Lionel Messi - v7

[KingLeo10]

There?s no way Salah was anywhere near Messi in 18/19. Messi had 51 goals in 50 games, 20 or so assists, and 12 CL goals in 12 CL games.

Salah had half that production in both CL and overall. 18/19 was actually Messi?s best season in the last 5 years.

 

[serghei]

Lewandowski should be winning it this year.

These awards are useless. For example, keepers never get any recognition. Neuer has been absolutely incredible last season. When is the last time a goalkeeper won the Ballon d'Or or even was credited with big chances to win? Don't remember a single case.

It's simply a popularity contest that favors attacking positions 99% of the time regardless of performances. I'd split the Ballon D'or in terms of Offensive Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year.

Players like Neuer, Sergio Ramos, should have won a Ballon d'Or.

 

[FiReFTW]

serghei it seems like you really dislike Messi for some reason, why? Is it his actions off court?

Theres no doubt that Messi was the best player in the world in 2018/19, claiming otherwise is completely ridicilous and biased, you have to be blind to claim that.

Now 2019/20, alright, definitely not his best year, he was amonst the best in the world for sure, but definitely had a poor season by his standards.

This season so far he has been quite cr*p, he seems to not care at all, no motivation, no drive.. its shocking really.

 

[Morten]

These awards are useless. For example, keepers never get any recognition. Neuer has been absolutely incredible last season. When is the last time a goalkeeper won the Ballon d'Or or even was credited with big chances to win? Don't remember a single case.

It's simply a popularity contest that favors attacking positions 99% of the time regardless of performances.

Neuer, 2014, 3rd place, almost 2nd actually.

Though yeah, its pretty damn rare.

 

[serghei]

Neuer, 2014, 3rd place, almost 2nd actually.

Though yeah, its pretty damn rare.

Not to mention players like Xavi (I know Madridistas hate him).

 

[Katarina1]

These awards are useless. For example, keepers never get any recognition. Neuer has been absolutely incredible last season. When is the last time a goalkeeper won the Ballon d'Or or even was credited with big chances to win? Don't remember a single case.

It's simply a popularity contest that favors attacking positions 99% of the time regardless of performances. I'd split the Ballon D'or in terms of Offensive Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year.

Players like Neuer, Sergio Ramos, should have won a Ballon d'Or.

You're just being a contrarian hipster now dawg

 

[serghei]

serghei it seems like you really dislike Messi for some reason, why? Is it his actions off court?

I have every reason to dislike Messi as a person. Don't see anything worth idolizing. He's far from a role model. Tax evasions, greed, treating the club with disrespect, cultivating a culture of Amigos in the club, disrespecting and threatening managers, forcing to leave the club that gave him a career for free, walking on the field carelessly and letting others run themselves to the ground to carry his 7-8kms a game. A lot of reasons why Messi as a human being, and as a player would pass off as unlikable for many neutrals (Barca fans or not). Especially this old version, where his flaws have become huge.

For me, Messi has two sides, over his career. A bright side, the unplayable version when everything was clicking, with Pep and peak MSN trio (2015 only), and the other Messi, who's played the part of the biggest humiliations this club has seen in its modern CL history. As soon as the team declined and he needed to step up as a leader more, he was a major disappointment for me in this area.

It so happens I joined this forum in 2013, after his best years. So, of course, I do more criticizing than praising. If I was active in his best years, I'd be one of his biggest fans here.

 

[Mitchell1978]

There?s no way Salah was anywhere near Messi in 18/19. Messi had 51 goals in 50 games, 20 or so assists, and 12 CL goals in 12 CL games.

Salah had half that production in both CL and overall. 18/19 was actually Messi?s best season in the last 5 years.

12 CL goals in 9,5 games really...

 

[FiReFTW]

I have every reason to dislike Messi as a person. Don't see anything worth idolizing. He's far from a role model. Tax evasions, greed, treating the club with disrespect, cultivating a culture of Amigos in the club, disrespecting and threatening managers, forcing to leave the club that gave him a career for free, walking on the field carelessly and letting others run themselves to the ground to carry his 7-8kms a game. A lot of reasons why Messi as a human being, and as a player would pass off as unlikable for many neutrals (Barca fans or not). Especially this old version, where his flaws have become huge.

