Seeing as the top 3 threads in the non-GAA forum have come down to this basic argument which will probably go on until 27th of May and beyond thought it would be convenient to have a thread dedicated to it. I reckon both of them should be judged in terms of goals cos lets face it goals win games. If Messi is that great I think he should be able to score more goals in the latter parts of the Champions league. Ronaldo is doing this and winning games for United. Don't think I'm being to harsh on Messi he's still very young, his attitude is better than Ronaldo's at times, and he's probably going to get even better. But at the moment Ronaldo is making a larger contribution to his team. 32_4_1 it's over to you........

bluboy (Dublin) - Posts: 318 - 09/05/2009 22:32:36    279306

Ronaldo's a great man to score goals, but as a man utd fan i cant stand him because he doesn't contribute anything otherwise and looks like hed rather be pruning himself in front of the mirror most of the time.He loses possesion a lot also and rarely makes an attempt to get it back.Therefore id choose messi as although hes not as clinical a goal scorer he contributes a lot more by keeping possession and only does the fancy footwork when necessary to beat a player not jus to get the cameras focussing on him.

beer baron (Cavan) - Posts: 3916 - 10/05/2009 12:57:05    279444

well said beer baron. the point im mainly trying to make is ye ronaldos a great goal scorer. but other than that he contributes nothing else. he isnt effective in any other way. messis involved in everything. messi did actually score against lyon and bayern and gave the assist against chelsea. i love to see ronaldo do something with the ball while being man-marked by two men and against 10 men behind the ball. like last year he wont do anything against barca

32_4_1 (Meath) - Posts: 4201 - 10/05/2009 13:45:06    279461

Is 40+ goals in a season not a contibution these days? Goals win games not 'fancy footwork'

TheMaster (Mayo) - Posts: 16187 - 11/05/2009 10:32:08    279869

Ronaldo is better than messi yes.

slayer (Limerick) - Posts: 6526 - 11/05/2009 10:50:44    279890

No

cormacpharaoh (Offaly) - Posts: 23 - 11/05/2009 12:35:31    279995

Its close but you have to consider the leagues they are playing in. Ronaldo is consistently brilliant in the toughest most competitive league in the world. You would have to wonder how good messi would be in the premiership. If ronaldo were in la liga, with his pace and strength as well as skill and finishing, he would tear it to shreds.

Keane16 (Kerry) - Posts: 306 - 11/05/2009 12:41:49    280004

ronaldo would do nothing in la liga. outside the big 2-3 od spain and big 4 of england spain is a far better league. messi would run rings around the boltons and boroughs of theis world. ye master it is a contibution but playmaking is a much bigger and harder contribution. you have to have much better vision and awarness, passing and createtivity plus link midfield to the forwards, which ronaldo dosnt have. and this leads to and sets up goals. a lot more than one person will get. maybe the playmaker wont get as many goals but will certinaly make up for it through setting a lot more of them up. apart from heading the ball messi is better than ronaldo at every aspect of the game. and he's only better a heading as messi has a growth hormone deficiency

32_4_1 (Meath) - Posts: 4201 - 11/05/2009 13:07:15    280033

apart from heading the ball messi is better than ronaldo at every aspect of the game. and he's only better a heading as messi has a growth hormone deficiency

Apart from heading, shooting, scoring, using his weak foot, free kicks, speed, remaining fit and winning trophies, messi is better at everything. Ronaldo is a better diver as well as Messi gets booked when he dives.

Heading ability is not relative to size so that excuse doesn't work for Messi. Luis Garcia is one of the best headers of the ball I've seen and he's tiny.

Messi may have a growth hormone deficiency, but the amount of drugs he's taken should make up for it.

Breffni40 (Cavan) - Posts: 12483 - 11/05/2009 14:26:33    280117

Also, while both players have unreal dribbling abilities, Ronaldo has more tricks and skills in his repertoire. Messi in full flight is a joy to watch, his dribbling is down to having total control of the ball and his low centre of gravity while Ronaldo takes more chances with the ball.

Two class players anyway, it doesn't really matter who's best (although it's a matter of life and death to some!!) I'm going to enjoy watching them both in the champions league final!

Breffni40 (Cavan) - Posts: 12483 - 11/05/2009 15:43:39    280206

Not better, probably more effective though..

