Match Day Thread General matchday thread.

De Bruyne being labelled as the best player on the planet for me is a little bit premature. He's part of a very effective team who all work for each other, and that has brought out the very best in him. On an individual level, he's absolutely nowhere near Lionel Messi.

We're talking probably the greatest player of all time vs a guy who has the perfect chemistry around him in his team. We have seen how devastating Messi is when Pep was there with a team that were simply unstoppable.

I'd estimate Messi's stats for this season still outstrip KDB.

 

... but if you factor in the quality of the opposition in a fairly uncompetitive Spanish league, KDB wins it hands down IMHO in terms of current form ... he's doing it week in, week out in the ultra competitive EPL ... tore us a new one ... was a joy to watch ... even if it was a tad begrudgingly

 

6 months of top form in the PL and people talking about him in the same breathe as Messi and Ronaldo who have made whole careers out of outstanding seasons

 

I rate both players highly ... who wouldn't ... but it still stands that Messi has 'done it' playing in a wonderful Barca team where the 'testing games' are infrequent compared to the EPL ...

 

Jose thought he was a clown and sold him off to Germany.

 

Good argument, as an individual Messi is certainly more skillful and of course they are very different players. KDB at the moment does have good individuals around him but so does Messi and Barca play with Messi as the focal point whereas City play with KDB as the main playmaker. Take into account that as much as I see a lot of Messi on highlights I don't get to see whole games with him in so yes I'm bigging KDB up without the full picture. However I am seeing someone take a grip of game after game and controlling the whole match with amazing all round performances. Is he the best in the world? I suppose that's a point to argue, is he at the level of Messi, Ronaldo? Yes he is, you don't see a player like this often.

 

Fixed.

 

What's KDB done?

Messi would kill this league...maybe not so much now...but would have murdered it. He doesn't care about ****ty Tuesday nights at Stoke.

 

Ultra competitive EPL ffs. So because KDB does it against gritty little Brighton we should overlook Messi's achievements in La Liga cos they don't have a gritty little Brighton

 

#naughtyboy

 

Even Lampard said KDB was not the player he is today when you lot sold him. You lot would have loaned him out and stifled his development.

 

I wouldn't say he's a clown but after 6 months people talking about him like he's on a par with Ronaldo and Messi is embarrassing. Some people argue that he's not even the best player at City....with Silva getting that accolade.

 

He's probably head and shoulders above Ronaldo this season, but Messi, absolutely not. Nowhere near. The difference isn't negligible, it's gargantuan as far as I'm concerned.

Would you have let me get away with saying Scholes was better than Messi in 2008? We ****ing smashed everything in sight, and the Sat Nav even dumped Pep's Barca personally.

Would you hell, is the answer.

 

Jamie ‘Louise is chomping on another cock as I’m a proper boring ****’ Redknapp, declared that Salah’s ball control was comparable to Messi’s yesterday.

 

You need to watch him mate. He has class stamped all over him. His vision and reading of the game are extraordinary; and that’s allied to an ability to deliver what he sees.

No doubt he’s assisted by the quality of the players around him, but he orchestrates that team, IMO.

 

He would do, he bases his entire career on making stupid statements, a bit like Merson.

Salah is an incredible player by the way, if Liverpool had a defence he might get the same sort of credit being given to KDB.

 

And he didn’t do it for years with Argentina...

 

Nope ... because he does it against gritty little Man United, Spurs, Chelsea and Arsenal ...

 

Always difficult to compare players when they play such different positions. Messi has been amazing for so long and KDB has only played at this level this season comparing careers is not on the table here. Is KDB of the level of Messi right now? I think he is and that's not taking into account the players around them but as individuals.
You may disagree.

 

Salah is an excellent player, but I think the league will be more aware of what he does in the second half of the season and will therefore prepare much better to counter him. He basically cuts inside from the right onto his left peg or bursts in behind on the right flank to get on the end of a cross.