Andrés Iniesta

[La Furia]

I love the Don but even if he improves his shooting technique he is inferior to Messi in almost all other aspects of the game. Besides it's not like he could become the goal machine Messi is, it's not a matter of practice, you are a goalscorer or you aren't

He's a better passer than Messi. He also doesn't get tunnel vision the way Messi sometimes does (Not that I blame Messi for this much, when you are that good it's perfectly natural) Messi is an excellent passer and Messi is better at most areas of the game, but Messi would be worse than both Iniesta and Xavi in the central midfield.

 

[ricknattery]

Messi would be worse than Xavi and Iniesta at midfield that's for sure, but it would not be that much of a downgrade to be honest. Now imagine Xavi or Iniesta playing in Messi's position, not in a million years they would be able to produce those inmense figures Messi does.
That's how great Messi is, he is world class in midifield and as a forward. Iniesta and Xavi are among the greatest midfielders of all-time but Messi competes(and in my opinion will surpass) with the likes of Maradona, Pele, Cruyff, DiStefano for a reason.

 

[Theodore Evelyn Mosby]

Don't tell me, in your eyes, Messi only scores goals.

Don't discount anything, this is Hatem Ben Arfa that we're talking about!

 

[La Furia]

Messi would be worse than Xavi and Iniesta at midfield that's for sure, but it would not be that much of a downgrade to be honest. Now imagine Xavi or Iniesta playing in Messi's position, not in a million years they would be able to produce those inmense figures Messi does.
That's how great Messi is, he is world class in midifield and as a forward. Iniesta and Xavi are among the greatest midfielders of all-time but Messi competes(and in my opinion will surpass) with the likes of Maradona, Pele, Cruyff, DiStefano for a reason.

I agree that Messi would be better at Xaviesta's job than one of them would be at Messi's job - but it would still be significant. Xavi and Iniesta are all time greats themselves. I'd take a team of Messis over a team of Iniestas but the entire system would be radically different if you had Messi clones in place of Xavi and Iniesta.

 

[Iniesta8]

Just enjoy the fact that we have all 3 of them on Barca

 

[mixer]

73 goals, 30 assists (pichichi, golden shoe etc) = ballon d'Or

iniesta will win this shit anyway but not now

 

[FCBarca]

Cloning Messi

 

[kroki223]

Messi can play well at the central midfield, but for him it's difficult, because everybody wants him not to play well. Xavi and Iniesta don't risk too much. Xavi and Iniesta don't receive 3-4 persons on their neck. Messi is a very good passer.

 

[Maria]

one average game doesn't change anything, he's saving it for merdas.

I would rather see him saving it for the game against Valencia, when the team will probably be exhausted. I don't want to see us winning the Supercup and then lose all the advantage we have in the league.

Seriously, if he practiced his shooting he would be on the same level as Leo...

And if he wouldn't got injured so much..and if he would be capable of having the same consistency as Messi or CR season after season.

But I cut him some slack because when he scores is either a massive golazo or a big huge important goal, so I rather wait for those...

Too bad that the leagues are lost in the games like the one against Osasuna or Getafe last year.

Somebody said something interesting about Iniesta - CR some time ago: he would chose Iniesta over CR everytime there's a WC, EC or CL. But in a league where you have to make over 90 pts, the portuguese would definitelly be his pick.

 

[evilhita666]

I'd like to add something that differentiates him from Leo aside from shooting... When Messi is off he can still produce some random magic, but like today when Iniesta is off, he IS off...

I think it's true what Maria says about consistency... Not complaining or anything, he's still our go-to man when things are not going well, but yeah, his this game shows consistency needs to improve...

 

[mitkoa7x]

I'd like to add something that differentiates him from Leo aside from shooting... When Messi is off he can still produce some random magic, but like today when Iniesta is off, he IS off...

I think it's true what Maria says about consistency... Not complaining or anything, he's still our go-to man when things are not going well, but yeah, his this game shows consistency needs to improve...

 

[ammarfcb]

when Iniesta is off, he IS off...

when the team is off - the team is off including iniesta. (messi being the exception sometimes).
infact i think iniesta was the calmest during the madrid raid minutes.

 

[Theconomist]

when the team is off - the team is off including iniesta. (messi being the exception sometimes).
infact i think iniesta was the calmest during the madrid raid minutes.

I don't understand this logic. The team isn't a seperate entity, it's composed of individual players. If Messi is having a bad day, Iniesta is having a bad day and Mascherano is having a bad day that's enough to cost us, and tonight it did. There is no team, just individual players playing with each other.

 

[Elite-BkD]

Iniesta was comfortably better than anyone in a Barca shirt during that dreadful first half...the problems were shit defending and nerves which affected everyone(way too easily surrendering possession with shit touch/passing and hoofing the ball up the pitch in panic was definitely a problem)...Xavi sorta woke up at 2-0, Pedro and Alba weren't too bad but Iniesta was pretty excellent throughout the half..

Of note: Shit play from Messi gave up that feckin goal..some nice highlight worthy moments in attack during the phases when his entire (stupidly stacked) team is absolutely on point do not mean he put the team on his back and I don't care how many goals he scores...Iniesta is better, and definitely was much more calm and effective while the other side was generally bossing the match and his teammates were apparently all freaking the fuck out.

 

[Maria]

Of note: Shit play from Messi gave up that feckin goal..some nice highlight worthy moments in attack during the phases when his entire (stupidly stacked) team is absolutely on point do not mean he put the team on his back and I don't care how many goals he scores...Iniesta is better, and definitely was much more calm and effective while the other side was generally bossing the match and his teammates were apparently all freaking the fuck out.

First of all, Messi scored in the first half, when his entire stupidly stacked team was , not in the second..so maybe that goal had something to do with the fact that the team played better after the break.
Second of all Iniesta is not better than Messi no matter how many dribbles he makes and Leo was more effective than him even if we only count his goal.