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Second Captains have done one, that's supposed to be great, I've got to wait when it comes out from behind their paywall, unfortunately.Lovely tribute pod from the guardian
A tribute to Diego Maradona – Football Weekly - Football Weekly
Max Rushden is joined by Barry Glendenning, Jonathan Wilson, Philippe Auclair, Marcela Mora y Araujo and Asif Kapadia to celebrate the life of Diego Maradona, the footballing genius who died on Wednesday aged 60pca.st
Apparently the translation of what he said was completly wrong....Villas Boas is a humourless thug imbecile. The number 10 is supposed to be an ambition to emulate Maradona, it's why it's worn. Boas would probably want a team of number 4s, boring
Maradona was the best player in the world for a maximum 4 years.
Messi a minimum 10.
You're right. No comparison really.
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........I
Some people really do overlook how much better football is now.
went back and watched a game from the mid 00s in the Premier League between Utd and Chelsea, t
Lol. A poll.Deary me. Take a poll mate. Maradona all day long.
As so many on here and elsewhere do, they look at it without looking at the raw facts and the bigger stages.
Maradona dominated 1986 like no player had since Pele.
Really easy to decide.
Agree mateThe 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.
Messi is a million times better than Maradona, the statistics speak by themselves. There is no possible doubt. Many speak out of the heart. I have seen the career of both fully since Diego came to Barcelona, he was extraordinary but in terms of goals and assists, he is even under Cristiano, Gerd Müller, Ronaldo, Pelé or Di Stefano.
He was in the league of the extraordinary skilled players, not in the league of the most decisive ones. The league of Platini, Zidane, Baggio, Del Piero, Figo, Gazza, Zico, Rivelino, Garrincha, Laudrup, etc.
Messi is the best ever in both leagues, skilled, marvelous to see, and decisive, scoring 50 goals per season only in the Spanish league, plus many more in the Cup of Europe or the King's Cup, that is extra terrestrial figures. And I'm not exactl his fan, he has beaten us and humiliated us for 15 years.
Maradona fanatics are not realistic.
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.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 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.
But he did this in '86. This clip is JUST from that tournament only! I think that's incredible by comparison of what's followed. (Yes, there are always one or two standouts each tournament e.g Scilachi, Baggio, Platini, Cryuff, Zizou, Pele, Gazza even in 90 and wasn't Greaves supposed to great in '66 before being dropped for the final? But fuck, look at this!)
The thing is when you say about modern football being better coached (defensively), you forget that the game has changed.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 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.
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).As I said, I’m not trying to knock the fella down, I was just trying to add a bit of perspective.