Lionel Messi-Goated

[Cjay]

How do you know Cjay. Were you alive then. You’re just guessing. Pele looked an athlete to me, so did Maradonna and plenty of others for that matter.
Comparisons are odious and completely pointless as I’ve said before. The one thing players today have, well all elite sportsman for that matter, huge obscene amounts of money.
Tbh obviously Messi is brilliant but I preferred watching Zidane at international level. Couldn’t care less who was best. And calling Messi the greatest player of all time is laughable. If you say that you’re comparing positions too. Best number 10 maybe but best player regardless of position. No. Don’t believe in that accolade

You can see it in clips, don't have to be around to know from a clip that a game moves far slower.

Same as you don't have to be around to know people who drink tons of booze and do drugs and smoke packets of fags a day arent going to be elite athletes, that's just common sense hence why athletes of all sports don't do it now generally.

Don't have to take my word for it

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.inde ... html%3famp

There is a huge difference between the fitness of footballers today and the speed of the game and 30,40 years ago.

Best number 10 over Pele and Maradona, that'll do

[Jaydog]

You can see it in clips, don't have to be around to know from a clip that a game moves far slower.

Same as you don't have to be around to know people who drink tons of booze and do drugs and smoke packets of fags a day arent going to be elite athletes, that's just common sense hence why athletes of all sports don't do it now generally.

Don't have to take my word for it

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.inde ... html%3famp

There is a huge difference between the fitness of footballers today and the speed of the game and 30,40 years ago.

Best number 10 over Pele and Maradona, that'll do

What does Messi eat? Come on think of a punchline. I’ll tell you what he doesn’t need many calories before a game. He only runs for 7 minutes. Granted he probably scores a hattrick in those 7 minutes but still. That’s why his career is so long the lazy fucker
Banter

[Jaydog]

Hope Messi wins the WC mind you. French have been lucky so far. They could get fried by Messi & Alvarez

[The Subhuman]

People talk about the old boots and balls and pitches to do down the present players.

Football is a far more elite professional sport now.

Players are now proper athletes whose lives and diets and whatnot are elite level.

The game is far far quicker, players work far far harder and run far far more.

Nobody forced Maradona to do drugs, how long would he last in todays game?

Nobody forced Johan Cruyff to smoke 60 a day, got away with it back then but today?

Works both ways.

Were footballers back then elite athletes in peak fitness? No.

They smoked and drank and many did drugs.

Wouldn't last 5 minutes at the elite level today like that and it wasn't like people didn't know it was bad for you.

Just didnt matter back then as the game was far slower.

Ronaldinho was as talented as anyone past or present, how long did he last at peak level? About 6 years.

Why? Because he didn't take care of himself.

So yes maybe the balls were heavier etc but the players were slower, the game was slower, you could get away with unhealthy lifestyle.

Today you wouldn't last 5 minutes.

So unless these legends became different people then they wouldn't dominate as some think.

My man Messi would

You don't think at all possible that were they around in this day and age they wouldn't be able to be modern players. They were products of the time for good and bad and would still be products of the time today... But if we're doing it your way, Messi wouldn't have lasted 5 minutes against the likes of Bremner, Smith, Harris etc .... Refs then wouldn't have stood for his antics, a couple of Chopper Harris tackles and he'd be done..

[Jaydog]

You don't think at all possible that were they around in this day and age they wouldn't be able to be modern players. They were products of the time for good and bad and would still be products of the time today... But if we're doing it your way, Messi wouldn't have lasted 5 minutes against the likes of Bremner, Smith, Harris etc .... Refs then wouldn't have stood for his antics, a couple of Chopper Harris tackles and he'd be done..

Spot on. In your face Cjay
Also not sure every player was unfit & an alcoholic in those days. Probably didn’t rape as many women either. The incentive of money in the modern game is not to be underestimated.

[The Subhuman]

Spot on. In your face Cjay
Also not sure every player was unfit & an alcoholic in those days. Probably didn’t rape as many women either. The incentive of money in the modern game is not to be underestimated.

Modern players maybe overtrained.. Leeds back in the early seventies used about 15 players max a season, they'd drink and smoke get bits kicked off them, played on heavier pitches with heavier balls (matron) yet would still manage 42 league games, several domestic cup games (when that meant something, no resting of players for those) all over the 90 minutes (no 60 minute games for them, get to play in replays multiple times if need be, Europe, Internationals and very seldom get injured.

But different time and not really comparable. And it's across all sports...

[Jaydog]

Modern players maybe overtrained.. Leeds back in the early seventies used about 15 players max a season, they'd drink and smoke get bits kicked off them, played on heavier pitches with heavier balls (matron) yet would still manage 42 league games, several domestic cup games (when that meant something, no resting of players for those) all over the 90 minutes (no 60 minute games for them, get to play in replays multiple times if need be, Europe, Internationals and very seldom get injured.

But different time and not really comparable. And it's across all sports...

Couldn’t imagine a modern player being able to do that. They’d go on strike.
That’s what I said at the start. Comparing eras in sport is a waste of time.

