Messi: not just great, but the best?

[Fulham Broadway 16,386]

Wee Pat Nevin was way better than the Argie growth hormone cheat

[BlueLion. 21,491]

I personally think you have to win the World Cup, or at least have an outstanding international career, to be amongst the greatest.

Messi has years to achieve, as does Ronaldo.

In the meantime, Pelé, Maradonna, Eusebio, Cruyff, di Stefano and Puskas are the greatest. Then you have the del Pieros, Charltons, Yashins, Zindanes, Zolas, Beckenbauers, Bests, etc. who are in that second level... that is where Messi and Ronaldo currently sit.

[Fulham Broadway 16,386]

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You cant compare the 'greats ' of yesterday and today with parity.

The game , ball, pitches, refereeing, physiotherapy, diets etc have changed the face of football so much

[Madmax 9,219]

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You cant compare the 'greats ' of yesterday and today with parity.

The game , ball, pitches, refereeing, physiotherapy, diets etc have changed the face of football so much

Exactly the thoughts I conveyed in the first response to this question, only to be shot down for supposedly being unwelcoming to a new member

[Fulham Broadway 16,386]

Exactly the thoughts I conveyed in the first response to this question, only to be shot down for supposedly being unwelcoming to a new member

You're right. Chelsea v Leeds 1970 Cup Final -the Wembley pitch the week before was used for Horse of the Year show, and just left. It was like First World War trenches. It took a kind of player to adapt - the Osgoods, Webbs, Housemans, Clarkes, and Charltons might not be so deft if playing today, but they were used to those pitches week in week out. The balls were heavier. Messi might have been good, but no better than Charlie Cooke -(tongue slightly in cheek) Nottingham Forest CL winners under Clough -their half time 'team talk consisted of a few shots of Whisky. Comparing those with the Arsene Wenger macro-biotic dietary fed players of the 21st century is difficult

[manpe 10,855]

Strange how defenders are NEVER mentioned when we talk of the greatest, I guess defence doesn't matter

Yeah, it's mostly entertainment value that people judge players on. Even Beckenbauer, a widely considered best defender of all time, was an entertaining player (supposedly, I haven't seen him in action myself except for youtube clips). But the most eccentric and entertaining players get mentioned as the greatest for obvious reasons, qualities that defenders rarely possess. We have Luiz, an eccentric player in defence, and half people want to move him upfield... it seems only boring fucks are allowed to play in defence But zolayes, who would you consider the greatest coming from defence?

[Kojo 4,676]

Funny how everyone this week is breaking out the polish the help bring up the gloss on da messiah's nutz. Didn't hear any of that last week though :confused: Did the Venezuela match have something to do w/ that??? So if that is the case, shouldn't we be glossing Iniesta & Xavi's nutz????

He's not average for Argentina, i believe your the one who constantly links that video of him missing a free kick, which is supposed to determine his whole Argentinian career. I've seen many games with Messi playing for Argentina he certainly isn't average, not as good as he is at Barca but not average at all, he battered Spain when they beat Argentina beat them 4-1.

[zolayes 14,489]

Yeah, it's mostly entertainment value that people judge players on. Even Beckenbauer, a widely considered best defender of all time, was an entertaining player (supposedly, I haven't seen him in action myself except for youtube clips). But the most eccentric and entertaining players get mentioned as the greatest for obvious reasons, qualities that defenders rarely possess. We have Luiz, an eccentric player in defence, and half people want to move him upfield... it seems only boring fucks are allowed to play in defence But zolayes, who would you consider the greatest coming from defence?

not many better than Beckenbauer(if any ) roberto carlos might get a few votes

[Badboy 1,526]

Strange how defenders are NEVER mentioned when we talk of the greatest, I guess defence doesn't matter

Defenders are boring, they try and stop the beautiful side of the game.

[Badboy 1,526]

Wee Pat Nevin was way better than the Argie growth hormone cheat

Stop it now your making me cry of laughter. Cruff was one hell of a player !

[zolayes 14,489]

Defenders are boring, they try and stop the beautiful side of the game.

will you ever grow up

[LDN Blue 7,903]

If that's not fake it simply is the most awesome football picture ever.

LMAO I thought it was fake, because Maradonna & Pelé smiling in the same picture?

[Fulham Broadway 16,386]

Stop it now your making me cry of laughter. Cruff was one hell of a player !

''Cruff'' ? Who the fuck is that ?

We could do with this genius against City week after next

[Kostas 1,468]

Not really connected to Messi but I wanted to share this and it gives a very good idea of what the best are capable of.

[Hd123 5]

He's no Torres

[LDN Blue 7,903]

Hattrick tonight for Argentina. Looks like he's coming to age internationally and we can stop this ridiculous 'not the best ever if he doesn't do it internationally' notion.

[Spike 12,049]

If Argentina did not have a shite defence they may have won the Copa America. Nobody would complaing about Messi being terrible at the international levels.

[capriccioso 2,545]

Best of his generation? Probably. Best of all time? Absolutely no chance. Pelé is by far and away and without a shadow of doubt, the greatest player this sport has, or will ever see. I for one rank the great Eusébio as the equal second greatest striker of all time, on par with Maradona simply because he carried Benfica and Portugal on his shoulders. Messi will never rank among those 3, Maradona and Eusébio were both by far the greatest players their respective clubs and countries produced and are solely responsible for the successes of their respective clubs and countries. As his teammate at Benfica and Portugal once said, "With Eusébio we could have been tri European Champions, without him maybe we could win the League." Messi has a long, long way to go to catch him and overtake him in my books as the equal 2nd greatest striker in the history of this game.

I'd rank Messi behind Ronaldo (the fat one), di Stefano and Puskas as the 6th best attacker.