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Mikel Arteta: "Lionel Messi is the most influential player ever in the history of football. We have never seen someone do what Messi has been doing on the field for all these years before." (www.planetfootball.com)

submitted 11 months ago by TheBiasedSportsLover@alien.top to c/main@soccer.forum

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[–] No-Shoe5382@alien.top 1 points 11 months ago (4 children)

That's what I was gonna say.

How has Messi been influential to the game when nobody can replicate the way he plays? Influential players are ones who start doing something new that everybody starts copying.

If most forwards strolled around the pitch like Messi for 80 of the 90 minutes they'd contribute absolutely nothing to the game. Messi hasn't influenced anyone to change the way they play because it wouldn't work if they did.

[–] neenerpants@alien.top 1 points 11 months ago (1 children)

I wonder which player in history has made the highest number of people actually change the way they play.

Ronaldo making everyone kick through the valve?

Roberto Carlos convincing a generation of full backs to stop defending?

Vinnie Jones making droves of sunday league players think "midfield hardman" is a legit position?

[–] DirtyDanoTho@alien.top 1 points 11 months ago

What about Pele and inspiring joga bonito?

[–] GreasedandLeased@alien.top 1 points 11 months ago

I take it as “most influential single player on outcomes/dominance of teams”. He is the player that can single handedly exert the most influence on a game. Certainly true in the modern era and if you consider his longevity it’s hard to argue against the same for all time.

[–] bozmonaut@alien.top 1 points 11 months ago (1 children)

exactly, compare Messi's brilliance to that of Cruyff or Beckenbauer who changed the way the game is played with new tactics and positions

[–] WindowViking@alien.top 1 points 11 months ago

This calls for Cruijff's explanation of the Diamond in a Dutch talkshow.

[–] zazzlekdazzle@alien.top 1 points 11 months ago

I always thought the same thing, but then again there are different ways to be influential.

I think it could be said he got more people into football - they wanted to learn to dribble, or score, or pass, or make plays like Messi. It doesn't mean they would do it the same way or to the same level, but it made people strive.

Also, in this day and age of football Adonisis, he shows that you can be a super start without the body of a god or oozing charisma or attitude.