Great first touch....

[bigwheel]

Who has the first touch that you most admire....you know the type, the ball travelling towards them, any height, any speed...and they just take it down in their stride.....

In recent times, for me it was David Murphy...seemed to always take control of any pass....

Any others ???

[Septimus]

Archibald.

[Badabing]

Gary O'Connor.

[Viva_Palmeiras]

Third post before sauzee is mentioned?
Murph did spring to mind first cos of recency I was in London for the sauzee era unfortunately outdid see the great man. Archiegoal also a great shout one of the classiest players I've seen at hibs - franck included obv.

[bigwheel]

I'll ignore the irony of G O'C. (I hope) :-)

But Archibald is a great shout...don't think we will ever sign a first reamer from Barcelona ever again!! Remember his winner at Tynie ??

[Carheenlea]

In the last two games at Motherwell and Kilmarnock, Leigh Griffiths' first touch is as good as I've seen from a Hibs player.

[bigwheel]

In the last two games at Motherwell and Kilmarnock, Leigh Griffiths' first touch is as good as I've seen from a Hibs player.

Yes...he is right up there...good work rate too...

[lucky]

Ali McLeod

[Col2]

Latapy

[frazeHFC]

Griffiths first touch is immense. Most notibly the 2 'Well away games, it was unreal at those 2 in particular.

[erin go bragh]

Sauzee ,Archibald,Collins,Best :top marks
ggtth

[Scouse Hibee]

Would expect most "professional" footballers to have a great first touch!

[bigwheel]

Would expect most "professional" footballers to have a great first touch!

.....only at the top level do you get that across the board...

[Scouse Hibee]

.....only at the top level do you get that across the board...

I would suggest being a professional should mean you have reached a level where it should be.

[Famous Fiver]

Gordon Smith.

Further discussion is irrelevant.

[bigwheel]

I would suggest being a professional should mean you have reached a level where it should be.You might suggest it...but it ain't reality.....

[_hucks_]

I would suggest being a professional should mean you have reached a level where it should be.

Pros should certainly be at a minimum standard, but there is room for players who can't take a ball from the sky and keep it within a 1 foot radius of them in the game. At all levels, some will have a better touch than others.

Anyway, I'd have to agree that Murphy is up there with the best I've seen at ET.

[Scouse Hibee]

You might suggest it...but it ain't reality.....

Really! :greengrin


Murphy is probably the best I can recall for Hibs, though agree that Griffiths has showed excellent ability recently.

[YehButNoBut]

As someone else mentioned Steve Archibald had the best first touch of any I've seen in a Hibs shirt.

[AlbertK86]

I'll ignore the irony of G O'C. (I hope) :-)

But Archibald is a great shout...don't think we will ever sign a first reamer from Barcelona ever again!! Remember his winner at Tynie ??

Effin class in a glass.

Before he signed for Hibs I never appreciated how good he was. His speed of thought and vision were fantastic. only JC could read what he was going to do

[bingo70]

For hibs it's Sauzee without a doubt, Murphy was class but Sauzee was in a different league.

For non hibs related you can't talk about great first touch without mentioning Dennis Bergkamp, his goals for Arsenal against Leicester and for Holland against Argentina in France 98 were the absolute baws and they were made by having an outrageously good first touch

[ShanksSaidNo]

Recency

[bournehibby]

The late great Willie Hamilton had a remarkable first touch. He could receive a ball from any angle or height, even on the run, and still kill it without looking what he was doing.

bh

[heretoday]

The Barca midfield.

[HUTCHYHIBBY]

Sauzee ,Archibald,Collins,Best :top marks
ggtth

Collins by a country mile, whatever that is!

[Seveno]

Kujabi seems to have the same ability as Murphy in being able to take the ball out of the air, at any height and any speed, and just make it stick to his foot.

[clerriehibs]

Gordon Smith.

Further discussion is irrelevant.


Was it easier - or harder - to take and control an old style leather filly rather than a modern synthetic football though?

[Hibernia&Alba]

Sauzee ,Archibald,Collins,Best :top marks
ggtth

That's a decent midfield :thumbsup:

[Franck Stanton]

In days gone by - Peter Cormack, he controlled any height of ball with his first touch from any angle which gave him a few vital seconds over his opponnent.
Recently - Le God, without doubt

[Famous Fiver]

Clerriehibs

The old ball was much heavier, especially when wet, and generally had to be killed before being moved on. Smith could take it on the run, not break stride, caress it, have it under control and despatch it all in the one movement, ala Latapy or Sauzee, except he was doing it on duff muddy pitches with a ball that weighed a ton.

