The Difference Between Messi And Ronaldo, Put Into One Word By Dani Alves

The question of our times” is often thrown around at bars, universities, and kitchen tables between drunks, scholars, friends, and you and I. It might might take different forms, but its nature is always the same: it’s a question that we all have an answer to, but to which there is no real answer. 
There isn’t really a universal question of our times, but there are specific ones in specific areas. In football, there is no debate about what that question is: Messi or Ronaldo, who is better?

A majority of the world would say Messi, but that majority is not overwhelming. Ronaldo is the current holder of the Ballon d’Or and last season he scored 3 more goals than Messi in all competitions. Those are accomplishments that will always carry weight in an argument, even in the face of Messi winning his second treble.
Accomplishments and statistics are some of the few ways in which fans like you or I can judge these players. We see them play all of the time, but we never actually play with them. We really don’t know who is harder to defend, who is more likely to finish a pass, because we have never defended or passed to either of them.
So when Barcelona’s Dani Alves, one of the best right-backs of this generation, weighs in on the question of our times, it matters.
He has a working knowledge of what it’s like to play against these two all-time greats: he is teammates with Messi, and Ronaldo plays for Barcelona’s arch nemesis, Real Madrid. Alves understands the nuances of what separates these players from the pack in ways that we, as fans, could never know, and his words reflect that deeper understanding.  
"Messi is much better than Cristiano Ronaldo. Messi influences the game, Cristiano doesn't. He doesn't influence the game beyond scoring goals and being involved in a few actions.”
"Messi is influential - he plays, scores and makes assists. Messi has a divine gift, Cristiano is about work".
Influence, that is what it all comes down to.
Alves doesn’t focus on who scores the most goals or who wins the most trophies; he doesn’t care bout who has the most international success. He just talks about influence, and he talks about it because his ability as a defender gives him more knowledge about the subtleties of the game than maybe a hundred people in the world.
Alves knows that Messi is better than any other player for the same reason that you and I know that football is better than any other sport: the small things. Messi moves here at the right time, places a pass there so the defender cannot reach it, shifts his weight in just such a way that he can shield the ball while moving past the defender. Alves is saying that all of those small things add up to an ability to influence a match in ways that Ronaldo simply cannot match.
It almost makes you want to pity Ronaldo.
Then you remember that he still managed to score 3 more goals than Messi last year, found a lost phone and took 4 stunning women out to dinner because of it, and that he just might be the best looking man in the world.
Hard work counts for something, I guess, even if it can’t make him the best footballer in the world.

This is how Javier Mascherano​ was picked as the fourth captain of FC Barcelona!

This is how Javier Mascherano​ was picked as the fourth captain of FC Barcelona!

A mysterious piece of paper became the undisputed star of the morning at the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper, where FC Barcelona held a training session on Tuesday in the sweltering heat.

The third captain of the team, Sergio Busquets, jumped onto the pitch with some paper that was signed one by one all his team-mates.

Meanwhile in the stands, where the media were waiting to watch the training session, expectation grew about what was happening.

Leo Messi and Luis Suarez looked closely at the paper and smiled, then Busquets approached Bartra, Mathieu and one by one, all members of staff looked at the sheet with satisfaction.

What could be on the paper that the whole squad liked? Just before they started training the mystery was revealed.

A loud round of applause dedicated to Javier Mascherano revealed that the paper contained the results of a vote by the squad. His companions had picked 'El Jefecito' as the fourth captain, behind Andres Iniesta, Sergio Busquets and Leo Messi, replacing the departing Xavi.

70 Goals A Realistic Aim For Lionel Messi (D10S).

Scoring 70 times in a season borders on preposterous. But preposterous is the realm Lionel Messi resides in, so it's a realistic target for him as he heads into the new season.

Of course, the Argentinian is more motivated by team success than individual goal tallies. That much was reflected in Barcelona's 8-0 win over Cordoba toward the end of last season.

With Messi on a hat-trick, his side were awarded a penalty. He's the usual taker, and most expected him to step up to the spot.

Instead, he encouraged strike partner Neymar to take the ball. He duly did, firing home.

"It's a detail I will never forget. He could have scored a hat-trick, but he left the penalty to me. It left me without words. I learn a lot from him, both on and off the pitch," said the Brazilian, per Sport.

Most made out that Messi was fighting with Cristiano Ronaldo to be the league's top scorer, but giving Neymar that spot-kick showed the Barcelona No. 10 had other objectives on his mind.

Neymar had been struggling to reach his best form, so Messi decided to give the forward an opportunity to boost his confidence.

After all, if Neymar is at his best and slicing opposition defences in half, there's much more space for Luis Suarez and Messi himself to operate.

Messi scored 43 times in La Liga last season as he returned to his best form, albeit from a different position on the pitch to where he played in previous years. In total, he notched 58 goals.

His form was bordering on the performances he turned in during the 2011-12 season, when he managed 73 goals in all competitions.

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So asking Messi, who looks extremely comfortable now, to match up to a record he has already set shouldn't be out of the question.

Of course, his game has changed since then, with the player calmer on the ball and making the right decision almost every time he has it.

Sometimes, that costs him in a selfish sense, because he’s far more likely to play a through ball than try and beat a handful of defenders and go for goal himself.

Of course, he still picked the latter path on several notable occasions last season, but that was usually because there were no better options open to him.

But if Barcelona continue to grow and improve under Luis Enrique, as they did in the second half of last season, then Messi’s potential to score will increase regardless of whether he’s trying to be more selfless.

His relationship with Neymar and Suarez is rising rapidly too, with the strikers producing some phenomenal combinations in the final few months of the season.

The trio has to hit a ceiling at some point, but until then, each of the forwards is going to keep improving and will find more chances, more opportunities and more goals.

If Messi scores 50 goals next season instead of 70, that would still be another exceptional year. If you asked the player himself, simply scoring 30 would be fine if Barcelona picked up the sextuple.

But it is well within the Argentinian’s capabilities to score 70. In fact, given he’s a notorious record-smasher, perhaps we should be setting the bar even higher.

Bayern Beaten....can wenger borrow a leaf.

Finally the new season is about to start,  i don't know about you but am dying with anticipation. from the fluid Spanish football from La Liga to ever intriguing and entertaining English football in the English Premier League, without forgetting the ever pacer German football from the Bundesliga. Few surprises have sprung already after we saw the German machine lose the super cup for the second time. Thanks to LORD Bentner.

players celebrate the German super cup.

today is another intriguing final between Chelsea and Arsenal. can Wenger finally get the better of Mou? 11 games is way too many and as mou said, i would have found a solution for my team, hopefully Wenger has found one..... well we shall have to see about that, but one thing is for sure though...its gonna be entertaining and we are looking forward to some entertaining football.Well Forks lets wait and see what happens.