You clearly haven't been watching Messi this season if you think he's only turned it on since January. He's been phenomenal all season.
Lionel Messi - Performances
- Thread starter Rado_N
- Start date
You clearly haven't been watching Messi this season if you think he's only turned it on since January. He's been phenomenal all season.
Messi's athletic abilities are so underrated. He's lightning quick, extremely agile and strong. He strikes the ball as cleanly and consistently as anyone from distance. Ronaldo is only better at penalties and in the air.
Again, absolutely no chance in hell Ronaldo is better. Ronaldo can't be the best player on the pitch unless he scores 4 goals. For me it is genuinely not even close. Ronaldo can settle for the fact that during his time, there was a comparable goalscorer to Messi, but Messi is two levels above in his all round ability.
They have similar goal records anyway, and even then I would say Messi is a more talented finisher. He's not just a 'hit the ball as hard as I can' guy, he finds the exact spot in the net that he wants to from anywhere within 25 yards. The man side foots the ball past keepers from 25 yards for heaven's sake!
Hard for me to rate any player above Ronaldo Brasil but it is also practically impossible to take one footballer and say he was/is 'better' than Messi.
They have similar goal records anyway, and even then I would say Messi is a more talented finisher. He's not just a 'hit the ball as hard as I can' guy, he finds the exact spot in the net that he wants to from anywhere within 25 yards. The man side foots the ball past keepers from 25 yards for heaven's sake!
Hard for me to rate any player above Ronaldo Brasil but it is also practically impossible to take one footballer and say he was/is 'better' than Messi.
Kendrick is very debatable tbh.
Ouch
Suicidal defending, who does he think he has in front of him ? Victor Moses ? Agbonlahor ?
He probably thinks Messi still needs to prove it during a rainy Wednesday night at Britannia.
He could nutmeg a mermaid.
It's absolute lunacy that some people say that because he hasn't played in the PL, Ronaldo has the edge. Messi would absolutely destroy the league. It'd be magical to see him come to the Premier League one day, just not to anybody but United. 
I've hardly watched Ronaldo standing out when he doesn't score, this is not even a debate. Messi is about 2 levels above him. Take away Messi's goals and you still see a creative player, capable of controlling games. The talent, deftness and artistry of his play is a joy to watch. One of the best players of all time.
It's absolute lunacy that some people say that because he hasn't played in the PL, Ronaldo has the edge. Messi would absolutely destroy the league. It'd be magical to see him come to the Premier League one day, just not to anybody but United.
Amen to this.
Take the Ronaldo comparisons to the other thread.
He's surreal when on this sort of form. Unlike anything else I've ever seen on a football pitch. Maybe in any sport.
Take any two CBs from any era and put them in place of Kompany and Demichelis, I don't think it'd matter. He is an absurdly talented man.
Take any two CBs from any era and put them in place of Kompany and Demichelis, I don't think it'd matter. He is an absurdly talented man.
Any video of his whole performance last night? I missed the match, sounds like something special from him
Any video of his whole performance last night? I missed the match, sounds like something special from him
It was. I've not seen Messi dominate a big game like that for a couple of years, he was absolutely incredible. Was trying to be too cute with his finishing at times though and should have scored at least once.
Match compilation (11 mins long)
Madrid last season, he was incredible. He created lots of chances and went on lots of amazing dribbles. People refer to it as "the hattrick" but I do not think that does his performance justice. Even without the hattrick he was still Man of the Match. The hattrick was just the icing on the cake.
I really wonder how Pep would approach the game against Barca with Messi in this form. What's more frightening? Messi running counterattacks with more space to exploit, but less time on the ball or Barca dominating possession and Messi therefore being on the ball a lot? As crazy as it sounds, my biggest hope for beating Barca is actually that those 3 great attackers continue to be that wasteful in front of goal. They miss so many chances. If they improve their conversion rate, it's hard to imagine that anyone can stop them with Messi playing so brilliantly.
Pep experimented a lot with more defensive formations and sometimes sitting deeper, so I wouldn't rule it out that he might use a more balanced approach (obviously he won't park the bus or anything like that). But I think, keeping possession and therefore making Messi work off the ball, might be the best way to beat them. I'm really torn between loving the idea of watching that match-up and hoping someone surprisingly kicks them out, so that we don't have to face them, if we go through in the next round.
Pep experimented a lot with more defensive formations and sometimes sitting deeper, so I wouldn't rule it out that he might use a more balanced approach (obviously he won't park the bus or anything like that). But I think, keeping possession and therefore making Messi work off the ball, might be the best way to beat them. I'm really torn between loving the idea of watching that match-up and hoping someone surprisingly kicks them out, so that we don't have to face them, if we go through in the next round.
