AVFC-Prideofbrum Posted January 26, 2011 Author Share Posted January 26, 2011 Upto 35 goals and 18 assists in 25 starts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dont_do_it_doug. Posted January 27, 2011 Share Posted January 27, 2011 You know, it really grinds my gears to hear people say that Messi wouldn't be half as good in this league, or that "back in the day" he wouldn't get protected the way he does now. Lionel Messi doesn't need protecting, the boy is willing you to lunge in on him so he can blow past you like you aren't even there that little bit easier. And **** hell. Lionel Messi up against Titus Bramble, or Sol Campbell. Give me a break. Best player I've ever seen by a country mile. Better than Romario, better than McGrath, better than Henry and Berkamp. Better than both Ronaldo's and a pre club thumping Ronaldinho. Possibly the best I'll ever see, so enjoy it while you can... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zatman Posted January 27, 2011 Share Posted January 27, 2011 Best player I've ever seen by a country mile. Better than Romario, better than McGrath, better than Henry and Berkamp. Better than both Ronaldo's and a pre club thumping Ronaldinho. Possibly the best I'll ever see, so enjoy it while you can... but he is no Nicola Zigic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kurtsimonw Posted January 27, 2011 Share Posted January 27, 2011 Messi is probably better in the air than Zigic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lapal_fan Posted January 27, 2011 Share Posted January 27, 2011 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dont_do_it_doug. Posted January 28, 2011 Share Posted January 28, 2011 Just read this thread again, noticed it died after the two vids on the previous page were posted. Absolutely remarkable, he's not a footballer he's an artist. One of those players you just have to see live before you die so you can tell your grandkids "I was there". I hope he comes to England in the future, don't care where. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AVFC-Prideofbrum Posted January 28, 2011 Author Share Posted January 28, 2011 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJdxs5683p0&feature=related Possibly the greatest 3 weeks by any individual! I didn't watch Barca as much last year and never really admired him as much as I should of. This year, I think I've watched pretty much every game bar 2/3 and he's on another planet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kurtsimonw Posted January 28, 2011 Share Posted January 28, 2011 I'd love him to go to another league at some point but I doubt it'll happen. Amazing player no doubt, but aside from that 2nd leg vs Arsenal, he doesn't seem half the player when I've seen him against English clubs, nor Internationally. I'm not saying he wouldn't cope here, he'd still score alot of goals, I just don't think he'd stand out as much, certainly not to the level Ronaldo did towards the end of his time here. Though in saying that, you can't question him too much, sometimes it's best to shut up and enjoy the masterclass he's been putting on for the last few seasons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AVFC-Prideofbrum Posted January 28, 2011 Author Share Posted January 28, 2011 To be fair, since moving into his better years, which I'd say 08/09 where Messi started to become the best player in the world, English team wise, he's played against Arsenal twice. Well, one of the games, he scored 4. He also played against a super organised Chelsea team, didn't do much though, also scored against Man United in the final. Even Ronaldo at his prime 07/08. (42 goals) didn't score vs Chelsea in the league (although CL final), scored against Liverpool once in two games. Arsenal two in the two games. Nor did he score vs Barcelona in 2 attempts. (and hasn't in 6 games) But even counting 08/09 as some sort of arguement about Messi now isn't right in my book. Even that season, Messi scored 38 and made 18 in 51 games....of course that's great but it's January and he already has 35 goals and 18 assists, he's only played 31 games and 25 of those have been starts. Messi was also only just 21 in 08/09. Which is quite young to sort of produce the magic every time he got it. Which well in fact, he scored a goal in the Champions League final. Only two games he didn't really 'do it' you can is against Chelsea who under Hiddink were an extremely good team and just sat everyone behind the ball and worked hard. Just like in those two games Messi didn't do much, Ronaldo in the two league games vs Chelsea didn't do much in his two best seasons in the Prem (07-08, 08-09) Ronaldo 4 games vs Chelsea....0 goals. So I think it's pretty unfair to say Ronaldo shone in the Premiership and then say Messi wouldn't as much, little evidence. The fact Messi scored 4 vs Arsenal says, he'd be just fine. He didn't score vs Chelsea....Ronaldo didn't score against them in the Premiership in his best two seasons either. So nothing really is proven. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zatman Posted January 28, 2011 Share Posted January 28, 2011 To be fair, since moving into his better years, which I'd say 08/09 where Messi started to become the best player in the world, English team wise, he's played against Arsenal twice. Well, one of the games, he scored 4. He also played against a super organised Chelsea team, didn't do much though, also scored against Man United in the final. People said he disappeared vs Chelsea but he always wanted the ball and never hid and his assist for Iniesta was so calm that it was 94 minutes. Many players would have just thrashed a desperate shot at goal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zatman Posted January 28, 2011 Share Posted January 28, 2011 As for him leaving Barca I just dont see it. He is at best team in world which is built for him and doesnt look like he is motivated by money. He might go to Newell's at end of his career for a few seasons Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Rev Posted January 28, 2011 Share Posted January 28, 2011 To be fair, since moving into his better years, which I'd say 08/09 where Messi started to become the best player in the world, English team wise, he's played against Arsenal twice. Well, one of the games, he scored 4. He also played against a super organised Chelsea team, didn't do much though, also scored against Man United in the final. 