FC Barcelona Discussion

[SirBalon]

1 minute ago, Spike said:

I must say that Quique got the last laugh with that book remark. 

He did indeed...  But then again Quique Sánchez-Flores knows Luis Enrique very well and he'll know that part of his oddness is not giving a damn what others say and he doesn't seem to care about a situation others would see as losing face.  He is a very very strange character...  Seems to be pissed off all the time.

[SirBalon]

5th season with more than 50 goals

 

Lionel Messi isn't has never been a striker, has never been a real winger or a midfielder by nature. To understand the 'Messi phenomenon' we should embrace the fact that wherever he's played (all three positions) he's been the best in each of those positions.  The best 9 (although it was a false 9 position he played with Guardiola), the best winger and the best attacking midfielder.

Only then can we begin to comprehend the incredible goalscoring numbers he's achieved without having ever played as a natural number 9.  In 5 of the last 7 campaigns he hasn't come down from 50 goals a season and it's been 8 years scoring 38 or more goals a season in all competitions.

His greatest goalscoring feat to date was the 73 goals Lionel Messi scored in a football season in 2011 where he also raised the table on the La Liga season goalscoring charts to 50 goals...  Infact in a natural year in 2011 he scored a world record 91 goals surpassing the previous record owned by the German Gerd Müller on 86.

Natural strikers of the ilk of Samuel Eto'o, Zlatan Ibrahimović, David Villa and Luis Suárez have been at the club without surpassing Messi's contribution and consistency in scoring goals.  Only Luis Suárez last season managed to outscore the little Argentine in La Liga but Messi still finished the season with 41 goals in all competitions and decided to play more in midfield as he has done this year although at the moment standing on 51 goals for the season and on 35 La Liga goals leading in Spain and in Europe overall.

It's interesting that a natural goalscoring machine like Cristiano Ronaldo for example is in the reckoning when Messi lives off an overall terrain on the pitch from the halfway line upwards.  Only being able to play defensively would unite him with the greatest all round player in history which was Alfredo di Stéfano...  Maybe one day Messi will even play there because Luis Enrique said last season that he could see Messi excelling in those areas too.

There are still three official games for Messi remaining this season with he two in La Liga and the Copa del Rey Final.  Let's see what he surprises us with.

[True Blue]

70% against Granada and the others team in La Liga who serve for Real and Barcelona to score 100+ per season.

[SirBalon]

26 minutes ago, True Blue said:

70% against Granada and the others team in La Liga who serve for Real and Barcelona to score 100+ per season.

hahaha

He's got a pretty decent record against Real Madrid and many other clubs around Europe mate.

I think you're thinking about someone else...  Barça don't tend to face you Malmö's of this world everyday. 

[Spike]

Messi is an anomaly; on a glance he is the most exciting player of all time... but on continued examination something is so common cannot be exciting! 

[Spike]

Nobody says 'Well, I didn't see that Messi goal coming'.

[Cicero]

6 minutes ago, Spike said:

Nobody says 'Well, I didn't see that Messi goal coming'.

If it were against us most definitely. 

[Spike]

Just now, Cicero said:

If it were against us most definitely. 

Especially since neither are in the Champions League 

Edited May 8, 2017 by Spike

[SirBalon]

Messi, Son & Co.

 

It's not news but it is a curiosity on professional colleagues where Lionel Messi is concerned.  The Argentine Barça player posted on his Instagram account some of his collection of shirts over the years and amongst them we can see players like;

• Francesco Totti
• Iker Casillas
• Raúl
• Thierry Henry
• Deco
• Sergio "Kun" Agüero
• David Luiz
• Yaya Touré
• Gerard Piqué
• Dani Alves
• Pablito Aimar
• Luis Suárez
• Ezequiel Lavezzi
• Cesc Fàbregas
• Manuel Lanzini

And many more that the camera doesn't catch amongst others...

 

Edited May 9, 2017 by SirBalon

[Spike]

You forogt Lanzini, you fool.

[SirBalon]

13 minutes ago, Spike said:

You forogt Lanzini, you fool.

I didn't write many that are there... Didn't know you were a Lanzini fanboy. 

Added him anyway...  Just for you! 

Edited May 9, 2017 by SirBalon

[Spike]

19 minutes ago, SirBalon said:

I didn't write many that are there... Didn't know you were a Lanzini fanboy. 

Added him anyway...  Just for you! 

Aww, you shouldn't have. Well he did poke home that goal against Spurs...

[SirBalon]

1 minute ago, Spike said:

Well he did poke home that goal against Spurs...

Anyone that does something like that should be headlining everywhere and anywhere, even a Barcelona thread. 

[Spike]

Just now, SirBalon said:

Anyone that does something like that should be headlining everywhere and anywhere, even a Barcelona thread. 

I imagine it's why Messi has a signed Lanzini shirt hanging next to his own.

[SirBalon]

Just now, Spike said:

I imagine it's why Messi has a signed Lanzini shirt hanging next to his own.

It's the reason I love Messi so much...  Anything anti-Spurs is good with me. hahaha

[Cicero]

Played against us 8 times and no shirt swaps? Not that many happy endings I suppose...

[SirBalon]

Just now, Cicero said:

Played against us 8 times and no shirt swaps? Not that many happy endings I suppose...

I would expect they're there because the picture is only of that section.

[SirBalon]

What I'm wondering from the ones you can see is that on the top righthand corner there seems to be a Sergio Ramos Sevilla shirt if I'm not mistaken and that's a rarity! 

[Cicero]

1 minute ago, SirBalon said:

What I'm wondering from the ones you can see is that on the top righthand corner there seems to be a Sergio Ramos Sevilla shirt if I'm not mistaken and that's a rarity! 

Imagine if there were a Marcelo shirt 

[SirBalon]

5 minutes ago, Cicero said:

Imagine if there were a Marcelo shirt 

It'd have a couple of teeth stuck to it. 

[Spike]

Chelsea v Barcelona is one of my favourite international rivalries. Even if the fans don't feel it the players certainly have in the past decade.

[The Artful Dodger]

10 hours ago, SirBalon said:

Messi, Son & Co.

 

It's not news but it is a curiosity on professional colleagues where Lionel Messi is concerned.  The Argentine Barça player posted on his Instagram account some of his collection of shirts over the years and amongst them we can see players like;

• Francesco Totti
• Iker Casillas
• Raúl
• Thierry Henry
• Deco
• Sergio "Kun" Agüero
• David Luiz
• Yaya Touré
• Gerard Piqué
• Dani Alves
• Pablito Aimar
• Ezequiel Lavezzi
• Cesc Fàbregas
• Manuel Lanzini

And many more that the camera doesn't catch amongst others...

 

Why's he got his own shirt up there? The bad nobhead.

[The Artful Dodger]

Just now, Cannabis said:

Why not?

It's gimp behaviour, Ronaldo behaviour in fact.

[Spike]

1 minute ago, The Artful Dodger said:

It's gimp behaviour, Ronaldo behaviour in fact.

I think the greatest player of all time can be a just a little bit proud of his achievements by hanging his representative shirts up.

[SirBalon]

Yeah, that definitely reaches Cristiano Ronaldo levels and everything the guy's been about for over a decade.  Well done! 

I get it, but there is a reason for the display.