[PICTURES] Lionel Messi: The GOAT

[KingKhanWC]

He’s off to PSG, but it would have been amazing to see him destroy PL at 33-34 and prove himself to be head and shoulders above everyone, shutting up all the ignorant idiots who think he can’t cut it in England.

Premier League is a different ball game. Messi wont get free kicks for a shoulder barge, he will be battered as LFC did to him in the CL semi final. A great player who would still score, win games but wont be scoring 50 odd goals a season as he's been doing in La Liga, a slow, build up, gentle league.

PSG play in a an average league, English Championship is arguably better. Messi's job will be to win the CL at PSG, this could very well happen.

There is also a chance he could stay at Barca, if the league back down.

 

[SangasCoverDrive]

What a s show from Barcelona. Rumors are that now Aguero wants to leave Barca too as playing with Messi was a part of his contract

 

[street cricketer]

Premier League is a different ball game. Messi wont get free kicks for a shoulder barge, he will be battered as LFC did to him in the CL semi final. A great player who would still score, win games but wont be scoring 50 odd goals a season as he's been doing in La Liga, a slow, build up, gentle league.

PSG play in a an average league, English Championship is arguably better. Messi's job will be to win the CL at PSG, this could very well happen.

There is also a chance he could stay at Barca, if the league back down.

Hilarious. I wish Messi and Barca had played Liverpool when they were at the peak of their powers under Pep. Messi-Iniesta-Xavi troika would've schooled Liverpool just like they did Man United twice in the CL finals.

 

[Mamoon]

Premier League is a different ball game. Messi wont get free kicks for a shoulder barge, he will be battered as LFC did to him in the CL semi final. A great player who would still score, win games but wont be scoring 50 odd goals a season as he's been doing in La Liga, a slow, build up, gentle league.

PSG play in a an average league, English Championship is arguably better. Messi's job will be to win the CL at PSG, this could very well happen.

There is also a chance he could stay at Barca, if the league back down.

Messi hasn’t scored 40+ goals in La Liga since 2013. He has been regularly scoring in the 30s, and that is the amount of goals he will score if he goes to England now.

You need to watch more La Liga before making factually incorrect statements.

He is the greatest of all time, levels above any attacker to have ever played in the PL.

He has destroyed every English team. He put Liverpool to the sword and it is not his fault that his team could not defend a 3-0 lead or if Dembele missed an open goal when he put him through.

 

[MenInG]

Paris St-Germain are in talks with Lionel Messi's representatives about the Argentina forward joining the Ligue 1 club following his Barcelona exit.

BBC Sport has been told the Messi camp contacted PSG on Thursday once it became clear Barcelona were unable to honour the contract they had agreed.

Further talks are taking place on Saturday amid increasing confidence a deal can be put together.

On Thursday, Barca said Messi, a free agent, would not stay at the club.

They blamed "financial and structural obstacles" for the player leaving after 21 years.

On Friday, Barca president Joan Laporta said keeping Messi could have put the club at risk for 50 years.

Messi, 34, has been a free agent since 1 July when his contract expired. He had agreed a new five-year contract on reduced wages - but the club still had to slash their wage bill to afford him, and were unable to do so.

The Argentina captain is Barcelona's record scorer with 672 goals and has won 10 La Liga titles, four Champions Leagues and seven Copa del Reys, as well as claiming the Ballon d'Or on a record six occasions.

BBC

 

[Firebat]

Lionel Messi in advanced transfer talks to join Paris Saint-Germain on two-year deal after leaving Barcelona

Lionel Messi has spoken directly with Paris Saint-Germain head coach Mauricio Pochettino as he moves closer to joining the French club after leaving Barcelona.

PSG are expected to offer Messi a two-year deal next week, worth £25m a year after tax with the option of a further year. The 34-year-old and his father Jorge are braced for the arrival of the offer this weekend.

Messi, who will hold a news conference at the Nou Camp on Sunday, left Barcelona after the La Liga club were unable to fulfil a new contract that had been agreed with the player due to "financial and structural obstacles".

PSG, managed by Messi's compatriot Pochettino, quickly emerged as the frontrunners for his signature, in a move that would reunite him with former Barcelona team-mate Neymar.

Messi is open to joining PSG, but he and his representatives want to take time to assess their options following his shock exit from the Nou Camp.

PSG believe they have a good chance of completing a deal and can afford to sign him without breaking any Financial Fair Play rules.

Gianluigi Donnarumma, Sergio Ramos and Georginio Wijnaldum have already arrived at the Parc des Princes on free transfers this summer.

Messi, the six-time Ballon d'Or winner, had officially been a free agent since July 1 after he failed to agree terms over a renewal before his previous Barca contract expired on June 30.

Messi had spent his entire career at Barcelona, coming through the club's academy before going on to score 672 goals in 778 appearances after making his senior debut in 2003.

https://www.skysports.com/football/...ign-lionel-messi-after-forward-left-barcelona

 

[Saj]

PSG are offering Lionel Messi a two-year contract worth £25m a year.

They are confident he will sign it this week and Messi's lawyers are in Paris working on the deal. The contract has an option for a third year.

It will be the start of a long-term relationship between Messi and Qatar as they prepare to host the World Cup finals next year.

PSG believe they can sign Messi without breaking any Financial Fair Play rules because his signing will generate more revenue than he will cost in wages.

 

[Saj]

An emotional Lionel Messi said joining Paris St-Germain was "a possibility, but nothing is agreed" as he confirmed his exit from Barcelona.

Messi is ending his 21-year association with Barca, who cannot afford to honour the new contract they agreed with him because of La Liga's salary limit.

The record six-time Ballon d'Or winner, 34, is now a free agent.

"My family and I were convinced we were going to stay here, at home," he said during a news conference on Sunday.

The Argentina forward added: "This is the end with this club and now a new story will begin. Yes, it's one of the most difficult moments for me.

"I don't want to leave this club - it's a club I love and this is a moment I didn't expect."Last year I wanted to leave, this year I wanted to stay. That's why I'm so sad.

"It was like my blood ran cold. I was really sad. It was really difficult right up to now. I'm still trying to process it all.

"When I get home I will still feel bad; it will be even worse. I'm not ready for this."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/58137262

 

[MenInG]

An emotional Lionel Messi said joining Paris St-Germain was "a possibility, but nothing is agreed" as he confirmed his exit from Barcelona.

Messi is ending his 21-year association with Barca, who cannot afford to honour the new contract they agreed with him because of La Liga's salary limit.

The record six-time Ballon d'Or winner, 34, is now a free agent.

"My family and I were convinced we were going to stay here, at home," he said during a news conference on Sunday.

The Argentina forward added: "This is the end with this club and now a new story will begin. Yes, it's one of the most difficult moments for me.

"I don't want to leave this club - it's a club I love and this is a moment I didn't expect."Last year I wanted to leave, this year I wanted to stay. That's why I'm so sad.

"It was like my blood ran cold. I was really sad. It was really difficult right up to now. I'm still trying to process it all.

"When I get home I will still feel bad; it will be even worse. I'm not ready for this."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/58137262

An emotional Messi!

 

[Technics 1210]

Ah yes. Messi truly devastated that Barcalona refused to slash his team mates’ salaries to maintain his £1M a week. How terribly sad. Cough cough.

 

[Protea Fan]

Apart from the lucrative money deal, with PSG anything less than couple of UCL will considered as a disaster for him

I hope mbappe will move to madrid as quick as possible considering he don't have a massive role in current psg

 

[Last Monetarist]

It will be a truly uninspiring move if Messi does join PSG. It's inevitable given that no other club can afford him, but it's an utterly banal transfer and won't do much for his legacy.

I wish he'd made it known to the folks at the two Manchester clubs or Chelsea that he was willing to come to the Premier League.

 

[KingKhanWC]

Hilarious. I wish Messi and Barca had played Liverpool when they were at the peak of their powers under Pep. Messi-Iniesta-Xavi troika would've schooled Liverpool just like they did Man United twice in the CL finals.

lol. Youve never been to a PL match or understand the difference in football. Of course that Barca team would have won many matches but this doesnt change my point at all.

Messi hasn’t scored 40+ goals in La Liga since 2013. He has been regularly scoring in the 30s, and that is the amount of goals he will score if he goes to England now.

You need to watch more La Liga before making factually incorrect statements.

He is the greatest of all time, levels above any attacker to have ever played in the PL.

He has destroyed every English team. He put Liverpool to the sword and it is not his fault that his team could not defend a 3-0 lead or if Dembele missed an open goal when he put him through.

I was pointing to him playing in La Liga, its a far easier league than the PL.

He is not the GOAT in my opinion and I've played the game unlike you. Maradonna is the GOAT as he's won the World Cup for his country, lets see if Messi can do the same next year.

He played well in the first leg at home ,scoring a great free kick but this is only one half of the match. When he came to Anfield he was buillied like a little child, had a few chances but failed. You miss the point as usual, the PL is far tougher, Messi wouldnt have it easy as he does playing in Spain.

Good luck to him in the French league, one of the worst in the major European footballing nations.

 

[Mamoon]

lol. Youve never been to a PL match or understand the difference in football. Of course that Barca team would have won many matches but this doesnt change my point at all.



I was pointing to him playing in La Liga, its a far easier league than the PL.

He is not the GOAT in my opinion and I've played the game unlike you. Maradonna is the GOAT as he's won the World Cup for his country, lets see if Messi can do the same next year.

