Load of ****. Read this: Messi is only one man. No matter how good he is, if the other TEN players in the Argentina side simply don't have the quality to win, then they won't win. Why should that have any baring as to how good Messi is as an individual player?
Appreciated. Can't believe he's never injured either. You'd think people are kicking him all the time. Then again, he doesn't play in the prem.
Eeeerrmmmm.....I suppose you are unaware has to how ordinary the other Argentina players Maradona played with were then?! If you need proof it can be done by being the best player ever...just look at that. Its not like Messi has even scored a goal in the World Cup. He didnt even score a goal in the last Cope America. Shocking. Even Martin Palermo scored in the 2010...!
Astonishing player and easily the best I have ever seen. Only 7 goals short of Barcelona's all time record goalscorer (at 24) Something like 119 goals in last 115 games More hatricks (8) this season than Torres or Carroll have goals More goals in 90 minutes last night than Torres has in the past 18 months. The guy has some impressive stats to his name!
I think the comment about Pele playing his football only in Brazil and the USA is unfair. As someone said Brazilian club football was the best in the world then and most players played in the country they were born. Some may have moved around Europe but it wasn't until later that South Americans started coming over to play in Europe on a regular basis.
Still the best player I have ever seen and if you had to name and all time great 11 he would be surely be in it....and I say that as a Real Madrid fan.
surely the real question, the one we all want answering is.............. BEN AFRA..SESS...MESSIE Now try choosing?
In Peles time the Spanish League was the best and one player proved himself head and shoulders above the rest, Alfredo di Stefano, he goes into my top 5. Pele wasnt even the best in the Brazilian league, any Brazilian of that time will tell you, "Pele was good but Garrincha was better".
You probably would...but if that team were to magically play a game with the players in their peak, then Messi wouldnt be the stand out player on the park. That other Argentinean in the middle of the park looks a player, plus that Brazilian lad up front looks unbelievable (Ronaldo, not Pele). Messi is great. But he aint the greatest. But I stress....NOT YET. Maybe one day.
Again, load of ****. There were some bloody good players, and whilst Maradona played a huge part in it all, he did not carry the team himself against some of the best teams in the world. Note the final of the 1986 World Cup, where Maradona didn't even score in a 3-2 win over a very strong West German side. You seriously think that Messi could 'only' be considered the best player in the world if he carried his average Argentina side against some sides like Spain or Holland? Seriously? Again, you're basing whether he's the best player in the world or not in outside influences which have nothing to do with Messi and which can't be helped by him. How about analysing him as an individual player instead of drawing in dozens of outside factors.
As an individual player, he seems only to be able to perform at the level we see like last night at one club and one team only. What we are all seeing is something very unique where the player and the team he plays for, need and feed off each other perfectly. Maradona could walk into any team and play to his untouchable level and even make team better totally based on his greatness. If Messi were to do this, than he can rival him as best player ever. If you want to look at individual players, in the way your suggesting, than dont ignore Cristiano Ronaldo. As an individual he has everything you want. Everything. You were to put all the things you would want physically, talent wise and statistics as to the perfect player...he would show up on your screen. However, nobody in their right mind would pick him over Messi....because of what Messi can do in that Barca team. You put Messi in the Madrid team, he wouldn't be as good. You put Ronaldo in that Barca team, his level wouldn't drop. All theory obviously, but deciding who is the best is theory after all.
He doesn't 'seem only able'. Just because he hasn't proven it, it doesn't mean that it he simply can't do it. That makes no sense. With Barcelona you can see his own, personal attributes very clearly, in La Liga matches and in the highest level in the Champions League. In fact, half of his goals don't even involve other players. So many amazing dribbles, passes, touches and shots are all down to him. There are other attributes also, where he controls the game and is the creative engine-room of the side. I'm quite sure Messi can walk into any team and make it better. Far better, in fact. However, the other 10 players still need to be of a certain level of quality to get anywhere. Messi can improve a side on his own but he can't carry it, especially against sides like Spain with Iniesta, Xavi and others in all at the same time. When it comes to the Argentina team, I think it's the coach's fault as to why Messi isn't showing his potential there. They're trying to play like Barca and set up like Barca but don't have the quality for it, so the performances don't reach their potential and Messi's gameplan suffers. They just need to find the right balance and use him in a setup which not only suits Messi, but also suits the other 10 players. I don't ignore Ronaldo. He's one of the best, and you obviously haven't noticed the many people who claim Ronaldo is better than Messi. Opinions aren't clear cut. But your theory of Messi not being as good in RM and Ronaldo being the same in Barca is really just made out of thin air and based on nothing.
Of course its plucked out of thin air. Its all theory. Truth is it's impossible to judge. My point is it's too early to say he is the best of all time.
