Messi

[PTP]

Haha I like it

it's the only explanation. He see's things before they happen, reacts quicker than everyone round him

I decided last night that I really really want to see the following happen

Messi to score the winner in El Classico at weekend, leading Barca to the league title

to score in the final leading barca to champions league title

carry argentina to winning the world cup final.

If anything like that happened......than that would just be it.....it would surely make him undisputed, the best player ever

[PTP]

Zidane is an anomaly in terms of players listed as all time greats in that he was rarely the one scoring the goals and even to some degree directly making the assists. He did though form a key part of many of the most successful teams of his era.

Messi is without doubt a true great - in some ways though I think it is hard to rank him at this stage as he has made all his achievements in a truly excellent side - even if he has been the exquisite cutting edge of that side for some time. His record for Argentina for example is less that 1 goal in 3 slightly worse that Christiano Ronaldo for the notably less good Portugese and far less than the roughly 1 in 1.5 games boasted by big Ronaldo.

- i think thats what it comes down too - if he goes and has a big world cup, scoring half a dozen or more goals, and leads argentina to the trophy, then he has done it on every stage.

[Exiled_red]

Well the english press have already started their ****e bandwagon. " Unless messi wins the world up, he's not up there"

Does the same apply to Rooney?

[Chrono]

Zidane is an anomaly in terms of players listed as all time greats in that he was rarely the one scoring the goals and even to some degree directly making the assists. He did though form a key part of many of the most successful teams of his era.

Messi is without doubt a true great - in some ways though I think it is hard to rank him at this stage as he has made all his achievements in a truly excellent side - even if he has been the exquisite cutting edge of that side for some time. His record for Argentina for example is less that 1 goal in 3 slightly worse that Christiano Ronaldo for the notably less good Portugese and far less than the roughly 1 in 1.5 games boasted by big Ronaldo.

Conspiracy says that Maradona is stopping him getting to that next level. Personally, I don't think it is an intentional thing but Maradona seems like an utterly useless manager so is causing this anyway.

His legacy is destroying the potential of another.

[CJ]

the boy is truley magnificent. Best player in the world no question. i do think that its him, then lady boy then on current form its rooney unfortunately. torres would be up there with rooney if not ahead on good form.

i still think zidane was very special i remember watching him play for madrid with all those galacticos (on tv not actually there lol) and he was head and shoulders above them.

for me maradonna is the greatest ever. not sure about pele and some people of a certain age and who support a **** team talk about best being the best. i dont know how good he was? does anyone have an honest opinion on where georgy boy was in terms of all time greats .

it certainly looks like messi could end up being the best ever. you would pay to just see him never mind anything else at the camp nou.

hope he has a good world cup.

and how much is he worth????

[CJ]

oh i forgot puskas and di stefano and how good was sir tom finney?

[PTP]

the boy is truley magnificent. Best player in the world no question. i do think that its him, then lady boy then on current form its rooney unfortunately. torres would be up there with rooney if not ahead on good form.

i still think zidane was very special i remember watching him play for madrid with all those galacticos (on tv not actually there lol) and he was head and shoulders above them.

for me maradonna is the greatest ever. not sure about pele and some people of a certain age and who support a **** team talk about best being the best. i dont know how good he was? does anyone have an honest opinion on where georgy boy was in terms of all time greats .

it certainly looks like messi could end up being the best ever. you would pay to just see him never mind anything else at the camp nou.

hope he has a good world cup.

and how much is he worth????

my dad, despite being a red for 50 years, season ticket holder for 30 years, loved george best...he'd even go to goodison park when united played everton just to watch Best (bearing in my mind there was no tv coverage back then)

He told me a story (not sure how true it is or if it is one o the these tales that grow over time) about playing for either for Norn Iron or for club, best was playing against Johan Cruyff in Hollandand the media where bigigng up cruyff as the best around and George Best starting pissing himself and said Cruyff wasn't fit to lace his boots and he'll prove it... Apparently early on in the game, Best got the ball and went looking for Cruyff, beat a few men and when he got to Cruyff he ****ing nutmegged him After the move finished he waved to the press box.

[Reece]

I heard on the radio last night that in 7 years with the Barca youth team, he scored 500 goals!

[PTP]

just googled and found this reference george best story above

In 1976, Northern Ireland were drawn against Holland in Rotterdam as one of their group qualifying matches for the World Cup. Back then the reporters stayed at the same hotel as the team and travelled with them on the coach to the game. As it happened I sat beside George on the way to the stadium that evening.

Holland - midway between successive World Cup final appearances - and Johan Cruyff were at their peak at the time. George wasn't. I asked him what he thought of the acknowledged world number one and he said he thought the Dutchman was outstanding. 'Better than you?' I asked. George looked at me and laughed. 'You're kidding aren't you? I tell you what I'll do tonight... I'll nutmeg Cruyff first chance I get.' And we both laughed at the thought.

A couple of hours later the Irish players were announced one by one on to the pitch. Pat Jennings, as goalkeeper, was first out of the tunnel to appreciative applause. Best, as No 11, was last. 'And now,' revved up the PA guy, 'Number 11, Georgie [long pause] Best.' And out trotted George. Above him, a beautiful blonde reached over with a single, long-stemmed red rose.

Given his nature, his training and his peripheral vision there was no way he was going to miss her or the rose, so he stopped, trotted back, reached up to take the flower, kissed her hand and ran out on to the pitch waving his rose at the punters as the applause grew even louder.

Five minutes into the game he received the ball wide on the left. Instead of heading towards goal he turned directly infield, weaved his way past at least three Dutchmen and found his way to Cruyff who was wide right. He took the ball to his opponent, dipped a shoulder twice and slipped it between Cruyff's feet. As he ran round to collect it and run on he raised his right fist into the air.

Only a few of us in the press box knew what this bravado act really meant. Johan Cruyff the best in the world? Are you kidding? Only an idiot would have thought that on this evening.

[Darkon]

I heard on the radio last night that in 7 years with the Barca youth team, he scored 500 goals!

are you sure? Bojan holds that exact record for the barca youth team, where he averaged a bit over 3 goals a game over 7 seasons...

[Reece]

No not sure at all - I just thought I heard them say that.

[wiw]

I can't get on youtube, but there's a video of him when he was young (under 10 I think) where he's literally running rings around everyone. He was just born with it

[PTP]

this one?? apparently 5 or 6 - takes the piss out of everyone but still gets ****ing booted everywhere haha

[nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXlqGN2HUF8&feature=related"]YouTube- Lionel Messi by 1993[/nomedia]

[Craig_H]

I think he's the best player I've ever seen.

It's getting close to that, isnt it?

I'd still say he's yet to surpass Maradona, but delivering what he does already at the age of 22, it's inevitable that he'll overtake his countryman within a few years. Just incredible. I was watching football with sheer delight last night and that's not something i've done much of for a year or so.

[Shaggy]

It's getting close to that, isnt it?

I'd still say he's yet to surpass Maradona, but delivering what he does already at the age of 22, it's inevitable that he'll overtake his countryman within a few years. Just incredible. I was watching football with sheer delight last night and that's not something i've done much of for a year or so.

Yep.

I was out last night but I taped the game and avoided the score. Watched it when I got in at midnight and as you say it was an absolute delight to watch.

I think he's the best player I've ever seen. I remember Maradona (although I was only 9 in 86) and he was incredible, but...again, as you say, it seems almost inevitable he'll overtake Maradona. I just hope he stays clear of injuries and some hatchet man doesn't ruin his career. Football needs players like Messi. So what if you can't stop him. Let him run riot rather than break his leg.