[Archived] Have We Just Seen The New Maradona?

[tucker]

Messi tonight for Barcelona, in my opinion was incredible. He was the main threat for Barca tonight and at 18 looks an incredible prospect.

Lots of very talented Argentinian players have been cripled with the 'new Maradona' tag, and perhaps it is utterly unrealistic to expect there to be another player like him, but the guy looks like he could be something special.

[ABBEY]

101 million....blame the walkers

[OnePost]

Quote from BBC: "The Argentine [Messi] appeared to take a look at referee Terje Hauge before rolling around theatrically"

It would appear he has at least one of the attributes nailed.

Edited February 22, 2006 by OnePost

[Bing]

Del Horno was totally clueless against him. Messi was entitled to stay down after getting booted 6ft in the air for the seventh time. Andy Gray's biased commentary was beyond belief.

[Manchester Blue]

Exactly, I was ashamed of Gray tonight it was awful and cringeworthy, Del Horno tried to do Messi all first half and got what he deserved. Mourinho trying to justify is laughable blaming Messi, Del Horno was far more theatrical.

[ABBEY]

. Andy Gray's biased commentary was beyond belief.

385898[/snapback]

HE WAS EMBARRASSING ALL THE WAY THRU BIG TIME HE MUST HAVE THE CHOSEN ONES BLOOD MONEY!!!!!!!!!!!

[Hasta]

I'm glad I'm not alone in been annoyed by the bias.

Barca could have had 2 penalties and for every soft free-kick that went their way, one went Chelseas way. OK the sending off was controversial but he did miss the ball and have a kick at him and it was the third time in about 5 minutes he'd had a go at him.

Disapponted in Sky and heard what i expected from Mourinho.

[brfcjon]

I absolutely love watching messi. He impresses me every time.Dont wanna put any tags on him, but just say that he is a super player that is precisely what a modern footballer should be like - fast, skillfull, fantastic balance, aware and very very direct.

That red card was totally in its place. if you look at the replay its obvious the del horno is a yard away from the ball - and del horno could have had one from the when he caught messi on the thigh earlier.

I think calling him a cheat is outragous. he was kicked about the hole game and just got up and played on - a very fair player tonight. That was my view and the danish commentators all said it so who ever said that on BBC must be waring some very blue tinted glasses! outragous!

Sorry about the spelling. it might be worse than normally.. but a few beers takes their toll...

[ABBEY]

well hand on heart when i saw it at full speed i said to my youngest hes off ...it looked like a real bad one maybe it wasnt as bad but it sure as hell full speed looked like hed gone to hurt him....and as for the pen turned down in 1st half how you gray could say it wasnt a pen when he had arm raised and even batted it buggers beief.

[herbergeehh]

A bit strict to send him off, but as Hauge said: He did not go for the ball at all. Also, the tackle three minutes earlier was disgraceful - he should've left the pitch then! Try picking on a player your own size, Del Horno

As for your question, there's been a lot of players branded "the new Maradona", like Saviola, Aimar.. But Messi has a lot of the same attributes as Maradona. Fantastic left foot, ability to change direction in a split second, and great pace.

[bellamy11]

For some reason I've had the feeling that Messi has been a well-kept secret to some in England. I get the feeling tonight may well have been the first time a lot of people have seen him play. He has been an extraordinary talent for some time now.

[Shaddy]

If the name of the player described their performances, we would have a Messi at Rovers. Shefki Messi

Edited February 23, 2006 by Shaddy

[modes98]

OK the sending off was controversial but he did miss the ball and have a kick at him and it was the third time in about 5 minutes he'd had a go at him.

385904[/snapback]

Other shouts for penalties are to be taken aside. It was not a red card. I had a ref sat next to me in the pub and he was stunned into silence... which doesn't happen often!

regardless of other events that was a poor challange worthy of only a yellow. Given any rover in the same situation you would agree.

The worst thing i heard all night was a chelsea fan next to me in response to why is duff on the bench...."he isn't good enough". That can't be true and if it is why did he leave us!

edit: as for the next maradona, said to many times, sure he isn't the next pele in a mask!

