The College Dropout

This for me ranks comfortably below Ronaldo '98 and Zidane '06. Which is disappointing because he's a better player.

IMO he hasn't been as good as some have made out on here and the team isn't as poor as is being made out. Furthermore, I don't think Messi's the type of player who makes others beside him play better. I don't think any of his attacking team mates at club or international level perform to their optimal level alongside him. In this tournament her

I think it's very fair. To me, it's still the biggest and most important prize in the Sport. It's our equivalent of the Olympics. For players from uncompetitive nations it's unfair but not for Messi or Cruyff. I love the clutch. You get it in the CL and league football too. But often there's another chance. With the WC it brings that "one game... the biggest of them all.... who do you pick?" You go for the lad who does it in the WC. I'd rather Cronaldo in a league season but in a one off... i'd takr Zidane. Cronaldo's probably a better player. Zidane's a true Great. IMO it's very difficult to attain that without international. I know he's played well but he simply hasn't convinced in this tournament for me. I was rooting for him. I want to say i've seen the greatest player ever play in the flesh. But nah... Rodriguez was better for me.

From what i've seen he was like an artist. The expressive way he played the game is very different to Messi. Plus, he won the Euros - no? And his philosophy he carried on from that Total Football thing to other clubs has been very important. Also seems he cares as much about the way the game is played as the result. He's not seen in that Maradona bracket either tbf.

He's not 35, he'll play at other WCs before his career is done. Given his decline in the last 2 years it'd be foolish to assume we'll see anything even shadowing his best in 4 years time. True enough, but it does depend on Argentina's team. if those around him get better then it might not matter. Probably right though. If they had won it. They wouldn't have won it because of Messi. Which is the point we are trying to debate. The Argentinians played decent. Certainly, well enough to capitalise off Messi really turning up. He didn't and they where narrowly defeated.

The only team to lead the WC Champions and not lose to them at al.... Ghana... that's a minor victory of sorts.

If Argentina get their tactics right.... Think BBC are being harsh on the Argentina team. They've both solid as hell... Garay & Demichelis since he's come in have been superb.

Rakitic was the best player outside the top 3 in La Liga last season IMO. He'll start plenty of games.

FWIW Buffoon thinks goalkeeping is harder now more than ever. Even in his career it's much harder now. The ball dips and swerves crazily a nightmare for shots and crosses. Swings and roundabouts.

Fuck this shit, i'm going to bed

s**** isn't he. You're a moron.

Messi simply refuses to pass.

Sprinted offside.

As he always is when played his right position. so wasted at Barca So is Neymar. So is Sanchez. Pretty much everyone not La Masia.

Quietly, Messi has been on a Cronaldo "I won't pass to my team mates, I want the glory" wave all game..

Scolari got it horribly wrong. Brazil's best chance of victory would be to Mourinho it 1-0. With defending of absolute paramount. Nice and tight and look to hit Germany on the break. Ghana & Iran really troubled Germany with that approach. But that would've meant changing attacking personnel and changing tactics. It needs a striker capable of playing on the last shoulder and defenders that have come to defend. Even individually that German side isn't 6 goals better than Brazil. Nowhere near. The difference was Brazil had all their weaknesses out on show which dovetailed perfectly with Germany's strengths. Then you factor in a lack of leadership on the pitch or on the sidelines and you have an epic 20 minute capitulation the likes normally witnessed at SJP or WHL.

It's a wrap. Well done Klose.

Fred & Hulk man....

Hulk is terrible

Man marking ftw....

Brazil to Chelsea it 1-0

To be honest at the time I thought Spurs invested well. It just didn't work out for them though. I thought Lamela was going to be dynamite. Anything more than 4 players straight into a first team isn't going to work. Because they need the CL depth as well they're going overboard. Tbh whatever the money I would keep Suarez for another 12 months, get another CL campaign cemented, then look to add another 3 top players in that Sanchez bracket.

I do like seeing English/British players playing abroad. Far too often there's that dreadful, media led insinuation that the Premier League is the only worthwhile league in the world. My point partly underlined by Clive Tyldesley's embarrassing call on Friday night when James Rodriguez was about to take his peno and Hulk was offering advice to Julio Cesar. Surely as a football commentator you should know certain aspects of European football, especially when commentating on the f***ing World Cup. Not as if Rodriguez was an absolute newcomer. Football doesn't exist out of the PL, La Liga and Germany now to most people.

I remember Jermaine Jenas outplaying him twice about 9 years ago. Tbf Jenas has outplayed better players than Van Bommel on his day.