That was less due to Neymar leaving and more due to Messi, Suarez and Busquets declining, Iniesta leaving, etc. Take just that team in his last season and the year after, they didn't exactly feel his loss. They felt the loss of Luis Enrique, but their level was pretty much the same with and without him in his last season and the one after.
Neymar vs Ronaldinho: Who was the better player?
- Thread starter Fortitude
- Start date
Messi and Busquets may be more important for the team, but Busquets would also be more important than Ronaldinho in that Barca team.
The fact that you suggest that Alves, Alba or Pique was equally as important as Neymar is just silly. They are not close.
What makes you think Suarez was more important? Most Barca fans think Neymar was the better one in that MSN trio. Career wise, then obviously Suarez, but Neymar made that Barca team tick offensively, everything flowed through him, especially that period when Messi was out injured and Barca didn't drop a level.
What you basing this on?
It is commonly known, and based on their own opinions, comments and posts at the time and recently. Neymar is overall a better player than Suarez, and was a big game player, and he also stepped up when Messi was injured. He was the attack then.
Why are people ignoring @bosnian_red ? I never agree with him, but he argued his point well.
Alright Khal Drogo
I think you should check Suarez big game Barca record before claiming Neymar was the big game player.
At this point you’ve just lost your argument with absurdity…
In 15/16 when Messi had his long 51 day injury, Suarez scored 59 and assisted 24. (Neymar scored 31, assisted 25).
In the time Messi was missing in La Liga, ending with a great 0-4 away win to Madrid (where Suarez scored 2 and Neymar scored 1 and assisted 1), Suarez scored 8 and assisted 2, Neymar scored 9, assisted 4.
They dealt well enough with the loss of Messi because of both players kept a high level, sadly though Neymar’s numbers dropped off after Messi’s return, whilst Suarez went from strength to strength.
You’re arguing in serious bad faith now mate.
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You can't be serious. Neymar was much more of a big game player than Suarez, and he toyed with defenders in CL consistently.Alright Khal Drogo
I think you should check Suarez big game Barca record before claiming Neymar was the big game player.
Random poster on the internet says I have lost the argument. Case closed, then, I guess. Another poster who didn't watch Barca games so he goes on to check numbers to see who did better. And you're talking about losing the argument..
You really don't have to take my word for it. You can ask Barca fans yourself who the better player was. Or you can look up Iniesta's quotes on Neymar, but what would he know, eh? Don't know why you're arguing with me for the sake of arguing. Both players kept a high level, but like I said, the attack flowed through Neymar and he was absolutely sensational.
Pretty much my thoughts on this. I also tracked the early Pelé- beating references (not least because he was emerging at Santos) and scoffed at them like your mate. If I may add, I hated him with a passion, seeing as his Santos team beat my Peñarol in the Libertadores. I thoroughly disliked him and wanted him to fail, can't think of any other player that ever got me in that mode other than StevieG or Terry but that was more about the club they played for.
Still dislike him somewhat, but what mellowed my perspective was:
1) how he actually took to his second fiddle role at Barça and performed steadily, but rose to the challenge each and every time Messi was out. I had expected him to be a disruptive primadonna.
2) his heroics for Brazil and how he kept going again despite fate slapping his face many times over. Ironically, they end up winning the 2019 Copa América in his absence, which adds insult to injury (pun not intended but apt).
He deserved better and I'm saying this about someone I've wanted to strangle quite a few times over the years.
I think you and @Grand Vizier are approaching the same reality in different ways.
The stats show Suárez was sensational for Barça and as part of MSN. It's idiotic to argue otherwise and unnecessary to make it about "who was better" because the secret sauce was how they performed as a unit.
What he is pointing out, and many Barça fans also do, is that whenever Messi was out or off Neymar stepped up. Imagine having Messi for over a decade, worrying about Messi-dependence, and then finding this chap who could play with Messi (accepting his stats dilution), would make up for it when Messi isn't around (so much so that Suárez would keep banging them in like nothing happened) and would then get on with moving back into Messi's shadow upon return. It's a cheat code.
He really wasn't, take it from someone who watched all the games
So some of you are going as far as re-writing history to say that during his time in Barca, he wasn't their 2nd most important player after Messi. Very funny.
I'd believe it when I saw it. Yes, Neymar has tools and a repertoire, but he couldn't beat Croatia and Belgium in the last two World Cups. There's nothing to suggest that he would have decided against England. You can't take it for granted.
Ronaldinho has many more nominations for Europe's team of the month in the international press
https://erubik.xyz/esm/players.php
Ronaldinho got a Ballon d'Or, La Liga MVP, UCL MVP. There's a big difference in achievements between the two.
So important they came second in his final season and then twatted the league the following year.
Suarez was an absolute machine there, scoring 25 & assisting 13 in just 33 la liga games after Neymar’s departure which meant they barely noticed he’d left. But that said, as good as Suarez was, without Busquets they’d never be the same team, he was absolutely essential to them and the way they play.
For the great Barca years it’s something like Messi, Iniesta, Xavi/Busquests for me in terms of importance to them. Feel free to find that “very funny”.
Neymar, Alves, Suarez, David Silva… they were all just passing by for a few years, but their successes were always built on these players.
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You're basically re-writing history and most Barca fans won't agree with you on this.
And Suarez scoring more goals than Neymar was normal giving their roles, but he was by no means more important than Neymar in how the team played.
When Neymar got to Barcelona, the midfield trio had become less dominant (the same for the Spanish NT). The whole Barca attack was basically left up to the MSN trio, Messi was obviously the most important player, followed by Neymar.