The Greatest Of All Time

sheddensbear said:
Has to be Cruyff. Outstanding player, 3 Champions leagues in a row, WC final. Won CL with Barca as manager. Created a style of play emulated all over the world. Such a simple method. When you have the ball, make the pitch as big as possible, when you don't, make it as small as possible.
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Totally agree a fantastic player who Ihad the pleasure to watch and he liked the Rangers
 
Messi/Maradona I can't separate them. Both absolute Gods of football. Pele was the best until Diego and the Leo showed up.
Ronaldinho (the most naturally gifted player I've ever seen) & Garrincha might be in that company too.

Other than them, utter geniuses like Rivaldo, Best, Puskas etc are very much the next tier down.
 
dt17 said:
I'm always interested in those who pick Pele or Maradona. How often did you actually see him? I'd guess that it was probably a handful of times per season (if that) or possibly even just at the World Cup.
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Sadly that's true,but wee baw heid still couldn't lace their boots,you have your opinion I have mine,remember football has expanded and it's wall to wall on tv now,in my earlier years a game on the telly was a rare thing,hence we went to football games Ibrox,or if not at home I followed junior football,can't argue Messi is out of this world in a different game of football now,but sorry mate I can't forgive the little twat,for slating us as anti football when we held them to 0-0 at Ibrox a few years ago,when your blessed with a footballing Gene as he has ,then use your skill that night he couldnt!
 
carlosapicella said:
Sadly that's true,but wee baw heid still couldn't lace their boots,you have your opinion I have mine,remember football has expanded and it's wall to wall on tv now,in my earlier years a game on the telly was a rare thing,hence we went to football games Ibrox,or if not at home I followed junior football,can't argue Messi is out of this world in a different game of football now,but sorry mate I can't forgive the little twat,for slating us as anti football when we held them to 0-0 at Ibrox a few years ago,when your blessed with a footballing Gene as he has ,then use your skill that night he couldnt!
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A wee bit sad that a grown man is holding a grudge from about 13 years ago but each to their own.

We slate teams for parking the bus against us in the league.
 
  1. Pele the only player ever to have won the World Cup three times.
  2. Maradona helped Argentina win the 1986 World Cup almost single handedly.
  3. Cruyff
  4. Brazilian Ronaldo
  5. Zidane
  6. Messi
 
Asked my Dad about this , he’s 86.
He’s disappointed there’s not a mention of Garrincha. He reckons he was better than Pele, whom he ranks 2nd with Puskas 3rd.
Slim Jim is Scotland’s nr 1 by a mile.
 
I've seen most of the true greats during my time, Messi is,imo, the greatest ever but i'm surprised no one has put forward the name of Alfredo Di Stefano, his achievements as a player are tremendous, 11 years as a player with Real Madrid, 15 trophies won, 5 of which were the European Cup, over his full career 24 in total. He is in the top 6 imo.
 
dt17 said:
I'm always interested in those who pick Pele or Maradona. How often did you actually see him? I'd guess that it was probably a handful of times per season (if that) or possibly even just at the World Cup.
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By that logic, who would pick Messi?

Done nothing at the Workd Cup.
 
Mason Boyne said:
Asked my Dad about this , he’s 86.
He’s disappointed there’s not a mention of Garrincha. He reckons he was better than Pele, whom he ranks 2nd with Puskas 3rd.
Slim Jim is Scotland’s nr 1 by a mile.
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He was a truly fantastic player. I'm sure your Dad will appreciate this :))


Edit.. link doesn't appear to work :oops:
 
72 replies with 2 folk saying Ronaldo and 70% saying Messi

on a forum of Rangers fans that is pretty conclusive

Messi GOAT ;)
 
Maradona for me , he won Seria A with a provincial club and won the world cup with an average Argentina. Can only imagine how he'd have performed in the champions league with pristine parks and nobody allowed to kick him. George Best should also get a mention and he was literally playing a different game from Messi such were the poor parks and brutal tackles he faced every week.
 
