While I agree with that, I don't think Messi's performances this season are a result of Luis Enriqiue. Lucho deserves credit for how the team as a whole has performed, more so recently, but Messi has been back to his best right from the first game of the season and I'm sure that would have been the case regardless of the manager.
Lionel Messi - Performances
- Thread starter Rado_N
- Start date
While I agree with that, I don't think Messi's performances this season are a result of Luis Enriqiue. Lucho deserves credit for how the team as a whole has performed, more so recently, but Messi has been back to his best right from the first game of the season and I'm sure that would have been the case regardless of the manager.
Yesterday was a rare day messi was actually poor by anyones standards. He's still been easily the best footballer in the world this season, but nothing came off for him yesterday which is an odd sight. His non peformance also tends to mean his team loses because the rest are a tad hopeless and totally reliant on him.
Soured a sublime performance with another weak, perfect height for the keeper, penalty. Then an embarrassing rebound.
The rebound was shockingly bad (and hilarious) but it was a fantastic peformance from him. He even win the penalty he completely messed up
The rebound was shockingly bad (and hilarious) but it was a fantastic peformance from him. He even win the penalty he completely messed up
it's a big black mark on the otherwise brilliant performance imo. I don't get this shit with hitting it at the perfect height, so many of his penalty misses are identical you'd think he'd learn. Less said about the rebound the better
Still the best played on the pitch by a mile that game. Even after missing a penalty and the open net rebound and being caught napping a bit for City's goal
His passing and dribbling is ridiculous.
His passing and dribbling is ridiculous.
That attempt at a diving header is one of the funniest things I've seen on a football field for while Great craic, nice to see that this one's human as well!
Great craic, nice to see that this one's human as well!Didn't score. Technically didn't assist. Missed a penalty and an open goal rebound. Still comfortably the best player on the park and put in an excellent performance. No other player in the world would that apply to.
What's his pen record? Somebody must have it. He always used to look like he was going to miss with those slow run ups but then he stopped messing around.
Was great to watch tonight. Fantastic how he just slots into another role and still looks head and shoulders above everyone else.
Was great to watch tonight. Fantastic how he just slots into another role and still looks head and shoulders above everyone else.
Meh, he won it himself anyway. I don't think it ruins such a fantastic peformance apart from if you're talking about what people will be talking about or the headlines. I was a funny moment for sure.it's a big black mark on the otherwise brilliant performance imo. I don't get this shit with hitting it at the perfect height, so many of his penalty misses are identical you'd think he'd learn. Less said about the rebound the better
If that goal stood when he was barely offside.. That finish made Hart look like a fool.
Needs to give up the penalties already, not good at them at all.
Still great tonight though.
Still great tonight though.
Greatest player ever. Tonight wasn't a good performance by his standards, yet he was still magic at times.
I was in awe of his touches and passing tonight. The dribble to for the 2nd goal to leave like 5 City players standing still was funny as hell.
It does sour his night a little bit, so annoying because I knew he was going to miss that Peno, he misses quite a few tbh.
He was brilliant though, he can play in any position and look world class, Earlier in the game I swear he was playing as a holding midfielder
He was brilliant though, he can play in any position and look world class, Earlier in the game I swear he was playing as a holding midfielder
That touch on the line in the second half was unbelievable. Think Alba chipped it back past the far post and right on the line he brings it down perfectly. Unbelievable.
His close control dribbling is ridiculous. It's genuinely like it's glued to his feet. Would love to know his dribbling success rate tonight.
Every time he was on the ball, he was dangerous. Already predicting that this is his year.
Every time he was on the ball, he was dangerous. Already predicting that this is his year.
vs. Manchester City
Having this natural talent is cheating.vs. Manchester City
He's turned god mode back on.
When he dribbles it's like he has IDSPISPOPD on too.
I remember the feeling I had when we played against Barca twice in the CL...borders on masochism.
When he made that great control after the over hit Alba cross, he still had enough composure to throw a body feint at Clichy to give himself more space. His natural footballing instincts are amazing.
It's nuts. We had so many rop players on show yesterday. Neymar, iniesta, suare, silva, and aguero are all fantastic footballers but the fact that even without scoring messi was a whole new level altogether to them, shows just why he's comfortably the best. Some of the things he does, and the precision and speed with which he does, just seems impossible.
