Difference is that Ronaldo can offer more while being stifled - he'll blast it in from a hundred yards out, or score from a corner.
Lionel Messi
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methinks FV is laughing a bit too much.
dementia brought on by Messi's no-show at the Bridge?
dementia brought on by Messi's no-show at the Bridge?
Messi was obviously poor over two legs against Chelsea. No amount of excuses you can dream up will change that.
Come on Chief that lay off to Iniesta was incredible, no one else in the world could do that not even Fletcher
I think Ronaldo is better. Messi is too one-dimensional when compared with Ronaldo.
Ronaldo's end product in set pieces is the best in the world without a doubt there are better free kick takers but the fact that he is threat from anywhere factors in. In regards to him in the air, I'd take him over anyone else in the world in the box when my team needed a goal.
Orgasmic football really. Displayed such vision and class. Even the likes of Pele would have wept for joy to do such an exquisite deed
Indeed. Ronaldo is the all round threat. That is why for me he is best. When on song he can hurt you no matter how tightly you mark him.
The way sometimes caf members gang up against another members is funny
I feel sorry for you. And your "footballing intelligence".
I really fancy our chances of shutting him down with evra and rooney on the left.
Cannot see any thing ridiculous there. Like all other forwards in the Messi needs the ball at right areas and movement from other forwards either to create or score goals yet all his attacking counterparts including Xavi and Eto were miserable, for that reason Messi couldn't see much of the ball and wasnt able to penetrate much in to Chelsea's backline.... yet i can hardly remember Messi getting shoved off the ball or laying out series of mispasses that Ronaldo often does whenever he plays a poor match.
Barcelona were more content with passing the ball to Alves, even though he was massively shite both positionally and defending with all his crosses being equally wank.
Even when Barcelona frontline as a whole were shut down by organized defending Messi was neither out of sorts nor shite.
At 21-22 he was regarded as the best player in the world. Better than Platini and Zico.
But we've been through this.
He was an all round great player. It's been pointed out a few times on here, but his passing was every bit as good as his dribbling. Not only is he the best dribbler I've ever see, but also the best passer.
Fecking hell..
I am working overtime, to educate some mentally challenged Ronaldo fanbois, but you are letting me down every time with posts like this.On this basis, I'm going to crown Hull's Craig Fagan BPITW. Like all other forwards, Fagan needs the ball into the right areas or good movement from his teammates, either to create or score goals. All his attacking counter-parts are miserable, and for that reason Fagan isn't able to see much of the ball and penetrate the opposition back-line.
If his teammates were better you would see that I was right - Craig Fagan is by far the BPITW. It's never ever his fault that he fails to play well in games - always his teammates'.
This shit is never gonna end.
Fair point.. I would agree on that if Chelsea, play 10 men in the back against Hull.... Hull having nearly 70% possession, Fagan inspite of having a quiet match marked by three or four rent boys and having no issues whatsoever in holding his foothold or beating his marker and also finally setting up the winning goal in a CL semifinal, it should be a close call then.
Except Chelsea were by far the better team, had all the best chances, and should have been awarded at least 3 penalties, making the assist pointless.
To say Messi had 3 or 4 players on him is delusion beyond belief, and clearly makes you pointless to debate with.
"Chris Fagan BPITW, na na na na na, fingers in ears, I'm not listening."
Chelsea were tactically more organized, created more chances on breaks and a better team even when they didn't have much possesion, nobody denied that.
To say Messi had 3 or 4 players on him is delusion beyond belief, and clearly makes you pointless to debate with.
"Chris Fagan BPITW, na na na na na, fingers in ears, I'm not listening."
I said Fagan being marked by four players...reckon you've confused between those two.
If Messi was not marked by organized defending, what really happenned? Xavi, Eto, Alves and Iniesta finding Messi every time...Messi having acres of space trying to take on their defenders yet running in to blind alleys, shoved off the ball losing possession and setting up suicidal counters........Messi must be really shite then.
