Have to say some of the comments on this thread have brightened up my Friday afternoon.

Ok where is your evidence of well organised defences, if they concede more than the defences of La Liga i'd suggest that they need a good long look at

Sorry *since these well organised defences concede more than La Liga ones I suggest they need looking at.

Also La Liga defences set up to nullify Messi and Ronaldo, Premier League defences set up to nullify players like Costa and Aguero as do champions league defences, that's the job of defences. Most teams play 10 behind the ball agaisnt Barca and madrid, what makes Messi and Ronaldo so special is that they still find ways to score

comment by cheshamfox (U2001)
posted 55 seconds ago
Ok where is your evidence of well organised defences, if they concede more than the defences of La Liga i'd suggest that they need a good long look at
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A Chelsea defence in the nou camp kept him pretty much at bay. We were 2-0 down with 10 men. Only one natural CB on the pitch.

I guarantee teams would set up defensively and pay special attention to him.

comment by cheshamfox (U2001)
posted 55 seconds ago
Ok where is your evidence of well organised defences, if they concede more than the defences of La Liga i'd suggest that they need a good long look at
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A Chelsea defence in the nou camp kept him pretty much at bay. We were 2-0 down with 10 men. Only one natural CB on the pitch.

I guarantee teams would set up defensively and pay special attention to him.
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Oh yes I forgot, Chelsea are the centre of the Unvierse and because Messi hasn't scored agaisnt them he must be rubbish. This is the nub of your concern with him, that he hasn't scored agasint Chelsea.

You must not watch much La Liga because that is what other teams do all the time to Barca, they defend and try to mark Messi out of the game. The game at the Nou Camp was basically a one in ten game. If you played that game ten time Barca would have won nine.

He has scored enough goals in Europe where teams set up to defend and mark him to show how good he is. Honestly it sounds like you think teams just let him get on with it and never mark him and never pay him special attention which is frankly bullocks

I've got to agree with Chesham here, to have Messi in the team as a player would just be incredible. For one, he is much better than Torres was at his peak and so issues of him flopping seem unlikely. It is also very difficult to put Messi out of a game, and if you do, it requires several players to do so, in turn freeing up yards of space for others to cause damage. Messi would absolutely shred the defences here, they are dreadful.

You speak of a potential lack of motivation, and yet in this calendar year he has scored over 50 times. Also, wasn't it said that Fabregas had a lack of motivation at Barca, Mourinho managed to sort that out, and if he thought he could do the same to Messi then i've no doubt he would lobby the club to sign him, this is Messi for goodness sake.

Commercially it would be massive, though I do understand concerns about fitting him in or the overall outlay, i just can't understand why people wouldn't want him playing for us just as a player, ignoring everything else. It seems stupid.

Not that it matters as I doubt this will happen anyway!

comment by The Noble Lord Flash (U8334)
posted 3 hours, 36 minutes ago
I don't believe he'd adjust to the pace. I think a well organised defence would nullify his attacking qualities.
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Flash...this is possibly the most ridiculous thing ive ever read...

Don't be silly Flash, we may have kept them at bay but it was by no means comfortable. If anything, we barely held on and required more than a bit of luck.

soccer?lol.

How much would Messi cost though ??

Stupid money.

This isn't Football Manager on the PC.

Forget Messi. Would rather see how Moses develops to be honest.

Mr C comments like that are why I don't respect you as a poster or as a person.

soccer?lol.

Awkward silence pursued..... Dan Dan dannnnnnnnnn

People don't like the truth.

comment by Sheriff JW Pepper (U1007)
posted 1 hour, 28 minutes ago
comment by The Noble Lord Flash (U8334)
posted 3 hours, 36 minutes ago
I don't believe he'd adjust to the pace. I think a well organised defence would nullify his attacking qualities.
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Flash...this is possibly the most ridiculous thing ive ever read...
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Why?

Take away the "centre of universe" dig from Fox, that was as an imbalanced defence as you're going to get against "the best team in the world".

Messi was the focal point of that team. Yes it was desperate. But i can only think of one good game Messi has had against Chelsea and that was the night he feigned being struck in the face in the process of getting Del Horno red carded.

I just don't think he'd suit our club or our league. But thanks pepper the last time someone else said similar words when i spoke out against a signing was in January 2011.

Not the same players, but i listened to my instincts then and and i believe history shows me to be correct. Thankfully we won't get to find out this time.

Messi to play for my club Chelsea???

That would not be just our greatest signing but the greatest signings of them all

It is absolutely mind blowing that people would not want Lionel Messi at our club

We will easily get back what we paid for him by himself Messi the brand

I would be delighted with this signing but unfortunately it seems too good to be true

comment by Gianfranco Drogba (U8242)
posted 53 seconds ago
Messi to play for my club Chelsea???

That would not be just our greatest signing but the greatest signings of them all

It is absolutely mind blowing that people would not want Lionel Messi at our club

We will easily get back what we paid for him by himself Messi the brand

I would be delighted with this signing but unfortunately it seems too good to be true
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What about giving our youth prospects like Moses and Salah a chance to grow into something special?

Problem is we don't need him and he doesn't fit anywhere in our team. And for half the price we could get all 3 of Varane, Pogba and Reus. 3 future long term signings, and 3 quality players to fill 3 positions

Albeit if we got him I'd still love it. But just saying I'd prefer to do the 3 deals above, as we need a RW, a future great CB and another great midfielder.

i don't want messi to play for Chelsea

Didn't read the rest

I don't remember Ronaldo having too many good games against us, but then Torres had some excellent games against us.

Not happening unless the number crunchers reckon we can make money on it to comply with FFP

comment by CrouchingAzpiHiddenHazard! Cesc <loveblush&... (U12980)
posted 3 hours, 24 minutes ago
Problem is we don't need him and he doesn't fit anywhere in our team. And for half the price we could get all 3 of Varane, Pogba and Reus. 3 future long term signings, and 3 quality players to fill 3 positions
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Exactly. 3 top class players who would make a huge difference to the team both in the short and long term or a vanity signing like Messi.

Look how well Aguero performed in the league in contrast to the PL proven Torres. Costa was not PL proven too. I hope people stop with this PL proven bullsh*t.

comment by The Noble Lord Flash (U8334)
posted 14 hours, 46 minutes ago
but he's proven in the Premiership quality.
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That old chestnut.

Back in 2011 Torres was PL proven, Aguero wasn't.

Flash you are seriously over rating the PL defences, they are crap.

The only good defences in this league is ours and Saints and even ours isn't that great compared to our a decade ago.