[alex_front2]

He's been around for almost a decade and bar Neymar noone has come close to replicating in some small way his magic. Is he a pure 1 off?

[Locke.]

Hendo

[GiRTh]

Ronaldo?

[Alf]

Messi is an Immortal

I'm sure the next immortal will come but when I don't no.


The seven Post war Immortals

Ferenc Puskas
Alfredo Di Stefano
Pele
Johan Cruyff
Franz Beckenbauer
Diego Maradona
Lionel Messi

[King Gizzard]

Doubt it, they're too incentivised by money in this day and age, think they've made it with their first contract and then give up

Can't believe I thought Depay could get to that elite level

[alex_front2]

Messi is from the era of modern money incentive. Given his past phyiscal issues with his legs in his youth this is even more remarkable. Sure he's a natural talent as we all know, the pace, power, intelligence, finishing, dribbling, vision, dead balls, off ball movement etc. But surely someone someone someone else in the whole football world must have these qualities. Neymar has been brilliant this season, especially when Messi was out "injured" *cough tax evasion cough*. But he's still no way near Messi at his best.

But it can't all be about money demotivating young players or being robbed of ambition by lucrative contracts surely. What about middle class players? Vialli apparently grew up in a castle, Gerard Pique's dad one of Spain's top lawyers, his mother a spinal injury expert, Frank Lampard Senior ensured Junior went to private school. Spurs goalie Hugo Lloris mum is a lawyer and dad is a hedge fund manager. So not all players are perilously poor looking for a route out of poverty nor shameless mercenaries. What about the player's drive for continuous improvement, the will to be the best for nothing other than selfish personal pride. If I were a player I'd hate to see Messi/Ronaldo slug it out for Balon D'or and not myself. It's too simplistic to say Messi is natural ability v Ronaldo's work rate and determination to be the best. Ronaldo has god given gifts but he did spend hours honing these. Even tyranical Sir Alex said Ronaldo worked too hard. Sir Alex!?!

We need more players who not only want to win titles but compete to be the best a player can be.

[Drew.]

No chance, Not during my lifetime anyway.. The greatest there will ever be, just ahead of Ronaldinho who we won't ever see the likes of again either.

[alex_front2]

http://www.goal.com/en/news/1717/edi...roduction-line

Barcelona's famed academy la Masia academy in decline?

La Masia is at its lowest ebb in recent years. Envied by the world for more than a decade after forming some of the game's greatest footballers, with Lionel Messi at the forefront, Barcelona's fabled academy is no longer producing players for the first-choice XI at Camp Nou.

Not since 2008. Then, with Pep Guardiola in charge, Sergio Busquets and Pedro Rodriguez were promoted to the first team and went on to become regular starters in the side which would dominate domestically and in Europe, winning three Liga titles and two Champions Leagues in four spectacular seasons.

In that team, there were a number of other La Masia graduates, among them goalkeeper Victor Valdes, captain Carles Puyol, midfielders Xavi, Andres Iniesta and later Cesc Fabregas, Gerard Pique and, of course, Messi. Busquets and Pedro established themselves in the side as well and Barca boasted a team made up principally of homegrown talent. In Puyol, Xavi and Messi, La Masia had produced the best defender, midfielder and forward in the world

http://www.theguardian.com/football/...e-neymar-pedro