You are one funny dude... Ronaldo scorig 2 great goals mean nothing, Messi doing nothing in 180 minutes against Chelsea means he's the best player in the world ever ever. No wonder you thought Messi was MoTM against United last year.
Clearly the likes of Eto'o, Xavi & Iniesta are all shite, in fact, Messi is running away with La Liga despite the incompetence of his team mates, Barca will be much better off playing against United with 10 traffic cones and Messi, cause those useless people like Alves, Henry & co will only get in his way.
Next time you accuse somebody of being a Fanboi, take a good long look at the donkey in the mirror
You are one funny dude... Ronaldo scorig 2 great goals mean nothing, Messi doing nothing in 180 minutes against Chelsea means he's the best player in the world ever ever. No wonder you thought Messi was MoTM against United last year.
Clearly the likes of Eto'o, Xavi & Iniesta are all shite, in fact, Messi is running away with La Liga despite the incompetence of his team mates, Barca will be much better off playing against United with 10 traffic cones and Messi, cause those useless people like Alves, Henry & co will only get in his way.
No, he is right to an extent. Ronaldo scoring two goals doesn't change the fact that he has been below par throughout the season.
Yea, like Messi last year. I remember Barca playing out match after match direly.
FC Barcelona versus Manchester United FC, is it the perfect final?
I don’t know if it is perfect but it is a really nice match up. Both teams play very good football and they always play each game to win it. Playing the final against Manchester United is something that we dreamed of earlier this season because they, just like us, always try to play great football.
What’s the key to beating Manchester United?
It’s clear that there is not only one way of winning a game. The key will be to focus on our way of playing and to be the main protagonists. We will have to play as we usually do, without leaving aside our natural style just because it is a final. I think Pep Guardiola is going to tell us that and a lot more. We may talk about specific things related to Manchester United, but Barcelona will impose its style. I am positive.
How is Pep Guardiola’s team different from Frank Rijkaard’s line-up that lost 1-0 to Manchester United last season
Well, I don’t know if Guardiola’s Barca is that different from the Rijkaard team. The thing is that players usually have ups and downs, and today many of Barca’s players are going through a very good spell of form. This team always tries to play well and to score as many goals as possible. It was the same last season.
Andres Iniesta and Xavi Fernandez were excellent against Chelsea FC. Are they the best midfield pairing in the world?
Playing next to Iniesta and Xavi makes everything easy for the rest of us. People often talk about Samuel Eto’o, Thierry Henry and me, but they are great players too and were amazing against Chelsea. They maintain the team balance and tell us how to proceed according to what is going on in the game.
How much will the team miss Dani Alves, Eric Abidal and Rafael Marques?
Of course we’ll miss the three of them, but Puyol is coming back and that is a good thing. This team is very complete, and if we want to be champions we will have to work together. We cannot worry about the absence of one team-mate, instead we have to think that the player that takes his place will be a great substitute.
Chelsea did a very good job in stopping Barcelona score for 180 minutes. Do you fear United will use similar defensive tactics?
Maybe, as it is only going to be one match but Manchester United will play the same way as Barcelona I think and they won’t wait to see what we do. It’s going to be a great match. Besides, I think Manchester United is usually more offensive than Chelsea.
What is your view of Sir Alex Ferguson as a boss?
I think he is very smart. He probably gives a lot of freedom to his players, allowing them to do whatever is necessary on the pitch, and that is very good.
Have you ever spoken to Sir Alex Ferguson?
I have only seen him a few times in person and that’s it. We haven’t spoken much, we just congratulated each other at an awards ceremony. He is a great coach. It is not common for a coach to stay as long at a club as important as Manchester United. If he managed to stay that long it is because he is very, very good at his job.
How difficult will it be to stop Cristiano Ronaldo in Rome?
