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Lionel Messi- The Record Breaker

allatsea

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Aug 31, 2012
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I have to confess I've man-loved this little guy for the past ten to eleven years. He is quite simply, the GOAT (Greatest Of All Time). He is the only reason I watch Spanish Football and he makes me smile like an idiot whenever I watch him play. It's just a pure joy.

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Wonderful wonderful player but the GOAT is Pele. He was the star of several World Cups and part of the greatest team to ever win a World Cup (1970 Mexico). Unfortunately most folk have never had the privilege of watching Pele play and the television of the 1950's, 1960s and early 1970s does not do him justice.

Modern day television and they way matches and players are presented means players of previous generations are often overlooked.
 

Chris Finch

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Aug 14, 2012
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Wonderful wonderful player but the GOAT is Pele. He was the star of several World Cups and part of the greatest team to ever win a World Cup (1970 Mexico). Unfortunately most folk have never had the privilege of watching Pele play and the television of the 1950's, 1960s and early 1970s does not do him justice.

Modern day television and they way matches and players are presented means players of previous generations are often overlooked.
Disagree...The older players wouldn't stand a chance in the modern era imo.
Plus is more difficult to make up goal stats these days
 

NinjaTuna

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Jul 9, 2017
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Wonderful wonderful player but the GOAT is Pele. He was the star of several World Cups and part of the greatest team to ever win a World Cup (1970 Mexico). Unfortunately most folk have never had the privilege of watching Pele play and the television of the 1950's, 1960s and early 1970s does not do him justice.

Modern day television and they way matches and players are presented means players of previous generations are often overlooked.
Pele? Wasn't he the fella with the floppy cock?
 

Lilbaz

Just call me Baz
Apr 1, 2005
41,363
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Disagree...The older players wouldn't stand a chance in the modern era imo.
Plus is more difficult to make up goal stats these days

Why, this generation are somehow more skillful?

Nope the only difference is training methods, sport science, nutrition etc... if the older players were playing today they'd receive all those things and still stand out just like they did then.
 

Frozen_Waffles

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Jan 26, 2005
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Interesting how everyone is saying GOAT about Messi and in general he gets very little criticism. A few things that are not well known in England is that good old Leo has alot of power within the corrupt Argentinian football federation and the team as a whole. So much so, that players get picked and not picked based on whether they are 'mates' with Messi.

This detail is common knowledge where I live, but does not seem to be widely published over in England. His tantrums are pretty common as well, threatening to quit the national team and throwing his toys out of his pram when he doesn't get his way. It doesn't suprise me in the least that managers have had problems with managing Argentina.

I would even say that he is not the GOOT either (our time)

One thing that I thought was a good point made by one of the guys on the Guardian WC podcast was in the comparison to Ronaldo, he said that Ronaldo was a street footballer and could play anywhere, he is dragging Portugal through the WC by himself. Messi is not quite the same, and I kind of agree with this. He has been sheltered a lot through his career. One club, with the likes of Iniesta and Xavi behind you all your career is a big help as well.

Don't get me wrong he is a brilliant, wonderful, special player that deserves many accolades, but GOAT? Ummm, I am not sure.
 

popstar7

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Jan 14, 2012
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GOAT obviously depends what criteria you use. For me, it's players who can do what no one else can with the ball, who can see what other players can't. Players who can just take your breath away. Messi has that far more than Ronaldo for me. He also did this -

 

TaoistMonkey

Welcome! Everything is fine.
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Oct 25, 2005
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Ronaldo (R9) is the real G.O.A.T.

Even playing now he would bulldoze everyone. So much power and skill. Untouchable.
 

Frozen_Waffles

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Jan 26, 2005
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GOAT obviously depends what criteria you use. For me, it's players who can do what no one else can with the ball, who can see what other players can't. Players who can just take your breath away. Messi has that far more than Ronaldo for me. He also did this -



Indeed, by this criteria, for me it's Ronaldhino. I use to watch Barca for him alone, he did things in virtually every match that I had never seen before.
 

popstar7

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Jan 14, 2012
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I lived in Seville 2003-2009 and had a season ticket at Sevilla throughout. Seeing Ronaldinho and Zidane a couple of times a year was a privilege. Sevilla always used to give Barca and Madrid a proper game in that spell too. Still think Messi is on a different level though. I was behind the goal when he did this and this.
 
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allatsea

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Aug 31, 2012
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Disagree...The older players wouldn't stand a chance in the modern era imo.
Plus is more difficult to make up goal stats these days

Sorry but that is rubbish. The great players of any generation would adapt to how the modern game is played. Their skill levels are so high they would still be outstanding today.
 

mattyspurs

It is what it is
Jan 31, 2005
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Sorry but that is rubbish. The great players of any generation would adapt to how the modern game is played. Their skill levels are so high they would still be outstanding today.

Agree. Along with the nutrition and training methods that have already been mentioned, but can you imagine Pele, Best, Cruyff, Greaves etc playing on the football pitches that are like carpets these days, that modern day footballers have the privilege to play on?
 

popstar7

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Jan 14, 2012
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All of them would have been fine. The first three were proper athletes anyway, not sure about JG.
 

mattyspurs

It is what it is
Jan 31, 2005
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All of them would have been fine. The first three were proper athletes anyway, not sure about JG.
But that’s what makes Greavsie even more remarkable, he smoked and drank like a trooper and still posted record numbers. Imagine if he had been kept in line like today’s primadonnas!
 

allatsea

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Aug 31, 2012
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Agree. Along with the nutrition and training methods that have already been mentioned, but can you imagine Pele, Best, Cruyff, Greaves etc playing on the football pitches that are like carpets these days, that modern day footballers have the privilege to play on?

Great point. Greaves had to play on dreadful pitches for most of his time at Spurs. The Spurs pitch was more like a beach than a proper football pitch.
 

Col_M

Pointing out the Obvious
Feb 28, 2012
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Agree. Along with the nutrition and training methods that have already been mentioned, but can you imagine Pele, Best, Cruyff, Greaves etc playing on the football pitches that are like carpets these days, that modern day footballers have the privilege to play on?
And the protection from the likes of Leeds
 

allatsea

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Aug 31, 2012
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This is one of the reasons I bang on about Maradona. The leg breakers he had to deal with:



So true and Pele was kicked out of the 1966 World Cup by the Portuguese team. Tackles that are not allowed now. I wonder how some of the so called modern day greats would have faired playing against that type of tackling.
 
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