Leo Messi Never Dives

[LukaMotion]

Someone just showed me this amazing video.

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I cannot think of another player who plays football like this. I'm not talking about his obvious skill level but the unwillingness to go to ground despite being hacked to pieces.

I mean, it truly is admirable. In the first clip, any other player would have gone to ground and almost certainly got a penalty.

Call it naivety maybe or romantic but i would be more than happy to see a spurs player in the same situation do the same as messi and miss out on a penalty.

Football needs more players like this.

 

[WhiteStripe]

This clip makes me smile a big broad smile. I fucking love this guy.

 

[mil1lion]

You can tell he has gotten used to it over the years. Shame the refs dont offer him more protection though.

 

[southgatespur40]

that is actually outrageous especially after watching players from the PL go down under the slightest of bodily contact!

 

[aws_young]

Very impressive. Interesting that the refs pull the play back on some occasions, when I would expect English refs to let the play continue.

 

[barry]

lennon never dives, or overact

 

[fridgemagnet]

TBF Luka is built from the same stuff i.e keeps trying to play and not go down despite being kicked to bits PL refs give nothing even when he does eventually go down, actually thinking about it a few of our players are like that.

That Messi has a great future ahead of him...

 

[MrWoolley]

I love that video. Great player

 

[Teemu]

lennon never dives, or overact

True actually. Whenever he gets fouled he just sort of lifts his arms up as if to say 'bruv it ent my fault if i iz bare quik innit u needz to learn how 2 tackle u no wat im sayin yeh?'

 

[LukaMotion]

It's true we have some players, Modders and Azza especially, that try and stay on their feet most of the time, but not anywhere near the extent that Messi does. It's when he's being hacked and grappled to bits that i find it particularly impressive, and he just seems to have a sense of real pride at being a player who just wants to get on and play football how its supposed to be played, without all the diving and faking injuries etc.

I'd equate it to watching Ronaldinho in his early years at Barca, the way he played with a smile on his face no matter what. It has the same feeling of your watching a player who just loves playing football, and it doesn't get better to watch than that.

To some extent, Bale was doing this at the beginning of the season. He had that air about him of wanting to just play football.

 

[soup]

Love it. It's like he's saying 'fuck you, we ain't playing your game, we're playing football my way today'.

 

[dontcallme]

Love it, Maradonna used to get kicked a lot and would stay on his feet.

It's a shame that players have to go to the floor to get a free kick though.

 

[Skills]

It's the way the game should be played. His only thought is always to get the ball, he let's the ref decide if it's a foul or not. The guy is a legend!

 

[Legend10]

Messi is a footballing gift from god!

To think that moron Andy gray called him a diver, prick!

 

[Bobishism]

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:shrug:

 

[Warik]

A damn good header that. :wink:

 

[Vecellio]

The guy is a football freak and we are privileged to be watching him..His balance must be phenomenal to adjust and recover so quickly from bad challenges. Reminds me of George Best a lot the way he rides tackles and just gets on with it..Awesome stuff.

 

[DJS]

:shrug:

He's Argentinian, it's what they do.

 

[yawa]

Watching Messi and Barcelona got me back into football over the last few seasons...if that doesnt sound ridiculous.

 

[Bus-Conductor]

Brave little fucker.