Edited February 23, 2006 by modes98

[Rover4ever]

The foul may not have been a red card by itself. However:

1) Messis was kicked in the thighs by Del Horno 5 minutes back which should have been a yellow

2) Barcelona were denied a 100% penalty when Terry bundled Messi to the ground

3)Geremi's handball could very nearly have been a penalty as well

[SAS]

i think he can only use his left foot, he didnt seem to want to shoot when he had the chance with his right

Edited February 23, 2006 by slater_scott

[ABBEY]

The foul may not have been a red card by itself. However:

1) Messis was kicked in the thighs by Del Horno 5 minutes back which should have been a yellow

2) Barcelona were denied a 100% penalty when Terry bundled Messi to the ground

3)Geremi's handball could very nearly have been a penalty as well

385921[/snapback]

1. andy gray said it may have been a free kick in euorope hee hee ,it was crude !!

2. bundled???hee hee it was a defo stone walled pen....andy gray ...never a pen

3. commented earlier..

i always used to like andy gray but that was a class above clive man u tylsey or however you spell mr bias.

[frosty]

Who does Andy Gray support? Arsenal, Utd or Chelsea?

Very annoyed with his commentry tonight . He was totally biased towards Chelsea the whole game and always is.

Messi though looks good. Calling him a cheat is just looking for excuses

[thenodrog]

What a sample! I didn't see the game but I saw the incident on BBC breakfast show. Never mind the girly collision that Del Horno should have been sent off for playacting that he was hurt! He was screaming like a stuck pig. What mard arses these latins are. We used to watch and despise foreign footy in the 60,s and 70's. We abhorred their shirt pulling, spitting, cheating and diving antics. Well now thanks to the Prem we have em all here.

Del Horno is just a Carlos Kickaball puff who should be widely renounced.

What a comparison on the breakfast sport because the next article was on Brian Moore explaining the difference between a ruck and a maul and giving Chris Hollins a rake with his studs in the process. Hollins is a bit of a nancy but how I wish it had been Del Horno / Robben / Boa Morte / Ronaldo in there.

Supreme England captain Martin Johnston commenting of football recently said 'Football players spend 90 minutes pretending they are hurt whilst we spend 80 minutes pretending we are not'

Sums the overpaid tarts up nicely imo.

Edited February 23, 2006 by thenodrog

[Presty On Tour]

Who does Andy Gray support? Arsenal, Utd or Chelsea?

Very annoyed with his commentry tonight  . He was totally biased towards Chelsea the whole game and always is.

Messi though looks good. Calling him a cheat is just looking for excuses

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andy gray is supposed to be a villa fan, well ive seen his daughter at the villa games dresses in all the villa stuff when him and martin tyler were commentating there before, she was sitting right next to him on tv??

as for messi, pure class!!!

only time will tell if he is as good as the one maradona.

[Fife Rover]

andy gray is supposed to be a villa fan, well ive seen his daughter at the villa games dresses in all the villa stuff when him and martin tyler were commentating there before, she was sitting right next to him on tv??

as for messi, pure class!!!

only time will tell if he is as good as the one maradona.

385958[/snapback]

Next time I see Andy Gray around the local shops I think I will launch in to him in exactly the same way as Del Horno did to Messi, then as he rolls about on the ground I will ask him "Was that only a yellow Andy?" I will also get about as near to the ball as Del Horno did!

Edited February 23, 2006 by Fife Rover

[ABBEY]

I DARE YOU!!!!

[Hughesy]

Soft red card you could say, but he didnt go anywhere near the ball so maybe it was a fair dismissal.

He went for the man, not the ball and he then pretended he was the one who had just been kicked

Edited February 23, 2006 by Hughesy

[Hughesy]

11 vs 11 - Barcelona had control of the game and were by far the best team - Outclassed!

11 vs 10 - Outclassed totally! Lucky to get away with just a 2-1 defeat

[OnePost]

What mard arses these latins are.  We used to watch and despise foreign footy in the 60,s and 70's.  We abhorred their shirt pulling, spitting, cheating and diving antics.  Well now thanks to the Prem we have em all here. Del Horno is just a Carlos Kickaball puff who should be widely renounced.

385955[/snapback]

Just wanted to second this sentiment. Some of the antics that have permeated into the game are just bile-inducing. I'm looking forward to the day when somebody can actually catch that puff Ronaldo from Utd and give him something that he doesn't need to act out.

[Hughesy]

I agree with that 'Onepost'. I dont wish anything bad on players but i would love to see someone flatten him - Let the Axe have a go the next time we play them!