Everyone knows Ronaldo has scored plenty of screamers over the last few years, and as I said, I don't remember ever seeing Messi score from over 25 yards out...so am I wrong for saying Ronaldo has more variety when it comes to goalscoring? And did I say Messi is "rubbish'' because he's inferior in that aspect? I agree.
Well I simply don't agree. I think if you watch performances like the El Classico 5-0, Messi plays the role of the play-maker almost Xavi-esque, he's got all the attributes to do that role brilliantly, and I think he will. Ronaldo will not be able to come back into a position like that and as his pace goes his all round threat will diminish, being able to hit a shot fro 25yards is not enough to make you indispensable.
I'm not seeing it, Ronaldo relies a lot more on his athleticism than Messi and that's what usually goes first. Messi is a much more cerebral player so theoretically his effectiveness should be less affected by age.
I don't think he has the vision and passing range that Xavi possesses. I don't see Messi being able to sit and act as a metronome for his team and I daresay Barca would probably find a better player in central midfield than a 30 year old Messi. Not entirely true.Messi's greatest threat is his ability to skip past defenders at will and find space in and around defenders with his quick feet. If Ronaldo is going to loose his athleticism then Messi is probably to loose this razor like sharpness as well in an around defenders as well.
It's as much about his speed of thought as it is about his quick feet. Of course you wouldn't expect either Messi nor Ronaldo to be leaving 3 or 4 defenders in the dust well into their 30s, but Messi will still have his clever movement and vision which is a major element of his game. Ronaldo will have to make more of an adjustment once his physical attributes start to wane
Ronaldo bagged another couple against Villarreal. That guy is unstoppable in front of goal. Maybe he doesn't have the overall quality of Messi, but he's just as good a goal scorer.
He needs just a goal in the last game to break the record number of league goals in an entire Spanish season. And he's doing it in his second season. Messi: La Liga - 31 goals, 33 games Copa Del Rey - 7 goals, 7 games Supercopa de Espana* - 3 goals, 2 games Champions League - 11 goals, 12 games Total - 52 goals, 54 games Ronaldo: La Liga - 38 goals, 33 games Copa Del Rey - 7 goals, 8 games Champions League - 6 goals, 12 games Total - 51 goals, 53 games Monsters. *equivalent to the Community Shield, but two-legged instead of a one-off on a neutral ground, also means glorified friendly
I like how you feel to mention the worth of Supercopa de Espana as if Messi's goals in that competition are somewhat invalid.
It's not a glorified friendly though, the Community Shield is essentially a friendly because you can make 5 substitutions. The Spanish equivalent has the same rules as any other game so it's a proper game, thus you can't try and devalue Messi's achievements that way. The desperation of Ronaldo's fan-boys is quite amusing, much like Ronaldo himself they're desperate to play-down Messi and how good he is.
But what Ronaldo is doing this season is nothing short of amazing. I don't see why people cannot appreciate that there are two outstanding players at the moment, and we are quite priviledged to watch them. One thing that I have noticed, and was actually enforced by reading Evra's comments the other day, is that Ronaldo is someone you build your team to feed. Ronaldo requires service to excel. With Messi I think it's the other way around, he becomes the creator when Barcelona struggles and Xavi can't find the through passes.
And the Messi fanboys are desperate to play down how phenomenal Ronaldo is. Me, and everyone else who favours Ronaldo, don't say he is "lightyears'' ahead of Messi either or "in a class of his own''....the same can't be said about Leo's fans. Thankfully, Ronaldo has proven these people wrong by matching Messi this season.
I have never denied anything about Ronaldo's talents, I've engaged in discusssion about relative worth and I still firmly believe that Messi is a superior player. You wouldn't see me coming up with bollocks about games meaning more than others, if I was being like that I'd point to Messi's Champions League scoring record etc etc. They've both been exceptional but Ronaldo's fan-boys can't really argue their without trying to besmirch Messi, which I think says it all. There's something a little insecure about the whole Madrid press, Ronaldo fan-boys, desperately trying to big up Ronaldo's achievments and compare him to Messi. Inferiority breeds a complex :P When Ronaldo's creating as much as Messi does we can have this debate again
Messi is imo far and away the best player in the world and much better then Ronaldo. While Ronaldo scores many goals and is a brilliant player no doubt but Messi is so much more than just a great goalscorer which is what Ronaldo is atm. IMO the defenses in La liga are extremely weak and any good attacking player will score many goals.
There is a difference between scoring many goals and beating a 30 odd year old record. I think most of the Ronaldo fan boys are United supporters and it has nothing to do with insecurity when we try and big up his achievements. We are just genuinely proud to have bought up and nurtured a player like Ronaldo who is amongst the worlds best atm. His record is just phenomenal in only his second season in a team that that is fairly nascent in its formation and don't have anywhere near the cerebral connection Barca have. I think if Jose stays at Madrid for a season and more two and is able to settle the team I think we will Ronaldo become an even better player. Also to respond to your point about Ronaldo's UCL record I think that has a lot to do with the mentality of the two teams in Europe. Jose sets up his teams in a completely different manner as he does in the La Liga, it doesn't allow Ronaldo to rampage around in the same way he would in the La Liga.
Perhaps, but when Ronaldo isn't scoring he tends to be very quiet and have a poor game. The same can't be said of Messi, he always contributes the whole team even if he doesn't score. In fact, the more I think about it the more ludicrous the suggestion that Ronaldo is a better player seems.
Tbf I can't argue with a straight phase that Ronaldo is the better player than Messi, the stats are there for everyone to see Messi has been rather untouchable the last couple of years. But to say Ronaldo isn't anywhere near the player Messi was when Ronaldo is just a season or 2 shy of matching Messi isn't correct.
It's a no brainer... anyone who suggests otherwise is not very clued up on football or is a Man United fan, hence the heavy bias.
Thats what seperates Ronaldo from someone like Forlan who also scores lots of goals but Ronaldo is clearly the superior goalscorer. The Messi Ronaldo comparison in my mind is similar to the Henry RVN comparison . One players scores and creates goals while one is a supreme goalscorer and not much else . I pick the former every time.
