Barça 3 Villarreal 1
Saturday, 13 November 10, 12:41 PM · Comments (40)
Barça earned three vital points with a fantastic 3-1 win over Villarreal tonight at Camp Nou. The whole team performed with a magnificent effort to overcome a very good Villarreal team that pushed us to the limits, but the player of the night once more was Leo Messi who scored another two goals which if I'm not mistaken makes it 66 goals in 65 games in 2010, or maybe that's 69 games I'm not totally sure. Whatever the case, with the speed that the game is played at these days and with the general quality and organisation of opposition defences, Messi's feat this year is truly phenomenal.
The game began at a tremendous pace with both sets of players keen to pressurize the opponents all over the pitch, Barça's excellent quick one or two touch game gave us the edge but Villarreal were always snapping at our heels. We were also winning the ball back quickly and often in the Villarreal half and this led to several occasions. In the first five minutes Iniesta was involved in three attacks, first he just failed to control Alves's long pass, then he shot wide under pressure, and then in the fifth minute he produced a fantastic turn in the area but failed to find a finisher. Messi also had an exciting run into the area but Musacchio held his ground well.
Before the game there was some concern about how we would do in defence without Piqué and Milito, in the end Abidal was given the job of filling in next to Puyol and he generally had a very good game showing concentration and anticipation to deny both the dangerous front pairing of Nilmar and Rossi in the first 15 minutes. But with Cani and Cazorla supporting the forwards well our defenders had to be on their toes.
We came very close to taking the lead in the 14th minute when Alves got to the byline to cross to the far post where Messi headed firmly down and Diego Lopez made a difficult save as the ball bounced just in front of his dive. The game was already looking great but it got even better after the 20th minute. First Abidal had to make a last ditch lunge on Nilmar after Maxwell failed to get a good clearance, then our pressurizing up the field was rewarded when Villa stole the ball and found Xavi, the ball came forward to Iniesta who put it through to Villa who skipped past one challenge, managed to keep control when the ball seemed to be under his feet and slid the ball past Diego Lopez.
In the 26th minute there was a decision that could easily have cost us the points today. Xavi played a vertical pass through for Messi to get a clear run on goal, the fact that Pedro finished putting the ball in the net counted for nothing as the linesman had flagged a non-existant offside on Messi who was more than a metre onside. We complained about the decision to referee Delgado Ferreiro and this may have been the moment when our concentration went, Nilmar ran past Puyol, Rossi dragged Abidal away with a good decoy run and Nilmar went through the gap and snuck the ball in off the far post. So from a possible 2-0 we were at 1-1 instead and more than an hour to go. We took a while to react as Villarreal tried to take advantage of our stunned state. Rossi started causing havoc, with one pass to give a chance for Cazorla to shoot over, then Rossi took advantage of Alves trying to show off for the crowd and Abidal got a yellow for stopping Rossi on the edge of the area, and from the free kick Valdés had to get down by the post to stop Rossi's curler. However, our lull only lasted about ten minutes and we ended the half with Pedro nearly getting a shot in but just being denied by Musacchio and Messi firing a free kick just over.
The game continued with great intensity in the second half. We had to find our quickest passing game to keep possession as Villarreal continued to put us under constant pressure, Xavi and Iniesta had to take a lot of punishment with Villarreal's aggressive game in particular from Cani and Angel who were allowed to get away with a lot by Delgado Ferreiro's leniency. However, whether it was a great cross field pass from Iniesta or a dangerous dribble in the area from Villa we were the side creating the danger. Our intensity paid off in the 58th minute when we caught Villarreal out with a quick free kick and a 1-2-3-4 between Messi and Pedro which ended with Messi's sublimely subtle clip over the keeper with his right foot. Watch it again: it is a very classy finish.
Villarreal tried to unsettle us by raising their aggression even more but we matched them all the way and it was great to see Messi leading the way by chasing down their defenders at every oppotunity. Guardiola brought on Keita for Villa to strengthen our midfield and we began to look as though we had the game under control. In the 83rd minute we put the result beyond doubt when Xavi found Pedro on the right, Pedro's shot hit Capdevila and Messi was alert to jump in and once again find a classy finish with a deft twist of his foot to turn the ball inside the post.
