THE Lionel Messi love-in after his performance against Manchester City was predictable and lame.

Gary Lineker tweeted that the Barcelona player was "indisputably the greatest player ever to don a pair of football boots. Don't even attempt to argue the point" and others agreed.

Not me. He is brilliant but he's not fit to lace Diego Maradona's boots.

When he leaves the comfort zone of Barca and leads a mid-table Italian team to their first-ever league title – then two second places and another title – and leads his country to World Cup glory I might change my mind.