He's showed moments of class in a few games because you don't lose that talent. I wouldn't say Eibar was a vintage performance either, it's just the one game he's been able to finish for shit. Dare I say it, that's the kind of game he shines in now, against La Liga crap at home.
The thing is, you need to carry Messi physically. There'll be retired 45 year old players in better physical condition than Messi is. Instead he's playing in a garbage team and still being expected to carry them. Really, he needs to be standing in the box in a creative team waiting for tap ins like Penaldo's last few years.
With the exception of maybe 2014 (when the World Cup medal was so close) Messi was clearly the best in the world in terms of performances from 2009 to 2019. I don't think that's going to be the case this year and he'd be lucky to even make the Ballon D'or podium. I think it might have been if he wasn't playing for such a shit team. Last year he did such a great job of carrying that team but he's beaten down now.
I wouldn't say fast movement dribbling zig zag, nutmeg, as just a better finishing. Also starting an attack with direct passes to the center and running with a clear intent of scoring goal as just better finishing too.
Both of those goals need a team mate that understand his movement to give ball back to him at exact favorable moment and although, once more, you could argue, hey it's Eibar, it's also the team who defeated atletico and sevilla. I only can say, the tactic also worked at that time, and we have messi with high motivation mode, and we have forwards and mids who can cooperate together, at that time.
Of course everyone notices something's not right with his face language, either it's physically or mentally. In your opinion it's physical issue, but we already kinda know what type of player messi is emotionally, with the off the field controversy regarding barcelona, argentina issues. So, we don't know the actual matter is. If it's a sign of slowing down with ages, it's understandable to me. How many players has perform with such consistency after playing nearly 900 games in 16 years? Not many, even physical monster such as ronaldo is clearly dropping, ibra? He's nowhere his best now, who else? Maybe only one anomaly that i remember lately is that Quagliarela last season. Others? Certainly tgere are, but not much. Majority of players tend to go downhill when they're nearing 35. It doesn't even need statistic to say that.
And if you have a 33 year footballer still contributing to 40-50 goals a season, and the best player of your squad, in their downhill mode, you clearly has a problem with your squad.
