Ronaldo, Xavi and Iniesta

[Yata 161]

if Juninho has scored freekicks in the same way that Ronaldo has, then samir nasri has scored messi type goals by weaving in and out a few players.

Juninho isn't on Ronaldos level from dead balls.

stick to the tom jones CD's

Hahahaha, sure mate sure.

It's a push to say that Ronaldo is even better at free kicks when messi gets the chance and does things like this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljEgj3unR-Y

[Ricky_ 893]

Hahahaha, sure mate sure.

It's a push to say that Ronaldo is even better at free kicks when messi gets the chance and does things like this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljEgj3unR-Y

scoring goals into an empty net?

im sure ronaldo woudl score plenty more if he took them when the keeper wasnt in the goals

[The Godfather 72,062]

I'd like see stats on actual % converted. Then it'd be pretty clear who's out on top.

1.) Juninho Pernambucano

Step forth the free kick master. Juninho currently plies his trade for Lyon and is absolutely deadly from a set piece. He has scored over 40 free kicks for Lyon with an unconfirmed conversion rate of over 50%! His unique style which sees the ball move in an unpredictable fashion should be familar to fans of the English Premier League as Cristiano Ronaldo uses a similar technique. Juninho has scored free kicks from just about anywhere on the pitch. It’s been said that a free kick for Lyon anywhere near the 18 yard box is almost as good as a penalty kick. That is a true testament to the ability of Juninho, the greatest free kick specialist of all time.

From this site...not sure how valid or up to date it is...Ronaldo isnt even on it! Bang goes my theory!

My link

[Ricky_ 893]

From this site...not sure how valid or up to date it is...Ronaldo isnt even on it! Bang goes my theory!

My link

its from 3 years ago, and it's just an opinion piece written by someone id imagine is as qualified as me to write an opinion piece.

Carlos is pretty much on there for 1 freekick (the famous one vs france). He also says he paved the way for ronaldo, when in actual fact, the technique is very different. Carlos would cut across the ball with the outside fo his foot to give it that wild right-to-left curve. Ronaldos is entirely different, he strieks the bal dead centre and concentrates on the lift/dip & the left/right movement is usually unpredictable.

anyway, peace out, ronaldo will post numbers greater than Juninho by time hes done (in my opinion) - not forcing anyone to agree .

[King Jela 20,406]

if Juninho has scored freekicks in the same way that Ronaldo has, then samir nasri has scored messi type goals by weaving in and out a few players.

Juninho isn't on Ronaldos level from dead balls.

stick to the tom jones CD's

:lol:

Even for you that is just astonishing.

[blueboy94 54]

In my opinion Messi is the better footballer. In some of the most important areas of the game he has better footballing attributes than Ronaldo. Messi is a better passer and has better movement than Ronaldo. Many people say "he's only good because of the work Iniesta and Xavi do" Ignoring the fact that this is bollocks, it takes a great football brain to be on the same wavelength as these two. Making the correct runs at the correct time and having to be constantly aware of where they are on the pitch to make and receive passes.

They both are at the same level finishing wise and due to Ronaldos height he will inevitably win more headers.

Hypothetically, if Ronaldo and Messi swapped teams for a season neither would have as good goal scoring stats. To be in the fake no.9 position Messi is at Barca you need to drop deep to make things happen, have accurate passing and vision, and press high up the park when the opposition have the ball. This doesn't play to Ronaldo's strengths. Also, the wide forward role would not suite him at Barca due to the fact that width and selflessness are very important to make the system work (think of Ibrahimovic)

At Real, Messi would be wasted as a wide forward and would probably have to be played in the postion Ozil plays to get the best out of him, meaning he would score far less goals.

Also, Ronado's goals from 40yards look spectacular, but the amount of times the ball flies over the bar is ridiculous. At Barca, it is much more important to keep possession of the ball rather than try to get lucky (yes, I said lucky) with a shot from 40yards.

[JamieD 19,000]

All I'll say about Juninho is that when he dived for that free-kick against us when we were only 1-0 up and going into half-time, I was more worried than I would have been if they had a penalty being taken by anyone else.

[rfcfraserrfc 262]

Juninho scored 44 direct free kicks for Lyon, Ronaldo will score more than that in his career if he hasn't already.

[blueboy94 54]

All I'll say about Juninho is that when he dived for that free-kick against us when we were only 1-0 up and going into half-time, I was more worried than I would have been if they had a penalty being taken by anyone else.

Hit the the bar as I recall. Davie Weir was going mental at him

[ScottBF2 3,540]

All I'll say about Juninho is that when he dived for that free-kick against us when we were only 1-0 up and going into half-time, I was more worried than I would have been if they had a penalty being taken by anyone else.

I absolutely shat myself then. Weir got booked for it as well, I'm sure!

[Creampuff 22,628]

I'm a massive Ronaldo fan, but Juninho was in his own World when it came to free kicks.

[Creampuff 22,628]

Good memory lads, he dove, got Weir booked, and hit the crossbar from essentially on the 18 yard line.

That up and down

[King Jela 20,406]

I was a massive Juninho fan until that dive.

Fuck the prick.

Ronaldo > Juninho.

[TrueBlue11 13]

Didn't Juninho have like 3 attempts at free kicks against us in that game? Hit the bar with the one he dived for, and i'm sure McGregor made a couple of great saves from the other two?