Walt Longmire said:
By that logic, who would pick Messi?

Done nothing at the Workd Cup.
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I'd rather listen to the opinions of people who've watched a player hundreds of times as opposed to someone who's watched a player a dozen times.

"Done nothing at the World Cup" - someone was just mentioning Cruyff is up there for getting to the final with Holland. Messi's been to 3 or 4 international finals. Had Higuian scored an easy chance in 2014 Messi would have a WC winners medal and there wouldn't even be a debate anymore.
 
Jorg said:
this is NOT a messi thread

going by cold hard stats, goals, assists, medals

who IS in 2019 the greatest ever player to have played the game

be honest...its not about ronaldo v messi

be sensible about it
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Don't get the question?

2019 or ever?
Most rounded fellow to play the game or attacker?
Does heading ability count?
Does goals prevented come into it?
Do you get extra points for being a dwarf on steroids?
Or does cheating only apply to individual sports?
Goat? , Meeeeh!

Football isn't 100m sprint or high jump where there is one parameter to measure!
Some fucking player though !!
Still done fuck all as an international under pressure!
 
Brick_Top said:
Tin hat on here but I think much of the Maradona love-in is just dreary-eyed nostalgia of folk looking back at an era of football that they enjoyed much more. There is absolutely no doubting that the guy was an exceptional talent. His career achievements however consist of 1 World Cup and 2 Serie A wins with a very good Napoli side, all won within a period of 4 years.

Messi has been tearing it up at the very top level for 13 years and counting. He’s been running riot against the best teams in the world in the biggest club tournament in the world for the last 13 years. He’s been the linchpin in arguably the greatest club side ever. He has a level of consistency, a goal scoring record and a trophy haul that Maradona could only dream of. In terms of records held, there isn’t even a comparison to be made.

I can’t stand Barcelona and I’m by no means a Messi fanboy, but for me there is no doubt that Messi is the greatest player to ever play football. To put Maradona ahead of him purely because of 5 goals he scored at a world cup tournament held over a 4 week period is just madness.
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Messi and His like would never of lasted two mins in the Maradona era.

Be interesting to see how he'd play on the 80's pitches, with NO protection from the Ref, against hatchet men defenders and not having growth hormones etc.

It's got absolutely nothing to do with age. In that case my old man at 68 would say Pele but he says Maradona everytime.

Maradona for me too.
 
Messi is a phenomenon who can help his team control a game and be decisive which is a rare combo. That said, he’s played, almost without exception, ahead of the best midfields in the world at Barcelona.

Put him in a team with a different quality of player and you get different results- Argentina with Messi in the team lost 3 1 to Venezuela a couple of weeks back.

In a ‘normal’ team it’s Maradoma every time for me.
 
sheddensbear said:
Has to be Cruyff. Outstanding player, 3 Champions leagues in a row, WC final. Won CL with Barca as manager. Created a style of play emulated all over the world. Such a simple method. When you have the ball, make the pitch as big as possible, when you don't, make it as small as possible.
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My personal favourite for all the reasons you mention but I think Maradona edges it in a best ever player list.
 
Brick_Top said:
Tin hat on here but I think much of the Maradona love-in is just dreary-eyed nostalgia of folk looking back at an era of football that they enjoyed much more. There is absolutely no doubting that the guy was an exceptional talent. His career achievements however consist of 1 World Cup and 2 Serie A wins with a very good Napoli side, all won within a period of 4 years.

Messi has been tearing it up at the very top level for 13 years and counting. He’s been running riot against the best teams in the world in the biggest club tournament in the world for the last 13 years. He’s been the linchpin in arguably the greatest club side ever. He has a level of consistency, a goal scoring record and a trophy haul that Maradona could only dream of. In terms of records held, there isn’t even a comparison to be made.

