Muhammad10
T20I Debutant
- Joined
- Jul 7, 2013
- Runs
- 6,284
Messi out of his comfort zone - and we can see what he is capable of. Point to ponder.
He was their only real attacking force out there. Do you want him to play in defence also?

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Messi out of his comfort zone - and we can see what he is capable of. Point to ponder.
He was their only real attacking force out there. Do you want him to play in defence also?![]()
No, Barca needed 1 goal in 90 minutes - that would have covered for 4 goals. Life is difficult bro, when you have to play outside a better version of Scottish league, where for 36 games, you play will 11 players and 3 guards.
No credit taken away from Messi, one of the greatest Club footballers ever; but his resume will always be incomplete for a reason.
What was your excuse when he destroyed this same Liverpool side just one match ago? So three goals including a stunning free kick are not enough because Liverpool destroy his team's defence, yet it's somehow the only real performer in the team's fault. How many times in recent years have Real Madrid or Juventus bottled a three-goal lead?
I am not saying it's his fault, but in double league cup ties, that defense excuse doesn't work. I can explain how & why, but today isn't the time - Soccer Gods will curse Liverpool fans.
And, please for once accept that, he hasn't won anything out side that Barca team in Spain and in Europe without that golden generation. And, nothing for Argentina as well ..... no comparison, but when someone wins Leagues in Portugal, England, Spain & Italy + an EURO, his fans will poke at Messi and Messi's fans (I myself one) will have to keep low profile.
I am not saying it's his fault, but in double league cup ties, that defense excuse doesn't work. I can explain how & why, but today isn't the time - Soccer Gods will curse Liverpool fans.
And, please for once accept that, he hasn't won anything out side that Barca team in Spain and in Europe without that golden generation. And, nothing for Argentina as well ..... no comparison, but when someone wins Leagues in Portugal, England, Spain & Italy + an EURO, his fans will poke at Messi and Messi's fans (I myself one) will have to keep low profile.
If he would flop outside LaLiga, especially in the "toughest" Premier League, why has he battered English clubs like ragdolls in the UCL throughout his career?
Not throughout his career to be honest....
EPL is toughest league because you don't get soft games here, you don't get backing from referees here and you don't get winter break here. Add to that only in ENG they play 3 domestic tournaments ... and the ground condition is easily worse than Spain or Italy.
He is a brilliant ball player and on head to heads with that Barca generation around him dominated EPL clubs. Make him play every week twice against Sam Alardyce, Toni Pulis and Steve Bruce's clubs without the referees protecting his sheen, by 2nd half or 2nd season you would have seen his ball play in EPL.
I don't understand I myself being a Barca fan, had to explain it so many times that Spain is the best place for ball players and Messi is among the best ever ball players - he is the ultimate player for Spain, but EPL is a different place where he never played. Would he been successful in EPL - definitely; but at a major cost - I don't see him surviving more that 25 games in an EPL season.
Bro, stick to cricket, you are just spouting rubbish here I am afraid. This play in EPL and show what you are made of is just ‘bahana’ trying to down grade players who has not played in EPL. Messi has treated english clubs like kindergarden kids. To show his greatness he doesn’t need to suffer through 40+ EPL matches year in year out. That is not how it works. You take the best teams in Eng and play against him and he seems to be at another level. Let the players who play like David Batty, Winnie Jones, Tony Adams etc show their muscles in England.
There was never much of a doubt. Klopp is just hot air. Congratulations on another trophy-less season with the most expensive GK, CB, Salah and Mane.
He was their only real attacking force out there. Do you want him to play in defence also?![]()
There is nobody more desperate than me for a Barca win here, but I have my doubts about Messi grabbing this by the ***** and getting it done.
I will be thrilled if he does it, but he hasn't done it in the CL against a big club for 3 years.
There was never much of a doubt. Klopp is just hot air. Congratulations on another trophy-less season with the most expensive GK, CB, Salah and Mane.
Never doubt the GOAT. This game was invented for Messi. The Prince that was Promised.
Liverpool desperately unfortunate.
Was all about superior finishing
not throughout his career to be honest....
Epl is toughest league because you don't get soft games here.
Gap between 2nd placed liverpool and 3rd placed chelsea is 23 points, lol at toughest league.
He is a brilliant ball player and on head to heads with that barca generation around him dominated epl clubs.