[sdavis8 1]

I think more people prefer messi to ronaldo because ronaldo has a reputation for being a diver and a cry baby

[JamieD 19,000]

I've never liked Ronaldo, although I don't dislike him now as much as I used to, but I'm starting to think his personality can't be the problem, because he's not any more of a dick than, say, Zlatan and I think he's fucking hilarious. I think I just dislike the way Ronaldo's game makes everything look as difficult as possible. That's not what I look for in any sport. Basically when he does something jaw-droppingly amazing it makes me think "I hate him because I could have done that if I worked as hard as he does, but I'm a lazy cunt so I don't", whereas when the kind of players I love do something jaw-droppingly amazing it tends to completely bypass mundane human things like effort and practice and will-power and seems more like something vaguely supernatural, and then I can just throw my hands up and say "what the fuck".

And he runs like a fanny.

[JamieD 19,000]

He doesn't even really dive any more. Can't hold that against him.

[messiah10 58]

Ronaldo has all the attributes to go down as the best player to ever play the game.

messi is probably the best ever imo because of the level of greatness he has achieved at a younger age than ronaldo

imo ronaldo has more to his game and with regards to goalscoring in la liga ronaldo got 7 or 8 more last season and is currently 1 ahead of messi

these are the two best players to ever play the game, anyone who argues against that is clueless imo

i'm more of a ronaldo fan but i dont hate on messi like loads of people do on ronaldo

we should just enjoy being alive at the same as these two football gods

if ronaldo was the same age as messi i would agree with you

arsene wenger agress with u btw he has a blog on skysports where he says the same type of thing bout cr7 as u just hve

[messiah10 58]

In my opinion Messi is the better footballer. In some of the most important areas of the game he has better footballing attributes than Ronaldo. Messi is a better passer and has better movement than Ronaldo. Many people say "he's only good because of the work Iniesta and Xavi do" Ignoring the fact that this is bollocks, it takes a great football brain to be on the same wavelength as these two. Making the correct runs at the correct time and having to be constantly aware of where they are on the pitch to make and receive passes.

They both are at the same level finishing wise and due to Ronaldos height he will inevitably win more headers.

Hypothetically, if Ronaldo and Messi swapped teams for a season neither would have as good goal scoring stats. To be in the fake no.9 position Messi is at Barca you need to drop deep to make things happen, have accurate passing and vision, and press high up the park when the opposition have the ball. This doesn't play to Ronaldo's strengths. Also, the wide forward role would not suite him at Barca due to the fact that width and selflessness are very important to make the system work (think of Ibrahimovic)

At Real, Messi would be wasted as a wide forward and would probably have to be played in the postion Ozil plays to get the best out of him, meaning he would score far less goals.

Also, Ronado's goals from 40yards look spectacular, but the amount of times the ball flies over the bar is ridiculous. At Barca, it is much more important to keep possession of the ball rather than try to get lucky (yes, I said lucky) with a shot from 40yards.

yes because ronaldos goals from distance are lucky arent they

its not as if he spends time working on his freekicks and striking of the ball

unbelievable

[messiah10 58]

No but seriously, Ronaldo is a stunningly good footballer but I don't see his incredible goal-scoring achievements (nor Messi's) as the measure of how good they actually are. Goal-scoring exploits are the most bland, meaningless way of measuring stature within the game. It's the kind of thing Pele cares about, and Pele is a boring old limp-dicked fart.

It's also the reason why, even though I think Ronaldo is an incredible attacking talent, I do not credit him with being the second best player in the world simply as a result of the fact he constantly dicks all over league opposition. I do not think he is as Great a player as, say, Iniesta (capital G intended). I do not think he has IT in the same way as the greats of the game.

Of course, if you dare to take this line you expose yourself to the usual sneering accusations of being a Barcelona fanboy, but it's not that at all. I don't even think Ronaldo is the best player at Real Madrid.

u think iniesta is better than ronaldo. WOW

[messiah10 58]

You're saying Casillas is so good because of his winners medals? He's a "true great" because of it? Does that mean Messi isn't one because he hasn't won a World Cup?

yes to the casillas question of course it does, euro and world cup with ur country while playing for over 10 years week in week out for real madrid.

not many players ever will be more successful that that

[blueboy94 54]

He doesn't even really dive any more. Can't hold that against him.

5 days ago.

[blueboy94 54]

yes because ronaldos goals from distance are lucky arent they

its not as if he spends time working on his freekicks and striking of the ball

unbelievable

About 1 in 10 of his long range shots have a realistic chance of beating the keeper. Also, his freekicks have been dreadful this season.

Law of averages and all that.

[Ricky_ 893]

About 1 in 10 of his long range shots have a realistic chance of beating the keeper. Also, his freekicks have been dreadful this season.

Law of averages and all that.

thats like saying 1 in 10 times messi tries to dribble past 4 defenders from the half way line result in a maradonna-esque goal, therefore it's lucky.

you can't discredit either player as being lucky, they have exceptional talent and put the hours in on the training ground. I think its clear ronaldo spends alot of time on the training ground perfecting his ball striking technique, when it elevates so quickly then dips mid-flight before swerving late, it's no fluke, it's the technique he practices, and it pays off in games.

[adam2102 578]

rather than this turning into a ronaldo v messi thread, which it seems to have done aleady... i'm taking a different slant

as the OP said, are ronaldo, iniesta and xavi unfairly underrated.

imo ronaldo, yes

iniesta, yes

xavi, no

the reason i say that is because people never talk about iniesta OR xavi. it's always iniesta AND xavi. as if they are the same. but watch barcelona play: yes both are great players. but it is iniesta who moves after passing, it is iniesta making the runs and it is iniesta telling players where to go. in my opinion, barcelona's amazing midfield would lose a lot more if iniesta isnt playing as opposed to if xavi isnt playing. just my 2 cents