I can still remember...

[ctlovesred]

I was just reading some of the commentary about Messi winning his 5th Ballon d'Or. He mentioned that he would probably end his career back home in Argentina. I had a flash in my mind watching a slower possibly thicker Messi saunter around the field and it made me a little sad. I think it will be difficult to watch what may be the greatest player of all time slowly decline at some point.

I felt this way before while watching the real Ronaldo hit the down slope.

Which of your footballing idols were the hardest to watch in their final years?

 

[Gary25]

Gerrard

 

[reuque]

Steven Gerrard

 

[ctlovesred]

Yeah can't disagree there. The spirit was willing...

 

[Dreambeliever]

Fowler :'(

 

[hamstrung_pigeon]

Fowler, Gerrard... I'd put Reina here too - his performances started going downhill in the final season under Benitez when his Spanish-speaking mates started deserting him that season and the next. From having meaningful conversations with Arbeloa, Xabi, Maxi, Mascherano and Torres to talking about facial cream and armpit wax with Enrique. I think that, more than Achterberg, was the main reason for his decline here.

 

[gareth_thomas]

Romario played for Adelaide UTD in 2006 At the age of 40. It was one of the most depressing experiences ever. He was so bad it was embarrassing for all concerned.

 

[LeTallecWiz]

Fowler, Gerrard ... Ronaldinho (still entertaining but can't do what he used to do)

 

[leftpeg]

Gerrard.

 

[willby]

Torres.

 

[KingDing]

Gerrard

 

[iseered]

Torres.

Really? I found his decline amusing.

 

[Judge Jules]

George Best. As well as being the greatest player I've ever seen in my life, he also had both the most premature and the most public decline.

 

[gkmacca]

In other news, Benteke just missed out on the Barn d'Or.

 

[gkmacca]

I wouldn't say any real idols were painful to watch towards the end. Rushie was a bit disappointing for a brief period of time, because he just seemed to lose his powers all of a sudden and yet play on, but that was after he left us so I wasn't too bothered, just sad for him. Gerrard was frustrating for ages, once the groin injuries started, but it wasn't THAT sad.

 

[gkmacca]

George Best. As well as being the greatest player I've ever seen in my life, he also had both the most premature and the most public decline.

Yes. The frustrating thing for me was that I was just too young to really see him when he was great, so my early memories were of him reappearing, bearded and bulky, and me wondering where the magic was that everyone still spoke about.

 

[manwithnoname]

I was just reading some of the commentary about Messi winning his 5th Ballon d'Or. He mentioned that he would probably end his career back home in Argentina. I had a flash in my mind watching a slower possibly thicker Messi saunter around the field and it made me a little sad. I think it will be difficult to watch what may be the greatest player of all time slowly decline at some point.

I felt this way before while watching the real Ronaldo hit the down slope.

Which of your footballing idols were the hardest to watch in their final years?

None, really. I'm not overly sentimental about footballers. I've actually enjoyed the obvious decline of many great footballers. Torres was hilarious.

I will admit that there was the odd twinge when watching certain players clearly struggle compared to their glory years; not Gerrard, as he adapted and acknowledged how his game had to change and performed at a high level well into his 30s, but certainly Fowler was one. I never really thought Rush was quite the same player when he returned from Juve. And I never enjoyed the midfield Barnes as much as the devastating winger of his pomp.

But at Liverpool we have often seen the best of players, rather than a superannuated shadow of their glory years, and then they leave.

As for the likes of Messi or whoever, I couldn't give a shit. They don't play for us, so I don't care.

 

[willby]

Really? I found his decline amusing.

... dang!

 

[Oncy]

None really. As soon as a player starts to decline I just dont want him in the team anymore. Gerrard probably played 2 years too long for us but thats purely because even on the wain he was better than anyone else we had or could afford.