He has dominated epl clubs in this ucl without golden barca generation. Scoring 6 goals against spurs,man utd and liverpool.
I don't buy the argument that Messi would find it tough in the prem. Look at his record vs Premier league clubs. Then you have to think that somebody like Hazard, whose game is based on dribbling, has succeed in Prem. Messi would have no problems.
He is a brilliant ball player and on head to heads with that Barca generation around him dominated EPL clubs. Make him play every week twice against Sam Alardyce, Toni Pulis and Steve Bruce's clubs without the referees protecting his sheen, by 2nd half or 2nd season you would have seen his ball play in EPL.
.
Very poor behaviour on that winning goal from Liverpool, very unsporting. They should have at least given Barcelona a warning before taking that corner when they weren't looking.
[/SPOILER]
We are Liverpool️
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As usual, knives are out for Messi. What more do you expect him to do?
He did the job at home and setup Dembele for a tap-in who messed it up to make it 4-0.
Last night, he was the only attacking threat but Coutinho and Suarez missed chances.
At times, you have to give credit to the opposition and not criticize players. Liverpool played the game of their lives and played with unbelievable heart and soul.
You could have put together the greatest XI of all time and they would have devoured them.
Messi is the GOAT and it is not up for debate.
Fact of the matter is in big games when his team needs him to step up he drops into midfield to create chances instead of play where he normally does. Unlike a certain Portuguese fella who steps up clutch and takes his team to trophies.
Lionel Messi broke down in tears in Barcelona’s Anfield dressing room
Lionel Messi broke down in tears after his dream of winning the Champions League for a fifth time with Barcelona collapsed against Liverpool.
The Argentina international was inconsolable in the Barcelona dressing room following the 4-0 defeat at Anfield, where the Spanish champions were on the receiving end of an incredible comeback in Europe for the second season running, having won the first leg 3-0 at the Camp Nou. Last season in the quarter-finals Barça beat Roma 4-1 at home but collapsed in the away leg to lose 3-0 in Rome and go out on away goals.
Messi was then selected for a drugs test by anti-doping officials and the team coach departed for Liverpool John Lennon Airport without him as a consequence.
Reports in the Spanish media have claimed that, on his eventual arrival at the airport, Messi was involved in an angry confrontation with a group of Barcelona supporters furious at their team’s latest collapse in the Champions League.
Barcelona’s president, Josep Bartomeu, described the defeat as a “disastrous night” for the club and the manager, Ernesto Valverde, accepted questions would be asked of his future following another European failure.
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2019/may/08/lionel-messi-tears-barcelona-liverpool-anfield
I knew you are joking, but if a Spanish or Italian team had done something similar against an English club, you would hear again and again about the unsportsmanlike behavior
I agree Messi is the GOAT but who should get the ballon d'or? Lets assume hypothetically Liverpool go on to win the UCL and Man City win the title, who wins the award if you had to pick a winner today?
Congratulations. In all honestly, I am actually really happy for every Liverpool fan. This cannot be put into words, and you have to be a Liverpool fan to truly experience what happened last night.
Thanks.
I really wanted to be at Anfield but Ramadan has started. If you ever get the chance to watch a game of football at Anfield take the chance. It's not a fortress only because Liverpool are a good team but the atmosphere is second to none.
I always felt we have a chance to pull this off if we can go into half time with 1 or 2 goals up. The opposition team esp a Spanish team will not have faced such noise and it did get to them.
Ajax or Spurs will not be easy but it will be very dissapointing if we dont bring the cup home this year.
Watching at Anfield must be a riveting experience. Thankfully the plans of moving to Stanley Park have been ditched - it is not possible to recreate the atmosphere and emotions of Anfield in a new stadium.
Should have seen the old standing Kop - the atmosphere at Anfield was even more intimidating for the opposition seeing this wall of humanity.
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XNboU_PbZMY" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Anfield has an aura that can't be replicated elsewhere, thanks to countless memorable European nights - Inter 1965, St Etienne 1977, Auxerre 1992, Juventus, Olympiakos and Chelsea 2005, Arsenal 2008 etc. Some fans are so fanatical they've requested their ashes to be scattered on the Anfield turf after they die. If football is a religion on Merseyside, Anfield is the church.
If Liverpool win the final, Salah might get the nod over Messi.
