Lionel Messi

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Spoony Youngblood said:
Valdano and Burrchaga were the only decent players they had besides Maradona. Yeah he virtually won it single-handedly. But seriously most of you kids aren't qualified to even pass comment. . .
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I watched the whole world cup in 86

Aboutreika18 said:
Bah, look at you young-uns trying to piss on Maradona's parade.

Not that I was young enough to see him on a regular basis. :nervous:
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I am not saying anything against Maradona!!!! Where do you people get that? I am saying he nor anyone else can win a team sport league title single-handedly
 
Spoony Youngblood said:
No, it's not meaningless. Messi would've probably been fouled out of the game
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Is pure speculation. Maradona wasn't the only succesful dribbler before the 90s.

and he didn't rely on other equally as good players around him.
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Again, this is imo equalised by the fact that Messi is winning major trophies that Maradona didn't. And looks likely to have a much larger trophy haul at the end of his career.

As for defences being better now, Maradona played in the SerieA when catenaccio was the name of the game. As for Messi's goals, he'll have to be instrumental for Argentina to gain proper recognition - for the moment he's a brilliant player in a brilliant side.
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Is probably true. Nonetheless, he currently has 127 career goals to his name. let's say he keeps this up, has a succesful career at this level of performance and notches up somewhere in the vicinity of 400 goals (a tall order but not at all impossible at this rate) when he calls it a day. That, combined with him being generally awesome besides the goals will imo merit serious comparisons to the maradonas and peles of this world.

Messi is not Maradona. And while I am not saying he is his equal at this point in time, I can't help but think you're being unfair in your comparison by insisting he must equal all his qualities, when in fairness Messi looks like he is gonna accomplish things Maradona didn't (winning european cups, back to back league titles - a world cup triump at some point would make a huge difference though) and do things that Maradona didn't once he left Argentina (namely, score loads of goals).
 
I hope he scores hat tricks in both matches v Arsenal, that would please me
 
Spoony Youngblood said:
yeah people overlook the fact that the game has become a non contact sport. People also forget how great a passer Maradona was - I'm talking better than Zidane. People also forget that he carried the likes of Argentina and Napoli to titles, when they clearly weren't the best sides around. Messi probably plays in the best team in the world with some brilliant players, but looks a completely different player for Argentina. He'll probably make the third tier of greats and the second at a stretch. For me Ronaldo's come closest to the top tier in the last couple of decades.
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Agree about Ronaldo. I don't know where I stand with Messi yet. The last week and a bit has seen him go up some in my estimation because of the way he's pulled the performances out when his team has needed them. That really impressed me and is reminiscent of the true greats of the game. It's all well and good fecking around when your team is on top and toying with the opposition, but when in need of inspiration and a game-breaker, and he comes to the fore like he has, well, that's something else entirely.

The World Cup could definitely be career defining if he can do that there.

Spoony Youngblood said:
No, it's not meaningless. Messi would've probably been fouled out of the game - it was only Maradona's courage, strength and skill that kept him on his feet and in the game. And charisma and stature were quite evident when he pulled games out of the hat - and he didn't rely on other equally as good players around him. As for defences being better now, Maradona played in the SerieA when catenaccio was the name of the game. As for Messi's goals, he'll have to be instrumental for Argentina to gain proper recognition - for the moment he's a brilliant player in a brilliant side.
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It's laughable when the rough-housing of past eras is dismissed. Messi has never in his life experienced some of the treatment that was dished out to Maradona - players seriously trying to break his legs, and one even managing to succeed with the ankle. To have the bottle to carry on playing in the exact manner for years after a genuine career-threatening injury is something special. It speaks volumes for Maradona's character.
FranklyVulgar said:
Messi is the most fouled player on the planet and whilst the treatment will never be as rough as Maradona had it due to the increased protection of skillful players since maybe Van Bastens career was cut short.

Teams still try and foul him out the game, he stays on his feet and does damage by not going to ground. Like el Classico last season where he was kicked by just about every player in the madrid team, dirty fouls with intent. They tried to kick him out of the game and failed.
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Yea, but it's really not that bad. In relative terms, it is clearly unsporting conduct, but Messi doesn't often deal with a personal man-marker following him round the pitch trying to decapitate him, and not only that, referees these days will soon put a stop to anything even remotely dangerous - a lot of yellows in the 80's, by contrast, would be straight reds now, for example.

Messi scores a hell of a lot of goals, but in past eras, he would simply be hacked down to stop him even getting the chance to finish on a number of plays that he completes for Barca.

