Dear readers,
Next Tuesday is Labour Day, so we want you to answer The Postman's Question of the Week early, by 3pm this Saturday. Take part in our poll too below...
Many of you have always asked for a bit more variety in The Postman's series when it comes to football in Europe. And since it's the semi-final period of the Champions League, it's the perfect chance to raise the debate with three players currently dominating the headlines.
The two obvious ones are Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo and Milan's Kaka.
Of course, Ronaldo's team-mate Wayne Rooney stole the limelight on Tuesday when his two goals gave Man U a dramatic 3-2 win over Milan in the first leg of their semi-final.
Now, may we add another. Although his team has been knocked out of the Champions League, Barcelona's Lionel Messi stunned the footballing world last week with a goal that reminded many fans of Diego Maradona's stunning solo run and goal against England in the 1986 World Cup.
Barcelona was playing Getafe in the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey, and Messi was in nearly the same spot as Maradona when he received the ball around the halfway line.
The Argentinian left-legged wizard showed amazing trickery and a burst of pace to get past two Getafe players first. He then sprinted with the ball magnetised by his feet, dribbled past another two defenders on the edge of the box, before rounding the goalkeeper and nudging the ball over a sliding defender into goal, from an angle. Six players in all, he had beaten.
Type the words "Lionel Messi" and "Getafe" in YouTube on the Internet, and hold your breath.
It brought inevitable comparisons to Maradona’s legendary goal.
"It's true that it is like Maradona's classic, but I think Messi ran even faster," Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard said after.
Kaka is 25, while Ronaldo and Rooney are 22 this year. At 20, Messi is the youngest of this promising quartet spread out across three of Europe's top leagues in England, Spain and Italy.
The Postman's Question of the Week: Who (among Ronaldo, Kaka, Rooney and Messi) do you think can be the world's greatest player, and why?
Answer in not more than 200 words, by 3pm this Saturday, and the usual spread of letters will be carried on Tuesday, in The New Paper.
Post your views here by clicking on "comments" below my poll here, or e-mail to The New Paper's sports desk under the title "Dear Postman" (by clicking the link on the right).
At your service,
Ernest Luis
The Postman
The New Paper
(PS. E-mailers and bloggers, you all should e-mail us your full name, age, occupation, contact numbers and favourite teams, so you can be selected as prize winners or have your letters published.)
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74 comments:
Normally when one gauges a player like this, one tends to assess how many trophies they have won at club or / and international stage, or how much influence they exude to their teams, how often they carry their team's expectations on their shoulders and succeed besides the normal flair and amazing repertoire of skills they possess. And lastly, consistency.
Looking at the 4 players (Ronaldo is 22 and Rooney is 21 Ernest, not 25), it looks like Kaka is up there leading the pack. With a Champions League medal won in 2004, a World Cup winner's medal in 2002 (though he didn't play at all) and Serie A title (2004), I think this is a no-brainer at present.
With his scintillating performances in the Champions League this season, he is showing all the attributes that made Ronaldinho a big star. Kaka is not as flamboyant as Ronaldo and Messi, he keeps things simple, but it's this simplicity that's winning his team matches and him admirers.
Messi still has a long way to go. His main weakness is consistency. He can be so good in one game and then he can disappear into oblivion in the next. Even when Barcelona won the La Liga and Champions League last season, he wasn't as influential as Ronaldinho, Eto'o or Larsson, even if he did played a part in destroying Chelsea. One slalom-like goal does not make a man.
For Rooney and Ronaldo to achieve greater heights and if they want their names etched in the pantheons, they have to start winning trophies with club and country. Yes, we've seen how they've rescued United this season at different stages. Playing fantastic football is one thing, but if one does not have an extraordinary amount of consistency, influence, tactical discipline and luck, claims of being World Player of the Year will never be justified...
Kaka looks like the best bet for now with Ronaldo a close second, if we take into account how he carried Portugal in the last World Cup and how he has been performing for United this season. All he needs now are medals in his trophy cabinet.
When one mentions the World's greatest player, the likes of Maradona, Pele comes to mind. Someone who is both equally adept at both club and international football. Someone who carries the team when they need an inspiration. This to me is a straight fight between Kaka and Ronaldo. Perhaps his lack of flamboyance has seen him being outshone by Ronaldinho in the national team. But through his goals in particular against Croatia, he simply carried Brazil when the going got tougher at the WCup. At 25 approaching the peak for most footballers, he can be the World's greatest player if he maintains his levels of performance. 9 goals in the Champs League is a good return for anyone whatmore a support striker.
Ronaldo. Whatmore can be said about this lad? Condemned and attacked in the country when he plays domestic football, anyone would have buckled under this immense hatred. He did not fall and yet delivered some of the most scintilating performances the EPL has ever seen. He is equally adept at carrying the form over to the international stage and has emerged as a natural heir to Figo.
Rooney? Brilliant on his day but not as consistent. Perhaps he loses out to the above two because of the state of the English team. But as seen from the game against Milan, he was played out of his favourtite position and yet, outshone both Ronaldo and Kaka. Could emerge as a dark horse to take on the above two in future as age is still very much on his side.
Messi? Definitely need to carry the team on a more consistent basis. But he has matured tremendously this season. A hattrick against Real was one of the more telling contributions. But the World's best player should not be judged upon just by the number of spectacular goals that one scores but also the influence he brings to the team. At 20, perhaps he is still unable to maintain this level of consistency.
To be the best player, one would need to produce the goods week in and week out. After a spectacular season with their respective teams, the jury is still out if they can maintain such performances in the coming seasons.
Cheers,
kel
I pick Kaka. Don't ask me why.
