Read on Twitter
So much wrong with this thread and I've not had a good Messi twerk in a while so let's go https://twitter.com/footbalI_HQ/status/1262408035437367298
"Messi has always been a CF, since his debut"
I suddenly doubt that reason will be successful here but anyway. Messi was a winger under Rijkaard & under Pep until Eto'o left. He started playing up front in 09/10 and has been a winger/#10 since Suárez joined.
I suddenly doubt that reason will be successful here but anyway. Messi was a winger under Rijkaard & under Pep until Eto'o left. He started playing up front in 09/10 and has been a winger/#10 since Suárez joined.
"Dropping 3 times a game to statpad comps won't change the reality"
A point which is then defended by carefully selected clips of Ronaldo, you've got to laugh. Comps might lie but heat maps don't. Messi's La Liga heatmaps for the last 4 full seasons. A centre forward apparently.
A point which is then defended by carefully selected clips of Ronaldo, you've got to laugh. Comps might lie but heat maps don't. Messi's La Liga heatmaps for the last 4 full seasons. A centre forward apparently.
"Games as a striker: M 204, R 145
Games in midfield: M 19, R 86"
Messi played more as a #9 and Ronaldo played more as a wide midfielder *on paper*. But Messi up front was a false 9 and Ronaldo at United operated in a front 3 with Rooney & Tévez, with Giggs tucking into midfield.
Games in midfield: M 19, R 86"
Messi played more as a #9 and Ronaldo played more as a wide midfielder *on paper*. But Messi up front was a false 9 and Ronaldo at United operated in a front 3 with Rooney & Tévez, with Giggs tucking into midfield.
Ronaldo stopped having much defensive duty at United after about 2006. In fact a few days ago in his Q&A, Gary Neville was asked if he preferred Beckham or Ronaldo in front of him, to which he joked that Ronaldo was never in front of him.
The same is true at Real Madrid. Lots of stats are refenced in this thread but curiously not where defensive output is concerned? Presumably because Messi made more tackles + interceptions than Ronaldo in 7 of the 9 seasons they played in La Liga together (all but 13/14 & 15/16).
Ronaldo with his incredible defensive contributions did not intercept a single pass in the 14/15 La Liga season. This idea that he helps his teams defensively more than Messi does is nothing but a complete myth.
Now we get onto creative output, and apparently a higher % of Ronaldo's passes are key passes or assists than Messi's. However, Messi still gets more key passes and assists overall. So the reason why they make up a lower % of his passes is that he makes a lot more passes.
This is because Messi contributes a lot more to his team's build-up play than Ronaldo does; dropping deeper to make passes that aren't going to be key passes/assists, but will instead be the pass a step or two before the key pass/assist.
This kind of contribution is crucial for a "midfielder" yet the discussion of this in the thread is non-existent, presumably because Messi is obviously clear of Ronaldo in this department & it kind of destroys the argument.
Now we get to an "imagine what Ronaldo could do if he had a legendary midfield behind him" argument.
It's a shame his prime was wasted with CMs such as Modrić (1x BdO, 1x WC golden ball, 5x World XI), Kroos (1x WC, 3x World XI) & Alonso (1x WC, 2x Euros, 2x World XI) behind him.
It's a shame his prime was wasted with CMs such as Modrić (1x BdO, 1x WC golden ball, 5x World XI), Kroos (1x WC, 3x World XI) & Alonso (1x WC, 2x Euros, 2x World XI) behind him.
"And despite ALL of these (non-existent) obstacles..." he allegedly had a better goal ratio than Messi in the time they shared a league.
For once this is kind of true, but still misleading. Messi scored more goals, but Ronaldo scored more per game, however Messi scored more p90.
For once this is kind of true, but still misleading. Messi scored more goals, but Ronaldo scored more per game, however Messi scored more p90.
But wait he was in midfield in the 06/07 World XI! ... after which FIFPro realised it was wrong and classified him as a forward afterwards. FIFPro are weird with how they class wingers. Ribéry and Hazard have been in midfield 3s in the World XI too despite it clearly being dumb.
So what can we conclude from this? Well neither of them are mids anyway. But Messi is the better goalscorer, contributes more to the team creatively, and does more defensive work. Using the very same statistics that were meant to prove this for Ronaldo. So end of thread I guess.