The contrast between the older times and now are stark in this regard.
 
Somehow, I am not remembering the old days as a time when there were no great dribblers because they got hacked down all the time. Coversely, when looking back dribblers generally enjoyed more time and space on the ball than they do now at the highest level. The tackling might have been more cynical and rough, but the 'the old days was tougher' analysis isn't really reflected by the modern era being full of happy dribblers going past players with far greater regularity all over in comparison to back then.
 
B9 from YAWN said:
Somehow, I am not remembering the old days as a time when there were no great dribblers because they got hacked down all the time. Coversely, when looking back dribblers generally enjoyed more time and space on the ball than they do now at the highest level. The tackling might have been more cynical and rough, but the 'the old days was tougher' analysis isn't really reflected by the modern era being full of happy dribblers going past players with far greater regularity all over in comparison to back then.
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The means by which great dribblers could be stopped in Serie A during Maradona's time - and even in Spain - were far more cynical and malicious than they are now.

Messi gets a tiny fraction of the treatment Maradona got. Tiny.
 
Raoul said:
It won't matter. Messi is a better footballer than Ronaldo even if Real win the title. Very few people will dispute this - now - or in 2 months.
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Apparently when Milan knocked out United that meant Kaka was better than Ronaldo despite the latter having a better calendar year IMO. Voters will often look to the showdown matches whether right or wrong.
 
Fortitude said:
The means by which great dribblers could be stopped in Serie A during Maradona's time - and even in Spain - were far more cynical and malicious than they are now.

Messi gets a tiny fraction of the treatment Maradona got. Tiny.
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Messi does dive on occasion but he's very good at riding rough tackles


But yes, he will surely get butchered in the 80's, ironic as the guy who took Maradona out for Bilbao was known as the Butcher, however, to counter attack that argument, is it ok to suggest that defenders are alot better now than they were in the 80's?, i.e reading of the game etc, and Messi still makes them look like amatuers.
 
He's a super little player, but mark my words, the lad will have his career wreaked by injuries. He's got a slight frame as it is, and at some point he will get a serious injury as a result of bad tackle or just some malicious fecker who wants to crack him one for showing him up.
 
Messi v Maradona

Alot of hype surrounding the little argentine and deservedly so.. he is a 'phenom' and quite rightly lauded as the greatest in the world.

Propelling him to the heights of Maradona is a tad hasty to say the least in my opinion.. in terms of club football Messi is not inferior in terms of the trophies he has won but on the international stage a world Cup is a must for anyone seeking to be elevated to the heights of Pele/Maradona.

Putting the trophies issue to one side, is Messi the footballer player individually worthy of being mentioned as a player of Maradonas equal or even someone who will potentially surpass him and redefine the game as we know it?

In terms of agility/dribbling .. Messi I think can equal Diego and as he is still only 22, his balance will improve with improved body strength.. but in my eyes his ability to get past a man is still 'meh' in comparison to Diego and I'll tell you why... Maradona had Messi's agility plus Ronaldinhos flair and tricks to get past someone either when in a standing still position or running at top speed. Thats truly phenomenal and it takes his game to a higher level aesthetically and also in terms of effectiveness, though you can argue Messis simple but direct style is extremely effective and its hard to dispute this claim.

Maradona also held of men twice his size and was subjected to brutal punishment to get him off it, however his tenacity and use of his 'arse' to stay on the ball was exceptional... its an art Messi is beginning to demonstrate and put to great effect for his second goal v Zaragoza.. still a long way to go for him yet.


Passing another aspect where Messi is highly accomplished.. he makes it look so simple, his through balls are a joy to behold and he has a sharp eye to do this whilst travelling at electric speeds.. however he is nowhere near on the same planet as Diego, Maradona could pass like Rooney/Scholes/Zidane and some, he could spread play from one touchline to the other... split defences with 30-40 yard passes.. hit outside of the foot genius passes, for such a little man he had great power and was a powerful passer, whereas Messi beyond his little circle isn't as mind blowing when it comes to spreading play.

Charisma like it or not is a major facet in how a player will be remembered, Maradona's persona is just as legendary as his ability... its asking abit much for Messi to develop a persona like this, but personally I think persona is linked to flair and the more Messi is willing to show off, use tricks and add variety to his play.. he'll be the better for it on the international stage especially where he will be expected to be a one man show.

