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And the winner of the men's Ballon D'Or is... on 21:42 - Dec 2 by BrianMcCarthy
Messi has been incredible this year in a struggling Barca team with a dull, joyless manager.
I would rate this as one of his very best years. No-one is playing football on a par with him, or even coming close.
I get that and I love watching him play but for me it's a lazy, predictable choice. 6 Ballon D'Ors for a player who has not tested himself in other European Leagues and failed to inspire the national team is a bit much. Virgil van Dijk would have been a worthier winner if just for the sheer impact he has made at Liverpool in a Champions League winning season.
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And the winner of the men's Ballon D'Or is... on 04:23 - Dec 3 with 5046 views
And the winner of the men's Ballon D'Or is... on 03:50 - Dec 3 by Benny_the_Ball
I get that and I love watching him play but for me it's a lazy, predictable choice. 6 Ballon D'Ors for a player who has not tested himself in other European Leagues and failed to inspire the national team is a bit much. Virgil van Dijk would have been a worthier winner if just for the sheer impact he has made at Liverpool in a Champions League winning season.
Agreed. Nobody can deny Messi's ability and skill as a player but people that are considered an inspiration in life are the ones that continually push themselves, that look for new challenges and that don't stay within their comfort zones.
And the winner of the men's Ballon D'Or is... on 03:50 - Dec 3 by Benny_the_Ball
I get that and I love watching him play but for me it's a lazy, predictable choice. 6 Ballon D'Ors for a player who has not tested himself in other European Leagues and failed to inspire the national team is a bit much. Virgil van Dijk would have been a worthier winner if just for the sheer impact he has made at Liverpool in a Champions League winning season.
I'd love to see a defender or a goalkeeper get it for once. I agree it's lazy to always choose an attacking player because goals can be easily measured. But, for instance, Schmeichel used to arguably be more influential for Utd than Cantona as he broke teams' spirits with some of his impossible double saves. And yet it's inevitably a forward or attacking midfielder.
I still think it's outweighed by one simple thing - who has played the best football in the year?
I might have seen Van Dijk about ten times this year and he would be the only player I would have considered as an alternative, but even at that I wouldn't have him anywhere close.
I think it would lose credibility if token awards were given out.
Edit - sp. check.
[Post edited 3 Dec 2019 9:41]
"The opposite of love, after all, is not hate, but indifference."
And the winner of the men's Ballon D'Or is... on 03:50 - Dec 3 by Benny_the_Ball
I get that and I love watching him play but for me it's a lazy, predictable choice. 6 Ballon D'Ors for a player who has not tested himself in other European Leagues and failed to inspire the national team is a bit much. Virgil van Dijk would have been a worthier winner if just for the sheer impact he has made at Liverpool in a Champions League winning season.
Messi / Barca have won La Liga for the past two seasons, Liverpool havnt won the league in nigh on 30 seasons. Surely a City player would be more worthy than a Liverpool player ??
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And the winner of the men's Ballon D'Or is... on 12:44 - Dec 3 with 4836 views
And the winner of the men's Ballon D'Or is... on 10:01 - Dec 3 by smegma
Messi / Barca have won La Liga for the past two seasons, Liverpool havnt won the league in nigh on 30 seasons. Surely a City player would be more worthy than a Liverpool player ??
Fair point though Liverpool did win the Champions League and have been imperious in the Premier League so far this season. IMHO the arrivals of Van Dijk and Alisson have been key to their resurgence, and Van Dijk has also been instrumental in the resurgence of the Dutch national team. Still I would not have begrudged a City player winning it as back-to-back Premier League titles is a decent achievement.
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And the winner of the men's Ballon D'Or is... on 13:20 - Dec 3 with 4808 views
And the winner of the men's Ballon D'Or is... on 12:44 - Dec 3 by Benny_the_Ball
Fair point though Liverpool did win the Champions League and have been imperious in the Premier League so far this season. IMHO the arrivals of Van Dijk and Alisson have been key to their resurgence, and Van Dijk has also been instrumental in the resurgence of the Dutch national team. Still I would not have begrudged a City player winning it as back-to-back Premier League titles is a decent achievement.
Winning the league title should be the be all. Liverpool don't deserve to be in the ECL. It's easier to win the champions league than the premier league. Hence a City player is more deserving than a Liverpool player.
