General Football Thread

[Dingle]

Yeah Pele comes across like a dick, although I'm a stranger to his and Maradonna's era's to be honest. But thje game wasn't as technical back then was it? So I can imagine any player with the technical prowess of today's game combined with strength could be whipping teams back then?

Like I say though, I'm highly ignorant to the past so can anyone wager in on this?

[Colly]

If Amdy Faye was playing in the 60s, he'd be the greatest player in the world. Honestly.

[Crybaby Bunting]

If Andy Carroll was playing in the 60s he still wouldn't score

[Gazz]

Pele kind of has a point though... its fine being the best player in the world when you are surrounded by ten other players who are up there. Messi does not perform at international level with a top top country, and looks very average at times. However players like Maradonna and Pele shone everywhere they played and more than helped in winning trophies everywhere they went, be it domestic football or international.

There's a feeling that Messi identifies himself of more of a Catalan than an Argentinian, so focuses more on Barca than he ever does the national team. Not to mention the Argentine national team is vastly overrated. Argentina hasn't produced a decent defender since Walter Samuel, who's about 56 now.

Maradona doesn't feel the need to mention it whenever asked though. Plus the 'ten other great players' thing can be levelled at Pele very easily in at least two of his world cup wins, which it can't at Maradona whether for Argentina or Napoli.

Plus his two billion goals thing is silly. I'm pretty sure that counts all the rehearsal goals against Sly Stallone while filming Escape to Victory.

A lot of those goals were in the Brazilian State Championships playing against amateur teams for Santos.

[Gazz]

Also...

Player scores direct from corners twice in one game.

[Lineker]

It's always the Irish league - must be something in the water!

[Lineker]

Maradona responds!!

Al Wasl coach Diego Maradona has sarcastically claimed that old age is beginning to affect Pele's judgement, following recent comments made by the Brazilian on Barcelona forward Lionel Messi.

The former Santos star sparked debate with his claims that the attacker will never reach his level of excellence, but speaking at a press conference on Saturday, the ex-Napoli forward laughed off the remarks, before proceeding to take aim at the 71-year-old.

"This is maybe due to old age affecting his thought processes," replied Maradona.

"You can't blame the guy, he hasn't been doing anything for the past 20 years. I haven't even seen him in a supermarket. I don't know what he does.

"Usually, when you see him these days, it's only at award ceremonies next to the president of Fifa and looking like a doll that's being moved by remote control," he continued. "His comments come as no surprise."

Maradona and Pele's latest dispute is the latest in a string of much-publicised personal attacks in the media, with the Argentine previously claiming his South American compatriot mixed up his prescription for opining that Neymar was a better footballer than Messi.

[Thrilla]

Interesting story I'd never heard of from The Guardian's Knowledge of football bit on Facebook....

"Is there any truth in the story that Harry Redknapp once fielded a spectator during a West Ham game?" asks Terry Williams. "Legend has it that the Hammers were having a shocker and a fan was heckling them. Harry is then supposed to have turned round and said: 'If you think you can do any better, then prove it!'"

Incredibly, the legend is true, Terry. In 1994, Redknapp was assistant manager of West Ham and his side were playing Oxford City in a pre-season friendly when ... well, we'll let 'Arry take up the tale:

"Lee Chapman was playing for us at the time," recounts Redknapp. "All through the first half some tattooed skinhead behind me was giving Lee terrible stick. At half-time I turned to this bloke who had West Ham etched on his neck and asked 'Can you play as good as you talk?' He looked totally confused. So I told him he was going to get his dream to play for West Ham. We sent him down the tunnel and he reappeared 10 minutes later all done out in the strip. He ran on to the pitch and a journalist from the local Oxford paper sidled up and asked 'Who's that Harry?' I said 'What? Haven't you been watching the World Cup? That's the great Bulgarian Tittyshev!' The fella wasn't bad - actually, he scored!"

The fella in question was a 27-year-old called Steve Davies who had given up park football six years earlier. The West Ham board were obviously impressed with Harry's idiosyncratic decision-making: they made him manager a month later.

---------

Also, for next week's column.

Can you help?

