Lionel Messi

[Fortitude]

I wish he'd show some fury in games like this. Neymar did it vs PSG, Maradona did it routinely - these are the times he needs to put in his best performances and have it be clear his team failed him. I really do hate how his head drops when the chips are truly down. At the highest level - the one he is assessed as company with, it is a character flaw he's not done much to disprove.

Show some rage Mr. Messi. Blow your top! Rarrgghhh!

 

[United58]

let's get him in as a backup to sancho on the right! And Ronnie as a backup centre forward.

They're 2 of about 5 players in the world who earn more than Sanchez did

 

[RUCK4444]

I wish he'd show some fury in games like this. Neymar did it vs PSG, Maradona did it routinely - these are the times he needs to put in his best performances and have it be clear his team failed him. I really do hate how his head drops when the chips are truly down. At the highest level - the one he is assessed as company with, it is a character flaw he's not done much to disprove.

Show some rage Mr. Messi. Blow your top! Rarrgghhh!

This. He’s very passive.
Other than my obvious bias I think it’s one of the reasons why I prefer peak Ronaldo.

Probably more to do with my bias though.

 

[Eddy_JukeZ]

I wish he'd show some fury in games like this. Neymar did it vs PSG, Maradona did it routinely - these are the times he needs to put in his best performances and have it be clear his team failed him. I really do hate how his head drops when the chips are truly down. At the highest level - the one he is assessed as company with, it is a character flaw he's not done much to disprove.

Show some rage Mr. Messi. Blow your top! Rarrgghhh!

Yeah it's amazing to see him look defeated.

 

[clarkydaz]

Would him leaving create a genuine Fergie level crisis at Barca? Or would they be forced to try and be a team again without that reliance? Literally what's with their oddity of using 442 or similar in recent year over like 3 managers...

The 'Barca' way has been thrown out the window for Messidependence.

yes i mentioned this years ago. That club wont have a clue what to do when he leaves, just like us with fergie.

 

[bosnian_red]

He contributes nothing in defensive phases.

It would hurt City's press.

He's the best player in the world, but you don't need the best player in the world to build a great functional team.

I mean, Aguero doesn't do shit defensively either. Mahrez is hardly good defensively either. Pep would just play him as the false 9 like he did at Barca. Peps barca was arguably the best side in history, Messi would still be amazing in that role.

 

[Fortitude]

This. He’s very passive.
Other than my obvious bias I think it’s one of the reasons why I prefer peak Ronaldo.

Probably more to do with my bias though.

He has the ability to bring his team back into this game; you would honestly expect it of Maradona, and if Messi is supposed to be his equal, you should expect it of him, too. But when his head drops with 50+ minutes of the game to go, it's disappointing.

Even if they go out tonight, it'd be fantastic if Messi puts on the kind of display that makes it clear he is the best player on the pitch in a shambolic team.

 

[adexkola]

I wish he'd show some fury in games like this. Neymar did it vs PSG, Maradona did it routinely - these are the times he needs to put in his best performances and have it be clear his team failed him. I really do hate how his head drops when the chips are truly down. At the highest level - the one he is assessed as company with, it is a character flaw he's not done much to disprove.

Show some rage Mr. Messi. Blow your top! Rarrgghhh!

Eh this rah rah nonsense is just nonsense

He's shown his quality even in this shit show. Maradona wouldn't do shit apart from scoring one wndergoal and getting sent off

 

[RedTiger]

They're 2 of about 5 players in the world who earn more than Sanchez did

2 years. Thats all we need from them, both to win everything as well as recoup all our money from shirt sales! Yay with another yay added on

 

[Bole Top]

Barca genuinely look like they'll concede 6 or 7 tonight. there aren't a player, not even prime Messi, that could change their fate tonight.

 

[DoneDaDa]

Yeah it's amazing to see him look defeated.

I don't blame him one bit. If it wasn't for him this team wouldn't have finished second and would be out of top 4, it's simply a trash teams with braindead and past it players. He wasted his career staying on should've jumped ship 2-3 years ago.

 

[Pocho]

This is some hyperbolic nonsense.

This

 

[RedTiger]

Eh this rah rah nonsense is just nonsense

He's shown his quality even in this shit show. Maradona wouldn't do shit apart from scoring one wndergoal and getting sent off

How DARE you disrespect Diego like that?! Fo shame

 

[adexkola]

How DARE you disrespect Diego like that?! Fo shame

Ok 2 goals

But seriously... 4-1 down, what would Maradona do surrounded by a shower of shit? He'd look angry but I'm not sure how that translate against Bayern

 

[Zen]

I wish he'd show some fury in games like this. Neymar did it vs PSG, Maradona did it routinely - these are the times he needs to put in his best performances and have it be clear his team failed him. I really do hate how his head drops when the chips are truly down. At the highest level - the one he is assessed as company with, it is a character flaw he's not done much to disprove.