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And the winner of the men's Ballon D'Or is... on 21:44 - Dec 3 with 4725 views
And the winner of the men's Ballon D'Or is... on 07:50 - Dec 3 by nix
I'd love to see a defender or a goalkeeper get it for once. I agree it's lazy to always choose an attacking player because goals can be easily measured. But, for instance, Schmeichel used to arguably be more influential for Utd than Cantona as he broke teams' spirits with some of his impossible double saves. And yet it's inevitably a forward or attacking midfielder.
Since it's inception in 1956 there has been ridiculous bias shown to strikers and attacking midfielders. In fact the only players to have won it who weren't were:
1963 Lev Yashin 1972 Franz Beckenbauer 1976 Franz Beckenbauer 2006 Fabio Cannavaro
And the winner of the men's Ballon D'Or is... on 09:38 - Dec 4 by CamberleyR
Since it's inception in 1956 there has been ridiculous bias shown to strikers and attacking midfielders. In fact the only players to have won it who weren't were:
1963 Lev Yashin 1972 Franz Beckenbauer 1976 Franz Beckenbauer 2006 Fabio Cannavaro
Wow.
Bobby Moore, no?
Either way, that's amazing.
"The opposite of love, after all, is not hate, but indifference."
And the winner of the men's Ballon D'Or is... on 09:45 - Dec 4 by BrianMcCarthy
Wow.
Bobby Moore, no?
Either way, that's amazing.
Yep, amazing to think that Bobby Moore in his pomp from the mid 60s-early 70s only ever made the top 3 once, in 1970 when he came second to Gerd Müller.
Van Dijk this year was the first defender or goalkeeper to make the top 3 since Manuel Neuer in 2014.
And the winner of the men's Ballon D'Or is... on 13:10 - Dec 8 by traininvain
Messi’s normalised performances like last night to the point that people just expect it from him.
This is part of the reason that you see people questioning why he won the Balon D’or.
Enjoy him while you can as when he retires, in the absence of his regular moments of genius, it’ll become clear just how good he is.
I’ve seen him play live 3 times in Barcelona and he really is an amazing to watch.The cameras don’t always pick up his movement around the pitch,and you think he is having a quiet minute or two but suddenly he’ll come to life and make something out of nothing. His goals per game stats are unreal and he is irreplaceable to Barcelona at the minute.
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And the winner of the men's Ballon D'Or is... on 13:26 - Dec 8 with 4312 views
And the winner of the men's Ballon D'Or is... on 13:20 - Dec 8 by stowmarketrange
I’ve seen him play live 3 times in Barcelona and he really is an amazing to watch.The cameras don’t always pick up his movement around the pitch,and you think he is having a quiet minute or two but suddenly he’ll come to life and make something out of nothing. His goals per game stats are unreal and he is irreplaceable to Barcelona at the minute.
Agreed. I’ve seen him play once at the Camp Nou and even watching him taking shots and passing in the warm up was a joy to see.
His goal and assist numbers are unreal but they only tell part of the story. I doubt we’ll ever see a footballer of his quality again (in my lifetime anyway!).
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And the winner of the men's Ballon D'Or is... on 17:19 - Dec 9 with 4209 views
And the winner of the men's Ballon D'Or is... on 20:52 - Dec 7 by BrianMcCarthy
Two superb goals again tonight from Messi. So far.
4-1 at half-time versus Mallorca with all five goals a thing of beauty.
Got a cheap last minute ticket for Barcelona v Real Valldollid a month or so back. won 5-1, Messi scored 2 and assisted 2, all 4 things of absolute beauty. Every time he had the ball, you had in mind one thing he might do with it but he would do something else instead which turned out to be even better. By far and away the best player in the world.
And the winner of the men's Ballon D'Or is... on 17:19 - Dec 9 by aston_hoop
Got a cheap last minute ticket for Barcelona v Real Valldollid a month or so back. won 5-1, Messi scored 2 and assisted 2, all 4 things of absolute beauty. Every time he had the ball, you had in mind one thing he might do with it but he would do something else instead which turned out to be even better. By far and away the best player in the world.
[Post edited 9 Dec 2019 17:22]
Unreal.
No-one even close.
"The opposite of love, after all, is not hate, but indifference."