Any lunatics still thinking Messi is the best?

[banana]

Aye but would you be daft enough to pick a clogger like Franco Baresi over Rio Ferdinand?

There's a weird generational thing that makes each successive generation think strength, agility, speed, were newly invented in their own generation, and those that went before in the previous generation were some kind of weaklings who to a man were athletically crippled by subsiding entirely on booze and chips. Goes for all sports.

[MONKMAN]

Slightly worrying that there's people out there, who genuinely don't think Messi is the best ever.

[LinkinFighter]

You just need to watch Messi play a game and you quickly realise.

[ayrmad]

1 hour ago, Salvo Montalbano said:

While athleticism and conditioning have improved immeasurably since Maradona's day, to suggest that defenders were poor, we're sinking pints the night before, had no tactical awareness and the like is clearly nonsense. He wasn't playing against cloggers in England, he was playing in Spain and Italy where the level of professionalism and defensive awareness (in Serie A at least) was far beyond anything England had to offer for decades. Maradona was quick, strong, agile, had incredible ball control and dragged two middling teams to Championships they've never managed to win since with both Napoli and Argentina. While Messi is similar he is fortunate enough to play with arguably the best team in the history of football. There's no way he'd be able to drag a mid table side to the title or inspire Argentina to win the World Cup. Not than I'm arguing that Messi isn't the greatest - but to discount Maradona with some of the comments on this thread is just bizarre.

I think both are/were great players, I'd love to see how Messi stood up to the assaults that were dished out to all the jinky players 30/40 years ago, I'd also like to see how Maradonna got on knowing he wasn't getting mangled at every opportunity.

The bit I don't get about football at the moment is why there aren't 100's of players looking to dribble like Messi, there use to be loads of jinky players getting hacked to bits now when the rules protect that sort of player there's hardly any.

[Ya Bezzer!]

26 minutes ago, ayrmad said:

I think both are/were great players, I'd love to see how Messi stood up to the assaults that were dished out to all the jinky players 30/40 years ago, I'd also like to see how Maradonna got on knowing he wasn't getting mangled at every opportunity.

The bit I don't get about football at the moment is why there aren't 100's of players looking to dribble like Messi, there use to be loads of jinky players getting hacked to bits now when the rules protect that sort of player there's hardly any.

I'd accept that players are fitter in terms of longevity of career at the top level.  I'd also accept that on the whole players are bigger and stronger because of, ironically, the lack of physicality in the game these days.

But something I would never accept is that modern day players are faster or more mobile.  In fact, if anything the game has slowed down due to it being primarily possession/passing based rather than dribbling/running based.

The reason there aren't the jinky players of old is that the dribbling/running based game involves more possession turn around and tends to be end to end....something that's anathema to modern coaches.

[Peppino Impastato]

Maradona was more talented than Messi.   For me I'dpprobably take Maradona and original Ronaldo at their peak over Messi and Ronaldo,  better players.   I'ma huge mMessi fan, but Maradona at his best was better, if you don't agree you're just wrong.  Watch him, he could do hundreds of things Messi can't.   

 

WhatsImpressive about Messiand rRonaldo is longevity and consistency,  their actual talent levels, especially in ronaldos case, are a bit meh.   Messi not so much he's gifted but not as gifted as Maradona.   I'mnnotssurprised 23 year fan boys who never saw the real Ronaldo or Maradona disagree though.

 

andof ccourse consistency and longevity comes from sports science and the protection they are given by referees because of people like Maradona and original Ronaldo. 

 

Original Ronaldo btw won wpoty as a teenager.   That shits all over Messi and Cristiano,  that's how good he was.

Edited December 28, 2016 by Peppino Impastato

[banana]

A quick footballing lesson for those 23 year old Messi fanboys...

 

[Miguel Sanchez]

Hundreds of things.

Ten minute videos.

[Mr. Brightside]

[palmy_cammy]

If the criteria for GOAT is You Tube compilations then Ronaldinho is number one, followed by Matt Le Tissier.

[8MileBU]

Maradona was more talented than Messi.   For me I'dpprobably take Maradona and original Ronaldo at their peak over Messi and Ronaldo,  better players.   I'ma huge mMessi fan, but Maradona at his best was better, if you don't agree you're just wrong.  Watch him, he could do hundreds of things Messi can't.   
 
WhatsImpressive about Messiand rRonaldo is longevity and consistency,  their actual talent levels, especially in ronaldos case, are a bit meh.   Messi not so much he's gifted but not as gifted as Maradona.   I'mnnotssurprised 23 year fan boys who never saw the real Ronaldo or Maradona disagree though.
 
andof ccourse consistency and longevity comes from sports science and the protection they are given by referees because of people like Maradona and original Ronaldo. 
 
Original Ronaldo btw won wpoty as a teenager.   That shits all over Messi and Cristiano,  that's how good he was.

What a slavering arse.

I'm 36, and have watched all the players you've mentioned playing in their prime...

The 23 year old fan boys who never seen Maradona or original Ronaldo playing (but live in an era where hundreds of hours of Maradona/original Ronaldo footage is freely available online) are right, and you are wrong.

[banana]

13 minutes ago, Miguel Sanchez said:

Hundreds of things.

Ten minute videos.

Literally 30 minutes

9 minutes ago, palmy_cammy said:

If the criteria for GOAT is You Tube compilations then Ronaldinho is number one, followed by Matt Le Tissier.

