Lionel Messi Should Learn from Ronaldinho's Slump and Emulate Sachin Tendulkar

The title might seem absurd, considering that it is impossible to compare a footballing genius with a great from another one.Lionel Messi and Sachin Tendulkar are two geniuses on their own right, one reaching the peak of his prowess and another one riding into the twilight on a high note. In this article, I wish to elaborate on the headline and why Messi needs to emulate Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar to be a footballing great in the history of the game.

Messi emerged through the Barcelona Academy as a teenager who had immense potential. He has been one of the stars of Barcelona ever since he played for the Spanish club. After the departure of the impressive Ronaldinho, Messi has taken over the mantle and been impressive. He has broken a number of records at such a young age and has taken the world by storm.

The emergence of Messi is not too different from a boy from Mumbai who debuted for India as a baby-faced 16-year-old. Tendulkar was blessed with immense talent.From the moment he played for India, he has been touted as the next best player after the legendary Sir Donald Bradman. He started strongly in his early days and stood up to fearsome bowlers of oppositions like Waqar Younis and Curtly Ambrose.

Tendulkar and Messi have been blessed with talent that separates them from the rest. Of course, there are a number of people who might argue that Cristiano Ronaldo is better than the Argentine in some respects.
But then again, for every Tendulkar, there is a Brian Charles Lara who was also immensely talented and it was inevitable that Tendulkar would be compared to Lara by most cricket supporters and the media.



Ronaldinho: The Fall of a Genius

Ronaldinho was a genius in his own right and is probably one of the most talented players ever in the history of football. The cheerful Brazilian could create things on his own and was impossible to stop when he got going. But Ronaldinho had a very short span of time when he dominated world football, and has not been the same since he won many individual awards with Barcelona, helping them to win various trophies before he left the Spanish giants in 2008.


The Brazilian playmaker was a fantastic player. He still has the creativity to make an impact on a game. But he has grossly underutilized his potential. He is not a footballing great because of his other activities, which had a drastic impact on his game. His love for the game did not last long enough, and that was the reason for his downfall.

Sachin Tendulkar: The Legend's Love and Respect for the Game

I do not know how many of you are aware of Sachin Tendulkar's records. But in a nutshell, it would be difficult to find any statistical record—relating to batsmanship in cricket (barring T-20s)—which does not have the name Sachin Tendulkar inscribed at the top of the list.

Tendulkar emerged as one of the stalwarts of Cricket within few years of his senior debut. He had to shoulder the burden the expectations of one billion supporters on his young shoulders. He was criticised heavily for every bad performance. It was his displays which more or less decided the outcome of the game.

It was not too dissimilar to the way Argentina depended on Messi's performances to clinch them the World Championship. Even though he was good, the entire team could not be successful because they did not have a good enough team and their manager's Diego Maradona's tactics was criticised.

But Tendulkar is as humble a sportsperson that you would ever come across. His love for the game never dwindled despite the unwarranted scrutiny and he waited for around 20 years before he finally lifted the World Championship in his hometown.

He has continued to perform to the maximum of his abilities and it was not surprising to see him break one record after another. He is currently 37 years old, but is one of the most consistent batsmen in the world. He admits that his love and respect for his country and the game drives him to be at his best every single time he takes the field.

He is a true model for every youngster who possesses remarkable potential in any field. It is often pointed out that Messi cannot be a leader in the side and that quality is not that of a great. Tendulkar was not a good captain by any standards, but it is universally accepted that he is one of the best players ever to have graced the planet.

Lionel Messi: Can He Become a Legend in the Future?

Lionel Messi has shown he has the brilliance to be a footballing legend and follow the footsteps of Diego Maradona and Pele to etch his name alongside these greats. But, he must be confident and be passionate toward the game. The most important thing he should show is respect to the game even after some years down the lane, and that is the key to success for Lionel Messi.

Messi has also shown a lot of humility and he has retained his youthful exuberance ever since he made his professional debut. He must keep his feet on the ground and strive hard to achieve more success in the future years for both FC Barcelona and Argentina.

He has certainly shown that he has the talent and potential to be a legend forever. But he needs to take a leaf out of Tendulkar's book and maintain the love and passion toward football and look forward to enthralling football supporters all over the world with his incredible wizardry.

