His brilliance must be examined in the context of the brutal past, and sorry, young ones, he is found wanting.
----------------------------
I must say that he is even better because of the players around him and whereas Maradona did without the quality around him, this does make Messi's life easier. But i still think he will be up there in the top 5 if not the best. Perhaps it is my age but for what he has achieved at such a young age, he is bound to double his achievements with his quality.
His brilliance must be examined in the context of the brutal past, and sorry, young ones, he is found wanting.
--
This is something I'd completely forgotten until I reviewed a few old football vids a couple of years back.
I realise I'm going to come across as an old fart (again!), but I don't think people who haven't witnessed it can appreciate how murderous the game used to be. I can't really talk about Pele's day, but it's a miracle Maradona only ever got his leg broken once. Not that he was shy to dish it out when he blew his fuse.
Ninja, I do tend to think that when people look back on Messi's career, they'll find something is missing if he doesn'y have a World Cup winner's medal on his CV. It's excusable for players hailing from other countries, but I don't think it would be for a guy from one of the greatest footballing nations on earth.
I must say that he is even better because of the players around him and whereas Maradona did without the quality around him, this does make Messi's life easier. But i still think he will be up there in the top 5 if not the best. Perhaps it is my age but for what he has achieved at such a young age, he is bound to double his achievements with his quality.
---------------------
There is no doubting Messi's quality but one really has to take into account the team around him
He didn't stand out at the last world cup but I have no doubt he would have if he had been Spanish
Rooney was asked if Messi could be as good in the PL and Rooney said yes, if he brought Xavi and Iniesta to play with him
Messi is brilliant, but not in the bracket of all time elite players like Best Pele or Maradonna and people always forget to include players like Peter Schmeichel who for me took goalkeeping to a whole new level
Ninja, I do tend to think that when people look back on Messi's career, they'll find something is missing if he doesn'y have a World Cup winner's medal on his CV. It's excusable for players hailing from other countries, but I don't think it would be for a guy from one of the greatest footballing nations on earth.
-----------------------
I agree, i think thats the one thing he does not have and is unlikely to get.
But i know how people work and they will no doubt hype him up to be the best ever.
In my opinion still though Zidane was the best. He did it in Italy, in Spain. He also carried France to the world cup and euros and bowed out in style!
There is no doubting Messi's quality but one really has to take into account the team around him
He didn't stand out at the last world cup but I have no doubt he would have if he had been Spanish
Rooney was asked if Messi could be as good in the PL and Rooney said yes, if he brought Xavi and Iniesta to play with him
Messi is brilliant, but not in the bracket of all time elite players like Best Pele or Maradonna and people always forget to include players like Peter Schmeichel who for me took goalkeeping to a whole new level
------------------------------
I agree. If he does get that world cup medal do you think your view would change of him?
Pele was another great who is renowned as the best ever who also had an amazing team around him.
I agree. If he does get that world cup medal do you think your view would change of him?
------------
What view?
The fact he isn't the best ever?
Highly doubt it
Like I said earlier, Billy Bremner could do everything Messi can and he was bloody tough to boot.
Like I said earlier, Billy Bremner could do everything Messi can and he was bloody tough to boot.
----------------------
Messi is very tough. To be fair though he is on steroids
In my opinion still though Zidane was the best. He did it in Italy, in Spain. He also carried France to the world cup and euros and bowed out in style!
.....................
As great a player as Zidane was he wasn't in the same league as Maradona IMO. That's in no way a dig at Zidane because he was some player with the medals to prove it but just a mark of Maradona's ability.
Indeed it was Platini who said what Zidane could do a ball Maradona could do with an orange... Whilst that's an obvious exaggeration it's not too far wide of the mark.
For what's it's worth I've always thought Platini himself was France's greatest ever player, not Zidane.
Indeed it was Platini who said what Zidane could do a ball Maradona could do with an orange... Whilst that's an obvious exaggeration it's not too far wide of the mark.
For what's it's worth I've always thought Platini himself was France's greatest ever player, not Zidane.
-----------------------
Its a close call for me but maybe because i did not see Maradona play.
My uncles as i said earlier loved Maradona and could not stop singing his praises.
I still feel the level of football has increased from that era though and perhaps Maradona would have found it harder. But thats something we will never know i guess.
Both truly unique individuals
Macca
loving the Billy Bremner thing.
Ok, I'm going to wax lyrical about Maradona a bit.
Imo your favourite player (and I really think 'favourite' is a more apt term than 'best' is one who connects with you on another level, it's almost as if you danced with them when they danced over the ball. Different players have reached me in that way, Zidane, Ronaldo, Laudrup...but none quite to the extent Maradona did.
Very much a totally intangible and personal impression, but with most of today's players their skills feel a lot more 'honed'. Even as a pro, Maradona felt much more like 'a diamond in the rough', a player who'd been born onto this planet with no other purpose than to play football. The guy was (and is) a headcase and he abused his body no end, but none of that could prevent his talent from oozing out of his every pore. His football lived and breathed the passion that makes me love the game.
The best are
1.Marco Van Basten
2.Romario
3.Allesandro Del Piero
4.Karl Heinz Rummenigge
They had everything.
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Best strikers ever?
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posted on 5/9/12
His brilliance must be examined in the context of the brutal past, and sorry, young ones, he is found wanting.
