[DrWise]

Simple really who you think is the better player

for me id have to say Messi, been watching him tonight and he is quality the 2nd goal against zaragoza blinding stuff and 12 goals in 5 games says alot
and another hat-trick for Messi this guy is magic, all the goals have been fab

[Thekop]

Hat trick now

Messi is in my opinion the best player on the planet .. He has a great attitude to the game too ... Ronaldo gets on my wick with his acting antics and he's way behind Messi in the skills department ...

[DrWise]

messi is too much, for such a little guy he is quality
lets hope to see this form in the world cup
can't belive zlatan and his misses tonight
wow 3-2 now
who just saw that messi in the 89th minute frigging awesomeness and a penalty
oh and zlatan does score the pen lol

[raigraphixs]

Messi was awesome tonight with his hat-trick, especially the 2nd.

Ibrahimovic was lucky Messi let him take the penalty, as he had a howler tonight.

[Coffin]

I think Messi is technically more gifted but Ronaldo is the better player all round.

It's easy to forget how good Ronaldo is now he's not playing over here. He's still got 22 goals in 24 appearances this season and he was out for about 3 weeks injured and he's been sent off twice so subsequently banned. Plus Real have a whole new team effectively whereas Messi has carried on from last season

[kopchoir]

you know he has been on fire for a while now probably since xmas start of the season he was poor burnt out and wasnt enjoying football he is the new Maradonna without the attitude.

[Aaron D84]

He rips La Liga apart but the defending over there is much poorer than you see over here. It would be interesting to see how he would fair in Italy which is alot more defensive or over here which is more physical.

There's no denying he's an immense player and probably the best player in the world at the moment but he can still improve.

He's not replicated his Barca form for Argentina, the Barca style of play and formation suits him down to the ground and 13 goals in 43 games isn't the best. He can put that right in the summer though and prove just how good he is on the worlds biggest stage.

Makes the world cup even more exciting with players like Rooney & Messi on form, Ronaldo still doing well for Real and Torres finding his feet again.

[ldoodle]

Originally Posted by Aaron D84

He rips La Liga apart but the defending over there is much poorer than you see over here. It would be interesting to see how he would fair in Italy which is alot more defensive or over here which is more physical.

There's no arguing just how good he is, but you're right in saying that. I think he would do nothing over here just because of the physical nature of our game. He was nothing against Chelsea in the CL semi's last year, and any other CL match against English teams for that matter.

He only got that goal against Man U in the final as they were pushing up field for an equaliser.

This is why he 'struggles' at international level in comparison; he just can't cope with resolute defending.

He knows it as well which is why he will never leave Spain.

[Coffin]

Originally Posted by ldoodle

I think he would do nothing over here just because of the physical nature of our game

His small stature would work against him but I think that's a bit harsh. There's been a few small, technically good footballers that have done well over here with Zola, Arshavin and Scholes coming first to mind.

But as you say the nature of the game is different, a lot less compromising which is why Arsenal (a comparable team to Barca) are often 'roughed up' to stop them playing. The Spanish league is perfect for Messi and he now has that aura of fear about him which confuses defenders even more.

Mourinho's Inter would stop him playing should they meet in the semi's

[BamBamMickey]

Only Real fans will vote Ronaldo.

Messi of course based on personality, honesty, skill and TEAMPLAY.!!!

[FZR400RRSP]

Originally Posted by Coffin

His small stature would work against him but I think that's a bit harsh. There's been a few small, technically good footballers that have done well over here with Zola, Arshavin and Scholes coming first to mind.

Spot on.
Arshavin's the most recent example of a player discounted by several EPL teams because of his lack of stature.
But with modern day refereeing being what it is, i.e. very protective, smaller players have little to fear.

[kopchoir]

i thought torres would struggle with the physical side of the epl but if anything he relishes the task imo there are great players and good players the great players can play anywhere

[24fanboy]

Messi by a billion miles, Ronaldo is not in the same class.