Show some rage Mr. Messi. Blow your top! Rarrgghhh!

When he does this.... no one notices the team behind playing shit though? If his head dropped so much.... Argentina wouldn't have even made the last WC, Barca would likely be a battle for 2nd this year, not comfortably 2nd.

He's almost always the best player in the battering. Except maybe Rome in recent memories. And he's turned a shit ton of games in Barca's favour when they are playing at their worst. The bigger the opponent, the harder it is to do - when did Maradona 'routinely' turn a battering... ? Neymar's performance was belting but it was 6-1... in that game they were good as a team. It's not like he turned it on in the first leg.

 

[fps]

I wish he'd show some fury in games like this. Neymar did it vs PSG, Maradona did it routinely - these are the times he needs to put in his best performances and have it be clear his team failed him. I really do hate how his head drops when the chips are truly down. At the highest level - the one he is assessed as company with, it is a character flaw he's not done much to disprove.

Show some rage Mr. Messi. Blow your top! Rarrgghhh!

What even is this mess of a post.

 

[Amar__]

I don't think Pep would take the current version of Messi.

That's ridiculous. Has he ever played any defence for Pep's Barcelona? And he is not much worse player than he was 10 years ago, he is just bit slower and worse dribbler.

He can play instead of literally every City player and he would make them better team. He could play right back position instead of Walker and they would be a better team.

 

[altodevil]

That's the problem with Messi he just cannot make defenders defend like the best could.

 

[Fortitude]

Eh this rah rah nonsense is just nonsense

He's shown his quality even in this shit show. Maradona wouldn't do shit apart from scoring one wndergoal and getting sent off

I don't know what version of Maradona you think you're referring to, but his performances when the chips were down are infamous and as renowned as his actual ability. Only the youngster version would get himself sent off, but even then, he'd have been absolutely ridiculous in terms of performance.

You can try to dismiss this element, but there are numerous all-time greats who shone brightest when they were most needed. This down with the ship stuff is not something you could associate with, for example, someone like Johan Cruyff. It's not about the winning or losing - one of Cruyff's greatest regarded performances was in a game his side didn't even win.

 

[United58]

2 years. Thats all we need from them, both to win everything as well as recoup all our money from shirt sales! Yay with another yay added on

feckit, let's make it 3. Arsenal gave Willian that, and we're not weaker than them, are we?!

 

[el3mel]

Move to Inter and create another Messi vs Ronaldo thread in Italy this time.

 

[RUCK4444]

He has the ability to bring his team back into this game; you would honestly expect it of Maradona, and if Messi is supposed to be his equal, you should expect it of him, too. But when his head drops with 50+ minutes of the game to go, it's disappointing.

Even if they go out tonight, it'd be fantastic if Messi puts on the kind of display that makes it clear he is the best player on the pitch in a shambolic team.

You’re right, a player of his now legendary standing should now be rushing, forcing his team back into it.

He’s given up. This could be 6 or 7 of they aren’t careful.

 

[Mogget]

That's the problem with Messi he just cannot make defenders defend like the best could.

That's why Ronaldo is the goat. Because his mere presence forces his teammates to play better

/s

 

[Zen]

I'm just having a little look at Maradona's history - vaguely...... any game he seemingly conceded 2 or more in.... he mostly lost. Still waiting on these examples... and a few of 2-2 comebacks don't seem to be down to Maradona.

So "expecting" him to do it in games you are seemingly mostly imagining is an easy thought. I don't doubt he did turn some games around, as has Messi or Ronaldo or any one. But it's bonkers how much people remember what they didn't even witness.

 

[fps]

Messi clearly isn’t fully fit. I see a bunch of idiots in this thread hoping to make themselves feel good by doing down a legend of the game, that’s pretty sad. Do they even like football?

 

[Fortitude]

I'm just having a little look at Maradona's history - vaguely...... any game he seemingly conceded 2 or more in.... he mostly lost. Still waiting on these examples... and a few of 2-2 comebacks don't seem to be down to Maradona.

So "expecting" him to do it in games you are seemingly mostly imagining is an easy thought. I don't doubt he did turn some games around, as has Messi or Ronaldo or any one. But it's bonkers how much people remember what they didn't even witness.

You're thoroughly missing the point. Winning or losing isn't the issue.

 

[Fortitude]

Messi clearly isn’t fully fit. I see a bunch of idiots in this thread hoping to make themselves feel good by doing down a legend of the game, that’s pretty sad. Do they even like football?

If that's the case, fair enough. But you sound like your about to burst into tears. Messi is almost universally accepted as the greatest of this era, it doesn't make him beyond reproach. No player in his tier gets through a career without having every aspect of it dissected, for better or worse.

