xavi and iniesta are deeper lying playmakers, messi is an attacking midfielder. its simple really. playmakers normally chip in with about 10 league goals a season. xavi and iniesta dont as they are very deep lying playmakers. they'll set the tempo, messi will split the defence. got it.

messi and ronaldos position are nothing alike. whens the last time you seen ronaldo down at the left back position where messi was the other night, before he went on his run and beat 5 players. as with many no. 10's he'll drift everywhere, and pop up anywhere. ronaldo these days is an out and out striker for madrid, played up front along side higuain. he is not a playmaker, as he doesnt have the vision, creativity or accuracy with his passes like messi.

and yes, you have always had a chip on your shoulder in regards to messi. your arguements used to be ronaldo scored more, when that was proven untrue your now onto rooney and how he's better due to his "better" defensive abilities. its there for all to see. just any alternative to messi. and yes before you say it, i have a massive chip on my shoulder with ronaldo. there is not one reason or stat out there that i can see, that would suggest this over-hyped celebrity should even come close to messi, let alone be compared to him. he is what he is, but in no way, shape or form should he be compared to (argueably in time) one of the greats.

and it looks like your world player of the year bet is down the drain. messi will canter to two in a row

32_4_1 (Meath) - Posts: 4165 - 08/04/2010 20:11:48    612340

Hey Master, since you ignored the other thread I'll ask you here. Did you see Barca's no. 16 in the two legs vs. Arsenal? I could've sworn it was Sergio Busquets, he even had "Sergio" on the back of his jersey. Barcelona website even says 16 is Busquets' number. But it must surely be some mistake, as Yaya Toure is keeping him out of the team, right? And obviously that couldn't have been Toure sitting on the bench, he must have been playing but wearing someone else's jersey. Funny the commentators never picked up on it either, and when Barcelona introduced a substitute with a few minutes to go the announcer even got it wrong and said it was Toure coming off the bench.

nocky (Wexford) - Posts: 2059 - 08/04/2010 20:24:28    612359

one more thing the "all knowing" master, what happened to all aimars bench warming you were so keen to tell me about at the start of the season when he was injured. of course you didnt have a clue he was injured as your knowledge on the game is limited to your beloved england, but again you were wrong. guess what?? he starts again tonight

32_4_1 (Meath) - Posts: 4165 - 08/04/2010 20:27:29    612362

If messi is a playmaker why was he on so many occasions the furthest man forward the last night? His last goal for example. He was further forward than anyone. The very same positions ronaldo picked up at his peak at utd. I have no chip on my shoulder on messi at all, i know he is a great player. I just apply ur reasoning on ronaldo back onto messi. When ronaldo won the player of the year, he deserved it, just like messi did last year. The difference is you refuse to accept that ronaldo deserved his award. Yet that season he stood out like messi stood out in the second leg. While you keep finding fault with ronaldo i will find the same faults in messi.

Nocky, i didnt realise i had left you waiting. I also didnt realise that playing two games back to back means you are first choice. Bojan started the second leg, does that make him first choice too? Maybe selecting busquets had something to do with iniesta being out, i dont know. The striking point is that busquets not being an important first team player was barely a side-point in that thread, you have to wonder about the mentality of someone who waits so long for something as pedestrian as that

TheMaster (Mayo) - Posts: 16187 - 08/04/2010 20:57:35    612389

Still can't admit to being wrong about anything Master. What does Iniesta being injured have to do with whether Busquets or Toure are selected? If Iniesta is fit Keita or Pedro won't be playing. Simple.

You are a complete spoofer and have been found out numerous times for your lack of knowledge and bias against the Spanish league. Because Messi plays in Spain you can't acknowledge him as the best footballer in the world. Sad, really.

nocky (Wexford) - Posts: 2059 - 08/04/2010 21:17:53    612424

what happened to aimars bench warming master?

as i said messi will drift. ye at times he was the furthest man forward, at times the deepest of all midfielders. you obviously had your eyes closed every time messi dropped deep. honest mistake.

the same cannot be said for ronaldo. his role is an out and out striker. they are two different players in two different positions, its just messi is light years ahead in nearly every department.

32_4_1 (Meath) - Posts: 4165 - 08/04/2010 21:32:17    612448

its also noteworthy that the master went on a rant that meath fans could not own up to anything in a hypathetical situation on the dublin board not so long ago

32_4_1 (Meath) - Posts: 4165 - 08/04/2010 21:38:11    612457

It is also noteworthy that Master can't tell the difference between a defensive midfielder and an attacking one, or a winger and a central midfielder. Furthermore he can't tell the difference between a right and left back. You are wasting your time trying to explain things to him Lorcan, he can't understand and won't even try. That would mean admitting he is usually (okay often) wrong, something he is completely incapable of.

nocky (Wexford) - Posts: 2059 - 08/04/2010 21:58:34    612491

My personal opinion is the 3 best players in the world right now are

1 - Wayne Rooney
2 - Cristiano Ronaldo
3 - Lionel Messi

slayer (Limerick) - Posts: 6480 - 09/04/2010 12:35:34    612702