FC Barcelona Thread

You could easily feel touched seeing those fans celebrate an important win FOR THEM in their anniversary. After all the best reward of being fan of a club is the feeling of joy and happiness in important nights. I know that it can seem to exagerated Gerd, but they won a match with only two shots against what they think is the best team in the world.

It's very important for football that now and then the small dog can win the big one.

And by the way, Celtic had only 2 shots in 90 minutes due to two individual mistakes. I think it shows we have a great defense (ae are the team less shot against) but we have big problems of focus in certain situations. And that with almost all defenders injured... By the way, we have had only one goal against in corners. I'm pretty sure there are a lot of teams that are not "midgets" that receive more goals on corners... Madrid, for example!

That's to stress that for us possession is also part of our defensive game. As we are vulnerable, we don't allow the opponents to try it so often. There's people who will never understand it and will go on criticizing the team having so much possession without shooting... Having the ball is the best way to defend for us. And many times they just move the ball not to score but to secure the position in the field. It's one of the best defending teams I've ever sern and the figures confirm it.
 
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0-4 against Levante, playing with 11 homegrown players, all of them from La Masia. And there's still people who doesn't understand the importance of this.

Oh, and 4 more players from the youth team in the bench...

An old dream of all the Barcelona fans and Van Gaal (who is hardly recognized and was a key element of the current La Masia boom) come true.
 
Messi 82 :) La Masia playing, what a joy to watch! +11 to Madrid, seems like Diego Simeone team is our main rival, not Real. How strange is that huh :) ?
 
I just read an article about Messi and his under 13 coach who is now with Liverpool. the guy said that the minute he saw Messi, he knew he would turn out to be a fantastic player. Messi stuck out in what the best generation La Massia had ever known. This team had Piqué, Fabregas, Messi. Accordin to that u-13 coach before Messi arrived, the best player of the team was Victor Vazquez.

Victor Vazquez is now playing for Club Brugge and is pretty regular on the bench for them...how can things like that happen? What went wrong?
 
Well, Victor Vazquez was a promising player when he was 14-15, but at 18 no one thought he was world class material anymore. Why? Well, he's the case of someone who shines a lot in technical skills being young, but doesn't progress anymore at gets stalled. I remember him as a good offensive midfielder, similar to Cesc Fabregas, but lacking the physical fortitude and lacking dribbling.

He played some matches with the first team and obviously he had the "La masia" style all over him, but just didn't make it. There are many players like him produced at La Masia each year and it's one of the most crowded positions.

The crucial time for the progress of world class players is from 15-19, when they end their growth and get to competitive stages of football.

Mind you, the youth teams of Barcelona tend to easily win most of their matches, so they don't really get competitive fixtures until they reach the youth team "Barcelona B" which plays in the second division. When they reach this checkpoint is when you can tell if they are made of something special or not. Victor was one player who shone a lot when playing with big superiority in the youngest teams, but struggled to mantain the same level when it got more competitive.
 
I see this with my son's team. They are a bucnh of extremely promising players.
Until last year, they only lost one match and won all the rest, sometimes with an absurd high scoreline (27-0, 33-0, and usually that were matches where they play bad, hunting for personal glory, not playing as a team).

Now they are player on bigger pitches (half a football field) and play against kids who are one or two years older. The physical component is more important and although they still are the most talented team, they loose matches because of they are physical inferior. Lots of those matches are 50/50 but if the opponents score two consecutive goals, they loose that match because they never had to fight.
Halfway through the season they are top of the bunch (but with a margin of only one point), but it is good that they loose matches. This season they will learn more than during all the previous seasons.
My son is struggling most of all. He is the most technical player, but also the smallest of the bunch. After one good match he had a pain in his knee. As the doctor did't find any injury we assume that he is having growth pains. He had to rest for 4 weeks, no matches and no training. After those four weeks it seemed as if he had never played football. He couldn't stop a ball, lost every single ball that was played to him and was demoted to the second team (which was a huge blow for a 9 year old who was captain and focal point of his team). He kept on doing his best and once again playing for the first team. Slowly he is making progress and last weekend he has played his first decent match, scoring the winning goal in a 4-3 win and providing two assists.

Sory if this is off-topic, but drekkard story about barcelona's youth reminds me a litle bit about my son's team...of course they are not Barcelona.
 
Wenger says Barça plays to messi 's strength holding the ball allows Messi to get into a lethal position . He also says Messi is so amazing that Barça w/o Messi would be average . I guess being surrounded by other good players means little . Wenger probably think no other player should be nominate next to Messi .
 
gerd said:
I see this with my son's team. They are a bucnh of extremely promising players.
Until last year, they only lost one match and won all the rest, sometimes with an absurd high scoreline (27-0, 33-0, and usually that were matches where they play bad, hunting for personal glory, not playing as a team).