Cristiano Ronaldo is a diver.
Wayne Rooney is hot-tempered.
And Lionel Messi is an Argentinian. Not that I'm racist, but I prefer Brazillian style of samba then the Argentinian whatever-its-called.
Like as though Robben, Drogba and who else in Chelsea are angels and don't dive eh Q-S??? :)
Kaka.Ronaldo.Rooney.Messi.
These names would surely strike fear in any defenders' minds. However, believe it or not, out of this amazing quartet, I would like to point out to another great player, Didier Drogba.
This physically-built striker had surprisingly surpassed everyone's expectations this season,scoring a total of 31 goals across all competitions, some of them priceless match-winning goals, others, wonder goals scored from a moment of brilliance. Not to mention his all-rounder style which has him helping out defending in set-pieces, knocking down high balls for his teammates, create chances out of nothing, and scoring goals at the same time, while displaying sublime skills and touches that rivals even Ronaldo's. Tell me, which one from the amazing quartet had actually helped out in their team's defence? More doubts? Just look at the recent Liverpool-Chelsea Champions League Clash and see how the "Drog" had performed.
Mind you, he may not be able to execute pacy step-overs or pin-point crosses as well as Ronaldo, but his inspiring team performance has made him the man of the moment, the world's greatest player.
Speaking of World's greatest players, colossal names like Pele and Maradona come to each of our minds.
In terms of skills, Rooney and Kaka are the two out of the quartet which are not well known for their step-overs and trickeries. The duo play simple football, perhaps a little trickeries once in a while to get past opponents. The remaining two somehow impressed many with their step-overs, tricks and flicks. In order to be the World's Greatest player, talk not just about their skills, but the attitude and character too.
Confidence is NOT arrogance. Looking at how Ronaldo praises himself("Maybe I am just too good.") and how Messi boasted about scoring easily against Liverpool in the Champions League, I do not see why the World's Greatest needs to have such unnecessary arrogance. They have the skills, but not the character, yet. I mentioned yet. Being young is the problem. They still have a long way to the end of their careers. A little more time and football will do them good. Similarly for Rooney, he still needs time to learn how to control his fiery temper that could have burn the grasses on the pitch he plays.
Kaka is a good choice. A good tempered, humble and also a suave player who plays excellent football. Speaking of achievements, he has almost won what he can win in his footballing career. Even so, he is still showing consistency in his form and performance. Aged 25, he has shown that he is matured and at his peak. I believe there is more to come from this great player.
I humbly offer my vote to Kaka, and hope that the players mentioned will continue to improve as a footballer.
Cheers.
Jiahao, 19, student, Man U fan.
http://reddevilsofoldtrafford.blogspot.com
I know this is a little controversial, but right now the best player in the world is Petr Cech.
You can't win anything if you're shipping goals all the time and every great team has to have a great goalkeeper.
A goalkeeper of Cech's quality can be the difference between winning titles and coming second, or crashing out of the cup to a fluke snapshot.
Cech is brave, strong, quick and agile. He's head and shoulders above any other goalkeeper and is consistently excellent for Chelsea.
I'd pick him for my dream team before I looked at Kaka, Messi and Ronaldo.
Long before the era of Pele and Maradona to the recent times of Zidane and Ronaldinho,the debate on which football prodigy will go on to be the best will never ever end.
All these 4 players are naturally gifted and possess that God-give skills to wow the crowds and can win a match on their own.To be the best they will have to consistently perform on a level different from the rest which means the race to be the best is only down to 2 horse race with only Kaka and Ronaldo in it because Rooney and Messi are both lacking this consistency in them,they can be brilliant this moment and disappear the next.
Kaka and Ronaldo are both having a fantastic season in domestic league and also European Champions league.Kaka leading ageing Milan with his direct approach and clinical finishes,Ronaldo has just showed why Man U treble dream is pretty alive with his very own treble victory,sweeping all the major PFA Player of The Year awards after haunting defences all season long with his mesmerising skills,Ferrari pace and deadly finishes.Kaka just slightly outshine Ronaldo as he has the medals to show for while Ronaldo only has that FA Cup medal with the Devils.So currently my choice will be Kaka but Ronaldo will take the pole position if he does lead the Devils to the treble.
However never write out Rooney and Messi,when they find that consistency,they can simply be the best too.You know what's best?That will be putting the foursome in a team,thats the best.
Nice choice Iain, I like that!
Let's not forget that Petr Cech has been proving himself at the highest levels consistently in the past few years. And he is only 24!
iain has a point saying that the best player is Petr Cech.
Coming back from the freak injury, he still mantains the consistency he has. 24 is a very young age for a keeper. You can't find many young and professional keepers.
Keepers like Casillas, Buffon and Kahn established their names at a later age, after 24.
But if we were to look at the four choices Ernest gave, my pick would be Messi or Ronaldo.
Messi is very young. He still has many opportunities in the future. I think he has the likes of the next Maradona. Gags. He has shown much potential, and is also very agile.
Ronaldo has to go to his fullest this season to keep his place after the World Cup 'controversial' red card. He has no choice to give 100% and more to show he is worth the place in Manchester United.
i know ronaldo won two distinguised awards, and i've noticed how influential he can be on the field, but i think it's too early to tip him as the one of the world's future best player. yes, he's immensely talented, but he's still young. there's no telling if he can maintain or improve on his skills in the coming years. of course i'm hoping that he'll improve on his game, though i honestly can't imagine how captivating it will be to see him play at the peak of his career; it'll be more terrifying than the way he untangles the defence nowadays.
rooney is regarded as a football genius although he's just starting to mature and carve out his football career. that magical Rooney touch is unique to him. the thing i like most about Rooney is that he's not afraid of his opponents. in fact, he seems to ensure that his opponents are fearful of his play. he can sense goal oppurtunities and more often than not, he made goal-scoring look so simple, like how he did against AC Milan a few days ago. and nowadays, he seems to have his temper in check, which is a good idea because i don't think fans will appreciate it if he gets carded or sent off because of his temper. another thing i like about him is that he's not selfish with the ball. when he wasn't in scoring form, he turned provider for ronaldo and his other team-mates if he felt they had a better chance of scoring than him. in fact, i think that Man Utd had him to thank for setting up their goals.
