10 - Lionel Messi - v2

[mikecraig]

that precaution resting thing is getting overused.You dont rest player on pitch,you put him on bench.Ordering a players not to play their 100% every other game 'cuz of precaution is absurd.And if true it would only confirm my feelings about our whole coaching stuff being completely useless.

I have known that for a while

 

[mikecraig]

It also means that, Messi after 4 years will not be the topscorer of the CL. Damn will CR7 win it?

Couldn't be bothered, my first priority is Barca winning the CL

 

[Leo10]

Couldn't be bothered, my first priority is Barca winning the CL

We understand that Barca>Messi. You don't have to mention it in every post.

 

[poldep]

Couldn't be bothered, my first priority is Barca winning the CL

Well lets see; Messi won the CL pichichi 4 times in last 4 years. In those 4 years Barca won the CL 2 times. He has 5 goals now. He at least needs >10. We have far better chances of winning the CL if Messi is the CL pichichi. So Messi to score 3 against Milan, 2 in de semis and 1 in the final That will get us the cup and another trophy for his collection.

 

[jiopi]

Hardly. Yes, last game everbody failed, but just because the team wasn't working well as a whole, doesn't mean he can't/shouldn't do his best. That's like saying he can't try if his teammates don't try. Maybe he can't turn it around on his own (although we've seen that happen, too), but he can put in the effort. If he tried and failed, nobody would say a word. We're complaining about the lack of effort, not the lack of results. The effort has nothing to do with his teammates. Same goes for everyone else. Just look at Alba. This guy is so hungry, he gives it 110% every time. Even when everyone else is on standby, he's out there doing his best. But I do agree, however, to progress to the next stage, everyone needs to step up.

What is giving best? Doing penetrating, advancing passes, advancing, building dribbles, runs that open space, finishing, creating chances? Because Messi tried all that against Milan, but mostly failed, and that was exactly because his team mates didn't provide enough options to accomplish those. It's not like he didn't try.

And Alba hardly gave 110% against Milan, more like 60%, the Alba/Iniesta wing was appalling, and I will puke if I see it one more time against though opponent.

 

[ThwiX]

What is giving best? Doing penetrating, advancing passes, advancing, building dribbles, runs that open space, finishing, creating chances? Because Messi tried all that against Milan, but mostly failed, and that was exactly because his team mates didn't provide enough options to accomplish those. It's not like he didn't try.

And Alba hardly gave 110% against Milan, more like 60%, the Alba/Iniesta wing was appalling, and I will puke if I see it one more time against though opponent.

This

 

[Garrus]

After researching, I found that messi's work rate has not changed in the last 3 years, He was and still the player with the least distance coverage in the team (averaging 7 km), Which raises the question of why this 'Work rate' complaints emerge now all of a sudden.

 

[Flavia]

After researching, I found that messi's work rate has not changed in the last 3 years, He was and still the player with the least distance coverage in the team (averaging 7 km), Which raises the question of why this 'Work rate' complaints emerge now all of a sudden.

Because he didn't save Barça this time, that's why. He did against granada, but couldn't do it against Milan. He was nullified, and all he tried, failed. Somehow many perceive this as lack of effort. It was more of a game with no creativity or knowing how to respond from the whole team, but Messi gets that many critics because he has saved the team many times before. The team wasn't that good either against granada, and against a better side it got worse.
His non flamboyant style also contributes to this, imo.

 

[mikecraig]

Because he didn't save Barça this time, that's why. He did against granada, but couldn't do it against Milan. He was nullified, and all he tried, failed. Somehow many perceive this as lack of effort. It was more of a game with no creativity or knowing how to respond from the whole team, but Messi gets that many critics because he has saved the team many times before. The team wasn't that good either against granada, and against a better side it got worse.
His non flamboyant style also contributes to this, imo.