[DrWise]

ronaldo is class, dont get me wrong
but messi after seeing him over the last 5-6 games hes just been quality he changes the game in an instant, i agree about him being quieter in the CL games against english opposition, and if inter were too meet barca i agree jose mourinho would handle the presence of messi very well
but what has gone on with zlatan he missed some glorious chances last night
id for one love too see both messi and ronaldo in the epl again, but i doubt messi will ever come

[sdb123]

Originally Posted by Aaron D84

He's not replicated his Barca form for Argentina.

I'd put a lot of that blame at Maradona's door....the guy just doesn't seem to know how to accomodate his stars in a suitable formation. You'd think with Tevez, Aguero and Messi they'd terrorise defences wouldn't you?!

[SHATNERSTACTIC]

Voted Messi. You get the impression Ronaldo 'carries' Madrid more than Messi does for Barca. In a way this makes him the more important player, like Rooney at Man U.

Ronaldo as yet has not produced a brilliant performance on the biggest stage (CL knock out and World Cup / Euros) either. I've been trying to think of the last player who in the big games always looked head and shoulders about the rest. Best I could come up with was the Brazilian Ronaldo or maybe ZZ?

ZZ at his best or Messi now?

[ldoodle]

Originally Posted by lee12

ZZ at his best or Messi now?

I think the best individual performace at a big tournament i've witnessed is ZZ during Euro 2000. His performances against Spain and Portugal were on a different planet.

I'd go as far as saying he's the best player in history. People talk about Pele and Maracheater but football was so different then.

[Coffin]

Zidane; he's the best player I've ever seen 'live' and I've been lucky enough to see some true greats like Franco Baresi, Paulo Maldini, Ronaldo (fat one ) and Alan Shearer

[deek88]

sorry to hikack the thread but i think with rooney there are now 3 in the world and with the world cup coming up it will be interesting to see the top 3 players in the world...Messi, Ronaldo and Rooney.

Rooney has always been talked up by the English but i had yet to be conviced until this season. . The telling thing for me on what makes a good player a world class player is his influence in games where they have been anonymous for the majority of it. For example when i was sitting watching the man utd v man city game in the carling cup thinking rooneys did nothing and just as i said it he picks the ball up on the half way line and pings a 40 yard ball over to giggs who doesnt even have to break and i think they score from that attack and then obviously he heads in the last min winner. Also Milan game, im thinking we need a goal and then bang..Last year i didnt think he scored they type of goals, with man u hoping ronaldo would come up with that little bit of magic...

Only thing id likle to see rooney do is score more free kicks...Messi and ronaldo have a track record recently of scoring free kicks which is in my opinion adds another dimension to the "world class" description...

That aside, i love messi...not just his ability but he never moans, never swings his arms about, no swagger, never seems to get intimated. Has he ever been sent off?...

[sdb123]

Originally Posted by deek88

Has he ever been sent off?...

From a quick search it turns out he got sent off on his debut for Argentina (within two minutes of coming on)!

[Se777eN]

Messi hands down

[QuietRiot1983]

Originally Posted by deek88

sorry to hikack the thread but i think with rooney there are now 3 in the world and with the world cup coming up it will be interesting to see the top 3 players in the world...Messi, Ronaldo and Rooney.

This is hard for me to say, given that I detest Ronaldo, but Messi and Ronaldo are still a class apart from Rooney.

[Ragnarok]

I think Messi is the new Geroge best for me. Only difference is that Messi ( for now anyway) doesn't have people trying to break his legs every few minutes, or a booze problem.

It's refreshing to see a player like Messi in the modern game that doesn't need blistering pace to beat players.

[Steven]

Originally Posted by kopchoir

i thought torres would struggle with the physical side of the epl but if anything he relishes the task imo there are great players and good players the great players can play anywhere

I think people's opinion of the EPL is a little too high. I still remember Messi leaving Chelsea behind even though they spent most of the night trying to kick him

[24fanboy]

Originally Posted by deek88

sorry to hikack the thread but i think with rooney there are now 3 in the world and with the world cup coming up it will be interesting to see the top 3 players in the world...Messi, Ronaldo and Rooney.