There was much to be satisfied with tonight as the team played at a very high level against an extremely good opponent. Messi continues to build his legend and I can never stop stressing enough how fortunate we are to see such genius, he makes goalscoring look so simple sometimes but if you look closely at the detail you can see there is so much class in much of his finishing. Iniesta and Xavi gave another masterclass of quick simple movement and maintaining possession while Villa is beginning to really find his true self. But tonight I'd like to give a special mention to Eric Abidal who proved a few people wrong (myself included) by playing a splendid game at centre half.
We obviously have some very tough opponents both in Spain and in the Champions League and if we want to win trophies we will probably need a touch of luck. However, the level we are now playing at is reminiscent of some of the best we have played since Guardiola became coach and we can have every hope that if we continue in this line we will continue to challenge for all the main trophies.
Barça: Valdés 7; Alves 6.5, Puyol 7, Abidal 8, Maxwell 6.5 (Adriano m85, --); Xavi 8 (Mascherano m89, --), Busquets 7, Iniesta 8, Pedro 7, Messi 8.5, Villa 7.5 (Keita m72, 6.5).
Goals: m22 Villa 1-0, m26 Nilmar 1-1, m58 Messi 2-1, m83 Messi 3-1.
Barça yellow cards: m36 Abidal, m68 Maxwell
Attendance: 80,766
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40 Comments · Add yours
What a great result. I have to admit I was very worried when that ridiculous decision led to our 2nd being ruled out and the equalising goal soon after. We had the game firmly under control up to that point and I was VERY worried that the linesman had gone and robbed us. I think this had an effect on the players, and how couldn't it, but I am so glad to see how quickly we bounced back. We lost it for about 10 mins and then we regained control. Do not underestimate the character to be able to do something like that, against a team as good and playing as aggressively as Villareal. So proud of the team. They worked their asses off tonight and anything less than a victory really would have been robbery. Luck abandoned us tonight, but luckily our players did not.
Messi is just insane. 19 goals in 16 games so far this season. 19 goals and we are still in NOVEMBER. If he stays fit and on form we could just see him surpass 50 goals this season. I know he hasnt won the WC yet, but I really do think we are watching the greatest player who has ever lived. Not just his play, but his attitude, his hunger, his willingness to fight and scrap, it really is inspiring. Anybody who thinks that jakass Ronaldo is anywhere near Messi is living in a fantasy.
I really really hope that the clasico doesnt have the same level of officiating as was witnessed tonight because it really was awful. Some of calls, on both sides it has to be said, were just ludicrous. 3 offsides that were wrong, 1 that was def a goal and 2 that would most probably would have led to goals. They really need to start hiring linesmen who can do their jobs properly. We see it week in, week out, in all the leagues, its silly really..
fc barcelona had a great score .barcelona had win villareal.i hope barcelona will catch up real madrid.
messi had a great score in liga bbva
Messi was great yesterday, but it i thoight the Real MOM was Iniesta. Bloody hell, he drove them crazy
146 Barca goals - 200 next! Great win! Messi sets the goals when we need it! Iniesta were good as well
Villa scored, thats great!
It is hard for me to attempt to make a comparison between Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo .
C. Ronaldo maybe taller and bigger but when it comes to pure talent and football skills Messi is a giant compared to the Madrid man .
Here is a quick look at both players in terms of numbers .
Messi :
Club stats : 230 games . 146 goals (Goal/Game Ratio:63%) . 59 assists .
Europe (Included in club stats): 50 games . 30 goals . 10 assists .
Country Stats : 52 games . 14 goals .
C.Ronaldo :
Club stats: 374 games . 169 goals (Goal/Game Ratio:45%) . 74 assists .
Europe (Included in club stats): 55 games . 16 goals . 12 assists .
Country stats: 78 games . 25 goals .
Don't forget the countless number of goals in C.Ronaldo totals that came courtesy of PENALTIES and DEFLECTED free kicks .
There is NO comparison . Messi is in a zone all by himself . Nobody comes close . Forget all the hype .
The scary thing is that we may have NOT seen the best of Messi . Not yet .
Aren't we all lucky to be Barça fans at this time !!
Thanks a lot Nic and it is great to you the old guns back in action
Great news Zubizarreta just announced the club's interest in Ibrahim Afellay who's one of the most promising talents in Holland. But it would have been better if we sorted out the CB issue rather than the winger issue!
I agree about what you said on Abidal, I'm really glad he made so many running and covering inside the penalty area.
