For one, an ability to stay drug free. That affected his football more than anything else, but he was still the best.
Back to Messi, he plays to his strengths, which is the name of the game.
Lionel Messi
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For one, an ability to stay drug free. That affected his football more than anything else, but he was still the best.
Back to Messi, he plays to his strengths, which is the name of the game.
Really!...He has scored his fair of goals from headers, for a man of his size he can still leap amazingly and challenge high balls.
Try some clips in youtube.
In his earlier days at Barca, they played a system like Schuster (the diseased RM manager) was their Beckham, used to hoof the ball from the deep and Maradona was to hold the ball up and spread it across to the forwards. For a midget he has won amazingly high percentage of headers in the midfield, it should be evident even from the world cup matches many have seen.
yes, and as soon as we beat barca, MM crawled back into the hole he came from not show up until this season.
Astounding isn't it. Those views of his.
I dont keep up with them either. It's just some posts of Frankly Vulgar's posts are too memeorable to forget.
I
Actually many did. The season Barcelona won the La liga and Champions league double, which I believe (if I'm not mistaken) was his first full season, his reputation as very high. But it don't matter much to be honest.
He is proving super effective from a deeper more orthodox wing position without being any where near top form. Ronaldo in short is getting harder to keep quiet in games. Even when he is tight marked or not in flying form. He has also shown IMO a bigger desire this season to try and make things happen for his teammates.
Fair enough. For me though, apart from long range passing and his shooting, I'm convinced he needs little else. That is why I expect the final stages of development, ala Rooney, will be much slower than people realise. Because that is what happens to player who were uber mature at a young age.
His creativity. He needs to be better at choosing moments to pick out a pass. His crossing needs more consistency and he needs to do more damage in big games. & his shooting, heading and passing can still get much better. He can reach Figo's level in those aspects of his game. He can still learn how to better use his physical advantages to waste an opponent. The way a Kaka does does example.
Messi 's far superior player to Kaka Chief ,there is nothing he can learn from the brazilian
At that point I was talking about Ronaldo dude, not Messi. Ronaldo can learn to physically dominate opponents in a similar fashion to Kaka at his best. Remember what Kaka did to Fletcher and Carrick? I'd like to see Ronaldo do that to some defenders or opposing players. By showing them who their daddy is. We all know he is strong enough to. And he sometimes does it.
Oh sorry then , your right Ronaldo is built like a tank but he doesn't use his strength like he could possibly do.
I said there were things he can improve, in response to comment that he won't get better because he is 'such a mature player.
Well, he is not shooting like Rivaldo, passing it like Pirlo or picking out passes like Laudrup. I doubt he will, but those are parts of his game he can develop and even if he doesn't, he'll still be better than any of them.
Laurdrup always had talent, but he found a different level as a playmaker after playing for cruyff.
It's aight. You've no need to be sorry.
True. He rarely does it. I think it was against Aalborg or some what earlier this season where he simply muscled away a defender to create a goal. I'd like him to do more of that. I feel it would shock a few people and make player think twice about always fouling him. I hvae a feeling some player think hima whimp.
Didn't say thrash.
I do think Inter will beat United this season though
When Mourinho came out recently and said that Zlatan is a better player than Ronaldo is, a lot of posters in here reacted and said how stupid and foolish Mourinho is for saying such a thing. I personally there's nothing wrong with that since Inter Milan is his current club and you always stick with your club. It's basically putting your "own" players in the limelight and giving them praise.
In this case, I'm surprised how a lot of "Man Utd fans" rate Messi a lot higher than Ronaldo. I acknowledge they're both good players, but since I love this club more than anything else, I always stick to my players and consider them the world's best, and that's why for me Ronaldo is the BPITW, and the same goes for Rooney, etc. Heck, on good days, I would even consider John O'Shea a world class payer, such is the bias I have on the players of this club. It's just surprising to see how "fans" in here defend their position that Messi is the better player. So what? He is not a Man Utd player, and that's why for me, he will never be better than Ronaldo or Rooney (or John O'Shea).
Understandable and honest. People are rarely impartial on footballing matters and why shouldn't people perfer players from their own team and name them the best because in their eyes they are.
Ronaldo is undoubtably one of the best, for me i watch others and think they are better but if you watch United and are a big United man then it makes sense that Ronaldo, especially after last season would be in your eyes the best.
Mourinho said Zlatan was the best but he also didn't put Ronaldo in the same class as Messi and Kaka. With the way Ibrahimovic has performed under Mourinho you can understand his comments. He did the same with Lampard to good effect.
THe first time Mourinho took training with Zlatan fit he said he had never seen anything like it.
Didn't say thrash.
I do think Inter will beat United this season though
Understandable and honest. People are rarely impartial on footballing matters and why shouldn't people perfer players from their own team and name them the best because in their eyes they are.
Ronaldo is undoubtably one of the best, for me i watch others and think they are better but if you watch United and are a big United man then it makes sense that Ronaldo, especially after last season would be in your eyes the best.
Mourinho said Zlatan was the best but he also didn't put Ronaldo in the same class as Messi and Kaka. With the way Ibrahimovic has performed under Mourinho you can understand his comments. He did the same with Lampard to good effect.
THe first time Mourinho took training with Zlatan fit he said he had never seen anything like it.