 

[Eddy_JukeZ]

That's ridiculous. Has he ever played any defence for Pep's Barcelona? And he is not much worse player than he was 10 years ago, he is just bit slower and worse dribbler.

He can play instead of literally every City player and he would make them better team. He could play right back position instead of Walker and they would be a better team.

He was never manic in his pressing, but he was never this lazy.

Re: the bold, that's just OTT.

 

[Eddy_JukeZ]

I mean, Aguero doesn't do shit defensively either. Mahrez is hardly good defensively either. Pep would just play him as the false 9 like he did at Barca. Peps barca was arguably the best side in history, Messi would still be amazing in that role.

I mean you can argue City look more fluid with Jesus instead of Aguero.

 

[United58]

Messi clearly isn’t fully fit. I see a bunch of idiots in this thread hoping to make themselves feel good by doing down a legend of the game, that’s pretty sad. Do they even like football?

Have you seen the Ronaldo threads? I have nothing against either of them, but the hatred here is mad

 

[Zoo]

Bought a penthouse by Inter’s training ground apparently. He should go there - slightly slower league, realistic chance of winning the league, chance to again compete against old foe Ronaldo.

 

[Zen]

You're thoroughly missing the point. Winning or losing isn't the issue.

It's not just that I'm casually looking now - I've viewed some stuff in the past, and it's a load of hyperbole. Missing the point or not, it's a point people are casually creating. Every top tier player is scrutinised for every SINGLE game nowadays.... there a lot more 'bigger' games now, Maradona had plenty mere performances, and definitely in knockout games too. But it's oiled over.

Looks like I'm downplaying Maradona, I'm not. I always had him over Pele, but I just look at the way we judged them different to how we judge Ronaldo/Messi. It's a different ballgame entirely.

 

[NieThePiet]

Messi clearly isn’t fully fit. I see a bunch of idiots in this thread hoping to make themselves feel good by doing down a legend of the game, that’s pretty sad. Do they even like football?

He is fit.
He is 33. Some people should calm down about Ronaldo and Messi. Logically they can't perform like in their prime anymore. They have done it how long?

You still can perform like Lewandowski in this age, if you have a fantastic team around you. But Messi hasn't a team anymore, which is close to win the CL.

 

[trims]

I wish he'd show some fury in games like this. Neymar did it vs PSG, Maradona did it routinely - these are the times he needs to put in his best performances and have it be clear his team failed him. I really do hate how his head drops when the chips are truly down. At the highest level - the one he is assessed as company with, it is a character flaw he's not done much to disprove.

Show some rage Mr. Messi. Blow your top! Rarrgghhh!

Think that was just the coke.

 

[Rado_N]

Messi clearly isn’t fully fit. I see a bunch of idiots in this thread hoping to make themselves feel good by doing down a legend of the game, that’s pretty sad. Do they even like football?

 

[VorZakone]

His complete lack of intensity is becoming a big problem. Good enough for most La Liga games but not for the CL.

 

[Bojan11]

His complete lack of intensity is becoming a big problem. Good enough for most La Liga games but not for the CL.

Shown in the last 3 champions league campaigns more in away games.

 

[Fortitude]

It's not just that I'm casually looking now - I've viewed some stuff in the past, and it's a load of hyperbole. Missing the point or not, it's a point people are casually creating. Every top tier player is scrutinised for every SINGLE game nowadays.... there a lot more 'bigger' games now, Maradona had plenty mere performances, and definitely in knockout games too. But it's oiled over.

Looks like I'm downplaying Maradona, I'm not. I always had him over Pele, but I just look at the way we judged them different to how we judge Ronaldo/Messi. It's a different ballgame entirely.

You know, I just started writing a lengthy post and decided to delete it because the lines of what I'm trying to construe seem to be getting blurred and I don't particularly want to go down the Messi rabbit hole with this for another rodeo in a particular debate that's been 'raging' for years now.

I'm watching goals roll in over and over as I'm typing this. Messi can't be blamed for the defensive shambles we're seeing, but if he's not injured, he gave up in this game a long, long time ago. It's not a characteristic you'd associate with his peers, or even those ranked that bit below him.

I guess this thread will be deluged with mocking posts or some such shortly, but what can you say about what we've seen tonight? As with the numerous victories, these types of capitulations will also be etched into his legacy. They're becoming commonplace enough to be a talking point.

 

[K_Ash]

so that's your GOAT?!

 

[padr81]

Should be in the office tomorrow with a transfer request if he has any brains. Barca are done. They've been declining, over reliant on him and he's incapable of single handedly winning competitions on his own now. Needs to go to a team where he won't be the only player.