Lio messi-7 Time ballondore winner "LM7"

[mampilly]

Can any player, including Messi, be considered 'the greatest'?

Ah, the Champions League. Bringer of drama, stopper of dreamers, platform for Ray Wilkins to say ‘my word’ 50 hundred thousand times. And there are other things that are nearly always discussed, certainly when seeing the two dominant Spanish sides play. The great debate has moved from trying to decide who is better between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, to whether the latter could very well be the greatest of all time.
Unfortunately, and certainly in my eyes, there is no answer to that question. There is simply not one player who can be considered the greatest of all time.
I think we certainly have our own emotions invested in a particular player who we feel was the best. I was brought up on the notion that Maradona was simply the greatest manifestation of brilliance in existence; his low-centre of gravity, his dribbling skills, his curly mop of hair. But, looking back on him now, have we (or my parents) adhered to that view because of that goal he scored, or really slapped us and then scored, against us?
Do our memories, when seeing one of these footballers exhibit their talents, store them in a fond part of our brain where they can never be untouched and will always be remembered for their brilliance? Maradona scored that goal against us and we appreciate it almost as if it was one of our own.
I remember seeing Zidane play when I was a kid and was taken away by the elegance and the grace of a man who looked like the football equivalent of a great white shark. His talent was remarkable – an incredibly skilful player who almost seemed to show us, as if we needed telling, that football is truly a form of art.
Everything was grandiose about him – the temperament, the exquisite first touch, the quite ridiculous volley he scored in that Champions League final. And he won the two biggest competitions, the World Cup and the Champions League scoring in both finals.
But then, of course, Messi is something different in the way the ball is magnetically tied to his feet. I have yet to see a valid point (apart from his international inadequacies) for why he cannot be considered better than Maradona – already his goals to game ratio far outweighs Maradona’s and his domestic trophy haul is larger.
Or do we judge the player on his goals, statistics, trophies and attacking play? What about great playmakers or great sweepers who may have been more efficient or effective in their own position but just not as eye-catching? What about the astoundingly organised Beckenbauer? He was the backbone of the German national team for years and won the World Cup with them as well as many European cups with his club team.
There are so many aspects to consider – so many players. What about defenders? What about players who excelled whereas their national teammates were average which cut out any hopes of glory at the World Cup? What about players whose careers are cut short, like the blistering Marco Van Basten? So many questions, such flexibility when considering the greatest debate of them all.
Sometimes I feel we are wary of picking Messi as the greatest ever because of our respect for those that have passed before him. A reluctance, if you will, because it's seen as the passing of the torch from the players who lit up our eye-sockets when we were young - the players we see as kids are embedded into our minds and seeing them as inferior is almost dismissive of those joyous memories. What we've got to look forward to (or dread) when we become ancient, is telling yarns of how today's footballers aren't up to scratch. Even if modern footballer's may be better, we still valiantly defend those who are part of our enjoyable, youthful memories.
But then, would we really want to find out who was the best anyway? It makes those what-if situations, like Tyson/Ali, like Schumacher/Senna, Kieran Dyer/Lee Bowyer (ahem) even more tantalising. Take away any debate or opinion on who was the best and you lose the very crux of what makes the argument interesting in the first place. To attribute a final answer would be no fun at all. It would be too final in a game that offers subjectivity like no other.
And of course, there are differing training methods and football was a more aggressive, rawer sport years ago. Look back on old video clips and it is shocking to see the way defenders took lumps out of players who dared to be cute and waltzed past them. It’s fair to say defenders were not the fine-tuned footballers they are today. Tactics were used less frequently and it was played at a slower speed.
Don’t get me wrong, football wasn’t some prehistoric hoof and run game 50 years ago but, like any sport, it has grown larger and stronger, faster and more complex as the years have gone by. Would a team of Peles beat a team of Messis? They blossomed in different eras. It’s just too complex.
Because they all have their own individual faults, don't they? Pele is often considered to have been the greatest ever but never played in Europe, Cruyff's total football never actually won them the greatest prize of all. Zidane was part of a galacticos era that in all honesty failed to become the global behemoth it set out to be and Messi has been unable to single-handedly win a World Cup for his Argentinean side like the former talismanic South-American Maradona did.
Ultimately there are the greatest players from each time period - this period's player is most probably Messi. To pick one from all football history, however, would not only be reckless considering the game was a different beast, but dismissive of all the rest who are good enough to be mentioned in the same bracket.

[mampilly]

Romario: Messi has a long way to go



Former Barcelona striker Romario says that World Player of the Year Lionel Messi has a long way to go before he can be considered the greatest of all-time.

