Lionel Messi

Looked really sharp in the first half, some fast runs and laser precision balls through but no-one could finish them.
 
3-0 away to Roma
3-0 away to Juventus
4-0 away to PSG
4-0 away to Liverpool

I don’t think he was bad today. He created chances. But his lack of pressing and just walking around isn’t going to cut it. I think it’s why Pep left Barca because Messi started getting lazy.
 
Where are all the objective and rational people in Redcafe? The Messi vs Ronaldo thread is an absurdity. There's no objectivity at all. Hardly anyone is capable of analysing things outside of broad sweeping judgments.

When a team plays poorly, collectively, and the only chances created are by one single player, leading to 2-3 one-on-ones, is that an argument for Messi not showing up? No, of course not. Both shots just wide of the post came from Messi. All chances created came from Messi. Should Messi be held accountable for Suarez, Coutinho not showing up? for Alba and Sergi Roberto's poor showing on both offensive and defensive sides?

Dude... it's not exclusivity from RedCafe. Fanatism and football fans are used to walking side by side.
 
Genuinely feel for him. creates 2 sitters in Barca at 3-0 which are wastes. Creates two more more one on ones tonight, also missed. Then they go and concede 4. A godlike genius surrounded by spineless teammates for club and country.
 
I thought he played

Played two good balls for Suarez and Alba. Was great in the first leg.
 
Great talent but he's not inspiring at all, drops his head as soon as the going gets tough and trots around like the game is already over. He's obviously a GOAT in terms of skillset but mentally is nowhere near the top.
 
Remove him from this team and you basically have Arsenal. massive bunch of spineless wasters and a coward of a manager.
 
Remove him from this team and you basically have Arsenal. massive bunch of spineless wasters and a coward of a manager.
Its not that they are spineless. They just not a good team any more. Messi has papered over their cracks for two straight seasons. They've got away with it domestically but Europe again has been a bridge too far
 
If Juve were playing poorly and couldn't pass the ball at all vs. Liverpool, I'm sure Ronaldo would drop deep and create three potential assists....... oh wait, he wouldn't.
Yeah. Neither guy is a patch on Maradona
 
Sometimes, after a night like this, I seriously believe Messi plays bad on purpose to punish his teammates-manager, like "Nah, you don't deserve my help".

Messi probably felt that after the 3-0.
 
So people only remember the chances he played for his teammates but not the ones they made for him that he missed himself?

Alba squared the ball to him in the box when there were like 5 Barca players to chose from with 0 Liverpool defenders around and he was complacent enough to take extra touches (when he could've probably rifled the ball into the net) before being dispossessed. Don't think the camera team even showed the replay for that one.
 
So people only remember the chances he played for his teammates but not the ones they made for him that he missed himself?

Alba squared the ball to him in the box when there were like 5 Barca players to chose from with 0 Liverpool defenders around and he was complacent enough to take extra touches (when he could've probably rifled the ball into the net) before being dispossessed. Don't think the camera team even showed the replay for that one.

Roberto had a shooting chance in decent position and he decided to play a stupid pass to Messi.
 
The way he walks around the pitch at times and shows no effort just annoys the shit out of me. Of course he'll get the ball and produce magic but he's just accomplished so much it seems he doesn't care about doing the little things that can make a difference when that "magic" isn't happening.
 
I thought he was good.

He was. He was their best player and set up two great chances against the best defense in England.

But they lost and most people seem to think in binary these days. So he was shit.
 
So people only remember the chances he played for his teammates but not the ones they made for him that he missed himself?

Alba squared the ball to him in the box when there were like 5 Barca players to chose from with 0 Liverpool defenders around and he was complacent enough to take extra touches (when he could've probably rifled the ball into the net) before being dispossessed. Don't think the camera team even showed the replay for that one.

it was offside anyway, the ref gave advantage because Liverpool were already in counter attack. Yeah he tried to dribble past Van dijk and shoot with his left.
 
Yeah. Neither guy is a patch on Maradona

I've seen a bunch of crucial games where Maradona was the only bright spark for Napoli, only for them to lose. I never held it against Diego, either. Brilliance isn't dimmed by the actions or non-actions of others. Sometimes, like tonight, there's nothing more you can do. Football is a collective sport and moments of brilliance can be undone by moments of incompetency by others. It's unfair, but a fact of the game.
 
He was their best player and played pretty good, but he also had about 7 shots that he should've done better with really. It's the difference between the likes of him and Ronaldo and those below - they bury their chances. And so when he doesn't, it's fair to criticise.
 
He was their best player and played pretty good, but he also had about 7 shots that he should've done better with really. It's the difference between the likes of him and Ronaldo and those below - they bury their chances. And so when he doesn't, it's fair to criticise.

Two shots outside the box. One off a tight angle. Both a matter of inches/a yard away. Who else shot? No one, I think. I can't even recall another attempt at goal by another player except for Coutinho.
 
it was offside anyway, the ref gave advantage because Liverpool were already in counter attack. Yeah he tried to dribble past Van dijk and shoot with his left.

Are we sure it was off? No replay was given or even flag was shown (I know they're told to keep it down now). But everything happened quickly in-play.
 
Messi actually created enough chances for his side, but the problem with him is that when it gets tough he goes missing. Ronaldo on other side has saved Real countless times when they needed him, and Juve against Atletico this year.

I'm not saying that Messi never scores when it matters, he does of course, but for an all time great he has a lot of games where he doesn't take the pressure on him. Like tonight, when it became 3-0 he looked like he already lost faith and they needed 1 goal to turn it around. I never see that in Ronaldo (for example).
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I've seen a bunch of crucial games where Maradona was the only bright spark for Napoli, only for them to lose. I never held it against Diego, either. Brilliance isn't dimmed by the actions or non-actions of others. Sometimes, like tonight, there's nothing more you can do. Football is a collective sport and moments of brilliance can be undone by moments of incompetency by others. It's unfair, but a fact of the game.
The major difference is no team with Maradona in his prime ever shat themselves like Messi's sides have done so many times
 
Great talent but he's not inspiring at all, drops his head as soon as the going gets tough and trots around like the game is already over. He's obviously a GOAT in terms of skillset but mentally is nowhere near the top.
You can do as much surrounded by numpties.

Week back, puts it on a plate for Dembele to make it 4-0. Latter does that...
 
Genuinely feel for him. creates 2 sitters in Barca at 3-0 which are wastes. Creates two more more one on ones tonight, also missed. Then they go and concede 4. A godlike genius surrounded by spineless teammates for club and country.

2009 and 2011. Never.
 
Are we sure it was off? No replay was given or even flag was shown (I know they're told to keep it down now). But everything happened quickly in-play.

I have seen the ref giving advantage after Messi lost the ball and since i didnt see a foul, i assume it was because of late offside flag from the assistant. Think Alba was the one, but could be wrong.
 
I feel for him as well tonight. He isn’t at fault for his team conceding 4 to Wijnaldum and Origi, or responsible for his clueless teammates not being able to capitalize on the chances he creates for them. They could have scored three in the first half tonight.
 
The major difference is no team with Maradona in his prime ever shat themselves like Messi's sides have done so many times
United - Barcelona 3-0 in 84, after being 2-0 down at Camp Nou.

This is of course worse mind, but not down to Messi.
 
Only a fool would consider him better than Cristiano.

Ronaldo is the most clutch player of all time. When you need a trophy won, you need someone to step up on the big stage, he is there.

Ronaldo would never let Liverpool do that tonight. That is inexcusable.