Jorge Sampaoli

comment by rossobianchi (U17054)
posted 10 minutes ago
comment by Gillespie Road (U18361)
posted 2 hours, 21 minutes ago
comment by United_kaz (U9943)
posted 18 minutes ago
imagine being a Argentinian player hearing that guff
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The team talk definitely worked. Everyone either tried to get the ball to Messi as quickly as possible, or made tireless decoy runs to make life easier for him.

Have a look at the goal celebrations. Anyone here who's ever had to put all their faith in a skilled teammate will understand.
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You can do that without making out football owes some kind of debt of gratitude to a guy who has gladly benefitted to the extreme from clubs rinsing working class fans living on the breadline before hiding his gains from the taxman to the primary detriment of those same working class people.
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Rossobianchi, I'd be interested in your response to my suggestion above that perhaps you've misinterpreted those words. What if in the context of other things he has said to the team every player knew his real point was that each of them had to take as much responsibility for the match as Messi? What if he was trying to challenge that psychological instinct to rely on the best player?

I also tend to doubt that many people have a big enough ego to feel bruised by the assertion that Messi is on a different planet to them in terms of footballing ability.

United don’t pay tax yet you have some of the most entitled fans on the planet.

Glass houses and that.

comment by gratedbean (U4885)
posted 27 minutes ago
United don’t pay tax yet you have some of the most entitled fans on the planet.

Glass houses and that.
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Does it count as saying your own tax if you use somebody else's money...

comment by Pride of the North (U6803)
posted 22 minutes ago
comment by gratedbean (U4885)
posted 27 minutes ago
United don’t pay tax yet you have some of the most entitled fans on the planet.

Glass houses and that.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Does it count as saying your own tax if you use somebody else's money...
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Of course it does. As long as your taxes are covered I see no issue with where the money comes from, and I certainly won’t be regurgitating my breakfast over it like a fecking pelican.

I actually thought Argentina played better than Germany in the 2014 final.The missed chances by Higuain and an unfit Aguero particularly hurt them. Messi deliberately played behind the argentinean frontline players to provide the baance and that helped them get to the Final but in key moments some players missed bug chances.

Thats the game that Boateng literally saved Germany as that high line was pierced time and time again by Argentina.

Its funny that one game would have sealed Messi status in the game but what then happened was Ronaldo fluked a Euro medal and although Messi has played better than him in the last 2 seasons Ronaldo has won the Balon because of the number of club honours he has won, something Ronaldo fans used to argue when Ronaldo would be top goal scorer but Real would win nothing.

The argentina team is too imbalanced to win the world cup and I would rather play Messi in front anyway.

comment by Adam 'The Interview' Lallana (U20650)
posted 4 hours, 41 minutes ago
left out the likes of parades, dybala, icardi & banega for lesser players, needs sacking
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This

comment by Red Russian (U4715)
posted 3 hours, 14 minutes ago
comment by rossobianchi (U17054)
posted 10 minutes ago
comment by Gillespie Road (U18361)
posted 2 hours, 21 minutes ago
comment by United_kaz (U9943)
posted 18 minutes ago
imagine being a Argentinian player hearing that guff
----------------------------------------------------------------------
The team talk definitely worked. Everyone either tried to get the ball to Messi as quickly as possible, or made tireless decoy runs to make life easier for him.

Have a look at the goal celebrations. Anyone here who's ever had to put all their faith in a skilled teammate will understand.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
You can do that without making out football owes some kind of debt of gratitude to a guy who has gladly benefitted to the extreme from clubs rinsing working class fans living on the breadline before hiding his gains from the taxman to the primary detriment of those same working class people.
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Rossobianchi, I'd be interested in your response to my suggestion above that perhaps you've misinterpreted those words. What if in the context of other things he has said to the team every player knew his real point was that each of them had to take as much responsibility for the match as Messi? What if he was trying to challenge that psychological instinct to rely on the best player?

I also tend to doubt that many people have a big enough ego to feel bruised by the assertion that Messi is on a different planet to them in terms of footballing ability.
----------------------------------------------------------------------

comment by gratedbean (U4885)
posted 9 hours, 47 minutes ago
United don’t pay tax yet you have some of the most entitled fans on the planet.

Glass houses and that.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Who says I'm happy about United's company structure and tax avoidance?

comment by Red Russian (U4715)
posted 9 hours, 54 minutes ago
comment by rossobianchi (U17054)
posted 10 minutes ago
comment by Gillespie Road (U18361)
posted 2 hours, 21 minutes ago
comment by United_kaz (U9943)
posted 18 minutes ago
imagine being a Argentinian player hearing that guff
----------------------------------------------------------------------
The team talk definitely worked. Everyone either tried to get the ball to Messi as quickly as possible, or made tireless decoy runs to make life easier for him.

Have a look at the goal celebrations. Anyone here who's ever had to put all their faith in a skilled teammate will understand.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
You can do that without making out football owes some kind of debt of gratitude to a guy who has gladly benefitted to the extreme from clubs rinsing working class fans living on the breadline before hiding his gains from the taxman to the primary detriment of those same working class people.
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Rossobianchi, I'd be interested in your response to my suggestion above that perhaps you've misinterpreted those words. What if in the context of other things he has said to the team every player knew his real point was that each of them had to take as much responsibility for the match as Messi? What if he was trying to challenge that psychological instinct to rely on the best player?

I also tend to doubt that many people have a big enough ego to feel bruised by the assertion that Messi is on a different planet to them in terms of footballing ability.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
This is far more energy than I really wanted to expend on this, but anyway...

Regardless of what Sampaoli was trying to achieve, I've read that he's told the world that he believes football owes some kind of debt of gratitude to Lionel Messi, and that the competition might be somehow less of a spectacle if he were unable to grace it with his presence.

In this case, he either believes the above to be true, or he doesn't, and is either sucking Messi's balls for some reason or has looked for any way he can think of to inspire his players before the game (a little strange in his choice of tactic for me, but fair enough) and has then decided to tell the world about it (strange to do so if he doesn't really believe it).

To me, your alternative interpretation doesn't make a lot of sense. Messi isn't the most hardworking or dedicated player in any given Argentinian side, and if he wanted to see other players step up and take responsibility rather than just give the ball to Messi at the earliest opportunity, well, that's not really what happened.

And my beef wasn't at all related to any argument about Messi's ability: he's obviously incredible and unique.

But in itself that doesn't mean he deserves to play at the World Cup any more than any other player.