Nobody comes close to Messi.
Lionel Messi
- Thread starter Scarecrow
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik @Rood and Imran @Annihilate Now! start with the good news by celebrating Manchester United Women's emphatic FA Cup win over Spurs at Wembley and the future of manager Marc Skinner.
Then it's the bad news and the ever worsening form of our Men with losses to Arsenal and Palace.
Finally the main debate - ETH Out now or keep him until the end of the season - if not longer. Are you Team Nik or Team Imran?
No one. His skill set is insane. Not only is he pretty much unstoppable on his own, but his vision and playmaking skills are second to none.
I’m young, but in my years of watching football I’ve never seen another player who was so devastating both on his own and as a creator.
I finally got around to watching that compilation video that was posted a day or two back. That fecking Geordie commentator does my head in. Easily the worst thing about Messi 
Nah Modric is light years ahead of him.
He'll break them all comfortably providing he stays fit.
This isn't a novelty, Messi is great against Betis, Lyon, Girona.. but has been shitting the bed in big games lately.
Good for our players to play against him, that’s for sure.
Modric has been one of if not the best midfielders this decade though. I agree that you can't justify giving him the Ballon'dor ahead of Messi or Ronaldo any of those years, but what a player he is as well, and with several qualities neither Messi nor Ronaldo has.
I'm sure if Barca gets eliminated it gets added to the list of big games Messi has been shitting the bed in. Else it's just Lyon.
Wtf are you talking about?! He’s been immense all season. He was solid in the Madrid matches (definitely the most recent one) and has been the best player in the UCL so far
Funny Messi chart #150812508
That's just off the chartsWhat is "smt passes"?
Synchronized metronome training
What is "smt passes"?
Not sure how it applies to proper matches since it’s used more for training
Hmmm, which would that be?
Semester passes... I believe it's got something to do with GPA and cum GPA.
What is "smt passes"?
So We're going to play against this demi-god?
Of course. ManUtd always do it the hard way.
Mike Smalling, please.
Of course. ManUtd always do it the hard way.
Mike Smalling, please.
His engine is unreal, and defensively his reading of the game and defensive positioning are top notch. Otherwise I think he rival Messi in a few qualities such as press resistance, understanding of space and passing. There is obviously more that Messi is good at and as an attacker he is miles ahead, but I don't think he would be a better deep lying midfielder than Modric.
Have you seen the sheer amount of tackles he rode in his career? Or his creative range of passings?
Messi would easily dwarf the likes of Pirlo, Scholes, Xavi, Modric if he has been trained to be a midfield metronome, but he’s far too good to be playing that deep. His 07-12 version can play in any position on the field besides CBs and target man/lone CF and be the all time great of that position.
Even now I don't think anyone of them can seen passes like Messi do from deep positions. Apart from defensive positioning and work rate, there is nothing that these players can do that Messi can't, or better than Messi.
His passing from deep is just unreal for an attacker. Defense splitting passes, inch perfect through balls, passing between lines.
He's one of the greatest footballers of all time
But he never achieved anything with Argentina... His personal issues with Icardi, the cocaches, steppin up when ADM and Kuhn were injured... he did nothing. Not close to Maradona
But he never achieved anything with Argentina... His personal issues with Icardi, the cocaches, steppin up when ADM and Kuhn were injured... he did nothing. Not close to Maradona
I agree with you, I don't mean to downplay Messi as a creative player from deep, but rather to respond to a sarcastic comment downplaying Modric who is one of the best midfielders I've ever seen. I said Modric could rival Messi at passing from deep and has qualities that are alongside Messi in ball retention etc while excelling as an all around midfielder because of his engine and defensive understanding of the game. In the final third however I think Messi sometimes see what no one else can including Modric, who himself is exceptional.
I definitely think he's as good as anyone, although there have been many examples over the years of players who are fantastic passers from deep and who control the tempo of games so well such as Xavi, Modric, Scholes and so on (which is why I earlier said rival Messi instead of being better than him). I think there is an argument to be made that Messi is a better Xavi than Xavi as well as being Messi. He is truly unreal.
And Maradona isn't close to him when it comes to club achievements either.
To be fair, he's had a few great tournaments, especially one Copa. Not close to Maradona, that's true, but for any other footballer his international career would've been considered a success. The lack of a trademark international tournament is the only thing that stops him from being considered the GOAT in my eyes (especially since Pelé had managed to win 2 World Cups before and after his peak despite missing 2 of his potentially best tournaments due to injuries).
Can't believe some 7-8 games completely settles who is GOAT and who isn't. It's not Messi's mistake that Higuain missed so many chances in so many finals.
When it comes to career as a whole, Messi is just unbelievably good and better than anyone.
Every single Argentinian forward shat the bed big time in the WC final, Messi created 4-5 great chances in the first half and somehow they fluffed them all.
I won a lot of money thanks to that though.
It is actually unreal we are watching the best players in the world in the top leagues, and then we have this guy.
Unreal.
Unreal.
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Consistency from this guy is mind boggling ..easily one of the best
What is "smt passes"?
X-axis : Smart passes per 90
Y-axis : Through passes per 90
Smt Pass - Smart Pass
definition :-
It is for significant pass or smart pass in general. Something more than a simple pass, not so easy to be done. There has to be some idea in the pass, something creative, when the play is cutting the lines (playing or passing between lines) and winning some advantage for his teammates with this pass, leading them in good position to attack. The pass should be between 2-3 of opposition players.
Stats against Real Madrid: 38 games, 26 goals, 14 assists
Stats against Atl. Madrid: 37 games, 28 goals, 7 assists
Shitting the bed
He is a much better player than Maradona was - I idolised Maradona when I was a kid but Messi is on another level. Whether he wins the world cup or not is irrelevant in my eyes.
What do you mean he did nothing? He has 4 finals and a gold medal with them. There is nothing and there is this. Not close.
Literally a single moment of luck in any of these games and the whole argument disappears.
If only he'd got injured during the final versus Germany & willed an average teammate to scuff a goal in extra time.
Ask Real Madrid, not sure if you are serious or what.
Apparently Eleven Sports have a YouTube channel like the BT one now. Either that, or it's a fake. Either way, full highlights of the Betis match.
I wonder what Messi plans to do after retirement. He's a multi-millionaire but still. He doesn't come across as the pundit type, perhaps management or a coaching role?
To me, what he did against Betis is the essence of football. Such skill and accuracy, I find it very amusing that someone thinks there's anything better out there.
Compare goalscoring and club trophies and maradonna pales in comparison.
Never did it in the World Cup like Maradona
Never did it on coke either
Never did it on coke either
Going by that there are plenty of players he pales in comparison to.