All Hail Lionel Messi.........

[salty]

By his standards a mediocre game in El Classico . The niggling injuries has him struggling for full fitness. Hopefully he will stay injury free and return to his sublime best.

[jellydog]

By his standards a mediocre game in El Classico . The niggling injuries has him struggling for full fitness. Hopefully he will stay injury free and return to his sublime best.

Word is salty that Messi wasn't pleased to be played out on the wing and given some defensive duties by Martino. I don't know if that is gospel but reported to be the case by more than one source. Strange if its true, but maybe Tata is trying to rein in Messi a bit to hopefully prevent more of his niggling thigh/hamstring problems. What is clear is that Messi was very subdued for him and I only saw him smile once the entire match, after Neymar's goal. Who BTW is going to terrorize defenses for years. I knew he had the goods but I had underestimated his quickness and dribbling skills. If he learns to finish with more oomph the sky is the limit for the kid.

Ironic about Martino and Messi. Martino is from Messi's hometown and there was talk that Messi and his father played a part in insuring Martino got the Barca job. For their trouble Martino subs Messi at times which Messi hates, and now supposedly has played him wide and back up the pitch and instructed him to track back more.

[salty]

Bad news for the Special one and those of us who look forward to our weekly fix. He went off injured last night against Real Betis and is looking at 6/8 weeks out. Since his injury against PSG he has been bedeviled by injuries.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/24900001

[carmine]

Ronaldo is possibly looking slightly more special this season.

Just scored his 23rd hat trick for Real Madrid. Rather impressive...Playing in this forward trident with Benzema and Bale i can see a few more this season.

Anyway, back on topic, lets hope Messi gets fit soon

Edited November 12, 2013 by carmine

[jellydog]

A bloody shame. A big loss for football fans everywhere. You have to wonder if Messi has been completely fit since the first injury. Different leg this time, but he admitted to not being fully recovered from the previous injury recently, and you have to wonder if he was compensating for the bad leg and so did the other. In addition he never really had any time off during the break, playing charity matches all over the place. I hope he begins to learn how to take better care of himself and cuts down on the year round football.

[salty]

http://espnfc.com/news/story/_/id/1613886/lionel-messi-injury-inquest-begins-spanish-media?cc=5739

[opalicki]

A bloody shame. A big loss for football fans everywhere. You have to wonder if Messi has been completely fit since the first injury. Different leg this time, but he admitted to not being fully recovered from the previous injury recently, and you have to wonder if he was compensating for the bad leg and so did the other. In addition he never really had any time off during the break, playing charity matches all over the place. I hope he begins to learn how to take better care of himself and cuts down on the year round football.

Messi has sufficient reason to do so. On the one hand, Barca have Neymar, Sanchez and other offensive players, can cope with the league and the Champions League does not matter, the first 14 in the league last weekend, in the case of absence of Messi, Barcelona still 4-0 victory Grenada; for Macy am concerned, next year's World Cup in Brazil is undoubtedly the most important of his career a battle, still missing a World Cup Messi certainly want the best state in Brazil, called quicken workers ...... Messi honest, "the former until the advent of the most difficult games, I think I can be ready."

His injury is not optimistic. Let his injuries quickly improved, sub-station http://www.wysjg.com/argentina-c-11_14/ for Argentina World Cup

[Chicog]

With Aguero and Messi in such imperious form, Argentina are worth a punt for the World Cup at 5/1.

[carmine]

With Aguero and Messi in such imperious form, Argentina are worth a punt for the World Cup at 5/1.

yes, i'm backing them. Really strong side.

[jellydog]

With Aguero and Messi in such imperious form, Argentina are worth a punt for the World Cup at 5/1.

You bet. If Messi is healthy and Sabella can work some magic with the defense. Argentina have a proper manager this time around. He's a wily fellow is Sabella.

I can't see an odds on favorite.

[bigbamboo]

If Messi is fully fit I still can't see beyond Argentina as winners in Brazil.

[jellydog]

Messi back on his game now and football the better for it.

[salty]

A widely held view. The return of The Real Special one but the team????????? Lionel Messi Magic Papers over Barcelona Cracks in Heart-Stopping Clasico By Guillem Balague , Guest Columnist

March 24, 2014

Paul White/Associated Press

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For anyone who ever doubted it, the message following a heart-stopping Clasico is clear: Lionel Messi is back.

Another hat-trick, albeit with two of the three goals coming from the spot, and an assist mean that the mercurial Argentina international has now scored no fewer than 15 times in the last nine games.

Fundamentally, and yet again, he was the difference between the two sides in a strange match. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a game where the domination of play and the scoring of the goals led such separate lives.

Whenever a team seemed to be in charge is when they conceded and when severely under the cosh is when they scored.

Andres Kudacki/Associated Press

What it has done, of course, is set up what should be a thrilling climax to this season’s La Liga.

Barcelona’s victory over Real has left Atletico top of the table with a better head-to-head record than their neighbours.

You know the footballing world has gone mad when half of Madrid wildly celebrates a Barcelona victory.

Whisper it, but the fact is if Atletico win their remaining fixtures, they will be champions.

In truth, however, I don’t really understand how Real managed to lose this game. As great an outcome as it is for Tata Martino, the result merely papers over the cracks of poor decision-making yet again by the Blaugrana coach.

Denis Doyle/Getty Images

Neymar’s presence on the pitch did not work in any way. He was not good with the ball, coming inside far too often and not releasing the ball quickly enough. However, that’s only the half of it.

Where he really let the side down was with his lack of positional discipline, moving from the wing and not tracking back. As a result, when Barca lost the ball in that area, it created havoc.

