I know this is going to sound Moyesyish but we really didn't do that badly last week in Bavaria considering the team we had our especially before the two late goals.

They're just incredible.

I have never ever seen Ronaldo not be arsed to run, maybe that doesn't settle the argument but it sure says a lot about Messi.

Barca look f**ked with their aging squad and huge money buys like Griezmann and Countinho not fitting in. It's about time they enjoy a few years of mediocrity, hopefully they're going to get it.

Nice to see Barcelona get stuffed and it makes our result less embarassing now.

Guessing Barca will have or be seeking a new manager this time tomorrow.

If Man City beats both Lyon and Bayern they will be huge favorites to win it...

What did I just watch

Wow Barca we kept Bayern to 7 over two games lol

Just in case anyone thought we could have done better against Bayern, presumably things are clear after this game. They could've easily scored 10.

25 minutes ago, Sexyfootball said:

A rather pointless GOAT argument on this thread this evening ... anyone who has been on this forum a while would know that Messi isn't fit to lace Lewis Cook's boots ...

Messi has done incredible things on a football pitch consistently since pretty much the day he started playing for Barcelona's first 11, he has probably amazed people with his ability more times than any other player on the planet. Does this make him the best ever? maybe, maybe not. A lot of people have a different idea of what makes a player the greatest ever. Some people look at stats, others look at trophies, and they there are those that look at what they have won in international football.

Over the years, Messi has probably wowed me more consistently than any other player, but the best player I ever seen play a game of football was Ronaldinho. He didn't do it throughout his whole career, mainly because he let his personal life get in the way, but the things he could do with a football was something I have never seen any other replicate at the highest level. 

So for me, if it comes down to being consistently brilliant, then Messi is the best footballer I have seen. When it comes to pure footballing ability, then it's Ronaldinho.

55 minutes ago, Sexyfootball said:

Does this now mean that ter Stegen is a worse keeper than Kepa ? LOL

If it wasn't for him they would've conceded at least two more.

and some people thought we could have won against Bayern.

Barcelona was humiliated 

I don’t think I’ve ever seen a footballer at that level as disinterested as Messi was tonight. His workrate and movement was abysmal. 

18 minutes ago, Deino said:

and some people thought we could have won against Bayern.

Barcelona was humiliated 

They scored 7 in 2 games some years back, now they knew it was only 1 game so they scored 8 instead 

I haven't seen such a big humiliation among the biggest teams in a while, Bayern scored an own goal and they were still smiling about it like it's nothing, that's how much confident they were.

23 minutes ago, MayosNoun! said:

I don’t think I’ve ever seen a footballer at that level as disinterested as Messi was tonight. His workrate and movement was abysmal. 

Ronaldo at 33, same opponent

Interesting rant from Balague about Barcelona and player power. It pretty much seems like Messi makes every decision at the club and if he doesn’t like you or your tactics, you’re done for. 
 

 

44 minutes ago, MayosNoun! said:

Interesting rant from Balague about Barcelona and player power. It pretty much seems like Messi makes every decision at the club and if he doesn’t like you or your tactics, you’re done for. 
 

 

IMO in retrospect they should have sold him 4-5 seasons ago when City were interested. He is on what; €1m/week and as usual he has them by the ball and hasn’t renewed yet. At 33 he is about brand Messi, and is just riding the gravy train. They can’t release him on a free now because they will look crazy.

Perez got rid of Ronaldo at the perfect time & got a big fee for him when he started demanding parity with Messi’s wages. Madrid might not be the same force upfront but they are stronger as a unit. Barca will end up bringing a manager who Messi dictates, sign who he wants, pay him what he wants, and repeat the same cycle next season again.

25 minutes ago, ducavis said:

IMO in retrospect they should have sold him 4-5 seasons ago when City were interested. He is on what; €1m/week and as usual he has them by the ball and hasn’t renewed yet. At 33 he is about brand Messi, and is just riding the gravy train. They can’t release him on a free now because they will look crazy.

Perez got rid of Ronaldo at the perfect time & got a big fee for him when he started demanding parity with Messi’s wages. Madrid might not be the same force upfront but they are stronger as a unit. Barca will end up bringing a manager who Messi dictates, sign who he wants, pay him what he wants, and repeat the same cycle next season again.

Not sure, defeats like that can prompt change yet agree with your point about Madrid.

Wonder if the US might open up an opportunity for Messi so he can wind down slowly without the glare of the words footballing media, isn't that where fading icons go. 

