10 - Lionel Messi - v1

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C

Carefree

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You have an awesome perspective on a lot of football topics and I enjoy reading your posts, but am I reading what you wrote about CR being better than Xavi correctly? If so, how did you come up with that?

CR is lightening quick and has a serious eye for goal and a flare for trickery no doubt, but Xavi's footballing mind, passing, awareness, and his ability to make those around him better surpass anything CR has done or could ever do.

Again, sorry if I'm reading what you wrote incorrectly. Just sayin'.

Nowt controversial about that mate. Xavi is a sublime midfielder who would probably walk into most teams in any generation, and I agree his vision, passing ability and influence are of the highest ilk, but I think alot of Barcelona fans are underrating Cristiano Ronaldo.

As far ahead as Lionel Messi is from the rest, Ronaldo is as close as it gets. Manchester United look bobbins without him over the past year and a half, and Real Madrid have benefited from his arrival. Last season he took Real Madrid to within a point of snatching the title away from Barcelona, 34 goals in 35 games, an that was with a 2 month injury. This season he's single handedly put Real at the top of the table. He started off fairly poorly, but he's starting to grab games by the scruff of the neck and do what Leo is doing for Barcelona.

He's also arguably the most explosive player in world football. Combination of speed, strength and power, he's more than capable of tearing defences apart single handedly. He's a massive threat in the air and love him or loath him, he's also driven by his own desire to be a better player. The creative side of his game is massively underrated too. He does have a good 90 odd assists to his name since he turned pro, the amount of chances he's crafted out for Real over the past 2 seasons for instance, only for his team mate to blaze over is staggering. In fact, that was fairly evident to see only this weekend when Higuain and Benzema? wasted two glorious chances created to Ronaldo.

Top three players in world football at the moment are Messi, Ronaldo and Xavi, but the first two in particular are of such extraordinary talent they could very well be up with the Pele's and Maradona's by the time they retire. Xavi will end up in the next tier down with the Bobby Charlton's and Garrincha's, which again, is no downer on Xavi!
 
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W

woobie

Guest
If you've got a reasonably competent fullback and a top rate DM, Ronaldo becomes much less of an issue. Problem is, either teams don't have the right guys to do the job or people freeze in front of the star power. The 'Ronaldo is unstoppable' mantra is a myth.
 

MagIX

Senior Member
Impressive, Leo is improving month after month...

Vision of the game, reasoning with the ball at his feet, movements, assist,..
there is a touch of Xavi and Iniesta in the current Messi.
He is already an unbelivible crack, but he's still a "rough" diamant (normal, he is only
23!) and training with 2 artists like Xavi and Iniesta is simply perfect, ...will be a masterpiece!
 

AURELIUS

Member
Nowt controversial about that mate. Xavi is a sublime midfielder who would probably walk into most teams in any generation, and I agree his vision, passing ability and influence are of the highest ilk, but I think alot of Barcelona fans are underrating Cristiano Ronaldo.

As far ahead as Lionel Messi is from the rest, Ronaldo is as close as it gets. Manchester United look bobbins without him over the past year and a half, and Real Madrid have benefited from his arrival. Last season he took Real Madrid to within a point of snatching the title away from Barcelona, 34 goals in 35 games, an that was with a 2 month injury. This season he's single handedly put Real at the top of the table. He started off fairly poorly, but he's starting to grab games by the scruff of the neck and do what Leo is doing for Barcelona.

He's also arguably the most explosive player in world football. Combination of speed, strength and power, he's more than capable of tearing defences apart single handedly. He's a massive threat in the air and love him or loath him, he's also driven by his own desire to be a better player. The creative side of his game is massively underrated too. He does have a good 90 odd assists to his name since he turned pro, the amount of chances he's crafted out for Real over the past 2 seasons for instance, only for his team mate to blaze over is staggering. In fact, that was fairly evident to see only this weekend when Higuain and Benzema? wasted two glorious chances created to Ronaldo.

Top three players in world football at the moment are Messi, Ronaldo and Xavi, but the first two in particular are of such extraordinary talent they could very well be up with the Pele's and Maradona's by the time they retire. Xavi will end up in the next tier down with the Bobby Charlton's and Garrincha's, which again, is no downer on Xavi!

When Ronaldo's physical attributes fade he'll fade as a player. Xavis intelligence will more than make up for any loss in physical performance albeit he never has been the so called 'modern' footballer.

To compare him to Maradona or Garrincha is hyperbole. Messi reminds me most of Garrincha. He did play as a striker at Newells but his instincts infront of goal have really leapt forward. I guess he must be practicing again.....
 

gingerless

Active member
ronaldo will suffer as his speed/strength fades with age, so will messi but to a lesser extent... i wonder how long he can keep it up for
 

JCCR_FCB

Barcelona, a Cidade Condal
Impressive, Leo is improving month after month...

Vision of the game, reasoning with the ball at his feet, movements, assist,..
there is a touch of Xavi and Iniesta in the current Messi.
He is already an unbelivible crack, but he's still a "rough" diamant (normal, he is only
23!) and training with 2 artists like Xavi and Iniesta is simply perfect, ...will be a masterpiece!

I agree... it seems that CR 7, after all, will have to run and score much more, to be a "pichichi" this year...
 
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