He played well in the first leg at home ,scoring a great free kick but this is only one half of the match. When he came to Anfield he was buillied like a little child, had a few chances but failed. You miss the point as usual, the PL is far tougher, Messi wouldnt have it easy as he does playing in Spain.

Good luck to him in the French league, one of the worst in the major European footballing nations.

Load of nonsense as usual.

Far inferior players than Messi have destroyed PL and scored insane amount of goals. Messi has obliterated all English clubs that he crossed paths with, but somehow we have to believe that he is going to struggle against the bottom half and relegation battling sides.

Salah scored 44 goals for Liverpool (across competitions) in 2017-18, and he is not fit to tie Messi’s shoelaces, and yet you want to argue that if Messi played in England, he wouldn’t score 50+ goals across competitions. )

Winning World Cups and other tournaments etc. depends on a lot of factors and it is not just about individual brilliance.

Messi does not need a World Cup trophy to be considered the most complete attacker of all time. He is undoubtedly the greatest ever, and anyone who has a half decent understanding of football will testify to that.

Maradona is a bigger Argentinian legend for sure, but we are talking about individual quality her and not collective accolades.

Gerrard never won the PL, it doesn’t mean he wasn’t better than Lampard, who won several PL titles.

Neither Messi nor Ronaldo need a World Cup trophy to be considered the two greatest footballers of all time, because both have reached a level of consistency and dominance that has never been matched before.

As I said, it is too bad that we will not see Messi in the PL so that he could give people like you a reality-check.

If only City would have found out about what is going on at Camp Nou before sanctioning the Grealish deal, surely Messi would have ended up at City instead of Paris.

 

[ishtiaq_ctg]

lol. Youve never been to a PL match or understand the difference in football. Of course that Barca team would have won many matches but this doesnt change my point at all.



I was pointing to him playing in La Liga, its a far easier league than the PL.

He is not the GOAT in my opinion and I've played the game unlike you. Maradonna is the GOAT as he's won the World Cup for his country, lets see if Messi can do the same next year.

He played well in the first leg at home ,scoring a great free kick but this is only one half of the match. When he came to Anfield he was buillied like a little child, had a few chances but failed. You miss the point as usual, the PL is far tougher, Messi wouldnt have it easy as he does playing in Spain.

Good luck to him in the French league, one of the worst in the major European footballing nations.

Barcelona & Real Madrid have won 9 of the last 20 UCLs, yet the PL is somehow the best league in the world. PL clubs can only dream to have a legacy like Barcelona or Real Madrid. Even the best PL club of the last 30 years, Man United played like minnows against Barcelona and Messi.

Barcelona with peak Messi had an Aura like the Aussies of 2000s. They might've lost few games here & there but no club in the recent history of the game was feared like that Barcelona. That is the legacy of Messi. Not a single footballer was as consistent as Messi in the history of the game. Messi continuously excelled against his greatest rival Real Madrid home & away in the biggest match of club football.

It's funny to think Messi would struggle against club like arsenal, everton or that bloody Stoke city when he regularly demolished the greatest Real Madrid of the modern history.
It's like some people say here about the current India & Kohli. Oh India beating Australia in Australia, Kohli owning Australia in Australia mean nothing as both India & Kohli haven't done it against Pakistan in Pakistan.

 

[ishtiaq_ctg]

Load of nonsense as usual.

Far inferior players than Messi have destroyed PL and scored insane amount of goals. Messi has obliterated all English clubs that he crossed paths with, but somehow we have to believe that he is going to struggle against the bottom half and relegation battling sides.

Salah scored 44 goals for Liverpool (across competitions) in 2017-18, and he is not fit to tie Messi’s shoelaces, and yet you want to argue that if Messi played in England, he wouldn’t score 50+ goals across competitions. )

Winning World Cups and other tournaments etc. depends on a lot of factors and it is not just about individual brilliance.

Messi does not need a World Cup trophy to be considered the most complete attacker of all time. He is undoubtedly the greatest ever, and anyone who has a half decent understanding of football will testify to that.

Maradona is a bigger Argentinian legend for sure, but we are talking about individual quality her and not collective accolades.

Gerrard never won the PL, it doesn’t mean he wasn’t better than Lampard, who won several PL titles.

Neither Messi nor Ronaldo need a World Cup trophy to be considered the two greatest footballers of all time, because both have reached a level of consistency and dominance that has never been matched before.

As I said, it is too bad that we will not see Messi in the PL so that he could give people like you a reality-check.

If only City would have found out about what is going on at Camp Nou before sanctioning the Grealish deal, surely Messi would have ended up at City instead of Paris.

Interesting that players like Grealish & Sancho are expected to dominate PL, players who in their best versions are arguably equal to the worst version of Messi(worst version of Messi is still good enough to score 20+ and assist 10+. Not sure the best version of Grealish or Sancho would achieve it)

 

[KingKhanWC]

Load of nonsense as usual.

Far inferior players than Messi have destroyed PL and scored insane amount of goals. Messi has obliterated all English clubs that he crossed paths with, but somehow we have to believe that he is going to struggle against the bottom half and relegation battling sides.

Salah scored 44 goals for Liverpool (across competitions) in 2017-18, and he is not fit to tie Messi’s shoelaces, and yet you want to argue that if Messi played in England, he wouldn’t score 50+ goals across competitions. )

Winning World Cups and other tournaments etc. depends on a lot of factors and it is not just about individual brilliance.

Messi does not need a World Cup trophy to be considered the most complete attacker of all time. He is undoubtedly the greatest ever, and anyone who has a half decent understanding of football will testify to that.

Maradona is a bigger Argentinian legend for sure, but we are talking about individual quality her and not collective accolades.

Gerrard never won the PL, it doesn’t mean he wasn’t better than Lampard, who won several PL titles.

Neither Messi nor Ronaldo need a World Cup trophy to be considered the two greatest footballers of all time, because both have reached a level of consistency and dominance that has never been matched before.

As I said, it is too bad that we will not see Messi in the PL so that he could give people like you a reality-check.

If only City would have found out about what is going on at Camp Nou before sanctioning the Grealish deal, surely Messi would have ended up at City instead of Paris.

My advise is stop reading and start atttending games alongside playing the great sport as you clearly dont understand my simple point.

Ill simplify to save me reading a load of tosh again.

Messi is one of the all time greats.

Messi cannot be the GOAT as he's not won the World Cup. if he does next year he will be.

Messi couldnt have scored as many goals in the Prermier league, fouls arent given as easily, its face paced, physical and a far more competitive league.

Only someone with limited knowledge would disagree with the above

 

[KingKhanWC]

Barcelona & Real Madrid have won 9 of the last 20 UCLs, yet the PL is somehow the best league in the world. PL clubs can only dream to have a legacy like Barcelona or Real Madrid. Even the best PL club of the last 30 years, Man United played like minnows against Barcelona and Messi.

Barcelona with peak Messi had an Aura like the Aussies of 2000s. They might've lost few games here & there but no club in the recent history of the game was feared like that Barcelona. That is the legacy of Messi. Not a single footballer was as consistent as Messi in the history of the game. Messi continuously excelled against his greatest rival Real Madrid home & away in the biggest match of club football.

It's funny to think Messi would struggle against club like arsenal, everton or that bloody Stoke city when he regularly demolished the greatest Real Madrid of the modern history.
It's like some people say here about the current India & Kohli. Oh India beating Australia in Australia, Kohli owning Australia in Australia mean nothing as both India & Kohli haven't done it against Pakistan in Pakistan.

Please go further back into history until it fits your argument. I prefer living in the times we are in now, ie last 5 years. The Premier league is the toughest league to win and its clubs are dominating Europe or do you watch TV Gold in your house only?

Nobody wrote he'd stuggle lol. And Im not obsessed with Kohli, no need to bring him up in every post your write.

 

[street cricketer]

lol. Youve never been to a PL match or understand the difference in football. Of course that Barca team would have won many matches but this doesnt change my point at all.

I was pointing to him playing in La Liga, its a far easier league than the PL.

I understand that PL fans think the Premier League is the best thing since sliced bread but having grown up watching La liga over the years and having watched even tier 2 La liga clubs better their PL rivals in the Europa league or sometimes even in the champions league, I find the Premier league to be raw and lacking the technical soundness of some of the top La liga clubs except a few players in the PL. Good for you if you find the hoof it up into the air and physical style of English football as exhilarating, but that's not my cup of tea. I would rather watch Spain play football all day than England, even the current Spain which is a million miles away from the Spain that won two Euros and the world cup.

 

[street cricketer]

I mean, Manchester United, the darling club of most PL fans, lost to Villarreal in the last Europa league final.

And Villarreal was a club that got relegated to the segunda division a few years back for those who don't know (despite it being one of the good clubs in La liga traditionally). Yet Premier league is somehow supposed to be the "most difficult" league.

 

[pillionrider]

Far inferior players than Messi have destroyed PL and scored insane amount of goals. Messi has obliterated all English clubs that he crossed paths with, but somehow we have to believe that he is going to struggle against the bottom half and relegation battling sides.

But can he do it on a cold rainy night in Stoke

Thierry Henry, arguably one of the greatest strikers in PL history moved to Barcelona and has since been in awe of Messi.

Yet some people who play a little football on Sundays know more than him.

 

[pillionrider]

No space for the Ballon d'Ors

 

[PakLFC]

Messi was willing to take a 50% pay cut that was not enough to convince his employers. Barca are more or less bankrupt now. As a club i see them nose diving rapidly from here on. I fear for the future of top EPL clubs too in a fast changing world.