I saw him once at Tynecastle at full tilt when the ball was delivered behind him, back heel it over his head and control it on the run before continuing on his way. Never saw anything like it before that and have never seen it since, not by Messi, Maradona et al.

Sheer class.

[renato]

Post Franck, players with the best touch have been Murphy and Boozy. Ball would stick to him like glue, oh for some of that right now...

[LeithBoozy]

Wee Alex Edwards could control the ball with style, just a pity he could not control his temper! :wink:

[fatbloke]

From the limited time I've seen him - Soares.

[Viva_Palmeiras]

Clerriehibs

The old ball was much heavier, especially when wet, and generally had to be killed before being moved on. Smith could take it on the run, not break stride, caress it, have it under control and despatch it all in the one movement, ala Latapy or Sauzee, except he was doing it on duff muddy pitches with a ball that weighed a ton.

I saw him once at Tynecastle at full tilt when the ball was delivered behind him, back heel it over his head and control it on the run before continuing on his way. Never saw anything like it before that and have never seen it since, not by Messi, Maradona et al.

Sheer class.

Reading his biography unfotunately too young to witness what must have been an awesome display (in a non Americano use of the abused word) from a Hibs legend. I thoroughly recommend the book for those to reminisc and learn their hibstory.

[clerriehibs]

Clerriehibs

The old ball was much heavier, especially when wet, and generally had to be killed before being moved on. Smith could take it on the run, not break stride, caress it, have it under control and despatch it all in the one movement, ala Latapy or Sauzee, except he was doing it on duff muddy pitches with a ball that weighed a ton.

I saw him once at Tynecastle at full tilt when the ball was delivered behind him, back heel it over his head and control it on the run before continuing on his way. Never saw anything like it before that and have never seen it since, not by Messi, Maradona et al.

Sheer class.

All true - but I'd suggest that the far lighter modern ball is far more difficult to kill, and so any modern day player who can regularly instantaneously control a featherweight ball without it firing off at all sorts of odd angles is at least as highly skilled as old-timers who appeared to have a similar skill.

[mim]

Having had the privilege of watching the Famous Five (albeit as a youngster), Joe Baker, Willie Hamilton, Peter Cormack, the Tornadoes, Latapy, Sauzee and many, many others, my vote, strictly for 'best first touch', goes to David Murphy. :wink:

[Hibercelona]

From what i've seen. David Murphy and Boozy (at his peak).

[hibsbollah]

Murphy and Boozy.

Mixu had a woeful first touch. Which shows you can learn to be a good player even without the ability to control a ball immediately.

[Macaroon]

Even his nasties have a better touch than G'OC...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wRGXZX3Y28

[IWasThere2016]

Murphy for me.

[S.sct]

Johnny Collins...,enough said

[Jonnyboy]

Would expect most "professional" footballers to have a great first touch!

'Expect' away but dinnae hold yer breath :greengrin

[Ultrabee1-0]

keith wright.

[NOLA]

Who has the first touch that you most admire....you know the type, the ball travelling towards them, any height, any speed...and they just take it down in their stride.....

In recent times, for me it was David Murphy...seemed to always take control of any pass....

Any others ???
Zidane and Sauzee:sauzee:

[alan1875]

I think folk foget how classy Boozy was on the ball. He had a great first touch too!

[sparky]

I would suggest being a professional should mean you have reached a level where it should be.

and being able to strike a ball with both feet. I play in a rec' league over here in Canada and it started to take its tole on my 30+ year old body. I could barely stand on my right leg after matches let alone kick with it. I was forced to use my left and spent a lot of time practicing with it taking shots, corners etc. I can now use both feet equally well (or equally poorly). It always annoys me when I hear commentators talk about weaker foot, what do they do in training exactly? Rather than finishing at lunch time they should be working on these crucial techniques such as first touch.

[Alex Trager]

All this talk of great players and their touches and not one mention of Berbatov, realise he hasn't played for hibs but has a world class touch.

[hibee81]

For hibs it's Sauzee without a doubt, Murphy was class but Sauzee was in a different league.

