Not a good look
Lionel Messi
- Thread starter cesc's_mullet
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Only goes to show that sitting atop a qualification table doesn't mean you're as formidable as you'd imagine. I still say they are underperforming and have yet to hit their potential which may be a good thing as they are at least playing consistently and might hit their stride in a year's time
You want to use friendlies as a basis for an argument about form?
Germany, at least has consistency that Argentina has lacked, they pull together and have no shortage of options all over the pitch. Not the same for Argentina, you're comparing apples to oranges. The FAs in Germany & Spain put those in Argentina & Brasil to shame despite having similar if not better talent pools.
So you're saying Argentina are on top of a qualification group with several quality teams, but are underperforming right now and might be even stronger in a year, yet you already make excuses if he individually underperforms in the next worldcup because other teams are way stronger?
I'm pretty sure a friendly Argentina vs Germany is on a higher level than all of Germany's group games. Destroying Kazakhstan twice in a week doesn't show consistency, it's like a cup game for United against a championship team. So yes, friendlies against big nations are important to judge a team's form in international football between tournaments, totally different to pre season games in club football.
Uruguay underperforming, Chile underperforming, Paraguay and even the hosts Brasil are underperforming. Argentina are currently atop because quite frankly they've been better than the rest who have not been at their best.
I didn't say anything about predicting Argentina to underperform at the next WC, I have said they have been underperforming as a team for awhile now. Messi has always been Messi, he's the one constant which underscores my earlier contention that how Argentina fares won't reflect whether Leo is playing well or not. Argentina doesn't do well and the usual criticisms are that 'Messi didn't do enough' - it's a poor conclusion to draw
The Suisse ripped apart Germany ahead of the Euros year in a friendly so no, a friendly isn't the usual barometer for how strong a side is. Spain has been thumped in friendlies too yet they've been dominating the world for going on 6 years. It's important in few people's eyes.
Of course there are freak results in friendlies. Doesn't mean they're all meaningless. Can you honestly say after watching the Germany vs Argentina friendly last year that germany just didn't care, that they easily could have turned it around if it wasn't a friendly? I don't believe that for a second.
There's a wide spectrum between meaningless and some barometer for form - they're friendlies and as I have already pointed out, not much to base judgements on
How did Messi play against Bolivia ?
had his moments of great football, but in the second period was clear that he was sufering from the high altitude
Read that he threw up in the locker room at half time (he had also vomited on-pitch against Venezuela earlier in the week, still suffering from flu he had before the international break) and almost didn't come out second half. Also Di María and some other Arg players needed oxygen at HT. Insanity.
Example of what the match was like for him
BTW, Lavezzi shown there taking oxygen perhaps to demonstrate what they went through as a team because he didn't even play
By this rate, Messi could probably be the best of all time, but he surely isn't the greatest yet, unless you are 9 years old or have a short memory span.
You should have seen him when just before he took the first free kick in the 7th minute, he was already bent over gasping for oxygen. When he takes a free-kick for Barcelona, he is stood upright, with a hand over his mouth whispering something to a team mate. However, to be bent over before the free-kick was taken in the 7th minute just goes to show that he was suffering as they all were.
I had a terrible stream, could barely make the players out but as a team, I could see Argentina were sticking to a strategy of sitting back and waiting to spring a counter. Otherwise, I saw several players standing or bent over trying to breathe which says nothing about the physiological toll they all endured
I thought he did well in really tough circumstances. He and the team worked hard for their point. All credit to them.
If Messi gets a goal at Celta this weekend he will have scored consecutively against all 19 La Liga sides.
Saw that on BBC's twitter. Pretty incredible if he does it.
Saw that on BBC's twitter. Pretty incredible if he does it.
There is only record he needs to beat, but I am sure he wouldn't want to considering it means that he will have to score against an own goal a la Cristiano...
Don't think he is that stupid.I was in La Paz in December.
I was absolutely fecked climbing 3 flights of stairs to my hotel room. Had to stop at every floor.
feck knows how anyone plays football there!
I was absolutely fecked climbing 3 flights of stairs to my hotel room. Had to stop at every floor.
feck knows how anyone plays football there!
And of course he does it in classic Messi style. Picks the ball up 40 yards from goal, has two players closing in on him within a second of touching the ball, takes five players out the game with that ball in between left fullback and centre back and then gets on the end of the cross with a nonchalant finish. And it comes at a time when Barca are struggling to break Celta down at 1-1.
Unquestionably the greatest ever.
wonderful goal
the thing with messi is that he doesnt beat records, he destroys them
how much time will it pass till someone beats it? and he can keep increasing it, the liga is not over
the thing with messi is that he doesnt beat records, he destroys them
how much time will it pass till someone beats it? and he can keep increasing it, the liga is not over
I have news for you marcos. No player can ever beat that record for scoring against all teams(not including own goals of course). The only way that record can be beaten is if the Spanish FA decide to increase the number of teams from 38 to 40, then it can be beaten. However, if the Spanish FA keep the same number of teams for eternity then, that record can only be equalled and will never be beaten...
I have news for you marcos. No player can ever beat that record for scoring against all teams(not including own goals of course). The only way that record can be beaten is if the Spanish FA decide to increase the number of teams from 38 to 40, then it can be beaten. However, if the Spanish FA keep the same number of teams for eternity then, that record can only be equalled and will never be beaten...
cheeky bastard. you know what i ment
I have news for you marcos. No player can ever beat that record for scoring against all teams(not including own goals of course). The only way that record can be beaten is if the Spanish FA decide to increase the number of teams from 38 to 40, then it can be beaten. However, if the Spanish FA keep the same number of teams for eternity then, that record can only be equalled and will never be beaten...
