10 - Lionel Messi - v1

[Metaphysical]

Afellay : When Lionel Messi stands up and applauds for you...you won't get more appreciation than that as a footballer. That for me was better than my own goal.

he's as much of a fan as we are it seems!

 

[Daemul]

Yeah, if Messi applauded me I would get such a huge head, Afellay is still staying humble which is good.

 

[Pepe Silvia]

Afellay : When Lionel Messi stands up and applauds for you...you won't get more appreciation than that as a footballer. That for me was better than my own goal.

He scored an own goal?

 

[Chainsaw]

He scored an own goal?

No, he owned his goal.

 

[Barcaman]

According to Mourinho, Spanish defenders are giving Messi a brake and not guarding him as zealously as Ronaldo

So that's why Messi is so successful!

(sorry for contaminating the thread but it really gave me a luagh)

 

[BarcaGirl]

I didn't know that Mourinho could become a bigger Idiot, than he already is. Real Madrid and him are made for each other.

 

[Chainsaw]

According to Mourinho, Spanish defenders are giving Messi a brake and not guarding him as zealously as Ronaldo

So that's why Messi is so successful!

(sorry for contaminating the thread but it really gave me a luagh)

Anton already mentioned this in previous pages.

 

[Elite-BkD]

Six months of direct competition with this Barca side has reduced the greatest coach in the world to taking asinine potshots at rival stars in the media, which, tragically, don't actually appear any less likely to get the job done than the team he's managing.

 

[Chainsaw]

I think it's just a typical Mourinho's thing. Just laugh and pass.

 

[Raed]

According to Mourinho, Spanish defenders are giving Messi a brake and not guarding him as zealously as Ronaldo

So that's why Messi is so successful!

(sorry for contaminating the thread but it really gave me a luagh)

As ridiculous as it sounds you have to see that he sees a lot more space now than ever. Partly because he is so magnificent in finding space as opposed to making space (his old style) and partly because teams can't dedicate players to mark him out. Mourinho did it with Cambiasso and Zanetti, they had him chocked and so did Chelsea. It is possible but the quality of the players in La Liga isn't the level of Chelsea and Cambiasso and Zanetti. Messi doesn't need more than a split second to put the tie to rest and defenders in Spain offer more than that.

Before anyone goes ape shit, that is not to take anything away from him.

I don't know why he compared him to Ronaldo because both have been equally as influentional.

 

[Metaphysical]

As ridiculous as it sounds you have to see that he sees a lot more space now than ever. Partly because he is so magnificent in finding space as opposed to making space (his old style) and partly because teams can't dedicate players to mark him out. Mourinho did it with Cambiasso and Zanetti, they had him chocked and so did Chelsea. It is possible but the quality of the players in La Liga isn't the level of Chelsea and Cambiasso and Zanetti. Messi doesn't need more than a split second to put the tie to rest and defenders in Spain offer more than that.

Chelsea and Inter sat perversely deep, so the likes of Cambiasso, Zanetti, Essien, Ballack, etc. could move up and challenge Messi knowing full well there was still a wall of defenders behind them so even if he beat them (and he often beat one or two men). teams in Lliga don't sit that deep (well, most don't) so there is often more space for Messi as defenders can't challenge him as freely, because if he beats them he could break into the more dangerous space behind them.

you also need a compliant referee, so you can kick the bejeesus out of him without getting punished. Inter and Chelsea thrived off lenient refs (the Portuguese guy in Sansa was even Mourinho's old friend and business partner) and just brutalised Messi. except Zanetti, he defended him straight-up, man-to-man. it no doubt helped that he's known Messi for years and years, but by gum he was fantastic.

god he's a legend.

 

[Chainsaw]

As ridiculous as it sounds you have to see that he sees a lot more space now than ever. Partly because he is so magnificent in finding space as opposed to making space (his old style) and partly because teams can't dedicate players to mark him out. Mourinho did it with Cambiasso and Zanetti, they had him chocked and so did Chelsea. It is possible but the quality of the players in La Liga isn't the level of Chelsea and Cambiasso and Zanetti. Messi doesn't need more than a split second to put the tie to rest and defenders in Spain offer more than that.

Before anyone goes ape shit, that is not to take anything away from him.

I don't know why he compared him to Ronaldo because both have been equally as influentional.

You can't judge it base on one-off matches. Plus he wasn't playing in the center in those matches. Cambi and Zanetti was closing him down because he had a more specific role in those matches than he has now. He is getting better year after year, Pep get the better use of him now and also Barca plays much better with Villa than with Ibra.

 

[Raed]

Well the issue about the referees is sensitive and always contreversial so keep it out of the debate before we go off on a tanget (not me and you but you know how this ends up).

You also have to realize that against Chelsea and Inter, it was only Messi, Ibrahimovic was swallowed by Lucio and Samuel (both straight up thugs, up there with La Nose himself). This year the key factor is that Pedro is quicker than Road Runner and Villa is the king of the ball movement.

At Real Madrid, Higuain was to Ronaldo what Villa is to Messi but Di Maria isn't Ronaldo's Pedro. Take Higuain out of the equation and insert Benzema, and Ronaldo is easily marked more. Messi has changed his game so much these days, relentlessly finding space in between lines to play a quick pass and recieve the lay off before unleashing a superb shot.

In the end Zanetti is a legend, both Messi and Ronaldo are super human.

You can't judge it base on one-off matches. Plus he wasn't playing in the center in those matches. Cambi and Zanetti was closing him down because he had a more specific role in those matches than he has now. He is getting better year after year, Pep get the better use of him now and also Barca plays much better with Villa than with Ibra.

NimAraya, I did not pass a judgement. I simply stated observations I made in the way Messi has been marked out of the game which required fasincating concentration and irreplacable experience. I can count less players who are capable of doing that than I can count fingers on my hand and I have one finger missing.

 

[Moe]

According to Mourinho, Spanish defenders are giving Messi a brake and not guarding him as zealously as Ronaldo

So that's why Messi is so successful!

(sorry for contaminating the thread but it really gave me a luagh)

if he's so annoyed about it he should've showed them how it's done when he was at the Camp Nou instead of warming the bench.

 

[Chainsaw]

you also need a compliant referee, so you can kick the bejeesus out of him without getting punished. Inter and Chelsea thrived off lenient refs (the Portuguese guy in Sansa was even Mourinho's old friend and business partner) and just brutalised Messi. except Zanetti, he defended him straight-up, man-to-man. it no doubt helped that he's known Messi for years and years, but by gum he was fantastic.

god he's a legend.

How many times Messi has been 'kicked' in Inter matches, and by who?! Just curious.