Andrés Iniesta

[jiopi]

Iniesta is not just somebody who keeps possession. In fact, Iniesta is our main outlet for switching from playing keep ball into starting an attacking move. His ability to accelerate over a short space and to dribble by players with ease is one of the main ways we speed up our game and commence with an attack. That is why Iniesta is so vital to Barcelona. He has the ability to play keep ball but in a flash he can accelerate by defenders before they even notice he is dribbling. Without him, opponents would find it much easier to reduce our game to mindless possession, even easier then they have found it over the last couple of weeks.

Yes I agree that he's important, but Messi is at least as big outlet in the start of attacking move, which stats show, Messi has dribbled twice as much as Iniesta, and his creative passing is on par. But when it comes to the decisive part of the game, it differentiates the players clearly, and non-debatable way.

 

[spark]

Iniesta has certainly been better than Messi and goals scored doesn't change a thing. How many times has Messi scored after Iniesta had spent the match doing a much better job of helping the opposition along toward mental/physical exhaustion and a feeling of hopelessness? The best description I've ever read of Iniesta is that it's down to the authority with which he plays. He always feels superior and it shows in his performance, even when most/all of his teammates are plainly rattled, and Messi simply is not on his level in this regard. Only Xavi and Puyol ever were.

Teams concede goals, and teams score them. When Messi has the last touch to put the ball in the net, even after outstanding athletic plays, it has been a TEAM EFFORT. Very rarely (or never, really) can this be disregarded, and Iniesta has been helping the team to succeed at a level Messi has not matched this season.

Are you Iniesta? How would you know that he always feels superior? The part in bold is just baseless conjecture. Whats with the football world always inventing new categories to discredit Messi while putting their favorite player on a pedestal.

 

[Juan03]

He has been our best player in 2013, I haven't noticed any "off" from him this year. To me, he rarely if ever, plays bad.

I hope this argument didn't start because of me. I clearly said "in 2013".

 

[TornAndFrayed]

Iniesta is such a clinical player, everything he does seem almost perfect, while on the other hand Messi has struggled a bit in his dribbling and disappeared from the game too much, which is why I think we are having this debate. In any case, they are and have been our best players this season. Yet there is no doubt that Messi is THE crucial player, the most important at Barca and the single most influential player in the world

 

[Youngie]

Iniesta is such a clinical player, everything he does seem almost perfect, while on the other hand Messi has struggled a bit in his dribbling and disappeared from the game too much, which is why I think we are having this debate. In any case, they are and have been our best players this season. Yet there is no doubt that Messi is THE crucial player, the most important at Barca and the single most influential player in the world

Xavi disagrees

 

[Raed]

Most assists this season (club+country, top 5 leagues): Mata 23 - Iniesta 19 - Hazard 16 - Ozil 15 - Ribery 15

Gotta hand it to Mata

Our youth product :'). He doesn't play for us :'(.

Selfish selfish Messi, I don't see him on the list up there. Hazard has 16???

 

[mixer]

Messi has 13 assists (club+country)

 

[Frejsgodes]

Messi has 13 assists (club+country)

Ronaldo only has 7 assists for Real Madrid.

 

[Deco 20]

Our youth product :'). He doesn't play for us :'(.
Hazard has 16???

What I don't get is who scores the goals...

 

[mixer]

Mata has 10 goals He is assisting himself it seems

 

[ammarfcb]

What I don't get is who scores the goals...

fat frank

 

[Deco 20]

 

[Ursegor]

Mata isn't on 23. According to Whoscored (which counts it correctly) he's on 9 in the Premier League and 3 (all against Nordsjaelland) in the Champions League. Where do the other 11 come from? With Spain he is barely playing. Someone probably counted "penalties won", "freekicks won", corner kicks, rebounds etc. as an "assist" for the Chelsea players (which would explain Hazard's numbers as well). Unless he racked up 11 assists in 5 League Cup games against Wolverhampton, Leeds, Brentford etc.

 

[Ode to Django]

Mata really isn't anything special & wouldn't add alot to Barcelona's team, If Messi was put back on the RW to make the team more balanced/unpredictable he'd be far superior to Mata.

 

[Youngie]

Mata has 18 goals and 20 assists so far this season in all comps.

Another source says 23 assists: 12 in the Premier League, three Champions League, four League Cup, three FA Cup and one Club World Cup.