Shooting/finishing... Messi is getting better all the time with this and his goals record already suggests its not something he'll feel inferior with in comparison to Maradona. The only thing Messi needs to demonstrate more is the 'magical' finishes.. chips etc and volleys, but as a pure finisher Messi is quality and if he keeps up like this, I'd put him on par or above Diego as a goalscorer by time his career ends.

Running a game all over the pitch is something that Diego was a master of.. constantly finding space and or coming short to take the ball under pressure and instigate an attack, its something Messi has begun to do with great effect. Takes a phenomenal player to be able to do this, someone like C.Ronaldo tries to do this for Madrid and United during the end but he just looks alright, he looks like he is trying too hard rather than it coming off like a genius who is purposefully conducting play. Messi as he will grow older by time he is 26, will aim to have become a complete maestro at this.. and its something which needs to be done if he is to win Argentina a world cup.


Overall I don't think Messi has demonstrated enough to be to be mentioned in Maradonas company, but he is only 22 and that is the main thing to be remembered.. a small guy like him is not physically at his peak yet.. he's getting stronger all the time and he is adding new weapons to his arsenal. Too early to make the comparison just yet, but personally I don't think being a consistent goalscorer will be enough to surpass Diego in the hearts and minds of the global footballing fraternity, he needs to add even more flair and redefine the game as we know it, not merely be an imitation.
 
FranklyVulgar said:
Messi is the most fouled player on the planet and whilst the treatment will never be as rough as Maradona had it due to the increased protection of skillful players since maybe Van Bastens career was cut short.

Teams still try and foul him out the game, he stays on his feet and does damage by not going to ground. Like el Classico last season where he was kicked by just about every player in the madrid team, dirty fouls with intent. They tried to kick him out of the game and failed.
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Apparently you never witnessed the treatment Ronaldo took every match in the Premiership though not limited to only league play, although this is unsurprising with your La Liga love-in. It's amazing how he never suffered a broken bone or torn ligaments or anything career threatening while playing for United.

Here's a CL match report... United Qualify but Ronaldo Battered and Bruised | Cristiano Ronaldo 7.com and Cristiano Ronaldo left bruised as Manchester United progress in Champions League: Football - Telegraph

League match with warning by opposing player and image of red card tackle Cruising for a bruising - Ronaldo tricks sure to end in tears, warns Boateng | Mail Online

More CL bruising Cristiano Ronaldo left bruised as Manchester United progress in Champions League: Football - Telegraph
 
Raees said:
Alot of hype surrounding the little argentine and deservedly so.. he is a 'phenom' and quite rightly lauded as the greatest in the world.

Propelling him to the heights of Maradona is a tad hasty to say the least in my opinion.. in terms of club football Messi is not inferior in terms of the trophies he has won but on the international stage a world Cup is a must for anyone seeking to be elevated to the heights of Pele/Maradona.

Putting the trophies issue to one side, is Messi the footballer player individually worthy of being mentioned as a player of Maradonas equal or even someone who will potentially surpass him and redefine the game as we know it?

In terms of agility/dribbling .. Messi I think can equal Diego and as he is still only 22, his balance will improve with improved body strength.. but in my eyes his ability to get past a man is still 'meh' in comparison to Diego and I'll tell you why... Maradona had Messi's agility plus Ronaldinhos flair and tricks to get past someone either when in a standing still position or running at top speed. Thats truly phenomenal and it takes his game to a higher level aesthetically and also in terms of effectiveness, though you can argue Messis simple but direct style is extremely effective and its hard to dispute this claim.

Maradona also held of men twice his size and was subjected to brutal punishment to get him off it, however his tenacity and use of his 'arse' to stay on the ball was exceptional... its an art Messi is beginning to demonstrate and put to great effect for his second goal v Zaragoza.. still a long way to go for him yet.


Passing another aspect where Messi is highly accomplished.. he makes it look so simple, his through balls are a joy to behold and he has a sharp eye to do this whilst travelling at electric speeds.. however he is nowhere near on the same planet as Diego, Maradona could pass like Rooney/Scholes/Zidane and some, he could spread play from one touchline to the other... split defences with 30-40 yard passes.. hit outside of the foot genius passes, for such a little man he had great power and was a powerful passer, whereas Messi beyond his little circle isn't as mind blowing when it comes to spreading play.

Charisma like it or not is a major facet in how a player will be remembered, Maradona's persona is just as legendary as his ability... its asking abit much for Messi to develop a persona like this, but personally I think persona is linked to flair and the more Messi is willing to show off, use tricks and add variety to his play.. he'll be the better for it on the international stage especially where he will be expected to be a one man show.