Messi has long been raved as the next big thing after Maradona. they share the same nationality, same style of play and hold the same type of football magic. messi's goal against getafe only served to strengthen this opinion. the way he eluded and tricked the defenders with his fast pace and how the ball never seemed to leave his feet was simply amazing. at 20, he has a long way to go to work on his game. they say that a footballer reach the peak of his career at the age of 25-26. let's wait five more years and see how Messi will be like.
out of the 4, i prefer Kaka. he plays consistently well for almost every match , and the way he wins the games for his team is incredible. maybe Kaka's boyish and humble demeanour hides the fact that he's actually quite lethal. yet the way he executes his moves are simply breathtaking, a mixture of European classiness and Brazilian trickery. he had a World Cup winners medal, a champions league medal and Serie A honours by the time he was 24. this is amazing achievement for a young player. and as mentioned before, 25 is the best time to start noting a player's gameplay. maybe it's just me, but it seemed that Kaka is a much better player this season. his sharpness in front of goal has drastically improved.
Yeah Cech is great, no doubt, so let's see if he can deliver the Champions League, Euro Championships, World Club Cup, European Super Cup and World Cup to club and country before being hailed as great. I don't remember Kahn, Schmeichel and Buffon being awarded World Footballer in the World for their past achievements. So if Cech wins, there's hope for goalkeepers out there to shine on the big stage. It's tough being a goalkeeper. I know cos I'm one... :)
Choosing the greatest young talent is similar to asking who is the best singer or the best cook, it is simply an unenviable task and no doubt, a debatable one. While the candidates shortlisted are world-class talents in their own right, we have to put into context consistency at the highest level, temperament and dependability in big matches.
Without doubt, Kaka is the most established player of the lot. A player for the big occasions, he has single-handedly carried Milan through the Champions League competition. He fuses Brazilian technical excellence with European tactical nous. He has shown exemplary consistency in Europe for the past few seasons and exudes a maturity and temperament beyond his years.
Rooney comes a close second but when things don't go his way, his temperament is suspect. He has not been at his best most of the season so consistency is still an issue for Roonaldo. However, on his day, there is nobody better in the world that combines strength, skill and power as well as pace to devastating effect.
While we can rave about Ronaldo's step-overs and Messi's dribbles, both players are just beginning to come on their own this season. Only time will tell if they are able to perform at such a high level consistently for the next few seasons. Without a doubt, we do hope they can fulfill their potential as they have what it takes to be the best players in the world.
However, the best young talent in the world currently then? Definitely, Kaka.
At age 19, Messi has accomplished far more than what Kaka had at age.
And by the way, Kaka a young gun at age 25??!! Is someone at age 25 still consider to be a "young" gun?
Maradona was 25 when he won the World Cup in Mexico 1986.
Zidane's 26th birthday was during the WC in France 98 (that is, he started the tournament being...25!).
I don't remember anyone saying at those times that Maradona or Zidane were promising young talents.
Yes, Messi has achieved alot at 19. But it remains to be seen whether he can accomplish what Kaka has achieved by 25. A World Cup and a Champs League medal are just some of the many trophies in Kaka's cabinet.
Perhaps 25 is still considered young because a footballer normally reaches his peak at about 27 or 28 i guess.
Cheers,
kel
Hi all,
Sorry for the mistake, yes, Ronaldo and Rooney are 22 this year...that was what I meant to write before the publishing deadline on Thursday morning.
And yes, technically speaking, Kaka's not really a young gun. But at least, that sounds better than young adult?
Keep those comments coming. I know it's a bit rushed this week, but the number of pages we have in store for you, forces us to push you.
Guys, Kaka has not won a Champions League medal yet..
He joined Milan before Milan's triumph at Old Trafford.
After triumph rather,,sorry..
Since it's a pretty tight deadline.,I'll keep it short and this is right off from the top of my head
Wayne Rooney
-too hot-tempered(might improve with age but maybe not[Eg Scholes])
-a determined hard worker and is physically strong which is good for a striker
Christiano Ronaldo
- haven't reach to his peak and had not been seriously injured before (which might affect his skills if he were to be seriously injured)
-the master of stepovers(do i need to say more?)
Lionel Messi
-Not a key player for barcelona(might lead to inconsistency)
-full of trickery and can defeat defenders easily(like his goal against Gatafe)
-can't remember much about him actually
Kaka
-the one of the important player in AC Milan(without him, AC Milan is just another ordinary team)
-consistent
-amazing skills(can change the entire game with his brilliance[just like Zidane :)])
-hmm can't think of any negative things about him
So from what I have listed above on the qualities that I think each of the 4 players possess, you can make your own judgement on which is the best young gun. But obviously you can see which one is my choice ;)
How can Rooney be compared to the rest? He hasn't won anything really great and his medal cabinet has collected more dust and spiderwebs than medals.
Pele and Maradona didn't win any Champions League medals or European Leagues but they are hail as World Greatest Players in their generations.
It is due to their abilites to win World Cup tournaments based solely on their own.Pele did it in 1958 and 1970 World Cups while Maradona achieve it on 1986 World Cup.