I was glad to see how our attackers and midfielders helped the defense by pressing Villarreal players every time they had the ball near their penalty area. They made it difficult for our opponent to develop an organized attack.
I still have a little concerned about our defense organization, seeing the Villareal strikers sometimes made it to skip through our offside trap and it's a little bit worrying when our defenders have to make the "pace competition" with fast-running attackers.
However, it was a great and satisfying win (from a great performance).
For Villa, I hope he keeps the "goal making" momentum from now on.
And for Messi...all have been said, but will it be enough?
Hail King Leo.......
well that was a very good result in a pretty entertaining game. its such a breath of fresh air to see two attacking minded sides with strong technical ability both going out to win the game from the start to the finish. so that already made it quite a pleasure to watch.
and we played pretty well too. the energy levels, relentless closing down, determination, focus, all there. some of the one touch inter play was superb. dani alves was having a ridiculously good day with the ball at his feet.
and thanks you nic for the special mention to abidal, you beat me to it. hopefully now some of his critics, unfair critics considering his last few years, will now even realize hes a pretty decent center back too. his anticipation and hunger was awesome.
but but but, if i have to point out a few negatives, im a bit concerned with the forward line. very often in the game we made space on the wings, but when u looked in the box, nobody was there. villa was off on the wing and messi as holding back. i must say im not enjoying that. i think villa must become a proper center forward for us, like samu was. yes he enjoys pulling off to the wing, and he continue to do that. but there needs to be a more consitent point of reference in the middle. against teams with less bravery that villarreal, ie almost every other team, who are going to sit back the whole game, that tactical issue can hurt us.
and pedro needs to get back to his best. i was always a bit worried he couldnt live up to the heights he produced last year, but its sad his amazing finishing instinct has left him for the moment.
but all in all, one must be happy with the result.
the only unhappy part of the weekend was madrid's forunate win in gijon. its just so annoying that mourinho's teams always manage these undeserved 1-0 wins. i saw it too often at chelsea, read about it too often with inter, and now have to see it all over again at madrid. it seriously annoys me.
Veeeery anxious before and too much nailbiting and swearing during the game!!!! Linesmen and referee almost gave me multiple srokes with their decisions. I hope one day itwill only be game talk and not ref talk. Anyway, Abidal proved me wrong and I can't say how happy I am I was wrong about Eric. The lads showed great work rate and that passion, consentratio and level of commitment gave us 3 difficult points. Villareal showed signs of a team that was well prepared and followed their manager's instructions to the letter. Thumbs up for Garrido and his players for they played with cojones and not like most teams would play in front of 80.000 blaugrana!!! That makes our victory even more worthy and adds a bit to our confidence for the games to come. Visca Barca!!!!!!
Well done to the entire Barca team for a deserved win over a gritty Villarreal side who refused to go down without a fight.
Abidal did a decent job in shutting up many doubters ( me included) about his ability to play as a CB in this game. However I still think he's a better LB than a CB and I'd rather we have him play his natural position than a makeshift CB. Everyone was superb especially the dynamic duo of Xavi and Iniesta. These two set up the magic that culminates with Messi leaving all of us speechless.
@FCB-Holland : Great job on the stats my friend although I don't think any of us need to be convinced over who's the most gifted player on the planet. I'm still a bit concerned about how The Annoying One keeps picking up his 3 points on a weekly basis irrespective of how good or bad Real play.
@Nic: Whats all this noise aboiut Afellay? Please tell us its all nonsense. We don't need another midfielder, a CB would be nice so that Abidal stops embarrassing me every time he's asked to play as a CB...
@ omerpk ,
Thanks for the compliment . It is obvious that Messi is the best player in the world but you get tired of hearing all the hype about Cristiano Ronaldo .
C.Ronaldo leads the scoring list in La Liga thanks to 3 goals from PENALTIES . Messi has none .
As I have mentioned in another website (under the name Banana Republic), it is NOT Messi's fault that C.Ronaldo flops in European competitions . So far he has scored ONE goal in 4 games to Messi's 5 .
Anyway , I totally agree with you about Abidal . He makes me nervous every time he plays as a CB . If it was not for Pique's stupidity we would not be talking about this now . Besides , let's not forget that Abidal is 31 years old . Perhaps it is time to look for a young replacement soon .