GettyImagesRomario has placed himself second in the all-time list.



Messi stirred the debate himself last week when he claimed that he had never seen Pele - considered by many to be best player in history - play, with the great Brazilian promising to send him a copy of his film so that he could study up.
However, 1994 World Cup winner and former Barcelona striker Romario has now added his voice, claiming that Messi must first overcome Diego Maradona, and himself, before thinking about Pele.
"If Messi sees the video, he'll probably learn some things," Romario said at a press conference. "You simply cannot compare him with Pele. You cannot say he is the same when he has never won a World Cup.
"Messi has all the conditions to be the best one day, but first he has to overcome Maradona, Romario and then eventually Pele."
Romario played for Barcelona for two years between 1993 and 1995 and won one La Liga title with the Catalans before a journeyman career ended in 2009 and he took up politics, becoming a member of the Brazilian Parliament

[messi]

thanks rayemon......

[mampilly]

Lionel Messi answered his critics with a superbly taken hat-trick inside the opening half-hour at Camp Nou as Barcelona thrashed Mallorca 5-0.

[messi]

thanks.......

[baazigar89]

Messi should skipper Argentina, says Di Stefano - The Times of India

BUENOS AIRES: Legendary star Alfredo Di Stefano said Monday he believed Argentina would benefit if they made Lionel Messi their skipper.

"The captaincy of the national side is a distinction which Messi deserves as he has all the qualities a captain requires - a combative character and immeasurable talent," Argentina-born naturalised Spaniard Di Stefano told the journal of the Argentina Football Federation published Monday.

"He would grow more and I am sure that it (would be) a decision which would bolster the togetherness of the group. His teammates respect him," Di Stefano, nicknamed the Blond Arrow, added.

He said he was a huge fan of Messi - save for when Barcelona meet his own former side Real Madrid.

"It is extraordinary to see him play and his goals are a delight - except when he puts one past my team Real Madrid."

Messi has on occasion been criticised by Argentina fans for showing only occasional flashes of his Barcelona form in the national shirt - in particular when the albiceleste flopped at the Copa America in July on home soil.

[MVP]

Messi is the best!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[baazigar89]

CL: Messi nets treble as Barca reach knockouts - Sports - Football - ibnlive

Barcelona: Pep Guardiola's 200th match in charge of Barcelona was celebrated in emphatic style with a 4-0 win over Viktoria Plzen in Prague on Tuesday evening, as the European champions qualified for the knockout stages.
Two first half goals from Lionel Messi gave the Catalan giants a comfortable lead, with the dismissal of Plzen's Marian Cisovsky aiding their cause. Once Plzen went down to 10 men it became less a case of whether Barca would win but more a case of how many they would win by, and Messi completed his hat-trick, with Cesc Fabregas also finding the net.
Plzen started the game full of running and really tried to take the game to their illustrious opposition. Barcelona seemed content to let the home side dictate the tempo in the game's opening exchanges, only really starting to move the ball well after 10 minutes of play.


Petrzela burst through a static Barca backline only to be thwarted by Victor Valdes, who produced a strong left-handed save to stop Plzen from taking a surprise lead. Daniel Kolar then wasted another chance for Plzen blazing a half-volley high and wide after being found in space inside the box.
Barcelona should have been given a penalty after a foul on Cesc Fabregas after 12 minutes only for the referee Robert Schorgenhofer to wave their appeals away. Ten minutes later, Schorgenhofer's assistants appeared to intervene and award a spot-kick after Lionel Messi's legs were swept from beneath him by Marian Cisovsky after the Argentine had jinked his way into the area. Cisovsky saw red for the foul, before Messi confidently dispatched the penalty low to Roman Pavlik's right.
Following the sending off the atmosphere in the Synot Tip Arena quickly grew hostile, with every Barcelona touch being greeted with jeers by the home fans. The away side began to toy with their opponents, exploiting the gaps created by Cisovsky's dismissal. Messi came close to adding a second, drawing a fantastic save
After threatening to score a second, he then did. Playing a delightful one-two with Adriano, Messi received the return pass inside the area before sliding his finish past a despairing Pavlik in the Plzen goal.
The second half was exhibition-like at times with Barca afforded so much space with Plzen down to 10 men. Fabregas nearly added a third with a delicate chip that drifted just wide and then Messi forced a fantastic save from Pavlik from a free-kick.
Petrzela then nearly reduced the deficit for Plzen, completely against the run of play. The Plzen striker could only lash his volley into the side netting from a tight angle after being found at the back post by Kolar. This seemed to spark the champions into life however, as they immediately launched a blistering counter-attack that nearly resulted in a goal. Thiago Alacantara flicking a header over Pavlik but onto the crossbar.
Fabregas made it 3-0 on 71 minutes with a rare headed goal. It was difficult for Fabregas to miss such was the quality of Isaac Cuenca's cross from the right-hand side. Messi then completed his hat-trick with a well taken finish after rounding Pavlik.
The match finished 4-0, meaning Barcelona advance to the knockout stages despite having two group games left to play. This will allow Guardiola to rest players when the group games commence in February, and focus on Barcelona's domestic competitions. Plzen meanwhile now lie rock bottom of the group, with just one point, making it impossible for the Czech team to now advance to the next stage.