 

[ishtiaq_ctg]

Please go further back into history until it fits your argument. I prefer living in the times we are in now, ie last 5 years. The Premier league is the toughest league to win and its clubs are dominating Europe or do you watch TV Gold in your house only?

Nobody wrote he'd stuggle lol. And Im not obsessed with Kohli, no need to bring him up in every post your write.

Toughest league in the world can never be won by a club like Leicester city.

PL hasn't had a single Balon De'Or winning player in the last 10 years. In your preferred present time threshold of 5 years, Real Madrid dominated CL and La Liga clubs had better head to head records against PL clubs across European competitions. I agree PL is stronger currently. But it isn't due to them playing groundbreaking football rather due to the natural decline of La Liga clubs. Once Barca & Real get back to their best, PL clubs will return back to playing like minnows against them.

 

[Ahmad-GERMANFC]

Lol at Messi wouldn’t dominate premier league.

Have you seen his record against the Premier League teams in champions league?

26 goals and 7 assists in 34 games against the top PL teams like Chelsea, United, Liverpool, Spurs etc in the UCL. And this includes the initial 4-5 games against Chelsea and United when
He was a teenager and hadn’t fully come into his own. I wonder what his record is in last 30 or 25 games.

But somehow Mr. KKWC thinks that same Messi wouldn’t have ran riot against Derby, Brighton and Crystal Palace…

 

[MenInG]

Lionel Messi has agreed a deal with Paris St-Germain to join the French side following his shock exit from Barcelona, says Spanish football journalist Guillem Balague.

The deal is subject to a medical.

The 34-year-old Argentina captain left Barca - the only club he has ever played for - as they were unable to afford a new deal under La Liga's financial fair play rules.

Mauricio Pochettino's PSG finished second to Lille in Ligue 1 last season.

 

[MenInG]

Lionel Messi has agreed to join Paris Saint-Germain on a two-year contract.

The six-time Ballon d'Or winner is travelling to Paris on Tuesday afternoon to seal his move to the French club on a deal worth £25m per year after tax, plus bonuses.

Messi had two other options after leaving Barcelona last week but has opted to move to PSG, who will have the option of extending his stay in the French capital by a third year.

 

[KingKhanWC]

Toughest league in the world can never be won by a club like Leicester city.

PL hasn't had a single Balon De'Or winning player in the last 10 years. In your preferred present time threshold of 5 years, Real Madrid dominated CL and La Liga clubs had better head to head records against PL clubs across European competitions. I agree PL is stronger currently. But it isn't due to them playing groundbreaking football rather due to the natural decline of La Liga clubs. Once Barca & Real get back to their best, PL clubs will return back to playing like minnows against them.

Leicester had great players like Kante, Mahrez in the XI while the big teams were rebuilding.

You should have gone back further in history, LFC have won 6 Champions Leagues. Barca and Real of course have had great playres but they borrowed hundreds of millions and now you can see them falling apart.

Most Argentians see Maradonna being better than Messi, something which should be taken into account.

 

[Waleed93]

I am the biggest Real Madrid fan out there and I can only laugh at those clowns who think that Messi won't be able to dominate the PL.

If players like Salah, Vardy, Kane and Aubameyang can score 20+ goals per season, then there is absolutely no reason why a player like Messi, who is one of the two greatest players to have ever played the game, will not shine in that same league.

You just have to keep in mind the fact that those PL players' best versions are inferior to Messi's worst run. At this age, he would easily score 25 goals and bag 10-12 assists at the same time.

The notion that Messi will not be able to shine in the PL is exaggerated and taken out of context.

It simply is a feat Ronaldo achieved, but that doesn't downgrade Messi's achievements by any means. Similarly, Messi's insane dribbling ability doesn't mean that Ronaldo is a poor dribbler, he is a very good one, just not as good as Messi in that aspect. The point is that since they get compared everytime, people tend to compare every single aspect of their career and end up downplaying one of them, just to elevate the other one.

As far as the PL is concerned, yes, it is the most competitive league in the world, but if we are talking about the two greatest players of all time, this notion of not being able to adapt to another league becomes irrelevant.

 

[KingKhanWC]

I am the biggest Real Madrid fan out there and I can only laugh at those clowns who think that Messi won't be able to dominate the PL.

If players like Salah, Vardy, Kane and Aubameyang can score 20+ goals per season, then there is absolutely no reason why a player like Messi, who is one of the two greatest players to have ever played the game, will not shine in that same league.

You just have to keep in mind the fact that those PL players' best versions are inferior to Messi's worst run. At this age, he would easily score 25 goals and bag 10-12 assists at the same time.

The notion that Messi will not be able to shine in the PL is exaggerated and taken out of context.

It simply is a feat Ronaldo achieved, but that doesn't downgrade Messi's achievements by any means. Similarly, Messi's insane dribbling ability doesn't mean that Ronaldo is a poor dribbler, he is a very good one, just not as good as Messi in that aspect. The point is that since they get compared everytime, people tend to compare every single aspect of their career and end up downplaying one of them, just to elevate the other one.

As far as the PL is concerned, yes, it is the most competitive league in the world, but if we are talking about the two greatest players of all time, this notion of not being able to adapt to another league becomes irrelevant.

You call others clowns but seem to have reading issue.

Messi wouldnt or couldnt now achieve scoring the amount of goals he did in the La Liga. He regularly scored over 30 goals, Ronaldo has scored 50 in a season, even Forlan has 32 goals and Suarez 40. These are 38 games or less. PL record is 32 in a 38 game season. Only on 8 occasions 30+ goals have been scored in PL history. Being a great doesnt mean you can do the same everywhere. Its a simple accurate factual argument and anybody who knows about the game would accept this.

 

[Technics 1210]

The PL is one of the most competitive football leagues in Europe. This is proven by the fact that any team can win the PL and nothing can be taken for granted. There's no such thing as minnow bashing in the PL.

Compare to LL, Barcelona and Real Madrid are heavyweights who feast on league minnow bashing year after year.

 

[Rana]

Messi hasn’t scored 40+ goals in La Liga since 2013. He has been regularly scoring in the 30s, and that is the amount of goals he will score if he goes to England now.

You need to watch more La Liga before making factually incorrect statements.

He is the greatest of all time, levels above any attacker to have ever played in the PL.

He has destroyed every English team. He put Liverpool to the sword and it is not his fault that his team could not defend a 3-0 lead or if Dembele missed an open goal when he put him through.

Unless Messi plays for City or Liverpool, he won’t score more than 20 goals in a premier league season (excluding champions league and Cup games)

 

[Rana]

The PL is one of the most competitive football leagues in Europe. This is proven by the fact that any team can win the PL and nothing can be taken for granted. There's no such thing as minnow bashing in the PL.

Compare to LL, Barcelona and Real Madrid are heavyweights who feast on league minnow bashing year after year.

Same as Bayern Munich

 

[Rana]

I mean, Manchester United, the darling club of most PL fans, lost to Villarreal in the last Europa league final.

And Villarreal was a club that got relegated to the segunda division a few years back for those who don't know (despite it being one of the good clubs in La liga traditionally). Yet Premier league is somehow supposed to be the "most difficult" league.

It means nothing

Premier league mid season is so tough and extremely hard to get away results against the mid table sides let alone the top tier. Plus there is no winter break for players to refresh. Extremely vigorous schedules especially for the champions league sides

 

[Rana]

So Neymar left Barcelona so that he can become the main man at PSG and move out of Messi’s shadow....why is he staying now at PSG if that’s the case?

 

[Giannis]

So Neymar left Barcelona so that he can become the main man at PSG and move out of Messi’s shadow....why is he staying now at PSG if that’s the case?

Mbappe had already surpassed him as the main man 3 years ago, it has nothing to do with being the man - it has more to do with Q̶a̶t̶a̶r̶ PSGs deep pockets.

 

[OMB]

This move from Messi is going to make PSG all powerful in Europe now
Just imagine, Neymar Messi Mbappe and backed up in defense by Ramos and Donarumma.
All that $ should start giving rich dividends now

 

[Mamoon]

Unless Messi plays for City or Liverpool, he won’t score more than 20 goals in a premier league season (excluding champions league and Cup games)

Messi would score 30+ league goals even if plays for Arsenal, Spurs or Leicester. He has more individual talent and quality than any attacker in history.

Patrick Bamford scored 17 goals in the PL for Leeds last season, but somehow, Messi will not score more than 20 if he plays for the same team )

This is why PL fans have the reputation of being the most delusional fans in the world.

In 2019-20, Vardy scored 23, Aubameyang and Ings scored 22 for Leicester, Arsenal and Southampton respectively, but yes Messi, who is several galaxies above them in talent, skill and consistency, won’t.

Premier league fans, ladies and gentlemen.

 

[Mamoon]

My advise is stop reading and start atttending games alongside playing the great sport as you clearly dont understand my simple point.

Ill simplify to save me reading a load of tosh again.

Messi is one of the all time greats.

Messi cannot be the GOAT as he's not won the World Cup. if he does next year he will be.

Messi couldnt have scored as many goals in the Prermier league, fouls arent given as easily, its face paced, physical and a far more competitive league.

Only someone with limited knowledge would disagree with the above

Is that why the poor man’s Messi (Salah) scored 44 goals for Liverpool across competitions in 2017-18? )

Messi does not need validation from a random, delusional fan to be considered the GOAT. His record and his 6 Ballon d’Ors (soon to be 7) proves that he is the GOAT.

Only a delusional PL fan who cannot think beyond the PL bubble would agree with the nonsense that you wrote.