Zidane and Ronaldo, both given bonuses in winning European honours, have also won World Cups on their own.For Zidane in 1998 and Ronaldo in 2002.
What is the criteria to gauge the Next World Greatest Player.That is critical media compare a particular young gun's scoring feat with previous World Greatest Player.
Only Messi is given the honour, whose goal against Getafe, prompted soccer journalist his goal with Maradona's scored against England in 1986 World Cup.
Therefore, Lionel Messi is the next World Greatest Player.
From: Chester Low
To select the best young player among these yong wonderkids is really very difficult.In terms of skills, goals and achievement, all of them has achieved a lot. The main factors to gauge them will be the influence, consistency and their ability to carry their team to success.
By the looks of the 4 players, i should think that Kaka should be the best young player on this planet football right now. He is the main spirit of Milan and without him, Milan would be like a Lion without its head. He is the only player that is carrying his team to glory now. Yes, Milan do not have any dosmetic glory this season but to perform in the champions league, it must take the highest level of football. He is the leading scorer of champions league now with 9 goals, which is more than half of milan total 15 goals.To think that he acheived this feat when he is not playing as an out and out striker is even more amazing. He has also performed consistently on the international stage. Just look at the brillant goal he scored against croatia in the world cup. At this current moment, Kaka has even elude Ronaldinho as the best footballer.
The other 3 players are defintely talented players. Rooney is a player who has exceptional talent. But his best ability, i should think is his drive and passion for football. However, his consistency can be called into questions and his fiery temperament. He could not performed week in and week out unlike Kaka and he is always getting himself into trouble with the referees. He is not matured enough yet to be the best youngster.
Ronaldo is a player with plenty of tricks up his sleeve. He has performed consistently both on the international and club level. However, his influence on his team is defintely not as great as KAka's. He also has a bad habit that is to dive which Kaka do not do. This will move him further down the pecking orders.
Lionel messi should be the best player in a few years time. No doubt he is an exceptional player but he has not enough experience currently and he is not consistency enough. Furthermore, he is playing under the limelight of ronaldinho and Eto'o which means he is not an ionfluential player for barca.
Thus, the most outstanding and best choice would definitely be kaka.
I belive Kaka would emerge as the best footballer.The criteria for being a football great:create wonders for club and country consistently.Rooney's weakness lies here.For Man U,he is the boy wonder.But boy,I wonder what he does for England. His frequent fights at nightclubs show his troubled background.
Ronaldo sometimes makes the headlines for the wrong reasons.he has been accused of diving, raping a woman and encouraging the ref to card Rooney at the World Cup.This might mislead him and be his downfall.
Between Messi and Kaka, we have two great players. But Kaka will have the edge because of this season. While Barcelona happily welcomed star arrivals, Milan had to cope with the loss of Shevchenko. Kaka had to be accustomed to the lone striker role at the start of the season. And, instead of complaining, he took it on as a challenge and excelled at it, topping Europe's goalscorers' list. Messi and Kaka have both had their acheivements, but it was Kaka who helped Milan rise to 4th place despite a 9 point penalty.
Ernest, I have changed my blogger name from ashvin to ashvin93.My particulars are still the same.
To be the greatest, he must be unplayable, with the ability to influence matches at an instant. As the most technically gifted player on the planet, he exudes an aura of confidence on the field; making the game look simple while destroying teams with his plethora of talents.
Above all, he is able to bring football into a whole new level; giving unbridled joy to anyone who watches him play. Like Pele, Maradona and Zidane before him, he is a leader, team-player, entertainer and winner rolled into one.
The heir apparent points to Ronaldo to dominate world football for years to come. Blessed with natural ability and an athletic physique, Ronaldo is a skillful dribbler, good in the air and deadly at set-pieces.
He has added much needed pragmatism to his game without jeopardizing the entertainment value of it. The way he bamboozles defenders with his trickery, making the impossible look ridiculously simple, provide fans with unforgettable moments.
Yet to reach the peak of his powers, we shudder to think how good he can be, considering he is already one of the world’s best players. Barring injuries and ill-fortune, Ronaldo will be the world’s greatest player in time to come.
Hi Nor Hadi,
What's your choice then? Kaka or Ronaldo? Or is Hadi now a different person?
Cheers,
The Postman
When people say the world’s greatest player, what do they mean and what attributes must a player possess to become one?
In my opinion, a world’s greatest player must be proficient in both defending and attacking. A pretty good example will be Steven Gerrard.
Attack minded players are often touted as potential world’s class players because they frequently stunt the crowd and flood the headlines with their techniques and goals while defensive players are always the unsung heroes.
Kaka, Rooney, Ronaldo and Messi are all players who are capable of dribbling their way past defenders and putting the ball into the net, but only one is close to being call the world’s greatest player. He is Kaka.
At the age of 25, Kaka is the most matured among the lot and his striking of the ball ability is also second to none. Kaka’s tackles and defending are also decent, this make him a stronger contender for the world’s greatest player honour.
Rooney, Ronaldo and Messi all at the tender young of 21, 22 and 19 respectively, although already considered as class players, they still have lots more to learn.
For those who say that Kaka has more medals, this is actually not true. All Kaka has won in Europe is one Italian championship and one European Supercup (not the Champions, nor the UEFA). He also won the Confederations Cup playing for Brazil. That is, three medals (at age 25).
Messi is a World Youth champion (playing for Argentina, being top scorer and best player of the tournament), and was an important player in Barcelona's Spanish title and Champions League. That is, three medals (at age 19).