For non hibs related you can't talk about great first touch without mentioning Dennis Bergkamp, his goals for Arsenal against Leicester and for Holland against Argentina in France 98 were the absolute baws and they were made by having an outrageously good first touch


Completely agree with that, although now days i would say either rooney or van persie

[Captain Trips]

[/B]


Completely agree with that, although now days i would say either rooney or van persie

Bergkamp has/had the best first touch of any player I have ever seen, inlcuding maradona/Pele etc.

[sambajustice]

Andy Goram

[Kato]

Wee Alex Edwards could control the ball with style, just a pity he could not control his temper! :wink:

Can't remember him having a bad first touch. Our teacher Mr McGlynn told us to watch to learn how to trap, kill and cushion a ball.

[Pretty Boy]

Bergkamp has/had the best first touch of any player I have ever seen, inlcuding maradona/Pele etc.

Bergkamp just oozed class on the football field. His goals against Leicester, Newcastle and Argentina are some of the best I've ever seen.

[TrinityHibs]

Craig Thomson?:dunno::offski:

[KWJ]

Latapy for me.

Not a Hibs player but I've never seen anybody control the ball so well with their chest as Samaras.

[Robinho08]

David Murphy.

[Leitherhibs]

Denes Rosa

[spike220]

Bergkamp has/had the best first touch of any player I have ever seen, inlcuding maradona/Pele etc.


Best first touch I have ever seen was by Bergkamp epitomised by 'that goal' in 1998, If you haven't seen this you simply must:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsZkCFoqSBs

As for hibs:
Boozy
Wright
Collins

in that order, some older folk can no doubt remember further back than that.

GGTTH

[Mikeystewart]

Andres Iniesta, can trap a ball at 100mph

[andy1875]

David Murphy, I'm convinved the laddie was born in Rio de Janeiro and smuggled to the north of England as a bairn. His touch was that of a Brazilian it was so good :thumbsup:

[nonshinyfinish]

For hibs it's Sauzee without a doubt, Murphy was class but Sauzee was in a different league.

For non hibs related you can't talk about great first touch without mentioning Dennis Bergkamp, his goals for Arsenal against Leicester and for Holland against Argentina in France 98 were the absolute baws and they were made by having an outrageously good first touch

Agree about Sauzee and Murph.

As for Bergkamp, he is my favourite footballer of all time, the first 40 seconds of this video demonstrate why: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5KiO5kdjvpM.

[Seveno]

All this talk of great players and their touches and not one mention of Berbatov, realise he hasn't played for hibs but has a world class touch.

Not just that first touch but the way he shielded the ball once he had it. Just one of the reasons why I think he would be such a good coach.

[nonshinyfinish]

Agree about Sauzee and Murph.

As for Bergkamp, he is my favourite footballer of all time, the first 40 seconds of this video demonstrate why: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5KiO5kdjvpM.

And see Zidane at 2:08 in that video - a touch like that gives me a football boner unlike any spectacular goal you can show me. I don't know what it is about first touches, maybe they are the foreplay of football, the delicious appetiser before the feast, but they are often far more glorious than the consummation that is the goal.

[lyonhibs]

Zidane was a decent player wasn't he.........

[nonshinyfinish]

Zidane was a decent player wasn't he.........

Not bad for a Frenchman.

[alan1875]

Zidane is my all time favourite! Danced through games... Majestic

[basehibby]

Gordon Smith.

Further discussion is irrelevant.

If ever a warm feeling of comfort could be derived from being an auld codger then it would have to be from being old enough to see the great Gordon Smith in action :wink:


Not being quite in that category just yet, or so I like to think, I've got to agree with earlier posters that Archie-goals displayed a first touch nothing short of sublime - even better than the likes of Sauzee and Latapy in that respect IMO. From the current lot Griffiths has shown some brilliant touches but has a way to go before he achieves the consistency of the afore-mentioned.

[Mon Dieu4]

Agree about Zizou he is my favourite too, there is a better one of his that i can't find, he jumps in the air and at full stretch brings the ball down with one toe

[basehibby]

Agree about Sauzee and Murph.

As for Bergkamp, he is my favourite footballer of all time, the first 40 seconds of this video demonstrate why: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5KiO5kdjvpM.

:thumbsup: What a brilliant wee vid - had to download that for one off the wrist later on after the mrs has gone to bed :greengrin

[Alex Trager]

As i previously said, Berbatov deek these first two touches http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3TCNhWSLC_M&feature=related
and this, very poor quality but you can still see the qualtiy of he http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbVVeVrwiA8