Lionel Messi - Performances

[Rado_N]

The other threads have devolved into a complete unmitigated clusterfeck and are truly beyond salvaging.

Use this thread to discuss everything to do with Lionel Messi moving forward.

This thread is NOT for discussing Ronaldo, or for petty pathetic little digs at other posters. It is not for comparing the two players. It is not for arguing over who loves who more.

We have managed to successfully separate Apple v Android and PS4 v Xbox on this site, and if you people cannot draw a line under this pathetic squabbling and stick to discussing Messi alone in this thread you will no longer be allowed to post in it.

There will be another thread created for Ronaldo, as well as one for comparisons.

This should be straight forward, please don't show me to have overestimated your collective intelligence.

 

[amolbhatia50k]

Good stuff.

 

[sizzling sausages]

That gif that @Cait Sith posted of his first touch in a match a few weeks ago was jizzworthy

EDIT: This one.

 

[fishfingers15]

Apparently Adidas are willing to work with Messi to bring him to United. Transfer speculation or not, I hope Woody brings him here.

 

[Henrik Larsson]

Apparently Adidas are willing to work with Messi to bring him to United. Transfer speculation or not, I hope Woody brings him here.

Aren't Adidas part owner of Bayern? Especially with Guardiola being there, wouldn't they want Messi in Munchen? I also read how Bayern completely paid off the 250 million pound loan for their Allianz Arena in only 10 years. Loan didn't stop them from doing transfers either, so 150+ million for Messi could perhaps also be seperated from their other transfer spendings.

Not that we couldn't get the financing, but aren't we still paying off Glazer debts? How good financially are we compared to Bayern at the moment?

 

[Sarni]

Apparently Adidas are willing to work with Messi to bring him to United. Transfer speculation or not, I hope Woody brings him here.

Nah, he will stay at Barcelona. He is very influential there and they build around him, he might eventually end up somewhere else when he is well past 30 but that will probably be some US or Qatari team that will pay him loads.

 

[fishfingers15]

Aren't Adidas part owner of Bayern? Especially with Guardiola being there, wouldn't they want Messi in Munchen? I also read how Bayern completely paid off the 250 million pound loan for their Allianz Arena in only 10 years. Loan didn't stop them from doing transfers either, so 150+ million for Messi could perhaps also be seperated from their other transfer spendings.

Not that we couldn't get the financing, but aren't we still paying off Glazer debts? How good financially are we compared to Bayern at the moment?

We'll have a greater reach than Bayern, no disrespect aimed at them. With proposed FFS and debts under control, we are probably the only three clubs along with Real and Bayern to be able to afford Messi. Guardiola is still there, but we can hope. Can we not?

Nah, he will stay at Barcelona. He is very influential there and they build around him, he might eventually end up somewhere else when he is well past 30 but that will probably be some US or Qatari team that will pay him loads.

Fair point, but it's not impossible.

 

[Snake Plissken]

I still see Guardiola ending up at United in the near future too.

 

[Sarni]

I still see Guardiola ending up at United in the near future too.

That is very probable IMO. After Bayern he will probably want to test himself in England and our job should be available at the same time. Hopefully we will have enough sense to make him an offer unlike when Mourinho was available and we went for...

 

[cesc's_mullet]

I want my megathread back .

feck you and your obsession Cal.

 

[ThierryHenry]

I want my megathread back .

feck you and your obsession Cal.

Great OP to that thread. Unlucky Cesc.

 

[Cheesy]

I want my megathread back .

feck you and your obsession Cal.

Who's he obsessed with? That Ronaldo guy? What's he like as a player btw? Any good?

 

[CLARiiON]

Apparently Adidas are willing to work with Messi to bring him to United. Transfer speculation or not, I hope Woody brings him here.

(Hypothetically) How would he fit in LvG's plans? This 3-5-2/5-3-2 nonsense isn't going to work. I sometimes think who's the #10 in United. Both Rooney/Mata seems to be lost at times in the formation.

 

[CLARiiON]

Found this nice image to show the stats from league this season.

Spoiler

 

[fishfingers15]

(Hypothetically) How would he fit in LvG's plans? This 3-5-2/5-3-2 nonsense isn't going to work. I sometimes think who's the #10 in United. Both Rooney/Mata seems to be lost at times in the formation.

We signed Falcao this year. Your argument is pointless

 

[bosnian_red]

(Hypothetically) How would he fit in LvG's plans? This 3-5-2/5-3-2 nonsense isn't going to work. I sometimes think who's the #10 in United. Both Rooney/Mata seems to be lost at times in the formation.

Highly doubt the 3-5-2 is here to stay, it's probably just a lineup Van gaal likes using when he feels he needs to grind out results. Long term it'll be a 4-3-3 probably but hell, it's lionel messi, we'd build the team around him of course. Rooney behind him or alongside him or on the wing would be fine. Anything with him would work pretty much as he's so good.

 

[CLARiiON]

We signed Falcao this year

What has signing of Falcao got to do with Messi?? And Falcao not really setting the EPL on fire yet.

 

[Bob Loblaw]

AS says he was retching before the Atlético match again last night. Seems like the mystery problem still hasn't gone.

 

[Raul Madrid]

AS says he was retching before the Atlético match again last night. Seems like the mystery problem still hasn't gone.

