His critics say, he goes to the ground so easily and if you find this article biased, I need to hear your alternative views. One of the main reasons I love football is because it not only arouses our passion but very much so provokes interesting debates, which keep us wanting more. Some of those endless debates football fans and pundits alike do engage in on almost a daily basis at workplace, bars, homes, in taxis or anywhere else has been who is the best player between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo or which is the best league between the English Premier League and Spanish La Liga.Messi has won the top accolade for the last three years in a row but still there are some who don’t believe he’s the best of the best, insisting his rival Ronaldo is better because he has proved himself, first in England with Manchester United and now in Spain in Real Madrid.While Messi continues to do what he does more than any living active player, for me Ronaldo still has a lot to prove before he can be classed alongside the greats to ever kick a football in competitive anger.From the debate about best player in the world, there is the ‘battle’ for which league is the best—some say the English Premier League and others, including our columnist, are adamant that nothing compares to the flair and technique of La Liga. Whereas the Premier League has more than two teams as genuine title contenders and is the widely viewed because of its appeal to the prospective rich owners, the La Liga title has been a two-horse race since the turn of the century, a factor that makes it somewhat boring and a bit predictable.Yet, when it comes to success, Spanish clubs have been more successful in European competitions than their English rivals, and also the Spanish national team has just become the first team to successfully defend the European championship and hold the World Cup at the same time. However, that is not the argument for this article. The debate is whether indeed Barcelona’s Sergio Busquets is the best defensive midfielder in the game right now.The Spanish international, still only 23 and a product of the famed Barcelona academy, is the club’s most underrated first team player—not that he doesn’t execute his duties perfectly but because he happens to play in the same team as Messi, Iniesta and Xavi, the three best players in the world.Actually I do rate Busquets above the likes of Esteban Cambiaso (Inter/Argentina), Scott Parker (Tottenham/England), Javi Martinez (Athletic/Spain), Yann, M’Vila (Rennes/France), Danielle de Rossi (Roma/Italy), Bastian Schweinsteiger (Bayern/Germany), Javier Mascherano (Barca/Argentina or even Xabi Alonso (Real Madrid/Spain). One of the most important factors in football is how well a team can control the midfield and distribute the ball. In order to succeed as a unit, the players in the centre of the pitch must have superb passing skills, high level of leadership and a calmness on the ball.Being a defensive midfielder, who does all Barca’s dirty work, Busquets is not as flashy as the more attacking midfielders or the forwards, but his importance to the club and country cannot be underestimated.Reckon he’s the best defensive central midfielder in the world. Barcelona have a priceless player, who is tactically very strong and will only become more important for them in the future. He’s very humble and calm even in the toughest of situations. The addition of Cameroonian midfielder Alex Song will only make Busquets a better player since he can not afford to rest on his laurels, thinking his place in the team is a guarantee.Initially, Tito Vilanova wanted to sign Javi Martinez but the price was too high, and he had to opt for Song. He is not going to be a starter but rather he will be sharing time with Busquets as a defensive midfielder.Busquets can’t and won’t play every game of the season, so Song is a valuable addition, who can also play in the centre of the defense.