Arsenal Transfer News: Gunners' Options Regarding Futures of Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri

Arsene Wenger is reportedly all set to cancel his holidays according to the Mirror, because of the potential departures of three of their more important players. Cesc Fabregas, Samir Nasri and Andrei Arshavin are the players mentioned in the report though Arshavin’s recent comments suggest that Wenger would like to retain him at Arsenal.

With the fans immensely frustrated by the six year trophy drought, the last thing that Arsene Wenger wants is to lose two of his best players in the squad. Though Arsenal have yet to announce any signing, the general consensus is that Arsene Wenger must bring in some established quality players in order to end this frustrating drought.

However, Wenger will not like to see his best players depart the club as it would be hard to find replacements for them and also, they might require time to adjust to the new club which might trigger another season of rebuilding the team. Though the Gunners endured a spectacular collapse towards the end of the season, they were the main competitors for Manchester United for most of the season and had good wins against quality teams like Barcelona and Chelsea.

Wenger is looking to bolster his squad by bringing in some new players who can add quality to the squad and also, retaining the services of Samir Nasri and Cesc Fabregas is important for the Gunners next season. The Arsenal captain has been continually linked with a move to Barcelona while Nasri has only one year on his contract and should he not sign a new deal, he will be on his way out of the Emirates.

Samir Nasri has been linked with a number of clubs in Europe and he has done nothing to quash these rumors. On the contrary, according to a report on ESPNSoccernet, he refused to rule out a move to Manchester United, who are looking to add more quality to the team that won the EPL this season. Though there is not much news on the Fabregas front, the Arsenal captain could be a likely target for the Spanish Champions.

Cesc Fabregas Situation

Cesc Fabregas has admitted in the past that he would like to return to his former club at some point in his career and his potential transfer has been the subject of speculation for the past few seasons. He was convinced by Arsene Wenger to stay for the 2010-11 season and though the Arsenal manager has confirmed that there is no interest for the club captain, there is every possibility that Barcelona could bid for the Spanish midfielder.

Though Fabregas is likely to be benched, if all midfielders are fit for the Blaugrana, the possibility of winning trophies for Barcelona, where he was a youth player, appeals to him for sure. Wenger will be in a conundrum if he conveys to him that he wants to quit the club because it will be hard to replace him but also, if he resists the approach from the Catalans, it could lead to Fabregas being upset with the club and being the leader and captain of this young team, Wenger will not want any negative vibes before the season.

Whether Fabregas stays or not depends on his decision, Arsene Wenger’s persuasion skills and the offer that Barcelona make for the midfielder. Though Wenger will not price Fabregas out of the move on purpose, he will ensure that Fabregas is sold for the market value of the Arsenal captain and with the inflated transfer markets in the last few seasons, he could be Arsenal’s most expensive sale and could fetch around £45 million.

However, Wenger would rather like the Spaniard to stay at the club than obtain the money from his sale because he is integral to the success of the team and is arguably their best player and certainly their most consistent player over the last few years. But if he pushes for a move, then Arsenal could be interested in a swap deal involving one of Ibrahim Afellay or Thiago Alcantara plus cash of around £35 million.

Arsenal have Aaron Ramsey who is back to full fitness and he is expected to play a big role in the future for the Gunners considering he is one of the most promising midfielders in the world. Hence, the Gunners will not prefer signing Thiago, though he is very talented, because he will take time to adjust to the Premiership and also, he is relatively inexperienced.

Afellay would be an interesting option for the Gunners though considering that his versatility in the centre or on the wings could provide more flexibility for the Gunners. Also, he shares a good rapport with current Arsenal vice captain Robin van Persie and they will know their games having played for the Dutch national team together.

Also Afellay has not received much playing time for Barcelona after joining them in January in a cut-price deal from PSV Eindhoven. With Barcelona also linked with Giuseppi Rossi, he could receive lesser time next season and Cesc Fabregas’ arrival at Barcelona will certainly mean that he will not play in central midfield which he prefers.

Samir Nasri’s Contract Situation

 

However if Barcelona are not interested in involving Afellay in the deal, then Wenger would have another option to sign a quality winger like Eden Hazard and play Samir Nasri in the hole behind Robin van Persie. But the only problem in this is that there is absolutely no guarantee that Nasri will stay with the Gunners next season and he could move on if he fails to reach an agreement with Arsenal regarding the new contract.

