I distinctly remember some of you guys siding with Ronaldo over Messi in the 'who is the bestest player in the whole wide world' debate.
b/w let's see how he gets on up in Stoke on a cold night in January
Haha, he is rather good. Now the only players he gets compared to are Maradona, Pele, Garrincha, Cruyff etc.
His greatest talent is perhaps his only weakness (in terms of his place in my personal pantheon).
He's too damned predictable. Once he has an opportunity, he almost never misses. I was screaming at the tv (in an excited way) for his first lob that he was going to lob the keeper, and he did. The second time, even the keeper knew he was going to get lobbed, but he couldn't do much about it.
Amazing control at speed, he is unsurpassed. Decision making is top notch. Passing is excellent. But he doesn't have the same air of unpredictability that Maradona did. Messi can do improvisational tricks, it's just that he rarely has to. And he rarely scores from outside the box. And he plays for Barcelona. Opposition have found ways to keep him out of a game, but he's young and can only get better I guess, which is scary.
There is something of the Depardieu about him that's for sure.
Been a long time since I've seen a player crush the spirit of a goalkeeper the way Messi did last night. Being chipped a second time was almost too much for him, thought he was going to cry at one point and looked like he'd given up for the last two.
To be fair, all opinions about his personal behaviour aside, 96 goals in 88 appearances in La Liga isn't exactly a bad record for a midfielder. He'd be walking away with the Balloon D'or in any other situation.
To be fair, all opinions about his personal behaviour aside, 96 goals in 88 appearances in La Liga isn't exactly a bad record for a midfielder. He'd be walking away with the Balloon D'or in any other situation.
It looks like Ronaldoe will get the league this year, it's likely he may get the chance to win the Champs league too. That might go some way towards closing the gap, but at the moment nobody, not even Emile Heskey, is close to Messi.
There is something a little odd about Messi. Maybe he's just 20th Century football's first superstar nerd, there is definitely something very Eoin McLove about him. But I'm kinda hoping it turns out he's gay, that would be a real game changer.
DocMcCoy"Go and laugh in your own country!" 5,913 Posts
Okem said:
There is something a little odd about Messi. Maybe he's just 20th Century football's first superstar nerd, there is definitely something very Eoin McLove about him. But I'm kinda hoping it turns out he's gay, that would be a real game changer.
He's named after Lionel Richie apparently. There's something reassuringly "cipher complete" about that.
great signing... he will fit in the system and is pre-humbled unlike teh one arshavin
furthermore streghthens the back but can be lethal up front
b/w arsene silencing les hatteurs
damn it...
I'll only feel that it's a good signing if he has been bought to supplement Van Percy rather than replace him. He's a great striker, but he's no Percy.
Atheletic Bilbao are now my favourite Spanish team. Great football to knock UTD out. So confident, they always seemed to have more players in the UTD area than UTD.
I'm not trolling - they played very positively away from home, and you'd have to think that 3 away goals should be enough. 3-2 flattered UTD imo.
As a UTD fan would you rather the team got knocked out early and concentrated on overhauling Citeh, or won the UEFA cup?
(obviously Arsenal fans have stopped appreciating the merits of actually winning cup competitions)
I'll give em credit but it was more of a combination of Bilbao's youthful exuberance and cup final mentality plus an ageing/youthful United line up that lacked determination.
2nd leg won't be an easy game by any stretch, but with a stronger line-up, a more committed approach whilst taking into account Man Ure's very decent away form, they got more than a good chance of turning it round.
The run-in isn't hard enough to think getting knocked out would help as well. Next games are Wolves away and Fulham at home.
I'm not trolling - they played very positively away from home, and you'd have to think that 3 away goals should be enough.
Well maybe if it was 3-0 but, while it's a far more difficult task than it could have been, I hardly think needing to win by 2 goals away from home = being knocked out but there you go.
Despite the two suspect goals, no complaints about the result itself - Athletic played really nice football and was no doubt a great match for the neutral.
