Messi

[lanesra 4,007]

Baws right i think with Messi apart from his obvious high level of ball skill he has great basic qualities as well.....simple things like a real desire to play in every game....great physical toughness for such an intricate little performer.............I dont think Maradona had anywhere near the mental quaities of Messi in todays game there would be too many distractions for him.....he made average teams great and was a great player but i wouldnt put him in the top 4 or 5 of all time id put Messi Ronaldo Pele Best all above Maradona...................................................................and Julian Dicks of course

Mental Qualities and Desire ? He played nearly 600 games scoring nearly 300 goals over a 20 yr Career !! you don't get where Maradona did without them , Every time he stepped on a pitch since the age off 17 he was under pressure from fans to Perform , the Media and Hatchet Men instructed to Damage him , messi handles the previous 2 ok but the 3rd im not so sure as in the Challenges or should i say Assaults on players Where in some cases horrific in them days and as i said before , he went to Napoli the Strongest League in Europe at the Time and was a major part in them doing the Unthinkable Winning there league , you dont do that without having the desire to play every game Yes he got involved with distractions but that's what happens to a lot off people from workin class back grounds ect as you've always said Gnash its what they do on the pitch and his stats prove he had Desire and Toughness , you put G.Best Ahead off Maradona ?? Surely your Contradictin yourself , mental toughness & Distractions and Desire the man retired at 27 .

[jf1970 328]

i wonder if messi would be as good without xavi and iniesta along side him?

[gnasher16 30,870]

Baws right i think with Messi apart from his obvious high level of ball skill he has great basic qualities as well.....simple things like a real desire to play in every game....great physical toughness for such an intricate little performer.............I dont think Maradona had anywhere near the mental quaities of Messi in todays game there would be too many distractions for him.....he made average teams great and was a great player but i wouldnt put him in the top 4 or 5 of all time id put Messi Ronaldo Pele Best all above Maradona...................................................................and Julian Dicks of course

Mental Qualities and Desire ? He played nearly 600 games scoring nearly 300 goals over a 20 yr Career !! you don't get where Maradona did without them , Every time he stepped on a pitch since the age off 17 he was under pressure from fans to Perform , the Media and Hatchet Men instructed to Damage him , messi handles the previous 2 ok but the 3rd im not so sure as in the Challenges or should i say Assaults on players Where in some cases horrific in them days and as i said before , he went to Napoli the Strongest League in Europe at the Time and was a major part in them doing the Unthinkable Winning there league , you dont do that without having the desire to play every game Yes he got involved with distractions but that's what happens to a lot off people from workin class back grounds ect as you've always said Gnash its what they do on the pitch and his stats prove he had Desire and Toughness , you put G.Best Ahead off Maradona ?? Surely your Contradictin yourself , mental toughness & Distractions and Desire the man retired at 27 .

 

Im talking about what he did on the pitch.....sticking a pile of sniff up his hooter and getting banned from the game for 2 years DOES effect what happens on the pitch when it stops you going on it ......being a junkie i would say is likely to effect any athletes career would you not ............how am i contradicting myself,when have you ever seen Messi rattled and sent off in one of the biggest games of his life like Maradona was ?............Maradona was a firey character Messi is completely laid back.........Maradonas scoring record was nowhere near as good as Messis is.........Yes i put Best above Maradona,can you imagine Best on todays pitches with todays carpet slipper boots with defenders who are not allowed to touch him.

Also lets have it right.....Maradona was the first high profile player to start all the rolling round the ground like he,s been shot................something Messi has never done........for me theres not one thing Maradona could do that Messi cant do better ....simple.

[THE STIFFMEISTER 16,642]

I just dont get this cult of best....I really dont, He would barely get a kick against players like Cole and Bale .

