Messi IS the new me – Maradona

Posted Saturday, May 28, 2011 by The Sun

DIEGO MARADONA had never seen anyone to match him as a football great - until the little genius Lionel Messi came along.

All eyes will be on Barcelona star Messi at Wembley tonight like they used to be on Maradona every time he had the ball.
And the Argie legend himself marvels at the way Messi destroys opposition defences.

He says Messi has that X-factor which only the greatest possess. He makes fans from both sides gasp at his brilliance.

Maradona worked with Messi when he was Argentina manager at last year's World Cup and said: "I've heard many times over the years that there is a 'new Maradona'.

"With Messi, though, I believe the player is equal to the hype. He is an incredible talent and someone who has the unique ability to do things with a ball you don't expect.

"That's what makes him special. All great players can play the game and do things which make everyone open their eyes with admiration.

"But only the truly special can make you gasp as you didn't think what they did was even possible. That is what Messi does."

Maradona says there is more to the Barca striker than many realise.

He said: "We shouldn't only talk about Messi's skill when he has the ball as his game is about much more "He works hard for his team when they don't have the ball and makes life difficult for opponents.

"Watch him when Barcelona don't have possession and his team-mates know they can rely on him as much as any player when it comes to pressing and defending.

"Yes he's capable of magic. But he is also a worker for the team."

United were taken apart by Messi in the Rome final of 2009 and Maradona reckons man-marking him is pointless.

He said: "How should United play against him? There is no easy answer.

"If I was the coach of a team which was facing Messi and Barcelona, I wouldn't mark him one on one. Messi will lose his man. He drops deep into midfield and goes wide left or right. You can't afford to have a player who follows him because Barcelona will open space for others and they're a special team, not just one star player.

"Perhaps Nemanja Vidic or Rio Ferdinand should get close to him when he is in the area and when he drops then others need to pick him up and prevent him from doing the things he does for fun."

Maradona sees hope for United in the shape of Mexican star Javier Hernandez, whose performances this season have been followed in South America.

"For me, the United players who are most important are the strikers," added Maradona. "I watched Hernandez play in Mexico and you could see he was a real talent who could score goals at the best level.

"It's no surprise that he has done so well so quickly. He is a natural striker.

'But his movement and the way he plays like a ghost is perhaps the most important thing.

"Defenders don't know how to play against him because they don't even know where he is.

"Because Hernandez is a handful, Rooney gets space and time to play which creates problems."

Away from the final, Maradona looked back to the famous World Cup clash of 1986 against England in which he scored "The Hand of God" goal and followed it with one of the best individual strikes of all time.

He said: "I love English football and the people. I regret some remember me for the first goal in '86 and nothing else.
"But more approach me with great warmth and say the second was a goal they will never forget."