₦airaland Forum

Messi takes leaf out of Xavi's book

Lionel Messi is the butterfly effect. The Argentine walks to his own beat. He picks out his space, soaks up the attention and scores. He decides how the game is won and who wins it.

Messi, without ceasing to be Messi, is now the new Xavi Hernández. He no longer just plays to score one goal after another; he also dictates the play. His average of a goal a game - and if they need another, that's no sweat for him either - is added to by half an assist every 90 minutes. If Messi is on your side, the match starts with the score already at 2-0.

The pint-sized wizard has become Barça's thermostat, their mainframe. At the Nuevo Arcángel he decided to put himself in the thick of it - where there were more opponents' legs and less spaces - and from there he set the tempo, provided an assist and scored. He is unstoppable.

His maturity is plain to see and his leadership unquestionable. These are the intangible aspects pointed to by a team of players who bow at the feet of a genius who has turned himself into a player-manager by convincing everyone that the easiest thing to do is just let him get on with it.

Messi has started to resemble Diego Maradona since the simplification of the Barça philosophy and implementation of a team of superstars (though that Napoli side barely had anyone who stood out) whose every move revolves around his genius. There is no longer any noise surrounding him. He controls it all. They need him and his response is to play for everyone else. Top-class.

http://www.marca.com/en/2015/05/03/en/football/barcelona/1430640515.html

Krasid:
Wrong stat.MSN has 108 goals so far, but it won't matter as they will end up being the biggest fraud trio in the history of spanish football after winning just the copa del rey.

Thank you for that observation but let me be straight with you...

It's your Madrid affiliated company "Marca" that fraudulently reduced it...

Feeding people with fake news...

https://www.nairaland.com/2284330/open-letter-manchester-united-fans#33387647

dmcdad:
The so-called most competitive league is already over. While in Spain, we are almost tied neck-and-neck with Madrid.

I dey tell you...

https://www.nairaland.com/2284330/open-letter-manchester-united-fans#33234889




Congrats to every Chelsea fans out there...

3 Gbosas!!!

nickyvil:
Dear Chelsea fans,
Congrats on about winning your 5th league title but FOR YOUR INFORMATION
Aston villa won their 5th league trophy in
1900(115yrs ago)
Sunderland did it in 1913(102yrs ago)
Arsenal did it in1938(77yrs ago)
Everton did it in1939(76yrs ago)
Liverpool did it in 1947(68yrs ago)
Man u did it in 1957(58yrs ago)
Even when the name was changed to EPL...
Man u won it 3 consecutively times in a role so
Winning 5 league trophies isn't any achievement that
hasn't been seen before so please (mayorsweet,jacabi,onyeomaonyeoma,Daninya11) stop worrying our ears with the noise of being league champs.
If you don drink Origin join am with osogbo weed abeg ask how (Origin101) dey do am without him been taking to yaba left cos d guy even dey coded e no dey make too noise abeg stop see d list below since dem change the name to EPL...
1992/93: Manchester United
1993/94: Manchester United
1994/95: Blackburn Rovers
1995/96: Manchester United
1996/97: Manchester United
1997/98: Arsenal
1998/99: Manchester United
1999/00: Manchester United
2000/01: Manchester United
2001/02: Arsenal
2002/03: Manchester United
2003/04: Arsenal
2004/05: Chelsea
2005/06: Chelsea
2006/07: Manchester United
2007/08: Manchester United
2008/09: Manchester United
2009/10: Chelsea
2010/11: Manchester United
2011/12: Manchester City
2012/13: Manchester United
2013/14: Manchester City
Abeg wetin dey do u self , thank God..... We hav sai Buhari now Alot of chelshit fans dey go exile..

Wicked...

I see a Barca vs Real Madrid final...

https://www.nairaland.com/2285169/seeing-double-bernabeu#33251865

D9ty7:
Real Madrid fans thought that they were seeing double at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday
as two of their players tried to take throw-ins at the same time. After the ball had gone out of play during the first half of the Blancos' Liga meeting with Almeria in
the Spanish capital, both Fabio Coentrao and James Rodriguez retrieved replacements from the
ball boys at the side of the pitch. The pair then tried to restart the game at the same time, much to the bemusement of Almeria's
players. Check out the strange image below ...
Source: http://m.goal.com/x/en-ng/news/11263932

The height of desperation...

dmcdad:
José Mourinho on title: "I could have been clever and chosen a country where it's easy. Nobody beats anybody 8-0 in the Premier League."

Meanwhile in 2012...

Mourinho (2012): "Chelsea goes there, will finish third in La Liga because two best teams in the world are in the same league.”

This man reminds me of many plastic fans especially EPL's...

Tval & Fredoooooo, congrats...


Chelsea finally wins EPL...

