The thing is, though, that we were expecting these guys to improve considerably and challenge the Big 4 in their own right, rather than supersede them only because of time.
It's looking increasingly like the Next Gen are the second edition of the Lost Gen.
It's actually a complete farce.
Of course, we are talking about 4 of the greatest players of all time, but are they really that great that the combined efforts of contemporaries over the last 10-15 years hasn't even left a dent in their records and achievements?