Lionel Messi | PSG Watch

Spaghetti

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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?
Well he did. And rightfully so.

No, I didn’t say people should blame the post. I don’t think you understood what I wrote.
 

wr8_utd

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Every time you watch Messi and Neymar link up you get more annoyed they didn't have more years together at Barcelona.
 

BarcaSpurs

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Completed half of last seasons dribbles after like 8 matches? Poch's management there was an act of terrorism.
 

Anduin

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Excellent game so far, him and Neymar are running the show. You can see how much better Galtier is coaching PSG compared to the utter wank they served week in week out under Poch.
 

The holy trinity 68

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What always irritated me was the fact that because Ronaldo and Messi have been the two best players in the world for so long, everyone has got so fixated on goal and assist stats as the only way to judge them.

Even without any goals and assists, just watching games, you can see how ridiculously good Messi is. Even last season, he didn't put up the best goal and assist numbers, but just watching him play you could see he was nearly always the best player on the pitch still with everything else he did.

So many people that didn't bother to watch PSG last season, are so quick to shout about how poor he had been because "he never scored or assisted in this game or that game". Imagine judging a players performances and criticising them without even watching him play.

Football of today is being ruined by so many armchair pundits only judging players based on stats. The amount of world class players back in the day and even now are not appreciated by the majority because stats are the only parameter.

This is the same reason why so many people will say Lampard and Gerrard are better than Scholes, because they look at stats and not actually just sit and watch them play.
 
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mshnsh

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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.
Ronaldo (for quite some time now) has looked very poor if he doesn't score. Last season was no exception and for big parts of the season, he did not score.

Messi can still produce a great performance without necessarily scoring.

There have always been levels between them interms of allround performance.
What always irritated me was the fact that because Ronaldo and Messi have been the two best players in the world for so long, everyone has got so fixated on goal and assist stats as the only way to judge them.

Even without any goals and assists, just watching games, you can see how ridiculously good Messi is. Even last season, he didn't put up the best goal and assist numbers, but just watching him play you could see he was nearly always the best player on the pitch still with everything else he did.

So many people that didn't bother to watch PSG last season, are so quick to shout about how poor he had been because "he never scored or assisted in this game or that game". Imagine judging a players performances and criticising them without even watching him play.

Football of today is being ruined by so many armchair pundits only judging players based on stats. The amount of world class players back in the day and even now are not appreciated by majority because stats are the only parameter.

This is the same reason why so many people will say Lampard and Gerrard are better than Scholes, because they look at stats and not actually just sit and watch them play.
Couldn't have put it better myself.
 

TheNewEra

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Psg will beat city to the CL this year I think just because of the front 3
 

avgp_1

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Their defense still isn't solid enough and can easily be got at.
Yep once anyone plays through the initial press from Verratti and co, that defence is brutally exposed. OL could have easily had a goal or two themselves
 

wr8_utd

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Yep once anyone plays through the initial press from Verratti and co, that defence is brutally exposed. OL could have easily had a goal or two themselves
Yup, it's the same old story for PSG though their attack does look a lot more lethal. They do need Neymar to stay fit for a change though for the knockout rounds. Still don't see either City or PSG winning it.
 

El Jefe

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I'm confused, isn't it hipsters that think that dribbling is more important than stats?!
No the hipsters say dribbling isn't important as the ball moves faster from passing. Pace also isn't important apparently.
 

TheNewEra

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Their defense still isn't solid enough and can easily be got at.
More of a gut feeling than anything with them winning the CL.

They have some big leaders and experience, Veratti and Ruiz isn't a bad pairing in midfield.

Great GK, good backline, Hakimi is brilliant I think with a bit of luck they may scrape it this year.
 

Oly Francis

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More of a gut feeling than anything with them winning the CL.

They have some big leaders and experience, Veratti and Ruiz isn't a bad pairing in midfield.

Great GK, good backline, Hakimi is brilliant I think with a bit of luck they may scrape it this year.
I don't think we will, a team like City will tear us appart in transition unless all our players are at 110%.
 

wangyu

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You heard it here first. This year will see Messi win the world cup and at the end of the season he will be awarded the ballon d’or for the last time in his career. He will then move to the States, play for 2 years more and then will hang up his boots.
It is also likely he will win the CL because PSG’s forward line seems to be clicking finally and this can only mean the end for all opponents.
 

TenHagsEmpire

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Living legend.

I try to catch as many Messi matches as I can on telly.

Also feel lucky/privileged to have seen him live a couple times.
 

Gehrman

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Looks like he had a great game. He looked way more lively again and was unlucky not to get a goal or 2 more.
 

Spaghetti

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Yesterday was one of his better recent performances. More involved.

I still think the front 3’s lack of defensive work will stop them from winning the UCL. One static forward you can just about get away with. 3 causes big problems against real opponents.
 

Swoobs

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Yesterday was one of his better recent performances. More involved.

I still think the front 3’s lack of defensive work will stop them from winning the UCL. One static forward you can just about get away with. 3 causes big problems against real opponents.
I actually think Neymar has got a great engine and willingness to put in a defensive shift. Just need messi and mbappe to step up defensively.

However that front 3 is the best in the world currently even with mbappe off the pace. City with haaland is the only one that comes close imo. But city does have the better team overall
 

Zehner

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Apparently, he has more goals from open play now than Ronaldo (club + country) with 672 to 671
 

Hoof the ball

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Apparently, he has more goals from open play now than Ronaldo (club + country) with 672 to 671
All the more incredible when you factor in career minutes played.

Our Ronnie has 76,642 minutes under his belt.
Messi has 67,351 minutes in his career.

About the equivalent of 103 complete 90 minute games difference. Efficiency personified.
 

