I see.
Anyway,
Well Messi is training right now with Argentina in Chile. It seems Argentina will play with
Di Maria ---- Aguero ---- Messi
up front. Tevez and Higuain will be subs.
Lionel Messi - Performances
- Thread starter Rado_N
- Start date
I see.
Anyway,
Well Messi is training right now with Argentina in Chile. It seems Argentina will play with
Di Maria ---- Aguero ---- Messi
up front. Tevez and Higuain will be subs.
He's the best player in the world?
I'm not knocking him, I'm knocking the fecking abysmal defending.
Just looking at the first bunch of goals in that video.
1. Can't argue with it, great turn and then finish.
2. Gets a lucky deflection (the ball always seems to fall to him) then they just stand around like lemons, he barely has to do anything, keeper doesn't try either
3. What the feck is the keeper doing? Then the defender sells himself when it's obvious what Messi is gonna do. Gifted
4. It's a beautiful pass from Alves but who's marking him? Nobodies even trying
5. Awful mistake by the defender gifting him a goal
6. Can't argue with it, one of my favourite goals this season in the CL
7. Aimless ball by Pique and suddenly he's in a world of space without even moving. What the hell is the RB (I presume he's RB, ends nearest the ball when it goes in) doing?
Two great goals, five examples of shockingly bad defending.
I said in the Ronaldo thread that he probably won't have the same output and he'll fall of a cliff pace wise but thinking about it I'm not so sure. He won't even have to try that hard because the defending is that bad.
All the things you said happen in the premier league.
The Premier League isn't even that good it's competitive but it's starved of the top tier of players.
The fact is Messi would tear up the Premier League, or any league for that matter, give me any goal you like and we can criticize defensive mistakes, infact every single MOTD analysis is about what the defence should do.
This year is due to a lot of things, but for Argentina in the latter stages he had nobody to link up with he did what he does for Barcelona but just didn't receive the ball back, you had people like Higuain and Palacio just losing the ball constantly.
Messi wasn't at peak fitness too because of an injury earlier in the season, and he was vomiting on the pitch every game due to his poor diet, this year has been down to him being more disciplined more than anything.
I'd say the World Cup loss probably inspired Messi to hit the form he has this year, I'd also say he was Player of the Tournament because they reached the Finals, people like James scored some great goals but was he as influential? did they reach the final? no so you can't really give it to him.
I think the issue is people are a bit numb to Messi at times, they can expect too much at times when he still influences games heavily, sets up 3-4 goals and the player misses, then they're like "he didn't get on the score sheet", the World Cup Final he gave Germany a torrid time, made Hummels struggle, they effectively had 3-4 players on him at times because there was nobody else in the attack literally and that just didn't help the Argentina cause.
The World Cup final came at a good time for Germany but a bad time for Argentina, 2 months later Argentina destroyed Germany in a friendly with nobody injured, that just highlights the fact Germany faced Argentina at a good time.
go watch all of aguero's goals from this season after watching all of these and then form a proper opinion. At the moment it's just a biased mess.I was just watching highlights of United vs city the 4-2 at old Trafford:
1. Aguero's goal - pathetic defending. We just stood still while silva waltzed past our midfield and put the ball through to aguero, who was magically being marked by none, for a tap in.
2. Young's goal: somehow city let us have a crossing opportunity from a goalkeepers clearance. Young got very lucky with the goal too.
3. Fellaini's goal: Young is far too much space. Fellaini, the biggest guy on the pitch with a free header. Shocking.
4. Smalling's goal: free header. Rubbish defending. How can they just not bother to defend?
5. Mata's goal: offside. Shouldn't have stood.
The defending is this league I tell you.
1. Aguero's goal - pathetic defending. We just stood still while silva waltzed past our midfield and put the ball through to aguero, who was magically being marked by none, for a tap in.
2. Young's goal: somehow city let us have a crossing opportunity from a goalkeepers clearance. Young got very lucky with the goal too.
3. Fellaini's goal: Young is far too much space. Fellaini, the biggest guy on the pitch with a free header. Shocking.
4. Smalling's goal: free header. Rubbish defending. How can they just not bother to defend?
5. Mata's goal: offside. Shouldn't have stood.
The defending is this league I tell you.
You can't really compare the standards of defending, as the game is played in a completely different style.
Terry has looked great this year for Chelsea, arguably the best defender in the league.
Put him in that Madrid side who play man on man and he'd struggle. More smal, quick technical movements, compared to a lot more aerial duels.
Terry has looked great this year for Chelsea, arguably the best defender in the league.
Put him in that Madrid side who play man on man and he'd struggle. More smal, quick technical movements, compared to a lot more aerial duels.
Defending has absolutely declined. Put prime Nesta, Rio, Terry or Puyol in any side today and you'd see an immense difference. Only T Silva comes close to that crop.
Wasn't even the point he was making.
First sentence
You chose a 6 goal thriller to highlight the quality of defending in this league?
You couldn't have chosen a 0-0?
Yes, it's the perfect choice.
Go through all of it again. They're comparing the premier league to la liga, not generations.
Every goal that is ever scored is either because of a piece of brilliance or because of a defensive mistake, perhaps a bit of both.
