Lionel Messi.......

[Project]

Hand on heart I don't think you can honestly say Zidane is better than Messi. In terms of achievements and career defining moments sure, but Messi is just 22. His ability right now is simply unprecedented in my time watching football (I caught the tail end of Maradonas career but not enough to make an informed judgement). It's not just the phenomenal goal rate - it's the fact that almost every one of them seems to be magical.

 

[Pigeonho]

No I can't, cos I have no idea. What i do know though is that he has shone in the best league in the world and is currently doing just as well in the 2nd best league. Whenever I have seen him play for Portugal he's done alright, nothing spectacular, but whenever I have bothered to watch the meatpackers play, Messi has been a nothing.

So pele is wank then? He never played in the prem so that makes him not as good as samaras and corradi

Based on your initial post I can see you're a kid, so i'll leave it other than saying I have seen our old division 1, which had one televised match a week on a Sunday, and was of a standard which was only half of what we currently see, undergo a transformation of such proportions none of us could get to grips with, and I include the Sky Strykers in that!! Seriously though, what you have grown up with is champagne stuff, a league full of the best and the best alone. I'm no old timer so apologies if i'm patronising you, (i'm 32), but I know enough from watching the game from 10 years old and going to City since being 11 to know how to compare a player and what it takes in the modern game to be labelled the best. Pele was in an era where football was just in its junior state, and he would struggle in this era if he came like for like. That doesn't mean to say he wasn't one of the best, he was, but for you to try and mock my comparison of how the tranny has succeeded in the 2 most elite leagues of our time, is poor, especially with what you used in your mockery. I know my stuff mate, and i'm sure you do too but like I say i have seen our league become what it is now from what it was, and I have seen one of the best players of our time grace that league and then go and do it in a league which is second to our, but not by much. For him to be able to do that, something which many fail at, makes him one of the best players currently playing the game. Messi has not done the reverse as yet, and for me that means he can't be labelled the best.

 

[MaineDAWG2008]

how can anyone compare messi with van basten??????

two different players

its like comparing him to the great franco baresi

get a grip

van basten was a striker, fox in box center forward.

Whereas messi is an attacking forward. different type of player.


zidane or messi or maradona = all very similar type players playing as the attacking number 10 for their own respective teams.

like i always said. maradona was the best at what he did, dribbling past defenders was a norm and he could literally take a ball and weave his way round 10 players. Zizou wasnt really a dribbler, he was but he was more of a striker/midfielder into one. Lets say maradona and van basten in one player..... a very effective attacking forward and a striker.

Overall in my opinion, its a toss up between zidane and maradona to claim the greatest.

Messi is still far off.

Too early to judge on messi. He is the best number 10 in the world at the moment.<br /><br />-- Mon Mar 22, 2010 7:18 pm --<br /><br />

Only Zidane and Maradona are better, By the end of Messi's career he will probably have had a better career than Maradona but Zidanes goals in world cup finals, champions league, 3 time world player etc and dominating his last games (world cups best player as he retired) may be too much for Messi. Zidane probably the better player too.

this^^^^^

totally agree which is why I think to Judge Messi as the best player ever is an over statement. Lets wait till he reaches 30 and then judge him on his contribution, medals, cups, player awards, etc

 

[The Pink Panther]

how can anyone compare messi with van basten??????

two different players

its like comparing him to the great franco baresi

get a grip

van basten was a striker, fox in box center forward.

Whereas messi is an attacking forward. different type of player.

If you're referring to my post about Van Basten, I suggest you go back to page one, read the original question and then read my post again.

 

[Kippax Street 1880]

Messi is a maverick sort of player, he can only really be defined as a 'forward' as he just swans around up the field just doing whatever geniuses do, as for being better than Zidane, they are different sorts of players, Zidane was the archetypal playmaker, whereas Messi likes to drift out wide and take players on. Sadly I don't feel he would be as effective in the P.L with cloggers like Shawcross and Turner who would just boot him for 90 minutes. But he would still be a real gem of a player, I just hope we can reach the level needed to attract players like him.

 

[Stackmoney]

So Messi is suddenly the best of all time after scoring against a bottom team in Spain? Haha what a joke, Rooney scored 4 in a similar performance against Hull earlier this season we don't hear him been mentioned the all time great. OK then Messi scored against Stuttgart maybe he's the best, no wait Rooney scored 4 against AC mIlan, these foreigners get found out eventually. Robinho, Ronaldinho, Kaka overpriced overhyped trash. Real Madrid are top they have one of the worst defences ever so what does this say about the rest of the league. Terry, Vidic, Ferdinand, Carvalho, Agger, Shawcross, Vermahlen, Gallas etc these are real defenders not girls like Pique nd Ramos who are top in La Liga. Mascherano, Essien, Fletcher, De Jong you would'nt see quality defensive midfielders like this in Spain to, its less physical more space and slower. Come play in a mans game Messi. Nasri's goal against Porto was defo better then Messi's last nite to.

 

[kenzie115]

He's unbelievable, I'd do whatever we could to sign him at every future chance we get.

 

[ono]

Messi is up there with the very best. As is the Tranny. Always wonder how good Ronaldo would have been if he hadn't have had such bad injuries at such an early age.

I do think Messi has to replicate it on the international stage though before you can out him right up there.

 

[Project]

So Messi is suddenly the best of all time after scoring against a bottom team in Spain? Haha what a joke, Rooney scored 4 in a similar performance against Hull earlier this season we don't hear him been mentioned the all time great. OK then Messi scored against Stuttgart maybe he's the best, no wait Rooney scored 4 against AC mIlan, these foreigners get found out eventually. Robinho, Ronaldinho, Kaka overpriced overhyped trash. Real Madrid are top they have one of the worst defences ever so what does this say about the rest of the league. Terry, Vidic, Ferdinand, Carvalho, Agger, Shawcross, Vermahlen, Gallas etc these are real defenders not girls like Pique nd Ramos who are top in La Liga. Mascherano, Essien, Fletcher, De Jong you would'nt see quality defensive midfielders like this in Spain to, its less physical more space and slower. Come play in a mans game Messi. Nasri's goal against Porto was defo better then Messi's last nite to.

Erm,

6 trophies in one season.
Goals in the CL final, World Club Cup final, Spanish Cup final.
A hat trick at the Bernabeu.
Probably the greatest individual goal ever vs Getafe
In the last 2 seasons, 89 appearances, 72 goals, 29 assists
This season, currently top of the goals scored and assist charts
25 goals from 24 games.
Week after week of amazing individual goals.

So WTF are you talking about "scoring against the bottom team".

 

[Rickyblue]

messi is the best player in the world bar none, one day he will be a blue.