10 - Lionel Messi - v5

[MessiCam]

I don’t know if you guys remember Riquelme. One of my favourite Argentinian players... Also played for Barça but was messed around by Van Gaal. Argentina need a midfielder of his ilk to link up with Messi and the other attacking talents Argentina has. He was the definition of an enganche. He wasn’t a big goal scorer, had no pace, wasn’t physical but he could see the game a few seconds ahead of the rest and had amazing touch.

He basically singlehandedly took Villarreal to the Champions League semis. Another genius that played by a couple of years in the wrong era. If he had been around when Pep came along... Madre de dios.

 

[DonAK]

I still feel like this is not being taken seriously enough. I don't believe a word of what Bartomeu says about his dad having signed his contract and that they will get his signature in a photo session, citing lack of time or the need to find the proper moment for it.

When you could smile with Palencia and Iniesta and find a time for those renewals, surely you would find a time for one with Messi as well?

I hope we don't arrive in January with the board and Bartomeu finally coming clean about Messi being free to negotiate with any club in the World.

 

[JamDav1982]

I feel Messi lacks something that very few players have. That is that the player playing lifts up the morale of the whole team and they play collectively much better than when he is not there.
Think Messi when he was subbed on vs Psg a few years ago.
Maradkna had that, Zidane as well. Argentina is just lazy and looks for Messi to do everything.

Why did Maradona not win more than three league titles in his career or go close to european cup if he had that? Why couldnt he take Argentina further in 82 or make them play well in 1990?

It is over played this 'leader' idea. What Maradona and Zidane had were strong teams around them. Certainly stronger than Messi.

 

[MessiCam]

I still feel like this is not being taken seriously enough. I don't believe a word of what Bartomeu says about his dad having signed his contract and that they will get his signature in a photo session, citing lack of time or the need to find the proper moment for it.

When you could smile with Palencia and Iniesta and find a time for those renewals, surely you would find a time for one with Messi as well?

I hope we don't arrive in January with the board and Bartomeu finally coming clean about Messi being free to negotiate with any club in the World.

I believe the contracts are signed by those parties but when Neymar left I think everything changed for Messi. I have little doubt that if Neymar were still around that contract would have been signed already.

Apart from the brand of football played under Lucho, Neymar did take a huge weight off Messi’s shoulders. That is now gone and to compound matters Dembélé is injured too.

Messi personifies Barça but at some stage they will have to learn to cope without him. I don’t want him to leave and I never thought it would happen but if I’m honest with myself I think he’s made up his mind. There’s just too much uncertainty regarding the board and the political situation.

 

[henias]

The expectations on Messi are ridiculous, and no one expects him to dribble entire teams, but he DOES need to start leading by example.

His entire demeanor on the pitch screams lazy. He's constantly walking or wondering off behind a marker when the midfield do have the ball, it almost feels like he knows how poor the current side side are, so has already conceded defeat before the whistle's even blown.

What separates the greats from the mere mortals is the ones that can grab a game by the scruff of the neck. Messi has shown it at Club level, think what he did Vs Real Madrid last season (in fact most the season), he was all over the place, far too often for Argentina he seems a bit too content to do the bare minimal, particularly in his effort off the ball.

Lmfao. So u want him to make runs CONSTANTLY(off the ball), at the same high press, chase, and win the ball back, dribble and create something(something his teammates wont do), pass and cross to his blockhead teammates, try to score by being present in the box very often, at the same time drop deep to help his teammates, all in the span of a single match? Unless he is a non-human, i think it is pretty fking impossible and he would be burnt out as hell.

What he did at club level is much more prominent bcos he shares the midfield workload with Iniesta. In Argentina, he's alone. They only got some forwards but they seemed to choke every game. If Messi's lazy, then who the fk is Benedetto? Not only he managed to bottle every great chance, he didnt contribute at all in the middle or manage to hold off defenders.

U cant compare off the ball behaviour of Messi with say, Cristiano. He only has one fking job, which is to score. They dont high press as much as Portugal tactics is to cross and long pass. For Messi it's far more complex, and a much heavier workload. He's a false nine. Making too much runs will attract more defenders to mark him. He has to drop deep and he'll only make runs when he finds space and ultimately catches defenders off guard. A ghost, if u will, but once he appears, the outcome will be devastating.

Ur entire comment screams I'm a fking idiot that doesnt even consider the present factors and analyse.

 

[Horatio]

I feel Messi lacks something that very few players have. That is that the player playing lifts up the morale of the whole team and they play collectively much better than when he is not there.
Think Messi when he was subbed on vs Psg a few years ago.
Maradkna had that, Zidane as well. Argentina is just lazy and looks for Messi to do everything.

I have been thinking about this too. I wonder what games would have a better result if Messi wasn't playing. Nevertheless...statistics show that without Messi Argentina has an even worse track record. Barcelona also needed him last season when he was injured. So, only option then is to not have Messi play for you club...which is not an option.


Edit: Also highly likely Messi is staying at Barca. Iniesta already hinted at this. #SeQueda

 

[Givenchy]

Moises Llorens works for AS, but is IMO more reliable than most MD and Sport journalists as he's independent and not working on the back of what the board is instructing him to write.

[tw]917001510424334336[/tw]

thats scary. can you imagine the team City would have?

