Any lunatics still thinking Messi is the best?

[RandomGuy.]

Why does it matter that Ronaldo won the award that young anyway? It doesn't make him better than Messi

[RandomGuy.]

I'm fairly sure Messi came second in the WPOTY and also scored a hat trick against real madrid while 19/20 aswell.

[8MileBU]

Ronaldo won wpoty in December 96, for three quarters of that year he was 19.   Making him the world's best player as a teenager, a feat mMessi and ronaldo couldn't come close to. 
 
Maradona was finished by the 90 wc, that was a surprisingly good last hurrah for him,  and you were ten.   You didn't see him anyway near his prime.  88 89 were his last good years. 

Here, Jurgen. You seen this Supras pish?




At no point did I dispute anything about Ronaldo being WPOTY as a teenager. Even though he wasn't actually a teenager when he won it... Regardless, more irrelevance from you.

Maradona was done by '88 in your previous post. This time he was done by '90? [emoji1]
Nor have you explained how I never seen him in his prime? Despite seeing him in his prime...

[dundeefc1783]

Maradona finished by 1988 yet won the league in Italy and got to the World Cup final in 1990 and was voted third best player at that World Cup.

[Sx Drugz N Martin Jol]

The only real question... is Messi better than Ronaldo? Yes he is, Messi will go down as the best ever irrespective to whether he wins a world cup and he's not going to IMO. Messi seems to have more of an ability to control games, in terms of a footballing brain for me he is miles ahead. Ian get slaughtered for this but I don't really care, a for suited comparison for Ronaldo is Bale, both rely on pace and power in games, they have a similar physique and play the game in a similar way..... obviously Ronaldo I'd a far superior player but in terms of comparisons bale would be it.

[Benjamin_Nevis]

1 hour ago, Peppino Impastato said:

Ronaldo won wpoty in December 96, for three quarters of that year he was 19.   Making him the world's best player as a teenager, a feat mMessi and ronaldo couldn't come close to. 

 

Maradona was finished by the 90 wc, that was a surprisingly good last hurrah for him,  and you were ten.   You didn't see him anyway near his prime.  88 89 were his last good years. 

Far be it from me to stick up for 8mile, however I'm fairly sure most human beings have developed eyesight before the age of ten and are perfectly able to watch a game of football.

 

[dundeefc1783]

The only real question... is Messi better than Ronaldo? Yes he is, Messi will go down as the best ever irrespective to whether he wins a world cup and he's not going to IMO. Messi seems to have more of an ability to control games, in terms of a footballing brain for me he is miles ahead. Ian get slaughtered for this but I don't really care, a for suited comparison for Ronaldo is Bale, both rely on pace and power in games, they have a similar physique and play the game in a similar way..... obviously Ronaldo I'd a far superior player but in terms of comparisons bale would be it.

But is Messi better than Maradona was? I don't think he is.

[Peppino Impastato]

Yeah at best yu saw a declining Maradona twice when you were ten.   Tbf all of eEurope's top clubs have ten year old scouts. 

[dundeefc1783]

Yeah at best yu saw a declining Maradona twice when you were ten.   Tbf all of eEurope's top clubs have ten year old scouts. 

Cause there is no recorded footage of Maradona in his prime that we could refer to

[Peppino Impastato]

Yes and people on this thread think suggesting consulting it is hilarious. 

[banana]

22 hours ago, dundeefc1783 said:

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

He was an utterly absurd footballer in this respect, like an <insert football video game> player who can do all the sidestepping, shoulder-dropping etc. tricks, and tackle-riding (MATRON!), but without the moment of lag that's introduced to make the game balanced.

As well as his other footballing attributes and flair, you're right in another post that his rough personal edge added an extra dimension to his mystique, and his on-field tenacity and winners/bad losers mentality. The Messi package stops with the (yes, exceptionally good) footballing bit.

World cups stopped looking/feeling special around 86/90 imo, can't quite put my finger on why either.

[54_and_counting]

On 28/12/2016 at 10:55, Honest_Man#1 said:

They are certainly far, far better athletes which helps hugely with being able to defend.

yup, they can now easily jog alongside todays attacking players fearful of making any sort of contact

[RandomGuy.]

Cause there is no recorded footage of Maradona in his prime that we could refer to

The thing is, the only footage is of him in his prime. You don't see highlights or clips of whole games where he was awful and barely touched the ball. It's unfair to compare the two as you see Messi far, far more than you seen Maradona. It's a common problem with folk who look so lovingly on older era players, they only ever seen the best of their generations talents so assumed they were always like that, while we can watch Messi three times a week, and it's only natural he won't be at his best all the times.

[8MileBU]

Yes and people on this thread think suggesting consulting it is hilarious. 

FFS Supras. Step away from your device, lay off the turps and quit sniffing lighter gas.

[Oleksandr]

Bit weird how often @Spartans Telly green dots 8 mile

[Sx Drugz N Martin Jol]

But is Messi better than Maradona was? I don't think he is.

To be really honest I'm only 30 so I've only seen bits and pieces of Maradona but from the game he played to where the game is now the level of a professional footballer massively improved, Messi and Ronaldo makes these players look non existent and are so far in front of them it's scary.... so yes I'd say they both are.

[Fraser Fyvie]

Hazard is on Messi and Ronaldo's level this season. Has to do it consistently for years to be considered as an all-time great though obviously.

Edited December 29, 2016 by Fraser Fyvie

[Twinkle]

Hazard is on Messi and Ronaldo's level this season. Has to do it consistently for years to be considered as an all-time great though obviously.

[emoji38] fuckin hell!

[dundeefc1783]

To be really honest I'm only 30 so I've only seen bits and pieces of Maradona but from the game he played to where the game is now the level of a professional footballer massively improved, Messi and Ronaldo makes these players look non existent and are so far in front of them it's scary.... so yes I'd say they both are.[/

Maradona was making players look non existent 30 years ago as well.

Has the standard of football massively improved though?

Yes players are more professional, fitter and stronger due to advancements in sports science etc but does that mean the standard of player has improved though? Fitter and stronger doesn't mean that they are better football players.

For example to look at Scottish and English national sides. Are they producing the same standard of football player that they were in the 60's,70's and 80's? They are producing better athletes but I don't necessarily think they are producing better football players.

It is a very subjective argument and very difficult to come up with a definitive answer. For me it's Maradona with Messi a close second. In terms of pure football ability they are light years ahead of Ronaldo for me as he is far to reliant on pace and power whereas boys like Messi and Maradona it's pure footballing ability.

But I am happy to admit it depends on what style of player you enjoy watching.

[1320Lichtie]

Messi best ever

Ronaldo second best

I'd even say there's a whole load of guys from this era that would have absolutely taken the piss 30 year ago. Although maybe I'm being a bit naive saying that.

Standard, fitness and dedication of the guys added to sports science etc nowadays has made the game go to a whole new level IMO.