Is Lionel Messi the most talented footballer you have seen ?

Salamuddin · 16-05-2008, 09:32 PM

As per the title......

Shaggy Alfresco · 16-05-2008, 09:42 PM

God no. Maradona 1st, Zidane 2nd.

dontcloseyoureyes · 16-05-2008, 09:45 PM

Zidane.

roseboy64 · 16-05-2008, 09:48 PM

Nah.

Salamuddin · 16-05-2008, 09:58 PM

Messi has certainly got the raw talent to be regarded in the same vein as Diego Maradona and Zidane.

You have got to remember the boy is only twenty. He will only get better from here.
However his outstanding technical ability is unquestionable.
I do think he is skill wise more talented than Zizou (and that's not being disrespectful to Zidane who was one the game's greatest - but IMO Messi is very gifted). And I saw quite a bit of Zidane from his early days eg Girondins Bordeaux onwards.

However Zidane and Maradona became famous for the feats they inspired their club and countries to.
That is the key challenge for Messi and he has time to achieve that.

So in short, yeah I think talent wise he's right up there with the best I've seen - but whether he is regarded as one of the best ever will depend on his career pans out.

Craig · 16-05-2008, 11:18 PM

Sergio Agüero of Atletico Madrid has been dubbed 'the next Lionel Messi' so make of that what you will.

roseboy64 · 17-05-2008, 12:11 AM

Been lost of next Maradonas and Peles. Also, Nani's the next Cristiano Ronaldo.

Tom Halsey · 17-05-2008, 01:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jamesryfler

Messi has certainly got the raw talent to be regarded in the same vein as Diego Maradona and Zidane.

You have got to remember the boy is only twenty. He will only get better from here.
However his outstanding technical ability is unquestionable.
I do think he is skill wise more talented than Zizou (and that's not being disrespectful to Zidane who was one the game's greatest - but IMO Messi is very gifted). And I saw quite a bit of Zidane from his early days eg Girondins Bordeaux onwards.

However Zidane and Maradona became famous for the feats they inspired their club and countries to.
That is the key challenge for Messi and he has time to achieve that.

So in short, yeah I think talent wise he's right up there with the best I've seen - but whether he is regarded as one of the best ever will depend on his career pans out.

I don't think Messi will get a lot better than he currently is. He is a fairly specialist player - he does a couple of things extremely well. This leaves little room for improvement when you're already as good as you can be in those areas. I agree he still has lots to achieve however, and whether or not he does this will determine how he is perceived amongst the greats. Additionally, to me, he seems injury prone, and may be one of those whose career is stunted by injury. Time will tell.

That said, he doesn't exactly need to improve much IMO, awesome on his day, it is ****ing scary when he is running at your side's defence.

PhoenixFire · 17-05-2008, 02:24 AM

He is the best player I have ever seen TBH. Better than Ronaldo, quite easily IMO. He just never seems to get tackled or get caught in posession, as Halz said, you just **** it when he comes near your defence.

BoyBrumby · 17-05-2008, 02:38 AM

Not even close. A very talented dribbler with the ball, but his distribution & spatial awareness are some way below the masters thus far mentioned in the thread. Hugely overrated because what he can do is eye-catching, but the end product is often sadly lacking.

Tom Halsey · 17-05-2008, 02:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PhoenixFire

He is the best player I have ever seen TBH. Better than Ronaldo, quite easily IMO.

DWTA, Ronaldo at least his equal currently IMO.

PhoenixFire · 17-05-2008, 02:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tom Halsey

DWTA, Ronaldo at least his equal currently IMO.

Totally different players, you have to bear in mind.

Ronaldo is clearly the better distributor and is generally better at things like that, whereas Messi is a much greater threat when he comes in and around in the area.

BoyBrumby · 17-05-2008, 02:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tom Halsey

DWTA, Ronaldo at least his equal currently IMO.

Wouldn't have to think twice: Ronaldo by streets. You can't compare the two. Messi's play looks prettier, but the Portuguese scores at least twice as often.

Tom Halsey · 17-05-2008, 02:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BoyBrumby

Not even close. A very talented dribbler with the ball, but his distribution & spatial awareness are some way below the masters thus far mentioned in the thread. Hugely overrated because what he can do is eye-catching, but the end product is often sadly lacking.

