Re: The Lionel Messi Appreciation Thread & Fan Club

by Lord Spencer Mon Apr 21, 2014 7:31 pm

Messi's kid looks like him.

The whole family uncannily resembles each other with Messi looking like his father.

Really cute kid, excuses Messi's lack of ambition with the more importan responsibilities in his life and whatnot.

by Le Samourai Tue May 06, 2014 12:09 pm

Nice vid, I teared up. Don't think it's been accurate for a while, and probably isn't unique to Messi, but it's rare.

by BarcaLearning Tue May 06, 2014 1:21 pm

The mother is hot as usual, the son looks like an old man already though wtf Laughing

by Winter is Coming Tue May 06, 2014 5:35 pm

Le Samourai wrote:

Nice vid, I teared up. Don't think it's been accurate for a while, and probably isn't unique to Messi, but it's rare.

Messi :bow:Its nice to see most cases then not he's honest, but at the same time it does hurt his club/country, if he gets fouled and doesn't go down for a PK.

by futbol Tue May 06, 2014 7:14 pm

Le Samourai wrote:

Nice vid, I teared up. Don't think it's been accurate for a while, and probably isn't unique to Messi, but it's rare.

Props to the guy for translating it but IMO his voice / accent is annoying. The original:

by Valkyrja Tue May 06, 2014 8:05 pm

When do you think we've seen the best of Messi til now ? Imo in 2008-2011 he was at his ultimate best.

by futbol Tue May 06, 2014 8:13 pm

Individually last season. 08-11, Barca as a unit was at its best. Last season his decisiveness was on another level. No comparison to 08/09 or 09/10.

by Valkyrja Tue May 06, 2014 8:33 pm

Fußball wrote:Individually last season. 08-11, Barca as a unit was at its best. Last season his decisiveness was on another level. No comparison to 08/09 or 09/10.

Still, when Barca played Madrid in the last 3 seasons, I didn't fear Messi as much as I had in 2008-11. He was much dangerous IMO

by futbol Tue May 06, 2014 8:51 pm

That's because your team got better and adapted to Barca's style (pure counterattack setup) and Barca got worse. DAT Heinze-Cannavaro defense with Gago leading the midfield and grandpa Raul leading the line. Proud

Not because of Messi.

by sanchez04 Wed May 07, 2014 12:32 am

Last season or before it Messi singel handedly won supercopa scoring 3 and assisting 2 times.It was against current defense ramos pepe carvalho marcelo alonso

Things that changed now are messi aged, won enough, lost interest, no fighting spirit anymore, he is friend with every rival player now, his son was born, reduced confidense after his injury, bad results by the team, inside problems, false rumours tax problems, fake reports, blatter influence in ballon dor. Ton of problems for him on the pitch and of the pitch. He is not used to these things, so it directly affected him. When he gets used to the bad sides of life then maybe he will shine again

by BarcaLearning Thu May 08, 2014 2:55 pm

http://www.espnfc.com/blog/_/name/espnfcunited/id/14491?cc=4716

Good read and I think a lot of it is spot on. Its just naturally very difficult to keep that amazing level he had for the past 5 years or so. There are so many factors. I think age and the passage of time are keys as well as all the happenings at Barca affecting or resulting in Messi's comparatively off season.

I really hope as the article says in the end that he can just reset and go abck to basics, back to his best at the WC and beyond!

by Harmonica Sun Jun 29, 2014 9:04 am

Pep Guardiola spoke at a conference in Buenos Aires on a number of interesting subjects

He said: “I was fortunate to enjoy Messi. Especially since guys like him are only born every so often.

“He does his talking on the pitch, he plays in a way that is greater than I can understand. In the latter stages of the Champions League, he always stepped up to win matches.

"He would find the spaces himself, I would be embarrassed to tell him where to play."

by Harmonica Mon Jul 14, 2014 12:48 am

Officially now in the GOAT category. :bow:

Sadly Argentina didn't have it in them this time.

Argentina 2014 was a fit Aguero and Di Maria shy of being Argentina 1986. Both conceded 3 goals into the final. Goals,

Messi 4 - 5 Maradona
Higuain 1 - 1 Pasculli
Rojo/Own Goal 2 - 2 Ruggeri/Brown

Di Maria 1 - 2 Burruchaga
Aguero 0 - 4 Valdano

Messi 14, 23 chances created, 1 scored.
Maradona 86, 27 chances created, 5 scored.

Says it all really.

by Zealous Mon Jul 14, 2014 1:00 am

If you stretch that anymore I'm going to have to call that post Mr. Fantastic lol

Anyway Messi doesn't need a World Cup to be considered an all time great imo. People will talk abut his talent and genius for decades.