Far, far lesser players than Messi have scored truckloads of goals in the PL. Had Messi played in England his goal scoring record would not have been any different.

 

[Mamoon]

Mbappe had already surpassed him as the main man 3 years ago, it has nothing to do with being the man - it has more to do with Q̶a̶t̶a̶r̶ PSGs deep pockets.

Neymar has consistently played better than Mbappe though, although Mbappe has been promoted as the poster boy because he is younger and of course France’s golden boy.

Now that Messi is at Paris, Mbappe will be in his shadow and will not be able to outshine a 34 year old Messi, so it is interesting how Mbappe reacts to it.

There is no doubt he is a phenomenal talent, but I don’t think he has kicked on after the 2018 World Cup the way he should have. He was touted as the next Messi/Ronaldo but he is never going to scale their heights.

As far as the next generation attackers are concerned, Haaland could have a better career than Mbappe. His scoring rate is at par with Messi/Ronaldo and his mentality is phenomenal.

His physical characteristics are incredible too. Probably the most physically perfect striker you can have. His speed and agility for someone of his size are freakish.

It is really unfortunate that he plays for Norway and thus the world will never see the best of him at the international stage.

 

[Giannis]

Neymar has consistently played better than Mbappe though, although Mbappe has been promoted as the poster boy because he is younger and of course France’s golden boy.

Now that Messi is at Paris, Mbappe will be in his shadow and will not be able to outshine a 34 year old Messi, so it is interesting how Mbappe reacts to it.

There is no doubt he is a phenomenal talent, but I don’t think he has kicked on after the 2018 World Cup the way he should have. He was touted as the next Messi/Ronaldo but he is never going to scale their heights.

As far as the next generation attackers are concerned, Haaland could have a better career than Mbappe. His scoring rate is at par with Messi/Ronaldo and his mentality is phenomenal.

His physical characteristics are incredible too. Probably the most physically perfect striker you can have. His speed and agility for someone of his size are freakish.

It is really unfortunate that he plays for Norway and thus the world will never see the best of him at the international stage.

Mbappe is likely leaving after this season, I presume he's going to end up with either Real or Barca. As for Haaland, he's definitely going to be a bigger star than Mbappe and I think Norway will be a regular feature at the upcoming world cups.

 

[Rana]

Messi would score 30+ league goals even if plays for Arsenal, Spurs or Leicester. He has more individual talent and quality than any attacker in history.

Patrick Bamford scored 17 goals in the PL for Leeds last season, but somehow, Messi will not score more than 20 if he plays for the same team )

This is why PL fans have the reputation of being the most delusional fans in the world.

In 2019-20, Vardy scored 23, Aubameyang and Ings scored 22 for Leicester, Arsenal and Southampton respectively, but yes Messi, who is several galaxies above them in talent, skill and consistency, won’t.

Premier league fans, ladies and gentlemen.

I don’t think football works like that, it’s not a video game as that’s what you are trying to make it sound like.

I doubt a 34 year old striker/winger can just walk into the premier league for the first time in the twilight of his career and score 30+ goals in the league lol. That’s why it is easy for you to make claims about Pakistani cricketers being rubbish in the IPL as well if they had the chance, because you know you can say whatever you want for however long as you want because we will never actually know the truth.

I say it again, unless Messi plays for Man City or Liverpool, he will not score more than 20 league goals in a season

 

[KingKhanWC]

Is that why the poor man’s Messi (Salah) scored 44 goals for Liverpool across competitions in 2017-18? )

Messi does not need validation from a random, delusional fan to be considered the GOAT. His record and his 6 Ballon d’Ors (soon to be 7) proves that he is the GOAT.

Only a delusional PL fan who cannot think beyond the PL bubble would agree with the nonsense that you wrote.

Far, far lesser players than Messi have scored truckloads of goals in the PL. Had Messi played in England his goal scoring record would not have been any different.

Most Argentinians believe Messi is not even the best Argentinian player in history

Im a fan who actually goes to the stadium and plays the game.

Even if Messi played for Arsenal , they wouldnt win the Premier League. )

Again, go to matches, play footbal and you might understand the game.

 

[MenInG]

MIAMI, Aug 12 (Reuters) - Soccer star Lionel Messi's signing on fee at Paris St Germain includes some of the French club's cryptocurrency fan tokens, in the latest big name endorsement of new digital assets.

The Argentine, 34, left Spanish side Barcelona and signed a two-year contract with Qatari-owned Paris St Germain (PSG), with an option for a third year, on Tuesday.

Confirming an exclusive Reuters report, PSG said on Thursday the tokens were included in his "welcome package," which media reports have estimated at 25-30 million euros ($29-35 million). The club did not disclose the proportion of tokens in the package, but said the amount was "significant".

Fan tokens are a type of cryptocurrency that allow holders to vote on mostly minor decisions related to their clubs. Among clubs to launch tokens this year are English Premier League champions Manchester City and Italy's AC Milan. Messi's former club Barcelona launched one last year.

The tokens are increasingly seen by clubs as a source of new revenue and Socios.com, which provide the tokens for PSG and other top clubs, says tokens have generated nearly $200 million for its partner clubs in 2021, with PSG already seeing revenue from the Messi deal.

Like bitcoin and other digital currencies, fan tokens can be traded on exchanges. They also share in common with other cryptocurrencies a tendency for wild price swings, leading some regulators to issue warnings to investors about digital assets.

Still, several high profile business and entertainment figures have backed crypto assets, with Tesla boss Elon Musk, Twitter founder Jack Dorsey and rapper Jay-Z among those to have shown support for bitcoin.

PSG said there had been high volume of trading in its fan tokens after reports that Messi was set to join the club.

Trading volumes exceeded $1.2 billion in the days preceding the arrival of the six-times winner of the Ballon d'Or world's best soccer player award, it said.

"We have been able to engage with a new global audience, creating a significant digital revenue stream," said Marc Armstrong, PSG's chief partnerships officer.

NEW TREND

The price of PSG's fan token rallied this week on rumours of the Messi deal, with new sales generating around 30 million euros and PSG taking an unspecified majority of that amount - at least 15 million euros, a source with knowledge of the matter said. PSG declined to comment.

Fan tokens' price moves can have little connection to on-field performance or results.

PSG's token, which has a market capitalisation of about $52 million, soared over 130% in just five days amid speculation over Messi's arrival to an all-time high of over $60 on Tuesday. They were last down 10% at about $40, according to the CoinMarketCap website.

Alexandre Dreyfus, the CEO of Socios.com, said PSG was benefitting from its token and other clubs could imitate its deal with Messi.

"I believe this could be the start of a new trend as fan tokens and Socios.com play an increasingly prominent role across sport at the very highest level," he said.

PSG have hoovered up domestic titles since their deep-pocketed owners, Qatar Sports Investment, took over in 2011. But they have never won Europe's prestigious and lucrative Champions League. Messi has won it four times, most recently in 2015.

The arrival of Barcelona's record scorer, with 672 goals, will boost PSG's ambitions and is expected to increase revenues from commercial deals and merchandise sales.

Reuters

 

[Waleed93]

You call others clowns but seem to have reading issue.

Messi wouldnt or couldnt now achieve scoring the amount of goals he did in the La Liga. He regularly scored over 30 goals, Ronaldo has scored 50 in a season, even Forlan has 32 goals and Suarez 40. These are 38 games or less. PL record is 32 in a 38 game season. Only on 8 occasions 30+ goals have been scored in PL history. Being a great doesnt mean you can do the same everywhere. Its a simple accurate factual argument and anybody who knows about the game would accept this.

What you don't understand, or refuse to understand is the fact that players like Messi and Ronaldo are not Salahs or Vardys. If these guys who are below the level of a 34 years old Messi, then just imagine what a peak Messi would do in the PL.

Ronaldo holds the record for the best ever individual season in PL history, and the only one who can come close or beat that record is Messi.

Yes, the PL is more competitive than La Liga. However, you have to understand the simple fact that you are not talking about an average overhyped English player, you are doubting on the ability of a man who is universally known as one of the two GOATs of the game.

Yes, not every player is able to adapt himself to a different environment.....but Messi is definitely the last player you would have your doubts on.

 

[Waleed93]

Rumours are circulating about a possible Mbappé departure next season, which could give PSG the licence to go after Ronaldo, who would be a free agent in summer 2022.

Imagine, Messi and Ronaldo in the same team.

 

[Ahmad-GERMANFC]

Leicester had great players like Kante, Mahrez in the XI while the big teams were rebuilding.

You should have gone back further in history, LFC have won 6 Champions Leagues. Barca and Real of course have had great playres but they borrowed hundreds of millions and now you can see them falling apart.

Most Argentians see Maradonna being better than Messi, something which should be taken into account.

Barca borrowed in a period wherr they actually didn’t have much success in champions league.

Most of their UCL success came with acafemly players like Messi, Xavi, Busquets, Puyol, Pedro, iniesta

 

[Ahmad-GERMANFC]

Most Argentinians believe Messi is not even the best Argentinian player in history

Im a fan who actually goes to the stadium and plays the game.

Even if Messi played for Arsenal , they wouldnt win the Premier League. )

Again, go to matches, play footbal and you might understand the game.

If Argentinian fans think that then why is that factual lol? Your argument has no merit and putting in random smileys doesn’t make it stronger.

 

[Ahmad-GERMANFC]

Messi would score 30+ league goals even if plays for Arsenal, Spurs or Leicester. He has more individual talent and quality than any attacker in history.