Rooney has always been talked up by the English but i had yet to be conviced until this season. . The telling thing for me on what makes a good player a world class player is his influence in games where they have been anonymous for the majority of it. For example when i was sitting watching the man utd v man city game in the carling cup thinking rooneys did nothing and just as i said it he picks the ball up on the half way line and pings a 40 yard ball over to giggs who doesnt even have to break and i think they score from that attack and then obviously he heads in the last min winner. Also Milan game, im thinking we need a goal and then bang..Last year i didnt think he scored they type of goals, with man u hoping ronaldo would come up with that little bit of magic...

Only thing id likle to see rooney do is score more free kicks...Messi and ronaldo have a track record recently of scoring free kicks which is in my opinion adds another dimension to the "world class" description...

That aside, i love messi...not just his ability but he never moans, never swings his arms about, no swagger, never seems to get intimated. Has he ever been sent off?...

Erm....no. Rooney doesn't deserve to be mentioned in the same breath as Messi or Ronaldo. Rooney relies on great service, whereas the other two can perform magic and turn games on their head all on their own.

[kopchoir]

Originally Posted by LFC_SL

I think people's opinion of the EPL is a little too high. I still remember Messi leaving Chelsea behind even though they spent most of the night trying to kick him

2 games though, week in week out i honestly thought Torres would struggle,as for the best player in my lifetime im sure Messi at the end of his career may reach that pinacle but there have been some outstanding footballers.

In my opinion i think the only 2 players that hold that kind of stature of best player in my lifetime would be

Dennis Bergkamp/ZZ-These guys just oozed class touch vision technique everything world cups european championships cold fa cup away days didnt matter what stage they was on, could do things with a football that id do a homer simpson and just dribble these 2 were that good

[kopchoir]

Originally Posted by 24fanboy

Erm....no. Rooney doesn't deserve to be mentioned in the same breath as Messi or Ronaldo. Rooney relies on great service, whereas the other two can perform magic and turn games on their head all on their own.

How ever much he plays for the enemy if it was not for wayne rooney they would be as much in the mire as my own team service can only give you so much positioning and actually putting the ball in the onion bag is how great players score goals.
And ill put a fiver on that all them balls wipped in for him i reckon 85% of them have come from him legging it back for his team tackling an opposition midfielder and spraying the ball out wide then getting in the box

[Thekop]

I concede that the only department Ronaldo has the edge over Messi is in his out of the box shooting power but apart from that Messi rules the roost in my view ..

I loved watching the match lastnight ... The commentators and I was totally gobsmacked and in awe of Messi's dribbling skills and variety of goals .. He's been doing this for the past 3 seasons that I've been watching Barcelona...
The ball seems to just stick to his feet and he turns defenders in to scared rabbits in headlights .. lol

I was hoping he would of scored the 4th goal before he was pulled down in the box, I was on the edge of my seat The only way the defender could stop Messi was pulling him down ...

I also reckon he gets fouled more times than any other player I've seen.. He's amazing when he just bounces back up and just gets on with it ..

Messi is just pure genious

[Coffin]

Nice article on Messi here Man ... Superman ... Leo Messi | Sid Lowe | Football | guardian.co.uk

"There are no words left to describe him – he is interplanetary*. We could have beaten Barcelona but we could never have beaten Leo Messi. If we had scored four, he would have scored 12"

* what great analogy!

Just saw this too:

Kaka: 69 million Euros. Zidane: 75 million Euros. Christiano Ronaldo: 94 millions Euros. Lionel Messi: PRICELESS.

There are some things that money can't buy. For everything else, call Florentino Perez

[afroken23]

Originally Posted by ldoodle

I think the best individual performace at a big tournament i've witnessed is ZZ during Euro 2000. His performances against Spain and Portugal were on a different planet.

Totally agree with this. Zidane at Euro 2000 was comparable to Maradona in 86.

Voted Messi anyway. Ronaldo is a brilliant player but I'm not sure he's in the right team.