With him out of the picture even if it is done through a loan allows the new manager a better chance to embed his philosophy and move on a couple of others past their prime. 

I'm hoping we get to see a full strength City take on Bayern if the results work out to see just how strong Bayern really are. 

1 hour ago, ducavis said:

IMO in retrospect they should have sold him 4-5 seasons ago when City were interested. He is on what; €1m/week and as usual he has them by the ball and hasn’t renewed yet. At 33 he is about brand Messi, and is just riding the gravy train. They can’t release him on a free now because they will look crazy.

Perez got rid of Ronaldo at the perfect time & got a big fee for him when he started demanding parity with Messi’s wages. Madrid might not be the same force upfront but they are stronger as a unit. Barca will end up bringing a manager who Messi dictates, sign who he wants, pay him what he wants, and repeat the same cycle next season again.

Every transfer since 2014 has been a failure, the Barca board has dug a massive hole, Messi the Goat has been the only thing propping up this rubbish team for years. Ronaldo fan boys are desperate to claim de is finished yet he is still the highest scorer in the league and joint most assists in Europe top five leagues. 

 

https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/025a-0e9f7a215064-65bbc412109c-1000--most-assists-in-2019-20/

 

IMO, this should be their template for next season.

Ter Stegen
Back Four
Pjanic DM De Jong
RW Messi LW

Edited August 15, 20205 yr by kiwi1691

Messi can't make a team, you can try as much as you can to excuse any blame from him but it's a total disaster that after spending so much money it all comes down to if Messi is a friend with a player or not.

Same thing happened in the Argentinian national team, Messi is simply not a good leader, even Maradona said so.

1 hour ago, kiwi1691 said:

Every transfer since 2014 has been a failure, the Barca board has dug a massive hole, Messi the Goat has been the only thing propping up this rubbish team for years. Ronaldo fan boys are desperate to claim de is finished yet he is still the highest scorer in the league and joint most assists in Europe top five leagues. 

 

https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/025a-0e9f7a215064-65bbc412109c-1000--most-assists-in-2019-20/

 

IMO, this should be their template for next season.

Ter Stegen
Back Four
Pjanic DM De Jong
RW Messi LW

This is not a Ronaldo v Messi debate; it’s just absurd the wages he takes home. Where is the money to buy those players? Barca are broke as its.  They are having to be creative with their accounts (see dodgy Pjanic-Arthur deal) annually and selling  players (Brathwaite, Semedo & Rakitic are for sale) to balance the books. The wages Ronaldo & Messi take home annually means you have to at the minimum make the CL finals for it to be worthwhile.

One thing I will say against Messi is that he should never have been made captain for Argentina or Barcelona. Just because you are the best player at the club, it doesn't mean you should be captain. Messi is too entitled to be a captain and blames others when things don't work out for him. He has fallen out with too many managers at Barcelona and when things go bad, he doesn't try and motivate the team, he just stands there like he doesn't care. Pique should be Barcelona's captain really.

19 hours ago, Scott Harris said:

Messi has done incredible things on a football pitch consistently since pretty much the day he started playing for Barcelona's first 11, he has probably amazed people with his ability more times than any other player on the planet. Does this make him the best ever? maybe, maybe not. A lot of people have a different idea of what makes a player the greatest ever. Some people look at stats, others look at trophies, and they there are those that look at what they have won in international football.

Over the years, Messi has probably wowed me more consistently than any other player, but the best player I ever seen play a game of football was Ronaldinho. He didn't do it throughout his whole career, mainly because he let his personal life get in the way, but the things he could do with a football was something I have never seen any other replicate at the highest level. 

So for me, if it comes down to being consistently brilliant, then Messi is the best footballer I have seen. When it comes to pure footballing ability, then it's Ronaldinho.

I Echo entirely what you say, and Messi has had utter more Wows and Omgs than anyone i've ever seen, players with that wow factor, Le Tissier, Ronaldinho, Bergkamp, Cruyff, Zidane, Riquelme, Maradona etc
But constantly and consistently producing the level he appears to play at, just mind blowing

He should do the decent thing and with his burgeoning bank balance, retire into the sunset back to Argentina and Rosario, let them see him whilst he can still do a  bit..

I mean no disrespect to the teams, but watching the City v O Lyon now and one wonders how any of these two teams can have a hope in hell to beat Bayern. The difference in quality is abysmal.

Houssem Aouar is a great player. Worth to follow his progression.

That's what we miss from Kovacic, KDB knocks them in for fun, amazing player.