[weasel]

I would definitely say a player from previous eras would have more chance of succeeding in today's game than vice versa. This is because they could change their diet, wear better boots, train full time. Every advantage that the modern footballer has they would be able to have. If the opposite happened the modern player would find it a lot harder to play on the mudbaths, have to get used to weird boots that are a lot heavier, no fancy blades, possibly have to work part time, get used to kicking a ball a lot lot heavier than they are used to (far easier to adapt to a lighter ball when having played with a heavier one) and then trying to avoid being clobbered in a time where a player would probably have to break the legs of 2 different players to get sent off. They would have to play through injuries and then play the next match when nowhere near fit.

[Jaydog]

Did you see Mbappe when he got “hacked” down twice v Morocco. Oooh ref he tackled me, my likkle frogs leg hurts. And my shoelace is snapped. And Timpsons is shut now (local joke)

[weasel]

Did you see Mbappe when he got “hacked” down twice v Morocco. Oooh ref he tackled me, my likkle frogs leg hurts. And my shoelace is snapped. And Timpsons is shut now (local joke)

Is there a need to resort to casual racism? Did you head too many olde balls when you were younger?

[Jaydog]

Is there a need to resort to casual racism? Did you head too many olde balls when you were younger?

Racism my arse. Bloody frogs.
I once headed a heavy old football that came from about 30 feet up in the air. Everyone said wtf did you head that for. I can’t remember tbh

[Cjay]

You don't think at all possible that were they around in this day and age they wouldn't be able to be modern players. They were products of the time for good and bad and would still be products of the time today... But if we're doing it your way, Messi wouldn't have lasted 5 minutes against the likes of Bremner, Smith, Harris etc .... Refs then wouldn't have stood for his antics, a couple of Chopper Harris tackles and he'd be done..

Back at you.

You don't think that someone with Messi"s talent around back then could have adapted?

Don't forget many of the South American players came from very poor backgrounds and started as street footballers.

So weren't unfamiliar with a kicking.

Those players wouldn't get near to Messi, lungs would pack up

[Cjay]

Spot on. In your face Cjay
Also not sure every player was unfit & an alcoholic in those days. Probably didn’t rape as many women either. The incentive of money in the modern game is not to be underestimated.

Basically all of them smoked and drank.

A few were ahead of there time like Stanley Mathews who apparently never drank or smoked and had a very detailed fitness regime long before it was a thing.

But most of the time weren't like that and this culture continued into the 80s and early 90s even though the effects of smoking on people has been known since since 50s

And some like George Best and Diego Maradona took it so far it shortened there career.

Would they have changed if it was today? Some maybe, but people like Maradona and Best? Extreme cases, doubt it.

[1964white]

Did you see Mbappe when he got “hacked” down twice v Morocco. Oooh ref he tackled me, my likkle frogs leg hurts. And my shoelace is snapped. And Timpsons is shut now (local joke)

If Big Jack & Norman had tackled him, he'd have known about it, the big fairy.

[Cjay]

I would definitely say a player from previous eras would have more chance of succeeding in today's game than vice versa. This is because they could change their diet, wear better boots, train full time. Every advantage that the modern footballer has they would be able to have. If the opposite happened the modern player would find it a lot harder to play on the mudbaths, have to get used to weird boots that are a lot heavier, no fancy blades, possibly have to work part time, get used to kicking a ball a lot lot heavier than they are used to (far easier to adapt to a lighter ball when having played with a heavier one) and then trying to avoid being clobbered in a time where a player would probably have to break the legs of 2 different players to get sent off. They would have to play through injuries and then play the next match when nowhere near fit.

And what about the modern players from very poor backgrounds who played in the streets with whatever they could get there hands on and as Raph said "if your leg isn't broken you played on".

It's ridiculous to suggest someone like Messi couldn't adapt to a heavier ball and boggy pitch (don't imagine the pitches in Rosario were carpets).

Even Johan Cruyff admitted Messi was better than him ffs

[Jaydog]

Basically all of them smoked and drank.

A few were ahead of there time like Stanley Mathews who apparently never drank or smoked and had a very detailed fitness regime long before it was a thing.

But most of the time weren't like that and this culture continued into the 80s and early 90s even though the effects of smoking on people has been known since since 50s

And some like George Best and Diego Maradona took it so far it shortened there career.

Would they have changed if it was today? Some maybe, but people like Maradona and Best? Extreme cases, doubt it.

Let’s call it a draw. Like on Month Python the Black Knight. “Come back I’ll bite your leg off”.
That’s what Norman Hunter would have done to Messi btw

[The Subhuman]

I like frogs .... newts too.

[The Subhuman]

Back at you.

You don't think that someone with Messi"s talent around back then could have adapted?

Don't forget many of the South American players came from very poor backgrounds and started as street footballers.

So weren't unfamiliar with a kicking.

Those players wouldn't get near to Messi, lungs would pack up

Not my point, it was yours.

[Jaydog]

Messi being the greatest is still opinion btw Cjay. It isn’t fact. I wouldn’t trust what Cruyff said either, he was known to turn at any moment

[1964white]

Modern players maybe overtrained.. Leeds back in the early seventies used about 15 players max a season, they'd drink and smoke get bits kicked off them, played on heavier pitches with heavier balls (matron) yet would still manage 42 league games, several domestic cup games (when that meant something, no resting of players for those) all over the 90 minutes (no 60 minute games for them, get to play in replays multiple times if need be, Europe, Internationals and very seldom get injured.

But different time and not really comparable. And it's across all sports...

All very true