About Affelay , I get the impression from some publications here in Holland that the deal is all but done . It is only a matter of time .
As I have mentioned before I don't mind having Affelay for such a low price . I think he is talented enough to be a good reinforcement . True, like you said , our priorities are NOT in midfield . But you never know with injuries and suspensions .
We have not resolved the LW yet . We definitely need some CB help . Milito is injured , again and Puyol is NOT going to be around for too long .
@ FCB-Holland
seriously enough of these silly comparisons, your words regarding Messi just scream fanboy. I'm a Barca fan but i dun find the need to defend Messi, he's a great (some say the greatest) player. But do not be mistaken, CR is also a great player, even thou I dun like CR's attitude doesnt mean i dun recognize his ability with the ball.
Stay objective.
PS: deflected fk goals is just one of the many ways u can score a goal. I'll take 2 deflected fk goal over a spectaular goal any day any time.
PSS: i dun mean to offend, i apologize in advance if my words irks u.
Come on guys! Affelay are first of all a winger, like Pedro! He can play in Iniestas postions to. We would be stupid if wouldnt buy him for that kind of money.
Messi-Villa-Pedro-Bojan-Affelay-Jeffren- Its all we need upfront
Announced officially that an agreement has been made for Affellay.
At least we will have someone who can score from distance now.
Check out this Video.
LINK
BTW, you guys may have noticed that I haven't commented recently. Too little time I'm afraid. I have been reading everyone else's fine words of wisdom however. Cheers
WHAT??????????????????????
The comment above is from me!!
This Website is acting up.
Hi guyz. Great comment - interesting. Frm NigerianCatalan
@ laoahpeh ,
Sorry to offend you for stating the obvious ; that Messi is the best player in the world and he is BETTER than Cristiano Ronaldo .
Of course , everyone is entitled to his opinion but I don't think Cristiano Ronaldo is a great player !!
When will all these incessant hype & intermittent comparisons btw Lionel Andres Messi (I prefer callin' him LAM) & CR cease? It's gettin' nauseatin'!!!
@FCB-Holland
Great stats it was u unleashed. Keep up the good gesture!
@ loapeh
Do me a favour; stop usin' the word "silly" when addressin' issues concernin' LAM & CR b'cause they're both rare gems. I b'lieve comparisons should be made only between close entities but I don't seem to find any proximity b'tween LAM & CR. Undeniably though, they are both exceptional individually but on relative grounds, LAM is generations ahead of CR. Come to think of it; the stats as evinced by FCB-Holland will suffice to single out the better among the two. But if u stil aint comfy with that, then read on.
This season alone; CR has scored 11 goals in 11 Laliga games, 1 goal in Copa Del Rey (CDR) and 1 goal in 4 CL matches while LAM has scored 10 goals in 9 Laliga games, 1 goal in CDR and 5 goals in 4 CL matches.
Stil confused? Read on!
LAM has played a total of 5 highly competitive games with CR -- thrice @ MUFC & twice @ RMCF (his current club). Out of these encounters, LAM has scored 2 classical goals with excellent finishings while CR has, instead of scorin' 2 goals, has bagged at least two yellow cards -- I remember the one @ Stadio Olympiaco durin' d CL final of May 27, 2009 in Italy & the one @ Camp Nou against Zambrotta in 2008. More so, LAM is a role model in terms of etiquette & in fact, a UNICEF ambassador; I recall CR takin' off his Jersey against a lowly Almeria last season after scorin' the 4th goal that was not even the winnin' goal as the match ended 4-2 & he got redcarded after bookin' a second yellow. Moreover, in terms of social life, we all know how irresponsible & indecent CR is. Need I say more???!!!
Relate all these details to even a day old baby and b'lieve me, the baby will talk. The baby's remark would probably be:
"If sanity stil exists in humans, then it stands to reason that CR is no where near LAM in all ramifications as he (LAM) is several planets ahead of CR!"
One love to y'll.
@FCB-Holland: Please don't take this the wrong way but I'm a bit wary of talent coming out of the Dutch league in recent years. Mateja Kezman, Huntelaar,Afonso Alves and Samaras to name a few. Even Van Der Vaart, Van Persie and Robben have failed to fully realise their potential as yet. Perhaps Van Nistelrooy is the most successful Eredivisie import of this decade and maybe Sneijder will follow-up his brilliant season this time as well.
