Incognito

And Pizza face.

Here's Shane Long, good job Colo isn't playing.

Yeah that was a little later. Channel 4 jumped on it when Gazza, Walker and Platt went over there. And Tony Dorigo of course.

That's unfair really. Maradona at Napoli was a special time. BSB were showing Serie A in the late 80s. Staple hangover curing Sunday afternoon fayre for me .

He's never consistently, if at all, brought his unbelievable club form to the International stage. I think that's fair to say. It's not like he doesn't represent one of the best football nations in the World either. It's a hole in his career that needs filling if he could justifiably be the greatest football player of all time in my opinion.

Well if you want to go into hypothetical situations, then I bet the Brazil World Cup winning side of 1970 would beat any Champions league winning side ever. You reckon they'd beat '08-'12 Spain? Brazil 70? Yeah.

Why is there an Irishman reffing this? Reminds me of that Manc that reffed us against Manchester United.

Phil Jones wouldn't be in the squad if it wasn't for him playing for Man United, same with Smalling, both the epitome of mediocrity.

Well if you want to go into hypothetical situations, then I bet the Brazil World Cup winning side of 1970 would beat any Champions league winning side ever.

Well nobody will win the World Cup this, next or the year after either.

That's simply not true anymore like. He underperformed in the final, but he was the player that got them there in the first place despite still being injured. Argentina didn't play to his strengths for a long time. Stop it. It's very true for all WC kncokout stages and Copa America knogkoutstages he's been in. I'm saying, it's not true anymore. Since Maradona left he's been loads better for Argentina. Maradona left before the 2011 Copa America where Argentina (where Tevez also played) were as big of disappointments as Brazil and Messi didn't perform at what is expected. At the World Cup he wasn't good either, tbh his best WC came under Maradona in 2010, because despite not scoring many goals he was constantly a threat. In Brazil it was the other way around, he wasn't fantastic but was scoring goals in the group stage. But in terms of vital game (talking purely knockout stages) he's been well below par. Doesn't take away from the fact that he's the best I've seen. Again, Tevez being dropped was to allow Messi to shine. Both players were playing in the same positions and making the same runs. Since then/Maradona leaving Messi has been the focus of everything they've done. As for the World Cup, I don't agree at all, I didn't think he was anything special in 2010 when Argentina altogether were poor, but I thought in 2014 aside from the final he and Mascherano were excellent. If he'd buried that chance, or Higuain had scored that one on one, I think it would be remembered as the World Cup that Messi won. He was obviously their most important player and they got to the final, where they should have won. He doesn't show the unbelievable quality at anyway near the consistency if at all at International level though. Even his good games at the last World Cup would have been average games for him in La Liga, if that makes sense I get what you're saying, but those average games were still often the difference. There's no getting away from the fact that for a long time Argentina Messi and Barca Messi were nothing alike, but it's getting nearer to that imo and improved greatly once they asked him how he wanted to play and how to get the best out of him. It still goes without saying that if he'd scored in the final, or even if Higuain had, then history would have been re-written regarding his place in history. Everyone would talk about his goals in the World Cup and about how he's one of, if not the greatest of all time. Agreed, he is one of the all time greats as is, without winning a World Cup, like Cruyff before him. And George Best, who never even played in the finals.

I'd like it to still feel that way, but it's lost its meaning imo. Diego Costa being Brazilian, then oop, actually he's Spanish. Players like Ibrahimovic will never be seen as being the greatest of all time, but if they were, would people hold back their opinion on him because he hasn't won a World Cup? Pele was in one of the best teams of all time and won the World Cup and that somehow means more than Messi playing in one of the best teams of all time and winning the Champions League and the league and the Ballon D'Or time and time again? It doesn't make any sense to me, why is one viewed in higher regard than the other? If Messi had declared himself Spanish when the Spanish FA tried to get him to sign and he won the Euros twice and the World Cup, would that make him a better player, or is Torres/David Villa winning it with Spain a higher achievement than what Messi has done? It's all so contentious, I just think it should be what you see and at what level. For me the Champions League is the ultimate competition in terms of football at the very highest level. That final yesterday was very good. Even when chances weren't being created the level in quality of the football was outstanding by both teams. That being the par, puts it above most of the mid-level World Cup matches. Because the World Cup, even today is harder to win than the Champions League. That's a fact.

That's simply not true anymore like. He underperformed in the final, but he was the player that got them there in the first place despite still being injured. Argentina didn't play to his strengths for a long time. Stop it. It's very true for all WC kncokout stages and Copa America knogkoutstages he's been in. I'm saying, it's not true anymore. Since Maradona left he's been loads better for Argentina. Maradona left before the 2011 Copa America where Argentina (where Tevez also played) were as big of disappointments as Brazil and Messi didn't perform at what is expected. At the World Cup he wasn't good either, tbh his best WC came under Maradona in 2010, because despite not scoring many goals he was constantly a threat. In Brazil it was the other way around, he wasn't fantastic but was scoring goals in the group stage. But in terms of vital game (talking purely knockout stages) he's been well below par. Doesn't take away from the fact that he's the best I've seen. Again, Tevez being dropped was to allow Messi to shine. Both players were playing in the same positions and making the same runs. Since then/Maradona leaving Messi has been the focus of everything they've done. As for the World Cup, I don't agree at all, I didn't think he was anything special in 2010 when Argentina altogether were poor, but I thought in 2014 aside from the final he and Mascherano were excellent. If he'd buried that chance, or Higuain had scored that one on one, I think it would be remembered as the World Cup that Messi won. He was obviously their most important player and they got to the final, where they should have won. He doesn't show the unbelievable quality at anyway near the consistency if at all at International level though. Even his good games at the last World Cup would have been average games for him in La Liga, if that makes sense

People keep saying the World Cup is a low level trophy. It is however the premier International trophy. I still believe it is the highest accolade a professional football player can win. International football doesn't have the same aura about it today. I think that football is worse off for that .

Eric Pickles would be an upgrade.

I'll never understand why the World Cup has to be the thing that defines a great player personally, the Champions League is probably more competitive. Because it's the second biggest worldwide sporting event. Thus making it football's biggest worldwide event. Whilst I agree that it is, I don't see how that shows it's the most competitive. I do think that the World Cup and possibly playing for another team are the only things that he has left to do to end the arguments, but I personally believe that he's already the greatest of all time. I agree with you except the end bit. But if he does, either or both of those things, then I think there would be justification in his being the supreme football player of all time.

I'll never understand why the World Cup has to be the thing that defines a great player personally, the Champions League is probably more competitive. Because it's the second biggest worldwide sporting event. Thus making it football's biggest worldwide event.

He's a fantastic player, he really is. But until he has a World Cup finals , not even a World Cup win but a finals that he stamps his class on, then Pele and the likes of Maradona still come above him in my GOAT list.

He did his best to ruin the counter. I thought at first that he'd ran offside before he received the final pass.

Looked a tad offside.

Mascherano is a quality player. Even better than Hayden Mullins.

Gives him an excuse to goose step off.

As if Taggart let Pogba go and kept Tommy Cockles.

Gerrrraaaaarrrdddd Pique with the chance.

Fani Alves looks a match made in heaven for Man United. Right cunt.