You still haven't defined "go to guy", but if it's the main player, the one who carries the team, then it's Messi. The team turned to him and Iniesta to unlock the tough matches. Formations do not determine this.
who cares? becuse even I can come up with a good definition, your HEAD is still BLINDLY with Messi. All I said is FACT: season 2009-10: Pep was TRYING and BUILDING UP a good squad (on his own) independent from departure of Ronaldinho, Etoo, Deco, Giuly .... (from Rijkaard time) so he bought Ibra to TRY but Messi did prove he was BETTER Season 2010- now: Messi became the GO TO GUY permanent for Barca - if not saying the best "go to guy" ever in STATS
In response to the yellow- you keep alluding to Pep looking for the star player through different formations. This points to you believing the "go to guy" is dependent on position. Since Messi was not the go to guy as he played as a winger during these times, it follows that Cristiano Ronaldo is not the go to guy for Real Madrid since he is also a winger. This is obviously not true.
you never read my lines before?? I said go to guy is NOT the main striker of the team. but the guy that the team COUNT ON in attack (often scoring, assist or creation of havoc) .... For example, Riberry was also the go to guy for Bayern (playing on left). Or if someone argue it is Robben, well he is playing on right wing anyway. Itp;s crazy to think Mandjukic (a striker) is the go to guy for teh team OK? Suarez is the go to guy for Liverpool, playing sometimes on left, sometimes as CF or SS. Rooney is the go to guy for ManU, playing as SS or sometimes as CAM Ibra now is the go to guy for PSG playing as CF CR7 is INDEED the go to guy for Real - he has FREEDOM to roam into the area, to play from left to right, to do freekick, cornerkick and penalty kick OK?
Yeah, Guardiola was going to change the style of a team that had completed an unprecedented campaign, perhaps one that will not be equaled again, just for the sake of the petulant Ibrahimovic Ibrahimovic clearly was seen as a replacement, and possibly an upgrade, to Eto'o, but Messi was the team's most valuable player by then (for almost two years already at that point).
if he wants to ... but of course not since he is so good in the air, and he needs to stay inside the box
At least I agree somewhat with you there (in bold part) some of you "think" it's a disgrace to messi if he is not the "go to guy" for the team back then? NO ... it was just fact ... and most important is that he DID PROVE he was and became one of the best ever in Barca history (if not the best?)
roll back to Barca 83 (20years ago) a great talent named El Diego came to the team and he was NOT (yet) considered as the go to guy for the team. Maradona was placed in his "unusual position" on the right - the least to his liking , but despite of the unfit condition, El Diego did convince liga and Barca fans that he was really a "go to guy" type or a true "play maker" type that Barca needs to change tactics to support that. but it was too late , as he often challenged the coach/director sports for that formation/tactics. He was SOLD to Napoli in 84 No shame .. at all eh?
READ WELL .... before expose your stuffs I said as great as Maradona was ... he was NOT the go to guy for Barca 82-84 but ... yes Schuster ...(playing the position Maradona loved to be)
Yes he was the go to guy, with Schuster behind him. All the papers of the day point this out, Maradona's signing was Barca's biggest and the intention was for him to carry the team to success.
There we go, 80 minutes for Lucas and he didn't do anything. That's why you don't judge from youtube videos or just one game of football, especially when that one game of football is a brief 10 minutes. We could have compared Hazard but he was taken off before the game could even kick in. Either way Lucas couldn't influence the game despite having space and a lot of counter attacks, he still has a lot to prove if he is to be more talented than Hazard and a better dribbler than Messi.
again ... no clue ... but kept on chanting Maradona was never happy at Barca because he was playing as a wide FW (out of his position). So he asked for the transfer and was immediately agreed by Barca management (with whom he never had a good time with) Menotti NEVER treated Maradona as a "go to guy" .... PERIOD. LOOK at what Menotti (coach comment when Maradona got hurt) 1983: Maradona gets seriously injured From 1982 to 1984, Argentinian legend Diego Armando Maradona (now 47) played for Barcelona. The club's official website has today the story of how the Argentinian got severely injured at the beginning of his second season at the club. ... César Luis Menotti was manager of the side back then, and looking back on the events said “I had the two great soloists of the time, Schuster and Maradona. So, my job was just to get the orchestra playing in tune. I knew that as long as the orchestra got the tune right, the soloists would appear. But I would sadly miss them for many, many games, especially Diego”.
