Lionel Messi

Gomes said:
What weird game to big him up like that. There is a lot of talk about how good he is even without goals but nobody would be here without that free kick.
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That freekick is more difficult than heading a ball at goal from great crosses and take a penalty won by a great run from teammate.

It’s all him. From a position people RARELY score from. He changed the game and they went on to ride that wave against a demoralized liverpool and should have gotten two more goals. Set up by him.
 
Messi still has his explosiveness when he chooses to use it. in the last 10 minutes he exploded with the ball through the middle and broke away from the guy behind him running without the ball. Don't kid yourself. Messi still has major speed. His decline is minimal at most. He's just positioned differently in the field these days and it's not as appropriate to slalom dribble as often from central areas that are congested.
 
Phenomenal. To me, it looked like he was working harder for the team than I've seen from him in his so called prime, whenever or whatever that was. His allround game is just sublime. He should have had two Assists as well.
 
Gomes said:
What weird game to big him up like that. There is a lot of talk about how good he is even without goals but nobody would be here without that free kick.
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What?

Created a goal-scoring chance to Vidal, who passed instead of shot.
Created a goal-scoring chance to Suarez, through on goal, who mis-controlled it and didn't get the shot away.

That's two potential assists before he even scores his second goal. Even if he didn't score the free-kick, we'd be talking about him scoring one and creating Barça's best chances in a game when his team weren't even playing well.
 
Gomes said:
What weird game to big him up like that. There is a lot of talk about how good he is even without goals but nobody would be here without that free kick.
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He's been banging in free kicks at a transcendent rate for a few months now. This is another one in an amazing streak that isn't talked about enough imo
 
Hoof The Ball said:
What?

Created a goal-scoring chance to Vidal, who passed instead of shot.
Created a goal-scoring chance to Suarez, through on goal, who mis-controlled it and didn't get the shot away.

That's two potential assists before he even scores his second goal. Even if he didn't score the free-kick, we'd be talking about him scoring one and creating Barça's best chances in a game when his team weren't even playing well.
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He was toying with the scousers and spreading the balls as well by coming down, also you forgot the chance he set up at the end for Dembele. That should have been another assist.
 
Hoof The Ball said:
Messi still has his explosiveness when he chooses to use it. in the last 10 minutes he exploded with the ball through the middle and broke away from the guy behind him running without the ball. Don't kid yourself. Messi still has major speed. His decline is minimal at most. He's just positioned differently in the field these days and it's not as appropriate to slalom dribble as often from central areas that are congested.
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He definitely doesn't have the explosiveness like he used to.

It's completely obvious if you watched him back in 2011 that he's lost some explosion.
 
Greck said:
He's been banging in free kicks at a transcendent rate for a few months now. This is another one in an amazing streak that isn't talked about enough imo
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Is he the best ever at free kicks? Is there someone else that has scored as many as him. It just seems like he scores a free kick nearly every week
 
Best FK I've ever seen him score.

A relatively sloppy game for his standards and he still should have had 2-3 assists. He's so far above anyone in world football currently.
 
Hoof The Ball said:
What?

Created a goal-scoring chance to Vidal, who passed instead of shot.
Created a goal-scoring chance to Suarez, through on goal, who mis-controlled it and didn't get the shot away.

That's two potential assists before he even scores his second goal. Even if he didn't score the free-kick, we'd be talking about him scoring one and creating Barça's best chances in a game when his team weren't even playing well.
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And you still didn't mention that last chance for Dembele, delivered on a silver platter
 
I've never been into this whole Messi v Ronaldo malarkey, but gotta say, Messi really showed tonight why he's the best, possibly ever. To be able to single handedly do what he did tonight, when his team were being overpowered in the second-half, that's what puts him above everybody else.

I think Ronaldo, starved of service, would have disappeared in a game like that. He's still an absolutely awesome player of course. We should be enjoying watching these two footballing legends while it still lasts, there's not many seasons left for them both.
 
17Larsson said:
Is he the best ever at free kicks? Is there someone else that has scored as many as him. It just seems like he scores a free kick nearly every week
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One of the best ever for me. I’d say he’s easily the best of this generation and it pisses me off that we have so many knuckle ball imitators when Messi is doing it old school and is tiers above anyone else in modern game.

Historically Platini and Zico just to name two would probably be above him but he’s better than Pele or Maradona at Free kicks IMO.
 
Hoof The Ball said:
Messi still has his explosiveness when he chooses to use it. in the last 10 minutes he exploded with the ball through the middle and broke away from the guy behind him running without the ball. Don't kid yourself. Messi still has major speed. His decline is minimal at most. He's just positioned differently in the field these days and it's not as appropriate to slalom dribble as often from central areas that are congested.
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I wouldn't say he has his explosiveness anymore, but he does still have pace. 'Problem' is it peters out after 15 yards or so.
 
