10 - Lionel Messi - v3

[instinct]

 

[Kerrybai]

I know its early in the season but whoscored stats are promising.

Messi has gone from 45 passes per game to 62. His highest was around 80 in Pep's last season with 45 under Tata his lowest. He's far more involved again under Lucho.

His shots per game have decreased but with that Neymars spg has increased and Munir is already taking a decent amout of shots per game. Out attack is looking far more balanced.

 

[GreenPowerRanger]

12 goals in 8 games for ronaldo. messi has 3 in 5. That's worrying, no matter how good his performnaces have been. once upon a time him scoring 9 goals in 3 games was very feasable, i bet he wont even score hat many in his next 5. :-(

munir and pedro havent helped to be fair they just hog his position. munir is overrated too. cant wait till suarez plays.

 

[Morten]

I know its early in the season but whoscored stats are promising.

Messi has gone from 45 passes per game to 62. His highest was around 80 in Pep's last season with 45 under Tata his lowest. He's far more involved again under Lucho.

His shots per game have decreased but with that Neymars spg has increased and Munir is already taking a decent amout of shots per game. Out attack is looking far more balanced.

I always had the impression he was more involved in the play during 2009-2011, but Peps last season was the highest?

 

[Kerrybai]

I always had the impression he was more involved in the play during 2009-2011, but Peps last season was the highest?

I actually made a mistake by quoting his CL stats of 80. Pep's last season he averaged 64 passes per game which is right around his current rate. 2010/2011 he averaged 68, but that's as far back as the stats go. Under Tito he dropped a bit to 55 before hitting 45 passes per game under Tata and as we all know he became isolated under Tata.

Might seem like a silly stat but it outlines how involved he is in the team, it's nice to see our play centered around him again but without hindering other players. Neymar is hitting 3.3 shots per game, we have not had a player hit over 3 shots per game since David Villa of 2010/2011. Back then Messi hit 4.5 per game. Over the years his shot and goal count increased as the forwards around him went downhill, now that he has Neymar he can have that burden lifted off him to a certain extent. I don't want to get carried away as the sample size is small but I think we may finally have an attack as Messi, Etoo, Henry and prime Messi, Pedro, Villa.

 

[Egert]

The master of selfies

 

[Icarium]

Messi has to score 4 goals in Bernabeu at least if he want to win Ballon D'or, but i doubt he cares. 3 Ballon D'or for Ronaldo while messi is still playing is totally undeserved but who cares, League and CL are more important.

 

[Luftstalag14]

Messi has to score 4 goals in Bernabeu at least if he want to win Ballon D'or, but i doubt he cares. 3 Ballon D'or for Ronaldo while messi is still playing is totally undeserved but who cares, League and CL are more important.

The fact of the matter is, these days these individual awards mean very little. Ronaldo winning the ballon D'or in January and the uefa best player award last month didn't make him a better or a more admirable player in the eyes of the public, neither did Messi's WC best player award do him any good. These awards have lost their significance and legitimacy, just some silverware from a popularity/hype contest. The evaluation of the status of a player doesn't hinge on these individual awards.

When it comes to Messi vs. Ronaldo, I will just say this: Messi serves the team while the team serves Ronaldo. Not much more needs to be said.

 

[Icarium]

That sad moment when even Bale has more goals than him in the league. I hope he scores a brace at least. But knowing him he will probably give 2 assists. If he becomes proper 10 he will never score as many goals as we expect. Some way i feel good that he is involving more and creating loads of chances but we are converting best striker into a midfielder, i think it is too soon to do that. He still can charge through defenses for at least 3 years. I think he should let Rakitic and Iniesta create chances while he makes those crazy messi runs more. People will soon forget that messi is the best finisher in the world and some will start saying ronaldo is a better finisher. I hope that day never comes. I would like Messi to score more rather than assist more. If iniesta picks some form it can happen.

 

[CesDel]

^ what's sad is that people cares only about goals. Messi has been the best player in the league so far, but simply because C.Ronaldo has scored more goals people will act as if he has been better. Without Messi, we would not be first in the league.

 

[blaugrana1987]

I would love him to score brace and give assist or two. Whatching Christianos play he is obvioulsy pretty much interested in goals only (any kind really), now being the real 9. Messi scoring and assisting through the whole defense is much better IMO.

 

[BarcaGirl]

That obsession with scoring ...I hope he gets a hat-trick of assists tonight

 

[Sunny Mir]

That obsession with scoring ...I hope he gets a hat-trick of assists tonight

Or 4.

 

[Egert]

The fact of the matter is, these days these individual awards mean very little. Ronaldo winning the ballon D'or in January and the uefa best player award last month didn't make him a better or a more admirable player in the eyes of the public, neither did Messi's WC best player award do him any good. These awards have lost their significance and legitimacy, just some silverware from a popularity/hype contest. The evaluation of the status of a player doesn't hinge on these individual awards.

When it comes to Messi vs. Ronaldo, I will just say this: Messi serves the team while the team serves Ronaldo. Not much more needs to be said.

This!

 

[Kerrybai]

That sad moment when even Bale has more goals than him in the league. I hope he scores a brace at least. But knowing him he will probably give 2 assists. If he becomes proper 10 he will never score as many goals as we expect. Some way i feel good that he is involving more and creating loads of chances but we are converting best striker into a midfielder, i think it is too soon to do that. He still can charge through defenses for at least 3 years. I think he should let Rakitic and Iniesta create chances while he makes those crazy messi runs more. People will soon forget that messi is the best finisher in the world and some will start saying ronaldo is a better finisher. I hope that day never comes. I would like Messi to score more rather than assist more. If iniesta picks some form it can happen.

And they trail us by 6 points arty1:

That obsession with scoring ...I hope he gets a hat-trick of assists tonight

Oh come on I want number 400 tonight Let him have 1 goal.