Maradona

[Ke1t]

Delete this. 

 

WRANG forum. 

[Tord31]

RIP in peace

[Laichomoray]

Oops hes deid

[Ohjimmyjimmy]

Pointy-titted bitch.

[Wester Hailes Skins]

Best player in the world. Ever.

11 years playing against the hardest defenders in the world in Spain and Italy. While that other one hid in South America and the US League scoring tap ins. 

Been to Naples twice. Never been to a city where one player is so revered. Every taxi dashboard has a figure of Christ, and one of Maradona. I asked one driver to choose. He smiled and wagged his finger. 

RIP Diego. 

[Ten Caat]

Don't agree. Both Maradona and now Messi are both horrendously one footed. Undoubtedly still way beyond the level of other mere mortals but I just cannot put them above Ronaldo or even Pele. 

Ronaldo can play anywhere along the front line or in midfield. If push came to shove, he also has the physicality that in a dire emergency, he could even fill in as a central defender. 

Ive also never understood why opposing managers never chose to man mark Maradona or Messi using a smallish but quick player who has a similar low centre of gravity to them.

[The Boofon]

5 minutes ago, Ten Caat said:

Don't agree. Both Maradona and now Messi are both horrendously one footed. Undoubtedly still way beyond the level of other mere mortals but I just cannot put them above Ronaldo or even Pele. 

Ronaldo can play anywhere along the front line or in midfield. If push came to shove, he also has the physicality that in a dire emergency, he could even fill in as a central defender. 

Ive also never understood why opposing managers never chose to man mark Maradona or Messi using a smallish but quick player who has a similar low centre of gravity to them.

Wise up.

[aberdeen1970]

Messi has the physicality to play full back. 

But no manager has played him there. Just like no manager has played Ronaldo at centre back. Because it would be daft to do so. 

[Wester Hailes Skins]

Italian and Spanish clubs were dominating Europe. But they always had that weak spot. 6ft+ defenders. 

[Ten Caat]

2 minutes ago, rocket_scientist said:

I can't believe that any former professional footballer can't see that Maradona is the GOAT and the fact that M & M were and are one-footed doesn't affect the question of how influential they are, and it's certainly not "horrendous".

Lineker nailed it in his tribute: -

 

I have a bee in my bonnet about two footedness. There is no reason on earth that anyone that takes the game up cannot make themselves nearly as strong on their "bad" foot as their natural one. Only laziness. 

I can never put them above Ronaldo for that reason alone but football is all about opinions and like arseholes we all have one. I fully understand why others might disagree with me and there's no disputing Maradona almost single-handedly won Argentina the 86 World Cup. Similarly Ronaldo pretty much single-handedly won Portugal the Euro's

[Ten Caat]

9 minutes ago, aberdeen1970 said:

Messi has the physicality to play full back. 

But no manager has played him there. Just like no manager has played Ronaldo at centre back. Because it would be daft to do so. 

I did say in dire emergency. It hasn't happened because...….well it hasn't happened. 

I also doubt Messi could play right back...….although I'm sure he'd be ok at left back. In an emergency

[Guest]

The people's champ. Never be another like him. What a far cry the game is from people like Diego now, at the top level, it's just robotic athletes now. 
 

Maradona was something else, a one of a kind in every sense. RIP.

 

[WesthillWanderersFC]

Maradona

Messi

Ronaldo (Cristiano)

Pele

in that order 

[perthshirered]

44 minutes ago, Ten Caat said:

Don't agree. Both Maradona and now Messi are both horrendously one footed. Undoubtedly still way beyond the level of other mere mortals but I just cannot put them above Ronaldo or even Pele. 

Ronaldo can play anywhere along the front line or in midfield. If push came to shove, he also has the physicality that in a dire emergency, he could even fill in as a central defender. 

Ive also never understood why opposing managers never chose to man mark Maradona or Messi using a smallish but quick player who has a similar low centre of gravity to them.

Seen much of Pele have ye? Naw, neither have I. 

Do you seriously think nobody has tried to man mark him like you suggest? Remember when someone tried to follow him everywhere and he stood on the halfway line by the touchline for ages without the ball and not even looking for it. His  marker just looked around not knowing what to do. You can't mark him out the game, you can't kick him out the game either.

[Ten Caat]

6 minutes ago, perthshirered said:

Seen much of Pele have ye? Naw, neither have I. 