 

Lab, The best player Ive ever seen live at C.P was Trezeguet , He was simply sensational against us when we beat Juve 4 3 , I never thought he got the plaudits he deserved and was viewed by many as a poor mans Henry

 

Its all well and good being the best player in a buckshee league, But would he fancy it in the prem against the best in the world? I doubt it, Players like Toure and Big vid in his day wouldnt be mugged by the wee man like the hystronic la liga defenders, Not taking anything away from him as hes a joy to watch but CR7 came, saw and conquered the prem , I think messi has to step away from spain to truly become a great rather than win a world cup, You realistically have three shots at a jules rimet in your career and need a healthy dosage of luck as has been proved time and time again so I dont count WC medals as the mark of a great player...

 

Best player ever??? You can rage on forever about the cryuffs, The beckenbauers, The maradonnas, But maybe as a romantic football fan I think only one player has ever epitomised his following, his team, his history and few players have ever dragged a team up by the scruff of the neck and made them fight like Gerrard does...5 years ago, He would have walked into any team in the world. AND RAN IT....

 

However on a weekend at the moment is it just not a sheer joy to see players of the calibre of Bale, Aggeurro, Rooney, RVP, Toure, Suarez, Hart et al to be playing in the PL?

 

, SURELY THE GREATEST ERA FOR THE GREATEST LEAGUE??

[gnasher16 30,870]

Your not seriously suggesting Steven Gerrard is the greatest player of all time .......Did i read that right George Best would not get a kick against Gareth Bale and Ashley Cole

Certainly agree with your last few statements.

[THE STIFFMEISTER 16,642]

Now now Gnasher lad play nice

 

If best played at the height of his powers in the modern game he would be no better than Bellamy, A cult of Best has grown up around him due to his looks, his background and the showbiz lifestyle, How could he possibly cope against a modern day full back?? with all his twists turns and shoulder feints?? Maybe against PROP FORWARDS FROM THE SIXTIES IN THE MUD ,But certainly not against athletes of the calibre of the two afore mentioned players....Best was a headline makers dream, Ive always found it strange that he was vaunted as uniteds greatest player , Sir Bobby on the other hand......

 

As stated earlier I was always lead to believe that football teams should be supported by those from their area, And theres always something dazzling about a "local boy dun good" hence why I believe that Few players when their teams are down in the dumps and needing hauling out, No one does that better than Gerrard , How many times in the last ten years has he pulled that team out on the break on box to box runs??no player in the world has ever played the game at the level passion and commitment like Gerrard does for Liverpool. Yeah he has lost his sparkle a bit the last three years, But the legs are going and the wear and tear has broken him, Much like Terry and Shearer before in their respective tribes, Heavy has lain the crown on the king, He may not have the medals Rooney will, or the titles of Lampard, But one day, Outside HIS teams stadium will be a statue, for the supporters of his team to pass and remember what he done for their entertainment, That is why Gerrard Is the Greatest Player of the greatest game...He might try and do too much, He might not get it right all the time but when he does, Its like Roy of the Rovers

Edited December 12, 2012 by THE STIFFMEISTER

[lanesra 4,007]

Baws right i think with Messi apart from his obvious high level of ball skill he has great basic qualities as well.....simple things like a real desire to play in every game....great physical toughness for such an intricate little performer.............I dont think Maradona had anywhere near the mental quaities of Messi in todays game there would be too many distractions for him.....he made average teams great and was a great player but i wouldnt put him in the top 4 or 5 of all time id put Messi Ronaldo Pele Best all above Maradona...................................................................and Julian Dicks of course

Mental Qualities and Desire ? He played nearly 600 games scoring nearly 300 goals over a 20 yr Career !! you don't get where Maradona did without them , Every time he stepped on a pitch since the age off 17 he was under pressure from fans to Perform , the Media and Hatchet Men instructed to Damage him , messi handles the previous 2 ok but the 3rd im not so sure as in the Challenges or should i say Assaults on players Where in some cases horrific in them days and as i said before , he went to Napoli the Strongest League in Europe at the Time and was a major part in them doing the Unthinkable Winning there league , you dont do that without having the desire to play every game Yes he got involved with distractions but that's what happens to a lot off people from workin class back grounds ect as you've always said Gnash its what they do on the pitch and his stats prove he had Desire and Toughness , you put G.Best Ahead off Maradona ?? Surely your Contradictin yourself , mental toughness & Distractions and Desire the man retired at 27 .

