"Zidane is Maradona's equal"

Oakesy2001uk · 13 Jun 2006 at 13:21

Gilly said:
Agreed with Nismo. Zidane has never lacked strength and pace has only started going from his game recently.

In the last couple of years he has, I think I worded it wrong, he was never 17 year old owen quick, or Drogba strong. I was going for the point that there will never be a perfect player, everyone can be critised for something, and there could always be someone better but you will never know as you cannot compare players because other variables change, like style of football and quality of opponents. I think We should teach dwain chambers to play football

sandy10 · 13 Jun 2006 at 13:21

Yes he cheated, he punched the ball into the net, but if Lineker had had the balls to of done it at 1-2, then we would have equalised, instead of him missing that sitter at the end!.

Oakesy2001uk · 13 Jun 2006 at 13:24

sandy10 said:
Yes he cheated, he punched the ball into the net, but if Lineker had had the balls to of done it at 1-2, then we would have equalised, instead of him missing that sitter at the end!.

Its too seperate questions, is he a cheating, drug taking **** with a bad attitude, yes!

Is he one of the best footballers ever.... yes

One cannot effect the other.

sandy10 · 13 Jun 2006 at 13:25

Exactly as I said, the cheating should not outweigh the fact he was the World's best player for almost a decade.

georges · 13 Jun 2006 at 13:42

Oakesy2001uk said:
In the last couple of years he has, I think I worded it wrong, he was never 17 year old owen quick, or Drogba strong. I was going for the point that there will never be a perfect player, everyone can be critised for something, and there could always be someone better but you will never know as you cannot compare players because other variables change, like style of football and quality of opponents. I think We should teach dwain chambers to play football

If that happened, it would be awesome..

quick gimp:

Gilly · 13 Jun 2006 at 13:47

sandy10 said:
Yes he cheated, he punched the ball into the net, but if Lineker had had the balls to of done it at 1-2, then we would have equalised, instead of him missing that sitter at the end!.

Right.

But Lineker wasn't a cheating scumbag. It wasn't about having balls to do it.

Oakesy2001uk said:
One cannot effect the other.

Of course it can.

sandy10 · 13 Jun 2006 at 13:54

Gilly - and Gascoigne? an England Hero? a drug snorting, alcoholic, wife beater?

Gilly · 13 Jun 2006 at 14:05

The emphasis is on cheating. Did Gazza's beer-swilling or alleged wife beating ever help him excel at Football? Did it ever improve his game?

Oakesy2001uk · 13 Jun 2006 at 14:09

no, but it dosent stop us thinking he's a legend either, he's just a beer swigging, wife beating legend. just a maradonna is a druggy cheating legend!

Gilly · 13 Jun 2006 at 14:10

Fair enough. I happen to believe that if you're a legend at football then you're a legend at football regardless. Because what the dirty stinking cheating argie did affected his football it removes all rights to legend status.

Loki · 13 Jun 2006 at 14:11

sandy10 said:
Exactly as I said, the cheating should not outweigh the fact he was the World's best player for almost a decade.

Exactley my point thats why I put Maradona head and shoulders above Zizou. As for the argument about Maradona being a cheating scumbag some people have short memories there was no public outrage when Owen dived against Argentina. Zizou undoubtedly blessed with skill was cultivated under the famous acadamey system in France. Maradona came from a small shanty town with no such luxuries in his upbringing or in his footballing development.

Oaksey2001uk said:
Its too seperate questions, is he a cheating, drug taking **** with a bad attitude, yes!

Is he one of the best footballers ever.... yes

One cannot effect the other.

Agree with Oaksey on that entirely. Are you judging him as a player or a human being ?

sandy10 · 13 Jun 2006 at 14:16

Oakesy2001uk said:
no, but it dosent stop us thinking he's a legend either, he's just a beer swigging, wife beating legend. just a maradonna is a druggy cheating legend!

Yes, wife beating - how legendary.

georges · 13 Jun 2006 at 14:16

The point Gilly is making is that beating your wife does not happen when playing football, handballing the ball into the goal and not confessing is cheating and is against the rules of football, therefore it is not separate. Would you say someone's great at poker if they cheat?

Loki · 13 Jun 2006 at 14:20

georges said:
The point Gilly is making is that beating your wife does not happen when playing football, handballing the ball into the goal and not confessing is cheating and is against the rules of football, therefore it is not separate. Would you say someone's great at poker if they cheat?

By that logic though Mike Tyson could not be classed as a great fighter as he cheated when he bit off part of Evander Holyfield's ear. As far as I am aware with the interviews I have seen with Maradona and the books I have read he has openly admited putting the ball in the net with his hand

Red and White · 13 Jun 2006 at 14:30

Loki said:
As far as I am aware with the interviews I have seen with Maradona and the books I have read he has openly admited putting the ball in the net with his hand

LOL

well he's hardly gonna deny it now is he. its the fact he didnt admit it at the time

Gilly · 13 Jun 2006 at 14:55

Loki said:
By that logic though Mike Tyson could not be classed as a great fighter as he cheated when he bit off part of Evander Holyfield's ear. As far as I am aware with the interviews I have seen with Maradona and the books I have read he has openly admited putting the ball in the net with his hand

Tyson didn't get away with it, but yes. Its similar.

Like Ben Johnson can't be classed as a truly great sprinter either.

Loki · 13 Jun 2006 at 15:02

I diasgaree Gilly with the Ben Johnson Mike Tyson thing. Ben Johnson took performance enhancing drugs and quite rightly was stripped of his gold medal. Mike Tyson cheated in a different way but his peers still look upon him as one of the greatest fighters of all time. As in the way Maradonas peers and FIFA voted him the greatest player of all time. Only to be scupered when they made him joint greatest player with Pele. Ultimately though its all opinions when its all said and done

ballistic · 13 Jun 2006 at 17:48

Zidane was absolutely amazing at his peak - however that was only around 3 years, before and after (now) he's been crap. At his best he was close to Maradona, but Maradona was awesome for around 8 years - so Maradona wins hands down.

Hinchy55 · 13 Jun 2006 at 18:18

Zidane is the first great that i have seen throughout his career. I believe he's the greatest player of the 1990's.

Maradona probably the greatest of the 80's

I'd guess Cruyff 70's

Pele 60's

Garrincha 50's

00's. At the moment I'd say Goofydinho but we've still 4 years to go.

They're all open to debate of course but following on from the recent world cup documentaries, that's what i think

The Edge · 13 Jun 2006 at 18:30

Gascoigne, Maradona and Zidane are legends on the field. However i can only respect one of them, due to the personality defects of the other two.

Gascoigne could have been the best if he could have controlled himself off the pitch.

Maradona could have been the best if he had decided he was good enought to not need to cheat.

Zidane is the best. Doesn't cheat, doesn't cause himself problems.

In the same way Rooney will be the best if Fergie and his successor can keep on the straight and narrow