Messi beats Ronaldinho to #3 GOAT tbf.

[dundeefc1783]

A quick footballing lesson for those 23 year old Messi fanboys...

 

Love old videos featuring world cups of 70's/80's. Before my time but for me the World Cups back then just had something that they don't seem to have anymore.

Just watching the first few minutes and some of the challenges flying in on Maradona is absolutely ridiculous and he manages to ride most of them. His balance is absolutely unreal

In some of those clips. Some of the physical treatment he put up with was unbelievable and certainly Messi won't have faced anything like it before. But the other side of the argument is obviously the professionalism aspect although I don't think the gap between then and now is as big as some seem to believe and if Maradona was brought up in this era you could argue he would be an even better player with the sports science side of things that exists these days.

It's obviously a subjective argument on goat but for me Maradona just shades there is something about a flawed genius whereas Messi and Ronaldo are just to clean cut for me.

[Sx Drugz N Martin Jol]

I agree footballers are far to protected but have to disagree, Messi is kicked up and down the place.... gets up and goes again, he glides past defenders, his balance is frightening and turn of pace is out of this world.

Of course it's open to debate but for me Messi and Ronaldo go down as the 2 greatest players to play the game. Personally I'd say Messi is the best ever without question, he was born to be that great where as Ronaldo worked hard to get to where he is and you have to admire him for that even tho he's a c**t.

My background is in sports science and I love what it's done for the modern game but Maradona's lifestyle would not allow him to compete with the average player now adays, they are physically far superior to players of old and the game has evolved and these players at elite level are athletes pure and simple.

[dundeefc1783]

Yes but if Maradona was playing these days then it's conceivable that his lifestyle would be different to what it's was back then. Added to the fact that he would be afforded far more protection than in his day.

It is a very subjective argument but for me I would still say it's Maradona but could see the argument for Messi also.

[Sx Drugz N Martin Jol]

Yes but if Maradona was playing these days then it's conceivable that his lifestyle would be different to what it's was back then. Added to the fact that he would be afforded far more protection than in his day.

It is a very subjective argument but for me I would still say it's Maradona but could see the argument for Messi also.

Yes quite possibly but addiction or substance abuse in any form would impact his ability to perform consistently with these types of players they are stronger and faster than anything he'd have played against. He was without question a genius of his time but I'm skeptical to whether him or any other player would be suited to the modern game, even from a tactical sense.

Davie weir and Maldini ( can't believe I used them in the same sentence ) are testiment to how a healthy lifestyle and correct training methods prolong a career.

[dundeefc1783]

Yes quite possibly but addiction or substance abuse in any form would impact his ability to perform consistently with these types of players they are stronger and faster than anything he'd have played against. He was without question a genius of his time but I'm skeptical to whether him or any other player would be suited to the modern game, even from a tactical sense.

Davie weir and Maldini ( can't believe I used them in the same sentence ) are testiment to how a healthy lifestyle and correct training methods prolong a career.

Yes but had Maradona been playing these days it's conceivable he like Messi would have been whisked away from Argentina at an early age into an academy in Europe which would most likely lead to him making far better lifestyle choices.

Similarly it could be argued that modern day players wouldn't have been suited to football back then. lIke I say it's a subjective subject and a definitive answer will probably never be achieved.

[Sx Drugz N Martin Jol]

Yes but had Maradona been playing these days it's conceivable he like Messi would have been whisked away from Argentina at an early age into an academy in Europe which would most likely lead to him making far better lifestyle choices.

Similarly it could be argued that modern day players wouldn't have been suited to football back then. lIke I say it's a subjective subject and a definitive answer will probably never be achieved.

You may have a point but I think that's who Maradona was, liked to sniff coke and he'd probably be the same now but like you say who knows..... he's in some state now tho.

Awww I couldn't agree more the conditions the players played in back then we're something else, parks were a disgrace and the ball was like a cannonball. Like you say it's all subjective and people will have their own views on it.

My top 5

Messi
Ronaldo
Zidane
Ronaldinho
Fat Ronaldo

[8MileBU]

Yes quite possibly but addiction or substance abuse in any form would impact his ability to perform consistently with these types of players they are stronger and faster than anything he'd have played against. He was without question a genius of his time but I'm skeptical to whether him or any other player would be suited to the modern game, even from a tactical sense.

Davie weir and Maldini ( can't believe I used them in the same sentence ) are testiment to how a healthy lifestyle and correct training methods prolong a career.

Can't believe you mentioned them in the same sentence either! [emoji1] Maldini is the main one though, because he's Italian. Italy have produced many great players over the years who have played at the top of the game well into their mid-to-late thirties. The Italians know how to look after themselves and eat well, not just footballers but the country in general.

[Sx Drugz N Martin Jol]

Can't believe you mentioned them in the same sentence either! [emoji1] Maldini is the main one though, because he's Italian. Italy have produced many great players over the years who have played at the top of the game well into their mid-to-late thirties. The Italians know how to look after themselves and eat well, not just footballers but the country in general.

Hahaha I know it was painful writing it but Davie Weir did play in the champions league when he was 40 I'm sure and regardless to who he played for its a great achievement. Buffon, seems to be getting better the older he gets same with Pirlo until he went to the states. Yeah I agree it's lifestyle plain and simple. Take Gazza for example that man could of been anything and yes it is ashame to what he's became but it was self inflicted and IMHO he was a waste of God given talent.