Messi, La Liga and the Prem

[Joga Bonito]

Doubt he will ever leave Spain for that fact.

Yet to prove himself internationally and he would struggle to play in the best league in the world (I'm talking about England of course).

 

[BoyBlue_1985]

he'd never score that many over here, english teams can defend

Exactly fuckin' spot on. I have watched many Spanish games this season and the defending is poor at least.

In the Bundesliga or Premier League, I think Messi would suffer countless injuries not entirely from bad fouls but little niggly ones that left him sore, even against the teams that "don't play football" like Blackburn ect... because these teams will defend and let you know that they are there.

Messi's second goal (as good as it was) watch it again and all he does is run in a straight line whilst the Madrid defence are scared of putting a foot in Vinnie would of just slid the bastard (along with the ball) but because its Messi he (Vinnie) would probably get sent off and a penalty would be given, but if it were Mario or Nani or Torres they would get booked for diving.

Well what you actually find with his goal is that they were giding him out to his "weaker " right foot and out of the direction of goal but he then uses his right foot as guided to, keep exactlly the same amount of control and then goes up a gear to accelerate and make the chance for himself. Which is exactly what Vinnie would do because he likes to guide forwards away from goal rather than jump in

 

[dom]

Why are we being so grudging over the Barca win tonight?

yeah Barca dived a bit but so did RM.

Some of RMs challenges were crass and dirty. I noticed Messi brought down on the edge of the box in the last 20 and at least 2 RMs went in on him.. he did nothing more than shrug and dust himself down ,.........

.... then let the football do the talking...

Talkshite et al are deluding themselves about Shrek, Tranny et al... this is Europe's best player , closely followed by Iniesta

 

[thepole]

Some people really are deluded about the physicality of the Premier League. When you get someone as quick physically and mentally as Messi he would do what he did tonight against Stoke or Blackburn or anyone. Just like Silva did on monday night

 

[Dax777]

If Barca played in the Prem, Messi will average about the same number of goals he does now. I am sorry, I have seen Birmingham, and I have seen Stoke, and our little Silva danced around them all. If Silva who isn't half the player Messi is, can do it. SUrely Messi can do even better.

We have to stop this pretense that teams in Spain are somehow deficient, they are not. Take out the Barca and Real (2 teams that are frankly superior to any team in Europe) and the Spanish league is exactly like the Prem. A little more technical, and a little less brute. But the brute is not enough to disrupt the excellence of Barca. I mean, Ronaldo is a bettr player now than he was at United and plays on a better team now than he did at United, and yet he is averaging about the same number of goals he did when he was at United.

Messi on the Barca team will crush the Prem league. Watching them play Madrid, you;d have thought Madrid was some championship league team. Madrid had 29% of possession, this is the same team that crushed Spurs home and away. Something no Prem team has done. Madrid would probably have won the prem with ease, and yet they got crushed 5-0 by Barca.

If Barca moved to the prem, I bet Messi would probably hit 60 in all competitions his first season. Coz the level of excellence will shock he sensibilities of most Prem teams.

Messi is that good, and this Barca team is on a different level. It is shocking that people think otherwise. I just think that is mostly from folks who don't watch them regularly enough.

Don't get me wrong, Barca is beatable team. But you have to be at your best (defending) and they at their worst, and then get a shit load of luck go your way. They are that good. And Messi is that much better than Ronaldo.

 

[Tricky Dickys Right Foot Shot]

Although Messi is gifted with incredible talent and skill more then our little fantastic David Silva what I find David has is a great pain threshold and if he stays down you know he is hurt, I've seen messi get shoulder barged from 50/50 challenges a fair amout of times and have to go off whilst limping holding his shoulder (I don't get it either).

It's a known fact Messi has some sort of problem with his knees that prevented him a few years back from playing 2 games a week it seems to have gotten better but the hardest of tackles could put him out for 2/3 weeks.

I don't want people thinking I'm saying he isn't as good as people make out he is class he's scored 51 goals this season, but what I'm getting at is that no-one should be deemed the best ever or best of our generation when he can only seem to shine for Barcelona in the Spanish league and not perform against strong opponents.

Take Zidane for instance possibly the best player I've ever seen, OK not as skillful as your Messi's or Ronaldo's but he had that certain thing about him when you knew regardless if he was up against some no mark defender or the best in the world you hadn't need to worry about him getting smashed about he got up and carried on sometimes even bullied people trying to bully him off the ball. Zidane for me is and probably will be the best in the world or even my era.

 

[thepole]

It's a known fact Messi has some sort of problem with his knees that prevented him a few years back from playing 2 games a week it seems to have gotten better but the hardest of tackles could put him out for 2/3 weeks.