Patrick Bamford scored 17 goals in the PL for Leeds last season, but somehow, Messi will not score more than 20 if he plays for the same team )

This is why PL fans have the reputation of being the most delusional fans in the world.

In 2019-20, Vardy scored 23, Aubameyang and Ings scored 22 for Leicester, Arsenal and Southampton respectively, but yes Messi, who is several galaxies above them in talent, skill and consistency, won’t.

Premier league fans, ladies and gentlemen.

Also Messi record against Premier League opponents is 26 goals and 7 assists in 34 games. These include games when he was a teenager

These are all Premier League big teams on big champions league games.

So somehow Messi can have such a good record against these teams and at the same time will struggle against Brighton, Aston villa, Crystal Palace and the like?

26 goals and 7 assists in an entire premier league season is a great record. Let alone when it’s 34 games ALL against the so called Big Six.

 

[Ahmad-GERMANFC]

Most Argentinians believe Messi is not even the best Argentinian player in history

Most Barcelona fans believe Maradona is not the greatest Barcelona player in history either. Or even top 5

So you’re Scoring an own goal with that logic..

 

[Mamoon]

What you don't understand, or refuse to understand is the fact that players like Messi and Ronaldo are not Salahs or Vardys. If these guys who are below the level of a 34 years old Messi, then just imagine what a peak Messi would do in the PL.

Ronaldo holds the record for the best ever individual season in PL history, and the only one who can come close or beat that record is Messi.

Yes, the PL is more competitive than La Liga. However, you have to understand the simple fact that you are not talking about an average overhyped English player, you are doubting on the ability of a man who is universally known as one of the two GOATs of the game.

Yes, not every player is able to adapt himself to a different environment.....but Messi is definitely the last player you would have your doubts on.

Messi and Ronaldo, in the twilights of their careers, are still the two best players in the world by a considerable margin.

They are undoubtedly the GOATs because such consistency has never been achieved before.

I bet they would remain the best for a few more years as long as the desire is there.

They are adaptable - Ronaldo is physically not the same Ronaldo he was 5-6 years ago, but he adapted and sustained his brilliance because of his incredible mentality and competitiveness.

Messi would remain the best player in the world even if you take out his pace and acceleration because of his insane talent.

Even a 34 year old Messi would destroy PL, but as you said, imagine what 2012 Messi, who scored 91 goals for club and country in a calendar year, would have done to the English game.

 

[Mamoon]

I don’t think football works like that, it’s not a video game as that’s what you are trying to make it sound like.

I doubt a 34 year old striker/winger can just walk into the premier league for the first time in the twilight of his career and score 30+ goals in the league lol. That’s why it is easy for you to make claims about Pakistani cricketers being rubbish in the IPL as well if they had the chance, because you know you can say whatever you want for however long as you want because we will never actually know the truth.

I say it again, unless Messi plays for Man City or Liverpool, he will not score more than 20 league goals in a season

Messi is not just a “34 year old striker/winger”. He is the greatest of all time. The most talented footballer to have ever graced the pitch.

He can walk into the PL today and he will still be head and shoulders above everyone else and will easily score 30+ goals, bagging the POTY as well.

You can repeat yourself as much as you want, doesn’t make it true.

 

[Mamoon]

Most Argentinians believe Messi is not even the best Argentinian player in history

Im a fan who actually goes to the stadium and plays the game.

Even if Messi played for Arsenal , they wouldnt win the Premier League. )

Again, go to matches, play footbal and you might understand the game.

Messi will not win the league with Arsenal, but he will take Arsenal very close to the top 4. He will win several points for Arsenal with his individual brilliance alone, and he will be the best individual player in the league.

Again, no answer for why Messi cannot score 50+ goals across competitions while playing in England when Salah managed 44 in 2017-18.

Most coaches, players, analysts etc. consider Messi to be the GOAT.

As far as Argentinian fans are concerned, Maradona has a special place in their hearts because of the World Cup. It is not about whether they consider Maradona to be a better individual player or not, but it is about the fact that Maradona did more for Argentina. There is a difference in that.

Besides, you don’t seem to have clue about what Messi means to the people of Argentina. He is worshipped and idolized.

The reaction of the fans and the players to the Copa America win said if all - they were not just happy that they won the trophy, they were actually happy for Messi because no player in history has deserved it more and suffered more.

Messi has been let down by his Argentinian teammates time and time again but they finally stood up for him.

You can play football in your streets or in your local parks or go to stadiums, but you don’t know anything about football just like you don’t know anything about cricket. Perhaps sports is not your cup of tea.

 

[Rana]

Most Argentinians believe Messi is not even the best Argentinian player in history

Im a fan who actually goes to the stadium and plays the game.

Even if Messi played for Arsenal , they wouldnt win the Premier League. )

Again, go to matches, play footbal and you might understand the game.

The person you are trying to convince is as clueless as they come, his knowledge of football is on par with the Uber drivers of london who all support Chelsea. Or the local boss man at the chicken shop who supports Manchester United.

I can’t believe he genuinely thinks that Messi will walk into the premier league, randomly sign up for Manchester United or Chelsea and then score 30+ goals in the league season hahhaha hahahahahahha

This isn’t la liga where 6-7 world class players can gang up on jobbers like sporting Gijon whilst smashing them 7-0 away from home. Mamoon tries his best to impress with his football knowledge by claiming to have an understanding of how all the leagues of the world function, but he isn’t invested in the premier league enough to understand how getting an away result against the mid-table sides is as tough as they come during the mid season. Players get injured around you, champions league or Europe takes its toll, no winter breaks etc.

 

[Ahmad-GERMANFC]

The person you are trying to convince is as clueless as they come, his knowledge of football is on par with the Uber drivers of london who all support Chelsea. Or the local boss man at the chicken shop who supports Manchester United.

I can’t believe he genuinely thinks that Messi will walk into the premier league, randomly sign up for Manchester United or Chelsea and then score 30+ goals in the league season hahhaha hahahahahahha

This isn’t la liga where 6-7 world class players can gang up on jobbers like sporting Gijon whilst smashing them 7-0 away from home. Mamoon tries his best to impress with his football knowledge by claiming to have an understanding of how all the leagues of the world function, but he isn’t invested in the premier league enough to understand how getting an away result against the mid-table sides is as tough as they come during the mid season. Players get injured around you, champions league or Europe takes its toll, no winter breaks etc.

Messi record against Premier League Top 6 is 26-27 goals in 34 appearances and has assists to go with it.

Are you saying that he can dominate Big 6 but will Struggle against Villa, Wolves and Crystal Palace?

Forget football knowledge. It seems you lack common sense.

 

[Rana]

Messi record against Premier League Top 6 is 26-27 goals in 34 appearances and has assists to go with it.

Are you saying that he can dominate Big 6 but will Struggle against Villa, Wolves and Crystal Palace?

Forget football knowledge. It seems you lack common sense.

Messi has that record spanning how many years and playing for who?

Come one man be realistic here! He is 34 now, Barca didn’t go out of their way to keep him this year and would have offloaded him this year or the next. He needs exactly that kind of set up the way he has at Barcelona, and the opposition quality of the premier league mid table-lower tier to be as mediocre as the teams in the Spanish league for him to replicate his peak performance numbers.

You have to be absolutely at the top of your game, peak condition to score 30+ league goals in the prem. no doubt Messi would have achieved this feat every year in his life from age 23-32 or get close to it, it is a big big stretch to assume he will just walk into a premier league season at 34 and score 30+ league goals with a club like Chelsea or Man United. He will need at least a month or two to acclimatise as well. This isn’t Spain for crying out load, it’s England, it is probably the most miserable country in Europe with its weather and conditions during the year

 

[Ahmad-GERMANFC]

Messi has that record spanning how many years and playing for who?

Come one man be realistic here! He is 34 now, Barca didn’t go out of their way to keep him this year and would have offloaded him this year or the next. He needs exactly that kind of set up the way he has at Barcelona, and the opposition quality of the premier league mid table-lower tier to be as mediocre as the teams in the Spanish league for him to replicate his peak performance numbers.

You have to be absolutely at the top of your game, peak condition to score 30+ league goals in the prem. no doubt Messi would have achieved this feat every year in his life from age 23-32 or get close to it, it is a big big stretch to assume he will just walk into a premier league season at 34 and score 30+ league goals with a club like Chelsea or Man United. He will need at least a month or two to acclimatise as well. This isn’t Spain for crying out load, it’s England, it is probably the most miserable country in Europe with its weather and conditions during the year

Couple of things: you are disrespecting Spanish league a lot. It’s no coincidence that Spanish teams do better in Europe over past decade whether it’s champions league or Europa league. So they’re no mugs

Secondly, most of these goals and performance where he made the best English teams look inadequate are actually within the last 3-4 years when he was post 30z

You may have a point about not being in his peak but even if at age of 34 I’m certain he will be among the best players in the league with ease even if he doesn’t hit 30. Though Atleast you agree that he would have absolutely torn everyone in PL to shreds at his peak. KKWC disputed that too lol.

Btw a 36 year old Thiago Silva came from the supposedly much inferior French league and was one of the of best defenders last season. Edinson Cavani also did well whenever he played. No reason why at 34 Messi can’t be among the best player.

 

[Waleed93]

Premier League fans live in a world of their own.

Yes, adapting to a new league is not everyone's cup of tea.

However, PL fans should first learn the difference between an overhyped PL player and a man who is on his way to a 7th Ballon d'Or.