"A number of Channel Islanders have played in the top English division over the years (Matthew Le Tissier, Chris Jones, Graeme Le Saux)," writes David Glass, "but have there been any well-known players from the other offshore islands - the Isle of Man, the Hebrides, Isle of Wight, Orkney, Shetland, etc?"

"According to Wikipedia, Clive Allen's been on the books of seven London clubs, playing for six of them. Has any player ever played for, or been on the books of more clubs in the same city?" wonders Thomas Paternoster.

"Has anyone ever scored with a rabona - crossing the right leg behind the left to strike the ball - in top-flight football?" asks Keith Kent. "I know Juan Seba Veron did it in training from 40 yards out when he was on a tour of America with United but it wasn't captured on camera."

"Following Lee Carsley's accidental clash with Tim Cahill's knee, what other cases are there of players injuring a team-mate during a game?" enquires Sam Read.

"Last week, Scottish rugby union commentator John Beattie commentated on his own son Johnnie scoring a try on his international debut," notes Niel Butler. "Has anything similar ever happened in football?"

Email your questions and answers to knowledge@guardian.co.uk.

[lanky316]

Interesting story I'd never heard of from The Guardian's Knowledge of football bit on Facebook....

"Is there any truth in the story that Harry Redknapp once fielded a spectator during a West Ham game?" asks Terry Williams. "Legend has it that the Hammers were having a shocker and a fan was heckling them. Harry is then supposed to have turned round and said: 'If you think you can do any better, then prove it!'"

Incredibly, the legend is true, Terry. In 1994, Redknapp was assistant manager of West Ham and his side were playing Oxford City in a pre-season friendly when ... well, we'll let 'Arry take up the tale:

"Lee Chapman was playing for us at the time," recounts Redknapp. "All through the first half some tattooed skinhead behind me was giving Lee terrible stick. At half-time I turned to this bloke who had West Ham etched on his neck and asked 'Can you play as good as you talk?' He looked totally confused. So I told him he was going to get his dream to play for West Ham. We sent him down the tunnel and he reappeared 10 minutes later all done out in the strip. He ran on to the pitch and a journalist from the local Oxford paper sidled up and asked 'Who's that Harry?' I said 'What? Haven't you been watching the World Cup? That's the great Bulgarian Tittyshev!' The fella wasn't bad - actually, he scored!"

The fella in question was a 27-year-old called Steve Davies who had given up park football six years earlier. The West Ham board were obviously impressed with Harry's idiosyncratic decision-making: they made him manager a month later.

That story was later retold on Dream Team, of course they ended up signing said fan full time and him scoring the goal to win them the league title.... I miss Dream Team

[Lineker]

RIP Harchester

[Summers]

Dream Team

[Colly]

And yet only one person +1'd Luis Amor Rodriguez in the obscure footballer thread, and some twonk worked off the wrong letter...

[MDK]

Dream Team was the worst/best TV show ever.

[Lineker]

And yet only one person +1'd Luis Amor Rodriguez in the obscure footballer thread, and some twonk worked off the wrong letter...

Must have missed it

[Dingle]

Dream Team was the worst/best TV show ever.

This sums up everything I feel about Dream Team.

Oh Maradona you brilliant man.

[Lineker]

Did anybody else see the line on SSN that said that Mario Gotze is set to miss an uncertain amount of time due to 'a pubic bone injury'?

[MJB]

I read two months out with a groin injury

[MJB]

Dani Alves has just scored a fucking cracker for Barca against Real in the 2nd leg of the Copa Del Rey.

Real were 2-1 down going into this game and they controlled the opening 40 minutes but a goal on the break by Pedro and then this wonderstrike from Alves right on the stroke of half time makes it impossible for them now. Poor Casillas was booked from being shoved about by about eight Barcelona players aswell

Diarra should already be off though.

[Robsturgh]

Outstanding goal. Alves gets a lot of shit (probably attributed to the fact he is a bit of a fuckstick), but he's probably the best attacking full back in the world right now.

[Dingle]

Have to agree there. It was definitely Maicon for a while, keeping Alves out of the Brazil squad at times, and I also highly rate Lahm, but for Barcelona, he does a LOT of work and allows other players a lot more space to operate. Will have to watch some highlights from the CDR tonight.