La Liga 2010/11 season

[Applesisapples]

I would definitely argue that it was one of the biggest games in his career. When you take into consideration the fact that Barcelona's most hated person was coming to the Nou Camp as manager of their most hated team, Mourinho's comments in the days and weeks before, the whole Messi v Ronaldo thing, the meda's build up to the match, and the fact that the 2 clasicos have decided the league for the past 2 seasons, I would say it really is that important. I see Guardiola is his usual modest self this morning, reckons "it's not true that we are much better than Real Madrid."

I don't think Barca give a fcuk about Mourinho, and Ronaldo is no Messi...never wil be....Oh and yes I would be a fan.

No hes not but for me neither of them are as good as one of the other players on show last night, that being Xavi who completely dominated the tempo of the game and was the key building block in Barca's success.

Disagree - Messi is the best player on the planet at the minute by a distance,his goal scoring record in recent seasons is unreal
he can do everything, showed on monday night his great vision, and i love his attitude
a sublime player, the best since Maradona and he's still only 22 isn't he?

i would have Xavi and Iniesta at 2 and 3 on the worlds best list though, it must be easy playing in defence behind these fellas, they never lose the ball

Spot on his passing is unreal and how he evades 2 or 3 defenders and keeps control of the ball is a mystery. I watch Barca every week in La Liga and like Real on Monday he gets lumps kicked out of him by opposition players, yet he gets up says nothing and does it all over again No.1 by a country mile.

[David McKeown]

Completely disagree Xavi imo controls and dominates games in a way that Messi does not, dont get me wrong there is little to pick between them and they are well ahead of the rest.  Just one interesting stat from Monday night Xavi attempted 117 passes and 114 got to their intended target and two didnt because the player had strayed offside. So in essence Xavi miss placed about 0.8% of his passes.  Of the 27 players who were on the pitch that night only one has ever made more than 100 passes in a game and hes only ever done it once (Xabi Alonso) that was Xavi seventh career game with 100+ passes including two in the last world cup (the only player to ever done it twice in World Cup matches).  That to me is what sets him apart from Messi, Xavi was the main reason for me that Spain won the world cup whereas Messi is better for Barca than he is for Argentina.  A goal scorer will always get more plaudits than a player like Xavi but I dont think that means hes better.  If I could add one to any team I support I would add Xavi

[Minder]

Two totally different types of players so it is a pointless argument.

[David McKeown]

Two totally different types of players so it is a pointless argument.

Aye but you could say that about every player with the possible exception of comparing two goal keepers

[Minder]

Two totally different types of players so it is a pointless argument.

Aye but you could say that about every player with the possible exception of comparing two goal keepers

You could compare Xavi with another central midfielder for a start.

[Rossie11]

Anyone remember this genius headline from the Daily Mail in Jan 2009??

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1113507/The-best-players-world-Xavi--Ronaldo-crowned-king-football.html

[AFS]

Anyone remember this genius headline from the Daily Mail in Jan 2009??

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1113507/The-best-players-world-Xavi--Ronaldo-crowned-king-football.html

Reckon they'd give One Direction a run for their money.

[David McKeown]

Two totally different types of players so it is a pointless argument.

Aye but you could say that about every player with the possible exception of comparing two goal keepers

You could compare Xavi with another central midfielder for a start.

But whats a central midfielder these days, is he a ball winner/destroyer like Marcus Senna or a creative spark like Paul Scholes and if you cant compare Xavi to Messi how can you compare to those other two midfielders?

Im not trying to get at you but I just don't buy this argument that two players cant be compared because they are different types of player of course they can be compared hence why we have the world player of the year award, which I think Messi will win but Xavi is more deserving of.

[Puckoon]

I think it depends on the team you are inserting the player into. If you're a team struggling to create chances and goals - a player like Xavi won't be as much of an impact to your team as Messi would. Messi can do it on his own - he can create his own chances and he can finish them off and torture defences. Xavi (and I am a big fan) isnt the kind of player who's impressive statistics can carry a team to a win week in and week out - unless he is playing along side very good footballers.

You could take Xavi and stick him in the stoke team and they'd do a bit better.
Take Messi on the other hand and stick him in there and he could well turn a mediocre team around singlehandedly.

[David McKeown]

I think it depends on the team you are inserting the player into. If you're a team struggling to create chances and goals - a player like Xavi won't be as much of an impact to your team as Messi would. Messi can do it on his own - he can create his own chances and he can finish them off and torture defences. Xavi (and I am a big fan) isnt the kind of player who's impressive statistics can carry a team to a win week in and week out - unless he is playing along side very good footballers.

You could take Xavi and stick him in the stoke team and they'd do a bit better.
Take Messi on the other hand and stick him in there and he could well turn a mediocre team around singlehandedly.

I completely disagree and would actually say the opposite Xavi creates as much if not more out of nothing than Messi, the difference being Xavi creates chances for others and therefore doesn't get the same credit. There was a goal in the reverse fixture last season that Messi scored where he got a lot of praise even though all the brilliance on the goal was in Xavi's vision yet after Villas non offside goal on Monday Messi got all the credit for the pass. To go back to international football Messi is for me yet to perform to the same level for Argentina as he does for Barca and I think a big reason for that is the lack of Xavi

One final stat because I'm starting to make myself sound like his agent but according to Jw's blog before this season since 2004 in the champions league Barca's record reads as follows:

With Messi 45 games

23 wins 16 draws 6 loses

Win percentage 51.1%

Without Messi 22 games

16 Wins 3 draws 3 losses

Win percentage 72.7%

With Xavi 53 games

32 wins 17 draws 4 losses

Win percentage 60.3%

Without Xavi 14 games

7 wins 3 draws 4 losses

Win percentage 50%

[paco]

Not gonna get involved in the debate about who's better, but I certainly agree about Xavi not getting enough recognition and for this reason I think he'll red up all the POTY awards. The pass you referred to is at 0:56 in this link, David. My favourite would probably be the one at 2:14.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9CR0nV_8Z4

Edit: This boy's not bad, either.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4UipWBzuqY&feature=related

[Rossie11]

Agree Paco, would love to see the win/loss stats without Iniesta.
2006 Champs league final turned when himself and Larrson came on.
He missed games V Inter last year as well.
For me its a joy to watch them all 3 of them on the same pitch doing what
they did on Monday night.
Being selfish I hope Xavi retires from international football soon to prolong his
Barca career as watching Barca in full flight is lot more enjoyable than watching
Spain at the moment

[David McKeown]

Can't find anything on the net about it but heard a radio bulletin there saying the final three for the Ballon D'or are Sjnedier Iniesta and Xavi

[Declan]

My favourite would probably be the one at 2:14.

Agreed - genius

[Puckoon]

I completely disagree and would actually say the opposite Xavi creates as much if not more out of nothing than Messi, the difference being Xavi creates chances for others and therefore doesn't get the same credit.

Yes - provided there is sufficient quality on the other end to complement the work he does. That is my point. Xavi creates a lot of chances - and is a joy to watch - but if he was playing with a poor team much of what he would create might go down the shitter, whereas Messi would create it and and finish it himself.