Players like Salah even at their peak are several levels below a 34 years old Messi who has been carrying a dead Barcelona side since 2018. Put a Salah or a Vardy in this post 2017 Barca side or this Juventus side and he will not reach 15 goals per season.

Speaking about individual talent, Messi has no competition, be it in the past or right now. The only one who comes close to him in terms of natural ability is the great Maradona who himself carried a relegation level Napoli to European glory, mainly because of his unreal natural talent.
The most gifted football player of all time will not find it tough to score past Aston Villa and Crystal Palace farmers.

The PL is still the most competitive league in the world, but not by a huge margin like it was in the late 2000s. La Liga clubs have dominated Europe in the last decade, and Barcelona during the Guardiola era formed the greatest club team in football history, and their main man was none other than Lionel Messi. The man was the epicentre of the deadliest team in history, and yet, PL fans will dare to question his ability to dominate an overhyped league.

La Liga may have been a two horse race between Real and Barca, but it has always been a close fight between both teams, each represented by the two best players of all time.

On the other side, the last few PL seasons have been nothing but a borefest, with Liverpool and City ending the race in the first few games and ending almost 20 points clear of the 2nd best team. Talk about the toughest league in the world.

As Mamoon said earlier, players do not always adapt to a new team easily, unless they have the natural ability of Messi or Maradona, or the sheer determination and mentality of Ronaldo.

And as I said earlier, put a PL hero in these dead Barca/Juve teams, he won't survive 2 seasons, especially if he gets to face the same amount of unfair criticism and trolling Messi and Ronaldo get after a couple of goalless games.

There should not be any debate about their ability to adapt to any kind of environment. They have gone through everything in their 20 years old career and came out as champions everytime.

 

[Waleed93]

Premier League fans live in a world of their own.

Yes, adapting to a new league is not everyone's cup of tea.

However, PL fans should first learn the difference between an overhyped PL player and a man who is on his way to a 7th Ballon d'Or.

Players like Salah even at their peak are several levels below a 34 years old Messi who has been carrying a dead Barcelona side since 2018. Put a Salah or a Vardy in this post 2017 Barca side or this Juventus side and he will not reach 15 goals per season.

Speaking about individual talent, Messi has no competition, be it in the past or right now. The only one who comes close to him in terms of natural ability is the great Maradona who himself carried a relegation level Napoli to European glory, mainly because of his unreal natural talent.
The most gifted football player of all time will not find it tough to score past Aston Villa and Crystal Palace farmers.

The PL is still the most competitive league in the world, but not by a huge margin like it was in the late 2000s. La Liga clubs have dominated Europe in the last decade, and Barcelona during the Guardiola era formed the greatest club team in football history, and their main man was none other than Lionel Messi. The man was the epicentre of the deadliest team in history, and yet, PL fans will dare to question his ability to dominate an overhyped league.

La Liga may have been a two horse race between Real and Barca, but it has always been a close fight between both teams, each represented by the two best players of all time.

On the other side, the last few PL seasons have been nothing but a borefest, with Liverpool and City ending the race in the first few games and ending almost 20 points clear of the 2nd best team. Talk about the toughest league in the world.

As Mamoon said earlier, players do not always adapt to a new team easily, unless they have the natural ability of Messi or Maradona, or the sheer determination and mentality of Ronaldo.

And as I said earlier, put a PL hero in these dead Barca/Juve teams, he won't survive 2 seasons, especially if he gets to face the same amount of unfair criticism and trolling Messi and Ronaldo get after a couple of goalless games.

There should not be any debate about their ability to adapt to any kind of environment. They have gone through everything in their 20 years old career and came out as champions everytime.

[MENTION=131701]Mamoon[/MENTION]

 

[Mamoon]

Premier League fans live in a world of their own.

Yes, adapting to a new league is not everyone's cup of tea.

However, PL fans should first learn the difference between an overhyped PL player and a man who is on his way to a 7th Ballon d'Or.

Players like Salah even at their peak are several levels below a 34 years old Messi who has been carrying a dead Barcelona side since 2018. Put a Salah or a Vardy in this post 2017 Barca side or this Juventus side and he will not reach 15 goals per season.

Speaking about individual talent, Messi has no competition, be it in the past or right now. The only one who comes close to him in terms of natural ability is the great Maradona who himself carried a relegation level Napoli to European glory, mainly because of his unreal natural talent.
The most gifted football player of all time will not find it tough to score past Aston Villa and Crystal Palace farmers.

The PL is still the most competitive league in the world, but not by a huge margin like it was in the late 2000s. La Liga clubs have dominated Europe in the last decade, and Barcelona during the Guardiola era formed the greatest club team in football history, and their main man was none other than Lionel Messi. The man was the epicentre of the deadliest team in history, and yet, PL fans will dare to question his ability to dominate an overhyped league.

La Liga may have been a two horse race between Real and Barca, but it has always been a close fight between both teams, each represented by the two best players of all time.

On the other side, the last few PL seasons have been nothing but a borefest, with Liverpool and City ending the race in the first few games and ending almost 20 points clear of the 2nd best team. Talk about the toughest league in the world.

As Mamoon said earlier, players do not always adapt to a new team easily, unless they have the natural ability of Messi or Maradona, or the sheer determination and mentality of Ronaldo.

And as I said earlier, put a PL hero in these dead Barca/Juve teams, he won't survive 2 seasons, especially if he gets to face the same amount of unfair criticism and trolling Messi and Ronaldo get after a couple of goalless games.

There should not be any debate about their ability to adapt to any kind of environment. They have gone through everything in their 20 years old career and came out as champions everytime.

Couldn’t have said it better.

“Messi cannot score against English teams”

“Messi cannot perform for Argentina”

“Messi can not perform without Xavi and Iniesta”

Now, Messi can score against the top English teams, but he will struggle against the bottom-half and relegation sides.

Had he joined City, they would have dismissed him and said he joined the strongest English team and Pep. Maybe he should have proved himself with David Moyes’ West Ham…..

Imagine laughing at the prospect of Messi score 30+ league goals in the PL today, because clearly the best goal scorers in England today are apparently better than him.

Not only are PL fans in a world of their own, they don’t know anything about football.

 

[Technics 1210]

Messi has yet to prove he can adapt to a new team; he's been taken out of a 2 decade comfort zone from the only team he's ever played for. Time will tell.

Side point, Arsenal fans are PL fans too. A world of their own, as seen tonight. Getting whooped by Brentford. Messi should've signed for Arsenal. LOL.

 

[The_KING]

Couldn’t have said it better.

Not only are PL fans in a world of their own, they don’t know anything about football.

Bro, PL fans are the most deluded fans ever. They don't even watch other European league week in week out, yet they have the audacity to call those leagues farmers leagues. They brag about how physical the Premier League is and how fast faced it is, yet they don't realise that there is somethings in football called tactics, intelligence, technical ability. La Liga is way more technical than the premier League, as is every other top European league.

And Messi is the most talented player of all time, with great technical ability and very high footballing IQ. Imagine thinking Messi will struggle to score 40+ goals playing in the premier league, when mediocre technical player like Salah scored nearly 50 goals in one season for Liverpool.

The fact is that premier league has never had a player as great as Messi, so these premier league ******* will never appreciate him.

 

[The_KING]

Messi has yet to prove he can adapt to a new team; he's been taken out of a 2 decade comfort zone from the only team he's ever played for. Time will tell.

What about players like Gerrard, Scholes, Giggs who only played for one club? I don't hear people say the same thing about those players. Why is then Messi is criticised for being in his "comfort zone" at Barcelona? Because he played in La Liga and not the overrated Premier League.

 

[Technics 1210]

What about players like Gerrard, Scholes, Giggs who only played for one club? I don't hear people say the same thing about those players. Why is then Messi is criticised for being in his "comfort zone" at Barcelona? Because he played in La Liga and not the overrated Premier League.

You'd have a point if Gerrard, Scholes, and Giggs played for another club. They didn't. So false equivilence.

In contrast CR7 has proven he can play for any team and be successful. With Messi, time will tell.

 

[The_KING]

You'd have a point if Gerrard, Scholes, and Giggs played for another club. They didn't. So false equivilence.

In contrast CR7 has proven he can play for any team and be successful. With Messi, time will tell.

Why does Messi have to prove to anyone that he can perform in another league or country? He was at perfect club at Barcelona. He had no reason to leave.

 

[The_KING]

You'd have a point if Gerrard, Scholes, and Giggs played for another club. They didn't. So false equivilence.

In contrast CR7 has proven he can play for any team and be successful. With Messi, time will tell.

Why does Messi have to prove to anyone that he can perform in another league or country? He was at perfect club at Barcelona. He had no reason to leave.

 

[Technics 1210]

Why does Messi have to prove to anyone that he can perform in another league or country? He was at perfect club at Barcelona. He had no reason to leave.

Messi wanted to leave Barcelona remember? Then makes a U-turn. Barcelona dump him.

Messi isn't being criticised for his skills and talent, but if fans claim he is the best ever, he should be able to perform at any club; just like CR7 did with Man U, Real Madrid, and Juventus; 3 different leagues.

There's a reason why CR7 has scored the most number of goals in the UCL, EC, and is a goal away from scoring the most number of international goals by any player, including Messi.

 

[Technics 1210]

Messi does not need validation from a random, delusional fan to be considered the GOAT. His record and his 6 Ballon d’Ors (soon to be 7) proves that he is the GOAT.

You have no idea what you are talking about. Ballon d'Ors do not prove squat. Neither Pele nor Maradona won a Ballon d'Or, what's your point again?

