Messi vs Rooney

[Bumble]

You must remember, Rooney has the severe handicap of being English when it comes to decided who is better.

You will always get a whole bunch of people that vote on these polls who will vote against the English player, or the player in the English league because they resent it.

I made a similar point 2-3 seasons ago when Frank Lampard was playing better than Kaka but not getting a look in when we discussed who the better player was - and it's still relevant now.

If Rooney was from Italy, or Argentina or Spain, he would get a much better look in. Especially on sites like this filled with continental snobs.

 

[aqua_duck]

*facepalm*

they haven't been this year - thats the point

Messi has 25 goals and 9 assists in 24 match this season in La Liga (21 starts, 3 appearances as a sub).
So at the moment he's the leading scorer in La Liga and near the top of the goal assists leaders as well. How much more do you expect of him?
Rooney has 26 goals and 3 assists in 29 matches.
So much for Messi being out of form or not as good as last season.

No doubt if Messi played as an out and out striker and took spot kicks and free kicks his goal scoring would be through the roof.

Whichever way you want to look at it (stats, highlight reels, castrol rankings, trophies, world player of the year awards, Ballon Dors) Messi is number 1

 

[hybrid_tiger]

So its irrelevant now it doesn't help the Messi argument. Okay.

Its pathetic, stupid, dumb and plain wrong is it? I have replied without insults to everything asked, you have posted petty name calling and nothing to say i'm wrong. Okaaaay.

Your right of course, i've never seen Barca play, silly me, its not like Football is ever on in the UK, and its not like anybody ever watches the game, your right of course. Okaaaaaay.

For f**ks sake. :roll:

Yes I'm insulting what you said because it's absolutely f**king ridiculous.

Can you just stop and read this for a second:

"Messi can't take a game by the scruff of the neck."
"Messi is not even close to Rooney."

I mean really...do I have to continue? How am I supposed to respond to that other than insulting it? Seriously?

And the dick pulling about which league is better is irrelevant, I have no idea why this always comes up when people start comparing players, and it always especially comes up when people start discussing Messi.

 

[pennywisealfie]

Based on my comments, I would like to apologize to Bumble on calling him out that he doesnt watch La Liga enough to judge Messi. I myself dont watch ANY premier league games, so i really can't rule on Drogba or Rooney. So, my apologies Bumble old chap.

 

[abpanther]

If Rooney was from Italy, or Argentina or Spain, he would get a much better look in. Especially on sites like this filled with continental snobs.

Further evidence as to why Poms are so disliked

 

[aqua_duck]

Yes I'm insulting what you said because it's absolutely f**king ridiculous.

Can you just stop and read this for a second:

"Messi can't take a game by the scruff of the neck."
"Messi is not even close to Rooney."

I mean really...do I have to continue? How am I supposed to respond to that other than insulting it? Seriously?

And the dick pulling about which league is better is irrelevant, I have no idea why this always comes up when people start comparing players, and it always especially comes up when people start discussing Messi.

The way people on go you'd think Messi was playing in the MLS or something. Realistically there isn't much difference between EPL, La Liga and Serie A. If La Liga was so inferior, surely guys like David Villa, Kaka, Sergio Aguero and Ronaldo would be unstoppable week in week out..................

 

[WireMan]

Yes I'm insulting what you said because it's absolutely f**king ridiculous.

Can you just stop and read this for a second:

"Messi can't take a game by the scruff of the neck."
"Messi is not even close to Rooney."

I mean really...do I have to continue? How am I supposed to respond to that other than insulting it? Seriously?

And the dick pulling about which league is better is irrelevant, I have no idea why this always comes up when people start comparing players, and it always especially comes up when people start discussing Messi.

Yes you have to continue, you can stop when you say something close to constructive. If you don't think the calibre of teams you play against effects how you are rated then thats your choice.


Ridders:
I believe Rooney is the better passer as he can pick a pass either long or short over his career. Messi more often than not relies on his dribbling and short passes using one twos a lot. Hence i believe coming in from the wing Messi carrys a greater threat and if you want a goal scoring winger it is between him and Ronaldo.