And as for Kaka helping "Milan rise to 4th place despite a 9 point penalty", Milan would be in third position without the penalty, stil 20 points behind the Champion, AC Milan's archrival Internazionale.
Hi Ernest;
I misread your question the first round and after re-reading your question Ernest, my final pick is Ronaldo.
Kaka is probably the greatest player now but in time to come, Ronaldo will surpass Kaka and reach a higher plain. :j
Regards,
Hadi
Mr.Ernest Luis, may I know who's the Letter Of The Month winner for April. If it's not me, I'll try again this May.
Kaka is perhaps the best player in the world currently. I think what sets him apart from the other 3 is that he has been performing consistently for both club and country for quite a few years now. He has the vision, influence, technique and flair, though not as flashy with showing off his samba and stepovers like Ronaldinho or Ronaldo. Moreover, he turns up at the biggest occasions, as he was perhaps the only Brazilian player who showed up at the recent World Cup, and has been phenomenal in Milan's Champions League campaigns (even in the Istanbul final 2 years ago, I remember he had an absolutely amazing 1st half).
And while it isn't a prerequisite, his next to perfect life off the pitch adds bonus points for him. He's an ambassador against hunger for UN's World Food Programme, devout Christian, Armani model (haha, this isn't totally irrelevant!) and was a virgin till he was married (this is really quite incredible).
He may be the oldest among the four, and though he's already quite exceptional now, I think he still has a few years before he truly reaches his peak and achieves all the club, international and individual honours.
Besides Kaka, I think Messi also shows a lot of promise. He's the youngest and hasn't quite played the key role for club and country like the other 3 have, but he is showing a lot of potential, especially with that amazing individual goal against Getafe. Who knows, perhaps in 4, 5 years time, we'll all be talking about him too...
First of all, these four players are no doubt among the best in the world but surely not the greatest, YET. There's lots of talent and potential and these player have not even reach their peak. Well to be the greatest, a footballer have to score crucial/winning goals and show great contribution for both club and country.
For Messi, he still have a long way to go but his flashes of brilliance showed once in awhile. Though he needs to be more consistant.
For rooney, he needs to be consistant too. Though his club performance is improving, he is nowhere in the international stage.
Ronaldo. Yeah, he's on the right track and looks to be the favourites in becoming the greatest amongst the other 3. He needs to maintain his perfomance every season but at the same time he must make sure not to burn himself out.
Kaka, like Ronaldo is constantly dragging their respective team out of trouble. Though kaka is not as skillful as Ronaldo, he does the simply things at the very best.
For me, at the rate that he's going, Ronaldo can be one of the greatest. But footballer don't turn god status overnight, they'll have to make a big impact on the football world for at least a decade.
Can you imagine a world’s greatest player’s career tainted with claims of being a diver? Out goes Ronaldo. (yes, I have a penchant disliking for him). Rooney peaked too early and he never got back the form that got him being called the next Paul Gascoigne after his metatarsal injury. But he and Messi still can improve on their consistencies and maturity in their bid to become great players.
All four of them have abundance talents -- that is undeniable. For now, Kaka is the one (out of this four) that gets my vote. The number of medals won does not bear testimony to a individual talent but rather the whole team‘s collaborative effort. Similarly, the number of goals is not evidence of a player’s greatness. There’s different factors that make Kaka stand out. It’s a combination of maturity, consistency, being a team-player, performing when it’s crucial and being the player others look to when they run out of ideas.
I'm inviting ALL Chelsea fans to see me play street soccer @ 5pm. Take bus number 112 from Hougang Interchange. 2 bus stops after Hougang Point. Keep on looking on the right. Non-Chelsea fans who try to gatecrash the party will go to jail courtesy of the Hougang Police Station. Bring Ice Mountain to celebrare. Thank You. :)
Spirits of the old devils must have possessed the younger ones in the 2nd half in Goodison Park like they did few days back against Milan.That kind of never say die mentality and comeback trills have just suddenly reappeared in front of us.
Back in London,Jose is surely gonna cry foul that Everton 'assisted' in the Devils title charge,with another former team-mate P.Neville lending a helping leg in the process.Man,when will this guy ever give credits to those who deserved besides his guys?
Wow!!
United fans just had their most thrilling half of their lives!!
At 50th minute, United are down 2-0 to Everton and Chelsea are leading Bolton 2-1, but somehow after 40 minutes the wheels of fate decided to make a U-turn and it's ended with United pulling the lead to 5 points instead of being closed down!!
Anyway I think Everton might have done it on purpose coz if United win the EPL they stand to get half a million pounds as part of a clause in Rooney's contract.
Conclusion:
Rooney: Once a Blue, always a Red!
Neville: Once a Red, always a Red!
Chelsea drew with the Rams with two goals each. Manchester United showed a powerful comeback by winning 4-2.
The gap has been extended to five points now. It seems that Manchester United is going to lift that trophy!
I think why the most of you are voting for Kaka is just because he has won many trophies and medals.
Being the oldest among the four, it's just natural that he has the most honours.
If we look at potential, Messi has it. At the young age of 19, he has already won two LaLiga titles, Champions League medal, the supercopa in Spain and even the U-20 World Cup.
Compared to Maradona and even called the successor of Maradona. Standing a mere 169cm, it's really amazing what he can do.
Messi has the looks, the skills, the agility and the likes. He's like a complete package!
Haley Harrison, 14
Student 94307049
Liverpool
Hi q-s,
There's no Letter of the Month. It's actually Writer of the Month, but because the season's ending soon, we will announce details soon.
Cheers,
The Postman
Mr.Ernest Luis, when are you free? I would like to have tea with you preferably at McDonald's Suntec City to have clear the air talks with you. I just feel that I deserve ONE more letter published and ONE Writer Of The Month award. Please e mail me if you still have my e mail address. Thank you.