That's not good. That seems to have being going on for quite a few years now. I think I seen an interview with him before where he takes tablets and they normally help. Hopefully they will eventually find a solution for him that will put an end to this happening.

 

[Bob Loblaw]

That's not good. That seems to have being going on for quite a few years now. I think I seen an interview with him before where he takes tablets and they normally help. Hopefully they will eventually find a solution for him that will put an end to this happening.

Obviously I'm only speculating here, but I don't think it effects his game too much any more. I mean he was still looking sharp (in spells anyway) last night, it's not like his legs "feel like 500kg" or whatever it was his dad said during the World Cup.

Still strange though.

 

[fishfingers15]

I hear some players throw up because of nerves and they are fine once they get the adrenalin pumping. But I'd be completely taken aback if the best player in the world has nerves though

 

[amolbhatia50k]

Obviously I'm only speculating here, but I don't think it effects his game too much any more. I mean he was still looking sharp (in spells anyway) last night, it's not like his legs "feel like 500kg" or whatever it was his dad said during the World Cup.

Still strange though.

Yeah it doesn't seem to be affecting his peformances so far. He was clearly not right at the world cup and so far we haven't seen any of that this season.

 

[cesc's_mullet]

I hear some players throw up because of nerves and they are fine once they get the adrenalin pumping. But I'd be completely taken aback if the best player in the world has nerves though

Not that he was the best player in the world when he was playing (but he was the classiest), but Mark Waugh used to get sick before games apparently. My socks nearly blew off when I heard this the other day, as he was the coolest and calmest player in world cricket in his day. I always got the impression he couldn’t give two shiny shites about cricket TBH.

 

[Cait Sith]

Spoiler

 

[Skorenzy]

Spoiler

His last three games he's gone from world-class finisher (3 goals from 4 shots on target v Depor), to world-class creator through dribbling (12 successful dribbles v Atléti), to world-class creator through passing (4 key passes, 3/3 through balls v Elche).

 

[Randall Flagg]

His recent form is nearly back to his best. He has been incredible

 

[Revan]

The little genius seems to have gone back to his best. Which is great.

 

[DixieDean]

What a genius. Him, not me.

 

[Skorenzy]

His recent form is nearly back to his best. He has been incredible

The little genius seems to have gone back to his best. Which is great.

That's the thing, he hasn't returned to his best, he's been like this pretty much all season with just a temporary three-game drop in form after they got beaten at the Bernabéu (then subsequently lost v Celta at home and struggled at Almería). Other than that he was only average/poor in the 0-0 v Málaga and the 5-0 v Córdoba. He's been La Liga's best performer by a distance. Three major Spanish sports publications (two Madrid-based, one Catalan) have (and have had) him as the highest average rated player of the season, all season.

 

[izec]

Give him the next years Ballon D'Or already, unbelievable.

 

[fishfingers15]

Back to his best.

Messi > Ballon D'Or. Take that you Portugese poser.

 

[Vialli_92]

What a player, so lucky to be witnessing a player of his quality in my life time. Could be a very long time before we see someone at the level he is at.

 

[CLARiiON]

I think he's most effective from the wings this season, he seems to have that extra space to dribble. Atletico is a nightmare for clubs to go through the middle, his 24 dribbles against them came playing wide.

 

[JazzG]

His last three games he's gone from world-class finisher (3 goals from 4 shots on target v Depor), to world-class creator through dribbling (12 successful dribbles v Atléti), to world-class creator through passing (4 key passes, 3/3 through balls v Elche).

That is why I feel he'll be remembered as the best player of this generation, while Ronaldo can match his finishing skills and goals he isn't anywhere near in those other departments. Some of those through balls are unbelievable, the type you'd expect only top drawer play makers to be pulling off. He's being doing it for years though and scoring at a crazy rate on top.

 

[CLARiiON]

If he spots a runner, odds are very high he will find his feet with his passing range. That's how consistent he's with his through-balls and long passes now.

 

[Bob Loblaw]

If he spots a runner, odds are very high he will find his feet with his passing range. That's how consistent he's with his through-balls and long passes now.

I think what's even more impressive is how he never seems to fail to spot a runner. I've seen him play passes over the past few years to free men that I didn't even notice on TV, yet he sees them even if 5 players are around him.

 

[amolbhatia50k]

Spoiler

This is why no footballer I've seen comes close. Who scores 5 goals a season and is also the best passer AND dribbler around? Madness.

 

[Marcosdeto]

This is why no footballer I've seen comes close. Who scores 5 goals a season and is also the best passer AND dribbler around? Madness.

i guess you meant 50 goals a season

 

[Snake Plissken]

For all the times people try to convince you he holds other players back or doesn't like other 'star' players he and Neymar would give Elton John and David Furnish a run for their money.

 

[Bob Loblaw]

For all the times people try to convince you he holds other players back or doesn't like other 'star' players he and Neymar would give Elton John and David Furnish a run for their money.

It's funny. People will still say it anyway, they've been blaming Messi for Suárez's slow adjustment to the Barcelona team. They blamed Messi for Zlatan leaving even though Zlatan couldn't talk any higher of Messi.

Once the narrative is set, you'll get idiots ignoring all evidence to the contrary.