Well they're not top notch defenders on a top notch team, certainly, and playing against Barcelona must be unsettling after you're already 2 or 3 nil down. But they did try to accompany him, it's just that he's too quick, tricky and composed. It's not like any other player could do that. Defenders fear him and he uses that to the best of his ability.
Lionel Messi
- Thread starter cesc's_mullet
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He must have worked that same pattern like millions of times.That run from right and finish low on the opposite direction.He's amazing, the thing is he doesn't surprise me anymore (that's meant in a good way btw).
He is world's most predictable star player. Every thing he does you can know in advance without ever being able to stop it. Incredible.
I wonder how Argentina managed to blow it completely against Germany?
Notice my use of the word can earlier. There are times he is stopped. But rarely. Every team that faces Messi knows every single thing he will do and attempt. Most teams however fail the exam named stopping him.I wonder how Argentina managed to blow it completely against Germany?
It's what happens when your coach is Maradonna, and you play with zero defensive minded midfielders. fecking Di Maria in CM?I wonder how Argentina managed to blow it completely against Germany?
They never had a chance.
Simply not true. Against Germany, Argentina had long spells of possession where you felt they were going to break through. It was the secobd goal that knocked the stuffing out of them. During that hour messi had a lot of the ball to make a difference. He failed to do so. The greatest players lift themselves in those moments, he never looked like lifting his game throughout the tornament.
Bashing teams senseless in what's becoming a glorified spl doesn't make one one of the best.
Can someone make/share a GIF image of Messi's second goal last night. Thanks.
Would be magical to watch him play @ Nou Camp.
That second goal was amazing.
You lot taking the piss?
Decent goal amidst a bunch of awestruck statues.
The standard of defending in La Liga is dire.
Messi is undeniably top class, but has a potential all-timer ever had such a soft league and rubbish set of opponents to make his name off of?
Not a single top-class defender (outside of the big 2) or defensive team in La Liga these days and it is telling.
The only time Messi truly gets tested is in the CL and for his country. It's difficult to take the cakewalk La Liga has become seriously.
Decent goal amidst a bunch of awestruck statues.
The standard of defending in La Liga is dire.
Messi is undeniably top class, but has a potential all-timer ever had such a soft league and rubbish set of opponents to make his name off of?
Not a single top-class defender (outside of the big 2) or defensive team in La Liga these days and it is telling.
The only time Messi truly gets tested is in the CL and for his country. It's difficult to take the cakewalk La Liga has become seriously.
Definitely true and in all fairness the quality of the defending in the top 2 isn't exactly great (apart from maybe Puyol, their full backs are just wingers). I have to say I look at some defending in La Liga and just think they must be doing passing training 24/7, their positional sense is abysmal.
The thing to remember however is that Messi also averages more than 1 assist/goal per game in the Champions League and could have beat Arsenal almost single handedly last year. I have to say the way the ball sticks to his feet and bundles past 2-3 players is almost gravity-defying (the first few times I saw it I thought it was sheer luck).
He is a truly phenomenal player but if there was a single criticism I feel he has disappeared against the top top defences in the world (us three times, Chelsea four times, Inter twice, Germany). Maybe it's just a coincidence though and I'm overthinking it.
These games are defined by moments rather than performances. It only takes one thing to change a match and change a perception. I thought Germany just took apart an Argentina that were there for the taking. They had no cohesion and the first real team they faced exposed them. A terrible defense and no body in the middle with passing ability, the decisions of Maradona ruined Argentinas world cup before it even began in my opinion.
Saying that actually watch the game, Messi set up the best chances for Argentina but they didnt take them. Like i said, moments.
Saying that actually watch the game, Messi set up the best chances for Argentina but they didnt take them. Like i said, moments.
That defending is atrocious! The guy who i assume was playing at right back actually runs away behind his mates as Messi heads towards him.Good goal and nice finish mind.
Would people agree that he's currently the best finisher in world football?
I agree with this.His composure level is extraordinary.
I wonder how a player can be this calm in front of goal ? Is it training ? Super natural mental strength ? Yoga ?
Looks to me like he moved that way to block a shot, a shot which never came...
Good goal and nice finish mind.