Another week another loss at home in Europe - it appears the reputation of Old Trafford and the affect it has on visiting European teams has been well and truly squashed by the piss poor performances at home in the CL this season. All very strange.
The run-in isn't hard enough to think getting knocked out would help as well. Next games are Wolves away and Fulham at home.
OK, Wolves is a chance to improve your goal difference, but Fulham, going forward at any rate, have been pretty decent lately. You'd think both games is 6 points in the bag, but it's been a funny old season. Knowing Arsenal have been well and truly out of it for the majority has taken any pressure off as a fan, and it's made the title run in more fun to watch (a bit like a WC without England in it!).
On a side note, despite the hate for Gary Neville the player, Gary Neville the pundit is great: "It's bingo time down Milan's left! Bingo time"
bilbao is a great underated team and i am glad they got a well deserved victory
rising star like munhain and an incredible striker like llorente (would be considered a top player if he was not overshadowed by spain's entire squad) toquero,etc
i've followed them for a while and am glad they get a chance to shine for once
but when they face barcelona in the copa del rey..it's a different story
compared to sevilla, atletico madrid this team has been incredibly well managed (small market) and kept it's core stars plus has been developing great players
great game for de gea though, horrible mistake from the twincito
Fair play to 'em. These are the sides you need be turning over if your claim to the title is to have any gravitas. Proper squandering of the kind of chances RVP puts away in his sleep... Or the ones Guidetti has been sinking for Feyenoord.
"Bobby, put a shirt on dem"... (to the tune of Polly Put The Kekkle on)
I read this morning he's bought a house opposite Crouchy in Cheshire. I assume he's not coming up the M6 for Stoke, doe.
He's 29. I thought he was younger. Couple of good seasons in him? It's not like we have to be careful with money, which honestly, kind of ruins it for me - I'd sooner see Guidetti get a run.
Some at Citeh have been claiming RvP as theirs since before January. They really need to focus on getting the players they do have to play.
In the EPL he's the best striker going right now, so like Mancini said, as his contract is up for renewal most big clubs will be making an offer. The idea that he's going to just walk to City for 30m is laughable. I don't think he'll leave, but if he does I hope it's out if the country, we've sold enough players to City.
What happened to those FIFA Financial Fair Play rules that are meant to be coming into force about now? Or did City get around them by sponsoring themselves that 400 odd million. Baah! Football is so corrupt.
What happened to those FIFA Financial Fair Play rules that are meant to be coming into force about now?
I doubt they'll ever happen. How can UEFA darlings Barcelona comply? They and Real Madrid get a crazy extortionate tv deal that wouldn't happen in any other top football country, they operate at levels of debt that wouldn't be allowed anywhere else, they get weird remortgaging deals, they keep hoovering up all of the talent... yeah, it's corrupt, and if the Champs league final isn't Barca vs Real I'll eat my hat.
Comments
b/w let's see how he gets on up in Stoke on a cold night in January
Haha, he is rather good. Now the only players he gets compared to are Maradona, Pele, Garrincha, Cruyff etc.
His greatest talent is perhaps his only weakness (in terms of his place in my personal pantheon).
He's too damned predictable. Once he has an opportunity, he almost never misses. I was screaming at the tv (in an excited way) for his first lob that he was going to lob the keeper, and he did. The second time, even the keeper knew he was going to get lobbed, but he couldn't do much about it.
Amazing control at speed, he is unsurpassed. Decision making is top notch. Passing is excellent. But he doesn't have the same air of unpredictability that Maradona did. Messi can do improvisational tricks, it's just that he rarely has to. And he rarely scores from outside the box. And he plays for Barcelona. Opposition have found ways to keep him out of a game, but he's young and can only get better I guess, which is scary.
He was a joy to watch last night though.
So there's that.
Been a long time since I've seen a player crush the spirit of a goalkeeper the way Messi did last night. Being chipped a second time was almost too much for him, thought he was going to cry at one point and looked like he'd given up for the last two.
