Yesterday's game? No I watched it In full. I don't know why you continue to presume that you are psychic.
Lionel Messi | PSG Watch
- Thread starter Samid
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The Brest game was fantastic from Messi in terms of playmaking. He's definitely slowed down as far as picking up the ball and taking on the defense, but his role is very different as well. He's not the leader at PSG like he was at Barcelona, the game doesn't revolve around him. He's one of two playmakers, and Mbappe is the tip of the spear. Personally, I think he shows his class almost every game he plays, his passing at times is simply pure genius. The biggest criticism I have for him is that his finishing has been woeful. He's getting in good position, but he's not aiming his shots very well, often times right at the goalkeeper. He got a sitter last game, which hopefully gets him going, but even if he didn't score much this season again, while it would be disappointing on a personal level, with Neymar and Mbappe in huge scoring form it wouldn't be detrimental to the team because his playmaking has been sublime so far.
Yes, I also think that his finishing has actually "declined" more than his explosiveness. Between 2014 and 21, he outperformed his xG by ~39 goals. Then he joined PSG and ever since he underperformed by 6 goals. That's a terrible stat by his standards. I put declined in quotes because I doubt this is due to age.
The Pepe tackle was and still is a clear red card. You’re just smarting after all these years because it lead to a player you loathe winning big titles.
Funnily enough if VAR had been around in recent years Madrid would have been less about 3 CL titles, but you won’t acknowledge that because it wouldn’t reflect well on your man crush.
The playmaking is not surprising but his finishing is to an extent. The thing is a PSG he hardly gets the clear chances that Mbappe gets and to a lesser extent Neymar. In addition, the goal post has been his enemy number one. But you still expect him to do better given his ability.
Pepe didn't even make contact with whoever it was who rolled around like Neymar on steroid.
You can literally hear the impact on the shin pad. Not that contact is actually needed according to the rules to red card a stupid reckless challenge like that anyway.
two red cards should have been for Butcher Pepe, can't believe people still complaining about this red card
Obviously. It's a clear foul and excessive enough (it's a dirty feckin' "tackle") to warrant a red. If anything, seeing it multiple times and in slow motion only serves to give the ref more credit: catching it in real time is - not brilliant, perhaps, but at least well done on his part. If you only watch it once, it may look like a mistimed, honest challenge. It clearly isn't, though. It's dirty as feck.
Strange thing to bring up, but then again...
Considering how he slowly jogs towards the opponents box during a counter attack its not surprising he isn't there to receive the final ball a lot of the time.
He plays 20 yards behind Mbappe who either doesn't see simple passes or just refuses to do so And is much faster than Messi at this moment in time. So there are very few clear cut chances.
As for the jogging, he has been doing that for sometime now including at Barcelona where his goal output was still great even in his last season.
Clearly you are looking for faults but currently he is playing a De Bruyne type role and playing it very very well regardless of your criticism some of which may be true (the jogging bit: he can try to be more greedy) while the rest is nonsense.
However, slow motion replays suggested otherwise. Many suggested that Pepe had a right to challenge Alves for the ball, and furthermore, did not even touch Alves, leaving many to wonder why Alves had been writhing in pain until being stretchered off. Some (you lot) may insist that Pepe did make a lot of contact with Alves, but watching the Brazilian run back onto the field only seconds later suggests otherwise.
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Even more clear a red from the slow mo
Let it be. A challenge like that is a clear red, whether you hit the opponent or not. That's knee height with open sole and full force.
Only if you think football is a performance art
The fact that you feel the need to bring this up after a decade or so.
This is the Messi thread
Do you acknowledge that Alves was an excellent actor?
The fact I need to bring it up has everything to do with the myth that Barca 09-11 was the best team in the world ever ever, when they definitely should not have been in the CL final 2009.
I'm not looking for faults, I just can't help noticing them. He's my favourite ever player, I want him to do well, but his overall decline in attributes is massive which isn't suprising given his age.
He's 35 years old. Of course he's not the same player he was. More importantly, it doesn't really matter, everything that will put him in the pantheon has already happened; in 30 years time or 50 years time, no one will care what he did when he was past his best. Just like we don't care with players from the past. Do we care about George Best at Hibs? Or Maradona at Newells Old Boys? Of course not.
The only reason we care now is because we are watching him now. Anything that he does from now on is just a bonus.
Doesn't matter, it's a red
Spot on!!!
Every thread on this forum becomes a Ronaldo v Messi thread apart from the Messi thread which becomes a Pepe thread. Unbelievable.
