If only he had come to England rather than the gangster/drug capital of Italy he might have lasted longer.. .but I am assuming, like Gazza, he enjoyed himself immensely.
Strange career - one of the all time greats without doubt, but his signature moment and most iconic image is indeed that bold-faced cheating against England.
The wonder goal that followed that one is always a baffling watch. Outside of the incredible ball control on a pitch that Gary Lineker amongst others has confirmed was like a cabbage patch.
The bit no-one seems to remember as the clip is always shown starting just after is that there was a foul on an England player meaning the move should have stopped before it even started!
But the bits that get me are Peter Reid making a pitiful attempt and jogging back at granddad pace afterwards, one of the defenders ludicrously showing him inside and Fenwick quite insanely punting it back into his own danger zone. And on PURPOSE!
@Shev said:
Strange career - one of the all time greats without doubt, but his signature moment and most iconic image is indeed that bold-faced cheating against England.
I think that would depend on nationality and generation - I'm far too young to hold any resentment!
@Malone said:
The wonder goal that followed that one is always a baffling watch. Outside of the incredible ball control on a pitch that Gary Lineker amongst others has confirmed was like a cabbage patch.
The bit no-one seems to remember as the clip is always shown starting just after is that there was a foul on an England player meaning the move should have stopped before it even started!
But the bits that get me are Peter Reid making a pitiful attempt and jogging back at granddad pace afterwards, one of the defenders ludicrously showing him inside and Fenwick quite insanely punting it back into his own danger zone. And on PURPOSE!
I remember watching it live & screaming at the TV for Reid to "take him out!!!". I suppose there wasn't the mentality at the time to "take one for the team".
Quite simply the greatest player I have ever seen. Won the 1986 World Cup singlehandedly. In the semi final against Belgium he scored a goal just as good as his second against us in the quarters.
Untouchable at his peak on less than pristine pitches, in my opinion way better than Messi and Ronaldo.
I posted this on the old gasroom. That 86 game is the first game I remember watching. No idea what was going on. just remember my older brother appealling to our dad about unfair life was (if only we knew the half of it). Weirdly it seemed our dad knew the result and kept shouting 'Argentina!.' Years of counselling later I have not made peace with my dad. I hope he goes to a different place to Diego.
1986 world cup was during my uni exam season. Needless to say we watched every bloody game rather than revise. And some i think were at mad o'clock. Second goal took the breath away from still complaining about the first one. '****ing Kick him someone!' Indeed.
@HolmerBlue said:
I was always told if you have nothing nice to say it's better to say nothing.... so I'd better say nothing about that drug taking cheating little shit
Not even been dead 24 hours. Real touch of class that.
Presumably you hate Gareth Ainsworth as well because he deliberately handballed the ball into the goal against Colchester?
People who idly lay into Maradona for things he did in his life, doubtless have little or no awareness of his background, his childhood, the pressures and expectations heaped upon him when he was still very young and the subsequent mental and physical health problems he suffered. I wonder how many of us wouldn't have succumbed to some of his lifestyle choices - if indeed some of them were even choices. He was a troubled man for sure, but the main victim was always him. I'd still say Pele was the greatest ever player but Maradona was close behind, even if those goals did break my teenage heart back in the day.
@MindlessDrugHoover said:
People who idly lay into Maradona for things he did in his life, doubtless have little or no awareness of his background, his childhood, the pressures and expectations heaped upon him when he was still very young and the subsequent mental and physical health problems he suffered. I wonder how many of us wouldn't have succumbed to some of his lifestyle choices - if indeed some of them were even choices. He was a troubled man for sure, but the main victim was always him. I'd still say Pele was the greatest ever player but Maradona was close behind, even if those goals did break my teenage heart back in the day.
The recent film is utterly brilliant. Maybe very lucky to have got to 60. Certainly many other people did well off the back of his ability and few were looking out for him.
@HolmerBlue said:
I was always told if you have nothing nice to say it's better to say nothing.... so I'd better say nothing about that drug taking cheating little shit
I think that counts as saying something doesn't it?
I heard Peter Shilton on TV this morning and when asked about that goal he didn't blame Maradona for trying the handball or even getting away with it. He had a big issue with his hand of god statement afterwards though.
Overall though he talked favourably about him as a man and a player and if someone who's hopes of a World Cup win were taking away with a handball then that is good enough for me.
Maradona was incredibly one footed but that magic left foot was amazing. Makes his impact on the game all the more incredible when all you seemingly had to do was make him use his right foot
I just wonder if I go like that have been scored by an England player and we have gone onto win the match Would we be complaining or just thanking our lucky stars we got away with it. I agree the hand of God thing didn’t do him any favours he should’ve just kept quiet about it. Many years ago in my early days of watching Wycombe back in the 60s I remember I Wycombe player craftily punching a cross into the net and Getting away with it. The opposition I can’t remember who it was chased the referee up to the halfway line but he didn’t see it and wouldn’t change his mind.Us fans behind the goal who saw it all were just laughing at our good fortune so it depends whose side you’re on.
Exactly. Those sort of events are some of the most memorable in all of football. Who the hell is going to be looking back in 50 years reminiscing about a VAR decision?