 

Im talking about what he did on the pitch.....sticking a pile of sniff up his hooter and getting banned from the game for 2 years DOES effect what happens on the pitch when it stops you going on it ......being a junkie i would say is likely to effect any athletes career would you not ............how am i contradicting myself,when have you ever seen Messi rattled and sent off in one of the biggest games of his life like Maradona was ?............Maradona was a firey character Messi is completely laid back.........Maradonas scoring record was nowhere near as good as Messis is.........Yes i put Best above Maradona,can you imagine Best on todays pitches with todays carpet slipper boots with defenders who are not allowed to touch him.

Also lets have it right.....Maradona was the first high profile player to start all the rolling round the ground like he,s been shot................something Messi has never done........for me theres not one thing Maradona could do that Messi cant do better ....simple.

You have contradicted yourself by naming Best (your putting the contradiction with Messi , I mentioned it with Best) you stated about Mental toughness , Desire to Play concerning Maradona yet he had a 20 yr career compared to Best Career And you put Best ahead off him so to me if your looking at the traits you mentioned George Best showed no Desire to play before his Prime yet you put him above Man who's career stats embarras Best , And he actually Won. World Cup in 86 virtually single handedly The Man Was A Football Genius , people always say Messi hasn't won a World Cup so he can't be classed as Good as those who have ! I don't jump on that Band Wagon , though what I do say is Maradona done it in Spain , Italy and on the World Stage , as for RollingRound Gnash don't put that at his door , South Americans have been doing that for yrs part off there make-up ! He did take drugs later in his Career bit like Frankie Detorri who has succumbed to the stupidity off being part off the IN SCENE apparently , Doesn't take away the fact in his Prime (drug free) he was the Best off his Generation and best I've Personally seen , maybe a flawed Genius though a Genius all the same !

[baw 4,360]

Gerard is a fantastic old fashioned type of player and one of my favourites. I know it's a pipe dream but I'd have loved him and giggs at my beloved Celtic. Both great but not all time best.

 

As for messi, the wee man is rewriting the history books as I write this, who knows where his career achievements will take him. Plenty of balls to be kicked yet. The thing with maradona, he burst onto the scene, just like the old brazil teams before they went all European on us, showing skills and ball control the like we had never seen. It was all new, fresh and vibrant. You only really got to see him at world cups so it added to the excitement. Plus, time makes everything rosier than it was. Not saying he wasn't amazing but maybe not just as brilliant as we think. Bottom line is, these players are few and far between, so all you kids out there, enjoy watching messi do his stuff, it might be a while before we see his like again

[gnasher16 30,870]

you put him above Man who's career stats embarras Best , And he actually Won. World Cup in 86 virtually single handedly The Man Was A Football Genius , people always say Messi hasn't won a World Cup so he can't be classed as Good as those who have ! I don't jump on that Band Wagon

 

And im contradicting myself ..............................

I never saw Georgie Best in the flesh so like anyone else im merely going on what ive seen on the telly and what the older generation tell me.....i dont have facts and stats to back it up and its not something im going to delve into the archives for....if you think Maradona was the greatest player ever thats cool no problem

[j j m 6,602]

He's a fantastic player

[gnasher16 30,870]

Now now Gnasher lad play nice

 

If best played at the height of his powers in the modern game he would be no better than Bellamy, A cult of Best has grown up around him due to his looks, his background and the showbiz lifestyle, How could he possibly cope against a modern day full back?? with all his twists turns and shoulder feints?? Maybe against PROP FORWARDS FROM THE SIXTIES IN THE MUD ,But certainly not against athletes of the calibre of the two afore mentioned players....Best was a headline makers dream, Ive always found it strange that he was vaunted as uniteds greatest player , Sir Bobby on the other hand......

