Lionel "The Greatest of All Time" Messi

[Fati_Future_BallonDor]

Is Brugge really that much worse then Barca right now?

Come on dude, barca is definitely better than brugge

 

[Windhook]

Classic Messi goal!

 

[Rassvet]

siuuuuu

 

[FinBarcelonafan]

What a goal. His finishing outside the box is unbelievable.

 

[Hardy]

outside the box merchant strikes again

 

[FinBarcelonafan]

outside the box merchant strikes again

Coutinho used to be world-class in it as well. Sick how he declined.

 

[malvolio]

Rich man's left-footed Coutinho

 

[FinBarcelonafan]

Rich man's left-footed Coutinho

Very rich man's.

 

[JohnN]

It's funny how some compare a prime age CR, moving to one of the best clubs in the world and adapting well, not great, in his first season with Messi at retirement age moving to a new club and not adapting so fast.
Still, pretty good in these groups, but you can tell he has lost another gear since last season. Perhaps he will find it later on or at this point in his career, never, which is ok.

 

[FinBarcelonafan]

It's funny how some compare a prime age CR, moving to one of the best clubs in the world and adapting well, not great, in his first season with Messi at retirement age moving to a new club and not adapting so fast.
Still, pretty good in these groups, but you can tell he has lost another gear since last season. Perhaps he will find it later on or at this point in his career, never, which is ok.

He had late preseason, because of Copa, then you add the injury issues. His game quickness will come IMO. He looks slow, but I doubt he declined that much from the summer. He will find his groove again just lacks game time to get his legs moving again.

 

[Windhook]

It's funny how some compare a prime age CR, moving to one of the best clubs in the world and adapting well, not great, in his first season with Messi at retirement age moving to a new club and not adapting so fast.
Still, pretty good in these groups, but you can tell he has lost another gear since last season. Perhaps he will find it later on or at this point in his career, never, which is ok.

Such people will forever be haunted by the fact Real Madrid won 4 CL and Barca 1 since 2013. Doesn't matter if Messi wins CL this season or World Cup next year. It won't change their opinion.

 

[FinBarcelonafan]

Such people will forever be haunted by the fact Real Madrid won 4 CL and Barca 1 since 2013. Doesn't matter if Messi wins CL this season or World Cup next year. It won't change their opinion.

It's pretty disgusting to think they won 4 CL and we won 1. In my opinion, we were the worse team in the past two years(otherwise equal or better). Life is the life I guess. Sometimes things don't go your way.

I would say our expectation from those years is higher than 1 CL and Real's less than 4 obviously.

 

[Windhook]

It's pretty disgusting to think they won 4 CL and we won 1. In my opinion, we were the worse team in the past two years.

Looking back at that period Real Madrid had a better squad in terms of mentality and consistency in playing the same players, while we lost ageing players like Puyol, Xavi, Iniesta in the process. Imagine if Real Madrid had ageing departuring Modric and Ramos what it would be.

Speaking of which the last time we made big impact transfers were under Zubizarreta as sporting director in the summer of 2014. He got sacked soon after that, but it worked marvelously for a year or so. After that - flop after flop.

 

[Leong157]

It's funny how some compare a prime age CR, moving to one of the best clubs in the world and adapting well, not great, in his first season with Messi at retirement age moving to a new club and not adapting so fast.
Still, pretty good in these groups, but you can tell he has lost another gear since last season. Perhaps he will find it later on or at this point in his career, never, which is ok.

Not to mention a sudden move. New city, new environment, his 3 kids etc.

It is not easy at all. I'm expecting 6 months at least till we see him get back to his old self.

 

[FinBarcelonafan]

Looking back at that period Real Madrid had a better squad in terms of mentality and consistency in playing the same players, while we lost ageing players like Puyol, Xavi, Iniesta in the process. Imagine if Real Madrid had ageing departuring Modric and Ramos what it would be.

The mentality was maybe the biggest difference because we beat their ass in the league or heads up I think. We never dealt well with controversies and we had very easily mental breakdowns if things went bad.