Shooting/finishing... Messi is getting better all the time with this and his goals record already suggests its not something he'll feel inferior with in comparison to Maradona. The only thing Messi needs to demonstrate more is the 'magical' finishes.. chips etc and volleys, but as a pure finisher Messi is quality and if he keeps up like this, I'd put him on par or above Diego as a goalscorer by time his career ends.

Running a game all over the pitch is something that Diego was a master of.. constantly finding space and or coming short to take the ball under pressure and instigate an attack, its something Messi has begun to do with great effect. Takes a phenomenal player to be able to do this, someone like C.Ronaldo tries to do this for Madrid and United during the end but he just looks alright, he looks like he is trying too hard rather than it coming off like a genius who is purposefully conducting play. Messi as he will grow older by time he is 26, will aim to have become a complete maestro at this.. and its something which needs to be done if he is to win Argentina a world cup.


Overall I don't think Messi has demonstrated enough to be to be mentioned in Maradonas company, but he is only 22 and that is the main thing to be remembered.. a small guy like him is not physically at his peak yet.. he's getting stronger all the time and he is adding new weapons to his arsenal. Too early to make the comparison just yet, but personally I don't think being a consistent goalscorer will be enough to surpass Diego in the hearts and minds of the global footballing fraternity, he needs to add even more flair and redefine the game as we know it, not merely be an imitation.
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I'm not sure what you mean Messi has 'begun' to do this with great effect, this is how he's always played since putting on a Barca jersey. Messi has improved many things over the years but the fundamentals of his game remains the same.

I'm not sure you can say Messi's dribblings is MEH to Maradona, Messi can any player from a standing position and he does not need to be flash to do it. There are individual match highlights all over youtube of Maradona, does he really beat more men than Messi in a days work?

I agree with most of the post though.
 
Boss said:
I'm not sure what you mean Messi has 'begun' to do this with great effect, this is how he's always played since putting on a Barca jersey. Messi has improved many things over the years but the fundamentals of his game remains the same.

I'm not sure you can say Messi's dribblings is MEH to Maradona, Messi can any player from a standing position and he does not need to be flash to do it. There are individual match highlights all over youtube of Maradona, does he really beat more men than Messi in a days work?

I agree with most of the post though.
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I think we'll have to trust the old people who had been lucky enough to witness the great Maradona.
 
Boss said:
I'm not sure what you mean Messi has 'begun' to do this with great effect, this is how he's always played since putting on a Barca jersey. Messi has improved many things over the years but the fundamentals of his game remains the same.

I'm not sure you can say Messi's dribblings is MEH to Maradona, Messi can any player from a standing position and he does not need to be flash to do it. There are individual match highlights all over youtube of Maradona, does he really beat more men than Messi in a days work?

I agree with most of the post though.
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Messi never ran the game before - not consistently anyway, Xavi and Iniesta did the donkey work. It's why he has struggled with Argentina.. he didn't have the strength and variety in his movement to carry out such a task... last year there were glimpses of him moving to the centre and trying to influence things through the middle.

This year I've watched Barca closely and Iniesta has been well below his best and Messi has carried them, he really is beginning to run things now.. moving into the centre regularly and just wreaking havoc. He really is a trequartista/ Attacking midfielder at times now and his role now is typical of the great players of all time i.e Cryffs/Maradona/Zidane etc its something which he will only go on to improve at which is scary.

Maradonas dribbling is superior to Messi at this moment in time it really is, Maradona could score freakish wonder goals against any given opposition.. the likes of C.Ronaldo, Messi score crazy goals against weak opposition but have begun to improve against top class teams and are now influencing results.. but in my opinion they're still abit short of the level where Ronaldinho could absolutely take the piss out of Chelsea et al for example where you just couldn't bully him off the ball. Both young and both can surpass this level of play, same goes for Rooney who with his amazing strength has to improve on agility/tricks overall dribbling than whether he's going to get bullied.
 
I'd say dribbling wise there isn't a lot in it between Maradona and Messi. Messi's dribbling is ridiculous, the ball is just attached to his feet and a simple drop of the shoulder is all it takes to put a defender on the floor.
 
Raees said:
Messi never ran the game before - not consistently anyway, Xavi and Iniesta did the donkey work. It's why he has struggled with Argentina.. he didn't have the strength and variety in his movement to carry out such a task... last year there were glimpses of him moving to the centre and trying to influence things through the middle.

