Maradona

[Bazali]

The night before England played Brazil in Japan/South Korea WC, they played the whole of that "classic" between England and Brazil from Mexico 1970. You know the one - 2 best teams, shame it wasn't the final, still might be, Pele and Moore exchanging shirts, THAT Banks save, we hit the bar, THAT Jeff Astle miss........

well feck me - it was just 90 minutes of hoofball from England.

And that was 20 years ago that I watched it through! If I saw it now it would seem like a team from Hackney Marshes.

Agree mate

That 1970 Brazil game was fantastic
one of the best I’ve ever seen and a brilliant advert for football generally Time flew by and we were desperately unlucky and we would have beaten them if there was a next time in the final
They were very relieved when Alf fucked it up against the Germans

No comparison to the following one which was eminently forgettable apart from Seaman’s ricket!

 

[Eli]

Messi wouldn't have been able to match Maradona if he'd played in the same era. The balls were match heavier, as were the boots. Modern boots are like slippers. And the pitches are of a much higher qualities. The pitch at the Azteca was terrible and If you you look closely at his 2nd goal vs England you'll see the ball bobbling all over the place yet he still has it under complete control. I'm not entirely sure Messi would have been able to cope physically with the football of Maradona's era, it was much more brutal sport.

Messi wouldn’t stand a chance in Maradona‘s era the treatment he got was unreal okay he could look after himself but still it was brutal Messi nah he’d bottle it.

 

[ryuzakiluke100]

Sad reality is we'll never know.

Just by going off clips, I think Maradona looked aesthetically better than Messi when dribbling as he had that raw power and strength whilst looking like he was dancing with the defenders.

But also in the same clips, the defenders are mostly horrendous. Drawn to the ball and their technique for the most part was woeful. Football nowadays is soooooo much better. It's coached better to deal with players of that ability.

I think they are both products of their era. And personally, I think both are so talented and both do/did so many things that don't seem possible that you put one or the other in a different era and they'd easily be the best.

The reason the likes of Pele, Maradona etc. are hailed as above others are because the way they played the game differently. Mostly because the eras they were in were so poor in terms of the level of quality. Look at clips of Pele and it's like a modern footballer put into a game full of semi professionals. Same with Maradona. He was different. Something no one had seen at the time.

And in 20+ years time, someone will come along that'll be something completely different and this generation will have the same conversations about how they were never as good as Messi etc.

The thing is when you say about modern football being better coached (defensively), you forget that the game has changed.

In the past, if you can't take a tough tackle, you wouldn't dare to taunt defenders, since they didn't need to defend the ball to stop you. If you're within the defender sliding tackling range, you're not safe.

Nowadays, once a player that can cut in front of the defender, the defender is pretty much being out of equation.

That's just one major change. So the context of the rule change can't be ignored. Can't just compare football matches from different era and come to conclusion.

 

[Totti]

The thing is when you say about modern football being better coached (defensively), you forget that the game has changed.

In the past, if you can't take it you would dare to taunt defenders, since they didn't need to defend the ball to stop you. If you're within the defender sliding tackling range, you're not safe.

Nowadays, once a player that can cut in front of the defender, the defender is pretty much being out of equation.

So the context of the rule change can't be ignored. Can't just compare football matches from different era and come to conclusion.

It's just better in general.

Better tactics. Better coached. Better level of quality overall. Everything. It might not have the same characters, charisma etc. - but we are now served a better product then we've ever got when it comes to actual football.

But that's the same with pretty much every sport. And nostalgia plays a huge part. So and so from my day were better than so and so from this day etc.

It's why it's impossible to compare eras. Maradona was the best of his era. Messi is the best of his.

I'd love a time where players are appreciated for what they did as footballers and more than just a comparison in conversation.

 

[Guido 🇺🇦]

As I said, I’m not trying to knock the fella down, I was just trying to add a bit of perspective.

I get that but '86 one man truly dominated a tournament, I'll stay safe by saying like never since, despite some standouts as listed. (I simply can't judge further back than that with any credibility based solely on my own views, I'm at the mercy of what has been written and told, and YouTube clips of Garrincha and Pele etc rather than as seen by me).

I think it's probably a good thing that one player hasn't been able to repeat this dominance of a single tournament, I think that's a reflection of an overall improvement in the quality of individual players across the board.

 

[Mariner]

 

[Bazali]

Messi wouldn’t stand a chance in Maradona‘s era the treatment he got was unreal okay he could look after himself but still it was brutal Messi nah he’d bottle it.

Maradona much harder to knock off the ball due to his low centre of gravity
Similar to Gerd Muller in the 70s
Similar skill set though

 

[Shotgunofmichalebrow]

But that was part of the competition then, part of the challenge. I'm sure that if Maradona was playing in this era he would be going down following a tackle or even being touched in the box.

Whilst the quality of the game, ball at feet, is so, so much better today than it was back then, maybe as a result of getting rid of the leg breakers etc I do miss this element of the contest, both watching and playing.

No-one rolled around on the ground when fouled, it was all about not showing the pain, getting up quickly even though you were in absolute agony and barely able to walk for the next 5mins. Then patiently waiting for your moment to land your crunching tackle on a teammate or if you were lucky the same guy who inflicted your pain, for the perfect revenge.

Then there were playing against the "notorious", big strong dirty fuckers, who's reputation went before them, you knew what was coming, your challenge awaits. What is there to be scared of nowadays?

I miss it big time but do I want it back in the game? Nah.

What Francios Omanbyik in particular did in that tournament does not qualify as "competition" more like some ill defined attritional medieval death sport. And i loved em

 

[Guido 🇺🇦]

What Francios Omanbyik in particular did in that tournament does not qualify as "competition" more like some ill defined attritional medieval death sport. And i loved em

Not sure I remember him??

 

[Bazali]

Sorry, but you're so wrong. The only player, IMO, that is in Maradona's league is Pele. These two are in the stratosphere of footballers. They played in an era where footballs, tackles and pitches were heavy, and he made average teams world beaters.

But don’t forget Mark Falco!

 

[SchmoodSpur]

Well – that settles it then. Random fat bloke from Pinner says so – close the forum down, please

 

[HampshireSpur]

I'm not Lineker's biggest fan but I doubt it was his intention to offend here, I think he's Tweeted it without realising how bad it sounds!

As for Diego RIP, greatest ever IMV. Can see arguments for Messi et al. but I reckon Maradona had the higher ceiling and would flourish in the modern game too. Why? Better protection, the balance tilted in favour of the forward, more fouls given, and the rubbish defending everywhere nowadays.

RomanzoCriminale why the disagree? You think everyone's favourite jug-eared crisp hawker was offending on purpose?

 

[SausageVince]

I wonder if Boris will apologise today on behalf of his subjects. Would certainly boost his credibility

 

[Guido 🇺🇦]

 

[Coops40]

10 times the player of that fucking fraud Pele

Really?

Pele won the World Cup aged 17 and was the best player in the World Cup twelve years later. That’s some record.

 

[Shotgunofmichalebrow]

Have any of you lads seen the cunty Torygraph used a think peice on Diego Maradona to shit on Harry Kane. U can't wait for all news papers right and left everywhere to go bust.

 

[SchmoodSpur]

Pele spent the majority of his career playing in Brazil. Brazilians don't call him their GOAT. In fact, they generally don't put him top 3.

So how he can be the GOAT, I don't know.

 

[SchmoodSpur]

 

[Mrs Perryman]

Brilliant!

 

[Mrs Perryman]

The Diego Maradona film is available free on the Channel 4 site...It's a very good watch.

Really good film, one I watched at the cinema (before lockdown).