Village Idiot

2011 CL final. Only got one goal but he ran the show completely. Dat goal celebration too.

I guess there isn't a decent shot of the piece of paper where you can see what's written on it?

Or you could appoint somebody from here. I vote womblemaster.

There's lots of talk about Luís Enrique introducing stricter diet and training regimes. It's not just Messi, the entire team looks much fitter than last season.

All those eye-talian names look the same; next it will revealed to be Tony Cascarino.

f***ing hell He could manage Messi and he'd have Piqué booting it up to his head and play Adriano and Alba in midfield. This underrating of managers pisses me off btw. Yes, at the end of the day players are the ones that do the work on the pitch, but managers do have a massive influence. Did Atlético have a better squad than us last season? Yet they did better in all major competitions.

I voted yes for kicks too. He's gone full retard. You never go full retard.

They did when necessary, beating Mourinho's Madrid 5-0 was one of many examples. It just looked so effortless. We would score 4 or 5 against teams without ever looking like we were trying. Instead of quick punches each goal felt like leaves falling in autumn.

I'm of the same opinion actually. If Modric is fit for the final (I assume they'll turn Juve), they have a pretty good chance. He's just that important for them. Ancelotti hasn't really solved Real's midfield puzzle without him.

Sad to see him depayrt PSV; I wish these top teams in middling leagues were able to retain their talent a bit more.

I think this whoscored article nailed it, tbf: http://www.whoscored.com/Articles/dj9-xanyw0w5lqrvgqfscg/Show/Player-Focus-Messi-Worth-More-Than-Just-His-Weight-in-Goals-to-Barcelona

Nowadays Barça is a catchy rock'n'roll tune. Pep's team was a night at the opera.

I understand what you're saying, and I agree with you up to a point. Messi has much more in his arsenal to impact a game, but it's unfair to say that Ronaldo "doesn't turn up". I don't particularly think he doesn't turn up, I think he's easier to shut down and there's many examples of such. Yeah, but it has more to do with the opposition's style than anything else. I.e. Atlético are great at denying space, but we quite suck at it. Yet we are the "bigger" team.

I understand what you're saying, and I agree with you in general. Messi has much more in his arsenal to impact a game, but it's unfair to say that Ronaldo "doesn't turn up".

That f***ing fall. Can't stop laughing.

You're gonna make me feel dirty for defending Cristiano f***ing Ronaldo, but look at the past two games (Sevilla and Juve) and see who scored the goals that are keeping Real Madrid both in La Liga and the CL. Yeah, he doesn't have a good photo in a CL final like Messi does (except looking like a c*** showing off his muscles), but he's saved his team in some clutch moments. If he missed the one against Juve, where he btw for the rest of hte game was as invisible as Bale he should've been slaughtered. I can think of other domestic big games (Clásicos, mainly) where he's delivered the goods, but I'm gonna defer this to Froggy. Like fuck I'm going to keep defending Real Madrid players.

You're gonna make me feel dirty for defending Cristiano f***ing Ronaldo, but look at the past two games (Sevilla and Juve) and see who scored the goals that are keeping Real Madrid both in La Liga and the CL. Yeah, he doesn't have a good photo in a CL final like Messi does (except looking like a c*** showing off his muscles), but he's saved his team in some clutch moments.

Fair enough, I can't imagine rating a player based on what he does against Cordoba or Granada or Getafe for that sake though. CRonaldo doesn't perform nearly close to what Messi and Zidane did in big game, he disappears way too easily for my liking. The other impose themselves in big games. Yet every other player plays against Córdoba and Getafe (or Burnley or Cagliari or whatever) and only those two have that kind of impact. They are the best in the world every game; the year we had Ronaldo is the only other time when I have seen a player being so consistently dominant.

Not really, he just didn't became known until his 30s, because Brazil never picked him and thus only gained international recognition when he switched to Spain. He didn't have that much left in the tank after 2008.

I have seen Zidane sleepwalk through way too many games to put him at the top of footballing altars. I think it takes something special for Messi and Ronaldo to be Messi and Ronaldo almost every game. That's why both have these ridiculous stats in addition of performing in big games. Their consistency is ridiculous.

I was about to say the same, I can't think of 20 players better than Cronaldo... Messi, Pelé, Maradona, Cruyff...? Probably the original Ronaldo if he hadn't shattered his knee, but he did f*** up his knee so we'll never know.

Aye, when I went I would guess that real top tier was only 1/3 full and that middle section 2/3's full so you could move down and take someone's seat who had not attended Yeah, I do that all the time when I go. The stadium is actually too big. We rarely fill it to the brim; but the 80k+ season tickets all sell out, so it's a cash cow.

It's a sensible arrangement, imho. I'm a bit bearish about future TV income though. The Spanish domestic market has collapsed these years, and out of the three broadcasters that usually bid for La Liga rights, one is bankrupt and the other two are merging.

Old Trafford is smaller than the Bernabéu or Camp Nou, though. Camp Nou seats 100k, you just can't do that without very high sections. But yeah, those two are the only 80k+ seaters I have been in, so I really can't compare.

The Bernabéu is "shorter" than the Camp Nou (the Camp Nou is larger); so uptop feels closer there. It's still quite removed though, it just happens in those huge stadiums. I always pick nosebleed section seats when I go to Camp Nou. Cheaper seats = more games I can attend.