---Silva-Fernandinho
----De Bruyne
-Messi-Jesus-Sane

 

[Ritchie]

The expectations on Messi are ridiculous, and no one expects him to dribble entire teams, but he DOES need to start leading by example.

His entire demeanor on the pitch screams lazy. He's constantly walking or wondering off behind a marker when the midfield do have the ball, it almost feels like he knows how poor the current side side are, so has already conceded defeat before the whistle's even blown.

What separates the greats from the mere mortals is the ones that can grab a game by the scruff of the neck. Messi has shown it at Club level, think what he did Vs Real Madrid last season (in fact most the season), he was all over the place, far too often for Argentina he seems a bit too content to do the bare minimal, particularly in his effort off the ball.

Only has himself to blame if they don't qualify IMO. If he wants to be mentioned up there with the likes of Maradona and Pele, he's got no greater platform than mid-week. All eyes will be on the best player in the world to do something, if a chance he creates isn't being burried, then perhaps he ought to stop passing and try peppering the goal himself like Ronaldo does...

One of his biggest problems (whether his or theirs) is how attackers who play alongside him tend to struggle. Higuain is absolutely useless in Argentina shirt as is Aguero. These have been the best strikers in Serie A and EPL for the last few years. Dybala is left out the team for some crap player in Argentinian league because he apparently can't play with Messi. Tevez was left out the World Cup squad in 2014 because he didn't gel with Messi and then they end up playing Palacio in a World Cup final and not scoring in the semi final or final. Di Maria is like a pub player for Argentina. Argentina's results without Messi shows the problems run a lot deeper.

Even at Barca the likes of Ibra and Villa have been inhibited. Eto'o was cast aside (08/09 that's maybe the best non-Messi season from a Barca forward in the last 10 years). Suarez has gone to shit the last year or so. Neymar never really kicked on after 2015 and most of last season it was Messi carrying MSN,

Is it a case of Messi misses his Benzema (another forward who can link up with him and make him better.) or is he just too difficult to link up? For whatever reason he seems to inhibit the other forwards.

It'd be interesting if he went to City to see if he did link up well with the likes of Jesus, Aguero and Sane, or would they struggle like Aguero does for Argentina?

 

[Ritchie]

Lmfao. So u want him to make runs CONSTANTLY(off the ball), at the same high press, chase, and win the ball back, dribble and create something(something his teammates wont do), pass and cross to his blockhead teammates, try to score by being present in the box very often, at the same time drop deep to help his teammates, all in the span of a single match? Unless he is a non-human, i think it is pretty fking impossible and he would be burnt out as hell.

What he did at club level is much more prominent bcos he shares the midfield workload with Iniesta. In Argentina, he's alone. They only got some forwards but they seemed to choke every game. If Messi's lazy, then who the fk is Benedetto? Not only he managed to bottle every great chance, he didnt contribute at all in the middle or manage to hold off defenders.

U cant compare off the ball behaviour of Messi with say, Cristiano. He only has one fking job, which is to score. They dont high press as much as Portugal tactics is to cross and long pass. For Messi it's far more complex, and a much heavier workload. He's a false nine. Making too much runs will attract more defenders to mark him. He has to drop deep and he'll only make runs when he finds space and ultimately catches defenders off guard. A ghost, if u will, but once he appears, the outcome will be devastating.

Ur entire comment screams I'm a fking idiot that doesnt even consider the present factors and analyse.

This is the big problem with Messi for Argentina and now Barcelona, he's having to take too much on and do everything with the ball. With Argentina he's failing because he can't get on the end of his own crosses and passes.

Penaldo has one job now. To goal hang and wait for service and/or a defender to make a mistake. If he'd took that approach for Argentina they'd have probably won more games.

 

[JamDav1982]

This is the big problem with Messi for Argentina and now Barcelona, he's having to take too much on and do everything with the ball. With Argentina he's failing because he can't get on the end of his own crosses and passes.

Penaldo has one job now. To goal hang and wait for service and/or a defender to make a mistake. If he'd took that approach for Argentina they'd have probably won more games.

Ronaldo isnt just a 'goal hanger' that waits for service at all.

If claim that then dont have a clue how he plays.

Both of them are completely different players that get results for their team in many ways the other cant.

 

[Horatio]

If he'd took that approach for Argentina they'd have probably won more games.

Messi is much more heavily man-marked. Don't know how that would work.

 

[JamDav1982]

Messi is much more heavily man-marked. Don't know how that would work.

Messi is barely ever man marked.

Girona did it a few weeks ago but rarely happens.

 

[Horatio]

Messi is barely ever man marked.

Girona did it a few weeks ago but rarely happens.

What do you call the marking then where a player is tracked by an opposite player in a 5 meter radius?
Anyway, Messi has to deal with 3 of those many games.

 

[JamDav1982]

Zonal-marked by 3 players then.

Not any more than any other player.

If Barca pass the ball slowly teams get back in shape.

Messi plays often in and about that congested area and his lack of movement can often there are players on him quickly when get it.

No teams are setting up for multiple players to zonally mark Messi.

 

[Horatio]

Not any more than any other player.

If Barca pass the ball slowly teams get back in shape.

Messi plays often in and about that congested area and his lack of movement can often there are players on him quickly when get it.

No teams are setting up for multiple players to zonally mark Messi.

I'll just wait for people to post screenshots of Messi surrounded off the ball by 3 players. Too lazy to do that myself.