Qyaerus-Syahrein
Liverpool and Manchester United don't meet each other in Semi-Finals of the same competition, will end up to meet each other in the Finals.
1977 FA Cup Final - Manchester United 2 Liverpool 1.This Final is unique because Red Devils winning goal is similar to a Singaporean defender's goal in 1-0 win over Thailand in 1st Tiger Cup Final.
1983 League Cup Final - Liverpool 2 Manchester United 1 FT 1-1.
Ronnie Whelan's Extra-Time winner broke my Red Devils heart.
1996 FA Cup Final - Manchester United 1 Liverpool.
Eric Cantona who single-handedly won 1996 EPL Title for Manchester United, by scoring all 1-0 wins in the last 8 games of the season including decisive turning point game against Newcastle St.James Park, went on to score the only goal in one of the most boring FA Cup Finals in it's history.Goal came in 85th minute of the game from a resulted corner, courtesy of Calamity David James.Instead of plucking the ball, he loves to punch the ball away to safety.In this instant, the ball fell nicely to Eric Cantona who put the ball into the net.
2007 Champions League Semi-Finals, Liverpool and Manchester United don't meet each other.
Therefore, Manchester United and Liverpool will meet each other in the Finals UEFA Champions League.
From: Chester Low
q-s, Are you just being too desperate?
KAKA: a great player..looks very natural when playing in the attacking midfield role but who has he got supporting him? Gattuso, Pirlo, Seedorf..these 3 other players are the crux..he can attack freely without giving two hoots about tracking back and whatever nots. So how to judge whether he is truly a great player or not? In the recent World Cup..he didn't seem to be able to drag a somewhat mediocre Brazil to victory.
Rooney: this season really put some doubts in my head about his quality. But when he scores, it always (almost) involve some kind of skill and cool-headedness. I think he needs some consistency. i dun think you can say that he has to ability to grab the team by the scruff of the neck and bail them out as yet...a few more seasons maybe for us to judge?
Cristiano Ronaldo: i am a great fan of his. Attractive playing style, fast, young, strong and skillful. Vital player for Manchester United this season...there is still alot of room for improvement though i feel. For example his freekicks...perhaps should try to hit the target more often..because right now he seems to be blasting it hight up although u know that he is going for power and swerve from the way he hits it. Maybe will become the best..but let's see whether he has got enough consistency yet.
Messi: Skillful and Quick. Ppl ranted and raved about his goal against Getafe but so what when he disappears into oblivion in the next game or two? he performs in spurts of brilliance, stops-starts and he will be gone when u deprive him of the ball. Never really seen him bail Barcelona out other than in the El Classico where he scored that enabled Barca to draw level at home to Real Madrid. He is a good player but not really a phenomenon like Pele or Maradona
i think right now at this moment it seems like KAKA is the best of the lot. But all of them are brilliant in their own right.
Desperate is an understatement.
Shameless is more likely :P
evertonian, drink 10 jugs of Chang Beer and walk naked outside. You will end up precisely where you ended up last time when you chose to break your curfew - Tanglin Police Station.
I went to your so-called home ground last Saturday just to see how good you claimed yourself to be. My God! You are so full of yourself in here that you can't even back up at least a tenth of your boastings. Can you dribble, head, trap or shoot the ball like an 11 million pounds player you claimed yourself to be? You sure are an empty vessel. No wonder The Postman told us to ignore you and refuses to publish your comments. And rightly so. And you still have the cheek to invite him for tea to clear the air. If I were him, I'd fear for my life! Who knows, you might just be another Virginia Tech killer on the loose.
hahaha. gd one!
Seriously, I had 2 shots ON TARGET. Yes, I can't dribble, head or trap well. At least I can shoot. And I'm STILL my area's best goalkeeper. It's not my idea about the 11 million pound thingy. As for the Virginia Tech thing, I DON'T kill. My wife thinks I look better in glasses. Can't understand why Singaporean girls say I look like Aaron Kwok when I wear contact lenses.
Hi q-s,
When others don't have a problem with not being published, or even getting their letters published so far, they still keep sending in.
For the love of the game, not themselves. I can't be meeting every letter writer in Singapore so they can plead their case.
Like I said, get over it quickly, keep to the topic, and we'll assess.
But if you have little patience, then I have to say that we have a lot of patience ourselves.
Cheers,
The Postman
Hey, if you're writing in to win the prizes, shame on you people.
The others write in consistanly without complaining whether they win the prize or get published. We are expressing our views and opinions not just simply writing in just to hope to win or get published.
That's rubbish.
Mr Ernest, My surname is not YAP!! It's Chew! Thanks for selecting it anyway!
We need to ask ourselves, why are we in this medium??? For fame, glamour, prizes, for the love of writing, commenting or our love for the game???
This medium is for everyone to have his / her say on football matters. I've not won Letter of the Week nor Writer of the Month since this blog started and my comments have only been published thrice, that too before I took a long break between November and March. Am I bitter??? No, cos I always remind myself I'm in this for the love of the game, not for fame / glamour / prizes.
I'm sure most of you in here share my approach, if not my sentiments. Why is it that some are so hard up about winning??? Why is it that some are so hard up about their comments not being published??? Does winning gives us bragging rights??? Does it make our lives so much better??? Does it qualify us for better jobs with better pay???
I've kinda had enough with the antics of some people in here. If I can slap some sense into them, I would. Please... Be rationale in your approach. Ranting about not winning only makes you a bitter, impatient, irresponsible and insincere person.
