Is Lionel Messi the most talented footballer you have seen ?

[Salamuddin]

As per the title......

 

[Shaggy Alfresco]

God no. Maradona 1st, Zidane 2nd.

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

Zidane.

 

[roseboy64]

Nah.

 

[Salamuddin]

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]

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

 

[roseboy64]

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

 

[Tom Halsey]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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.

 

[BoyBrumby]

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.

I'd disagree quite strongly with your assessment of what constitutes an assist there. The easiest way for a ball to get from A to B is by passing it, which is why players like Beckham (who are otherwise extremely limited) who can deliver the "killer ball" that makes a gilt-edged chance are rated so highly. Messi's runs do commit defenders, but as he's basically a footballing savant with only the one flawed instinct to run at players, this is sometimes wasted as the ball isn't delivered to his teammates. When it does reach them Messi's involvement is often secondary.

He can improve, he's only twenty after all, but he needs (IMHO, obv) a stronger coach than Rijkaard to hone his raw talent into the end product. If Guardiola coaches like he played he could be the one to do this, but I'd personally liked to have seen Messi under Mourinho, who is a coach whose primary concern is his system rather than the individuals.

 

[Tom Halsey]

Messi's runs do commit defenders, but as he's basically a footballing savant with only the one flawed instinct to run at players, this is sometimes wasted as the ball isn't delivered to his teammates. When it does reach them Messi's involvement is often secondary.

It may be secondary, but it is still a vital contribution. As an additional side point, I think in an ideal world a run from a centre forward that pulls defenders out of position would also be considered an assist if it helps create a goal - however it is obviously impossible to quantify.

Messi is limited in what he does - he does basically run with the ball. But he is just so damn good at it.

In a Ronaldo v Messi comparison, I'd say Ronaldo has more potential (my rationale for this is that he does more things than Messi which he can still improve on, whereas Messi does one thing very well already, not a lot of room for improvement). As for who I'd rather have atm... tough call.

 

[grecian]

nah, has the potential maybe. Talent can only be assessed on the highest stage. There have been plenty that have been dominant in their respective leaugues.

Not going to mention the other Argentinian, because I still hate him. Platini, Zidane, Zico are all clearly ahead of him in my book. I could probably name another twenty easily, but that's because Messi's career is still embryonic.

 

[Craig]

nah, has the potential maybe. Talent can only be assessed on the highest stage. There have been plenty that have been dominant in their respective leaugues.

Not going to mention the other Argentinian, because I still hate him. Platini, Zidane, Zico are all clearly ahead of him in my book. I could probably name another twenty easily, but that's because Messi's career is still embryonic.

Say what you like about Maradona (and I agree he is a ****), but one of my favourite goals (of all time) was in that game was when he got the ball, beat a thousand men (to quote Paul Vautin, BB would get this) and smashed it in the net. Incidentally there a clip on youtube where Messi scored a goal similar to the Goal of the Century.

 

[cpr]

Agree with everything Brumby's said here, and ATM would put Ronaldo comfortably ahead. Give Messi 5 years, to settle into being a international midfielder rather than a dazzled youngster, and it may well be different (look how Ronaldo's improved over the last 5 years).

Have to say it, but from watching Barca this season, reckon Bojan should be getting more credit than Messi. Thats a kid that scares me, at 17 n all.