Bimffo:
Welbeck is going to wembley, Cleverly is going to wembley, Chicharito is going to Berlin..

Di Maria, Falcao, Rooney, are going to the beach..



SailorXY, So U decided to be on Ghostmode today.. Weldone..! We hope to see you tommorow cheering Chelshit to Victory.

Bimffo! It's official you are mean...

ElFenomeno1:
Stupi d as s MUFC fans
They don't listen when you tell them the truth
A couple of lucky results got some of them dreaming
The worst team on all fronts out of the top 5 in the EPL right now
I hope you don't even make UCL.
You don't deserve it ... insha Allah I hope the woes and misery continues
I hate MUFC

Where is that deluded SailorXY?
Coogar nkan? looks like his secret hideout has had its only outlet blocked by the shower of shi t United keep raining
Adelana abi Akindanidani is the the only scumtwat vomiting all over the thread trying to stay afloat......
Scummies i say goodnight ... dead as a FC

Wicked...

tess1:
He should've moved Fellaini to mata's position and move Mata to play to the right of Rooney. We can get goals by instructing Young to be putting crosses to the back post for Fellaini or any of the through passes from Mata which he is good at.

By this, Rooney, RVP and Fellaini could've scored. He got it all wrong by withdrawing RVP and moving Fellaini upfront. Only my opinion.

Coachy...

Every Man Utd fan on here dey coach pass LVG...

Bimffo:
Just sae this on Twitter..

Last 3 matches, Man U has lost
1-0
3-0
1-0
That's 131. Are U MTN?

Bury me please..

Wicked...

It's official...


Manchester United have lost three games in a row for the first time since 2001, and have not scored in three consecutively since 2007...

Bimffo:
Ronaldo just scored 3 Goals.. He should give the 3 goals to Charity, People that hasn't scored in the last 3 games..

SailorXY, show face na..

Wicked...

debosky:
nyabinghi my man how you dey?

I commiserate with you in these tough times for your club.

See elampiro writing epistles with a thousand reasons why United lost eh?

Referee dashed awoof penalty and y'all still saying he made it hard for you. What else do you want?

I don't know why folk are talking about Carrick - if you managed 80% possession without him, how/why was he missed? Or is Carrick now the person who scores the goals for y'all?

Like I said Van Hag should get his head checked if he truly believes the 'bad start' is the only reason y'all didn't win the league. His case has worsened from self deception to outright delusion.

Wicked...

elampiro:
Man United has now lost three games in a row for the first time since 2001.

Smalling and McNair recorded zero tackles.

At half time, I thought our players should know how important it was to miss having one point from the game. I told my self, if they dont let us score, then we shouldnt allow them the opportunity of threatening us. A draw would have meant that we needed a win and a draw to qualify for UCL. Now we need two wins if Liverpool find the form that had earlier in the year.

Danhumprey:
This is just sad!

What about yesterday's game?


Lost 3 games in row...

Krasid:
Moral of the story: Never doubt the best in the world.

I still don't understand why argue with yourself...

Messi selflessness has made him scored lesser goals unlike...

Bayern Leverkusen 2-0 Bayern...


A40 n Raumdeuter how far...


The fear of Barcelona is the beginning of...

Austeenx:
Who did this to you?
Is it the football orgāsm or Orijin?

Messi is not just player but a great guy...

Tval:
must you always mention Chelsea call it "dry gin bottle". We don own that name.

Tval:
Quoting yourself

Hope you loving it...

Yet people will still argue about Barca chances against Bayern... I mean some so-called Barca fans!

coded01:
Messi gave Neymar an opportunity to score a penalty that ordinarily should be Messi's hatrick...

Honestly, how many of us are as selfless as this...

It's not about being a great player but having greatness in you...Humility is key n Messi stands out from every player that has ever, I repeat ever played football...

I know some haters are gradually loving Messi for his generosity...except hardcore haters...

coded01:
Messi gave Neymar an opportunity to score a penalty that ordinarily should be Messi's hatrick...

Honestly, how many of us are as selfless as this...

It's not about being a great player but having greatness in you...Humility is key n Messi stands out from every player that has ever, I repeat ever played football...

Messi gave Neymar an opportunity to score a penalty that ordinarily should be Messi's hatrick...

Honestly, how many of us are as selfless as this...

dmcdad:
Me? Krasid? Olurun màjè!

I dey fine oooo. How your side na?

What's your prediction for today's match?

I thank GOD for his mercy... Thank you...

Barcelona will dismantle Córdoba...

I see Sevilla dealing with Madrid...

dmcdad:
Maka why?

Why be say you come they use small "OK"...


Abi na u be double agent for our thread...


Na only Dmcdad dey reply with "OK"...


Its either 2 things; You hacked Krasid account or You be Krasid...


Anywayz, how u dey?

Krasid:
OK.

I suspect dmcdad...