Can Messi be stopped?

[panchester07]

In my opinion, Ronaldo doesn't even bet players that much no more.. He used to cut people spines, after 5 stepovers, 3 feints, he would just beat peoples by cutting in one direction..

But as time passes, I see him he doesn't beat defenders, he kind of avoids them.. He sort of pusshes the ball away from them and in to space, to shoot it or pass it, in his recent golaso vs Almeria he beat players, and he beats players every now and then.. But theres a lot of players that beat more, and win more 1s on 1s.. In el Classico, I got tired of him trying to run past Pique or Puyol, when he could clearly cut it and take a shot... After he'd loose it, in one play Pedro got the ball, and was up against Albiol, as fast as Pedro, as strong or maybe stronger, Pedro just did a little hip feint, and with great control left Albiol eating grass...

Ronaldo seems to have be loosing that ability to beat players, he can push it in to space and shoot, but like sincerely beat a player, the player going one way and him the other, I haven't seem him do it as much as he used to... Call it maturing, or saving his energy, but I think if he would simply do more cuts, direction changes instead of just sprinting away all the time, he would beat many more players.

[TommyGun]

Yeah, I agree. I think people have just observed how to play him. More of the defenders now don't bite on his move but follow the ball. I wish I was a defender on Ronaldo sometimes to actually give him something to dive about. It seems like he has a 5 minute tea party on the ground if he's tackled within a couple of yards from the box.

[panchester07]

Yeah - I wasn't particulary talking about the dives or anything..

I was talking about how IMO, he doesn't beat that much people anymore..

When he beats em, he beats em with speed, and not completely, he just manages to push the ball away from them and buy .3 seconds to take a shot, or make of a (harmless) pass..

The old Ronaldo, would overdue it, he would dribble in the middle of the field, when 3 players where on him, but whats most amazing is that he would beat em.. Now, he's lost that skill, to completely beat a player, many times he pusshes it in front of him, and defenders even block the shotss he takes, cause they aren't well beat, they are just .2 seconds behind him..

He still beats players, but much less, IMO a few feints, stepovers and cuts wouldn't do wrong to his game, he's becoming quite predictable, always foward, always vertical, bro take a pause, fake your going one way and go the other, beat men, not always, but sometimes, don't always sprint forward, vary your games, beat a man, and with that second or two you have from beating them take a shot, success is much more likeable;)

I have been observing this lately, it was particularly clear in the clasico, all he did has get it and run with it, where as if you beat one guy you can cause much more trouble, but no, he tried to run with it and puyol or pique would close him, if not, he would take a weak ass shot right towards Valdez.

[klc123]

If you don't like having debates with me then your by all means clear for take off.

If you think I ignore posts because I can't construct a good reply, good for you, to be frank I don't give a sh*t.

The reason I don't have debates with you is because you can never admit when you are wrong. I admit when I'm wrong, no matter how much of a dick head I have been before hand and how stubborn I have been. You don't.

Panchester I agree, I hadn't seen Ronaldo truly beat a player since that goal he scored when he went past 3 players. I don't know why, but it just seems like his only priority in the attacking third is to shoot or pass to someone else who has a better chance to shoot, there's rarely any prolonged build up stage to his game, which works for him in some ways and doesn't in others, but if you took away the long shots and attempts, you take away a huge chunk of the player he is, imagine not seeing him scoring screamers from 30 yards out any more, that would be a disappointment.

[shahensha]

I have admitted that I have been corrected plenty of times. It never happens for you because you never stick to the debate and deviate to irrelevent things, like name calling and giving enough of a sh*t to take the time for googling a pic, copying and pasting it.

[TommyGun]

Yeah - I wasn't particulary talking about the dives or anything..

Yeah, the first 2 lines were directed to what you said. I think the pressure is too much at RM for him to go hunting defenders to beat IF he didn't manage to beat them. With all the tools that RM have, it would be hard to justify those actions if you couldn't pull them off at will with ease. I just added the part about the dives, because that's the first thing I think about when I hear his name.

[Anymi]

Messi doesnt need three players to be stopped, Tommyguns hiiting the nail on the head.

Liverpool slaughtered Barca at the Nou Camp even when they had a top form, Deco, Ronaldinho and Messi.

Arbeloa destroyed Messi most of that game and he was playing a less favoured left back role and when Stevie G had to move out on the left for a period he kept him even more quiet. Messi hasnt really changed in terms of ability. I dont think he couldve got any better than the awesome level he was at 2 years back and I think im right. Hes played in a more venomous position which assists his ability but he was quiet in the Inter game, just like half the games every season bar this one.

Play with strategy and you have him, Cronnie can do what he does and the way to stop him is just the same

[ThomasG]

With tactics you can take out any player no matter what. That's at least what I believe. But it is true that sometimes you might have to tackle him with two people to stop him.

[Croatianblood1]

With tactics you can take out any player no matter what. That's at least what I believe. But it is true that sometimes you might have to tackle him with two people to stop him.

I agree and I think the Inter Milan defense did a good job of containing Messi. He wasn't able to be as effective as he usually is.

[mr_dude]

Against Inter, the few times he ran forward with the ball, he was able to take a shot. Over both legs the plan seemed to be to make sure he would only be able to dribble laterally. He'd pick up the ball in the centre, then he'd only be able to go backwards or to the wings. If he picked up the ball in one of the wings, he was pretty much stuck.
Even with that attention he still created a bunch of chances.

[klc123]

Inter done a good job of containing Messi.

But I don't think Messi was on his best form for the two games.

I think it gets to a point where a player is so brilliant, nothing, not even tactics and strategy can beat them/stop them.

I distinctly remember a time 2 years back when Ronaldo was having his best season, and for a spell of about 5 games, he was unstoppable. Managers were using defensive formations and selecting players to mark and double mark him, but he still kept scoring and doing his magic.

I have seen Messi do this at times too. If it was that easy to contain the best player(s) in the world, that just putting a few markers on him would take him out of the game, then every team would do so, because they are that much of a threat.