Gehrman

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All the more incredible when you factor in career minutes played.

Our Ronnie has 76,642 minutes under his belt.
Messi has 67,351 minutes in his career.

About the equivalent of 103 complete 90 minute games difference. Efficiency personified.
True. All it takes though is for the other guy to score some goals from open play and that record is reversed. The difference in minutes played though is pretty remarkable, however Messi is going to keep being a nr. 10 and the other guy at this stage of his career will be a striker. It doesn't matter if they play in the MLS, it counts in stats so I doubt Messi can hold that stat or is interested in it in the first place.
 

cyberman

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True. All it takes though is for the other guy to score some goals from open play and that record is reversed. The difference in minutes played though is pretty remarkable, however Messi is going to keep being a nr. 10 and the other guy at this stage of his career will be a striker. It doesn't matter if they play in the MLS, it counts in stats so I doubt Messi can hold that stat or is interested in it in the first place.
Nobody is interested in this nonsense. You can’t take away goals to give records to lesser goal scorers. It’s all so contrived.
 

Gehrman

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Nobody is interested in this nonsense. You can’t take away goals to give records to lesser goal scorers. It’s all so contrived.
Don't really think I suggested anything of the sort. I think it would be highly debable to call Messi a lesser goalscorer taking their whole careers into comparison.
 
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Hoof the ball

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True. All it takes though is for the other guy to score some goals from open play and that record is reversed. The difference in minutes played though is pretty remarkable, however Messi is going to keep being a nr. 10 and the other guy at this stage of his career will be a striker. It doesn't matter if they play in the MLS, it counts in stats so I doubt Messi can hold that stat or is interested in it in the first place.
Purely using Ronaldo as a measuring stick for Messi's accomplishments, since I can't use anyone else since statistically they're poorer performing than Ronaldo, it reads:

All Time Career Goals average
Messi - 104 minutes per goal
Ronaldo - 112 minutes per goal

All Time Career Per Goal Contribution
Messi - 72 minutes
Ronaldo - 88 minutes

Career Assists
Messi - 339
Ronaldo - 230

All Time League
Messi - 93 mins per goal, 65 mins per goal contribution
Ronaldo - 104 mins per goal, 81 mins per goal contribution

All Time Champions League
Messi - 104 mins per goal, 81 mins per goal contribution
Ronaldo - 115 mins per goal, 89 mins per goal contribution

All Time Domestic Cups
Messi - 118 mins per goal, 74 mins per goal contribution
Ronaldo - 147 mins per goal, 121 mins per goal contribution

All Time Internationals
Messi - 155 mins per goal, 99 mins per goal contribution
Ronaldo - 129 mins per goal, 101 mins per goal contribution

Career MOTM Awards
Messi - 303 (MOTM in 53% of games played in)
Ronaldo - 167 (MOTM in 30% of games played in)

Goals Outside Box
Messi - 81
Ronaldo - 61

Career Hattricks
Messi - 56 (Every 17.6 games)
Ronaldo - 60 (Every 18.8 games)

Career Key Passes
Messi - 1,304
Ronaldo - 889

Career Successful Dribbling
Messi - 3,007
Ronaldo - 1,642

Big Chances Created
Messi - 387
Ronaldo - 176

Accurate Throughballs
Messi - 423
Ronaldo - 81

Average Match Rating
Messi - 8.57
Ronaldo - 7.97

Goals without Penalties
Messi - 672
Ronaldo - 671

Goals and Assists in Finals
Messi - 47
Ronaldo - 22
 

cyberman

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Purely using Ronaldo as a measuring stick for Messi's accomplishments, since I can't use anyone else since statistically they're poorer performing than Ronaldo, it reads:

All Time Career Goals average
Messi - 104 minutes per goal
Ronaldo - 112 minutes per goal

All Time Career Per Goal Contribution
Messi - 72 minutes
Ronaldo - 88 minutes

Career Assists
Messi - 339
Ronaldo - 230

All Time League
Messi - 93 mins per goal, 65 mins per goal contribution
Ronaldo - 104 mins per goal, 81 mins per goal contribution

All Time Champions League
Messi - 104 mins per goal, 81 mins per goal contribution
Ronaldo - 115 mins per goal, 89 mins per goal contribution

All Time Domestic Cups
Messi - 118 mins per goal, 74 mins per goal contribution
Ronaldo - 147 mins per goal, 121 mins per goal contribution

All Time Internationals
Messi - 155 mins per goal, 99 mins per goal contribution
Ronaldo - 129 mins per goal, 101 mins per goal contribution

Career MOTM Awards
Messi - 303 (MOTM in 53% of games played in)
Ronaldo - 167 (MOTM in 30% of games played in)

Goals Outside Box
Messi - 81
Ronaldo - 61

Career Hattricks
Messi - 56 (Every 17.6 games)
Ronaldo - 60 (Every 18.8 games)

Career Key Passes
Messi - 1,304
Ronaldo - 889

Career Successful Dribbling
Messi - 3,007
Ronaldo - 1,642

Big Chances Created
Messi - 387
Ronaldo - 176

Accurate Throughballs
Messi - 423
Ronaldo - 81

Average Match Rating
Messi - 8.57
Ronaldo - 7.97

Goals without Penalties
Messi - 672
Ronaldo - 671

Goals and Assists in Finals
Messi - 47
Ronaldo - 22
Most goals - Ronaldo
 

sun_tzu

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Career MOTM Awards
Messi - 303 (MOTM in 53% of games played in)
Ronaldo - 167 (MOTM in 30% of games played in)
No idea what this is but it would imply the following

Messi has played 571 games
Ronaldo has played 556 games

So I'd guess those stats are incomplete or inaccurate

That said I don't need to know how many motm awards to know messi is the best player I've seen