Why should a team full of the same players who make up the backbone of the greatest national team ever depend on any player to save them
Building your team around a player is a lazy and stupid thing for any Manager to do
Because it has an inherent flaw
What happens when that player is injured or fails to perform
I have no problem with Messi
My problem is with the people stupid enough to build the team around one player side tracking all the other great players in the team forcing them to adopt their game to suit one player

 

[Garrus]

Because he didn't save Barça this time, that's why. He did against granada, but couldn't do it against Milan. He was nullified, and all he tried, failed. Somehow many perceive this as lack of effort. It was more of a game with no creativity or knowing how to respond from the whole team, but Messi gets that many critics because he has saved the team many times before. The team wasn't that good either against granada, and against a better side it got worse.
His non flamboyant style also contributes to this, imo.

I agree, Another main reason may be is that unless someone has a great tactical knowledge, It'll be hard for him to pinpoint where things went wrong, And who's responsible, For example i've never been good in terms of tactical knowledge, I didn't know what happened against AC milan, I can see that we couldn't penetrate and reach the goal, But why exactly is just out of my depth, Only after i read the game review at zonal marking, That i knew what happened, Now if some other one forcefully tried to look for something even if he's not knowledgeable enough, What you think the thing he'll clearly be able to see?.... It'll be Messi walking!.

 

[Bionicman]

While moving Messi to the wing is one plan, another is that the coaches could work with Messi in practice to make him better at playing the forward role for games like this. Here's one idea I have: in practices for the Milan game, put cones on the sidelines about 30 meters from the "opponent's" goal, and tell Messi that he should never go closer to his goal than that in open play, unless doing so would put him in an offside position.

Last year against Chelsea, when he lost the ball that led to Drogba's goal, I wasn't annoyed with the dispossession as much as the fact that he was behind most of the midfield when he was nominally the central attacker. Against Milan, he again sometimes dropped deeper than Busquets. Against weak La Liga sides we get away with it, but against elite opponents that simply cannot happen. The biggest weakness to Messi's game is tactical indiscipline. I find it hilarious how after some games (Chelsea, Celtic, Milan) in which Barcelona dominates possession but doesn't score and Messi drops too deep, some people say that it's okay because "he was trying to make something happen" and the midfield "wasn't getting the ball to him." (Welcome to what most teams feel like.) Right now, teams know that if they cover their defensive third well, Messi will take himself out of dangerous positions to get the ball. This brings me back to what I said about working with Messi in practice on playing like a traditional number nine. I don't mean winning headers; I mean making runs and evading centerbacks the way Eto'o did. In fact, someone on the Barcelona staff could just make an Eto'o video, send it to Messi, and say "learn."

 

[Stric]

Messi spends way too much time behind Xavi and Iniesta. That's pushing the false #9 role a bit too far. It's about retreating to the midfield, sure, but I'm pretty sure he's still supposed to be in front virtually everyone other than the wingers. Losing a ball near the opponent's box is one thing, losing it at the center of the pitch with most of your team in front of you is another.

 

[Flavia]

Why should a team full of the same players who make up the backbone of the greatest national team ever depend on any player to save them
Building your team around a player is a lazy and stupid thing for any Manager to do
Because it has an inherent flaw
What happens when that player is injured or fails to perform
I have no problem with Messi
My problem is with the people stupid enough to build the team around one player side tracking all the other great players in the team forcing them to adopt their game to suit one player

What I said has nothing to do with building the team around Messi. It's just that he has, many times, managed to shine even when the team was bad, and saved a victory for Barça. But when he doesn't, people tend to started criticizing aspects of his game they usualy don't.

 

[tariqo]

Why should a team full of the same players who make up the backbone of the greatest national team ever depend on any player to save them
Building your team around a player is a lazy and stupid thing for any Manager to do
Because it has an inherent flaw
What happens when that player is injured or fails to perform
I have no problem with Messi
My problem is with the people stupid enough to build the team around one player side tracking all the other great players in the team forcing them to adopt their game to suit one player

What a great unbelievable post its outstanding post

 

[Karnivore]

Messi needs to score against Sevilla tonight, then only Celta Vigo left to match the record Ronaldo did last season (score against all teams in the season)... could go one better if scores an own goal.