Plays just about every game and barely been injured in the last two seasons

I don't want people thinking I'm saying he isn't as good as people make out he is class he's scored 51 goals this season, but what I'm getting at is that no-one should be deemed the best ever or best of our generation when he can only seem to shine for Barcelona in the Spanish league and not perform against strong opponents.

Just did it against the second best team in the world in away from home in a CL semi. Scored against a (have to admit it) very good United side in a CL final. Scored a hat trick in a classico to drag Barca to a 3-3 draw at 19. Doesn't perform against strong opponents?
What more do you want from him?

Take Zidane for instance possibly the best player I've ever seen, OK not as skillful as your Messi's or Ronaldo's but he had that certain thing about him when you knew regardless if he was up against some no mark defender or the best in the world you hadn't need to worry about him getting smashed about he got up and carried on sometimes even bullied people trying to bully him off the ball. Zidane for me is and probably will be the best in the world or even my era.

Messi was fouled time and time again today. And in the world cup. Gets up and keeps going. Zidane was very good, but Messi is on another level.

 

[Dax777]

For all the "Messi can't do it in the Prem folks" Just watch this video below. That is Messi vs. Chelsea in 2006. At the time Chelsea was the biggest and meanest team in the league. They bullied the EPL Bullies. This was the Chelsea that struck fear in Arsenal totenham and the like with the toughest Mids and defenders in the business.

Just watch the video, there were at least 4 red card offenses (that would be easily called today) and at least 3 more yellows. Not to mention a Red card penalty on Terry. All on Messi.

But most importantly,
1) pay attention to Messi's reactions to the disgraceful hacking display by chelsea (No reaction at all. He is completely oblivious to it- i.e. He is used to it)
2) Pay attention to who got tired first. Notice Chelsea start backing off after a while in the video when they realized this guy wasing fading. And it wasn't just his dribbling that will kill you, but his pinpoint passing and movement.
4) Watch Makalele the best DM ever sucking air trying to cover his movement off the ball
5) Watch Ferreira looking dejected having been run ragged by the little fella
6) Look into the eyes of the CHelsea players in the last clip of the video, there is a sense of relief that it is over (inspite of losing at home). They are shocked at what just hit them. Teams in the Prem will feel this way the first time they see Messi and Barca. It will shock your sensibilities. That look in Terry and Ferreira's eyes are exactly what was in Ozil and Dimaria's after they met Barca for the first time. No one realizes how much better than they are this team is. The score, possession, or watching them doesn't tell you. Playing them is always a shocker.

But enjoy Messi putting perhaps the toughest team in the Prem through the wringer.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uk42FXMYRhc[/youtube]

 

[anthonydunn87]

Anyone that can't see that Messi is by far and away the best player in the world and could do it in the Premier League like he does in Spain doesn't know football he is the best footballer any of us will ever see, don't pick holes in it, watch, admire and enjoy.

 

[Villan10]

I think so. For starters, he's scored 11 in the Champions League, nothing would change in that regard. Cup games etc..

Also a point is that I watch Barcelona every week, the comments about the league is more open and English teams can defend, I don't 100% agree with, generally English defences defend better but also, every time you watch Barca, it's 10 men behind the ball for the opposition, making it very difficult. Put Messi in the Premiership and you could argue he might at times have more chances because the more space he gets as even if you look at teams in the Premiership, there aren't that many teams, Blues/Stoke etc...that just sit back and take Premiership. Gaps do appear and if there is one player you'd want to exploit those spaces, it'd be Messi. Although obviously Barcelona have a lot more of the ball in world football than anyone else so naturally create more but as you saw.

If Real Madrid played Man United (United having messi) would Real sit back as they much as they did, I don't think so. It could be argued that it'd allow Messi to be given more space to do the thing he did for that second goal, where as tonight, before Pepe got sent off, it was very difficult for him to get on the ball.


Barcelona struggle in the Premiership? I don't think so. People say, Stoke/Blues, they'd struggle. Disagree, 10000%. They wouldn't even get a touch of the ball, they'd barely be able to attack while I'd fancy at some point the likes of Iniesta, Messi, Xavi to open them up. Many defences in Spain play full 10 men behind the ball against Barca, well almost every team has and they've never been successful because they have players who can open up gaps rather than waiting for gaps to form.

You only have to look at the Real team, 4 defenders and then Alonso, Pepe and Diarra all in the middle. Extremely defensive but they are a lot better defensive players than what Stoke/Birmingham have and yet Barca still controlled the match even if they didn't create that much.

Messi himself is one of a kind. He takes kicks week in week out and bounces back. He wouldn't struggle at all, to think that he would despite getting kicked every week, all the time is just daft.