Samir Nasri had an excellent first half of the season and though he did fade away towards the end of the season, a tally of 15 goals in a season is good for the midfielder who had scored 12 goals for Arsenal till the 2010-11 season. Nasri has developed into one of the most important players for the Gunners and Arsenal will not like to lose him this summer.

However, he has only one year on his contract and according to Arsene Wenger, there has been a slight financial disagreement on the contract and the Arsenal manager hoped he could hold on to the French midfielder. Nasri has the upper hand in the contract negotiations with many top clubs interested in acquiring his services.

Nasri is reportedly seeking a pay similar to what Cesc Fabregas earns at the club. However, the club has a wage structure which should be respected and if Wenger gives in to Nasri’s demands, then it will mean that he will also have to increase the wages of several other players like Robin van Persie, who has been extremely loyal to the club. It could mean a huge rise in the overall wages of the club and could affect the policy of the club in the long run as more players could start holding the club for ransom and it would set a bad precedent.

If he is indeed sold by the Gunners after failing to sign a new contract, it will be tough to replace a player of his quality. Though he has only one year left on his contract, he is a player of superb potential and could be worth as much as £20 million despite having only a year on his contract. The midfielder’s versatility provides a lot of depth to the Gunners and should he leave, Arsenal will have to look at quality players who can do the job for Arsenal.

Eden Hazard, who was named the French League player of the season for his superb performances for Lille, has been linked with the Gunners in the past and Wenger could splash the cash to acquire his services. Another possible alternative for the Gunners is to sign a quality striker like Karim Benzema who can also play on the wings which means more options for the Arsenal manager.

If Nasri does leave the club, it is likely that the Arsenal manager would also hold on to Tomas Rosicky, despite not being at his best since his return from injury. The Czech International has been benched for a number of games this season but he is one of the more versatile players in the squad and could provide depth to the squad.

The worst situation for the Gunners is in the scenario where Nasri and Fabregas both leave the club in the summer and that would certainly be devastating for the Gunners. However, Arsene Wenger is an astute manager and despite not many trophies in the last few years, he will understand the team’s need for quality players.

The Gunners could generate a large amount of money from the sale of the two players and probably they can also negotiate for a potential player exchange deal for Fabregas involving Afellay, which means that they could have as much as £50 million cash along with the signing of the Dutchman. Wenger needs to invest this money on quality players who are needed to win trophies for the Gunners.

Wenger could have a transfer budget of around £35-40 million and he has said that they do have the capability to make big signings. The Arsenal manager could sign a quality striker and Eden Hazard or Mario Goetze with that cash which means Arsenal will have a formidable attack with Robin van Persie, Aaron Ramsey and Ibrahim Afellay all capable of playing behind the striker.

It is certainly not all “gloom and doom” for Arsenal if Nasri and Cesc Fabregas leaves the club especially considering the potentials of Ramsey and Wilshere but Wenger would not like to lose two key players in the same summer as it could mean that the team’s play could be remodelled. Arsene Wenger will have to spend the money available in the summer to acquire quality players who could help the Gunners end their trophy drought and move to an era of consistent success like they enjoyed in the early years of Arsene Wenger’s time at Arsenal.

Arsenal FC: Why Manchester United's defeat against Barcelona Proves That Arsenal are in the Right Path

With a disastrous end to the 2010-11 season, Arsenal fans were hugely disappointed with their club's performance and there has been a lot of negative reactions in the summer from the fans who desperately want to see the club lifting a trophy. Though there are a number of areas on which the Gunners should improve in order to win trophies successfully, they did show that they had the quality to match the top sides in this season unlike recent seasons.

Arsenal's season crumbled after the loss to Birmingham in the Carling Cup final in the closing stages of the game due to a error in communication between the inexperienced duo of Laurent Koscielny and Wojciech Szczesny. They had to face Barcelona and Manchester United within two weeks from their defeat and before they could recover, they were knocked out of three competitions and their low confidence meant that they could never really produce their best form which saw them challenge the leaders Manchester United till February.

