0% Villa: Maradona or Pele?

[The Man With A Stick]

People always mention it but I don't see what being a cokehead has to do with it.  If we're going to judge players on such weaknesses then where does that leave Paul McGrath in the grand scheme of things?

Even if he was on ephedrine, that wouldn't have helped him do half the things he did.  Maradona did things with a football that no-one has dreamed of doing, before or since.

[atomicjam]

Maradona gets my vote.

[Shrek]

It's Maradona all day long, he proved himself at every level, Pele never.

Pele's stats include playing for pub teams and playing for teams in the army.

I've scored 1200 goals at sunday league level.

Anyway ask any Brazilian and Pele isn't even the best player from Brazil.

[PaulWinch again]

Maradona was more of my time, but I've watched plenty of Pele on video. Pele always impressed immensely, so I'll go with Pele. However best player I've seen at the time he was playing was Zidane.

[sali,salifou]

Maradona. Single-handedly won the world cup. An utter magican, and batshit mental. Wonderful

[WALTERS WARRIORS]

Pele had a better all round game. Heading, pace, team work ............

[Sexual Ealing]

That famous exponent of the expansive, creative, artistic vision of football, Alf Ramsay, had this to say on the issue. "Pele has nearly everything. Maradona has everything."

[taylorsworkrate]

Pele. Greatness for me had to have an element of the man and the integrity of that man on the pitch. As such, both were wonderful players, but Maradona was most certainly a cheating little shit, and off the pitch shoved more white powder up his nose than there is in the local Johnson and Johnsons Talc factory. At the end of, as the drug testing tightened in 94 Maradona was carted off for his usage of banned substances. One is a legend. One is a flawed genius who will always spark more debate. So Pele for me.

I'll take a flawed genius anyday of the week. Far more exciting

[Warren Aspinall]

Anyone voting for the M word [spits] can only possibly be a media type afraid of being shot!

If he who shall not be named & set up M's hand of cheat goal can be villified, why the hell do people champion the fat drug users cause. I don't advocate violence or racism towards him I just hate the man & everything he stands for. Only seen Pele on TV clips & l,ooked a cracking player, but for me I worship at the church of Zidane, he won everything M won & more, he didn't win a world cup on his own but was the best player in many many great sides. Not enough credit is given to him & we all seem to be stuck in a world where only 2 choices can be possible, but just to open the debate there is great arguments for Best, Cruyff, Puskas & garrincha, to name but a few.

[Rotterdam]

Maradona.

[Salsa Party Animal]

Pele look a very good striker and well polished all round player who score lot of goals and well respected. But without playing in European football it is difficult to tell how special is he. I think he is a fantastic team player. I am not sure how good is he as individual player. Could he join a team like say Aston Villa in the 60s for example and make them Champions and win European Cup. (However it would be interesting to see Hitchens, Hateley and Pele upfront all together)

While Maradona have more skills and better ball control and a brilliant individual player and proven in Europe. He also benefits more from TV coverage and publicity. However he didn't win an European Cup.

We could also argue that Alfred Di Stefano / Johan Cryuff / George Best / Zidane is even better. But again that is like comparing Apple to orange, pineapple, banana and pear.   

[TopDeck113]

But again that is like comparing Apple to orange...   

One makes expensive mobile phones; the other is a network provider.  Is that the right answer?

[The Situation]

Maradona.

[Andy_Lochhead_in_the_air]

Pele by a mile over the coke snorting basketball player.

He also played 90  minutes on the pitch of the most famous and greatest football club in the world, Maradona didnt.

[dave.woodhall]

Pele by a mile over the coke snorting basketball player.

He also played 90  minutes on the pitch of the most famous and greatest football club in the world, Maradona didnt.

Because he was ill.