Maradona or Pele?

[Flashermac]

I saw something I'd never seen before at The Mall today - chocolates and sweets in the shape of football players. The choices were only Man U and Liverpool. Made in Thailand, the stuff was obviously aimed at Thais, who seem to think there are only 2 FCs in the world.

 

 

[Mekong]

You would be surprised, Arsenal also have a big following in Thailand, a few ladboys like them due to the chant "Up the Arse"

 

I have many Thai aquantanice who follow Reading, the Company I used to work for in Thailand has its HQ in Reading and we sent a few Engineers there for work experience and they sort of adopted the team, also the ex manager Steve Coppel is a good friend of mine, and my partner in fourballs golf, my Thai buddies thought it was quite cool to have a beer with the manager of an English football team.

 

Another friend is a massive Leeds supporter, she went to Uni in Leeds and got addicted to the games. Admittedly Manchester United. Liverpool and Arsenal are the most popular clubs amongst Thais but there are some Thais who follow the lesser teams.

[Flashermac]

I've seen a few Arsenal stickers on cars, but nothing to compare to the thousands for Man U and Liverpool. Arsenal did play a friendly in Bangkok a few years back, so that got them so nice publicity.

 

Of course, give the average Thai a map of Britain and ask them to point to Liverpool or Manchester and see what happens. If you want to be nasty, hand them a map of Europe and ask them to find Britain.

 

 

 

 

[Mekong]

Arsenal in BKK, that must have been around 98/99

 

I saw Man United in Bangkok 2001 and still have the jacket to prove it, I wear the jacket all the time when I go to the Bernabeu to see Real Madrid, the Spanish are quite cool supporters and accept me as a fan of football and sort of go "wow fark you saw United play in Thailand, nice one amigo"

[Flashermac]

 

ARSENAL SOCCER SCHOOL THAILAND

 

 

[LizardKing]

I wouldn't say "think" Wilt Chamberlain was the most dominant force ever, I would say, "know". Check out Jerry West's youtube comments on Wilt.

 

Are we changing sports here? Or just what is the question? Is it the best footballer/soccer star ever? The best basketballer ever? Or the best competitive sportsman (sans Olympics) ever?

 

HHHUUUUUGGGGGEEEE difference in answers?

 

For what are you looking? Sorry, I'm an anal engineer and looks for a real target, not a neighborhood.

[Steve]

Lifeline, 'men and sports' as my mom used to say. Opinions are said with an intensity as if they are fact. I think you're right about Chamberlain but its opinion when all is said and done.

 

As for Maradonna, I think there are a lot of folks who will discount his football ability because of his personal life and it shouldn't be.

 

Ty Cobb as you know was one of the greatest baseball players ever. Had stats that stood for years. Just because he was a mental case, avout racist and all around a hole doesn't take anything away from his baseball ability. Michael Jordan wasn't a pleasant person either. Some would say a certain drug addicted former Giants linebacker was the greatest linebacker ever (Purcells said he was the best he ever coached or saw). (Lawrence Taylor to non Americans)

 

That said, I would tip my hat to Pele. I think he was the better all around player. Pele made people around him better, better team player. Maraddona was 'one footed' from what I recall. Couldn't use his left well and Pele was more 'two footed' (but not as two footed as some).

 

As for Iniesta, I think he's a great player. Maybe I'm being a biased as an Arsenal fan but I think if you stuck our spanish player Fabregas on that Barca team he'd be as good. Sacralege to say that to most but I think Fabregas is that good and has dominated in a team far less talented than Barcelona.

 

When ever he came on in the Spain games he changed it. Mostly in subtle ways but often in big ways. But that's my biased Arsenal thinking. We all may see for ourselves because he'll probably end up there at the end of this season (hopefully for a very, very large fee if it happens). I'd hate to see him go though. He's my favorite player.

 

However, it must be said (Cryuff fans aside) that Maradonna is the player most cited to challenge Pele as greatest player ever. That tells you just how good he was. Even if he's not the greatest, he's damned close.

[Mekong]

Steve

 

You say Maradona was one footed check out the link I posted 23/12/2010 17:06 - Post#873377 and you will see that was an amazing two footed dribble fron inside his own half, quite Ironic that as an Englishman one of my favourate goals of all time is a goal scored against England.

 

Also look at what Maradona did for Napoli, he joined a mid table Serie A side and basically single handedly took them on to win the Scudetto (Serie A Champions), he carried that team.

 

But as I said, difficult to make comparisions since back then TV coverage was limited and we are restricted to "soundbites" of their performances,

 

Another player often overlooked is "The Black Panther" Eusabio,who I have actually seen at a live game (Old Trafford 1969) he was head and shoulders above all other players on the pitch, to make an analogy imagine a motor race with 21 Fords and a Ferrari, Eusabio was the Ferrari he ran the game.

 

As you may recall I did mention a few years back on here that I used to be semi-pro footballer until a bad injury curtailed my footballing career, but when I played I dreamed I was Eusabio. I was only 5 years old when I saw him play but he leaf a lasting impression on me.

 

Even though I am a United fan I am also a bigger fan of good football, I even cheer Arsenal on when the turn it on in Europe but this current Barcelona team are something else hence the reason I spend my time (and money) travelling all over Spain to see them in action.

 

[Flashermac]

Ty Cobb's son was our neighbour in California 40+ years ago. Nice guy, not at all a wierdo like his father was said to be.

 

Wasn't it Ty Cobb who refused to share a hotel room with Babe Ruth, claiming Ruth looks "sort of black"?

 

 

[Steve]

Ty Cobb's son was our neighbour in California 40+ years ago. Nice guy, not at all a wierdo like his father was said to be.

 

Wasn't it Ty Cobb who refused to share a hotel room with Babe Ruth, claiming Ruth looks "sort of black"?

 

 

The 'N' bomb was routinely dropped on Babe Ruth to throw him off his game. Two reasons was that it was said his lips resembled black lips and because he was raised partially in an orphanage his parentage was questioned as being black. Even though his natural parents placed him there.