Now they are player on bigger pitches (half a football field) and play against kids who are one or two years older. The physical component is more important and although they still are the most talented team, they loose matches because of they are physical inferior. Lots of those matches are 50/50 but if the opponents score two consecutive goals, they loose that match because they never had to fight.
Halfway through the season they are top of the bunch (but with a margin of only one point), but it is good that they loose matches. This season they will learn more than during all the previous seasons.
My son is struggling most of all. He is the most technical player, but also the smallest of the bunch. After one good match he had a pain in his knee. As the doctor did't find any injury we assume that he is having growth pains. He had to rest for 4 weeks, no matches and no training. After those four weeks it seemed as if he had never played football. He couldn't stop a ball, lost every single ball that was played to him and was demoted to the second team (which was a huge blow for a 9 year old who was captain and focal point of his team). He kept on doing his best and once again playing for the first team. Slowly he is making progress and last weekend he has played his first decent match, scoring the winning goal in a 4-3 win and providing two assists.

Sory if this is off-topic, but drekkard story about barcelona's youth reminds me a litle bit about my son's team...of course they are not Barcelona.
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Nice story and I'm happy for u to experience that as a father. Can't wait to have kids of my own one day. I am sure you are really proud of your son who looks like he is doing great.
 
I don`t care for Leo Messi but if I met him I would tell him congrats on a job well done. Record breaker indeed.
 
It is scary to think what the man will be capable of in his theoretical prime, at 27-30. We are truly lucky to be able to see a player like this in our lifetime. Will there be another one like him? I think not.
 
tc811 said:
It is scary to think what the man will be capable of in his theoretical prime, at 27-30. We are truly lucky to be able to see a player like this in our lifetime. Will there be another one like him? I think not.
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It's th third time i've heard that: Pele, Maradonna, Messi...
There will be better players.
In twenty years time people will have less or more forgotten Messi. Just like most younger people now are convinced that Maradonna is better than Pele. I'm a huge fan of everything that is Argentinian, i've seen both players play and i can tell you that Pele was much better than Maradonna. I'm not convinced that Messi is better than Pele... I suspect that he will become better, but one never knows. Who would have thought that Van Basten's carreer would end abruptly due to injuries...

I hope to see Messi playing for another ten years, because i thoroughly enjoy him as a football player. On top of that he seems a very decent guy... It would also be fantastic if he stayed with Barcelona before going back to Argentina and ending his carreer with Newell's Old Boys.
 
gerd said:
It's th third time i've heard that: Pele, Maradonna, Messi...
There will be better players.
In twenty years time people will have less or more forgotten Messi. Just like most younger people now are convinced that Maradonna is better than Pele. I'm a huge fan of everything that is Argentinian, i've seen both players play and i can tell you that Pele was much better than Maradonna. I'm not convinced that Messi is better than Pele... I suspect that he will become better, but one never knows. Who would have thought that Van Basten's carreer would end abruptly due to injuries...

I hope to see Messi playing for another ten years, because i thoroughly enjoy him as a football player. On top of that he seems a very decent guy... It would also be fantastic if he stayed with Barcelona before going back to Argentina and ending his carreer with Newell's Old Boys.
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messi is the true jordan of football... sorry gerd, i think its setteled! he might be the greatest footballer ever
 
gomito#10 said:
messi is the true jordan of football... sorry gerd, i think its setteled! he might be the greatest footballer ever
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Kobe is not flair enough to Jordan ,but is breaking new records.
Messi is 25... We haven`t seen nothing yet! ppl need to get behind this player ,not hate him.

Messi is like Michael Jackson we`ve enjoy him since a young age of 18yrs old. Who can forget Messi(18) at the Bridge on CL ! :)) n Iniesta is Tito Jackson n Xavi is Jermaine Jackson n Fabregas is Janet Jackson if your nasty.
 
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bebo said:
Messi is like Michael Jackson we`ve enjoy him since a young age of 18yrs old. Who can forget Messi(18) at the Bridge on CL ! :)) n Iniesta is Tito Jackson n Xavi is Jermaine Jackson n Fabregas is Janet Jackson if your nasty.
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Watching Messi play is a THRILLER, he makes Cristiano look BAD while Pepe is DANGEROUS near him. Xaví and Iniesta are the ABC of his succes. Messi is living HISTORY, pretty INVINCIBLE. The greatest ever, THIS IS IT.

BEAT IT.

:COAT:

Sorry for this post...

(I get to Arsenal fans cesc looks more DIRTY DIANA than janet, though, and Busquets a SMOOTH CRIMINAL...).
 
drekkard said:
Watching Messi play is a THRILLER, he makes Cristiano look BAD while Pepe is DANGEROUS near him. Xaví and Iniesta are the ABC of his succes. Messi is living HISTORY, pretty INVINCIBLE. The greatest ever, THIS IS IT.

BEAT IT.

:COAT:

Sorry for this post...

(I get to Arsenal fans cesc looks more DIRTY DIANA than janet, though, and Busquets a SMOOTH CRIMINAL...).
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:WORSHIP:
 
Messi is godlike, best about him is that at age of 30+ he will be playing like Pirlo&Xavi combined into one :)

I hope his son is the one that can beat fathers record.