And as we are humans, 90% of the time it's a mistake. Watch almost any goal, unless it's a brilliant goal, it almost certainly happened because of a mistake.
Now one of the reasons messi is the best player in the world is because not only is he the most likely to capitalise on a mistake, he's also the most likely to have a moment of brilliance.
And as we are humans, 90% of the time it's a mistake. Watch almost any goal, unless it's a brilliant goal, it almost certainly happened because of a mistake.
Now one of the reasons messi is the best player in the world is because not only is he the most likely to capitalise on a mistake, he's also the most likely to have a moment of brilliance.
Lost his appeal to appear in court for Tax Fraud.
He should never have to pay tax in the first place, He is Messi.
State attorney asked to exonerate him, but for some reason the tax agency are insisting on taking this to court. Perfect timing as always.
This was Messis worst season, and for some a bad season
it's just nutsHe hasn't, and that's why he is going to court. The state that the Spanish economy is in now, they need the rich to pay their taxes and when they don't, well they get taken to court.
Wasn't this tax bollocks sorted already last season? What exactly is the story with it
Arrangements were made to avoid tax. The claim is that his dad handled the finances and he wasn't aware. He's already paid the tax back with interest last year or something. I guess they'll prosecute him and hit him with a strong penalty. @jojojo is probably the best person to say though
For some reason
The last time Barcelona won the treble, Madrid based journos went hard at the club for doping accusations. This time, Leo & matchfixing accusations. Predictable
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Hopefully they'll give him a 3 month jail sentence + another 2 months of 40 hours a week of community service in the streets of Madrid.
He'll probably win la liga from jail.
This was Messis worst season, and for some a bad season
Messi's worst season is still good enough to make him the best player in the history of most all clubs around.
This was Messis worst season, and for some a bad season
Funny thing is, it was only injuries, off field problems that lead to this kind of "awful" season. In any other situation, he's just so far ahead of everyone else.
They have to take it to court for the same reason they have to take the ex-King's son-in-law to court and the same reason why a big slice of big city Mayors and ex PP officials have to go to court. The Spanish press is full of corruption, tax fraud, money laundering cases, many of them starring high profile people. Spain's in full crisis and the tax office are trying to show that everyone is fair game.
The initial offence happened while he was under age, but the scheme which used multiple shell companies to send the money to a tax haven was renewed a couple of times when he was responsible, using different accountants and intermediaries. Messi's defence was his dad handles everything - he just signs the papers, but that's the same defence every rich bloke uses except normally he talks about his manager/accountant (who isn't normally also his dad).
The rumour last year was that it would be a bargained down to a massive fine (typically 4x the tax dodged - about 15m in this case) for Messi and a short prison sentence for his dad. Messi changed his lawyers and it looks like the case is still heading to court. Incidentally, there is actually a chance of the tax office losing (more or less) the whole case (both the tax and the fraud case against Messi and his dad), at least that's what his lawyers say.
Apparently everyone doesn't include Iker, Ramos, Alonso et al who already settled out of court and repaid taxes - just like Messi
Timing, it's everything
So they want to make an example and what better example to set than punishing the best footballer ever after a treble season?
Probably. They'll basically fine him double I reckon. It will ensure footballers are more careful in the future.
The deision to go to trial was made last year. This was them failing to overturn the ruling. It's the two year anniversary of the original ruling - hence the timing.
What made the Messi case exceptional in legal terms were the amounts involved and the use of shell companies to muddy the trail to a tax haven.
Just about every pro player in Spain has been affected by how the tax office is now handling the use of image rights companies by players. Most of them did deals and denounced their advisors, their advisors then shopped their other clients and colleagues. Several Barca players have taken deals, Pique has decided to fight the ruling in tax court.
FFS what a mess. What's the worse case scenario for all these players?
The point is, only one athlete has been treated in this manner to have to stand trial...Everyone else was able to make deals and settle out of court, same with athletes like Nadal
Your point was 'timing, it's everything', which doesn't really apply given that the information posted by jojojo shows it has nothing to do with timing.
If your point is that Messi is being singled out, the point also doesn't stand if the other piece of info reported is exact, i.e. that the sums were much more important and that the means to dissimulate the tax evasion were more sophisticated. You are not talking about the same case as other athletes and players and therefore can't equate it to other cases. If what he's done is different, it will rightly be dealt with differently by the courts.
If Nadal wasn't a turn coat Madrid fan I bet they'd be digging deep into the dodgy dealings with his old coaches and doctors too, might help to explain why he was a beast physically at such a young age and why he's able to come back from big injury lay offs and blow everyone off the court always instantly
Everything to do with timing
Yet the state's attorney felt differently than the Spanish courts. There's no question Messi has been treated differently anymore than the whitewash job many are trying to employ to justify singling him out. jojojo said so herself, Spain is corrupt - through & through
Dunno if someone hasn't sen this. It's an incredible video. The title is even more important because in Argentina to be a "dog" at any sport its to suck at it. So it starts being a controversial title. But then the explanation is great.
Incredible is right mate. Any subtitles around for the voiceover?
There are subtitles but you have to activate them