No point in debating Afellay though. He's coming in Jan. as per the Barca site (subject to personal terms agreement as the clubs have already agreed) so right or wrong we have to give him the requisite time to settle down and prove himself. Lets hope he turns out to be a signing like R10 instead of an Ibra. Van Bommel ( a player who I believe left us a season or two early)and another former Barca player Cocu have given their votes of confidence to the youngster and his ability to fit in at Barca.
@Nic: I know you're busy man but would appreciate your take behind this surprise purchase. Further does this move mean Barca are not going to break the bank in the summer for Cesc? Moreover how will this impact the development of Thiago and JDS because surely they will both drop down below Afellay in the Barca benchwarmers/subs chart.
i think we wud let bojan go if right offers come! thats the only solution i can see if this Affellay deal is through !!
shoudn't let thiago go at any cost ... he is the best among the cantera products we hv now!!
@ FCB-Holland
I believe it's a subjective thing who is a better player. Do not be mistaken, to me, Messi is the best player now. Which is why I do not like silly comparisons, they dun prove anything. Cheers.
@ NigerianCatalan
I totally agree with you. They shouldnt be compared. Your statistics means nothing, because there are other variables in play here. For example, Messi got half the WC winning squad playing with him. You cannot control for these variables. Any even in an imaginary world, you managed to do so, you still need to account for the Law of Large Numbers.
What my point is, most Barca fans KNOW Messi is the better player. But we certainly dun have to justify it, certainly not with statistics.
Case in point - Who is a better player is subjective. Everyone is entitled to their opinion.
PS: I know CR is an ass on and off the field, that part i can agree. but his ability with the ball cannot be doubted, he will always be the dangerman in RM.
Cheers
@ NigerianCatalan ,
Very nicely put . Good points over all .
@ laoahpeh ,
Of course stating who is better is subjective but "stats" count for something too . I'm glad we agree that Messi is NOT a bad player after all . Just kidding . You are right about Cristiano Ronaldo being an ass . If he only handles himself with some dignity and class people would probably have a more positive opinion of him and his talent .
@ omerpk ,
I agree with you totally about the quality of the Dutch players in recent years . Of all the players you mentioned I only consider Arjen Robben as top notch world class . Unfortunately he is too fragile and tends to get injured easily , too often and misses too much time . I think both Van Persie and Sneijder are very good players but they are NOT in the same class as Robben . When fully Robben can single-handedly determine the outcome of a game . The others can't .
About Affelay ; he is a decent player with some good technical skills . He is versatile enough to play on either wing or in midfield . I see him as a back up to Messi , Iniesta and Xavi . Don't expect him to score a lot of goals . He is more of a play maker and an assist man than a goal scorer . With the little money Barça would pay for him , how can you go wrong ?
" When fully Robben can single-handedly determine the outcome of a game . The others can't . "
I meant to say " When fully FIT..."
@FCB-Holland: Yes, considering I'm one of the biggest critics of Barca's transfer dealings in recent years, Afellay might turn out to be a 'rare' bargain if he comes in for the 3-4m amount being reported and manages to fit into the role of a backup creative midfielder for the dynamic duo of Xavi and Iniesta. Two things that I find very interesting in this purchase is how this will affect the Fab chase in the summer and more importantly the development of JDS and Thiago.
One more thing about your earlier post regarding the LW issue. I don't know about you but I always thought Villa was Henry's replacement instead of Ibra. IMO the LW issue is sorted, rather its the CF issue that might need to be sorted out in the summer. I think most people agree that with our current system we don't need/deploy a conventional CF and rather its a fluid system where the front 3 of Villa,Messi and Pedro/Iniesta interchange.
Personally I don't have a problem with this system as far as La Liga is concerned and perhaps even the group stages of the CL. What might be a cause of concern is in the knockout stages of the CL when we come up against the physical English sides like Man U and Chelsea. They will form a Great Wall in front of their goal and we will have to rely on Xavi and Iniesta to come up with a spectacular pass to unlock their defence. We will just have to wait and see how Pep counters this strategy because the Irritating One got the better of him in the CL last season.
@ omerpk ,
I doubt if the signing of Affelay would hurt the chances of JDS and Thiago . They are both young (19) . They will have plenty of chances to grow and play . However the signing of Affelay could have an adverse effect on Bojan and see his minutes shrinking even more .