Cristiano Ronaldo is a brilliant player. If he is having a good day, marking him is very difficult, but I hope our defence can stop him on the night. He is very fast and hard to mark - and he also has very good shots from outside the area as we’ve all seen!
Aside from Cristiano, which of United’s players do you have the most respect for?
Carlos Tevez has an amazing style and he is very devoted to the game. Nemanja Vidic is a great defender, Wayne Rooney is an incredible scorer, and Paul Scholes is a very good midfielder. Manchester United is full of great players, I cannot pick just one.
What is it you admire most about Wayne Rooney?
Rooney is amazing. He is a scorer of great goals and he always gives his best for the team. He is a real team player: he is not selfish and always does everything unselfishly for the team.
Finally…what would it mean to you personally to influence this final and win it for Barcelona?
Winning the Champions League would be the best. It is the most important title in the world as regards to club football. I hope we win it, we deserve it. Manchester United is a great team but I have faith in Barcelona. I really hope we can win it. In the last match against Chelsea we were lucky in a way because the game seemed lost and we finally won it, so maybe that was a sign to show us that good things will happen to us in Rome.
Good interview, I think.
I don’t know if it is perfect but it is a really nice match up. Both teams play very good football and they always play each game to win it. Playing the final against Manchester United is something that we dreamed of earlier this season because they, just like us, always try to play great football.
What’s the key to beating Manchester United?
It’s clear that there is not only one way of winning a game. The key will be to focus on our way of playing and to be the main protagonists. We will have to play as we usually do, without leaving aside our natural style just because it is a final. I think Pep Guardiola is going to tell us that and a lot more. We may talk about specific things related to Manchester United, but Barcelona will impose its style. I am positive.
How is Pep Guardiola’s team different from Frank Rijkaard’s line-up that lost 1-0 to Manchester United last season
Well, I don’t know if Guardiola’s Barca is that different from the Rijkaard team. The thing is that players usually have ups and downs, and today many of Barca’s players are going through a very good spell of form. This team always tries to play well and to score as many goals as possible. It was the same last season.
Andres Iniesta and Xavi Fernandez were excellent against Chelsea FC. Are they the best midfield pairing in the world?
Playing next to Iniesta and Xavi makes everything easy for the rest of us. People often talk about Samuel Eto’o, Thierry Henry and me, but they are great players too and were amazing against Chelsea. They maintain the team balance and tell us how to proceed according to what is going on in the game.
How much will the team miss Dani Alves, Eric Abidal and Rafael Marques?
Of course we’ll miss the three of them, but Puyol is coming back and that is a good thing. This team is very complete, and if we want to be champions we will have to work together. We cannot worry about the absence of one team-mate, instead we have to think that the player that takes his place will be a great substitute.
Chelsea did a very good job in stopping Barcelona score for 180 minutes. Do you fear United will use similar defensive tactics?
Maybe, as it is only going to be one match but Manchester United will play the same way as Barcelona I think and they won’t wait to see what we do. It’s going to be a great match. Besides, I think Manchester United is usually more offensive than Chelsea.
What is your view of Sir Alex Ferguson as a boss?
I think he is very smart. He probably gives a lot of freedom to his players, allowing them to do whatever is necessary on the pitch, and that is very good.
Have you ever spoken to Sir Alex Ferguson?
I have only seen him a few times in person and that’s it. We haven’t spoken much, we just congratulated each other at an awards ceremony. He is a great coach. It is not common for a coach to stay as long at a club as important as Manchester United. If he managed to stay that long it is because he is very, very good at his job.
How difficult will it be to stop Cristiano Ronaldo in Rome?
Cristiano Ronaldo is a brilliant player. If he is having a good day, marking him is very difficult, but I hope our defence can stop him on the night. He is very fast and hard to mark - and he also has very good shots from outside the area as we’ve all seen!
Aside from Cristiano, which of United’s players do you have the most respect for?
