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發表於 2012-3-15 18:15:43
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Brian Glanville 論美斯及我的回應
Messi still has some way to go before he can be considered the greatest
As the plaudits shower on the gifted Lionel Messi, why do I keep thinking about Ron Clarke, a largely forgotten Australian athlete? A middle distance runner who, between Olympiads, set record after record, but who, when it came to the Olympic Games themselves, never came close to a gold medal? Anticlimax after four years anti-climax.
So where is the analogy with Messi, author of those five glorious goals? A somewhat distant one, I admit. Simply that for all his brilliance with Barcelona he made scant impact for Argentina in the 2010 World Cup.
Decent enough performances early on, no impact in the crushing defeat by Germany. Afterwards he insisted he was satisfied with his own performance and he didn’t as some people did, put any blame on Maradona as manager.
The fact seemed to be that where he has such a free rein at Barcelona, popping up so incisively in attack wherever he wants to, under Maradona he was confined to being a more lateral position. Was there at the bottom of this a competitive urge in Maradona, whether he realised it or not, unwilling to see his own World Cup thunder stolen?
For how could it be? Those two matchless solos at the Azteca in 1986 against England and Belgium. His essential contribution in Argentina’s path to the Final four years later although, for much of the time, he was virtually playing on one leg.
But if the World Cup like the Olympics is the ultimate criterion, how can the best of the best be anybody but Pele?
I was privileged enough to see him excel in two such tournaments, the first in Sweden in 1958 at the astonishingly early age of 17, when, after a hat trick against France in the semi final, he scored two spectacular goals against Sweden in the Final in Stockholm; the first coolly and calmly juggling the ball in a penalty box crowded with hefty Swedes before driving his right footed shot home, the second with a glorious header, soaring above the defence, though he stood no better than 5 foot 8.
With all due deference to the splendid Messi, when did he ever head a goal like that; or like the one Pele headed to put Brazil ahead against Italy in the World Cup final of 1970 in Mexico City? Not to mention the two jewelled diagonal passes he gave later in the game to the right, enabling Jairzinho and Carlos Alberto to score.
Pele for me was simply incomparable and were I to choose a runner up, it would be Alfredo Di Stefano, the third Argentine on the short role of honour. But then, Di Stefano never played in the World Cup finals.
As a youngster he left his native Buenos Aires to make money for a while in Bogota, Colombia who were then out of FIFA and could pay as they pleased; nor not play at all when it came to transfer fees. Then as we know, Di Stefano, when Colombia came back into the fold, took off for Spain and triumphantly, autocratically, ubiquitously led Real Madrid to five consecutive triumphs in the first European Cups, here there and dazzlingly everywhere a miracle of pace, stamina and versatility.
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By Brian Glanville
http://www.worldsoccer.com/colum ... page-1#comment-7765
Mr. Glanville:
I regularly read your works since 1990’s, and I owe you most of my Football History knowledge. Messi indeed still has some way to go before he can be considered the greatest. However, here’re several points I beg to differ.
1. If the Ron Clarke metaphor could apply to Messi, it should also apply to Di Stéfano as well. Even though he never play at the World Cup finals, he did play at the qualifiers for Spain, and the performance in 1958 qualifiers was far from satisfactory. Even the team boasts an all conquering forward line in Kubala, Gento, Luis Suárez, and himself, they were held 2-2 draw by Switzerland at Santiago Bernabeu. Then in second match at Hampden Park, with the same forward line, they even lost 2-4 to Scotland. Di Stéfano was scoreless in both critical matches, even though the La Roja recovered and win all the rest of the match, it was too little too late. Messi on the other hand, never had such a dismal World Cup qualifiers performance!
2. As your works stated, many footballers and managers at the time argued that Di Stéfano was even better than Pelé, due to his all around ability, and his five consecutive European Cups. Which prove that winning the World Cup is not the only measurement of Greatness. Even nowadays winning five consecutive European Cups is almost impossible given the Champions League format, Messi already has three (two as first team regular if you want to be picky, but keep in mind he play a pivotal role in 05/06 first knockout round against Mourinho’s Chelsea) European Cups under his belt, accumulate more than five European Cups is possible for Messi.
3. Let’s go back to the Ron Clarke metaphor. Middle distance running is an individual sport, while football is a team sport. In 1958, Pelé was surround by great players like Didi, Garrincha, Zito, Vavá , Nílton Santos, Djalma Santos, Zagallo, and Gilmar. That Brazilian team was so good that even Pelé was injured at most of the 1962 World Cup match, Brazil still carried on and win it all without him. Messi enjoy a similar luxury at Barça but not in Argentina national team. 2010 and current La Albiceleste was even more top heavy than 1970 Brazil, only got a lots of great strikers but sub par or over-the-hill midfielders and defenders. Had Messi choose Spain instead of Argentina in 2005, he would receive same support as in Barça, he could have won a World Cup and European Championship, perhaps even 2006 World Cup as well and became the undisputed “The Greatest Ever”.
4. Finally, management. In 1986 and 1990 World Cup, Bilardo tailor made the Argentina national team for Maradona. He was well cover by a pack of hard men, therefore he could given a free rein to direct the attack. In 2010 Maradona wanted to repeat the same trick, but the defensive players was simply not good enough to provide cover for Messi, and Germany took them apart. In 2006 quarter-finals, late in the game when Germany and Argentina tie at one goal apiece, Pekerman used his last substitutions quota, replace Hernán Crespo with…Julio Cruz! Argentina lost penalty kick shot out at the end. Who know what might have been if Messi was given the chance? Argentina in 2006 processed a younger and more well balance team, it was Pekerman, rather than Messi, who blew his best chance to win the World Cup.
Messi is not the “Greatest among Greatests” (Di Stéfano, Pelé, Beckenbauer ,Cruyff, and Maradona belong to this category) yet, he currently belong to one of the “All time Greats” (at the same class of Puskás, Eusébio, Bobby Charlton, Best, Platini, Zico, van Basten etc.,) already. Winning more European Cups alone would push Messi to the higher level. Winning at least one World Cup certain help, but given the current sorry state of Argentinean football (depleted talent pool, no more quality player down the pipeline), sadly even winning Copa América would be a bridge too far for Messi.
Regards,
Jonathan Kan |
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