To be fair, I would score an OG to break that record!!
Out of curiosity PL - which team do you support?
I have news for you marcos. No player can ever beat that record for scoring against all teams(not including own goals of course). The only way that record can be beaten is if the Spanish FA decide to increase the number of teams from 38 to 40, then it can be beaten. However, if the Spanish FA keep the same number of teams for eternity then, that record can only be equalled and will never be beaten...
Technically he can continue into next season and score against the 3 promoted teams, increasing the streak. That is if he scores in every game up until then
very possible considering it is messi we're talking about.I have news for you marcos. No player can ever beat that record for scoring against all teams(not including own goals of course). The only way that record can be beaten is if the Spanish FA decide to increase the number of teams from 38 to 40, then it can be beaten. However, if the Spanish FA keep the same number of teams for eternity then, that record can only be equalled and will never be beaten...
Am I the only one who realizes that the current number of teams in La Liga is 20, not 38??
The point you're making still stands though..
Technically he can continue into next season and score against the 3 promoted teams, increasing the streak. That is if he scores in every game up until then
If he carries on his hot streak and manages to score against the three promoted teams right off then, it is very possible. However, this record could continue this season.
Indeed, I believe I was talking about the number of games which is my bad. Thanks for pointing it out to me Danny.
cheeky bastard. you know what i ment
Indeed I did marcos...
So would I, but only when Barcelona have scored 4 or 5. In answer to your question, born and raised Mancunian and supported the reds all my life. In my adopted country, I live in Paris, but I hate them with a passion because they are the Manchester City of Ligue 1. I have supported Lyon for over 13 years now, and I like Barcelona too, and no time for Real Madrid. I follow no Italian or German team.
Here's a record. Who has scored against the most number of Spanish teams ever? Does anyone actually know because surely Messi has a good shout at that.
If you are talking consecutively, then Messi does hold that record. As for scoring home and away against each club this season then, he can only do a maximum of 15 out of 20 clubs.
He means overall, not in a single season. It'll be someone who's played in La Liga for 15+ years like Raúl you'd think.
Nah I meant, total teams. So he's scored against 19 different clubs in the league this season but he'd already scored against most of them before, so what's the record for a player to score against the most different Spanish clubs?
Most likely Zarra or Raúl, or anyone else in the top 10 of La Liga all-time scorers.
Messi has played against 38 different Spanish teams in his career and scored against 34 of those. Also 30 different non-Spanish teams, scoring against 23 of those.
Teams he's played against but failed to score:
0 goals, 2 assists vs. Murcia (1 app)
0 goals, 1 assist vs. Cádiz (1 app)
0 goals, 1 assist vs. Xerez (2 apps, both as sub)
0 goals, 0 assists vs. Gramanet (1 app)
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0 goals, 1 assist vs. Al-Sadd (1 app)
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0 goals, 2 assists vs. Benfica (2 apps, 1 as sub)
0 goals, 2 assists vs. Chelsea (8 apps)
0 goals, 0 assists vs. Udinese (1 app)
0 goals, 0 assists vs. Liverpool (2 apps)
0 goals, 0 assists vs. Internazionale (3 apps)
0 goals, 0 assists vs. Rubin Kazan (4 apps, 2 as sub)
Messi has played against 38 different Spanish teams in his career and scored against 34 of those. Also 30 different non-Spanish teams, scoring against 23 of those.
Teams he's played against but failed to score:
0 goals, 2 assists vs. Murcia (1 app)
0 goals, 1 assist vs. Cádiz (1 app)
0 goals, 1 assist vs. Xerez (2 apps, both as sub)
0 goals, 0 assists vs. Gramanet (1 app)
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0 goals, 1 assist vs. Al-Sadd (1 app)
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0 goals, 2 assists vs. Benfica (2 apps, 1 as sub)
0 goals, 2 assists vs. Chelsea (8 apps)
0 goals, 0 assists vs. Udinese (1 app)
0 goals, 0 assists vs. Liverpool (2 apps)
0 goals, 0 assists vs. Internazionale (3 apps)
0 goals, 0 assists vs. Rubin Kazan (4 apps, 2 as sub)
Chelsea have done well.
Indeed, the ones that stand out are Chelsea, Inter and maybe Liverpool and Rubin Kazan as well.
Though in Messi's defense, 4 of those games against Chelsea happened before he had even turned 20. He also had to be withdrawn in his second game against them after a muscle injury early on. Furthermore he's hit the woodwork twice from open play against them + missed a pen. He had also just come back from injury for the Liverpool tie. The ones you can't argue with are 2008/09 Chelsea and 2009/10 Inter, they just did a very solid defensive job each time.
Yeah, both really good defensive performances. Milan did well in the first leg this year too I thought, second leg Messi managed to break free though!
Ah okay then. I wonder if anyone knows the exacts. Raul probably is the record holder though.
Indeed, Raul has scored against 36 different Spanish sides in La Liga, and he has scored another 4 goals against other Spanish sides in the Copa Del Rey. As for Zarra, he has scored against 28 opponents in la liga and the Eva Duarte's cup.
Cheers Lyon. It looks like a record Messi could break then, although it will take some luck
It will take some luck because he needs to able to score against teams he may not have played against. However, he does have time on his hands. It took Raul 587 matches (La Liga and Copa Del Rey included) to score against the 40+ teams. Messi has scored against 34 different teams and only played a total of 281 games. So, another 300+ games and Messi could break the record.
Oops, the bestest player in the world ever ever is injured... Oh no...
Oops, the bestest player in the world ever ever is injured... Oh no...
What a shit post.
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