I think Van Dijk is probably more deserving than Salah. Salah has had a pretty good season but hasn't been great like he was last year.
Fact of the matter is in big games when his team needs him to step up he drops into midfield to create chances instead of play where he normally does. Unlike a certain Portuguese fella who steps up clutch and takes his team to trophies.
Messi has scored in champions league semi finals and finals LOL. How is that not stepping up?
No one has had more CL knockout goals than CR7 since 2011. This was the first season where he didn't have the most. Messi struggled in the World cup 2014 knockout stages, failed world cup 2010, failed copa america, failed UCL past 2 years and countless other times.
This thread aged beautifully- now It can go back to it's origin with Messi winning his 6th BdO for winning the ultimate trophy in a two horse race - that too one horse limping.
Ronaldo has failed at most international tournaments as well. But let's not talk about that.
Which tournament? Ronaldo has an international trophy, Messi doesnt? Messi flopped back to back Copa America finals in 2015/16. Ronaldo has outscored Messi in the 2010 world cup and the 2018 world cup.
No, Barca needed 1 goal in 90 minutes - that would have covered for 4 goals. Life is difficult bro, when you have to play outside a better version of Scottish league, where for 36 games, you play will 11 players and 3 guards.
No credit taken away from Messi, one of the greatest Club footballers ever; but his resume will always be incomplete for a reason.
To all of you above - you have answered your question for me - thanks.
If you carefully notice the logos in post No. 145, you'll see dominance of couple of logos with a rare appearance of few others - that's the key. That league is owned by two clubs, who is backed by most Spanish people, their Govt., La Liga it self and partially UEFA as well. When two clubs often make the league academic by 25th game of the season, it'll be definitely easier for top 3-4 of their clubs in Europe, because their status co is set - each one is holding on to own spot.
I give another clue - in European soccer, 5 English clubs have won CL - LFC, MU, CFC, NForest & Aston Villa ... on top of that Arsenal, Leeds & Spurs have made the Final. And, around 6 (?) more clubs have won any European trophy - that indicates the competition level there.
Don't get me wrong here - English football and English club soccer is totally different. At a time when 7-8 teams from Europe used to qualify for WC, British Isles used to have 3-4 teams qualifying - that's almost half!!! In 1958 WC, out of 7 European qualifiers, 4 were British - ENG, Wales, Scotland & NI. Even as late as 1988, out of 7 qualifiers of EURO, 3 were from British Isles - ENG, SCT & Ireland, while NI & Wales missed by a whisker. What does it tell? It tells the high quality of domestic talents that British Isles had those days - AND these entire bunch played their almost entire career in English League. One can hardly name any top British player playing outside English League, but lots of foreigners played there - combined both talent, that league had always been among top, with fierce competition among several clubs. That Liverpool & Everton team of 1980s (Liverpool & Leeds/Derby County/NForrest of 1970s) were almost entirely built on British based players.
Today, Scotland, NI, IRL & Wales are soccer minnows, therefore that domestic supplies are not there, and a major source of global talent comes from Latin America, who'll always prefer Spain & Italy for language & weather - add to that the ban on English clubs for over half a decade combined to create a hollow in English club soccer in different times - that Liverpool squad of mid 80s would have won at least couple more CL had they been playing that time, or that Bersby's MU side that was lost for Munich disaster would have slashed Reals dominance in 1960s. In 2000s as well, there were 3 CL SFinalist at least twice - EPL lost some of the greatest managers in last 10-12 years, which has hampered their overall performance, but I am sure it'll recover and dominate Europe for next decade & two, as surprisingly now the domestic resources are probably highest in many years.
I have written few times that despite their prodigious talent, Spain is an under achiever in International soccer - because their entire focus is behind 2 clubs (politically as well). In Spain, they don't auction TV rights for La Liga, rather it's sold club by club in a revenue share model (with Spanish FA) means Real & Barca has more bucket than rest 18!!! Last year, Barca showed E12mn (? don't catch me for few mn, can't search now) before tax profit after earning almost 3 quarter Bn revenue - this is a pure manipulation to reduce tax burden and Spanish Govt., their FA is happy about that. In past, their Govt. randomly allowed foreigners Spanish citizenship, so that they can by pass UEFA quota of foreigners and play top stars as local - Puscas, Kubala, De Stefano, Martinez, Santamaria, Hector Rial ..... these players had decades long career for Real/Barca under Spanish passport. When a Government is behind 2 clubs, it's impossible to compete with them and Spanish people are quite happy with that. In their history, only two times a Spanish team could dominate global soccer was when the Manager picked 8-9 of his starters from one club - Real generation of 1960s and Barca generation of recent times - because for these players (& their people), nothing more comes than the club - it does make it easy for them to compete with Clubs from other countries.