08/09 should always be the cut off point with Messi IMO. Its when Barcelona sold Ronaldinho and began using Messi as the focal point of their team. Before that, Ronaldinho was the main man at the Nou Camp and Messi was being used very much in a supporting role. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtb_wm Posted January 28, 2011 Share Posted January 28, 2011 Out of this world Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zatman Posted January 28, 2011 Share Posted January 28, 2011 To be fair, since moving into his better years, which I'd say 08/09 where Messi started to become the best player in the world, English team wise, he's played against Arsenal twice. Well, one of the games, he scored 4. He also played against a super organised Chelsea team, didn't do much though, also scored against Man United in the final. 08/09 should always be the cut off point with Messi IMO. Its when Barcelona sold Ronaldinho and began using Messi as the focal point of their team. Before that, Ronaldinho was the main man at the Nou Camp and Messi was being used very much in a supporting role. i think the game were they realised he was going to be the main man was the semi-final vs Man Utd in 08 were Ronaldinho and Deco were dreadful and Messi played 2nd leg while about 40% fit and ran Patrice Evra all over the place Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheSufferingVilla Posted January 28, 2011 Share Posted January 28, 2011 Here's a scary prospect: There's a very good chance Messi wont come into his prime for a couple more years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zatman Posted January 28, 2011 Share Posted January 28, 2011 Dont agree myself but i read an article from South AmMerican journalist might have been Tim Vickery saying he was worried what would happen when gets to 30 and loses his pace whether he ahd ability to reinvent himself like Ryan Giggs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AVFC_Hitz Posted January 28, 2011 Share Posted January 28, 2011 Dont agree myself but i read an article from South AmMerican journalist might have been Tim Vickery saying he was worried what would happen when gets to 30 and loses his pace whether he ahd ability to reinvent himself like Ryan Giggs I think he's clever enough to do so. His vision and passing aswell as first touch won't disappear. I think we'll see him running the middle of the park like Zidane. Although I remember Nedved had a cracking career well into his thirties, I think the ability to find space where there is none never leaves these types of players. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dont_do_it_doug. Posted January 28, 2011 Share Posted January 28, 2011 Dont agree myself but i read an article from South AmMerican journalist might have been Tim Vickery saying he was worried what would happen when gets to 30 and loses his pace whether he ahd ability to reinvent himself like Ryan Giggs Unlike some of the past greats of the game, with who the star has fallen sometimes well before their 30's, he's a clean living model professional. Bit like Zidane before him. Comparing him to Giggs is neither here nor there, completely different players. Though like Giggs, pace is only one attribute to his game. One of the many things about Messi (and Ronaldo infact) that I admire the most is the consumate ease with which they can control a football at full tilt. In actual fact, Messi is quick but he's no Agbonlahor. What he can do though is run with the ball at his feet as if it wasn't there at all, his control is immense. Not only that but he's as strong as a bull and has vision up there with the best in the game. His passing game is vastly underrated only because his dribbling and his finishing are just that bit better than anyone else. Injuries aside, I'd bet now he's still the best in the world at 30.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ml1dch Posted January 28, 2011 Share Posted January 28, 2011 Dont agree myself but i read an article from South AmMerican journalist might have been Tim Vickery saying he was worried what would happen when gets to 30 and loses his pace whether he ahd ability to reinvent himself like Ryan Giggs Unlike some of the past greats of the game, with who the star has fallen sometimes well before their 30's, he's a clean living model professional. Bit like Zidane before him. I think his main issue is that by the time he's in his late-20s he'll have the problem of too much football too young. To use your Zidane example, he only really became a first-team regular at age 21 - by then Messi had played about 120 or so games. There aren't many players who started playing regularly at a very young age who haven't either had massive injury problems later on. Giggs is the only one I can really think of - a lot of the problems Torres and Rooney are having can be attributed to some extent to the above. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slowandlow Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 he is only about 23/24 aint he?? even if he is declining at 30 he will still have had 10 yrs at the top pretty much needs a world cup as well tho i saw the real ronaldo play at villa park, hoping to see messi live at some point as well (hopefully at villa park!!!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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