of thought on the pitch