So, how do you blame Messi then? I mean by that logic then may be Messi himself is bad because of the system?
No, because Messi is the system. Can't believe you're asking this tbh. His "free role" with no responsibilities is famous. Him stepping on other players' positions, and walking off the ball, or not doing pressing when everyone else around him does it is obvious as well.
The system badly affects nearly everyone (especially faster, younger players who would benefit from more intensity). The exceptions are the players with a lot of power in the locker-room who are basically protected. Messi first, used to be Suarez too, and Alba (only one that might be fit enough to be kept), Busi. See the pattern. Older players wanting a slower style with less movement because their legs have gone. These guys won't be able to play in a modern team with a high work-rate, pressing, constant running over 90 mins.
How do you select the players to keep when you are rebuilding and in bad shape?
You fix the collective problems in the team and then you will know that the ones that play like shit aren't good enough. When you have chaos in the team you never know to which degree it's the player's fault or the crap environment in the team.
I've said it before. It's like "The fruit of the poisonous tree" in US Law. If one essential aspect is corrupted or obtained illegally, then it casts doubt on everything that depends on that. It's the same when rating players. If key aspects in the team are corrupted, badly planned, chaotic, this casts doubt on the player's ability to affirm themselves and prove their quality.
Unless you believe that top players will play great on their own regardless of everything else. That their quality should be enough to trump all the shit in the team. I don't. The team and the structure for me are more important than everything a player can do to affect the team on an individual level.
I mean you will say Messi is a problem after one bad season (actually less) and think FDJ is top player when he is one season wonder?
Are we going to say every team that is bad, we can't judge their own players?
Don't know why you insist on Messi. Messi's not just any player that is going through a bad form. He is a dictator and someone that wants the team to be built around him even when he's clearly too old and too past it for that. An element that is dragging the club down in terms of the system. You can't press because of him, you can have proper movement because of him, you can't have a quick transition system because of his walking. And so on. These have nothing to do with his poor form. They have to do with age and his lack of discipline (dictatorial attitude). The system at the club is to pass it to Messi all the time. The main reason for this happens is Messi.
I am sorry, but I don't see any sense in that.
We were awful in 2000-2003, even worse than current team but players like Puyol and Xavi clearly showed their worth during that time.
I'm not surprised. I think you said you don't believe in Amigo theory, even though Zubizaretta and Quique Setien (two sources from within the club in super high positions) validated it. Zubizarreta even since 2013-14. Imagine how bad his attitude and discipline must be in 2020.
What did Setien say? If the club accepted this boy's behavior all this time, who am I to change him? Basically given up and acknowledged that Messi runs the show and the team. Even a ballsy guy like Koeman has to say dumb things like "Messi gets more tired if he is rested in games" to hide the fact that he has to play Messi nearly all the time or shit will hit the fan.
To me, this is black and white stuff now. The Amigo culture at the club is obvious. High ranked sources confirmed, we all saw it even fucking live on Celta when Messi walks away when the staff wants to give him some directions. As if he knows better than the coaches.
I don't apply pressure fast on players, football is a quick game with huge turn over. Players usually have a peak for 5 years or so, many players even less.
2 years are huge thing in a player career, and when you don't show me something that proves you are worth it, when you aren't the standout among your teammates. Then you aren't worth beneficial treatment.
And yes, coaches are essential, but if you are a player that needs only the top of the crop to shine then that is a problem, because no team can have this type of coach for long time. That is very rare
Players need a working system and a plan. Not a team where the older players run things and Messi basically has unlimited powers to do what he wants.
Get rid of problematic amigos in the team that impede change, sign a manager with some ideas, bring in a board that doesn't see signings are marketing ploys. Then I will join you in being more ruthless with rating players.
Until then, I am more tempted to believe everyone plays worse for Barca than for other teams because we are a fucked up club. And when I see some Presidential candidates want to build a new team on 34 years old Messi, can't say I'm surprised. It shows a huge lack of any perspective and planning. Just words to win votes by pandering to a gullible audience.
We could sell all the players for all I care. Nothing will change until the mentality will change.
Wonder how much time will pass until Dest will be dumb and overrated too, looking at how crap things look with our so-called right-wing attackers who leave him hanging all the time, and never look to get into any combination with him.