Carlos Tevez has an amazing style and he is very devoted to the game. Nemanja Vidic is a great defender, Wayne Rooney is an incredible scorer, and Paul Scholes is a very good midfielder. Manchester United is full of great players, I cannot pick just one.
What is it you admire most about Wayne Rooney?
Rooney is amazing. He is a scorer of great goals and he always gives his best for the team. He is a real team player: he is not selfish and always does everything unselfishly for the team.
Finally…what would it mean to you personally to influence this final and win it for Barcelona?
Winning the Champions League would be the best. It is the most important title in the world as regards to club football. I hope we win it, we deserve it. Manchester United is a great team but I have faith in Barcelona. I really hope we can win it. In the last match against Chelsea we were lucky in a way because the game seemed lost and we finally won it, so maybe that was a sign to show us that good things will happen to us in Rome.
Good interview, I think.
Honest interview.I hope he'll be as alive as against Chelsea.
I admit it here and now. This Barcelona side is better than all previous ones I have seen.
Messi is now a stick on to be crowned world player of the year and all that stuff.
Iniesta could very well pip him but i really doubt it, over the course of the season Messi has been the best and just like the man who won it last year he capped the season off with a cracking headed goal which helped his team lift the Champions League trophy.
Iniesta could very well pip him but i really doubt it, over the course of the season Messi has been the best and just like the man who won it last year he capped the season off with a cracking headed goal which helped his team lift the Champions League trophy.
Yeah I stand corrected on Messi. I always accepted he probably was as good as people said but because I dont watch Spanish football I didnt see it. In the European games I have watched him he has not been all that but tonight he was fantastic.
Lets see whether those who spent most of this 100 page thread putting down Messi saying he couldn't cut it against English sides and those saying Barca weren't all that will show up now to admit they are wrong. I doubt it.
Sometimes I'm too right for my own good
This is all pretty silly to go wow Messi is incredible when really Iniesta had more threat in this game (though Messi to be fair won a fair few free kicks where he may have been able do more otherwise BUT Iniesta also won a few). His goal was far more due to the brilliance of Xavi (what a perfectly weighted ball) combined with defensive error to leave him enough space to head the ball cleanly than his skill, and the other one was all about E'too and defensive mistakes and laziness.
He had one normal shot from long range readily saved.
He made himself a target to have no space being who he is and when he did space he didnt do anything incredible just played for the team (credit for that though)
Messi's goals will win hm the award. No question. Performance wise both he and Iniesta were ace all year.
Well done to him. He's had a magnificent season and won the treble with Barca, scored shit loads of goals and came up with a big one in the CL final. Really can't and shouldn't argue with him winning the individual honours.
He's actually been ridiculously clinical in the champions league. I believe 9 goals from 11 shots on target.
the best player on the planet... and he knows when to score too...
Had a better season than Ronaldo, but not better than Ronaldo.
Messi deserves the player of the year award. He was the best player, Iniesta will be one of the three nominees.
I think no one in world football is a better player than Ronaldo though. He is just the perfect attacker. I'm sure with the midfield that Barca has, if he could play instead of Henry he would finish with a record number of goals. We were lucky Barcelona didnt have a player as good as him in the attacking trio last night.
I think no one in world football is a better player than Ronaldo though. He is just the perfect attacker. I'm sure with the midfield that Barca has, if he could play instead of Henry he would finish with a record number of goals. We were lucky Barcelona didnt have a player as good as him in the attacking trio last night.
in every department he's been superior. Chance conversion, chances created, pass completion etc etc, the stats unequivocally back him up and now that the old "cant score against english" "big game bottler" tags hold no bearing i think everyone should be in no doubt.
no doubt he deserves it, Ronaldo deserved it last year and Messi deserves it this year.
Ronaldo had a couple of decent runs where he was fouled, apart from that he was trying to do too much, shot too many times from distance and then went into his "i'm a twat" mode for the last half hour. He was by no means the worst, he was actually one of uniteds better players but still woefully short of what is expected.
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