It makes sense as it was the first time he ever trained him
WordIt makes sense as it was the first time he ever trained him
A bit of sarcasm there, your initial argument was he cannot head a ball legally and it answers your question. He was really strong in the air, took the piss out of taller defenders and through out his career, barring his later part at Napoli and international footie he has scored a fair share with his head
Theories like he cannot kick with his right foot etc... crop up mainly from the two or four three telvised goals from the 86 WC. . I dont see any weakness with a right foot than can juggle golf balls and oranges.
Being able to juggle a ball tells you nothing about how good someone is with their weaker foot...That being said, i've seen very little of Maradona and have no idea whether he was any good with his right.
He can score with his right also use his foot effectively to roll the ball and balance it...nuff said.
It makes sense as it was the first time he ever trained him
I see what you did there, very clever.
Has scored a wonderful hatrick against Atletico in Copa del rey apparantly, he is in some form.
19 goals and 9 assists in 20 matches.
Bpitw
He just raped Athletico Madrid (again ) with a hat trick.
Do you think he is as good as Ronaldo was last season?
If we compare them how they've played untill early January (Messi of this season and Ronaldo of last season) ,Messi is comfortably ahead without a doubt.
Ronaldo in the second part of the season went insane with all the goals.
I think he has been better than Ronaldo was last season, atleast for the first part of this season anyway. And if he maintains this level of consistency he will no doubt be picking up all the awards by the end of this year.
Ronaldo was better the season before, I think comparing his 06/07 season would be better(at the end of the season).
But I'd say yes, although it doesn't make much sense to judge him halfway through the season.
Game per game in terms of performances, or goals, I'd say Messi's a clear winner if we're comparing this one to last.
I think the most impressive part is all the "big" teams Messi has put to the sword this season.
Big game player
Big game player
How do you guys rate him in comparison to Ronaldinho at his best?
Barca fans certainly have been treated to some geniuses of late.
Barca fans certainly have been treated to some geniuses of late.
I think he is better. I think Ronaldo was better then Ronaldinho too.
Nah, Ronaldinho at his best was a treat to watch. The way he used to get past countless players with such ease was exceptional. Ronaldo is not to that level yet, but over a season the stats say otherwise.
Another standing ovation from the opposition crowd for Messi.
Now Messi is inching closer to Pele.
Should get there by the end of this season.
Should get there by the end of this season.
Pun aside, if he stays injury free he has it in to join the big league. Against Atletico, he survived two nasty ones in the match, any one of those fouls would've laid him out for a month had he been a bit unlucky.
3rd was a really good goal, after nearly scoring a great goal 15 seconds earlier when he hit the bar. Alves did well for the first.
South Americans for Barcelona in numbers
The matches and goals scored from their official stat box is few higher than the ones mentioned in the wiki
Maradona
Played 73
Scored 45
Assists 49
Directly involved in nearly 90% of the goals in his 18 month period over there, playing as a midfielder.
Titles
1 Copa del Rey (1982/83)
1 League Cup (1982/83)
1 Spanish Super Cup (1983)
Romario
Games played: 82
Goals scored: 53
Titles
1 League (1993/94)
Only half arsed through out his two year tenure, still phenomenal through out the 93/94 season.
Goofy Ronaldo
Games played: 51
Goals scored: 48
Titles
1 Cup Winners Cup (1996/97)
1 Copa del Rey (1996/97)
1 Spanish Super Cup (1996/97)
Almost everyone here can remember that season well.
Messi if Mehdi's stats are true is in a blinder of a season comparable with the other three.
19 goals and 9 assists in 20 matches.
He isnt as dominative as Maradona, tough ask for him to match Goofy goal scoring haul through out a whole season but comes somewhere between the two...can dominate a match more than Goofy with a better strike rate than Maradona.
The matches and goals scored from their official stat box is few higher than the ones mentioned in the wiki
Maradona
Played 73
Scored 45
Assists 49
Directly involved in nearly 90% of the goals in his 18 month period over there, playing as a midfielder.
Titles
1 Copa del Rey (1982/83)
1 League Cup (1982/83)
1 Spanish Super Cup (1983)
Romario
Games played: 82
Goals scored: 53
Titles
1 League (1993/94)
Only half arsed through out his two year tenure, still phenomenal through out the 93/94 season.
Goofy Ronaldo
Games played: 51
Goals scored: 48
Titles
1 Cup Winners Cup (1996/97)
1 Copa del Rey (1996/97)
1 Spanish Super Cup (1996/97)
Almost everyone here can remember that season well.
Messi if Mehdi's stats are true is in a blinder of a season comparable with the other three.
19 goals and 9 assists in 20 matches.
He isnt as dominative as Maradona, tough ask for him to match Goofy goal scoring haul through out a whole season but comes somewhere between the two...can dominate a match more than Goofy with a better strike rate than Maradona.
He is getting closer.
He's comfortably better than Ronaldinho ever was.
Off topic but the Spanish fans seem to be more comfortable doing this. Has any opposition player got a standing ovation from English fans? Can only think of Ronaldo at OT in '03..
I guess it works both ways because they also take out their handkerchiefs after a couple of bad results.
I agree. This guy is absolutely phenomenal. The only way to stop him is to kick him out of the game which seems to be every opposing team's game plan.
Ronaldinho also had a bit of a lazy streak about him, even during his peak years.
Messi doesn't stop running for 90 minutes.
His last match against Atletico (click on "watch in high quality" at the bottom right corner). Check out when Pernia pushes him out of bounds and Messi manages to knock the ball back and get the corner out of it at around 03:06.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8HYQik-pMJk
Not sure, i have only really seen it happen with Messi. Maybe if teams had a player giving these sorts of performances you would see it more often.
I guess you never watched Henry then?
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