This current Arsenal team clearly lack the leadership on the pitch and it is important in this regard that Thomas Vermaelen has returned to full fitness for the next season. Though the Gunners had a wretched end to the season after the Birmingham game, their performances just before the Final showed that the Gunners are on the right track to win the title.

Last season, they were comprehensively beaten by Chelsea and Manchester United twice and it was fortunate that they managed to draw the game against Barcelona at home despite being outplayed by the Catalans. It has been different this season with the Gunners winning against both Chelsea and United at home as well as beating Barcelona at the Emirates though it required a late fightback by the Gunners.

The EPL title winners Manchester United were dismantled by Barcelona at Wembley and it was a thoroughly deserved win for the Spanish Champions. Xavi Hernandez and Andres Iniesta were rampant as United's midfield could not create much impact against the midfield of Barcelona. Though Rooney managed to find the equalizer at 1-1, Lionel Messi and David Villa ensured that they were victorious for the second time in three years.

It is fair to say that only Arsenal out of all the other teams that played Barcelona in this Champions league gave the Catalan club a run for their money and despite being much better than Arsenal at the Nou Camp, they could have been eliminated but for a poor attempt by Nicklas Bendtner. Despite the season being a failure, the performance against Barcelona at the Emirates shows that the team is moving in the right direction to win trophies.

It was the only game out of the four games in the last two years that Arsenal had a relatively fit squad with only Thomas Vermaelen missing. In the return leg at the Nou Camp, Theo Walcott and Alex Song were two important players missing in the squad and though one cannot moan about injuries, it is undeniable that Walcott's absence gave the license for Barcelona to push forward both their fullbacks.

Arsenal's young prodigy Jack Wilshere was brilliant in the game and was clearly up for the challenge. He did not look out of place playing against stalwarts like Xavi and Iniesta and even managed to create a bigger
impact than captain Fabregas who was not at his best. Wilshere was clearly fatigued towards the end of the season and the decision to not play in the U-21 tournament is important for him and Arsenal.

Wojciech Szczesny is arguably Arsenal's most talented keeper since Jens Lehmann made way for the inconsistent Almunia. Though Szczesny made a crucial error against Birmingham, he showed he has the quality to be a great keeper and his performance against Barca proved that he was not overawed by the situation and made some great saves throughout the game.

Van Persie, who was harshly sent off in the second leg with the game poised on a knife edge, proved again that if he is fit, he has the quality to provide the goals for the Gunners. Though it was poor goalkeeping from Valdes, the Dutchman's accuracy and technique on the volley was integral to the goal being scored from such a tight angle.

Cesc Fabregas was troubled by recurring hamstring injuries throughout the season and he was not at his best in both the Barcelona games. But as most would admit, he is one of the world's best midfielders and should he recover completely from his injuries and stay at Arsenal, he is certainly one of the most important players for the Gunners.

The most important positive from the Barcelona game was the defending by Johan Djourou and Laurent Koscielny. Though poor concentration from Gael Clichy allowed David Villa to break the offside trap, Koscielny was brilliant in shackling Messi for most of the game. He used his speed to great effect and his tackling was immaculate. With a player of Thomas Vermaelen's experience missing in the heart of the defence, it was great commitment shown by both Djourou and Koscielny.

Though Koscielny has struggled in some games in his first season of the Premiership, he is a player who promises a lot in the future. He is good in the air and though he sometimes makes rash challenges, he is quite good in tackling and will only get better with experience. His biggest asset is his reading of the game and that allows him to make crucial interceptions and he seems to perform better against European oppositions.

Though Djourou looked vulnerable towards the end of season, he had performed quite well since his return to the first team and showed why Arsene Wenger believes in his talent. An injury to the best defender of the club is always likely to be a huge problem for them and Vermaelen's absence for almost the entire season was a huge blow.

There were a number of Arsenal players who emerged with a lot of credit for their performance against Barcelona at the Emirates and while they were ultimately eliminated by the Blaugrana, they showed a lot of fight and were the only team to beat Barcelona in the Champions league. With a number of youngsters performing under pressure for the Gunners this season, it is imperative that Wenger signs some experienced players to provide leadership and direction to the team.

If England's champions can be beaten comprehensively by Barcelona, the Gunners can be proud of their efforts and they were very close to knocking out Barcelona. Though there are many supporters who have branded the youth policy as a total failure, the emergence of many youngsters like Jack Wilshere and Wojciech Szczesny has meant that Arsenal have built a strong squad capable of beating the best at a extremely low price.

