Maradona, truly the best player on this planet so far

[ROCKET80]

It's Maradona all day for me.

The game has changed dramatically over the last 10-15 years. Most of the great players in their pomp if plucked from their era would struggle in game played today. Maradona would still be the best player on the park.

He came through the ranks in Argentina and played in Europe at at time when (it could be argued) there was a more even playing field.

Don't get me wrong I think Messi is a truly great player but for me Maradona will always be the best ever.

 

[Unknown_Genius]

The best player ever is Pele. He was more complete than Maradona and had the habit of pulling out the spectacular more often. The man was scoring wonder goals at the world cup final when he was 17. This is astonishing. Just think about that level of brlliance. When Messi was just making his professional debut, Pele was already staring in a world cup final. He is a bitter man now, but I understand why. He does not get the respect he deserves.

As for Mess he does not deserve to be amongst the best until he achieves something at the highest level with Argentina. He has not even won a Copa America with them. At their best I dont think Messi is better than Zidane or Ronaldinho let alone Maradona and Pele. Times have changed and players can play at their peak much longer. Guys like Gomez can get 47 goals in a season in 18 team league.

Also Messi is better than Cristiano Ronaldo, but it is not by any big gap. Last season Ronaldo was better than Messi. Funny how nobody puts Ronaldo anywhere hear as high as Messi.

Completely agree with that.

 

[Barcon]

maradona might make the top three, not my top fucking three.

 

[dobingsdobber]

Every generation produces the 'best ever' player. Pele, Maradona, Cruyff, Zidane, Puscas, Messi.

I never saw Puscas play, but I've seen all the others, and for me, the one player I saw and was just incredible to watch was George Best.

He had everything all those players had and more.

He could tackle, he could head, he could pass the ball, but he could dance around players with such ease when the tackles were flying in, it had to be seen to be believed.

Messi is the first player I have seen that approaches Best's skill levels, but he isn't as good as Best. I've never seen Messi evade a challenge, turn round, and skip over the trailing foot again!

Best did it all the time, for fun, then go and stick the ball in the net. Ok, that maybe a bit romantic, but anyone who saw him play knows what I mean.

It's a shame he is never named in anyones best team of all time, maybe it's because he never played in a world cup, but he is, in my mind, the greatest, most complete footballer I have ever seen.

And I've seen a few goodun's in my time.

Me too,there were some suicidally hard bastards playing then,Best took loads of punishment,got up and made them look like arse-holes.Saw him play loads of times and he was out on his own, (pains me to say this by the way,but credit where it's due).

 

[Kippax.]

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSn_vzI0aQk[/youtube]

 

[Ric]

For all Messi's brilliance, I still think Maradona is the best player I've ever seen.

 

[MSP]

If Maradona and specially Pele had all sport science the likes of Messi and Ronaldo have on their disposal these days there wouldn't be dilemma at all.

Take pace from Messi's game and you have half the player. Take it from Maradona and there will be no much difference. Maradona is technically much more talented player.

 

[Skashion]

Even if Messi won the World Cup, it'd be hard to say definitively which one is better, because as good as Messi is, it would be in a team of outstanding players, whereas Maradona practically was the Argentina side by himself:

During the course of the tournament, Maradona attempted or created more than half of Argentina's shots, embarked on 90 dribbles some three times more than any other player and was fouled 53 times winning his team twice as many free kicks as any player. Maradona scored or assisted 10 of Argentina's 14 goals.

He also took Napoli to two league titles and the Europa League title, their only league and European honours, in the same manner.

Messi will probably never be in that position. Barcelona were a successful side long before Messi, winning 16 of their 22 titles pre-Messi, and were already resurgent pre-Messi. They won the title in 2004-5 with Messi making only seven sub appearances, scoring one goal, and in 2005-6 where he made eleven starts and six sub appearances, scoring six goals. You can't credit Messi with those title wins. It would be like saying our 11/12 win wasn't down to Aguero, Dzeko, Balotelli, Silva, Yaya, but instead Adam Johnson or Tevez (oops, some people do make that idiotic argument).

Basically, Messi will almost certainly never have to carry a whole team, so it's very very hard to compare.

 

[Kippax.]

For those talking about how Maradona used to get 'kicked to bits' I suggest you watch more of La Liga and see the treatment Messi gets subjected to, yet he never whines and moans and rolls around on the floor, he gets up and gets on with destroying the teams facing him.

Maradona was a great.

Messi is better.

Hmm .... Is he getting tackled like this?

<a class="postlink" href="http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=CaEbB78GLyA" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=CaEbB78GLyA</a>

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Asq2vGsOHIU[/youtube]

0.39, 0.45, 0.58, 1.04, 2.00, 2.34 (Actually a stamp off the ball), 2.44, 3.30 (4 players go for him).

Football may be less dangerous than it use to, but Messi's had his fair share. Tbh i'm surprised that he hasn't suffered a more major injury.

Heres another showing how much he gets fouled and gets on with it:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwF3oxvh3DI[/youtube]

The thing is with them challenges, Maradonna would on rode them, but nowadays players go down a lot easier.

 

[dazdon]

For me it was fat Ronaldo he was incredible.