It looks like Ronaldoe will get the league this year, it's likely he may get the chance to win the Champs league too. That might go some way towards closing the gap, but at the moment nobody, not even Emile Heskey, is close to Messi.
He's named after Lionel Richie apparently. There's something reassuringly "cipher complete" about that.
Next year's treble is on.
furthermore streghthens the back but can be lethal up front
b/w arsene silencing les hatteurs
damn it...
Atheletic Bilbao are now my favourite Spanish team. Great football to knock UTD out. So confident, they always seemed to have more players in the UTD area than UTD.
Great trolling.
I'm not trolling - they played very positively away from home, and you'd have to think that 3 away goals should be enough. 3-2 flattered UTD imo.
As a UTD fan would you rather the team got knocked out early and concentrated on overhauling Citeh, or won the UEFA cup?
(obviously Arsenal fans have stopped appreciating the merits of actually winning cup competitions)
2nd leg won't be an easy game by any stretch, but with a stronger line-up, a more committed approach whilst taking into account Man Ure's very decent away form, they got more than a good chance of turning it round.
The run-in isn't hard enough to think getting knocked out would help as well. Next games are Wolves away and Fulham at home.
Well maybe if it was 3-0 but, while it's a far more difficult task than it could have been, I hardly think needing to win by 2 goals away from home = being knocked out but there you go.
Despite the two suspect goals, no complaints about the result itself - Athletic played really nice football and was no doubt a great match for the neutral.
Another week another loss at home in Europe - it appears the reputation of Old Trafford and the affect it has on visiting European teams has been well and truly squashed by the piss poor performances at home in the CL this season. All very strange.
OK, Wolves is a chance to improve your goal difference, but Fulham, going forward at any rate, have been pretty decent lately. You'd think both games is 6 points in the bag, but it's been a funny old season. Knowing Arsenal have been well and truly out of it for the majority has taken any pressure off as a fan, and it's made the title run in more fun to watch (a bit like a WC without England in it!).
On a side note, despite the hate for Gary Neville the player, Gary Neville the pundit is great: "It's bingo time down Milan's left! Bingo time"
rising star like munhain and an incredible striker like llorente (would be considered a top player if he was not overshadowed by spain's entire squad) toquero,etc
i've followed them for a while and am glad they get a chance to shine for once
but when they face barcelona in the copa del rey..it's a different story
compared to sevilla, atletico madrid this team has been incredibly well managed (small market) and kept it's core stars plus has been developing great players
great game for de gea though, horrible mistake from the twincito
And he is a short-arse, so we can say he's no good in the air.
Not that he has to be...
Well, they did a fatigued Arsenal as well, so I won't gloat.
"Bobby, put a shirt on dem"... (to the tune of Polly Put The Kekkle on)
So the first Van Percy rumours I've heard name-drop the journalist Duncan Castles. He reckons it's a done deal. Feck.
He's 29. I thought he was younger. Couple of good seasons in him? It's not like we have to be careful with money, which honestly, kind of ruins it for me - I'd sooner see Guidetti get a run.
In the EPL he's the best striker going right now, so like Mancini said, as his contract is up for renewal most big clubs will be making an offer. The idea that he's going to just walk to City for 30m is laughable. I don't think he'll leave, but if he does I hope it's out if the country, we've sold enough players to City.
What happened to those FIFA Financial Fair Play rules that are meant to be coming into force about now? Or did City get around them by sponsoring themselves that 400 odd million. Baah! Football is so corrupt.
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Should offer easy-to-roll-up sleeves and good needlework.
Perfect attire for indie club or courtroom.
I doubt they'll ever happen. How can UEFA darlings Barcelona comply? They and Real Madrid get a crazy extortionate tv deal that wouldn't happen in any other top football country, they operate at levels of debt that wouldn't be allowed anywhere else, they get weird remortgaging deals, they keep hoovering up all of the talent... yeah, it's corrupt, and if the Champs league final isn't Barca vs Real I'll eat my hat.