World Cup thread

Do you remember seeing Garrincha, Cruyff and Best?

 

I don't remember Garrincha bit I certainly remember Cruyff & Best

 

His reputation is tarnished by never having tested himself in Europe. We'll never know if he was better than, for example, Eusabio becuase his Brazil teams were better than Portugal's.

 

Pele is the only one who can really match Messi statistically but 1. He was an out and out striker and 2. He never played in the top leagues. and 3. todays game is faster, more tactical and the footballers are better athletes.

Messi has done it consistently whilst playing at the highest level.

 

Where they as good or better than today's talent and how much of a speed difference was there?

 

How can you lol at a footballer you never saw play

 

It's like comparing apples and pears.Obviously today's footballers are a lot fitter but the likes of Cruyff,Best,Pele didn't get the protection from refs that modern players get so they had to use their skill more The BBC have been showing some of the official World Cup films during this competition,look on the I Player to see if they are still available and if they do watch the 1970 & 1974 films.These show Pele & Cruyff in their pomp,have a look and tell me what you think

 

Thanks will do

You do have a point about the protection afforded by players those days. I remember seeing a clip on the 74 WC, and saw some really bad tackles. Not sure how long Messi would last in those conditions! I think Ronaldo would fair better.

 

I think this is a tired argument by those who never saw Pele play.When he was playing very few South Americans played in Europe.If European football was so superior why did Brazil win 3 out of 4 World Cups between 1958 & 1970 with all their players playing in supposedly inferior Brazilian Leagues

 

When you have watched them you may have a different opinion to me but football is about opinions

 

The thing I always notice watching 70s football is the lack of closing down. You see individual ogres flying in with tackles but not the pressing as a team that everyone does now

 

They didn't have to press they just hacked players down

 

I agree with the apples and pears thing.

Every sport these days has changed dramatically, the participation, the equipment and the style of play. It is almost impossible to rate a player from the 60s with a player today. All you can do is rate them on a scale with their peers and then compare their standings. As soon as you try and compare them directly it just becomes too subjective to be worth arguing about.

 

Mascherano has revealed that he 'tore his anus' in that last ditch tackle against Robben in the Semi-Final

errgh ...

 

Are you saying Robben's tackle tore Mascherano's anus ?

 

According to Stan "Dogger" Collymore an agent has told him that Arsenal ate in advanced talks with Sami Khedira.
Ballocks,wrong ****ing fred

 

I bet your tackle has torn a sheep's anus a few times too

 

I've never done anal with a sheep,.....................













.........yet

 

Another trouncing?