Brolly (Monaghan) - Posts: 4472 - 11/05/2009 15:53:27    280220

well messi has outscored ronaldo this year so he beats him in shooting and scoring and is only 21, so compare his ratio to when ronaldo was 21 its also better, messi is a two footed player and is as strong on both. why do you think they play him on the right side if he could only use his left, messi is quicker and his change of pace is matched by no other player in the world (maybe aimar in his prime). and remaining fit??? when was messi injured apart from a few games before the united match last year which is cancelled out by ronaldo being injured at the start of this year. messi is a right midfielder so dosnt go into the box for headers anyway. the only time he's really in there is when he dribbles in with the ball. messi also has a great football brain so can pick out amazing passes also and create play. ronaldo cant do that

and no, the drugs helped a bit but dosnt make up for what he would be like with out the defiency

32_4_1 (Meath) - Posts: 4201 - 11/05/2009 16:03:41    280226

and comparing ronaldos dribbling abilitys to messis is an even bigger insult to messi than comparing him with ronaldo in general.

ronaldo consistently loses the ball quite a lot every game. he also tries these runs so much he is bound to beat his man every so often.

messi NEVER loses the ball and goes around several players at a time consistently every match. he done it against chelsea. made a show of ashley cole that day. he will go down as one of the best dribblers ever because he is one of the best dribblers ever. ronaldos not close in this aspect. and maybe messi dosnt always go around players with tricks because its a game of football, not street football. so dont worry about messi, has all the tricks if he wants them and has much quicker feet so is better at them. and the best thing about it is ronaldo knows messi is better. just look at his face when he is on the wing against barca last year one on one with messi and messi starts running at him.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WP_zlly5oXU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e04ZU0CnPeg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bS6nS8W0bOU

last one. legendary;)

32_4_1 (Meath) - Posts: 4201 - 11/05/2009 16:40:39    280257

messi NEVER loses the ball

LOL. What colour is the sky in your world?

Breffni40 (Cavan) - Posts: 12483 - 11/05/2009 17:15:49    280298

blue with white clouds. ironically argentinas colours are the same

32_4_1 (Meath) - Posts: 4201 - 11/05/2009 17:55:23    280338

32_4_1
County: Meath
Posts: 324

280338
blue with white clouds. ironically argentinas colours are the same

Touche!

Breffni40 (Cavan) - Posts: 12483 - 11/05/2009 19:52:03    280415

messi is way better

ljd01 (Meath) - Posts: 18 - 11/05/2009 22:31:00    280522

11/05/2009 17:55:23
32_4_1
County: Meath
Posts: 325

blue with white clouds. ironically argentinas colours are the same

As are Uruguay's, do you have a soft spot for Diego Forlan too?

mid-mon man (Monaghan) - Posts: 1680 - 11/05/2009 23:06:06    280558

The famous words of Brian Clough 'I don't know if I'm the best manager....but I'm the one on top' Rondldo is the best player for the best team under the best manager,champion of Europe,champion of England,World Player of the Year. Surely he's on top...the most successful are on top and the best are the most successful. Your views??

bosco2009 (Galway) - Posts: 85 - 11/05/2009 23:07:29    280561

Keane16
County: Kerry
Posts: 159

280004
Its close but you have to consider the leagues they are playing in. Ronaldo is consistently brilliant in the toughest most competitive league in the world. You would have to wonder how good messi would be in the premiership. If ronaldo were in la liga, with his pace and strength as well as skill and finishing, he would tear it to shreds.




The premiership has 16 useless teams. Can you imagine Messi against City, Hull, Sunderland, Stoke, West Brom, Bolton, Newcastle, Everton and the rest?

Now Henry took a while to make it in Spain, and most premiership/British/Irish players who went to Spain couldn't hack it. La Liga is more competitive in that there is often a fight for 3rd or 4th place, hence the number of different teams in the CL over the years.

The top four in the premiership next year. Arsenal, Chelsea, United and Liverpool, same as every year.

I do agree it is the dirtiest league in the world, get your leg broken rather easily, which is why I suspect the games all ready greats, Zidane, Messi and Kaka and such, steer clear of it.

So, I think Ronaldo will struggle next year with Real, but he is a good enough player to come good, as a scorer, not as an "alleged" dribbler.

patrique (Antrim) - Posts: 13709 - 11/05/2009 23:11:00    280565