Messi is the greatest. No question about it. Misty eyed sentimentality clouds the judgement of those who are desperate to cling to the idea that their era is the defining era, their player the defining player. There is no defining era. Even twenty years ago too footballers would still be regularly out on the piss eating shite. Go back a further ten years and it's turning up to training still pissed. Further back, and it's 40 fags a day and six Stella for supper. The idea that 'these wee primadonnas' from today wouldn't last two minutes back in the day is pathetically hilarious, as even mid and low level players are fitter, stronger, faster and smarter than those that came before. They wouldn't be folding under a 'proper challenge', cause defenders wouldn't get anywhere near them.
Put Messi in a team from the 70s & 80s and he'd score 100 a season every season and there'd be multiple world cups to his name.
Love this argument.
Not a single defender would've got anywhere near Messi FFS. They barely can today, he'd have scored ten every game in the 50s and 60s.
Honestly it's hilarious how people can argue that it's disrespectful to the older generation and older players. It's just simple fact, it is much, much, much harder to be a successful footballer these days, and to not only be a success but to be better than everyone else on the planet for a decade or more like Messi has done, clearly shows he has talent and skill the likes of which this world has never seen
I live in Essex & have the privilege of living a couple of doors away from a very sprightly and knowledgeable 96 year old football fan -
I thought he celebrated his 86th birthday in summer - till another neighbour put me right-
He attended Arsenal matches well into his 70's but only goes to see Southend Utd. & Colchester occasionally now.
We watched the 2nd half of the WBA v AV match on the box together - but afterwards we discussed your points over a couple of rums - So I owe you some gratitude for your above posts - because I really enjoyed our discussions
He told me that his father said the best team he ever saw was the Wembley Wizards and that the best player he ever saw was Alan Morton
He said the greatest player he ever saw was Alex James - but he conceded that being impressed as a 10 year old may be partly due to childhood hero worship - But that said - he can't think of better
Maybe not bad for a couple of Englishmen to choose Scots as their heroes (his words)
He also mentioned Matthews, Finney, Blanchflower, Charlton, Di Stefano, Puskas, & Moore
He said that if Rattin hadn't been sent off - England probably wouldn't have gone on to win in 1966
The best team he saw was the Brazil world Cup winning team of 1970.
Just as you would expect he rates modern football - and agrees the overall level of fitness modern teams have is superior to older eras -
But he believes the greats of the past were individually every bit, if not more fit, than players of now
He said that Messi's close control and dribbling ability is wonderful and your point that he has been at the top for over 10 years is very valid -
But he also reckons that you too will be clinging to the idea that Messi defines the era and even if someone 10 times better comes along in years to come you'll still hold onto the idea that he was the one & only true great