Wenger has not made the right signings in the recent past when he has refused to invest money to sign quality players needed to win titles. With the title drought extending to six years this season, he will have to bring in some new players to bolster the squad. Though there are a number of supporters who believe that there should be many changes in the Arsenal team, the Gunners have a strong set of players who can be the future of Arsenal.

Wojciech Szczesny, Thomas Vermaelen, Bacary Sagna, Jack Wilshere, Cesc Fabregas, Samir Nasri and Robin Van Persie form the current core of the Arsenal team and it does look strong if the players show the fighting attitude required to win titles. Aaron Ramsey, Laurent Koscielny, Johan Djourou, Alex Song, Kieran Gibbs and Theo Walcott have the potential to be integral to the team and with a few intelligent signings, Arsenal could have the strongest team in the Premiership.

There has been considerable progress this season from the Gunners and though it has not translated into titles, there has been positives for Arsenal. Though the manager has made mistakes and the team has not shown enough desire this season, it is evident that the Gunners are getting stronger with the youngsters pulling their weight in the team and it is important for the team to translate it to trophies.

Arsenal FC Transfer News: Gunners sign Barcelona's Hector Bellerin and Jon Miquel Toral; Stewart Downing to the Emirates?

Despite the youth policy of Wenger being considered by many supporters as a failure, Arsene Wenger has first ensured that he has signed some quality youth players before moving on to sign some experienced players to bolster the squad. Skysports news have confirmed that Arsenal have completed the signing of Barcelona youth player Hector Bellerin who will follow another La Masia product Jon Miquel Toral to England.

It was reported that Arsenal were leading the chase to sign forward Bellerin and the signing of another La Masia player could infuriate FC Barcelona, who are currently making use of Arsenal's training facilities in order to prepare for the Champions League Final against Manchester United.

Wenger had signed Cesc Fabregas, Fran Merida and Ignasi Miquel as youngsters who had come through the La Masia and Toral and Bellerin will hope that they can fulfill their potential at Arsenal. The French manager has developed a number of young players into world class players and believes in the long term stability of the club.

Though the Gunners need to sign some experienced players, the signings of Hector Bellerin and Jon Miquel Toral could prove to be important in the future. It is certain that Barcelona will not be happy with Arsenal signing two promising youngsters from their academy but a €1 million compensation is the maximum that Arsenal would need to pay the Spanish club.

In other transfer news, Arsenal are interested in Aston Villa winger Stewart Downing along with Liverpool. Downing has confirmed that he will not renew his contract with Villa and with two years left on his deal, the club could sell the winger to get the maximum price. The Englishman has aspirations of playing in the Champions League football and is looking for a club which can offer him a chance to play in the competition in the future.

The left footed Stewart Downing could be targeted as a replacement for Andrei Arshavin who has been linked with an exit from Arsenal. Though the Villa winger is currently being tracked by both Arsenal and Liverpool, the Gunners hold the advantage that they can offer him Champions League football while Liverpool are firmly on the road to recovering their place amongst the top four clubs in the Premiership.

Downing is a good crosser of the ball and also possesses good technique and composure on the ball. At the age of 26, he is entering the peak years of his career and could be a valuable addition to the Gunners. Though he is not as creative as the Russian, he is more direct in his approach and is a natural wide player unlike Arshavin.

Many Arsenal fans are divided on whether Downing will be a good signing for the Gunners and though the Gunners have been linked to various other wingers including the likes of Gervinho and Eden Hazard, Downing's experience in the Premiership could be vital and he does need any time to adjust to the physicality of the league.

Arsene Wenger will look to bolster his squad by signing some talented youngsters like Carl Jenkinson and some experienced players who can provide quality depth to the team. Downing can play on both wings and also as a central midfielder and his versatility could be important to the Gunners. He will be valued around €15 million but with Wenger ready to offload many frustrated players, he should have the funds to make some new signings.

With many clubs looking to strengthen in the summer, the Gunners will have to strengthen in many areas if they are to have a good chance of winning the title. Though Wenger has been stubborn and frugal in the past, he will have to make excellent signings which could help them win titles in the 2011-12 season.