----------------------------
I must say that he is even better because of the players around him and whereas Maradona did without the quality around him, this does make Messi's life easier. But i still think he will be up there in the top 5 if not the best. Perhaps it is my age but for what he has achieved at such a young age, he is bound to double his achievements with his quality.
posted on 5/9/12
His brilliance must be examined in the context of the brutal past, and sorry, young ones, he is found wanting.
--
This is something I'd completely forgotten until I reviewed a few old football vids a couple of years back.
I realise I'm going to come across as an old fart (again!), but I don't think people who haven't witnessed it can appreciate how murderous the game used to be. I can't really talk about Pele's day, but it's a miracle Maradona only ever got his leg broken once. Not that he was shy to dish it out when he blew his fuse.
Ninja, I do tend to think that when people look back on Messi's career, they'll find something is missing if he doesn'y have a World Cup winner's medal on his CV. It's excusable for players hailing from other countries, but I don't think it would be for a guy from one of the greatest footballing nations on earth.
posted on 5/9/12
I must say that he is even better because of the players around him and whereas Maradona did without the quality around him, this does make Messi's life easier. But i still think he will be up there in the top 5 if not the best. Perhaps it is my age but for what he has achieved at such a young age, he is bound to double his achievements with his quality.
---------------------
There is no doubting Messi's quality but one really has to take into account the team around him
He didn't stand out at the last world cup but I have no doubt he would have if he had been Spanish
Rooney was asked if Messi could be as good in the PL and Rooney said yes, if he brought Xavi and Iniesta to play with him
Messi is brilliant, but not in the bracket of all time elite players like Best Pele or Maradonna and people always forget to include players like Peter Schmeichel who for me took goalkeeping to a whole new level
posted on 5/9/12
Ninja, I do tend to think that when people look back on Messi's career, they'll find something is missing if he doesn'y have a World Cup winner's medal on his CV. It's excusable for players hailing from other countries, but I don't think it would be for a guy from one of the greatest footballing nations on earth.
-----------------------
I agree, i think thats the one thing he does not have and is unlikely to get.
But i know how people work and they will no doubt hype him up to be the best ever.
In my opinion still though Zidane was the best. He did it in Italy, in Spain. He also carried France to the world cup and euros and bowed out in style!
posted on 5/9/12
There is no doubting Messi's quality but one really has to take into account the team around him
He didn't stand out at the last world cup but I have no doubt he would have if he had been Spanish
Rooney was asked if Messi could be as good in the PL and Rooney said yes, if he brought Xavi and Iniesta to play with him
Messi is brilliant, but not in the bracket of all time elite players like Best Pele or Maradonna and people always forget to include players like Peter Schmeichel who for me took goalkeeping to a whole new level
------------------------------
I agree. If he does get that world cup medal do you think your view would change of him?
Pele was another great who is renowned as the best ever who also had an amazing team around him.
posted on 5/9/12
I agree. If he does get that world cup medal do you think your view would change of him?
------------
What view?
The fact he isn't the best ever?
Highly doubt it
Like I said earlier, Billy Bremner could do everything Messi can and he was bloody tough to boot.
posted on 5/9/12
Like I said earlier, Billy Bremner could do everything Messi can and he was bloody tough to boot.
----------------------
Messi is very tough. To be fair though he is on steroids
posted on 5/9/12
In my opinion still though Zidane was the best. He did it in Italy, in Spain. He also carried France to the world cup and euros and bowed out in style!
.....................
As great a player as Zidane was he wasn't in the same league as Maradona IMO. That's in no way a dig at Zidane because he was some player with the medals to prove it but just a mark of Maradona's ability.
Indeed it was Platini who said what Zidane could do a ball Maradona could do with an orange... Whilst that's an obvious exaggeration it's not too far wide of the mark.
For what's it's worth I've always thought Platini himself was France's greatest ever player, not Zidane.
posted on 5/9/12
Indeed it was Platini who said what Zidane could do a ball Maradona could do with an orange... Whilst that's an obvious exaggeration it's not too far wide of the mark.
For what's it's worth I've always thought Platini himself was France's greatest ever player, not Zidane.
-----------------------
Its a close call for me but maybe because i did not see Maradona play.
My uncles as i said earlier loved Maradona and could not stop singing his praises.
I still feel the level of football has increased from that era though and perhaps Maradona would have found it harder. But thats something we will never know i guess.
Both truly unique individuals
posted on 5/9/12
Macca
loving the Billy Bremner thing.
posted on 5/9/12
Ok, I'm going to wax lyrical about Maradona a bit.
Imo your favourite player (and I really think 'favourite' is a more apt term than 'best' is one who connects with you on another level, it's almost as if you danced with them when they danced over the ball. Different players have reached me in that way, Zidane, Ronaldo, Laudrup...but none quite to the extent Maradona did.
Very much a totally intangible and personal impression, but with most of today's players their skills feel a lot more 'honed'. Even as a pro, Maradona felt much more like 'a diamond in the rough', a player who'd been born onto this planet with no other purpose than to play football. The guy was (and is) a headcase and he abused his body no end, but none of that could prevent his talent from oozing out of his every pore. His football lived and breathed the passion that makes me love the game.
posted on 5/9/12
The best are
1.Marco Van Basten
2.Romario
3.Allesandro Del Piero
4.Karl Heinz Rummenigge
They had everything.
Page 8 of 8
6 | 7 | 8