Why Arjen Robben is the best player in the world after Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi

In every aspect of everything, there is a best in that particular field. Be it science, business or sports – there is always someone who is ahead of the rest for at least a certain period of time. And football is no different in this regard.However, this article is not about the best – that debate between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi will rage on till the end of time – this one is about the best among the rest. And that man is none other than Arjen Robben.The former Real Madrid man has been in outstanding form thus far this season and has stamped his authority as the best player in the world after the two you-know-whos. If he continues playing the way he is, he might as well end up as the greatest Dutch player to play the game after Johan Cruyff.And here are 7 reasons why he is the best among the rest..

#1 Stats Dont Lie

Just take a look at his stats and that will suffice to prove this claim. 19 goals and 8 assists in 28 games is a testament to the rampant form he is in right now. In fact, Bayern are yet to lose a game this season in which he has scored.

Many thought he would be one of the players to face the axe under the tutelage of Pep Guardiola – given the latter’s preference to team-play to the former’s more individualistic approach – but, as it has turned out, he has become to Bayern what Lionel Messi was to Barcelona under the stewardship of the Spaniard.

Before every Bayern game, one could easily make one prediction: that he is going to have a great game and most probably be awarded the man of the match award. And, in most of the cases, that is what happens.

This rich vein of form is what has made him the..

#2 Most consistent Influential player of One of the Best Team In Europe

Bayern Munich are ruthless and the Dutchman is the main reason for that. There have been games this season where Robben epitomized that ruthlessness. His sheer speed combined with dazzling footwork make defenders look like a bunch of cards facing a tornado.

As mentioned earlier, Bayern are yet to lose a game this season where he has scored and given that he has scored in many games, the Bavarians must be thanking their luck to have him on their team.

With Pep Guardiola on board, Bayern have amalgamated possession football to their direct approach and the one player who has the freedom to dwell on the ball longer than the others is Arjen Robben – and he hasn’t disappointed the former Barca coach by repaying the faith he put on him.

And it’s not just once-in-a-while as Robben has shown consistency.

This was one aspect of his game that he always had problems dealing with. Robben was always touted to be a great player. His wavy playing style caught the eyes of many since he burst to the scene with PSV.

However, the one thing he always lacked was displaying his supreme talent with prolonged consistency. One week, he would be the best player in the world and in the very next he would give the impression that he is Bambi on ice.

All that has changed since his arrival in Germany – especially with Pep Guardiola’s guidance. Arjen Robben now finds himself as one of the most consistent players in the world – displaying astute performances week-in and week-out – and if it weren’t for Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, he might as well have won the Ballon d’Or this year.

The main reason for his new found consistency is..

#3 Optimum Fitness

Arjen Robben meant glass-legs. He used to spend more time on the sidelines due to injuries than playing on the field. Whenever Robben fell on the floor, fans gasped with terror at the thought that he might have broken something.

And most of the time they were right.

Now, however, his fitness level has improved leaps-and-bounds and the number of games he has played thus far this season is a proof of that.

Going the captain obvious way, the more games one plays, the more chances of him to score or assist – Robben has done just that as he is on his way to have his greatest season as a footballer, in terms of goals scored (he has scored 19 so far this season, 4 less than his best ever tally of 23).

The common trait with wingers/inside forward is that they lose their main weapon - speed - as they are in their 30s. However, Robben's improved fitness has meant that he has not only avoided the pangs of declination, but has gotten better with age.

In fact, Arjen Robben is like wine. The older he is getting, the more he is improving. With age, mental intelligence improves - that is happening with Robben. Added to that, his body is also responding well to the improved intelligence - which, in turn, is making him a better player.

#4 Adaptable

Many thought that the end was near for Arjen Robben when Pep Guardiola was signed as the manager at Allianz Arena. Given the Spaniard’s love for team-based play that includes a lot of passing – short, mostly – and patience; something of an antonym to Robben’s playing style.

Robben always looks like someone who is in a hurry to reach the opponent’s box and shoot and, most of the time, he does while ignoring his team-mates in the way of doing it all by himself. This trait of his was supposed to not go down well with the former Barca player.

However, not only has he become the most influential player under Guardiola, he has adapted incredibly well while doing so. He still runs at defenders with brutal pace, but he includes his team-mates a lot more with a series of clever short passes and this has made him more of an unpredictable player.

Indeed, his assist tally over the past few seasons is a testament to his ever-increasing belief in team-play. He has beautifully amalgamated his individuality with combinational play. Under Jupp Heynckes, his approach was more individualistic as stats suggest. He had recorded 14 assists (Champions League and the League) in the two seasons he played under the German.

However, under Pep Guardiola, he has already assisted 18 goals by playing fewer games – just goes to show how he has changed himself to suit the demands of Pep Guardiola.

#5 Big-game player

Big games define big players. No matter how good a player one is, if he doesn’t perform in big games, the shameful tag of a choker is stuck to his head.

Great players like Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Mesut Ozil have had to face the infamy of such claims because of their less-than-usual level of brilliance on the greater stage. The Dutchman, however, has shown his mettle by performing in the biggest of games from time to time.

However, it wasn’t so long ago that he was labeled as a big-game flop himself, especially after his performance in the 2010 World Cup final and the Champions League final two years later.

Consistency in big games is a huge factor to decide the best. It is for this season that both Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are lauded as the greatest players of this era. It is for this that players like Pele, Maradona, Cruyff, Alfredo di Stefano and so on are regarded as the greatest players to ever play the game.

Looking at matches of just this season, he gave match-winning performances against Wolfsburg, Schalke and Roma – the latter were absolutely desecrated by tehe wrath of his boots. Also, if the World Cup 2014 is considered, he made Spain’s defense look like a bunch of Sunday Pub league players and absolutely embarrassed the great Iker Casillas.

And it is for this reason that he is the best player in the world after Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.

P.S. Robben has injured himself and is out for the season. It looks like he has been inflicted by what we call the writer's curse.