Re: The Lionel Messi Appreciation Thread & Fan Club III

[Harmonica]

Wut?

[Myesyats]

Messi should play more as a forward. I know he said he sees himself as more of a creator (and I did aswell for a number of years) but I think at the end of the day his strength are utilized better when he's up front and let's the midfielders do their job.

[Kebab]

Wut?

he would get more praise if it was a planned act. But he says no it was my mistake and luckily it resulted with a goal. Who needs that?

[Kebab]

Messi should play more as a forward. I know he said he sees himself as more of a creator (and I did aswell for a number of years) but I think at the end of the day his strength are utilized better when he's up front and let's the midfielders do their job.

His strength is everywhere. In this game midfielders didnt do anything. he created both goals himself
No midfielder can do what he does, he takes the ball from the center and creates danger. no midfielder can do that
His problem is that his skills are exposed too much and every team already know him very well. This is why all great players last only 3 years in the top, when they became predictable their era ends. 3 ballon dor record before messi is proof for that. you cant be in the top for 10 years, its impossible

[Myesyats]

I'm not thinking about Messi as an individual, I'm thinking about the team. If Messi is in the middle everyone looks for him with their passes and expects him to create everything. It disrupts the whole flow.

Our best games this season were without Messi and there's no question about it.

But the one to blame here is Valverde who allows this to happen. I feel like Messi doesn't receive any instructions, he just goes out and does whatever he wants which is not the best for the team as a whole at the moment.

Messi is not the team, he's just a part of it. Every pass can't be directed to him. He shouldn't be the focal point and others around him shouldn't feel like they're obliged to give him the ball every single fucking time.

[The Demon of Carthage]

I'm not thinking about Messi as an individual, I'm thinking about the team. If Messi is in the middle everyone looks for him with their passes and expects him to create everything. It disrupts the whole flow.

Our best games this season were without Messi and there's no question about it.

But the one to blame here is Valverde who allows this to happen. I feel like Messi doesn't receive any instructions, he just goes out and does whatever he wants which is not the best for the team as a whole at the moment.

Messi is not the team, he's just a part of it. Every pass can't be directed to him. He shouldn't be the focal point and others around him shouldn't feel like they're obliged to give him the ball every single fucking time.

If you look at his entire career so far, he has been stellar. But I would argue that his absolute monstrous peak was under Guardiola, and more precisely in 2012 where he was deployed as a false nine.

He was absolutely unplayable. He would drop away from the front line and slot into the space between the opposition's midfielders and defenders, making them unsure on whether a CB or a midfielder should follow him. Once he gets the ball, everything becomes a chess game. If you allow him space, you're dead meat because he would dribble the living crap out of you then create a thousand goalscoring opportunities for either himself or his teammates. If you try to close him down, the other Barcelona strikers would break into the gaps that would be opened up and unleash hell.

Messi is Messi, but in 2012 he reached a level that no human before him with the exception of R9 had reached.

[Casciavit]

Messi should play more as a forward. I know he said he sees himself as more of a creator (and I did aswell for a number of years) but I think at the end of the day his strength are utilized better when he's up front and let's the midfielders do their job.

Agreed with this. He needs to stay close to goal, preferably in between the lines. Let the CM's get the ball to him in advanced positions rather than him dropping to those positions.

The problem is Barca (Busquets excluded) doesn't have the players to get the ball to him in those areas. Secondly, it's a tough task to restrict the GOAT from moving since he wants the ball all the time.

[Myesyats]

Exactly. He should be up front, occasionally dropping in deep and then going back up again. When he's in the middle all the time, everything becomes predictable because he strolls around the same area and the opposition already knows when and where he'll receive the ball.

That's down to the coach not utilizing the players he has. Valverde can't handle a top dog like Messi.

Messi still can offer everything he would offer for all these years, you just gotta use him right.

[Myesyats]

Messi should play more as a forward. I know he said he sees himself as more of a creator (and I did aswell for a number of years) but I think at the end of the day his strength are utilized better when he's up front and let's the midfielders do their job.

Agreed with this. He needs to stay close to goal, preferably in between the lines. Let the CM's get the ball to him in advanced positions rather than him dropping to those positions.

The problem is Barca (Busquets excluded) doesn't have the players to get the ball to him in those areas. Secondly, it's a tough task to restrict the GOAT from moving since he wants the ball all the time.

We have Coutinho, Arthur is coming along nicely, Rakitic given more freedom works wonders (see Croatia). There are people who can get the ball to him, it's just that the set-up is all wrong to begin with.

When Messi was absent, we were playing like a team, creating great chances and dominating. Somehow we have difficulty with that once Messi's back and that's because, again, he's not used properly and Valverde lets the team crumble and enables Messi to mess up the game plan.

Messi is not bigger than the team, he's part of the team, Valverde is too pussy to tell Messi to fuck off and stay in his lane. Enrique had the balls to tell Messi to stay on the wing, Valverde doesnt.

[Harmonica]

[Myesyats]

That was a vintage Messi throughball. Brings back memories.

Also, Alena making better runs in behind the defence than Suarez

[Harmonica]

Best part of that is when Raki asks the ball and Messi turns away.