You don't have to be leo Di caprio to show pepe up as a cnut. Studs showing, knee high, not a player in the world not milking that.
Pepe playing stupid games and winning stupid prizes.
That Barcelona team was the best ever for me, and I guess for most people who loves the game
Such a stupid comment. The implication being that the bulk of people that disagree won't love the game?
My post was about the expectations that he might have that iconic world cup performance that some people think he lacks and win the damn thing. My opinion isn't much different than yours, I just think personally his so far respectable g/a numbers are papering over some massive cracks in his game now due to aging. Like you I think his legacy is sealed, I just can't agree with some posters that he's still among the very best in the world.
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for those looking for complete highlight of his game since the beginning of the season
go to twitter.com/EternalMessi30/status/1570431409181040640
nor so bad for one of his last year. Assist after assist, combination, one-two all that so perfectly. So the question is, can PSG cope against high pressure teams...
go to twitter.com/EternalMessi30/status/1570431409181040640
nor so bad for one of his last year. Assist after assist, combination, one-two all that so perfectly. So the question is, can PSG cope against high pressure teams...
In before I get blamed for it, I have not mentioned he-who-must-not-be-named-on-this-thread in this thread.
He doesn't roll around like getting shot by a sniper, the ref doesn't show a red.
But your entire post makes it seem like you're indeed quite shocked rather rather accounting for the loss of mobility, physicality and dynamism that comes with ageing. Why would any eye test him using his prime self as a basis? Just because he isn't his electric best player in the world / era past self, does that mean he's finished? Seems a really excessive take to me.
Well I guess I could have articulated myself better. Some act like he's the best nr. 10 in the world, but he lost the ball 14 times in his last match against Haifa, but his ratings are high because he scored a scrappy goal and got a nice assist. I can't remember the last time Messi had a strong performance against a top team.
You are obsessed.
Don't get me wrong, I love Messi, but it is strange seeing the admiration towards a 35 years old version of him in this forum when he runs 7KM per game and does little to no pressing, and Ronaldo is slandered for not breaking 10KM at the age of 37.
Messi not running is an issue, but the thing is, he is FAR more useful on the ball than Ronaldo who pretty much lives and die with his goals nowadays. Messi's defensive contribution really is a concern for PSG though, especially since Mbappé is pretty lazy as well and Verratti/Vitinha are limited when they need to cover huge areas.
but let’s ignore the horrible refereeing towards Barca from the first leg
If you combine the two legs and mistakes happened there there should be a penalty for barcelona on henry in camp nou, no offisde call on eto 1v1, penalty for barca cause of ballack handball in the second leg, no red card for abidal. Combining it with 4 penalties that should have been given to chelsea you get 8 major mistakes in a ucl semi final. Of course chelsea fans will see what they want to see i can understand that, especially when there should be 2 penalties in dying minutes. But lets be realistic, if barca scored in the first leg at least once, scored on the beggining of second leg if there was penalty like it should, the situation would be different. With that squad and 2-0 lead barca could keep the ball forever, but we can know nothing for sure. It is what it is, too bad we had to watch this.
People conveniently don't talk about the first leg Barca should have had at least one pen and Ballack should have been sent off.
At the end of the day, yes Chelsea were obviously robbed far more than Barca ever were in that tie, but it's funny how conveniently people forget the crappy calls that Barca didn't get either.
Because Messi is actually still contributing and has the most assists in Europe right now. Even when he doesn't get goals you get elite playmaking. When Ronaldo doesn't give you goals, you don't get anything at all.
Pathetic argument. The goalpost doesn’t move. One of his main things in his peak was accurately placing the ball just inside the post. He no longer has the accuracy; can’t blame the post.
Changing the argument. Even when Ronaldo was banging them in last season he was heavily criticised for not running and pressing enough.
Messi can get away with it more because he’s playing in a dream team in a poor quality league. But he also gets away with it because most of us (at most) watch only the goals of French matches.
Messi was heavily criticized last season, even here (and his defensive contribution, along wth Mbappé's is still a huge question mark in french media when it comes to important games). He's better this season so people focus less on his defensive issues but it's still there. I don't remember Ronaldo gettiing trashed when he was scoring lots goals, his defense was mentionned when he had a bad game put that's pretty much it, it really started when he had a dry spell.
Did you really take the time to write a message explaining that people should blame the post because it's not moving?
This isn't the Messi vs Ronnie thread. But yeah his work rate off the ball isn't great which is why at stage MNM isn't as great as MSN also taking their respective ages into comparison. I'm not overly convinced that Messi makes PSG a better team at this stage of his career but this season has only just started.
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