Menotti says he had two great individual players ("soloists"), one of them being Maradona. So yes, Menotti obviously considered Maradona his most valuable player, along with Schuster.
Menotti in January 2014: "(In Barcelona) I used to play with Maradona as 9, a free false center forward..." "... the best Maradona I knew when Barsa was well, after the hepatitis. At that moment, before the Goicoechea injury, that was the best Maradona I had ever seen" Also said Messi is the best in the world. That then (January 2014) Cristiano was doing better but it does not match what Messi has done with Barsa the last few years. "Messi is at the level of the best Maradona I've seen" Source: http://futbol.as.com/futbol/2014/01/10/primera/1389359391_638487.html
whatever Menotti must smoke too much at 70+ He used Maradona as a right forward in Barca 83 ... NEVER a CF whatsoever ... it was clearly Carrasco was #9 in center but he wore #7 (he also mentioned that in the link) Menotti played 4 3 3 to some times 3 4 3 or 3 5 2 (with Carrasco and Maradona up front ) --- Marcos(11)- --Carrasco(7) -- Maradona(10)---- ------------------B Shcuster(8)----------------- ------Munoz (5)-----------P. Alonso/Rojo(9)---- ----------------------Sanchez(2)------------------- ----J Alberto(4)---Migueli(3)--- --Alexanko(6)--- -------------------- Uruti (1)----------------------- Menotti did not follow the classic 2 3 5 for player in shirt numbering. Rojo a CM wearing #9 (more like a sub). Menotti did not control players strictly in their position on pitch ... (like Mourinho or Capello) Sanchez (C) is Menotti key card player to tactics, since he could play either as DF (4 3 3) or DM (3 4 3). ================================== In 2nd season 83-84, Maradona did have more freedom to move to center MF and up high
I meant in 83-84, Mradona was used as CF (lone striker) in some games 4 5 1 (important games or vs strong teams) Like the game vs ManU , Bilbao ...
Good call of James I've to say. The situation and role of Maradona at Barcelona was, despite the understandable record fee, maybe similar as the one of Messi until 2010 indeed (until the 'battle' with Ibrahimovic).
So delighted Chelsea won! Just fantastic. I mean: as a true European I prefer Chelsea over PSG. Mourinho is awesome (not always but yesterday he was entertaining) and PSG deserved their defeat because of their coward approach. The million dollar picture would be a Uli Hoeness fuming in his prison cell. http://www.tribalfootball.com/artic...a-without-abramovich-youre-worth#.U0UWvVfsx9M http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...ming-Roman-Abramovichs-Chelsea-oil-mafia.html
I'm not a huge fan of either club but didn't PSG win their league outright (with the aid of pots of money of course) to qualify for the tournament? Wouldn't that make them more of a 'true European champion'...?
That are some good points fraser. I'd say that Chelsea has a bit more of an European feel over them, so that receives naturally my sympathy. Their owner is of course still an European. In terms of players they have obviously also the odd Brazilian/Asian/whatever in their squad but less so as PSG. As a viewer it's easier to identify/associate I suppose - seeing two clubs aspiring to become the European champion. Not a too big fan of Terry and Lampard, but that they've been there for so long touches the hearts of most sports followers. For me they've some more 'pluses'. In terms of 'minuses' Chelsea is the same as PSG, but to a smaller degree. Everything that is not to like about Chelsea, does PSG (or more specifically: Qatar) too, only put 'on steroids'. And they have Hazard + Mourinho. Sometimes Mourinho is annoying but I felt he was awesome yesterday. To some extent it is also a counter-reaction because, I don't know how it's in Scotland, but Mourinho is regularly/frequently put down here as the second coming of Darth Vader. Mister anti-football in his own proper person.