Twice, with Neymar having gone AWOL, Angel di Maria created chances that were gobbled up by Karim Benzema. Had the Frenchman really turned up with his shooting boots, the match would have been over as a contest by half-time.

Paul White/Associated Press

With neither Javier Mascherano nor Dani Alves defending well on that side of the pitch against a rampant Marcelo and Di Maria—and Neymar nowhere to be seen—Barcelona’s defensive frailties were there for all to see.

But once again, we have to say: cometh the hour, cometh the man.

The Barcelona star's pinpoint pass put in Andres Iniesta for the game’s opener.

Then, a very atypical Messi effort made sure his side went in all square at the interval before he clinched the win with two unstoppable spot-kicks—the first to cancel out Cristiano Ronaldo’s penalty, the second to secure the points.

And what of Real Madrid?

We saw only flashes of Gareth Bale mainly because he was having to run at Barcelona from very deep positions. Even though the home side started by defending high up the pitch, little by little they began to drop deeper despite the constant urging of Carlo Ancelotti and captain Sergio Ramos to push up.

Denis Doyle/Getty Images

With that said, they counter-attacked well with Di Maria running riot for just over an hour, as he created chance after chance for Benzema.

The long-overdue substitution of Neymar for Pedro in the 68th minute put a stop to that, but Madrid didn’t do a lot wrong.

Andres Kudacki/Associated Press

However, like so many in the past, and almost certainly more in the future, they just couldn’t deal with those moments of Messi magic.

Fresh from their triumph, Barcelona might feel that, to paraphrase Mark Twain, rumours of their death have been an exaggeration and this is not the end of an era.

The truth, however, is that there are a lot of weaknesses in this Barcelona side that will probably be punished—especially in the latter stages of the Champions League. This is a side that does not defend as it did in the past.

[StevieH]

barcelona are in a spot of bother then?

[wilai]

^Looking that way Unless of course Platini joins the club

Will upset the Trickies though as Deulofeu won't be allowed on loan next year

Edited April 2, 2014 by wilai

[jellydog]

barcelona are in a spot of bother then?

Could be in a lot bigger trouble due to this:

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/apr/02/barcelona-transfer-ban-fifa-fine

[wilai]

barcelona are in a spot of bother then?

Could be in a lot bigger trouble due to this:

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/apr/02/barcelona-transfer-ban-fifa-fine

errr we know

[StevieH]

barcelona are in a spot of bother then?

Could be in a lot bigger trouble due to this:

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/apr/02/barcelona-transfer-ban-fifa-fine

That was the reference Trigger. ;-)

Rather buggers up Victor Valdes and his Monaco move too.

[jellydog]

barcelona are in a spot of bother then?

Could be in a lot bigger trouble due to this:

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/apr/02/barcelona-transfer-ban-fifa-fine

errr we know

Missed the clue.

I've been a Barca fan dating back years, but unfortunately over the past several years they have begun to operate more and more like Real Madrid. I date this madness to Rosell being elected and taking over in 2010. Now we have this under 18 mess to accompany the Neymar fiasco, which was a classic Real Madrid like maneuver involving mega money for one Galactico-like player/personality. All the while Barca's defense has been increasingly inconsistent with little effort to patch the holes.

I get the impression that Barca and RM have been so babied and kowtowed to by Spain and the Spanish football federation that they have arrived at a point where they both think that they are completely above the law and relevant regulations. It'll be interesting to see what relief may get provided in the appeals process, and the backstage shenanigans will be in full bloom to be sure.

[meatboy]

after last nights performance messi and neymar get to sit on the bench next match.

[salty]

Messi hardly showed at all. There is a major problem with Barcelona and the little man has made very little impact since last Months Classico.

[meatboy]

Messi hardly showed at all. There is a major problem with Barcelona and the little man has made very little impact since last Months Classico.

somethings not right with him,i have never seen him moan so much as in last nights match,but the ref.was having none of it.

[jellydog]

Barca is in tatters I think, on and off the pitch. From the Neymar signing fiasco, to the transfer ban, to some player's dissatisfaction with Martino's tactics. Add in no leadership presence on the pitch with the virtual departure of Pujol, Valdez's injury and the aging and less effective Alves and Xavi. I could go on.

Still with oodles of talent but it looks like post top dog ennui has set in. Barca will can Martino after the season, but if the transfer ban sticks they will need some sort of major grit and will transfusion.

[Chicog]

Is it time for an "All Hail Gareth Bale" thread (hey, that's got a ring to it).

[salty]

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2032282-cristiano-ronaldo-comforts-lionel-messi-after-real-madrid-win-copa-del-rey-win?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=fc-barcelona

[jellydog]

Messi's World Cup boot.

[salty]

Messi as a 13 y/o boy.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2201648-fc-barcelona-pay-homage-to-lionel-messi-on-anniversary-of-arrival-at-the-club?utm_source=newsle

[salty]

Another record for the little genius. He is now the leading goalscorer of all time in La Liga.

http://www.espnfc.com/barcelona/story/2109090/barcelonas-lionel-messi-breaks-la-liga-goalscoring-record-vs-sevilla

[jellydog]

Another record for the little genius. He is now the leading goalscorer of all time in La Liga.

http://www.espnfc.com/barcelona/story/2109090/barcelonas-lionel-messi-breaks-la-liga-goalscoring-record-vs-sevilla

Ha ! You beat me to it Salty !

The rumors of his demise have been greatly exxagerated.

[tw25rw]

Saw him for Argentina at Upton Park the other week. Played 90 mins and showed plenty of flashes of brilliance. Set up one with an inch perfect cross-field pass, and scored a pen.