Have to say Pele was extraordinary but football was way too different than now. Yashin was goalkeeper to revolutionize goalies (good enough to win a Golden ball) before that they were even jumping properly. So how much easier it was for Pele to score goals. We can speculate, but you have to agree there is some differences.

Pele, Maradona and others are football players, famous, best, cabinets full of cups and personal throphies.
But thing about Messi is that he isnt a football player, he scores and assists like hockey player. Thats unique, thats something no1 in football are capable of, even Ronaldo with his might stats. Messi is playing football but at working rate of a hockey player.

This is 6 months old picture I've made, its scary that by the end of 2012 Messi didnt lose the grip, HE FREAKING IMPROVED IT!

9NNI2-wgMH4.jpg



These stats are a bit old, I've collected them this summer, but you get the picture:

How did Messi played since season 2007-2008 (20 years old)

Champions League: 56 matches, 49 goals, 14 assists
La Liga: 164 matches, 148 goals, 67 assists
Total from all competitions: 259 matches, 227 goals, 95 assists

Here some more,

Messi with Pep Guardiola:

219 matches, 211 goals, 96 assists

Here is Ronaldo with Ferguson:

280 matches, 112 goals, 59 assists

Ronaldo with Mourinho

109 matches, 113 goals, 35 assists

Here comes the crazy part:

2007-2008 - 16 goals
2008-2009 - 38 goals
2009-2010 - 47 goals
2010-2011 - 53 goals
2011-2012 - 73 goals
2012-2013 - 32 goals with 24 matches played, with same vector he could reach around 75 goals....

He is improving every god damn year, now he is even menacing in National team with 8 official matches and 12 goals...

freaking Gretzky of football!

Pele had Santos and himself to score over 80% of his goals
Gerd Muller had Bayern Munchen and himself to score over 75% of his goals
So its natural that Messi has Barcelona to make records :)
 
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drekkard said:
Watching Messi play is a THRILLER, he makes Cristiano look BAD while Pepe is DANGEROUS near him. Xaví and Iniesta are the ABC of his succes. Messi is living HISTORY, pretty INVINCIBLE. The greatest ever, THIS IS IT.

BEAT IT.

:COAT:

Sorry for this post...

(I get to Arsenal fans cesc looks more DIRTY DIANA than janet, though, and Busquets a SMOOTH CRIMINAL...).
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hahaha !:SAL:
 
gomito#10 said:
what say you bobby?
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About the best player?

I'm not sure really, Messi is amazing but he is surrounded by amazing as well and in his national team. Maradona from what I have heard (and also seen bits of) was in less talented company and achieved with his talent great things. Pele was just fantastic but also had really great players around him.

It's so hard to say as they were different times etc but The game these days I think is a lot harder( athletics and fitness wise), so I think what Messi has done and achieved is unbelievable. If he isn't the best ever, it is an extremely close call and he still has many years to go which is the scary thing.
 
I am not one who says that in the "old days" everything was better.
But i don't buy the argument that nowadays the game is harder.

It's true that football is played faster and perhaps more athletic. But isn't that logic if you have better footballs, better (and lighter) shoes, better pitches, better medical assistance, better diets,

Look at what Pele could do with a ball. You people will say that the defenders were worse than now ? I'm not sure look at the 1970 WC final, that Italy team was one of the best ever, with a fantastic defense. And Pele had to do it with a heavy leather ball on bad pitches and with heavy shoes.

IMO there is no debate: Pele is much, much better than Maradonna. Messi can become as good as Pele, bit IMO he isn't quite there yet...

People tend to forget that 40 years ago there were also splendid football players (apart from George Best for three seasons). All the fuss about Messi's record is good because people know Gerd Muller now...
 
gerd said:
I am not one who says that in the "old days" everything was better.
But i don't buy the argument that nowadays the game is harder.

It's true that football is played faster and perhaps more athletic. But isn't that logic if you have better footballs, better (and lighter) shoes, better pitches, better medical assistance, better diets,

Look at what Pele could do with a ball. You people will say that the defenders were worse than now ? I'm not sure look at the 1970 WC final, that Italy team was one of the best ever, with a fantastic defense. And Pele had to do it with a heavy leather ball on bad pitches and with heavy shoes.

IMO there is no debate: Pele is much, much better than Maradonna. Messi can become as good as Pele, bit IMO he isn't quite there yet...

People tend to forget that 40 years ago there were also splendid football players (apart from George Best for three seasons). All the fuss about Messi's record is good because people know Gerd Muller now...
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There are for and against for saying it is harder, there are many ways it was harder then than it is now and vice versa.

I really think it is a near impossible task to say who was the best player. There are so many variables that aren't the same, so it makes it so hard to say.

It will always be subjective I think, it will be a debate that will go on forever, which is good I think.
 
gerd said:
And Pele had to do it with a heavy leather ball on bad pitches and with heavy shoes.
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Works both ways tho. The players he was playing against also had the same problems.

IMO, it's impossible to compare the likes of Pele with the modern greats (LM & CR). The game is too different. They are all footballing Greats. Not much else can be said, imo.
 
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