[danyjr]

That was a vintage Messi throughball. Brings back memories.

Reminds me of the passes Messi was playing to David Villa in the manita against Madrid in 2010. Ramos was getting spit roasted without lube by Messi and Villa all night

[Myesyats]

That was a vintage Messi throughball. Brings back memories.

Reminds me of the passes Messi was playing to David Villa in the manita against Madrid in 2010. Ramos was getting spit roasted without lube by Messi and Villa all night

Right. Such a pass seems so easy to perform (especially for Messi) yet we never see it.

That's why a formation needs more fluidity IMO. Villarreal defenders didn't expect Alena to be at the CF position and he made such a great run. We need to do that more often, not only passing from side to side with no end product.

[Harmonica]

Most league fk goals the past four years:

19 Messi
18 Juventus
14 Lyon, Real Madrid, Roma
13 Bayern
12 Sampdoria, Monaco, PSG
11 Chelsea, Liverpool, Milan

[Valkyrja]

Q: "Can we say you miss Messi?"
CR: "No, maybe he misses me. I played in England, Spain, Italy, Portugal, while he is always been in Spain. Maybe he needs me more than I need him. But I would like him to come to Italy. Accept the challenge like me. But if he is happy there, I respect it."

[Arquitecto]

Indeed this does seem to be something Messi fans fail to mention.

Ronaldo had to adapt in Portugal; and yes it counts given Madeira (his home island) is an isolated peninsula to the rest of Portugal and Lisbon was basically another world with a vastly different dialect to what he spoke there and came at a very young age.

Then the English Premier League in the most demanding team by a mile.

Then Real Madrid (nothing more needed to be said)

Then a highly demanding Juventus adapting to an altered role, new language, new system etc.

Nothing really left to conquer in terms of the relevant league. If anyone chimes in with Bundesliga well....

[Harmonica]

It's much harder to stay in the same team and live the highs and lows, than change the team when ever it benefits you. Juve has 6 Serie Z's in a row, so of course Fakenaldo went there. He doesn't have to do anything, just collect the fake appraise. He also admitted the defeat by leaving Spain when he was completely stomped by Messi. Messi scored more against the same opponents, being the playmaker and twice as marked, and having referees helping Refdrid, it's not even remotely close. Messi has proved himself everywhere, with Barcelona and Argentina (WC and CA Golden Balls). Fakenaldo never proved himself as being the best in Portugal or Spain, nor with Portugal national team.

Btw Juve fans are already calling him Wallnaldo there.

[FennecFox7]

Q: "Can we say you miss Messi?"
CR: "No, maybe he misses me. I played in England, Spain, Italy, Portugal, while he is always been in Spain. Maybe he needs me more than I need him. But I would like him to come to Italy. Accept the challenge like me. But if he is happy there, I respect it."

"He is a fantastic player, and a good guy, but here I have everything and I don't miss anything. This is my new life and I am happy"

You forgot this line. They respect each other. Period. It's not that hard to understand.

[Valkyrja]

Q: "Can we say you miss Messi?"
CR: "No, maybe he misses me. I played in England, Spain, Italy, Portugal, while he is always been in Spain. Maybe he needs me more than I need him. But I would like him to come to Italy. Accept the challenge like me. But if he is happy there, I respect it."

"He is a fantastic player, and a good guy, but here I have everything and I don't miss anything. This is my new life and I am happy"

You forgot this line. They respect each other. Period. It's not that hard to understand.

you didn't really expect them to be Pele and Maradona, did you !?

He talks like this because deep down he is aware that Messi is better, and it's eating him on the inside.

[Harmonica]

Overtook Xavi with most wins in Liga for Barcelona (323), Casillas Liga record 334.

9th 5 pointer

18-19 Levante 3+2
17-18 Eibar 4+1
14-15 Granada 2+3
11-12 Valencia 4+1
11-12 Leverkusen 5+0
11-12 Osasuna 3+2
11-12 Granada 3+2
11-12 Rayo Vallecano 2+3
10-11 Almeria 3+2

[Arquitecto]

Considering Cristiano catapulted from the mental block he possessed versus Barcelona and Messi and went on to smash La Liga and Champions League records, win 4 Ballon D'Ors, 4 Champions leagues and came out on top many times between the two of them; I doubt he is so bothered by one man being superior as a footballer especially considering Messi was indirectly responsible for having him a far better player than predicted.

[Kebab]

5th best player in the world

[Harmonica]

Should've had the first goal+assist double hat-trick.

[Harmonica]

Multiple Best Player winners in FIFA tournaments

Messi WC14 CA15 WCu05 CWC09/11
Ronaldo WC98 CA97 IC02
Jose Nasazzi WC30 CA23/35
Pele WC70 CA59-1
Zidane WC06 EU00
Maradona WC86 WCu79
Luis Suarez CA11 CWC15
Manuel Seoane CA25/27
Enzo Francescoli CA83/95

WC since 1930
CA/EU since 1916/1996
WCu20 since 1977
IC/CWC since 1980

Messi is the only one with all four titles.

[Valkyrja]

Better to say he is the one with no titles

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