For me, Messi has two sides, over his career. A bright side, the unplayable version when everything was clicking, with Pep and peak MSN trio (2015 only), and the other Messi, who's played the part of the biggest humiliations this club has seen in its modern CL history.

It so happens I joined this forum in 2013, after his best years. So, of course, I do more criticizing than praising.

I have many dislikes regarding Messi's actions, but still it doesn't mean you should be biased because of it, in 18/19 he was clearly the best player in the world, nobody had a better season.

 

[Katarina1]

Apart from Neuer in 2014, no keeper in recent years has come close to deserving the award. People were hyping MATS and De Gea as the best keepers a few years ago and imagine thinking they should have been Ballon d'Or contenders.

 

[sikkboy]

There's a reason why the best players are usually the ones in the best teams that year. Messi's peak was also in the best team in Europe bar none, a golden generation, and that's hardly a surprise. It's a common denominator because a well functioning team (also players play a part in reaching that balance) improve the individual performances of players.

I think Van Dijk and Salah were both better than Messi in 2018-19, with Messi third. Liverpool's best defender and their main offensive man deserve more credit. That's how I see it anyway. I have no problem if people think Messi was the best in the world in 2018-19. It's not a baseless opinion, because he was great in that season.

Top 3 in 2019-2020 is baseless though, no doubt. Nowhere near.

I don't think you'd have many folks disagreeing with you on the best players in the best team, typically/ as a general rule. Well, maybe those who think that players can win games on their own, like Maradona apparently did! (RIP)

Difficult to compare players in different positions so I'll not bother with VdD but Salah, while pretty decent wasn't on Messi's level in 18/19. Messi was running the show in pretty much ever game. You're entitled to your opinion but in mine you're just plain wrong.

As for 2019/20, I don't see an outright winner, though I have no problem with anybody giving it to RL, or even KdB. Messi's season fell away, and by that I mean in performances, although the numbers still look great, and iirc, I saw a stat that whoscored, or somesuch org still had his rating as head & shoulders in first place in La Liga, and 2nd, albeit a good distance, behind Lewandowski. Anyway, I don't place that much emphasis on such ratings, but prefer instead to judge for myself on what I see in games.

Thing with Messi is that even if he plays relatively crap (by hs standards) he still will create at least a couple of very good chances for team mates, that of late, simply aren't being taken. Very few players are capable of doing that consistently. 2019/20 then? Definitely in the mix.

 

[serghei]

I have many dislikes regarding Messi's actions, but still it doesn't mean you should be biased because of it, in 18/19 he was clearly the best player in the world, nobody had a better season.

Don't understand why you guys are hanging on that piece of argument . I said he was top 3. That means he was great. Maybe I'm penalizing him too much for failing to lead the team on Anfield vs Liverpool's 2nd string attack, but it is what it is.

It's unfortunate, but no way should Wijnaldum and Origi be more clutch than Messi in the biggest game of the season. Yes, it's one game, but it's a season-defining game. The difference between a possible treble, and a measly league title.

 

[KingLeo10]

Don't understand why you guys are hanging on that piece of argument . I said he was top 3. That means he was great. Maybe I'm penalizing him too much for failing to lead the team on Anfield vs Liverpool's 2nd string attack, but it is what it is.

It's unfortunate, but no way should Wijnaldum and Origi be more clutch than Messi in the biggest game of the season. Yes, it's one game, but it's a season-defining game. The difference between a possible treble, and a measly league title.

Messi scored 2 in the biggest tie of the season. Not sure why you?re making it seem like only the Anfield leg mattered.

 

[Sailor Mars]

Messi was clearly the best player in 18-19. Not putting him as the number 1 in that season is just being biased.

Agreed. Messi put the team on his back that year. Only Van Dijk has a decent argument for #1 and that shows in the Ballon d'or voting which was pretty close.

Lol at the Salah was better than Messi talk. Wonder what mental gymnastics one has to do to shit out that opinion.

 

[serghei]

Messi scored 2 in the biggest tie of the season. Not sure why you?re making it seem like only the Anfield leg mattered.

It was the decisive game.