You are right about Villa . He is more of a LW than a CF . Affelay can be a useful back up in case of injuries/suspension . Don't forget we have one of the smallest squads anywhere and some of our key players tend to protest and complain too much to the referees sometimes and pick up unnecessary and sometimes stupid yellow cards .
As far as coming up against teams who will "form a Great Wall in front of their goal " don't forget we play Real Madrid twice . I suspect Jose Mourinho will do what he does best every time he faced Barça : Park The Bus . Guaranteed !!
Hi guyz! I sort of have d perception that Afellay will be a very good signin'. Remember, XH is 30 so we better be breedin' a replacement in good time. As for d CB issue, d money we'll be savin' in d purchase of Affelay would be quite enough to shop for 2 decent CBs instead of squanderin' so much on Cesc (Do we even need him anymore? I don't really think so). Don't forget we've got Thiago & he's doin' pretty well too.
@ loahpeh
"SUBJECTIVE" or whatever vocabulary u choose to use, what sense would it make if a Chelsea fan, out of subjectivity or whatever, says Ramires is better than Paul Scholes of MU? FACT: Everyone knows what's what!!!
PS: No offense -- but how could u say my stats hold no water?
The only reason Brazil is respected all over d world is simply b'cause of their WC STATS!
What are d indices for the emergence of world best players? --STATS!
Why is RM considered d most successful club in Europe? -- Nothin' but STATS!
Read d word backwards bro -- it's still STAAAAATS!!!
Come on loahpeh! How is it LAM's fault that CR doesn't have d trio of XH, AI & SB in his midfield? Besides, he (LAM), alone, took the ball from the midfield in Dubai today to beat 4 Argentines before sinkin' d ball behind d net with yet another magnificient finish.
My ADVICE:
Maybe CR should turn back the hands of time & enroll with Barça so that he can be coached through d youth ranks. U never can tell, he might achieve LAM's status if he tries out this suggestion.
Ooohhh!!! And I forgot to mention in my STATS that;
CR's best c'son ended with 42 goals in all competitions (courtesy of many undeserved PKs), while LAM's ended with 47 goals (was any PK inclusive @ all? Well, I b'lieve u know better).
PSSS: Just know that my submissions aint hinged on my bein' a fan+ of Barça, rather, on plain grounds - NO STRINGS ATTACHED.
Have FUUUN!!!
@ NigerianCatalan
Your stats will be relevant only if the world can agree on what stats define "Greatest Player". I can pull some stats saying Villa is a better striker than Messi because he got 1 World Cup medal and Messi dun. See there? Stats. Does it mean Villa is a better player? No. It's only my opinion on what defines a great player.
If goals and assists defines a great player, the top scorer will win the Ballon D'Or every year. But no, it's decided by voting, a subjective view.
for the record, i am not saying whose fault it is, i am just saying there are too much variables at play here and we cannot control them.
Weird. The comment is mine.
@FCB-Holland: I hope you are wrong about Afellay's signing affecting Bojan's development because Bojan can still IF he wants to become a very good forward if not an out and out CF. Its disappointing to see a player who showed so much potential a few years back stuck as far as his growth as a player is concerned.Plus if he's played as a backup winger/forward, its would mean Jeffren falling behind in the selection process.The decision regarding Afellay's position - whether on the flanks or in the midfield will be eventually be made by Pep once he arrives in January.
@NigerianCatalan, FCB-Holland,Laohopeh: While its an absolute joy to watch Messi weave his magic on the pitch just as all of were mesmerised by R10 a few years back and by numerous other football legends - I think most of us football fans are guilty of according excessive adulation and admiration to goalscorers. After all isn't football a team game, so what exactly is the point of a 'single' Player of the Year award.
Galacticos I came crumbling down after the departure of a certain Makelele just as a brilliant Barca side were undone by Zanetti and Cmabiasso man marking the 'best player(s) in the world' out of the game.
While stats I agree provide an indicator of a player's success, IMO (which could be wrong..lol) they don't give you the whole story.For example Ryan Giggs has won nothing at the national level yet does that make him an inferior player to say David Villa who's won the European Cup and the World Cup. And then there are other factors like whether the player's a deadball specialist which increases his goal tally, he was played in his preferred position (Messi WC 2010 case in point), how competitive the league is, long-term injuries, suspensions etc.
Lets just celebrate and be grateful that we can witness some of the greatest football magicians at work irrespective of which team they belong to...