By your logic Pele/Maradona shouldn't be considered in the list of greats. For your info, Ballon d'Ors were only ever awarded to players born in Europe (this racist criteria was changed in mid 90s). When you were in your nappies.

Argentinans will always love Maradona over Messi, not just because of the 86 WC, but because Maradona never bailed on his national side, unlike Messi who resigned from his national side cos he lost.

Maradona was and is the greatest not because of stats, trophies, medals, awards, but because the guy single handedly took Napoli from the dolddrums to champions of Italy and Europe. (86 simply cemented the fact he was the greatest). Something Messi cannot do because when he loses he either wants to leave the team, or blame his team mates.

You can make bold claims that Messi would score numerous goals in the PL, fact is, your claim will remain a hypothetical.

 

[Waleed93]

Messi wanted to leave Barcelona remember? Then makes a U-turn. Barcelona dump him.

Messi isn't being criticised for his skills and talent, but if fans claim he is the best ever, he should be able to perform at any club; just like CR7 did with Man U, Real Madrid, and Juventus; 3 different leagues.

There's a reason why CR7 has scored the most number of goals in the UCL, EC, and is a goal away from scoring the most number of international goals by any player, including Messi.

The only reason why Messi is criticised for being a one-club player is because his biggest rival has proved himself in 3 different leagues. If Ronaldo had spent his entire career at United or Madrid, these kind of critics would have never existed.

This is not a parameter to judge Messi's greatness. Both him and Ronaldo have achieved such an unprecedented level of football that their ability to dominate any club in any league can't be questioned anymore.

Maradona being the greatest ever to play for the Argentine NT is a fact, but that's the only aspect where he beats Messi.

As great as he was (3rd best ever in my opinion), Maradona never had Messi's level of domination at club level and the longevity as the world's best player for now 13 years, and more importantly, he is not showing signs of slowing down anytime soon, even at the age of 34.

Your last argument can be used against you as well, you can make bold claims that Messi would not score as many goals in the PL as he scored in La Liga, but your claim will remain a hypothetical.

 

[Technics 1210]

The only reason why Messi is criticised for being a one-club player is because his biggest rival has proved himself in 3 different leagues. If Ronaldo had spent his entire career at United or Madrid, these kind of critics would have never existed.

This is not a parameter to judge Messi's greatness. Both him and Ronaldo have achieved such an unprecedented level of football that their ability to dominate any club in any league can't be questioned anymore.

Maradona being the greatest ever to play for the Argentine NT is a fact, but that's the only aspect where he beats Messi.

As great as he was (3rd best ever in my opinion), Maradona never had Messi's level of domination at club level and the longevity as the world's best player for now 13 years, and more importantly, he is not showing signs of slowing down anytime soon, even at the age of 34.

Your last argument can be used against you as well, you can make bold claims that Messi would not score as many goals in the PL as he scored in La Liga, but your claim will remain a hypothetical.

Maradona's career would've been longer and succesful had it not been for his cocaine addiction. Fact. He was not surrounded by world class players at club or country level. Fact.

I never made the claim Messi would not score as many goals in the PL. Fact.

Talk facts not hypotheticals.

 

[Waleed93]

Maradona's career would've been longer and succesful had it not been for his cocaine addiction. Fact. He was not surrounded by world class players at club or country level. Fact.

I never made the claim Messi would not score as many goals in the PL. Fact.

Talk facts not hypotheticals.

Nonsense. Nobody forced him to become a drug addict. There are many such examples of "what if" in football, just to downgrade Messi and Ronaldo's achievements. The likes of R9 are perfect examples of such nonsense.

It is true that Messi was surrounded by world class players in the past, but he was heads and shoulders above any other player playing alongside him so it's not like he was carried by the likes of Xavi and Iniesta.

Moreover, he has been single handedly carrying this Barca side since Iniesta's retirement.

So if you didn't make any claim about Messi not dominating that overhyped PL, why even bother doubting on his ability to smash those PL teams.

 

[Technics 1210]

Nonsense. Nobody forced him to become a drug addict. There are many such examples of "what if" in football, just to downgrade Messi and Ronaldo's achievements. The likes of R9 are perfect examples of such nonsense.

It is true that Messi was surrounded by world class players in the past, but he was heads and shoulders above any other player playing alongside him so it's not like he was carried by the likes of Xavi and Iniesta.

Moreover, he has been single handedly carrying this Barca side since Iniesta's retirement.

So if you didn't make any claim about Messi not dominating that overhyped PL, why even bother doubting on his ability to smash those PL teams.

Maradona's cocaine addiction is not a what if, it's a fact. His cocaine addiction affected his career and this is well documented. You made a point that Messi has longevity, I am simply pointing out the fact why Maradona's career was shorter than expected. Not to mention Maradona was at a point the most fouled player on the planet. His broken ankle at Barcelona almost ended his career, but he fought on to become the greatest.

As for Messi, Messi was indeed surrounded by superstar players, but also played for a La Liga heavyweight who feasted on minnow bashing. La Liga is pretty much a 2 way horse race every season. In contrast Maradona signed up with Series A bottom of the barrel minnows and single handedly helped Napoli win the league twice, and twice runners up too, with the UEFA cup to top it off.

Messi joined a superstar line up at Barcelona, Maradona joined a bunch of serial losers. Huge difference.

Messi's ability and talent are not in question, but my point is simple, past performance is not an indication of future performance especially at a new club in a new country and especially for Messi where he's in the twilight of his career. Plus there are countless examples of where talented players have flopped at new teams/leagues.

You can call the PL overhyped, your boy Mamoon supports a PL team too, because deep down he like millions know the PL remains one of the most competitive leagues in Europe, and the English club track record since the inception of the PL, in UCL is evidence of this too.

As I have said a number of times, time will tell if Messi will be a success as PSG but Messi fan bois need to calm down a little with their ludicrous predictions.

Serious question, did you ever watch Maradona play? Not in highlight reels.

 

[Mamoon]

You have no idea what you are talking about. Ballon d'Ors do not prove squat. Neither Pele nor Maradona won a Ballon d'Or, what's your point again?

By your logic Pele/Maradona shouldn't be considered in the list of greats. For your info, Ballon d'Ors were only ever awarded to players born in Europe (this racist criteria was changed in mid 90s). When you were in your nappies.

Argentinans will always love Maradona over Messi, not just because of the 86 WC, but because Maradona never bailed on his national side, unlike Messi who resigned from his national side cos he lost.

Maradona was and is the greatest not because of stats, trophies, medals, awards, but because the guy single handedly took Napoli from the dolddrums to champions of Italy and Europe. (86 simply cemented the fact he was the greatest). Something Messi cannot do because when he loses he either wants to leave the team, or blame his team mates.

You can make bold claims that Messi would score numerous goals in the PL, fact is, your claim will remain a hypothetical.

Absolute nonsense as usual, but it is the norm for you so it is not a big deal.

Maradona and Pele did not win the Ballon d’Or because they were not ineligible. That is not the point.

The point is that Messi is a better individual player than Maradona and it is not even up for debate.

Better finisher? Messi

Better passer? Messi

Better dribbler? I would say they are equal

Better free-kick taker? Messi

Consistency and longevity? Messi

Pound for pound, at an individual level, Messi is basically a superior, juiced up version of Maradona.

However, Maradona was far ahead of Messi as a leader - there is no doubt he was more charismatic and had the capacity to lift everyone else around him like no one else did.

He had that quality when he was on the pitch, and it is a shame that he could not translate that into his coaching career where he was a complete disaster.

Messi’s, and for that matter Ronaldo’s Ballon D’Ors and their longevity in an era of level playing field simply proves that they are the two GOATs of football.

They have been the top dogs for over a decade and no one has been able to match them in consistency and dominance.

Anyone who disputes their status as the two GOATs is talking of his backside to put it nicely.

Between the two, my preference is Messi because although they are equal as goal-scorers, Messi’s play-making abilities are in a different universe.

You take all his goals out and you still have the greatest playmaker to have ever kicked a football, and this is why he is rightfully recognized as the most talented footballer of all time.

 

[Mamoon]

Maradona's cocaine addiction is not a what if, it's a fact. His cocaine addiction affected his career and this is well documented. You made a point that Messi has longevity, I am simply pointing out the fact why Maradona's career was shorter than expected. Not to mention Maradona was at a point the most fouled player on the planet. His broken ankle at Barcelona almost ended his career, but he fought on to become the greatest.

As for Messi, Messi was indeed surrounded by superstar players, but also played for a La Liga heavyweight who feasted on minnow bashing. La Liga is pretty much a 2 way horse race every season. In contrast Maradona signed up with Series A bottom of the barrel minnows and single handedly helped Napoli win the league twice, and twice runners up too, with the UEFA cup to top it off.

Messi joined a superstar line up at Barcelona, Maradona joined a bunch of serial losers. Huge difference.

Messi's ability and talent are not in question, but my point is simple, past performance is not an indication of future performance especially at a new club in a new country and especially for Messi where he's in the twilight of his career. Plus there are countless examples of where talented players have flopped at new teams/leagues.

You can call the PL overhyped, your boy Mamoon supports a PL team too, because deep down he like millions know the PL remains one of the most competitive leagues in Europe, and the English club track record since the inception of the PL, in UCL is evidence of this too.

As I have said a number of times, time will tell if Messi will be a success as PSG but Messi fan bois need to calm down a little with their ludicrous predictions.

Serious question, did you ever watch Maradona play? Not in highlight reels.

