Right, so here's the thing about Iniesta.
Almost 3 years ago, myself and a couple of mates went to Barcelona for the week. As it happened, just before we left, Guardiola announced he was leaving Barcelona at the end of the season. It meant that the game we had picked was to be one of Guardiola's last in charge. It's a real source of pride that I managed to watch that wonderful team live before the great man left his post.
In that match, Messi scored a hattrick, but you know what? He wasn't even close to being the best player on the pitch that night. It was Iniesta. Not even marginally either, because this guy was head and shoulders above everyone else on the pitch. To watch someone like Iniesta on TV is amazing still, but to see him live is something quite breathtaking. To see the sheer genius of the man up close is genuinely something I'll carry to the grave with me. Messi was happy to sit on the shoulder of the last defender for most of the match, knowing his chances would come. Iniesta on the other hand, was at the heart of everything. Working hard, keeping the ball, dribbling with it, moving to the wing, dropping deep - you name it, and Iniesta invariably did it.
Iniesta is a player that stats can't do justice to. To judge a player like Iniesta by stats alone means you fundamentally don't understand the essence of what makes Iniesta, Iniesta. You can't quantify such genius, and such brilliance. He's one of the most selfless players I think I've ever seen. He's the link between Xavi and Messi. His role is absolutely crucial. Take Fabregas for example. When he was signed back from Arsenal, it was taken as read that he would slot right in with relative ease, but it didn't turn out that way. Fabregas has a much better assist and goal record than Iniesta in recent years, but he's not even in the same league as a footballer. Neither is Mata for that matter.
Those who don't appreciate players like Iniesta will never properly understand the game.
