Lionel Messi - v7

[JamDav1982]

He carried only a slightly better Barcelona to a La Liga title last season, and within 3 games from a treble.

If last season wasn't a player carrying a team towards a trophy then no player ever has.

No he didnt.

He was Barcas best player in that team but was not single handedly pulling along an average side.

 

[ebc_99]

Why is he not doing that for in CL regularly for last few seasons or regularly for Argentina in major tournaments.

It is an easy answer.. he needs a team around him as all players do in order to make that difference.

There is a big difference to being the best player in a good team to 'carrying' team on shoulder single handedly as is made out.

Obviously he needs competent teammates around him, this team is a mess we all have known that for years, the fact that we still compete La Liga and get to the Champions League QF or SF is mostly because of Messi, without him I dread to think were Barca would be.

 

[te amo barca]

 

[Givenchy]

Messi shouldn't be expected to carry a team, let alone at 33 years old BUT the wages hes paid reflect what we expect from him.

if he is to stay, they need to be halved atleast and he needs to play a lesser role in la liga farmer league and take a note from the Cristiano Ronaldo book; save it for the CL

 

[serghei]

If he had a key performance vs Liverpool away, you could say maybe he carried us to overachieve last year. That's the only good example. And he came up short, as well as the rest of the team.

Let's face it, in CL we've won with dream teams and got beaten without a dream team every single time, with our without Messi. And sometimes, we got beaten even with a superteam + Messi. Having Messi guarantees you diddly squat in CL.

Whole carrying thing regarding Messi and Barca in CL is bogus.

 

[Raketa10]

Suarez plays because he is our only No.9 and not because of Messi. And of course he can't beat Bayern on his own. He basically beat Lpool on his own last season on Camp Nou but his incapable teammates weren't able to defend 3-0 at Anfield.

 

[Mitchell1978]

No he didnt.

He was Barcas best player in that team but was not single handedly pulling along an average side.

The Barcelona team of the last 2 or 3 season has absolutely been an average side without him.
Currently he (and maybe De Jong and Ter Stegen) are the only world class players remaining.

 

[Batistuta9]

The narrative coming after yesterday's game seems to be Messi should leave if he wants a realistic chance to win another CL. Barca are seen as a very average team who will need a few years to rebuild. Time that Messi doesn't have. This is the view of most pundits and analysts atm.

 

[JamDav1982]

Obviously he needs competent teammates around him, this team is a mess we all have known that for years, the fact that we still compete La Liga and get to the Champions League QF or SF is mostly because of Messi, without him I dread to think were Barca would be.

It has been mostly because of Messi but not all on him and have to aknowledge what team give up to allow Messi to be that difference maker as well.

Why did Barca not compete well in CL and League this season? If Messi can carry teams why not this season or with Argentina in latters stages of tournaments?

Team mates get blamed when Barca lost but Messi 'carries' them when win. It is a contradiction.

 

[Mitchell1978]

Messi shouldn't be expected to carry a team, let alone at 33 years old BUT the wages hes paid reflect what we expect from him.

if he is to stay, they need to be halved atleast and he needs to play a lesser role in la liga farmer league and take a note from the Cristiano Ronaldo book; save it for the CL

Compared to what the rest of the team makes (the likes of Griezmann, Suarez, Pique, Busquests) Messi is still worth his money.

 

[DonAK]

If he stays he should take a massive paycut. It can help us improve the team. He's on almost 100m/season right now ffs.

If he really want to win he should help the club out by doing a Brady.

 

[ebc_99]

Messi has "carried" Barca a lot, but a lot of that is his own fault. Suarez always plays because he's Messi's best friend. Messi publicly spoke in EV's favor after the Anfield humiliation because EV made him and his amigos comfortable. Etc.

He can still produce magic on the pitch, but he is one of the amigos and he is part of the problem.

These issues are because of weak leadership at the top of the club, if Messi felt confident that the board knew what they were doing he could concentrate on football like he did earlier on in his career. He shouldn't need to get involved in anything else but he loves the club and feels like he needs to say something. And if Messi wants Suarez to play because he is his buddy then a strong manager would say tough shit Leo I pick the team not you, but there is no strong Manager and that is not Messi's fault.

 

[Givenchy]

The narrative coming after yesterday's game seems to be Messi should leave if he wants a realistic chance to win another CL. Barca are seen as a very average team who will need a few years to rebuild. Time that Messi doesn't have. This is the view of most pundits and analysts atm.

how can this be the case when Messi is a big part of why this team is average with no system?

as Jamdav said, Bayern, City and other top teams wouldn't go anywhere near this version of Messi. smart managers know you can't afford any passengers at this stage

 

[Raketa10]

If he had a key performance vs Liverpool away, you could say maybe he carried us to overachieve.

But, let's face it, in CL we've won with dream teams and got beaten without a dream team every single time, with our without Messi. And sometimes, we got beaten even with a superteam + Messi.

Whole carrying thing regarding Messi and Barca in CL is bogus.

Yeah because that "out of this world" performance against Lpool at home is just not enough from one human being. He should simply win everything alone on his own. Maybe if he had 50 goals and 50 assists every season that should be enough. So lets pretend Messi is the problem and not crying Alba or grandpa Busquets or old Suarez and Pique or one decent midfielder. Throwing 400 mil out of the window is not the main problem but Messi not single-handedly wining at Anfield is.

 

[serghei]

how can this be the case when Messi is a big part of why this team is average with no system?

as Jamdav said, Bayern, City and other top teams wouldn't go anywhere near this version of Messi. smart managers know you can't afford any passengers at this stage

Because they are clueless and thing teams who are successful now playing cohesive and balanced football would throw that away just because he is Messi.