I can’t stand Barcelona and I’m by no means a Messi fanboy, but for me there is no doubt that Messi is the greatest player to ever play football. To put Maradona ahead of him purely because of 5 goals he scored at a world cup tournament held over a 4 week period is just madness.
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Maradona was playing a different sport though mate. Go back and look at the old clips of the treatment he received and it will make your eyes water. Messi is exceptional but he’s playing in an era when players are very protected.

There’s no doubting Messi’s consistency and stats. Maradona, however, made the difference in a Napoli team which had good players but was far from stellar and which was playing in by far the strongest league in the world at that point. He obviously was also the difference in the World Cup which Messi has never been able to do so far.

It’s obviously an unwinnable argument either way because it depends on the factors you consider most important but it will always be Maradona for me.
 
Walt Longmire said:
For the younger generation Messi seems indisputable but I still say Maradona, having seen both.

Would be interested to know how many older fans think Messi above Maradona.
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Until recently I was in the Maradona camp on this (I was in the top row of the Azteca for his Hand of God goal game and the glorious second goal) but recently have decided Messi edges it.
 
govwalker said:
Messi and His like would never of lasted two mins in the Maradona era.

Be interesting to see how he'd play on the 80's pitches, with NO protection from the Ref, against hatchet men defenders and not having growth hormones etc.

It's got absolutely nothing to do with age. In that case my old man at 68 would say Pele but he says Maradona everytime.

Maradona for me too.
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I took you to the cleaners on this debate a while back, want me to do it again?

Messi has his face burst open last week, yet you feel he couldn’t cope with evading the clumbersome, slower, less athletic oafs that Diego did? It makes no sense at all.
 
Danger Zone said:
No he didn’t, it’s a bollocks myth that continues to be perpetuated by middle aged men who saw Maradona play a handful of games in leagues and tournaments.
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He was absolutely fundamental to Napoli’s trophies and to
Argentina’s World Cup win. Some good players around him of course but neither team
win anything without him- that can’t even be argued.
 
Danger Zone said:
I took you to the cleaners on this debate a while back, want me to do it again?

Messi has his face burst open last week, yet you feel he couldn’t cope with evading the clumbersome, slower, less athletic oafs that Diego did? It makes no sense at all.
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Did you fck.

Different Name Same Pish.

Jog on daft arse.
 
PalefaceRedskin said:
He was absolutely fundamental to Napoli’s trophies and to
Argentina’s World Cup win. Some good players around him of course but neither team
win anything without him- that can’t even be argued.
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The top players are always fundamental to their teams victories. He won nothing single handed though, not even close to it. Some good players is doing a massive disservice to his team mates too.
 
PalefaceRedskin said:
Maradona was playing a different sport though mate. Go back and look at the old clips of the treatment he received and it will make your eyes water. Messi is exceptional but he’s playing in an era when players are very protected.

There’s no doubting Messi’s consistency and stats. Maradona, however, made the difference in a Napoli team which had good players but was far from stellar and which was playing in by far the strongest league in the world at that point. He obviously was also the difference in the World Cup which Messi has never been able to do so far.

It’s obviously an unwinnable argument either way because it depends on the factors you consider most important but it will always be Maradona for me.
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Ssshhhhhhh the Fan Boys don't like that :D
 
Danger Zone said:
I took you to the cleaners on this debate a while back, want me to do it again?

Messi has his face burst open last week, yet you feel he couldn’t cope with evading the clumbersome, slower, less athletic oafs that Diego did? It makes no sense at all.
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That’s not the point. There will always be injuries and foul play. People will
obviously try to get at Messi and he deals with it well. It’s nothing like the brutality Maradona faced though.

The fact is if you can go through the back of forwards with impunity it is an easier game for defenders and more difficult for forwards.
 
Danger Zone said:
Absolutely embarrasssd you. You wound up tying yourself in knots it was quite funny actually.

“Aye but aye but”
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I don't use the word "Aye". I speak the Queen's English not Scots slang. Jacrispy or whatever the fck your stupid name was. It's boring now.
 
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