Has Messi done enough?

[Bruce Wayne]

A usual refrain whenever people suggest Messi isn't worthy of being mentioned alongside Maradona, Pele et al is that he's never done it at a World Cup.

Whilst he hasn't been at his very best in this tournament, he has been the shining light in a pretty ordinary Argentinian side.

Has he now done enough to put that to bed that he's never performed in a World Cup?

 

[Username]

He's performed in this one but he hasn't really done anything memorable imo.

 

[RaleighBlue]

If he doesn't win people will still give him stick for it.

It's just the way it is. He never actually needed to win a world cup, it was just the only thing he could be beaten with. If he wins it'll just be that he's only done it in Spain at club level.

Many people compare current players with memories, and memories are always better.

 

[d34noj]

Could he do it on a cold winters night in Stoke...

 

[Bruce Wayne]

If he doesn't win people will still give him stick for it.

It's just the way it is. He never actually needed to win a world cup, it was just the only thing he could be beaten with. If he wins it'll just be that he's only done it in Spain at club level.

Many people compare current players with memories, and memories are always better.

There was actually some research into this done a while ago. The basic gist of it is that we tend to regard athletes/musicians/etc. as the best if they were at their peak during our adolescence. So the footballers that were boss when you were a teenager always have pride of place in your pantheon of greats.

 

[Rugby Toffee]

Not really , but many of these over hyped players haven't produced

 

[Phenom]

Yes he has, especially if they win it he has practically carried them.

 

[Allezfan]

There was actually some research into this done a while ago. The basic gist of it is that we tend to regard athletes/musicians/etc. as the best if they were at their peak during our adolescence. So the footballers that were boss when you were a teenager always have pride of place in your pantheon of greats.

There's a saying about that which is "the golden age of 'music/comics/cartoons/football/whatever' is 9".

 

[Bruce Wayne]

There's a saying about that which is "the golden age of 'music/comics/cartoons/football/whatever' is 9".

Is the theory behind it all

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reminiscence_bump

 

[toffeejack]

no imo.

this is a pretty poor argentina team imo, they've bored teams to death and won every single game by a goal or less.

he has been their only threat going forward, depends what he does in the final.

obviously scoring a couple to help them will elevate them, but he hasn't done anything since the groups. i'm not sure he can be put down as not one of the best ever because of poor world cups though, his club record speaks for itself.

 

[ThebanksoftheBramleyMoore]

I don't think you need win a world cup to be considered the worlds best player as football is ment to be a team game isn't it, what if you were born in San Marino and your manager is a P.E teacher and the rest of your team are fire men. It's Footballing cliche that Pundits have drilled into people heads 8 games every 4 years shouldn't determine your worth as a Footballer it defies common sense.

 

[RaleighBlue]

I don't think you need win a world cup to be considered the worlds best player as football is ment to be a team game isn't it, what if you were born in San Marino and your manager is a P.E teacher and the rest of your team are fire men. It's Footballing cliche that Pundits have drilled into people heads 8 games every 4 years shouldn't determine your worth as a Footballer it defies common sense.

George Best is the perfect example here.

And these days the World Cup isn't exactly the top level of football. Just the most watched.

 

[ThebanksoftheBramleyMoore]

George Best is the perfect example here.

And these days the World Cup isn't exactly the top level of football. Just the most watched.

I think it stems from back when the only football accessible to the world was the world cup, as football wasn't as televised. So the only time the best players competed against each other and could be watched by everyone was the world cup but that is no longer the case.

 

[dholliday]

Has he now done enough to put that to bed that he's never performed in a World Cup?

He's done enough to put that to bed. He's done very well considering the man-marking jobs put on him.

Many people compare current players with memories, and memories are always better.

There was actually some research into this done a while ago. The basic gist of it is that we tend to regard athletes/musicians/etc. as the best if they were at their peak during our adolescence. So the footballers that were boss when you were a teenager always have pride of place in your pantheon of greats.

There might be some truth in this, but I don't think it fits everyone or everything. The best two players in my opinion, which always astound me, are Maradona and Zidane, and they didn't peak during my formative years. My favourite music evolved from the rock and EDM I liked as a teenager to more avant-garde music I've discovered in the last 10 years.

Nostalgia with the power of reminiscing does exist, of course. I insist that the best era and place to go raving was London between '98-'02, just because that was my time. And in mainstream culture I tell the youngsters of today that 80's/90's Hollywood Blockbusters and pop music were so much better than the vapid guff we have to suffer these least 15 years.

 

[dholliday]

8 games every 4 years shouldn't determine your worth as a Footballer it defies common sense.

That's the perfect time to show the world how good you are. The pressure's on, everyone is expecting. Can you perform?

None of the 'golden generation' of England could, apart from maybe Michael Owen who showed some good stuff. Gary Lineker certainly could. As did Gazza. For that reason those two rate above the overhyped Gerrard, Lampard, Rooney axis if we were to rank them in a best-ever poll.