Lionel Messi

Different gravy.

His talent has become taken for granted meaning in turn he has become underrated and now the hipsters choice again :drool:

Barca are on course for the treble, again! fantastic achievement to stay dominating at the top this long.
 
SolidSnake007 said:
Different gravy.

His talent has become taken for granted meaning in turn he has become underrated and now the hipsters choice again :drool:

Barca are on course for the treble, again! fantastic achievement to stay dominating at the top this long.
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Treble? Can't see it. They're not that great a team. I saw the highlights of last night's game and PSV had tons of chances. They'll crash out at the quarters or semis when a better teams exposes them.
 
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amolbhatia50k said:
Treble? Can't see it. They're not that great a team. I saw the highlights of last night's game and PSG had tons of chances. They'll crash out at the quarters or semis when a better teams exposes them.
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PSV man. You confused me for a bit!
 
Definitely top 2 of all time, he's got some really great goals...only if he could just play for another club
 
Can’t understand that people beat him with a stick for being loyal to his childhood club, it’s a rare sight in football and he should be hailed for it, the G.O.A.T without a doubt.
 
amolbhatia50k said:
Treble? Can't see it. They're not that great a team. I saw the highlights of last night's game and PSV had tons of chances. They'll crash out at the quarters or semis when a better teams exposes them.
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Yeah, I agree, a lot of their big name, experienced players have seen their best days, IMO. Pique, Busquets and Suarez have all dropped a level. Busquets probably a bit more debatable (because their midfield as a whole has dropped a few levels which is understandable after losing players like Xavi and Iniesta).
 
That goal was something apart. He makes football look so easy that many take him for granted. If he isn't the best player in the history of football than, nobody is. Yes he hasn't won an international trophy yet compared to the like of Maradona and Pele, but football is a different beast now. He makes defenders look like the defenders Pele faced during his time. The way he can adapt and being the best at any position across the pitch makes me wonder if one day he'd transition himself into a goalkeeper and being better than De Gea.
 
LoveFootball said:
He makes defenders look like the defenders Pele faced during his time
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To be fair if he’s making today’s defenders look like Moore, Figueroa or Beckenbauer, he’s significantly improving them somehow.
 
Shejkus said:
Can’t understand that people beat him with a stick for being loyal to his childhood club, it’s a rare sight in football and he should be hailed for it, the G.O.A.T without a doubt.
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It is a lot easier to be loyal to your childhood club if they are one of the best teams in the world while also paying him the same as any other club would. It is not like he plays for free and isnt trying to get every last penny from Barcelona.

He is one of the best players of all time but hailing him for staying loyal isnt a thing people should do. I would reserve that praise for players like Totti... even Steven Gerrard (eventhough he wanted to leave). Players who had the chance to join bigger clubs and win more but didnt leave because they loved their club.
 
harms said:
To be fair if he’s making today’s defenders look like Moore, Figueroa or Beckenbauer, he’s significantly improving them somehow.
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What I meant is in today football, it always impossible to beat defenders the way Messi do because, like football in general, defenses have evolve and it almost impossible to see a player continuously beating 2/3 defenders and scoring with such ease. The last player I can remember who was ridiculing defenders and scoring like that was R9.
 
Stadjer said:
It is a lot easier to be loyal to your childhood club if they are one of the best teams in the world while also paying him the same as any other club would. It is not like he plays for free and isnt trying to get every last penny from Barcelona.

He is one of the best players of all time but hailing him for staying loyal isnt a thing people should do. I would reserve that praise for players like Totti... even Steven Gerrard (eventhough he wanted to leave). Players who had the chance to join bigger clubs and win more but didnt leave because they loved their club.
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So Paul and Giggs shouldn’t be hailed aswell going by your logic then...
 
Stupidly talented. The way he throws two dummies before the defender has reacted to the first is ridiculous.
 