However with regards to any GOAT discussion he isn't ahead of any of the usual suspects or even contemporary rivals imo. But that's what's great about football, the GOAT conversation has many more candidates than in other sports.

by RealGunner Mon Jul 14, 2014 1:03 am

Yep, World Cup is just for the haters. Messi, like Cruyff would still be considered a GOAT even without the WC

What Messi has achieved in his career is enough to put him in the all time legend list. He is without a doubt a top 3 footballer of all time.

by Casciavit Mon Jul 14, 2014 1:04 am

Do you guys think Messi should take a sabbatical?

by RealGunner Mon Jul 14, 2014 1:13 am

I was thinking that he might seriously retire if Argentina had won the WC lol

He has nothing else to do

by EL Patron Mon Jul 14, 2014 1:14 am

Will Argentinians forgive him for that miss, they have been really tough on him hmm

by Onyx Mon Jul 14, 2014 1:17 am

Messi just needs a long break to revitalise imo.

by cyberman Mon Jul 14, 2014 1:18 am

He's been poor these knockout games. Hats why he'll be remembered on cruyff, zidane, berbatov level rather than Ronaldo/ pele / maradonna.
A few neat turns is all he's contributed offensively for 3 matches now, the three matches that he's supposedly saving himself for during his poor all round display at the tailend of last season.
Great player, but isn't all time great

by shinigami99 Mon Jul 14, 2014 1:25 am

I think he needs a long break. I'm not sure why is stamina is so bad, but you know what, I 'm happy to have been alive to witness this player in action. He might not have won the most coveted trophy in his prime, but at least he showed that his country can depend on him sometimes. Who knows, if Higuain, Palacio and Messi himself took one of those chances we would be thinking very differently.

I'm more worried about how this loss will affect him psychologically. Messi is quite reserved normally but if there was one thing he was very open about was winning the world cup. People might say that he should have run more if he wanted the world cup more, but really I'm not sure how much blame I can put into him not running enough. It's not like if we didn't create anything or have chances. And he didn't have to run very much to create it.

As for the reaction in his homeland, we'll see in the coming days how hostile (or not) the reception to him is from the media and the public. I suspect that if they don't like him now, they'll probably never consider him to be anything special ever. I also feel that if the reaction is hostile, he'll probably retire from the national team since Messi has always said that only when the fans are turning against him and don't want him there that he would decide to leave the team (albeit, this was in regard to Barcelona not the NT)

by Footyfan Mon Jul 14, 2014 7:03 am

I don't like players who walk or don't score in the KO's or create big chances.

This is the not the Messi of 5 years ago. He reminds more of C. Ronaldo 1 or 2 year back. The whole team plays to please him.

Unfortunately Suarez will play RW and Neymar will be his lackey so 2 great careers will get stifled. I think Cryuff the visionary said it right. Barca need to let him to truly let Neymar and the team blossom(and now Suarez).

by danyjr Mon Jul 14, 2014 7:54 pm

I'm sick of the treatment Messi is getting. How can you praise a so called captain who is the worst possible example you can have on the pitch? A player who covers less miles than a goalkeeper has been praised week in week out for his club team mates and Barcelona board? How is this possible? He's been strolling in the pitch for two years now and this is a rotten apple that is going off more and more.

Golden ball my ass. He deserves nothing.

by Harmonica Mon Jul 14, 2014 7:58 pm

danyjr wrote:I'm sick of the treatment Messi is getting. How can you praise a so called captain who is the worst possible example you can have on the pitch? A player who covers less miles than a goalkeeper has been praised week in week out for his club team mates and Barcelona board? How is this possible? He's been strolling in the pitch for two years now and this is a rotten apple that is going off more and more.

Golden ball my ass. He deserves nothing.

Blame Messi, he can take it, because he's the true captain of Argentina. That way Higuain and Aguero still has hide to join the CA15 team, because I'm afraid what kind of obscurity you will dig beyond these players.

by Mr_Puyol Mon Jul 14, 2014 8:33 pm

If Messi's speed,endurance,and dribbling ability keep going down.Do you think he'll move/accept getting moved back in to the midfield?I don't.

by Harmonica Mon Jul 14, 2014 8:40 pm

Mourinho: "Messi sacrificed himself for the team. He wanted to win, he didn't wanted to be topscorer or mvp, he wanted to make history.

He played in zones that are not his. He had to play so low that he had to cross 2-3 lines. Always had 2-3 players on him. Messi was trying to create something out of nothing for his team. His assist to Di Maria was for example brilliant.

If Messi wanted to be the phenomenon we all know he is, he'd just have played up front, close to Higuain, waiting for a chance.

All my respect to Messi because he played for his team and this can't be said of all players at this World Cup."

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