However as a complete footballer i would have Rooney infront of Messi. I'm glad that out of Ronaldo and Rooney it was Ronaldo who left United. Goal scoring wingers are really great to have, especially ones with the abilities of Messi but you need to build the team round them. Hence this year we have not built the team round Ronaldo and Rooney can play a more natural game.

For the national team, its not built round Messi, he struggles. In England we don't build a team around Rooney. We cruise to the finals with Rooney playing well.

If you had to put one player in to your team you would pick Messi? I would pick Rooney. Without a seconds thought.

 

[Ridders]

I believe Rooney is the better passer as he can pick a pass either long or short over his career. Messi more often than not relies on his dribbling and short passes using one twos a lot. Hence i believe coming in from the wing Messi carrys a greater threat and if you want a goal scoring winger it is between him and Ronaldo.

I think Messi can pass long or short as well..

Goal scoring wingers are really great to have, especially ones with the abilities of Messi but you need to build the team round them. Hence this year we have not built the team round Ronaldo and Rooney can play a more natural game.

And this year's United team isn't built around Rooney? Come on now. All great forwards perform better when the team is built around them. This doesn't just apply to the Messi's and Ronaldo's. The fact that Ronaldo left meant that the United team was focused on Rooney, which is why he's having such a break-out season

If you had to put one player in to your team you would pick Messi? I would pick Rooney. Without a seconds thought.

I would pick Messi without hesitation, but alas, that's not the reason I got into an argument with you to begin with.

 

[WireMan]

Nah, we ain't built a team round Rooney. It looks like that because he is Uniteds best player. He is having a break out season because he has broke out the shackles he had when Ronaldo was around.

Now we have 11 players playing in there natural role. Last year Rooney was playing left wing and tracking back alot to accomodate Ronaldos complete lack of defensive responsibility.

At Barca you have players like Henry or Zlatan who cannot play there games because its all about Messi.

 

[Ridders]

At Barca you have players like Henry or Zlatan who cannot play there games because its all about Messi.

So what do we make of Berbatov at United? It's hard to remember but he was actually a very good player at Tottenham but has been dog sh*t at United.

Now we have 11 players playing in there natural role

Does this mean that Berbatov's natural role is to be a mediocre player who is an after-thought in United's offense?

Please, don't kid yourself. Berbatov hasn't been able to play well this season because his game is marginalized due to the fact that United's team is focused on Rooney.

 

[hybrid_tiger]

Yes you have to continue, you can stop when you say something close to constructive. If you don't think the calibre of teams you play against effects how you are rated then thats your choice.

So for arguments sake if Messi moved to Italy and continued the same form he's in now there, he couldn't be rated as the best player in the world because the Serie A is seen as inferior currently to the EPL and La Liga? That's a joke. If he was playing in Qatar ok, but he's in Spain - for someone playing in one of the best leagues in the world, it is really irrelevant which league its in. It's one of the top three leagues.

I don't need to continue. To say "Messi can't take a game by the scruff of the neck" is just completely ridiculous, I still can't believe you actually think this.

I mean you could say you think Rooney's better because of XYZ or whatever, but to say Lionel Messi can't take a game by the scruff of the next is just...I'm sorry but it's just completely false.

 

[WireMan]

So for arguments sake if Messi moved to Italy and continued the same form he's in now there, he couldn't be rated as the best player in the world because the Serie A is seen as inferior currently to the EPL and La Liga? That's a joke. If he was playing in Qatar ok, but he's in Spain - for someone playing in one of the best leagues in the world, it is really irrelevant which league its in. It's one of the top three leagues.

I don't need to continue. To say "Messi can't take a game by the scruff of the neck" is just completely ridiculous, I still can't believe you actually think this.

I mean you could say you think Rooney's better because of XYZ or whatever, but to say Lionel Messi can't take a game by the scruff of the next is just...I'm sorry but it's just completely false.