Do you seriously think nobody has tried to man mark him like you suggest? Remember when someone tried to follow him everywhere and he stood on the halfway line by the touchline for ages without the ball and not even looking for it. His  marker just looked around not knowing what to do. You can't mark him out the game, you can't kick him out the game either.

I'm old enough to remember Pele at the end of his career at New York Cosmos. All on Tv of course. The only one I have seen play in the flesh is Ronaldo. 

And of course....my opinion is one I respect. Unlike yours.....

[Parklife]

Christians Ronaldo over Maradona and Messi? 

Absolute crazy talk. 

[aberdeen1970]

Of course people have tried to man mark Messi. There have been countless games over the years where teams have had a specific marker on him.  But it tended to fail as it just created space for his team mates and teams were punished in other ways. 

Same with Maradona. In fact it was worse for him as flair players weren't protected the way they are now.  He had the scars and serious injuries to prove it. 

[aberdeen1970]

I've seen Messi play a couple of times at the Nou Camp. 

Played in the same team those nights as Henry, Ibrahimovic, Iniesta, Xavi, Busquets etc. 

Was easily the best player on the park, even in that company. Xavi was the other one that stood out. And that was a team of world class players in every position. 

[aberdeen1970]

2 minutes ago, rocket_scientist said:

Doesn't surprise me, Xavi was fantastic.

That was one of the peak Barca squads although Henry really shined when he was Arsenal and I thought the best Barca teams were way after he moved to North Lahndon (but could be wrong and couldn't be arsed google-ing).

The line up was top class

                     Valdes

Dani Alves  Pique. Puyol. Abidal 

      Xavi. Busquets.  Iniesta 

    Messi. Ibrahimovic. Henry. 

A young Pedro came on as sub in both games. 

 

But yes, I'd say that Barcelona peaked a couple of years after that. 

 

 

 

[aberdeen1970]

Just now, rocket_scientist said:

Wow, would NEVER hav thought (Sergio?) Busquets and Thierry played together.

Loved Pedro too.

Aye. Busquets, Messi and Pedro were pretty young then.  20 or 21 I'd say 

[aberdeen1970]

2 minutes ago, rocket_scientist said:

Ah yes, late 2000's then. Just googled. I forgot Henry went from Arsenal TO Barca. Wrongly assumed it was the other way around.

Aye the missus arranged a surprise trip to Barcelona for my 40th.  Obviously was no longer a surprise once we arrived at the airport.  She kept the games quiet until a few hours before kick off though. 

[YorkDon]

1 hour ago, aberdeen1970 said:

Of course people have tried to man mark Messi. There have been countless games over the years where teams have had a specific marker on him.  But it tended to fail as it just created space for his team mates and teams were punished in other ways. 

Same with Maradona. In fact it was worse for him as flair players weren't protected the way they are now.  He had the scars and serious injuries to prove it. 

Was it nae Gentile (nae well named) that broke his ankle when he first went to Italy? 
 

When you look at old footage of George Best, they are flying in, and quite often catching him, but he just carries on.

Ronaldo et al would be greeting at a slight shirt pull.

[aberdeen1970]

24 minutes ago, YorkDon said:

Was it nae Gentile (nae well named) that broke his ankle when he first went to Italy? 
 

When you look at old footage of George Best, they are flying in, and quite often catching him, but he just carries on.

Ronaldo et al would be greeting at a slight shirt pull.

Nae sure but the Butcher of Bilbao crocked him at Barcelona 

[daytripping]

Guy on the radio this morning made the point that every team in those days tried to take him out and he would usually just get back up straight away, also the quality of pitches in those days meant he did all his work in ploughed parks. Heard he's lying in state in Argentina and they're having 3 days of national mourning for him. Not many players would be held in that esteem.

[WesthillWanderersFC]

7 minutes ago, aberdeen1970 said:

Nae sure but the Butcher of Bilbao crocked him at Barcelona 

 

[aberdeen1970]

6 minutes ago, WesthillWanderersFC said:

 

Probably never even got booked! 

[WesthillWanderersFC]

6 minutes ago, aberdeen1970 said:

Probably never even got booked! 

Play on, got the ball.

La Liga is seen as very technical now, but back then it was brutal. 

[ericblack4boss]

For me Maradona would have been unplayable in today's peely wally fucking no contact game, 

 

[Ke1t]

Can Admin remove the excess N from the topic title?

 

[WesthillWanderersFC]

24 minutes ago, Ke1t said:

Can Admin remove the excess N from the topic title?

 

Love that picture. 
Belgium World Cup semi final 1986 I think

He was brilliant that game too, scored both goals.