Raees said:
One of the best ever for me. I’d say he’s easily the best of this generation and it pisses me off that we have so many knuckle ball imitators when Messi is doing it old school and is tiers above anyone else in modern game.

Historically Platini and Zico just to name two would probably be above him but he’s better than Pele or Maradona at Free kicks IMO.
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Too right, why is Rashford trying to master a difficult technique, with very little control of the ball's trajectory than doing curling them ? We had a legend in Beckham for free kicks and no one at the club seems to be encouraging him to change his tekkers.
 
Hoof The Ball said:
What?

Created a goal-scoring chance to Vidal, who passed instead of shot.
Created a goal-scoring chance to Suarez, through on goal, who mis-controlled it and didn't get the shot away.

That's two potential assists before he even scores his second goal. Even if he didn't score the free-kick, we'd be talking about him scoring one and creating Barça's best chances in a game when his team weren't even playing well.
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I didn't say he wasn't playing well, but comparatively it was nowhere near one of his best games. I get why TV channels pointlessly hype every game as the best ever, but why do ordinary fans do it?

Thought he lost the ball too much. Too many loose passes and running into 5 men.

Don't actually remember that Suarez chance, but Vidal's one wasn't that great. Those 3 vs 1 attacks at the end don't have anything to do with my "argument".
 
Niall said:
I've never been into this whole Messi v Ronaldo malarkey, but gotta say, Messi really showed tonight why he's the best, possibly ever. To be able to single handedly do what he did tonight, when his team were being overpowered in the second-half, that's what puts him above everybody else.

I think Ronaldo, starved of service, would have disappeared in a game like that. He's still an absolutely awesome player of course. We should be enjoying watching these two footballing legends while it still lasts, there's not many seasons left for them both.
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Messi proved today that he can single handedly dismantle a great team when he’s in the mood outside of just goals.

I’ve seen Ronaldo rip teams apart in terms of his goal scoring but an all round performance like Messi against us in the last round and today v Liverpool (great passing/dribbling/touches/finishing etc) - it’s beyond Ronaldo IMO.
 
kouroux said:
Too right, why is Rashford trying to master a difficult technique, with very little control of the ball's trajectory than doing curling them ? We had a legend in Beckham for free kicks and no one at the club seems to be encouraging him to change his tekkers.
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Well we have Greenwood who seems to do it the Messi/Beckham way and does it with either foot!!
 
He's quite obviously the best player of all time.

It's way more special and difficult to stand out like he does and be 1 in 7bn, than it is to 1 in 5bn (1990), 1 in 4bn (1980), 1 in 3bn (1960) etc.
 
He likes English teams, doesn't he?

FC Ronaldo said:
That’s every bit as good as Ronaldo vs Portsmouth. Unstoppable. What a FK.
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Thought the same. Both brilliant free kicks, hard to believe it can be better than that.
 
Sometimes you've got to sit back and admire haven't you?

I said to my dad 'watch him ping this in from 35 yards to take the piss cause he can' just before the free kick and then he goes and does that...

Glorious.
 
Ventura said:
So he's a decent player, this Messi dude? Upgrade on Lingard? Might be worth a punt.
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Never scored at Wembley. Doesn't run too much. Will mess with Chong development. Doesn't hit the first person on free kicks. Do not want.
 
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There was a time he was mocked for not being able to perform against English teams - mainly due to his first 8 games against Chelsea. Since that 24 goals in 31 games against them. Impressive.
 
Messi is clearly losing both top-end pace and explosiveness off the mark, but what he's doing to compensate is cutting right across his markers so that they still have to either foul him or hope another player on their side can sweep up.

It's not a surprise though, as without the pace and explosiveness, he will just become a more conventional #10, or whatever you want to classify him as. His cunning is more on display as he slows.
 
Fortitude said:
Messi is clearly losing both top-end pace and explosiveness off the mark, but what he's doing to compensate is cutting right across his markers so that they still have to either foul him or hope another player on their side can sweep up.

It's not a surprise though, as without the pace and explosiveness, he will just become a more conventional #10, or whatever you want to classify him as. His cunning is more on display as he slows.
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His mind is quicker than the most athletic player's legs. He was still putting Liverpool's players flat on their arses all game.

I seriously doubt we'll ever see a player like him again.
 
Enigma_87 said:
There was a time he was mocked for not being able to perform against English teams - mainly due to his first 8 games against Chelsea. Since that 24 goals in 31 games against them. Impressive.
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Which was weird anyway cause he murdered Arsenal with 4 goals and scored against United in 2 CL finals.
 
MalcolmTucker said:
His mind is quicker than the most athletic player's legs. He was still putting Liverpool's players flat on their arses all game.

I seriously doubt we'll ever see a player like him again.
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Evolution. There will be someone even better. But maybe not in our lifetime.

Just like with Tennis when Sampras' grand slam record looked unbeatable, now we have three players in one generation who have beaten it.
 
Best finisher, best FK taker, best final ball player, one of the best dribblers. His ability is inhumane.
 
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