Lionel Messi: Page 5 - The Arsenal discussion community: One More in the Tolly

Lionel Messi

Claudius

What did he have? One shot on target over two legs?
Discipline can stop this guy. I hope Wenger was watching. I will admit though, even though these bastards cannot vary their play, they are always very dangerous with those lobs from the top of the box to runners. It is easier to cut out the little intricate passing moves around the half circle.

Gurgen

How many games has he played this season? Still by far the best player on the pitch. Found out, give me a break.

Rohit

The ease with which he can just dribble past a couple of players is amazing and he did that in both legs against Chelsea. His passes let him down, he looked tired. It takes a lot more than discipline to stop a player like him. Rex said earlier that brilliance is a norm from him, it is expected in a way that nothing he does surprises or excites anyone. Moreover he makes running past markers look so easy, one would think it is a videogame. Too bad he looks jaded now.

What both Messi and Ronaldo continue to do is just remarkable.

Gurgen

I guess RvP has been found out too because he's also jaded and won't score again this season.

Gazza M

messi's dip has come at the worst time, but i don't think there should be a suggestion that he's suddenly a big game bottler or not as good as we thought. Literally every decent chance barca had was created by the bloke.

the last 3-4 years of football look like they've just caught up with him. never seen him look so shattered, especially for his club. if there's a question mark now it's about if he has the hunger to bounce back from probably the biggest disappointments of his career

flobaba

Messi is every bit as good as we thought. It's the team around him that's not.

Mirth

Another hattrick, 68 goals now.

He's beaten Pele and Muller's record for goals scored in a single season.

Lukazan

Yeah but he's shit. 😆

IBL

pah! easy to score when the pressure's off

Mirth

Scored 4.

72 goals.

Rex

He wouldn´t have been this good had they not given him steroids as a kid. He shouldn´t be allowed to play. 🙂

JohnnyBravo

With his 4 new goals he also broke the world record for most goals in season. The old record holder was Archie Stark who scored 70 goals for Bethlehem Steel in 1924/1925, and Messi still got two matches left until the season ends.

Skysports doesn't seem to be as impressed as I am though, cause when I was checking his stats there, I noticed he scored 6 on player rating, which apparently means "Average - No major faults, nothing overly impressive." 😆

Rex

On a serious note - It is common knowledge that Messi was treated with steroids as a kid. I don´t think anyone can deny either that the treatment he got then has very much helped him to become the player he is today. In other words - the treatment he got for a medical condition has given him an advantage in an arena where the use of said substance is forbidden.

Should he be allowed to take part in professional sports? What do you think?

Mirth

Is this for real? Messi suffered from a growth hormone deficiency and required medical treatment so that he could grow up to be a healthy human being.

That's like saying that taking a paracetamol before a game because you have the flu is a performance enhancing substance.

Rex

I am serious. At least in the sense that I am interested in hearing others opinions on it.

One could argue that pro sports isn´t necessarily for everyone. I know WHY Messi had the treatment, but it is also beyond question that BECAUSE he was treated with what in sports is a banned substance he is now the best player on the planet. Or rather - had he NOT been treated then he wouldn´t be the player he is today.

Perhaps, that should disqualify him from becoming a professional athlete? There is the same argument with Lance Armstrong, and I believe the issue has indeed been raised in his case. (Then a lot of people think he used other illegal drugs as well, but that is another discussion).

Mirth

I did a random google search regarding the rules.

Link

In some cases an athlete may have a pre-existing medical condition which requires them to take medication which is listed. In this case the athlete can apply to their International Federation for a Therapeutic Use Exemption which must be verified by their physician. In order to be accepted the following must be true:

The athlete would suffer significant health problems if they do not take the medication
There is no suitable alternative which is not listed
There are no considerable performance enhancing benefits

And also:

Some substances are banned only during competition

Messi was treated when he was 12 years old, which is sufficiently long ago.

He's not breaking any rules, which is what counts, and all the other reasoning is crazy logic to me.

Captain

I don't get it either to be honest.

He's not using steroids or other performance enhancing drugs now (to the best of our knowledge) so there's no problem.

Klaus

Humble Rex wrote:
In other words - the treatment he got for a medical condition has given him an advantage in an arena where the use of said substance is forbidden.

He's practically built like Patrick Vieira these days 😆

He's still disadvantaged physically. The stereoids just made sure that he didn't end up as a midget.

y va marquer

Relatively speaking he's not really disadvantaged physically in la Liga is he?

Klaus

I think he's 1.68 or something like that (roughly 5 ft 6½ in other words) which is in the extreme end for La Liga too. Giovinco is the smallest player that I can think of in any of the top leagues and he's 1.64. The difference between him and Messi is a little more than an inch.

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