For me Best is, along with Rooney, the most overated player in history. If you asked football fans in south america about Best I bet they havent got a fookin clue who he is. We only know about him cos he played well for Utd for about 5 of his 11 seasons there. That does not make him one of the best players of all time. He couldve been one of the best but that's not the same thing. For me, Diego is by far and away the best player to ever play the game. Nobody even comes remotely close to the impact 1 player had on otherwise ****e teams that he played in. Maldini was nowhere near as good as Baresi. Not in a million years.
I was about to type that... Rui Costa weren't that bad either. Certainly not a 'all time best' player, but he was a great one.
Who knows? Zizou was a very unstable character. He headbutted Materazzi for saying something about his sister. Souness I presume would say far worse.
Not totally true BMC, he went on to help revitalise Fulham for a while, along with Rodney Marsh then went on to America, along with Rodney Marsh, and before you, or anyone mock, lets not forget that players the calibre of Gerd Muller, Franz Beckenbauer, Pele, Johan Cruyff, Carlos Alberto, Jurgen Klinsman (as a coach I believe) to name a few, also went there as well. As for South America well I would be surprised if no one had heard of 'El Beatle' as Best was knick named but in those day Europe ruled the footballing world, with the exception of Brazil who were the all time supreme champions and masters.
Every single one of the players you have named going to the US there went for: a) The money b) the lifestyle c) to wind down and earn (a) again as they head to retirment. It was not like the MLS now and the games were more like Legends XI friendlies. As for his time at Fulham, he was just pissing about again on a jolly every night with Marsh. He was not producing the type of performance befitting of the 'world's best'. Maradona on the other hand (arf) won a world cup and 2 Serie A titles on his own. Napoli were nothing until he went there.
Unfortunately, in a footballing sense, Best was Irish who, as far as I am aware, are not renown for being footballing World Champions. Individual FWA Footballer of the Year (1): 1967–68 Ballon d'Or (1): 1968 Ballon d'Or Third place (1): 1971 PFA Team of the Year Second Division (1): 1977 Honorary doctorate from Queen's University Belfast: 2001 Freeman of Castlereagh: 2002 Inaugural inductee into the English Football Hall of Fame: 2002 UEFA Golden Jubilee Poll: 2004 FIFA 100: 2004 PFA Merit Award: 2006 PFA England League Team of the Century (1907 to 2007): 2007 FWA Tribute Award: 2007 European Hall of Fame (Player): 2008 Courtesy of Wikipedia
In the local bar in the remote mountain villages where I lived in Italy there are 2 references to foreign football.One is a Hull City mug the other is a picture of George Best.Infact it is the only picture of any footballer on permanent display.Think it has as much to do with his shagger reputation as his football legacy
Well if the bar's only team reference is to Hull City then the proprietor clearly knows about the pinnacle of achievement in the world game. I take it all back about Best.....
I suppose in a modern day equivalent it would be Gazza who would play the role of a wasted footballing genius. I hope better times are ahead for the guy.
Come '68 Man United was an ageing team past it's best. It was all or nothing for Busby's dream of winning the European cup and most of that rested on the shoulders of a 22 year old George Best. Given the history Busby and united had with the cup-entering against the will of the dinosaurs at the FA, the Munich air crash...you don't get much more pressure than that and he delivered.
Messi is a part of a team of excellent players, every one of them but I hated it when they passed the ball between themselves in the midfield area for about 20 passes or more and not getting anywhere. Last night I watched Bayern beat CSKA Moscow and they too passed the ball around each other just like Bara and we all know who Bayern's manager is now. As for all time best players, I don't know, I have seen so many great players I have admired both British and foreign both live and on TV, and although certain individuals have impressed me it would be hard to pick out an individual who I could give that accolade to. The North Korean's in the '66 World Cup thrilled me, as did Brazil on many occasions, Guadalajar 1970 anyone? Bobby More? Gordon Banks unbelievable save from Pele? I wave the white at this point there has been so many good experiences during my footballing love affair, I've enjoyed them all. [h=1][/h]
Come off it Bum Chin. We all know from reading these board's that once you hit 30 you're past it But seriously, the team as a whole was past it. Aged players and younger one not as good as those they replaced. They were on the long slide to division two. Which coincidentally happened when Best once and for all left. For me, there's nowt between Best and Maradona. But did Maradona really carry his teams any more than Best did?
Yes he did. It was also pretty easy to get his sticker for the Panini 86 album. Had a swap or two of him too