That was the game that the ref completely ruined right ? I remember Messi being very good but not quite to the levels of last night. I think I remember saying how Di Maria was the best player on the pitch in the game you are referring but could be getting this wrong.
A few gifs vs. Manchester City:
Don't know what Suarez and Neymar were doing. 11 shots on target, 1 goal to show for it.
Don't know what Suarez and Neymar were doing. 11 shots on target, 1 goal to show for it.
It was the game that Barcelona won 4-3 (Madrid were at home). Di Maria was excellent during the first half hour. But Messi on the other hand was excellent throughout the entire game. He was given a lot of space between the lines which was very risky and in the end cost Madrid greatly but it also allowed Madrid to create so many chances as it gave Di Maria freedom to play and take advantage of the space that Barcelona left and to hit them on the counter. Early on in the game Messi set up Iniesta's goal, missed a 1 on 1 and twice put Neymar through on goal, one on one with the keeper. Then Madrid got their equaliser and took the lead (after Di Maria created four clear chances, 2 of which were taken). Messi then got the equaliser after dribbling, finding Neymar with a pass and then receiving it back to score. Di Maria matched Messi for the first 30 minutes or so but then his performance level during the match decreased, whereas Messi kept going strong in the second half. It was him who put Neymar through on goal (again) in which he won the penalty and got Ramos sent off. There were other chances that Messi created in that half also. Di Maria was excellent and he was Madrid's best player but over the full 90 minutes Messi was better and more influential.
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Messi looks like that one player who plays in the pub leagues, but is clearly so far ahead of everyone else in the league. Last night against City they just couldn't get near him.
He's been in amazing form this year.
He's been in amazing form this year.
Messi was unbelievable in that game. Completely dominated Madrid on the night and all of Barca's attacking play all came through him that night.
It was one of the best individual performances I ever seen.
It's the game I'm anticipating the most. Not just this season. In 2009 it was a pointless affair, Barca at their peak against Klinsmann's hopeless team with Oddo and Lell marshalling the defense. In 2013 it was again pointless, Bayern at their peak against a Barca team that was without a coach for months and had to play Messi and Busquets through injury with Bartra making his 2nd or 3th season appearance in the CL semis against Bayern. Maybe the 3th time we can see a fair matchup with both teams in proper shape.
Was great all the clips of him in the crowd last night. Especially the bit when he covered his mouth with a scarf so people couldn't see him cheering. Bless.
Here's a better vid
That left peg.
He was looking tired a few months ago but he was insane last night. He must have been so frustrated with Neymar and especially Suarez...how many chances did he put on a plate for them!
Still couldn't do it at the world cup.
Difficult to envisage seeing a player quite like him again. Best enjoy it while we still can. Unbelievable performance last night.
I don't make a point of watching La Liga every week, so watching Messi is something of a treat. Watching him at full flow is the best thing in football.
I try to watch Barca as often as possible, been to the camp nou a couple of times simply to watch Messi more so than Barcelona, so im a big fan of him obviously.. last year had his fans worried, he didnt look as enthusiastic or even interested as he previously had, so im rather relieved by his performances since the turn of this year, to say his perfomance first half last night was 10/10 would be doing him an injustice.
Beautiful.
Already did it a World Cup.
It's amazing that you have so many quality players on one pitch and one look miles ahead of everyone else.
Didn't, not to the greatest of all time level. 0 goals and 0 assists in quarters, semis and the final. Add that to his dire work rate, average all round play then were talking a bland tournament. Contrast and compare to those he's being called greater than, its fire and ice.
Yeah to be fair he looked nothing like he did last night at the World Cup.
That is a serious black mark against him. If he was from an irrelevant football nation you could argue a person shouldnt have that counted against him in these discussions. But the Argentina team Messi plays for has a lot of very good players in it. Surely you could make a case that it has more individual quality in it than its team in 86? I cant say with much conviction as I was just a kid then.
That is a serious black mark against him. If he was from an irrelevant football nation you could argue a person shouldnt have that counted against him in these discussions. But the Argentina team Messi plays for has a lot of very good players in it. Surely you could make a case that it has more individual quality in it than its team in 86? I cant say with much conviction as I was just a kid then.
Dont really recall any of their good attacking players stepping up though. They got to the final through good defensive organisation rather than attacking threat.
He clearly wasn't fit at the World Cup, was he? What happened to him being sick all the time?