[baazigar89]

Messi seeks third World Player award


Two-time reigning World Footballer of the Year Lionel Messi is among 23 nominees for the 2011 top honour published on Tuesday by the ruling body FIFA.
The Argentina star Messi is one of eight players from Spanish league and Champions League winners Barcelona in contention for the FIFA Ballon d’Or award to be announced on January 9, 2012.
Eternal Spanish rivals Real Madrid have five players on the list, including former winner Cristiano Ronaldo.
World and European champions Spain lead the country breakdown with seven players ahead of Germany, who have a trio in Bayern Munich forward Thomas Mueller as well as midfielders Bastian Schweinsteiger (Munich) and Mesut Oezil (Real).
Copa America champions Uruguay have Diego Forlan (Inter Milan) and Luis Suarez (Liverpool) on the list, with Brazil (Dani Alves and Neymar) and Argentina (Messi, Sergio Aguero) also on two nominees each.
Cameroon’s Samuel Eto’o, who now plays in Russia at Anzhi Makhachkala, is the only African player and Manchester United’s Wayne Rooney the only Englishman picked.
FIFA also published a list of 10 names for the Coach of the Year award, ranging from Barca’s Pep Guardiola and Real’s Jose Mourinho to Uruguay’s Oscar Tabarez and Andre Villas-Boas (formerly Porto, now Chelsea).
Germany is also represented twice in that list, with Joachim Loew of the national team, who won all 10 Euro 2012 qualifiers, and Juergen Klopp from Bundesliga champions Borussia Dortmund.
The shortlists were compiled by FIFA experts and those from French magazine France Football.
The men on the lists (as well as the women’s players and coaches published last week) are now up for a vote among national team captains and coaches as well as selected media representatives. The three finishers with the most votes will be revealed on December 5.
Nominated players: Eric Abidal (Barcelona, France) Sergio Aguero (Manchester City, Argentina) Karim Benzema (Real Madrid, France) Iker Casillas (Real Madrid, Spain) Daniel Alves (Barcelona, Brazil) Samuel Eto’o (Anzhi Makhachkala, Cameroon) Cesc Fabregas (Barcelona, Spain) Diego Forlan (Inter Milan, Uruguay) Andres Iniesta (Barcelona, Spain) Lionel Messi (Barcelona, Argentina) Thomas Mueller (Bayern Munich, Germany) Nani (Manchester United, Portugal) Neymar (Santos, Brazil) Mesut Ozil (Real Madrid, Germany) Gerard Pique (Barcelona, Spain) Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid, Portugal) Wayne Rooney (Manchester United, England) Bastian Schweinsteiger (Bayern Munich, Germany) Wesley Sneijder (Inter Milan, Netherlands) Luis Suarez (Liverpool, Uruguay) David Villa (Barcelona, Spain) Xabi Alonso (Real Madrid, Spain) Xavi (Barcelona, Spain)
Nominated coaches: Vicente Del Bosque (Spain, Spain national team) Alex Ferguson (Scotland, Manchester United) Rudi Garcia (France, OSC Lille) Pep Guardiola (Spain, Barcelona) Juergen Klopp (Germany, Borussia Dortmund) Joachim Loew (Germany, Germany) Jose Mourinho (Portugal, Real Madrid Oscar Tabarez (Uruguay, Uruguay) Andre Villas-Boas (Portugal, Porto, Chelsea) Arsene Wenger (France, Arsenal).

[messi]

Guardiola: Messi is simply magnificent


Pep Guardiola gushed over Lionel Messi's performance as the forward notched a hat-trick to consign Viktoria Plzen to a 4-0 Champions League defeat.
Pep Guardiola's men proved far too strong for the Czech side, whose already tall order had become an almost insurmountable one after going down to ten men in the 22nd minute, and Spaniard reserved high praise for Messi's virtuoso performance.