Atletico Madrid have won two league titles in the last 6-7 years and have made to UCL finals. They also dumped Liverpool out last season and would beat most PL teams (other than City and perhaps Chelsea at the moment) more often than not.

But you can’t expect a delusional PL fan to be educated on the quality of the other sides in La Liga. I bet you cannot even name 5 La Liga teams let alone their squads, because your world revolves around the PL.

The PL is fantastic and competitive, but it’s competitiveness is overstated and no, the “anyone can win the league” is a load of bull. It is a monopoly of 3-4 teams.

Outliers like Leicester do happen, but they also happen elsewhere. Lille won Ligue 1 last season in spite of PSG’s riches and Mbappe and Neymar, but don’t tell that to a PL fan.

PL has cashed out on the subcontinent market and that has been its greatest success. In terms of quality of football, it has always been overhyped by its deluded fans who don’t know anything about football beyond PL and don’t even bother to watch the matches.

Case in point, your inference that La Liga is just a two horse race because you were simply ignorance about how good Atletico is and what they have achieved over the last few years.

Nevertheless, it is never to late to be educated. At least you learned something from this discourse.

 

[Technics 1210]

Absolute nonsense as usual, but it is the norm for you so it is not a big deal.

Maradona and Pele did not win the Ballon d’Or because they were not ineligible. That is not the point.

The point is that Messi is a better individual player than Maradona and it is not even up for debate.

Better finisher? Messi

Better passer? Messi

Better dribbler? I would say they are equal

Better free-kick taker? Messi

Consistency and longevity? Messi

Pound for pound, at an individual level, Messi is basically a superior, juiced up version of Maradona.

However, Maradona was far ahead of Messi as a leader - there is no doubt he was more charismatic and had the capacity to lift everyone else around him like no one else did.

He had that quality when he was on the pitch, and it is a shame that he could not translate that into his coaching career where he was a complete disaster.

Messi’s, and for that matter Ronaldo’s Ballon D’Ors and their longevity in an era of level playing field simply proves that they are the two GOATs of football.

They have been the top dogs for over a decade and no one has been able to match them in consistency and dominance.

Anyone who disputes their status as the two GOATs is talking of his backside to put it nicely.

Between the two, my preference is Messi because although they are equal as goal-scorers, Messi’s play-making abilities are in a different universe.

You take all his goals out and you still have the greatest playmaker to have ever kicked a football, and this is why he is rightfully recognized as the most talented footballer of all time.

Being great is not just about medals/stats. Pity you never witnessed Maradona play. As for Ballon Ds, I was highlighting the flaw in your argument that Messi is the greatest cos he has 6, with a possible 7. You always play catch up on facts.

However thank you for this wonderful insight from 'I support Arsenal but PL is overated'.

Put your money where your mouth is, How many goals do you think Messi will score in L1 this season?

 

[Technics 1210]

Atletico Madrid have won two league titles in the last 6-7 years and have made to UCL finals. They also dumped Liverpool out last season and would beat most PL teams (other than City and perhaps Chelsea at the moment) more often than not.

But you can’t expect a delusional PL fan to be educated on the quality of the other sides in La Liga. I bet you cannot even name 5 La Liga teams let alone their squads, because your world revolves around the PL.

The PL is fantastic and competitive, but it’s competitiveness is overstated and no, the “anyone can win the league” is a load of bull. It is a monopoly of 3-4 teams.

Outliers like Leicester do happen, but they also happen elsewhere. Lille won Ligue 1 last season in spite of PSG’s riches and Mbappe and Neymar, but don’t tell that to a PL fan.

PL has cashed out on the subcontinent market and that has been its greatest success. In terms of quality of football, it has always been overhyped by its deluded fans who don’t know anything about football beyond PL and don’t even bother to watch the matches.

Case in point, your inference that La Liga is just a two horse race because you were simply ignorance about how good Atletico is and what they have achieved over the last few years.

Nevertheless, it is never to late to be educated. At least you learned something from this discourse.

You support Arsenal and call me a delusional PL fan?

I support my local team Brentford, season ticket holder, and yesterday must have burned. What's your reason for supporting Arsenal? Cos your mates do? Or that the PL is one of the greatest leagues in the world?

You never witnessed Maradona play, save your melodramatic meltdowns and stop talking from highlight reels.

I bet you've never been to an Arsenal game in your life.

 

[Mamoon]

You support Arsenal and call me a delusional PL fan?

I support my local team Brentford, season ticket holder, and yesterday must have burned. What's your reason for supporting Arsenal? Cos your mates do? Or that the PL is one of the greatest leagues in the world?

You never witnessed Maradona play, save your melodramatic meltdowns and stop talking from highlight reels.

I support Arsenal but it does not mean I don’t watch football beyond PL.

The reason why I support Arsenal was because my cousins are season ticket holders and that is when I took an interest in the club.

That interest evolved into support. For me, football exists out of Arsenal and PL.

I keep tabs on all the major leagues and if I have time I watch their matches as well. If more PL fans do the same, they would learn to appreciate the quality in other leagues as well and would be able to avoid making embarrassment statements like the one that you made regarding La Liga, and I bet you didn’t have a clue that PSG did not win the league last season.

Watch football outside PL, learn and educate yourself.

 

[Technics 1210]

I support Arsenal but it does not mean I don’t watch football beyond PL.

The reason why I support Arsenal was because my cousins are season ticket holders and that is when I took an interest in the club.

That interest evolved into support. For me, football exists out of Arsenal and PL.

I keep tabs on all the major leagues and if I have time I watch their matches as well. If more PL fans do the same, they would learn to appreciate the quality in other leagues as well and would be able to avoid making embarrassment statements like the one that you made regarding La Liga, and I bet you didn’t have a clue that PSG did not win the league last season.

Watch football outside PL, learn and educate yourself.

Please save the essays.

You keep tabs on all leagues. Well done. Fact is you never seen Maradona play and you talk as if you were born in the 70s following footy.

Now one more time, how many goals do you think Messi will score in his 1st season in L1?

 

[Waleed93]

Maradona's cocaine addiction is not a what if, it's a fact. His cocaine addiction affected his career and this is well documented. You made a point that Messi has longevity, I am simply pointing out the fact why Maradona's career was shorter than expected. Not to mention Maradona was at a point the most fouled player on the planet. His broken ankle at Barcelona almost ended his career, but he fought on to become the greatest.

As for Messi, Messi was indeed surrounded by superstar players, but also played for a La Liga heavyweight who feasted on minnow bashing. La Liga is pretty much a 2 way horse race every season. In contrast Maradona signed up with Series A bottom of the barrel minnows and single handedly helped Napoli win the league twice, and twice runners up too, with the UEFA cup to top it off.

Messi joined a superstar line up at Barcelona, Maradona joined a bunch of serial losers. Huge difference.

Messi's ability and talent are not in question, but my point is simple, past performance is not an indication of future performance especially at a new club in a new country and especially for Messi where he's in the twilight of his career. Plus there are countless examples of where talented players have flopped at new teams/leagues.

You can call the PL overhyped, your boy Mamoon supports a PL team too, because deep down he like millions know the PL remains one of the most competitive leagues in Europe, and the English club track record since the inception of the PL, in UCL is evidence of this too.

As I have said a number of times, time will tell if Messi will be a success as PSG but Messi fan bois need to calm down a little with their ludicrous predictions.

Serious question, did you ever watch Maradona play? Not in highlight reels.

Maradona's addiction is a fact, but the fact that he would have been a better player than Messi is a "what if", as if he would have achieved more than Messi without his drug addiction.

Yes, Maradona was once the most fouled player in the world, but so was Messi throughout the 2010s. I am a Real Madrid fan and I saw Ramos, Pepe and Casemiro literally kicking him and trying to injure him out of the game.

Injuries happen to every great player. Maradona was not an exception. Ronaldo suffered a potential career ending knee injury in 2014, and instead of giving up, he reinvented himself and became a more lethal goalscorer. However, his playmaking and freekick taking abilities decreased over the years because of the injury.

La Liga clubs have dominated Europe in the last decade, be it the UCL or the UEL. Calling it a 2-horse race is downplaying Atletico Madrid who reached more UCL semi finals and finals than any PL side in the last 10 years. It looked like a two horse race because of Messi and Ronaldo's insane goalscoring performances.

Maradona's achievements with Napoli can't be questioned, but you don't need to undermine Messi's achievements with Barcelona to elevate Maradona. Messi has won more Ballon d'Ors and golden boots than anyone else in history, and his other achievements tower above Maradona's major feats (WC 1986, Napoli stint).

Mamoon can support any club he wants. I support Real Madrid since forever and that's all what matters to me. What UCL record are you talking about ? The PL record for the most UCLs titles is held by Liverpool, and they are 7 UCLs behind Madrid. Barcelona have won more UCLs than any PL side in the 21st century. Bayern and Milan have a better record than any PL club. LOL at overhyping the PL record in the Champions League.

Yes, I have seen Maradona play live. I remember him very well and I still watch his videos. The 2nd most talented footballer ever (behind Messi), and the 3rd best player of all time.

 

[Technics 1210]

Pigeon holing European club performances in UCL last 10 years but not brave enough to acknowledge the success of English clubs in UCL since the inception of PL.

On top of this, Messi fan bois are quick to make claims on how many goals Messi would score in the PL, but struggle to predict how many goals Messi would score in his 1st season playing L1.

Don't believe the hype folks. The only thing overated here is Mamoon and his sidekick's knowledge and understanding of football.

Make the predicition if you can, otherwise move on, and enjoy the PL!