All time great?

Did I stutter?

[url=http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/23032010/58/world-cup-2010-england-world-cup-tv-schedule.htmlWorld Cup 2010 - England's World Cup TV schedule[/url

ITV will show England's first two matches at the 2010 World Cup, with BBC showing the third group game, as well as the last-16 and quarter-final if Fabio Capello's men make it that far

Eh? So the games won't be shown on both channels? FFS. Got to put up with ITVs dire coverage.

"He's alright that little Messi fella, might make it if he puts on a bit of weight and learns to head a ball..."

Probably what the scouting report would have read if he'd been born in Aldershot rather than Argentina.

Add 'too short & only has 1 foot' and you're bang on the money.

He was turned down by Argentinian giants River Plate due to the conditon which stunted his growth.

I am yet to meet an Argentinian here who has a good word to say about Messi, they all think he doesn't care about playing for Argentina and only plays well for Barcelona because that's who pay his wages.

Then again, they seem to think similarly of most of the star players who head to Europe so it isn't that much of a surprise.

I presume the post about Messi/Rooney/Ronaldo joining the likes of Pele and Maradona if they do well in the World Cup was a joke? Three players in their early/mid 20's who have done well for the last 3 or 4 years for their clubs in comparison to players who performed well at the very top level for club and country for over a decade?

Obviously. All 3 of the ones I mentioned won at least 2 World Cups? (Did Maradonna? Think he got 1) Mess, Roo & Ron have still got many years of football ahead of them.

Why do they think so highly of Maradonna then? Because he won things with Argentina? Maybe Messi will.

I guess he performed for his country, whereas Messi doesn't appear to have done anything worthwhile, as of yet.

The three lads I was talking to last night claim he doesn't even try, I haven't seen enough of Argentina to comment on that, I think it is just a bit of paranoia - for example two different people here have claimed that Veron must have been "paid off" because of his poor performance in the England v Argentina WC game in 2002 co-incided with him playing in England, the fact that he was pretty useless for most of his time in England surrounding that tournament seems to have passed them by!

One world cup when he was 26. Messi is 22 so has plenty of time yet. Ironically the biggest hinderance to Messi and Argentina winning a world cup is their current manager, Diego Armando Maradona.