DWTA. Scores a hell of a lot of goals for a winger (not on Ronaldo's level this season, admittedly, but Ronaldo this season has just had a freakishly good season). Additionally, if assists were counted as they IMO should be (ie any involvement in an attack counts as an assist rather than just the final ball) I think Messi would be high up here as well. He has never, and will never, be able to thread through the killer balls consistently, and this counts against him as assists are usually worked out. However with the territory that his runs gain, and the amount of defenders it often takes to stop him (United were constantly doubling up on him at the very least for instance) and thus the space he leaves for others, he often creates goals without actually providing the final ball IMO.

HeathDavisSpeed · 17-05-2008, 03:20 AM

Nah.

Best footballers I've seen are Ossie Ardiles, Matthew le Tissier and Felipe. Ah... Almost forgot Kemi Izzet and Greg Halford.

Haven't watched many live football matches.

16-05-2008, 09:32 PM	#1 (permalink)
Salamuddin International Debutant Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Lakemba, Sydney Posts: 2,074	Is Lionel Messi the most talented footballer you have seen ? As per the title......

16-05-2008, 09:42 PM	#2 (permalink)
Shaggy Alfresco International 12th Man Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: location, location Posts: 1,738	God no. Maradona 1st, Zidane 2nd. __________________ CW Colts Member, Cricketweb XI Batsman and TIME Man of the Year 2006 "As you simplify your life, the laws of the universe will be simpler; solitude will not be solitude, poverty will not be poverty, nor weakness weakness. " 4505 Dev League runs @ 57.02 734 Test runs @ 48.93

16-05-2008, 09:45 PM	#3 (permalink)
dontcloseyoureyes BARNES OUT Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: WILDCARD, BITCHES Posts: 27,701	Zidane. __________________ The one, the only CW Black Code: 47.3 W Coppinger to Heads Smacked the ball straight into the groin of Iwuajoku who has fallen over, miraculously with the ball still caught in his scrotal area! Out! TO OUR FOREFATHERS

16-05-2008, 09:48 PM	#4 (permalink)
roseboy64 Cricket Web Content Updater Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Jamaica Posts: 18,549	Nah. __________________ Sir Alexander Chapman Ferguson = Greatest Ever Manager "One from ten leaves zero." - Eric Williams, former T&T PM Member of Cricket Web Green Member of Northside Power R.I.P Fardin Qayyumi

17-05-2008, 02:38 AM	#10 (permalink)
BoyBrumby Englishman Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Doing the stance Posts: 42,582	Not even close. A very talented dribbler with the ball, but his distribution & spatial awareness are some way below the masters thus far mentioned in the thread. Hugely overrated because what he can do is eye-catching, but the end product is often sadly lacking. __________________ *- As featured in The Independent.* "This is not the time for namby-pamby promising youngsters who might just do something; not the time for building for the future. Pragmatism rules and they don't come more pragmatic than Rogers." - Victor Marks makes the case for stiff-legged and stiff-armed 35 year old left-handers in Ashes squads

16-05-2008, 09:58 PM	#5 (permalink)
Salamuddin International Debutant Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Lakemba, Sydney Posts: 2,074	Messi has certainly got the raw talent to be regarded in the same vein as Diego Maradona and Zidane. You have got to remember the boy is only twenty. He will only get better from here. However his outstanding technical ability is unquestionable. I do think he is skill wise more talented than Zizou (and that's not being disrespectful to Zidane who was one the game's greatest - but IMO Messi is very gifted). And I saw quite a bit of Zidane from his early days eg Girondins Bordeaux onwards. However Zidane and Maradona became famous for the feats they inspired their club and countries to. That is the key challenge for Messi and he has time to achieve that. So in short, yeah I think talent wise he's right up there with the best I've seen - but whether he is regarded as one of the best ever will depend on his career pans out.

17-05-2008, 12:11 AM	#7 (permalink)
roseboy64 Cricket Web Content Updater Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Jamaica Posts: 18,549	Been lost of next Maradonas and Peles. Also, Nani's the next Cristiano Ronaldo.

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