Haha, my chinese name is Jia Hao and my surname is Yap!! For a moment I thought I won without sending in anything!! xD
Anyway, I think q-s is just taking a leaf out of his favourite club's manager's book by whining about not winning and all.
Erm., Ernest.
Why isn't there a 'Writer of the Month'? Not only that I've notice, there isn't any midweek questions. There hasn't been any starting from this month if I'm not wrong.
May I ask, why is that so?
Sheva has been ruled out of tonight's clash at Anfield. He would be accompanied by Carvalho.
Anyway, I think Sheva isn't really injured. Fans want him to play, but he will be a huge gamble. There is much at stake there. In addition the Champions League winner this year bags an amount equilvalent to the price tag of Shevchenko.
Jose's such a 'Manipulator'! Earlier this season, Lamps was in the same situation. The report was a... broken wrist? Hahas, this really makes me laugh.
If you people watch the WWE, remember when Edge was complaining about not getting a title shot in 2005? I would like to be remembered as that. Don't worry Kane fans, I won't steal your Lita.
But you ARE getting your shot at the title, just give good comments, and the title is yours. If you don't get the title it probably means that your efforts aren't good enough or there are a set of rules for you and another set of rules for others.
Hi Haley,
You're right. No writers of the Month, so that's left the Midweek Topic out, but we have a special for this, and all will be explained in due course, in The New Paper soon, for May.
As for the double Jiahaos, I'll have to check our records again.
Also, regards to Pujangga's comments, he's right. We're also reviewing certain procedures to help in our planned revamp of The Postman series.
Cheers,
The Postman
Congratulations to my ex favourite club Liverpool. For Chelsea, concentrate on beating Manchester United for the FA Cup as a FA Cup and Carling Cup double will look nice this season. Once again, congratulations Liverpool.
Hahahaha. :D :D
Sorry, I'm not laughing at anyone except Jose. He's so funny. I thought he had nothing to complain about this time, especially since all the decisions and luck were going against us, and Kuyt even had a goal wrongly disallowed. And he somehow managed to proclaim that they were the better team, and only team who tried to win it in extra time. Haha, apparently he forgot that Kuyt had two great chances to score in extra time, (and even did on one occasion) and Chelsea sent on Geremi for the shootout (yet he later missed). Never mind, I shall refrain from rubbing it into Jose's face further.
Rafa was classic, sitting down cross-legged in his suit and all in a totally Zen position during the shootouts. Hahaha, a bit like me, because when I'm watching matches in the middle of the night or early morning, I must refrain from screaming and keep quiet and calm at all times. Lol, I was absolutely dying on the inside for those few hours though. My friend kinda ruined it by calling me right before Kuyt took his penalty, and screamed before I even saw the ball going in on my TV. Think my digital cable was lagging behind his. Haha!
Below is an inspiration poem from a song by Hugh Grant in Music and Lyrics "Don't write me off just yet":
It's never been easy for Chelsea,
to come to Anfield and walk away -with yet another defeat.
With one eye already on the Champion League, but Jose know that it was never meant to be.
Do you know how much Mourinho must have dread,
to meet Liverpool in another - Semi-final clash.
Fear must have creep his mind,
always repeating how Garcia's goal never cross the line.
How to deflate Jose ego?
This time Liverpool had a goal.
Kuyt did score another which was unjustly ruled offside,
which really it should have been given and it had crossed the line.
And while I know, based on Reina track record,
Liverpool going through on penalty might seem like the safest bet.
Thank God that before the game, all Reds Fans has not write them off just yet.
For years I’ve been telling myself, the same old story
That I’m happy to live off Kenny Daglish era and so called, former glories
But Liverpool now given me a reason, aside the miracle in Istanbul.
Now I know that, they can take the sixth European Cup going to Athen!
And though I know, Liverpool has already blown more chances in the league; than other teams should ever get
All I’m asking you, is don’t write them off, just yet
Don’t write them off just yet.
Composer: Lyrad
Daryl, please take this as a joke...
You take that song and drive it to Orchard Road, drag that song to Somerset and sing that song to an ang moh at Dhoby Ghaut. They will tell you that q-s is more cooler than the Liverpool fans combined.
Sorry.
Those who are in here are those who show their love for the game and not for any prizes or fame.
The winning letter and those who are choosen to be in the highlights are just a form of bonus.
Looking forward to the new Postman series.
long live the game!
:)
You Will Never Walk Alone Anti- Chelsea Fans, Abramovich has re-enforced Stall Of Execution Order On Chelsea Manager for his failure to win Champions League.Meanwhile Jurgen Klinnsmann has expressed his interest to manage an EPL Club next season.Which means Jose Mourinho will be terminated.
You Will Never Walk Alone Anti-Chelsea Fans, after witnessing Liverpool rightfully eliminated Chelsea from 2007 Champions League.You will likely witness the EPL TROPHY PRESENTATION AT STAMFORD BRIDGE where unsporting sore losers manager, players and their fans boycott the ceremony.
You Will Never Walk Alone Anti-Chelsea Fans, having seen Chelsea's impotent to win Champions League.That means Chelsea is also impotent to win FA Cup Final.Therefore Manchester United will win FA Cup after winning EPL Title before bringing back Champions League Trophy to Old Trafford.
You Will Walk Alone Chelsea Fans Crying after failures to win Champions League, EPL Title and FA Cup.
You Will Walk Alone Chelsea Fans Crying When Abramovich sack Mourinho for failure to win 2007 Champions League.
From: Chester Low
Well done Reds.I must say they deserved to be in the final to be held in Greece.Is Jose blinded by the fatal blow delivered by Rafa in this stage of the compeition once again?Once again proclaiming his team to be the better one when the night really belong to Liverpool.Anyway,no matter what he says now,his team is down and out.