13th season in a row he has at the very least 15 goals all competition. To think some attackers never achieve that once in their whole careers
 
The best I've seen. And if I see anyone better in my lifetime I would be very very surprised.
 
kouroux said:
13th season in a row he has at the very least 15 goals all competition. To think some attackers never achieve that once in their whole careers
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The fact its not even December is the funny part, averaging 7.5 goals a month...
 
Stadjer said:
It is a lot easier to be loyal to your childhood club if they are one of the best teams in the world while also paying him the same as any other club would. It is not like he plays for free and isnt trying to get every last penny from Barcelona.

He is one of the best players of all time but hailing him for staying loyal isnt a thing people should do. I would reserve that praise for players like Totti... even Steven Gerrard (eventhough he wanted to leave). Players who had the chance to join bigger clubs and win more but didnt leave because they loved their club.
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Incredibely harsh, what about Schole, Giggs, Neville? Great players who stayed loyal. Yes they were with the best but at times it seems like the grass is always greener. It's not his fault he made his start at one of the best clubs of all time as opposed to some lesser club. Look at Neymar who threw said club Messi is loyal to aside for an easier ride and a big pay day. It's like criticising Lahm for staying loyal to Bayern
 
LoveFootball said:
That goal was something apart. He makes football look so easy that many take him for granted. If he isn't the best player in the history of football than, nobody is. Yes he hasn't won an international trophy yet compared to the like of Maradona and Pele, but football is a different beast now. He makes defenders look like the defenders Pele faced during his time. The way he can adapt and being the best at any position across the pitch makes me wonder if one day he'd transition himself into a goalkeeper and being better than De Gea.
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Talking about exaggeration! :lol:
 
Shejkus said:
So Paul and Giggs shouldn’t be hailed aswell going by your logic then...
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padr81 said:
Incredibely harsh, what about Schole, Giggs, Neville? Great players who stayed loyal. Yes they were with the best but at times it seems like the grass is always greener. It's not his fault he made his start at one of the best clubs of all time as opposed to some lesser club. Look at Neymar who threw said club Messi is loyal to aside for an easier ride and a big pay day. It's like criticising Lahm for staying loyal to Bayern
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I cant remember Scholes, Giggs or Neville asking for a new deal with a higher salary basically every single year while they were already one of the highest paid players in the world...

There is enough to praise Messi for.. is staying loyal to Barcelona really reason for even more praise? Everyone in Messi his situation would stay loyal to Barcelona. Main man for one of the best clubs in the world while also one of the highest paid pro athletes in the world.
 
Really wish I could have appreciated him sooner. I was so wrapped up in United-Ronaldo fanboy hysteria and bitterness over our two CL losses to Barca that I couldn’t stand to enjoy his play until around 2012, so seeing some of these older clips is like seeing younger Messi for the first time :lol:

He really looks like he’s playing a different sport at times. That touch between Felipe Luis’ legs is insane :drool:
 
I mean, when you think about it, what other player makes the rest of the players look like kids on a playground and he's that one lad ripping everyone?
Truly a privilege that we are watching a living legend.
What a player. Well done.
 
Stadjer said:
I cant remember Scholes, Giggs or Neville asking for a new deal with a higher salary basically every single year while they were already one of the highest paid players in the world...

There is enough to praise Messi for.. is staying loyal to Barcelona really reason for even more praise? Everyone in Messi his situation would stay loyal to Barcelona. Main man for one of the best clubs in the world while also one of the highest paid pro athletes in the world.
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How much of FCB revenues are due to Messi and shouldn't he ask for a fair cut? Football revenues have been growing tremendously, the clubs are negotiating better and better contracts with sponsors, media companies etc, why should Messi who's basically half the team in terms of output on the pitch and buzz off it, not get his fair shake?

Football is different than 10 years that's fecking clear.
 
IFC 1905 said:



This video is a piece of art
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Yeah saw this one before it’s good but the no space one is my favourite.

