He's a joy to watch..
Iniesta - Is there another? | Announces retirement
- Thread starter SAred
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It's weird.
I had that game on in the background but barely watched a minute of it.
I think I looked up at the screen for 30 seconds and it was that exact dribble.
I had that game on in the background but barely watched a minute of it.
I think I looked up at the screen for 30 seconds and it was that exact dribble.
It must be shit being great midfielder and not getting any praise that strikers get just because you don't score many goals.
Iniesta.. he does what he wants (except score a lot). Absolutely love him. One of them magical players who make you fall in love with the game. It was a shame Ronaldinho wasn't at the top for too long but it's a pleasure to see this man (Iniesta) giving us moments like this all the time.
That is absolutely sublime 
Smooth
Spanish Osman, nothing more.
He's been absolutely top drawer this season. Not as good as Messi, but significantly better than Xavi.
You can see how much he's influenced himself from M.Laudrup.Both fantastic players
I thought it would be travesty to put him out wide at the expense of Fabregas, I was wrong!
First time in Barca he's played out wide for a prolonged period and already has 17 assists (and 4 goals) in 24 games. His end product has gone through the roof.
By the end of the season he may well have finished with about 10 goals and 30 assists. His end product is what I always felt held him back a bit, he's changing that now, didn't think he had it in him.
First time in Barca he's played out wide for a prolonged period and already has 17 assists (and 4 goals) in 24 games. His end product has gone through the roof.
By the end of the season he may well have finished with about 10 goals and 30 assists. His end product is what I always felt held him back a bit, he's changing that now, didn't think he had it in him.
To be fair, about 1/3rd of those assists have been two yard passes to Messi twenty yards away from goal. But indeed his end product has about doubled in the space of half a season, I think, mostly because he's playing a bit higher than under Guardiola and he now has Jordi Alba making runs alongside him. His general play has been sumptuous for about a full year now though.
You're not alone, a good majority of Barcelona fans hate Iniesta on that left wing - even Andres himself says he doesn't like playing there. But the truth is, it's probably our strongest XI atm with him, Cesc, Busquets & Xavi. Particularly, as others have pointed out, an overlapping Alba
This guy goes up another level and really stands out in the big matches, he's one of the best players I've ever seen.
I don't see any improvemant in goalscoring department tbf, it was always only thing that he was lacking and this season he hasn't changed that, he still misses great chances in almost every game.
Even without that, he is second best player in the world IMO, but it would be good for his reputation to improve on that.
Even without that, he is second best player in the world IMO, but it would be good for his reputation to improve on that.
Second best player in the world for me. I watch a good amount of La Liga matches(most of Barca and RMs anyway), and he makes me go 'wow' way more often than Ronaldo does.
They need to give him the next Ballon D'Or, he's fecking class.
Doubt that. Messi still has at least a couple of Ballon D'ors in him unless he gets injured or something.
On current form he's not far off Messi, although he'd still need an injury or dip in form for it to materialise.
You're not alone, a good majority of Barcelona fans hate Iniesta on that left wing - even Andres himself says he doesn't like playing there. But the truth is, it's probably our strongest XI atm with him, Cesc, Busquets & Xavi. Particularly, as others have pointed out, an overlapping Alba
Is that Fabregas with the assist there? Sublime touch and pass.
Does he still get criticism from Barca fans?
Yep, it was Cesc.
He gets more praise this season from most fans, including me - Tito figured out how best to use Cesc but it came at the expense of Villa and NOT playing him as a forward.
Iniesta, on the other hand, remains mesmerizing
I swear, some of the shit he does... you couldn't even do it on FIFA.
He has been great this season.Consistently pulling off some magic
He will go on to become the best midfielder to have ever played the game. That is how good he is.
Knock on wood, he's been healthier this season. But I agree, I think it's been his best season thus far. Impressive still since he's played a great deal out wide where he prefers not to play. There are a few tribute fans out there that make vid compilations after his matches and it is an impressive highlight reel already this season. Truth is, I still can't get past his performance against a very tough Levante where he was unplayable.
I always thought he needed to up his game a little, be a bit more assertive/aggressive which I think can often happen to the best playing alongside Leo - I think he's been doing it. And as is often said about CR, if this were any other era perhaps, all the talk would be about Andrés. Spanish fans & media peeps complain that in this era where the NT dominates, they don't have any players in the limelight - overshadowed by the usual suspects. Can't disagree but it's the consequence of this generation having so many great talents at the same time. Without question, he's my favorite player to focus on in a match after Leo
I really like Iniesta but the "best midfielder to ever play the game" should have more end product IMO.
Agreed. Luckily for him, Iniesta is still young enough. 27ish now? He has a good few seasons ahead where his end product may drastically improve.
Remains to be seen. He's never struck me as someone who is going to score a lot of goals.
Wasn't Maradona a midfielder? A number 10 is still a midfielder, right? Iniesta anyway seems to play as part of the attacking three quite often.
Maradona himself played as the part of the attacking trio a lot, particularly at Napoli where him, Careca and Giordano made the famous Ma-Gi-Ca trio.
He's won more on club & country level than any other midfielder in our time. Plus, a midfielder in today's game has their end product measured more by assists than goals. In Zizou's best season with Juve, he had 14 assists, by contrast Iniesta is on 13 - with half the season to go still. There isn't a better playmaking midfielder in the game atm, just eclipsing even Xavi
Well I have always said that he has eclipsed Zizou already, and by the end of his career we might as well see him being compared to the Platinis and Zicos, specially if he is the go-to-guy for Spain in the next World Cup.
There's no bigger way to influence a game than scoring goals. How many has he got so far?
You're talking about a midfielder or a forward?...A playmaker isn't judged by their goals but the ones they create and in that regard, he stands alone
IFFHS World's Best Playmaker - 2012
UEFA Best Player in Europe Award - 2012
UEFA Euro Best Player of Tournament - 2012
UEFA Champions League Best Player - 2011/2012
Not bad for someone who scored only 8 goals in 2012
Well, it's not really fair to compare someone who's been the second or third best player (behind Xavi at least until 2010 imo) at the club to someone who was easily the most important player. I'm not saying that Iniesta won't be seen as a better player than Zidane at the end of his career. But right now, comparing both and what they've won isn't really fair. Iniesta needs to step out of Messi's shadow for more than a few games to make sure he's one of the best of all time, imo. I'm not sure Spain faced a team as strong as Brazil 98 or Italy 2006 in one of their 3 tournament wins, as well. Which is really sad, I think they are one of the best nationalteams of all time and would love to see them play against another truely great team, but right now, they really haven't imo.
Does he really create signifcantly more than Özil? Thought Özil had the most assists the last 2 years in La Liga.
Not only that, but he is a big game player - always turns up when the heat is on.
That for me is a sign of a great player, you can be all flash and fancy in the weak games, but when it really matters you need to be there. Iniesta is 1 of them.
How does stepping out of the shadow of arguably the greatest player of all time further the argument on how great a playmaker is, nevermind whether he is better than Zidane?
Zidane would be facing similar consequences that CR has been in the Messi era - it wouldn't diminish the quality of the Frenchman
Also important to point out that Iniesta is not merely dishing out assists in acres of space, he unlike most playmakers (Even Zizou) is facing two lines of 4 in nearly every match. He operates in less space than perhaps any comparable midfielder