The problem for him is that he rarely comes up against a quality marker or stubborn, studious defence who have no interest in playing an open game and only want to make his (and Barca's) life as difficult as possible.
I agree with you about La Liga - every team plays so open and lax, and the defensive movement, positioning and tracking is non-existent.
Messi's a brilliant player but that league makes it very difficult to rate him against players who went through hell on a weekly basis to make an offensive impression. Van Basten got literally kicked out of La Liga due to the damage done to his ankles against their defenders.
Life is fecking hard for attackers in the PL, even if the quality of defenders isn't what it was, they'll put everything into stopping you by fair or foul means and kick lumps out of you if they can.
Messi gets that treatment a handful of times a season, so it's no surprise he doesn't make the same impression in tough and tasking games against mean defences who don't allow Barca all that space to feck around in. It's bound to be a culture shock for the lad given his domestic league is a piece of piss.
All you need is some Benny Hill music to go with the clip and you'd be set.
Good goal and nice finish mind.
Yes. He's an exceptional finisher.
His first of the night was just as impressive in my books.
Maybe because Ronaldo's world cup wasn't even worth talking about?
At least Messi's was merely a disappointmentPosting this again for you because I got the stats slightly wrong the last time:
These are his stats before he suffered his big injury in April 2000..
Sao Cristovao: 15 / 15
Cruzeiro: 56 / 58
PSV: 55 / 57
Barcelona: 47 / 49
Inter: 41 / 55
Brazil squad: 39 / 47
Goals/Appearances.
Not really. Slightly better at most. He has been totally absent and unremarkable for the past two years. Didn't score a goal for two years and never had an impact on a game, it was frustrating to watch. His last two or three performances have been good, but during the Queiroz era he was useless.
He racked a decent number of goals before he peaked at club level, had a good 2006 WC - but he was beginning to show up. Except for the friendly against Spain I never saw him display the level we've seen at United and Madrid.
End of their careers we'll see who actually wins a big international tournament. I'd put my money on Messi lifting a world cup. Argentina have the players, they just need a good coach. They had a great chance to win it in 2006 and should have beaten Germany. The coach made a huge mistake.
It's simple. If he doesn't win a world cup by the time he is finshed playing. I don't want to hear the excuse that it was the coach. Men like Maradona didn't lift world cups because of their coaches.
Portugal are actually a much better side than most realise. IMO they have just as much chance as a Argentina to win a world cup in the future. It's men like Ronaldo and Messi who will have to prove the difference between them and teams like Spain, Brazil and Germany.
I have never called Messi unstoppable
He means 2010 World Cup quarter finals.
D'oh my bad
People for and people against seem to forget that football is a Team sport. Forget winning matches single-handedly ,not to mention tournaments...that's nonsense. No one ever did it, no one ever will.
We shall see what will happen.
Surely the two bolded parts mean the same thing.I have never called Messi unstoppable
Please, don't make me hand out infractions. The threads are clearly marked for certain comparisons, this isn't that thread.
Or, carry on and I'll delete all your posts and then infract.
It's not my fault you chose to highlight only part of what I said. I clearly used the word can. I would never have used it if I was saying it happened all the time.Surely the two bolded parts mean the same thing.
Nobody is unstoppable. Why is it an argument? who cares? it's just nit picking for the sake of it.
Anyone can be stopped, saying someone is unstoppable is just another superlative but nobody in football has ever been unstoppable, people have merely been unable to stop them.
Anyone can be stopped, saying someone is unstoppable is just another superlative but nobody in football has ever been unstoppable, people have merely been unable to stop them.
his control used to be quite lose in contrast to the present
something in the 2006/07 season happened and it just became perfect, it's incredible how dramatic one player can improve in such a short time, you know he would be the worlds best but so quickly? not even I predicted that
something in the 2006/07 season happened and it just became perfect, it's incredible how dramatic one player can improve in such a short time, you know he would be the worlds best but so quickly? not even I predicted that
Well done Leo,
by FAR, the greatest footballer on the planet
by FAR, the greatest footballer on the planet
He's third best, mate.
who's better than Messi?
Boss you seem to support Messi with the same passion as you do United.
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