Didn't GA himself get a fake goal that we all chuckled about? It was gutting at the time, but the way Maradona danced through the back line for the second suggests it would have been a 1-0 loss for England if nothing else.
The other night Bamford pointing to where he wanted the pass put him offside according to VAR...how his extended finger as he ran between two defenders was interfering with play I am at a loss to understand.
Comments
Real shocker. First player I remember being in awe of even though I was a bit young to see his best stuff live.
Best player to ever handle a football
??
If only he had come to England rather than the gangster/drug capital of Italy he might have lasted longer.. .but I am assuming, like Gazza, he enjoyed himself immensely.
Strange career - one of the all time greats without doubt, but his signature moment and most iconic image is indeed that bold-faced cheating against England.
The wonder goal that followed that one is always a baffling watch. Outside of the incredible ball control on a pitch that Gary Lineker amongst others has confirmed was like a cabbage patch.
The bit no-one seems to remember as the clip is always shown starting just after is that there was a foul on an England player meaning the move should have stopped before it even started!
But the bits that get me are Peter Reid making a pitiful attempt and jogging back at granddad pace afterwards, one of the defenders ludicrously showing him inside and Fenwick quite insanely punting it back into his own danger zone. And on PURPOSE!
I think that would depend on nationality and generation - I'm far too young to hold any resentment!
I remember watching it live & screaming at the TV for Reid to "take him out!!!". I suppose there wasn't the mentality at the time to "take one for the team".
Quite simply the greatest player I have ever seen. Won the 1986 World Cup singlehandedly. In the semi final against Belgium he scored a goal just as good as his second against us in the quarters.
Untouchable at his peak on less than pristine pitches, in my opinion way better than Messi and Ronaldo.
He did win it single-handedly, as you say.
I posted this on the old gasroom. That 86 game is the first game I remember watching. No idea what was going on. just remember my older brother appealling to our dad about unfair life was (if only we knew the half of it). Weirdly it seemed our dad knew the result and kept shouting 'Argentina!.' Years of counselling later I have not made peace with my dad. I hope he goes to a different place to Diego.
1986 world cup was during my uni exam season. Needless to say we watched every bloody game rather than revise. And some i think were at mad o'clock. Second goal took the breath away from still complaining about the first one. '****ing Kick him someone!' Indeed.
I hate VAR, but if there was ever a game it was needed...
I was always told if you have nothing nice to say it's better to say nothing.... so I'd better say nothing about that drug taking cheating little shit
Best player that ever lived.
Not even been dead 24 hours. Real touch of class that.
Presumably you hate Gareth Ainsworth as well because he deliberately handballed the ball into the goal against Colchester?
A truly terrible post
People who idly lay into Maradona for things he did in his life, doubtless have little or no awareness of his background, his childhood, the pressures and expectations heaped upon him when he was still very young and the subsequent mental and physical health problems he suffered. I wonder how many of us wouldn't have succumbed to some of his lifestyle choices - if indeed some of them were even choices. He was a troubled man for sure, but the main victim was always him. I'd still say Pele was the greatest ever player but Maradona was close behind, even if those goals did break my teenage heart back in the day.
Pele & Cryuff ahead of him for me.
The recent film is utterly brilliant. Maybe very lucky to have got to 60. Certainly many other people did well off the back of his ability and few were looking out for him.
I think that counts as saying something doesn't it?
I heard Peter Shilton on TV this morning and when asked about that goal he didn't blame Maradona for trying the handball or even getting away with it. He had a big issue with his hand of god statement afterwards though.
Overall though he talked favourably about him as a man and a player and if someone who's hopes of a World Cup win were taking away with a handball then that is good enough for me.
Maradona was incredibly one footed but that magic left foot was amazing. Makes his impact on the game all the more incredible when all you seemingly had to do was make him use his right foot
I just wonder if I go like that have been scored by an England player and we have gone onto win the match Would we be complaining or just thanking our lucky stars we got away with it. I agree the hand of God thing didn’t do him any favours he should’ve just kept quiet about it. Many years ago in my early days of watching Wycombe back in the 60s I remember I Wycombe player craftily punching a cross into the net and Getting away with it. The opposition I can’t remember who it was chased the referee up to the halfway line but he didn’t see it and wouldn’t change his mind.Us fans behind the goal who saw it all were just laughing at our good fortune so it depends whose side you’re on.
Exactly. Those sort of events are some of the most memorable in all of football. Who the hell is going to be looking back in 50 years reminiscing about a VAR decision?
Actually don't answer that.
Didn't GA himself get a fake goal that we all chuckled about? It was gutting at the time, but the way Maradona danced through the back line for the second suggests it would have been a 1-0 loss for England if nothing else.
Officials getting big decisions wrong and the scandal/delight it generates is one of those age old traditions of football.
Getting to such a sanitised version of the game where they (eventually) get every single little decision correct does take a bit of the soul away.
The other night Bamford pointing to where he wanted the pass put him offside according to VAR...how his extended finger as he ran between two defenders was interfering with play I am at a loss to understand.