Still nothing... Insult away.


Berbatov has been playing well recently. Playing upfront and linking with a front man is his natural position. Now he is next to Rooney, he was next to Keane, hence he doen't look as good now...

 

[Ridders]

Berbatov has been playing well recently. Playing upfront and linking with a front man is his natural position. Now he is next to Rooney, he was next to Keane, hence he doen't look as good now...

10 league goals in 26 EPL appearances. Awesome.

Ummm actually no. Berbatov's best position is being the main front man and having another forward lie deeper and play off him, which is what happened at Spurs with Keane. Thats what made him good at Spurs. With United he can't be the main front man due to Rooney's presence.

So, going by your previous statement about Ibra and Henry, Berbatov cannot play his game due to Rooney.

See how idiotic that critisizm sounds?

 

[Ridders]

Edit

 

[WireMan]

10 league goals in 26 EPL appearances. Awesome.

Ummm actually no. Berbatov's best position is being the main front man and having another forward lie deeper and play off him, which is what happened at Spurs with Keane. Thats what made him good at Spurs. With United he can't be the main front man due to Rooney's presence.

So, going by your previous statement about Ibra and Henry, Berbatov cannot play his game due to Rooney.

See how idiotic that critisizm sounds?

Ummm actually yes.

United play two upfront. Therefore both players play upfront. Its not Championship manager people do move you know? They are a forward partnership. This season we play a classic 4-4-2 with Berbatov or a 4-2-3-1 with Rooney as the point man. When Rooney is out, Berbatov plays as the one upfront.

Barca play a front three, Ibra and Henry have to adjust there natural game to allow Messi to play his, they like to make runs down channels and vary there games, a front three isn't flexible enough to allow this. If Henry ran down channels like he did for Arsenal Messi would be isolated. If Ibra could occupy the defence like he did at inter he would limit the space Messi gets. Hence the team is built around him.

United played the same way with Ronaldo coming in from the wing. Meant Berbatov had to drop deeper and Rooney was stuck on the left.

Trust me.

Messi is a great player, Rooney is better.

 

[Ridders]

You do realise Henry hasn't played much this season due to poor form right?

Ibra's problems are not primarily Messi inhibiting him. I think I've said this before but what was massively under-rated is how well Eto'o fit into Barca's system. Just curiously, when Eto'o was banging in 30 league goals last season, was Messi inhibiting him as well?

Wait a minute? Who's arguing that Barca aren't built around Messi this season? Everyone agrees on that. My point is that this current United team is also built around Rooney's talents. What I don't get is why you keep feeling the need to argue this? A club builds their attack around their best attacking weapon...What a f**king shocker :crazy:.

Trust me.

Messi is a great player, Rooney is better.

Well there we go. Genuine progress. You've come along way from your "not even close" rubbish.

 

[aqua_duck]

So was the team also built around Messi when Messi, Eto'o and Henry banged in over 100 goals between them last season

 

[hybrid_tiger]

Pedro plays more than Henry at the moment.

Barca's team is not built around Messi at all, I'd say it is built around Xavi and Iniesta more than Messi.

 

[Ridders]

Pedro plays more than Henry at the moment.

Bingo​

Barca's team is not built around Messi at all, I'd say it is built around Xavi and Iniesta more than Messi.

Xavi and Iniesta are definitely the engines of the Barca juggernaut. I just think they are more reliant on Messi offensively this season due to Ibra's sub-standard performances thus far in 2010.

 

[WireMan]

Pedro plays more than Henry at the moment.

Barca's team is not built around Messi at all, I'd say it is built around Xavi and Iniesta more than Messi.

So you build your team around your best player?

Which means Xavi and Iniesta are better than Messi?

From worlds best to third best at Barca in three posts... ;-)


Eto'o has good movement and played the system well. Tevez had good movement and played in the United system well. Doesn't mean the United team wasn't built around Ronaldo just because other players did well.

United have needed Rooney to step up this year in some games, thats not a debate. Does not mean the team is built around him though.