This year I've watched Barca closely and Iniesta has been well below his best and Messi has carried them, he really is beginning to run things now.. moving into the centre regularly and just wreaking havoc. He really is a trequartista/ Attacking midfielder at times now and his role now is typical of the great players of all time i.e Cryffs/Maradona/Zidane etc its something which he will only go on to improve at which is scary.

Maradonas dribbling is superior to Messi at this moment in time it really is, Maradona could score freakish wonder goals against any given opposition.. the likes of C.Ronaldo, Messi score crazy goals against weak opposition but have begun to improve against top class teams and are now influencing results.. but in my opinion they're still abit short of the level where Ronaldinho could absolutely take the piss out of Chelsea et al for example where you just couldn't bully him off the ball. Both young and both can surpass this level of play, same goes for Rooney who with his amazing strength just has to focus on agility/tricks rather than whether he's going to get bullied.
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I'm sure not sure what you mean, Messi has always played in the same way, i.e always willing to receive the ball and make himself available to start new attacks, the things he improved on was his passing and his control got better every year, here's an example of when he was 18. You can see how raw he is but the fundamentals remain the same to his game in his ability to keep making new moves. He never begun to control games this season, his style hasn't really changed.



It's funny you mention that he struggled with Argentina because he used to play alot better for them when he was younger than he does now! I'm not sure aout your wonder goal argument as Messi has loads of them out of his 100 and something scored for Barca, anyway what do you cherish, a scorer of great goals or a great goal scorer? Because Messi is both.
 
kouroux said:
I think we'll have to trust the old people who had been lucky enough to witness the great Maradona.
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He only played in the 80's Kouroux! I can remember half his career!

You can only fairly compare them when Messi is towards or at the end of his career. He's 22 for fecks sake. I think it says enough that comparing him to Maradona isn't completely ridiculous, because he clearly is a player of astonishing talent

He'll be compared against certain landmarks... what can he do on the international scene, can he take Argentina to glory? You doubt he'll even get the chance to do what Maradona did at Napoli, but can he have a sustained glittering club career? (he's already well on his way with that). In a given game, can he dominate and make the difference on a regular basis for the course of his career? All things like that. Time will tell, and when it does, it'll be in the eye of the beholder

One thing though. When we talk about Pele, Maradona... we didn't see them anywhere near as often back then as we do Messi now. You can watch virtually every game he plays, for better and worse. That presents a bit of a different dynamic. You'll get 'older' fans making a judgment on a player having actually only seen a handful of performances, because that's all that was available at the time. It's one of the factors that makes any comparison inherently unfair

For me, Messi could retire now, and be considered an all time great. I'd certainly tell my grandchildren about him. He's a very, very special player, and I think that's blatantly obvious to the vast majority of folk who watch him play
 
B Cantona said:
He only played in the 80's Kouroux! I can remember half his career!

You can only fairly compare them when Messi is towards or at the end of his career. He's 22 for fecks sake. I think it says enough that comparing him to Maradona isn't completely ridiculous, because he clearly is a player of astonishing talent

He'll be compared against certain landmarks... what can he do on the international scene, can he take Argentina to glory? You doubt he'll even get the chance to do what Maradona did at Napoli, but can he have a sustained glittering club career? (he's already well on his way with that). In a given game, can he dominate and make the difference on a regular basis for the course of his career? All things like that. Time will tell, and when it does, it'll be in the eye of the beholder

One thing though. When we talk about Pele, Maradona... we didn't see them anywhere near as often back then as we do Messi now. You can watch virtually every game he plays, for better and worse. That presents a bit of a different dynamic. You'll get 'older' fans making a judgment on a player having actually only seen a handful of performances, because that's all that was available at the time. It's one of the factors that makes any comparison inherently unfair

For me, Messi could retire now, and be considered an all time great. I'd certainly tell my grandchildren about him. He's a very, very special player, and I think that's blatantly obvious to the vast majority of folk who watch him play
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I don't know Brad as I'm not as old as you obviously and that I only started watching football in 1994 (I was 8 years old :lol:).Watching clips of Maradona in youtube will never make me appreciate his level like I'd do if I watched him play
 
I love how some of this thread seems to come down to that in the late eighties when Maradona was around 26/27 he was mature player than Messi is now who at 22 is at an age when Maradona hadn't left South America yet.
 
Boss said:
I'm sure not sure what you mean, Messi has always played in the same way, i.e always willing to receive the ball and make himself available to start new attacks, the things he improved on was his passing and his control got better every year, here's an example of when he was 18. You can see how raw he is but the fundamentals remain the same to his game in his ability to keep making new moves. He never begun to control games this season, his style hasn't really changed.

