General Football Thread

[TCO]

I don't think Ronaldo doing it in 2 countries makes him the best. He is the best at the moment but I think it'd be silly to think that Messi wouldn't boss the Premier League if he played there. We've got two of the greatest ever playing in their prime at the same time and they're very different players.

I don't think you can discount Messi because he's only played at Barcelona and I think it's fair to say he's technically better than Ronaldo at the very least.

[Rich]

I didn't say it definitively proves he is the best. All this is personal opinion and I am stating mine on a message board

Ant, we really aren't having a go at you, you have started a debate which is obviously full of opinion, don't get so defensive please

[Colly]

I didn't say it definitively proves he is the best. All this is personal opinion and I am stating mine on a message board

That's fine but we're just trying to clarify what you mean, by 'the best in two leagues' do you mean the best player to grace the Premiership and La Liga, or do you mean he's got more right to say he's best in the world by winning Ballon D'ors whilst playing in two different leagues? Debating a point is fine as long as we understand what the point is.

I'd personally argue that given Messi was 19/20 when Ronaldo won his first its a pretty unfair comparison.

[Baddar]

He is the best at the moment but I think it'd be silly to think that Messi wouldn't boss the Premier League if he played there.

Pretty much this.

Players have come from European countries and dominated in the Premier League. If you were compiling a list of best ever PL players, you would most definitely include non English/British players too.

Michu came in for a stupidly low fee as an attacking midfield player, and look at how he did in a forward role.

And to use more of a comparison to Messi, look at Alexis. He's arguably tearing shit up more in the Premier League than he did in La Liga.

Perhaps we'll never get to see Messi in the Premier League, but as big a fan of Ronaldo as I am, I wouldn't use the fact that he's done so well in our top division as something that puts him above Messi.

[TCO]

I know the Stoke thing is mostly a joke but I really hope people dont' think it's true. Slotting Messi into Oscar's role in the Chelsea team is an absolutely terrifying proposition for anybody not Chelsea.

The whole players not adapting to the Premier League thing is a myth anyway. Maybe the likes of pure finishers who destroyed a league Eredivisie like Alves or Kezman struggled in the Premier League but as Baddar said players of a technical level like Alexis or Messi will cause havoc no matter where they are.

Edited January 13, 2015 by TCO

[Gazz]

Can we all move on and collectively mock Roy Hodgson for voting Javier Mascherano the best player in the world.

I mean, he's very good but c'mon Roy. Really?

[TCO]

Everybody who voted for David Luiz as one of the best two centre backs of 2014 should be banned forever from all football related activities.

It annoys me that there was only one full back in the 11 too, unless you shoehorn Ramos to right back and he's definitely not a full back anymore. Also annoying that Lahm played almost the entire year apart from half the World Cup in midfield yet still made it as a defender. Azpilicueta was robbed!

Edited January 13, 2015 by TCO

[brenchill]

No Alan Hutton?

My p

[Hobo]

Can we all move on and collectively mock Roy Hodgson for voting Javier Mascherano the best player in the world.

I mean, he's very good but c'mon Roy. Really?

That must make Christian Paulsen the second best player.

[Gazz]

Roy's top three were Mascherano, Stephane Chapuisat and Christian Dailly.

[brenchill]

He had Erik Nevland at 4.

[EddieG]

Ant isn't saying he's better than Messi because he's proved it in 2 leagues. We might never see Messi in the PL indeed, but it's no guarantee that he'd tear the PL up, look at Diego Forlan or Shevchenko amongst others.

[Baddar]

There's also no guarantee that Ronaldo would, in 2015. Doesn't stop it being bullshit.

[EddieG]

There isn't, but he already has.

[Whisper]

Messi is a significantly better player than Diego Forlan or Shevchenko though.

To think he would do anything other than massacre the Premier League is a bit silly. Messi vs. Leicester, QPR, Palace, Burnley, Villa? Hell, get him up against United's back three and he'd have a field day.

And for the record, I'd have Ronaldo in my team over Messi, but there is very little between them and direct comparisons are a bit unfair. They are basically the two best players who have ever played the game though. I don't think I've ever heard someone say that Pele or Maradona couldn't have done it in the Prem.

[Colly]

Pele CDIOAWWNIS.

[Whisper]

Does the C stand for "could" or "couldn't"? "Can" or "Can't"?

[Whisper]

Nothing to see here.

Edited January 13, 2015 by Whisper in the Wind

[Colly]

Does the C stand for "could" or "couldn't"? "Can" or "Can't"?

That's the magic of the acronym.

[The Lusophone]

Messi is a significantly better player than Diego Forlan or Shevchenko though.

To think he would do anything other than massacre the Premier League is a bit silly. Messi vs. Leicester, QPR, Palace, Burnley, Villa? Hell, get him up against United's back three and he'd have a field day.

And for the record, I'd have Ronaldo in my team over Messi, but there is very little between them and direct comparisons are a bit unfair. They are basically the two best players who have ever played the game though. I don't think I've ever heard someone say that Pele or Maradona couldn't have done it in the Prem.

I don't think you can really make that claim of any modern player, because the differences, even in just how a football feels at your feet, between modern boots, balls, pitches, etc etc and stuff that was around when Pele and others were playing.