They would kill to have Messi play in the Premier League.
Anyone who hasn't play in the "best league in the world" is considered "unproven".
Even though the greatest players ever to play football have never played there before including the likes of Zidane, Zico, Platini, Maradona, Pele, Garrincha, Cannavaro, Buffon etc. etc.
Ah Andy Gray,crap always comes out of his mouth.Last year he predicted : ~Chelsea won't finish in the Top 4 (we were the champs) ~Drogba will have an abysmal season and be sold (he scored 37 goals) ~Before the united game : He predicted a 5-0 win for united (1-2) ~Arsenal are gonna win a trophy (they didn't win anything) and my favorite : "Tottenham are gonna finish in THE BOTTOM THREE"
I'm a huge Barcelona fan but tbh I agree almost with Andy Gray (who I can't stand) Messi wouldn't be able to play the way he does in the prem.. the pace is just too fast for the way Barcelona play and he'd never be able to stand shoulder to shoulder against the prem centre halves.
The Spanish league is played at a somewhat more standoffish approach to the heavy pressing style of the prem and for some it's just easier to play in La Liga. A good example of a player who flourished there but sucked in the prem is Diego Forlan.
Wank. When was the last time you watched a La Liga match? Barca are as impressive on the ball as they are off it. Teams don't press? Again, another myth. Valencia and Atletico both play a high tempo pressing game, but arguably the best at it are Barca themselves. They work as hard and as well as a unit at pressing when they don't have the ball, as when they do when in possession. Andy Gray is talking bollocks as per usual. Players like Messi and Iniesta are special. Their first touch and ball control as well as their burst of pace would make a complete cock out of the likes of John Terry et al. Fernando Torres is a prime example of a player coming from La Liga and riping PL defenders a new one.
Talk about taking quotes out of context. Andy Gray was simply stating that he thinks the Premier League is a higher standard than La Liga and would be interesting to see how the likes of Messi and Barcelona would face up against the likes of Stoke or Blackburn which the top clubs in English seems to do quite well.
He also stated whenever Messi has faced an english club he's been fairly annonymous aisde from the 4 goals he banged in against Arsenal at the Nou Camp.
Also, he believes Xavi and Iniesta are the catalyst behind why Messi looks so good playing at Barca.
Yes, Blackburn under Fat Sam would kick lumps out of Messi. A lot of teams in the Prem are anti-football due to a few of the managers not having a clue about modern day tactics. Fat Sam, Mick McCarthy, and Roy Hodgson are a guilty party.
I agree with you, add Tony Pulis to that list too but as long as it remains effective which it obviously does then the 'hoof it upto the big man' and 'hack their ball players' football will still persist.
But Andy Gray still made several valid points and i don't know why he's being bashed.
Andy Gray... Who is he?
Premfaces are the worst thing that ever happened to the world since Chuck Norris.
They would kill to have Messi play in the Premier League.
Anyone who hasn't play in the "best league in the world" is considered "unproven".
Even though the greatest players ever to play football have never played there before including the likes of Zidane, Zico, Platini, Maradona, Pele, Garrincha, Cannavaro, Buffon etc. etc.
Ah Andy Gray,crap always comes out of his mouth.Last year he predicted :
~Chelsea won't finish in the Top 4 (we were the champs)
~Drogba will have an abysmal season and be sold (he scored 37 goals)
~Before the united game : He predicted a 5-0 win for united (1-2)
~Arsenal are gonna win a trophy (they didn't win anything)
and my favorite : "Tottenham are gonna finish in THE BOTTOM THREE"
andy gray is like the michael patcher of the gaming world