I was really impressed with the noise level that the fans produced in Anfield.To say no one will be intimidated by the deafening cheers and jeers will be a huge lie.Perhaps only the Devils' den can match that kind of atmosphere but even that don't happen very often just as Keane used to complained.Oh well,those who missed Keane won't have to wait that long as he will be back next season,in a smart suit of course.Gone are the crazy tackles and red cards,in comes the tactics board.One thing still in him is the drive to success.Can't wait to see Keane pits his wits against Sir Alex.
Hmm...Are we going to have a Postman-Champions League Series?heh.Sounds fun eh.
>>Kuyt even had a goal wrongly disallowed
Debatable. His body was clearly offside but his feet may be level with the last defender.
Debatable. His body was clearly offside but his feet may be level with the last defender.
Hmm...
actually I was wondering,
what are the rules exactly anyway?
As in must the whole body be onside, or just the feet?
Anyway, it was pretty much a split second thing I guess. Even from the replays, I can't exactly pinpoint where Kuyt exactly was at the moment Stevie actually launch the shot.
Chelsea, it's time to move on. Concentrate on doing the impossible...beat Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium.
Concentrate on the FA Cup final...beat Manchester United.
If we can't get a unique treble, a double of Carling Cup and FA Cup is VERY possible.
I think some Postman writers are beginning to feel the pressure of winning a prize. Can we look at it differently ? The forum is getting better writers with fresh new view points. For example, Punjangga is really sharp, pointing out errors in ages of Ronaldo and Rooney. From the published articles, I see diversity. For example, I am trying to see things from a new perspective. But if I have nothing new to say, I will not submit.
So guys, please give Ernest a break!
Today's 2 May TNP is really funny! A big RED dot against a small blue dot...and a quote from Just Moaner "We played better"...Cantonese saying Died with his mouth opened. Who did the graphics? Brian Miller? A picture say a million words..LOL...I love it...as a Liverpool fan.
Ian Macintosh'd article " To think they wanted him out" on Alex Ferguson on 27th April was fantastic indictment of some fans who were so fickle and demanding. I am one of those demanding fans and now Rafa shut my mouth up by bringing down the EPL and La Liga Champions.
One minute of silence for the Chelsea fans. Laughs..
Mourinho has a successor! Rafa Benitez is taking over the title of 'The Special One'.
Anyway, I hope we meet AC Milan in the finals. It'll then be a DeJavu! Liverpool will be bringing home the $90 million and the trophy!
I feel Mourinho is just living in his own world, thinking he's the best. Trying to deny the fact that the raucous Anfield crowd made him step a step back.
Predictions for the Semi-final tie tomorrow morning? 2-0 to AC Milan.
Their Europe counterpart is on their way to Athens and well REVENGE will be in their heads. Kaka and Maldini grabbing the goals.
1997 - I was only 15 years old. Secondary 4 Express. Quiet boy. LIverpool fan. Got sent to IMH because father wanted to save face that his son fell in love with a teacher. I got beaten up limb by limb while tied up to a bed on my hands and legs. Cruel but true.
Fast foward to 2006 - I took my 'O' Levels. And in just one year, I managed to go to Temasek Poly.
2007 - Deferred from Temasek Poly for a year because of headaches. Will resume April 2008. Will be working at Juiceworks or Cafe Barista soon.
Haley, I wish you get beaten up like I did so you will stop being a cocky, gutless little punk!
Give me a break. Saying Rafa is the better manager is stretching it a little. After all, Liverpool beat Chelsea only twice this season, both when we had serious injuries, but a fit squad with 11 and 10 men have beaten the Liverpool side.
Kudos to the Liverpool team for beating Chelsea fairly in this Champions League semi final. I'm not gonna get into another argument about the previous semi so don't bother.
But surely, Liverpool fans must be thanking their lucky stars facing a side with injuries in the defence, midfield and forward positions.
We lost Carvalho who is our best defender, which effectively removes Essien's influence in the game. Which is massive, the loss of both of them in their effective roles.
Ballack has also been influential in recent games and its compensation in Mikel/Makelele, isn't much of a great attacking threat.
Drogba gets isolated in front and when he wins the aerial battle, no one else is there to pick up the second ball. Sheva's loss is very much felt here as Joey and Kalou are too wide and Lampard is too deep having the heavy responsibility of starting the attack from the back and defending.
Arjen Robben just trained a few days ago so he cannot play on field for more than 20 mins. Also, facing a much rested side, against a side with hardly any rest, the odds were stacked against us once Liverpool scored.
Of course I'm not complaining, but considering the circumstances, I think the boys did themselves proud. I'm slightly disappointed but am still enjoying this hell of a rollercoaster season! May we win another trophy for this season, hopefully.
>>Hmm...
actually I was wondering,
what are the rules exactly anyway?
As in must the whole body be onside, or just the feet?
Anyway, it was pretty much a split second thing I guess. Even from the replays, I can't exactly pinpoint where Kuyt exactly was at the moment Stevie actually launch the shot.
I'm not really sure about the offside rule myself, but I guess tight decisions like this will be at the discretion of the linesman/ref.
Usually the linesman/ref will give the attacker the benefit of the doubt if he is unsure. I guess he was sure at that time. Didn't look very wrong to me.
After all, this was pretty similar to Drogba's first goal against Arsenal in the CC Final. Much argument on whether he was onside or just off. The linesman/ref was giving him the benefit of the doubt then.
I guess as long as FIFA aren't gonna set some concrete rules, decisions like this will always be open to debates.
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