 

As stated earlier I was always lead to believe that football teams should be supported by those from their area, And theres always something dazzling about a "local boy dun good" hence why I believe that Few players when their teams are down in the dumps and needing hauling out, No one does that better than Gerrard , How many times in the last ten years has he pulled that team out on the break on box to box runs??no player in the world has ever played the game at the level passion and commitment like Gerrard does for Liverpool. Yeah he has lost his sparkle a bit the last three years, But the legs are going and the wear and tear has broken him, Much like Terry and Shearer before in their respective tribes, Heavy has lain the crown on the king, He may not have the medals Rooney will, or the titles of Lampard, But one day, Outside HIS teams stadium will be a statue, for the supporters of his team to pass and remember what he done for their entertainment, That is why Gerrard Is the Greatest Player of the greatest game...He might try and do too much, He might not get it right all the time but when he does, Its like Roy of the Rovers

 

Best would be no better than Craig Bellamy .................what a fantastic start to the day thankyou chief

When comparing the different generations mate we have to take evolution into account............if you think Best in todays times of fitness/pitches/boots/defenders would be no better than Craig Bellamy.........i think i,ll bail out now while im still a vaguely sane person

[gaz 284]

Maradona played his first 7 years of his career in his homeland where the Argentine league was rated as one of the strongest in the world at the time as most if not all homegrown players wernt plying their trade through out Europe back then...he smashed this league to bits playing with some minnows (just cant remember their name now) 6 years out of 7 finishing top scorer in the league 5 times.

 

He then came to Europe and as has already been stated rooled the roost as the best player in any league out there at the time.

 

Done it at international level as we all also know.

 

Had the ability to play in average team and still win things at the very highest level.

 

And lastly Maradona captained every team he ever played with and that includes boys and junior level through to international level..so you you could say he was a leader of men on the park and going with his career quite a successful one at that.

 

Both Messi and Maradona are/were both two of the best players that have ever played the game and although Messi still has time on his hands to sway my opinion but for the above reasons i rate Maradona the better of the two.

Edited December 12, 2012 by gaz

[PeakOil 352]

Pah none of em are fit to lace Michael Ricketts boots.

[bracken boy 584]

best and bellamy in the same bracket total and more total bollox, i wouldnt like to go to a footy match with you cus your blind white stick man lol

[jasher 55]

Now now Gnasher lad play nice

 

If best played at the height of his powers in the modern game he would be no better than Bellamy, A cult of Best has grown up around him due to his looks, his background and the showbiz lifestyle, How could he possibly cope against a modern day full back?? with all his twists turns and shoulder feints?? Maybe against PROP FORWARDS FROM THE SIXTIES IN THE MUD ,But certainly not against athletes of the calibre of the two afore mentioned players....Best was a headline makers dream, Ive always found it strange that he was vaunted as uniteds greatest player , Sir Bobby on the other hand......

 

As stated earlier I was always lead to believe that football teams should be supported by those from their area, And theres always something dazzling about a "local boy dun good" hence why I believe that Few players when their teams are down in the dumps and needing hauling out, No one does that better than Gerrard , How many times in the last ten years has he pulled that team out on the break on box to box runs??no player in the world has ever played the game at the level passion and commitment like Gerrard does for Liverpool. Yeah he has lost his sparkle a bit the last three years, But the legs are going and the wear and tear has broken him, Much like Terry and Shearer before in their respective tribes, Heavy has lain the crown on the king, He may not have the medals Rooney will, or the titles of Lampard, But one day, Outside HIS teams stadium will be a statue, for the supporters of his team to pass and remember what he done for their entertainment, That is why Gerrard Is the Greatest Player of the greatest game...He might try and do too much, He might not get it right all the time but when he does, Its like Roy of the Rovers

 

FFs that gave me a laugh...........Best no better than Bellamy.....Roy of the Rovers stuff....lol ...some rose tinted glasses you've got there fella