Lionel Messi | Joins Inter Miami (pg4111)

[OccupiedPalestineBlues]

Messi in the league last season

32 appearances
25 goals
22 assists

Aguero got 16 Pl goals last season
De Bruyne got 20 PL assists last season

You're very selective in your stats but try looking at the bigger picture.

Ok so Messi scored 25 goals last season, yippee.
What you fail to show is that everything goes through Messi to allow him to get 25 goals, so only 1 other Barca player scored double figures (Suarez 16).

If we'd had Messi last season and replicated Barca's La Liga goal record in the Premier League (a tougher league) then we'd have scored 86 goals, instead of the 102 we scored as a team, and we'd have conceded 38 instead of the 35 we actually conceded.
We played as a team and with a team ethic, thus Sterling, De Bruyne, Aguero, Mahrez and Jesus all scored double figues and we scored more and conceded less in a tougher league than Barca could manage with all their super stars and with Messi central to everything they do.

 

[better dead than red]

Messi is the best player in the world, and outperforming every other player on the planet, so i don't care what metric you use, he's not Rodney Marsh.

Not disagreeing with you, just piggybacking on your point. The best players ever often transcend what is typically expected at an advanced age.

NBA's Michael Jordan was one of these players. At 32 years of age he led the league in scoring. He led the league the next two seasons as well. His final two seasons he was still scoring over 20 points per game.

The greatest players find a way to keep playing at a high level. Jordan adjusted his game. It wasn't the same as when he was 32 as when he was 22. I suspect Messi would be the same way.

Pirlo did it. When he was younger he played as an attacking midfielder. As he aged he moved back to play as a deep lying playmaker. He knew his strengths and weaknesses. He adjusted his game to suit his strengths. I believe Messi could do the same.

 

[5 Hit Gibbon]

Messi is the best player in the world, and outperforming every other player on the planet, so i don't care what metric you use, he's not Rodney Marsh.

Agreed, Messi is certainly good, but he is not at Marsh's level yet. We'd best look elsewhere.

 

[HelloCity]

You're very selective in your stats but try looking at the bigger picture.

Ok so Messi scored 25 goals last season, yippee.
What you fail to show is that everything goes through Messi to allow him to get 25 goals, so only 1 other Barca player scored double figures (Suarez 16).

If we'd had Messi last season and replicated Barca's La Liga goal record in the Premier League (a tougher league) then we'd have scored 86 goals, instead of the 102 we scored as a team, and we'd have conceded 38 instead of the 35 we actually conceded.
We played as a team and with a team ethic, thus Sterling, De Bruyne, Aguero, Mahrez and Jesus all scored double figues and we scored more and conceded less in a tougher league than Barca could manage with all their super stars and with Messi central to everything they do.

You’re completely wrong and that’s ok.

 

[StillBluessinceHydeRoad]

Half of me cannot resist the idea of seeing Messi in a City shirt helping us to another domestic treble and the golden quadruple with the CL. The team would be dazzling. The other half of me sees a seriously injured Messi helped off the pitch by mid-October as some PL clogger does the G 14's dirty work with the encouragement of any one of a number of our match officials. And when I stop dreaming and think rationally I just cannot see it happening. Barcelona aren't just going to let him walk out, his release clause is over 600 million and his wages over a million a week. City won't pay anything like that and I doubt Pep will want to build a team round a 33 year old. But they are wonderful dreams ....

 

[Duvet Rustler]

If I could re-sign David Silva for 2 years I would do ahead of signing Messi.

 

[Phil1]

If I could re-sign David Silva for 2 years I would do ahead of signing Messi.

Silva has brought me more joy over the last decade than any other player. He's the best I've seen and I'm gutted he's left.
I'd still take Messi over him for the next two years though, all day every day.

 

[RayCTID]

The situation with the Argentinian national side should be warning as well (although Messi can't be fully blamed)

 

[RayCTID]

Agreed, Messi is certainly good, but he is not at Marsh's level yet. We'd best look elsewhere.

Rodney Marsh was an extra luxury player that we didn't need.

 

[Craig]

Silva has brought me more joy over the last decade than any other player. He's the best I've seen and I'm gutted he's left.
I'd still take Messi over him for the next two years though, all day every day.

It’s not even a debate. He’ll get more assists, treble the goals and beat people for fun.