Amazing performance by him last night.
He's not bad this Messi lad isn't he?
He's not bad this Messi lad isn't he?
Thank you for that, such a pleasure to watch.vs. Manchester City
He needs to go back to his previous penalty strategy where he waits for the goalkeeper to move. He rarely missed doing that. His current strategy is to pick a side, and he's not been very good at doing that.
We should probably buy him. Or maybe the next him.
Sorry, wrong thread.
Sorry, wrong thread.
His passing was brilliant yesterday a part of his game that has been overshadowed by his dribbling and shooting. He has improved this part of the game he's probably one of the best passers in the world right now.
It's been a little while now and I think he simply is the best overall.
It's not only the vision (though it's mainly that), it's also that each of his passes is perfectly weighted. Reminds me a bit of our Anderson in that aspect. Just kidding calm down.
He's such a beast.
Aye he's the best passer in the world now I reckon. I used to think he was the best at playing the final pass while other players were better overall because of their better range but now Messi has started to show he's capable of pretty much every pass you could want.
People like Pirlo and Xavi may be recognized as better passers than him, as it is the one thing they truly excel at (though they are probably better at short passing, unsure about Pirlo). He is so good at so many different things that there is no one thing that stands out, by his standards. It's in the same way that one would imagine a typical English winger, like Lennon, to be faster, because it's all he has. The truth is, there is no one on this planet that can pass a football better than Lionel Messi. I'm genuinely shocked whenever he mistimes a through ball - it never happens. He plays eye-of-the-needle passes successfully 7 or 8 times out of 10, when a great passer would pull it off once in ever 5 or 6 attempts.
I think he currently has the range of Xavi at his best, the only difference is that he doesn't quite yet control games with his passing as much as Xavi did. Xavi was an absolute beast at dictating games from midfield, Messi doesn't quite do that yet. But that's no slight, cos he'll probably reinvent himself into a midfield maestro over the next few years and I have no doubt about his ability to do it. It's all about tempo and picking the right pass at the right moment, and he's definitely clever enough to do that.
No arguments there - you are correct. I didn't mean that he plays the best 'passing game'. He is a forward, it's simply not his job. He'd be wasted if he spent 90 minutes trying to spray it around. Xavi and Pirlo are both on another level in terms of controlling the pace of a game with their varied passing and intelligent movements in midfield. I just meant that, in terms of the ability to place the ball on a nickel from 50 yards, I cannot see anything past Messi. If Mars were playing Earth in the Galaxy Cup Final & I had Cristiano Ronaldo making a run past the off-side trap in the 91st minute and I had to choose one player in the entire world to have the ball on the channel to try and slide it through to him, I would choose Messi. I feel he has the best weight of through ball in the world. It is disgusting how many 1 on 1s he sets up every week. Finally he has Neymar to put them away, instead of giving Sanchez and Pedro 200 sitters a season, with neither of them able to hit a donkey's ass with a banjo.
Yep, totally agree. I was just pointing out Xavi at his best cos he's currently at that level of passing, he just doesn't use it for the same finality. But I'm pretty sure he'll transform into that type of midfielder over the coming years.
Only 2 headers, what a waste of money he would be, Smalling got that in one game.
Found this nice image to show the stats from league this season.
I can't think of a better passer in the game. He pulls of stunning defence splitting so effortlessly it's incredible. Maybe there's someone outside the big leagues or in Serie A that I'm unaware of, but from the football I watch he is the best passer.
Definitely. Xavi is untouchable in that respect, but Messi's consistency at which he plays a seemingly 'not-on' ball is unreal. Combine that with the fact that he dribbles 3 or 4 to create the angle in the first place, as opposed to receiving a pass for it - it's like cheating.
Messi, along with the other true greats, share this freakish ability to see the future. And play in it.
His dribbling seems to be a frame ahead of any defenders interceptions. His passing is becoming equally insane, knowing exactly where to place the ball before his teammates arrived.
His dribbling seems to be a frame ahead of any defenders interceptions. His passing is becoming equally insane, knowing exactly where to place the ball before his teammates arrived.