Pele - was he that good? And why ?

[Deleted member 87819]

Cruff is probably the best I've witnessed. A style thing probably - prefer the understated, cool and composed, intelligent way he played to the dynanamic bustling, busy style of the Maradona and Messi types.
Pele is perhaps a halfway house.

Maradona’s favorite player was Rivellino

 

[Dirty Harry]

Socrates was Greek

His Granddad’s Aunties sisters neighbours hamster was Brazilian, so he qualified through that, a bit like those blokes who turn up to weddings and ‘do’s’ in Kilts.

 

[Dirty Harry]

Same here.
When you see that shirt you know who it belongs to.
Very few shirts are as popular, even to this day, when you consider he was starring in a world cup 63 years ago.
That dummy against Uruguay, the lay up for Carlos Alberto, the Banks save, the shot from the half way line.
All great footballing moments played at World cups, the highest level.

The one where he just casually lays it off and strolls like it’s a summers day in the local park ?

I Imagine it is, for me, that just added to the beauty of it, such an iconic goal.

 

[sir baconface]

Pele has always been the greatest for me. Why?

Because he was the top man when I first became interested in football. Heroes in your formative years always remain heroes.

Because he starred in a team committed to beautiful football before we’d heard of Cruyff or Pep.

Because he was a gentleman. Not a cheating coke-head, nor a preening narcissist, nor a farmer-looking money chaser. At least not as far as I know.

 

[bennyboy]

Pele,Cruyff and Beckenbauer until Maradona came along.
The above 3 played in great teams and were brilliant players.
Maradona brilliant but dragged 2 average teams to World Cup finals.
That 86 performance was amazing.The best by any individual I have seen.
So now it is Maradona followed by the other 3.

 

[Footba11 Guy]

I have never understood the love in with Zidane. Sure he looked great for France at times but at club level he was very inconsistant. Didn't assist or score much.

Maradona the best player of all time. He proved it in 86. Never seen a player who was as unplayable.

I know this is an old and sorry annoying saying but I think it's true "you have to have played the game to a decent level" to understand Zidane and what he did. Stats don't even come into it.

 

[BigJoe#1]

The 1970 World cup he was brilliant the whole tournament.
So good as a 10 year old I got his Puma Pele football boots.
That team was the best international side ever in my lifetime.
Pele was the greatest until Diego came on the scene.

Agree with all that except I think it would be a great debate Brazil 1970 v Brazil 1982. The fact they won the cup in 1970 gives them the advantage but Brazil 1982 were something else IMO.

 

[bennyboy]

Agree with all that except I think it would be a great debate Brazil 1970 v Brazil 1982. The fact they won the cup in 1970 gives them the advantage but Brazil 1982 were something else IMO.

No debate.70 by a distance.

 

[OffertonBlue]

You can judge a player by watching them on TV, but to really appreciate how good a player is, how they run, turn, track back, lose their markers, sprint, balance, etc you have to watch them live. I've seen Pele play live for Santos when they played a friendly against Sheffield Wednesday. I'm sure it was in 1972, which would make Pele around 32 then. I've also been lucky enough to have watched lots of other great players live, such as Cruyff, Maradona, Messi and many others. Whilst each were different, in different era's, the best for me was Pele.

Without wishing to derail the thread, I've also watched every City player live since the mid 1960's to present day. The best for me was Colin Bell. Obviously I'm a FOC now but I still appreciate a great player when I watch them live. Only a few years ago I watched a young lad around 6 or 7 years old playing live for a boys team called Reddish Vulcans. Keep an eye on him because he has potential. His name is Phil Foden.

 

[Pell]

Agree with all that except I think it would be a great debate Brazil 1970 v Brazil 1982. The fact they won the cup in 1970 gives them the advantage but Brazil 1982 were something else IMO.

1970 because of Pele. For all of 82's brilliance it lacked a top striker.

 

[Grassland Blue]

1970 because of Pele. For all of 82's brilliance it lacked a top striker.

Jairzinho was the star in 1970.

 

[manclad]

Jairzinho was the star in 1970.

The whole Brazil team were the stars in 1970 !!

 

[Grassland Blue]

The whole Brazil team were the stars in 1970 !!

A fantastic team/squad.
Because Jairzinho scored in every game though, is why I have made him the star.

 

[manclad]

A fantastic team/squad.
Because Jairzinho scored in every game though, is why I have made him the star.

Wasn't he the right winger for that team?
I was about 14 years old for World Cup 1970 and I was mesmerized by him and the Brazil team.
Along with City being one of the top English sides at that time,it cemented my love for the beautiful game.

 

[Grassland Blue]

Wasn't he the right winger for that team?
I was about 14 years old for World Cup 1970 and I was mesmerized by him and the Brazil team.
Along with City being one of the top English sides at that time,it cemented my love for the beautiful game.

I can't remember the position Jairzinho played in that Brazil team.
I remember Banks' incredible save against Pele and the fact that Jairzinho scored in each match.

 

[Dirty Harry]

I can't remember the position Jairzinho played in that Brazil team.
I remember Banks' incredible save against Pele and the fact that Jairzinho scored in each match.

Was voted ‘save of the century’ iirc ?

 

[manclad]

Was voted ‘save of the century’ iirc ?

Nicholas Parsons (live from Norwich) likes this post !!

 

[Fat Chance]

Pele,Cruyff and Beckenbauer until Maradona came along.
The above 3 played in great teams and were brilliant players.
Maradona brilliant but dragged 2 average teams to World Cup finals.
That 86 performance was amazing.The best by any individual I have seen.
So now it is Maradona followed by the other 3.

Cruyff dragged a team that didnt have directors to triple european cups on the trot trot...after his performances in '74 taking brazil apart they had to put a gun to his head to ensure he wasnt participating again.

 

[Fat Chance]

 

[theres only one carlito]

3x World Cup winner. Ridiculous santos and Brazil national team scoring stats. I wasn’t alive when he played but the stats don’t lie. The guy was clearly a monster of a player.