In last 2 decades, the greatest achievements by a Spanish club to me are - Rafa's Valencia winning 2 La Liga and Simione's Athletico winning one La Liga. And, both lost to the Mafia in CL Final later.
To all of you above - you have answered your question for me - thanks.
If you carefully notice the logos in post No. 145, you'll see dominance of couple of logos with a rare appearance of few others - that's the key. That league is owned by two clubs, who is backed by most Spanish people, their Govt., La Liga it self and partially UEFA as well. When two clubs often make the league academic by 25th game of the season, it'll be definitely easier for top 3-4 of their clubs in Europe, because their status co is set - each one is holding on to own spot.
I give another clue - in European soccer, 5 English clubs have won CL - LFC, MU, CFC, NForest & Aston Villa ... on top of that Arsenal, Leeds & Spurs have made the Final. And, around 6 (?) more clubs have won any European trophy - that indicates the competition level there.
Don't get me wrong here - English football and English club soccer is totally different. At a time when 7-8 teams from Europe used to qualify for WC, British Isles used to have 3-4 teams qualifying - that's almost half!!! In 1958 WC, out of 7 European qualifiers, 4 were British - ENG, Wales, Scotland & NI. Even as late as 1988, out of 7 qualifiers of EURO, 3 were from British Isles - ENG, SCT & Ireland, while NI & Wales missed by a whisker. What does it tell? It tells the high quality of domestic talents that British Isles had those days - AND these entire bunch played their almost entire career in English League. One can hardly name any top British player playing outside English League, but lots of foreigners played there - combined both talent, that league had always been among top, with fierce competition among several clubs. That Liverpool & Everton team of 1980s (Liverpool & Leeds/Derby County/NForrest of 1970s) were almost entirely built on British based players.
Today, Scotland, NI, IRL & Wales are soccer minnows, therefore that domestic supplies are not there, and a major source of global talent comes from Latin America, who'll always prefer Spain & Italy for language & weather - add to that the ban on English clubs for over half a decade combined to create a hollow in English club soccer in different times - that Liverpool squad of mid 80s would have won at least couple more CL had they been playing that time, or that Bersby's MU side that was lost for Munich disaster would have slashed Reals dominance in 1960s. In 2000s as well, there were 3 CL SFinalist at least twice - EPL lost some of the greatest managers in last 10-12 years, which has hampered their overall performance, but I am sure it'll recover and dominate Europe for next decade & two, as surprisingly now the domestic resources are probably highest in many years.
I have written few times that despite their prodigious talent, Spain is an under achiever in International soccer - because their entire focus is behind 2 clubs (politically as well). In Spain, they don't auction TV rights for La Liga, rather it's sold club by club in a revenue share model (with Spanish FA) means Real & Barca has more bucket than rest 18!!! Last year, Barca showed E12mn (? don't catch me for few mn, can't search now) before tax profit after earning almost 3 quarter Bn revenue - this is a pure manipulation to reduce tax burden and Spanish Govt., their FA is happy about that. In past, their Govt. randomly allowed foreigners Spanish citizenship, so that they can by pass UEFA quota of foreigners and play top stars as local - Puscas, Kubala, De Stefano, Martinez, Santamaria, Hector Rial ..... these players had decades long career for Real/Barca under Spanish passport. When a Government is behind 2 clubs, it's impossible to compete with them and Spanish people are quite happy with that. In their history, only two times a Spanish team could dominate global soccer was when the Manager picked 8-9 of his starters from one club - Real generation of 1960s and Barca generation of recent times - because for these players (& their people), nothing more comes than the club - it does make it easy for them to compete with Clubs from other countries.
In last 2 decades, the greatest achievements by a Spanish club to me are - Rafa's Valencia winning 2 La Liga and Simione's Athletico winning one La Liga. And, both lost to the Mafia in CL Final later.