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Thats typical Messi in previous full flow, he dribbles off the right wing, drifts into the centre after a one two and lays it off to a midfielder.

Helps retain posession and also move into a more threatening position where he can be dangerous.

What I'm saying he has developed in conjunction with this.. is that he has now got to a level where he doesn't even need world class mids to conduct the play or run attacks in the final third, he'll play that one-two but now he'll get it back, size up a defence and control the play in the final third like a genuine playmaker.

Its a subtle difference and as a big fan of Messi as I'm sure you are, you can't have failed to notice it.. its a tactical ploy on behalf of Guardiola and its reaping benefits as well as giving Messi a new dimension.

He is 'running the game' alot more than he did, whereas before he was like Ronaldo for us.. conserving his energy (doing basics like retaining possession) to make an 'impact' on the result.



It's funny you mention that he struggled with Argentina because he used to play alot better for them when he was younger than he does now! I'm not sure aout your wonder goal argument as Messi has loads of them out of his 100 and something scored for Barca, anyway what do you cherish, a scorer of great goals or a great goal scorer? Because Messi is both
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Played better for them when he was younger.. anything to do with fact he was surrounded by superior players and a team that by 2006 should've won the world cup had they not took off Riquelme or left Messi on the bench.

That Argie side of 2006 would suit the 08/09 explosive Messi to the ground, in fact i'd back them to give Spain a real run and be favourites for 2010 world cup.

The talent and lack of quality in their midfield now means Messis new development and ability to playmake will be vital, it'll be a measure of how far he has come if he manages to dominate at the world cup.. if he does I guarantee people will be talking about his ability to be all over the pitch and not just purely as a dribbler coming off the right wing.

Has Messi scored an absolute mindblowing wonder goal against any of the great european teams on the european stage.. no he hasn't.

Can he?

Yes I think he will go on to do this, not against us hopefully but he will reach a level where he can pull out these freakish goals against the best defenders in the world, then the comparisons with Maradona will be valid and we will be in a better place to judge.

I'm not saying Messi can't reach Maradonas level, all that I ask is that you wait before saying he is already Maradona's level because in my opinion he is yet to achieve this in terms of his play.

I prefer both too and Messi will be both.
 
Mockney said:
Yes Boss...he does.
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I think this is debatable too. Messi has shown plenty of times the ability to beat multiple players. He did the carbon copy of Maradona's goal against England which shows he can run from his own half and finish too.

Maradona as I previously have mentioned is still miles better but from a dribbling point of view there is not a lot in it, least not IMO anyway.
 
Dribbling against England in 86 takes more skill... the defenders you're going past/importance of the game makes your achievement more worthwhile.

I've done a maradona v my sisters in the park, which shows I can run from one half of the playground and finish too.

Using this analogy, all I'm saying is that Messi needs to score wonder goals in massive matches not just league games... I'm on about the best sides in europe and international teams.

No ones saying he won't be able to.. thats Cal's job, all I'm saying is just wait and see and then we can have this discussion with better evidence.
 
I wouldn't say he was miles better Vuc. What is it exactly you want Messi to do? What is it you think has him miles behind in this comparison?

Right now the difference is Maradona's career has finished, while Messi is still 22. A point at which Maradona had done nothing notable to anyone in Europe. Everything we remember him for is still to come... perhaps it is for Messi too. Instead of beating him with the stick of arguably the greatest player of all time, why not sit back and enjoy the show? Short of scoring 5 a game instead of just hat tricks, I'm not sure what it is you're expecting of him!

Those comparing his dribbling unfavourably to Maradona... well no fecker seems to be able to stop him, so what is it he needs to do to 'catch up' exactly?!
 
Enigma_87 said:
disagree about that...

YouTube - Ronaldinho: The King of Pass

and that doesn't include his pass to Guily against Milan, his lob against Real to Xavi and his no look pass(30 metres) to Eto'o against Real off the top of my head..
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That is absolutely great, and he does have a great bag of tricks, wonderful skill from all angles and great vision. Maradona might not have quite as constantly flash passes, but to me what seperated him from the rest (of what I've seen) was his ability to consistently give the ball a spin that makes a striker come onto the ball a lot easier. Not far off, Ronaldinho, but I reckon Maradona pulled the strings better, AND more consistently, lest we forget that Maradona didn't dazzle us on top level for all that long, sadly :( I was hoping he'd crown 2006 by being making it his tournament, as Diego had done himself when he was 26, 20 years earlier.
 
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