Hey! Meant to say; "... to beat 4 Brazillians..." where I said; "...to beat 4 Argentines..."
@ Loahpeh & omerpk
Don't get it twisted -- absorb this!
What I'm only tryin' to say is; 'subjectivity' is, on a large scale, subject to overall STATS.
Reason: b'fore WBPs are 'EVENTUALLY' voted for, u'll agree with me that the shortlist is based on individual exploits (both country & club STATS). In other words, STATS serves as d yardstick for nominations before opinions now set in. The goal scorin' details I appended to my last comment was just to buttress my submissions -- I don't remember sayin' it should be used solely for d emergence of WBPs. Remember, XH is d current Euro best on account of his vast prowess (STATS) in d midfield & not his goal-scorin' resumé.
@ omerpk
Clarification: It's not about givin' undue eulogy to certain players! Maradona enjoyed his time, R10 enjoyed his & so did many others. Even LAM & CR won't be top-notch forever so I think they deserve to relish theirs too to the fullest while it lasts.
I totally concur with u that the "other factors", as u rightly mentioned, count. But don't forget that the earth on which we live becomes a large open space of darkness @ night but no matter how dark & cloudy, a full moon will still shine its light!
Let us just celebrate them & enjoy good football as u've advanced.
The Clasico is just a few days ahead! What do u guyz envisage?
LOVE Y'LL!
@NigerianCatalan: Gr8 to have some1 from the land of the Super Eagles on this forum. Maybe I didn't get my message through properly first time around.
I just don't buy this 'best player' thing too much primarily because its a team game. Yes Inter were the best team in Europe last season but I don't think it was Sneijder alone just like it wasn't R10 alone in 2006 and it wasn't Messi winning us the CL in 2009 either. IMO you just can't put 1-2 guys on a pedestal and ignore the other 9-10 guys who have played their parts as well.
Messi , CR7 and other forwards/attacking players can showcase their talent bcos there are 10 other players who do their bit properly. Busquets,Puyol,Pique and Valdes are as important IMO in the success of Barca magic as are Messi,Xavi and Iniesta. Yet I can't seem to recall in the recent past when a DM or a GK won the Ballon D'Or simply because football fans like us, the media and the so-called football experts love to glorify goal scorers and ignore the other guys who are slogging away but don't have the fancy footwork or any other eye-catching skills.
Just a personal opinion though. I'm sure loads of ppl disagree although I wouldn't have a problem with 'The Most Entertaining/Exciting Player' award.
@omerpk
thank you, that is a marvelous piece of comment.
@NigerianCatalan
"What I'm only tryin' to say is; 'subjectivity' is, on a large scale, subject to overall STATS. "
i can more or less agree with this statement, stats is a science, selecting which stats to use and how to use it is an art. (99% fat-free vs 1% fats)
cheers
@ omerpk ,
I could be wrong but I think Guardiola may not be totally convinced with Bojan as a prospect . Frank Rijkaard gave Bojan an opportunity and he responded very positively only to see Guardiola put a halt to his progress . Let's hope the signing of Affelay would NOT signal the end of Bojan's chances with the first team .
Affelay is versatile and can play RW , AM and LW but his best position is the LW . Since Affelay is more experienced in that position Bojan's only chance would be to sub as a CF . However I doubt if Bojan is Guardiola's ideal CF . This could be a make or break year for Bojan . If he fails to prove himself to the coach he could be on his way out !!
Hey!
@ Laoahpeh & omerpk
I guess I kind of agree with both of 'ur conceptions now - sounds more objective!
@ Laoahpeh
I said "OVERALL STATS" so I don't see any justification behind ur stmt; ".....selecting which stats to use.....". And d ".....how to use it.....", I suppose, is subject to d voters -- d 'subjectivity' u've been stressin'.
@ omerpk
Glad to meet u too!
@ Everyone
Have FUN!
@NigerianCatalan
I am afraid i cant make it any more plainly than "stats is a science, selecting which stats to use and how to use it is an art"
"There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics"
@ laoahpeh
U're stil concealin' d whole scenario under d ambiguous canopy of GRAMMAR. Anyways, yours is yours & mine's mine.
@ everyone
Have FuN!
As if objectivity and subjectivity exist... hahaha.
I'm not a positivist (or a phenomonalist).