Watching him live and on tv I just can’t understand the argument for anyone else ever having been better, but that’s if people share the same beliefs and appreciate the same things as I do.
 
kouroux said:
He has also 66 CL group stages goals in 66 matches.
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Yeah but he doesn't turn up in the big game or something...

Arbitrium said:
The similarities are astounding
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Character wise Maradona was more of a enigmatic figure at times,especially when he was at Barca. More reactionary,played with his heart on his sleeve.His aggression was more external while Messi's is more internal. Messi plays with a calm confidence while Maradona is more robust.More authoritative. Maradona would puff out his chest and make sure the world has all its eye fixated on him.
Maradona was like a Napoleon on the pitch.Self aware.Cocky and dirty.
While Messi,as mentioned,is more timid.Self assured.

Interms of their styles there's a similarity.But who they're as characters tickles down to who they're as players.Both versatile.Yet Maradona was more eccentric with the ball.More flamboyant.He liked to showcase his skills and yet exert a certain amount grit in his game.
Messi is a more cuter player with the ball.Less inconsistent,less rash interms of possession.
Messi makes a team tick in all facets of the pitch.He would come deep.Link up play with the midfield and,depending on how high up the pitch they're,also the defence.Pique and Messi have just as much of a connection as Messi did with Alves before him nowadays.
The evolution of Barca coincides with the evolution of Messi. Messi is Barca to put it bluntly as was the case with Napoli and Maradona. You simply couldn't separate them.
But the direction in their ball control is similar.There's always a moment when the pitch opens up and you,as a viewer,know whats coming and the same situation applied to Maradona.
You know you're going to witness that moment in a game where the star player will show something truly magical.

Now,to go slightly off course,if I was going to have one of these two great players to be thrown into this current United side and I would probably side with Maradona.
His dogged attitude would for one align with our management.Plus with Maradona,and this has been the major consistent criticism levelled at Messi more so Internationally, you put him into any side in the world and he will shine.
Maradona played with some average players in his time,and some frankly rubbish set-ups, and still showed consistent moments of class. Maradona could drag teams out of a chasm he was that strong willed. This is not to downplay Messi's mentality.
What is truly admirable about Messi is the fact he's the best player in the world,arguably best ever,yet at the same time he doesn't play up to it.
His lack of arrogance in such a competitive egocentric sport is utterly refreshing.
 
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IFC 1905 said:



This video is a piece of art
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It's very unlikely now, but I'd love it so much if he'd finally win the World Cup in 2022.

Also, that compilation highlights one rather bizarre thing about Messi's legacy: somehow Ray Hudson will be an inescapable part of it.
 
@BrianMcClair'sBarnet you have to provide source with those kind of posts. Kidding, you used the words well and I agree.

In the end I'll always prefer the grit and the flamboyant tango of a player like Maradona than the robotic, selfless but arguably genius of Messi. I suppose one is more attracted to opposites and as a timid lad, watching Maradona play with that character of his, was like watching a superhero. I can only begin to imagine what was like to support Argentina/Nápoles back then.
 
The only positive from Messi coming in 5th at the Ballon d'Or is that it might have lit an even bigger fire in his belly to get back on top. He's the greatest player I have ever seen, and I'm actually making more of an effort to try to catch all of his games because I'm not sure I'll ever get to see a player like that ever again in my lifetime.
 
I wish I had 'one skill' to the level that he has. The best player of all time.
 
We've all heard about and respected how hard the likes of Cristiano work in training to perfect aspects of their game such as ball-striking technique, among other areas, but Messi must also be commended as well (for those who think he doesn't put the work in, and relies solely on talent). His free kick taking, and in extension his shooting ability, has noticeably improved so much as his career has progressed. He's right up there amongst the best free kick takers currently, if not the best, and has been for the past several seasons.
 
No Ballon d'Or result will change my mind that he is the greatest on this planet at the game of football.
 
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