Lionel Messi - v7

[Sailor Mars]

Messi would be able to take a more disciplined tactical role if the team actually surrounded him with some creative attacking talent.

If you were to tell Messi to stick to one position on this team, Barca would struggle to create anything.

 

[Laplacian]

Messi would be able to take a more disciplined tactical role if the team actually surrounded him with some creative attacking talent.

If you were to tell Messi to stick to one position on this team, Barca would struggle to create anything.

I argue the club would see creative midfielders as a more pressing issue if Messi didn't persist on being their creative midfielder (which is btw something he WANTS to do as he admitted in interviews, not something he was forced to do due to lack of quality). Also Messi's habit of playing in midfield and playing long balls started way before the squad's quality deteriorated. Also, I believe the current midfield's performance would improve drastically if they weren't tasked to constantly play out of position to play the role of an in the box striker or fullback covering for Messi's lack of defensive workrate.

Just sayin'

 

[Ritchie]

I never see him scoring now unless it's a crap team at home. He's too easily stopped because there's nobody else to worry about and he has to do it all himself to score.

 

[Sailor Mars]

Messi did not say he wants to be a midfielder. He said he prefers creating for others. He can do that without having to drop deep so often or moving inside if the team was better around him.

Dani Alves has not been replaced. Neymar and an aging Suarez have not been replaced.
And the midfield buys have been Arthur and De jong who both prefer to play from deep in the midfield.

Other than when Arthur came on, no one else other than Messi seemed to even be able to provide any sort of chance.

 

[Rory]

Just so I'm clear:

1) It's Messi's fault Firpo and Semedo made a grand total of one run forward to receive an over the top diagonal.
2) It's Messi's fault Griezmann makes no attacking runs and has no pace to be put through
3) It's Messi's fault that although he's playing as a striker the midfielders and wingers supply him with 0 chances
4) It's Messi's fault said winger is Vidal/Griezmann who are not wingers
5) It's Messi's fault the midfielders that started were all defensively inclined.

Joke of a fanbase.

 

[SG-7]

Just so I'm clear:

1) It's Messi's fault Firpo and Semedo made a grand total of one run forward to receive an over the top diagonal.
2) It's Messi's fault Griezmann makes no attacking runs and has no pace to be put through
3) It's Messi's fault that although he's playing as a striker the midfielders and wingers supply him with 0 chances
4) It's Messi's fault said winger is Vidal/Griezmann who are not wingers
5) It's Messi's fault the midfielders that started were all defensively inclined.

Joke of a fanbase.

Dw..you'll eventually learn to live with the trolls

 

[SG-7]

Messi fanboys complaining about the team's hazardous tactics/playstyle while justifying Messi's role in the team. You can't have both, you either have Messi take a disciplined tactical role or you have an unbalanced team - not both.

.

So.....what you're saying is that the LEFT full-back not making a forward run (let's say for argument's sake the right fullback stays back to cover Messi's lack of defensive capabilities) is due to Messi's ROLE in the team.
Hmmmm rightio.

In case you haven't figured it out already bud when teams park the bus against us, it's crucial we use our wingers/fullbacks for diagonal through balls as the middle is too congested (hence how we got our first goal).
WHEN this doesn't happen, you'll see the shitshow of sideways and backward passes you see during the first half.

 

[Raki13]

Hes wasting his last few years at the club , terrible signings means he is playing with dross around him.

 

[Rory]

Dw..you'll eventually learn to live with the trolls

I REALLY hope they're trolling lol

 

[snowy]

I argue the club would see creative midfielders as a more pressing issue if Messi didn't persist on being their creative midfielder (which is btw something he WANTS to do as he admitted in interviews, not something he was forced to do due to lack of quality). Also Messi's habit of playing in midfield and playing long balls started way before the squad's quality deteriorated. Also, I believe the current midfield's performance would improve drastically if they weren't tasked to constantly play out of position to play the role of an in the box striker or fullback covering for Messi's lack of defensive workrate.

Just sayin'

I'd prefer to see Messi in the scoring zone since he's so effective there but he'd get bored to death if he confines himself to the attack zone without service and keeps making runs that no one would spot (like he did yesterday 3 times at least). The ideal system for me would be fluid one where nothing is cast in stone, but based on an ultra attacking style instead of pointless, boring possession.

That type of snore-fest strategy where the motto is "don't lose the ball" and hardly anyone is willing to take risks with through-balls and dribbles or at least make runs into space or behind lines to provide a target won't win us the CL. I like Ansu cuz he plays Alpha. Definitely need more of this type of disruptive elements. Now whilst we can't recreate peak MSN, take these two line-ups for instance:

4-3-1-2

_________Isak_____Tam
____________Messi
__Gravenberch____Havertz
_____________Dej
Jr/Davies_Konat_Todib_Sem/Josha

4-2-3-1

__________Isak/Colg/Tam
___Ansu______Messi_____Demb
_________Dej_____Art
Jr/Davies_Konat_Todib_Sem/Josha

If Messi drops to orchestrate, no probs, Havertz goes up (dude is a quick-thinker and moves super fast). Gravenberch plays with awesome composure and his control is smooth as silk.

For the full-backs, not giving up on Sem and Firpo yet but they gotta turn up the aggression and stop playing so safe. Pit them against Alphonso and either Vagnoman or Kimmich if we can sign him

Upfront, that's a really dope line-up with Colgate, super talented Isak and TamTam who both can score with both feet, headers, volleys _ basically natural technical strikers who play aggressive and read the game well. I'd say more but gotta step out.

Can always continue later

 

[Deco10]

Difficult to believe.

How anyone could think he wasn't passive, inaccurate, downright garbage and unimpressive before you scored is just blind. He changed completely once the goal went in.

I agree with you to an extent. He had a bad game, was not sharp and smart with his actions. But I don't agree there was any chance of attitute or demeanour. He didn't change, the whole game changed around him when Barca scored. Napoli was no longer in advantage, and consequently had to drop their wall and press a little bit forward. He had more space to play and to create.
I think it had more to do with bad decisions and lack of help from his teamates , then it had to do with lack of trying. But I agree he had a bad game, no excuses in that point.

 

[Andresito]

I'd prefer to see Messi in the scoring zone since he's so effective there but he'd get bored to death if he confines himself to the attack zone without service and keeps making runs that no one would spot (like he did yesterday 3 times at least). The ideal system for me would be fluid one where nothing is cast in stone, but based on an ultra attacking style instead of pointless, boring possession.

That type of snore-fest strategy where the motto is "don't lose the ball" and hardly anyone is willing to take risks with through-balls and dribbles or at least make runs into space or behind lines to provide a target won't win us the CL. I like Ansu cuz he plays Alpha. Definitely need more of this type of disruptive elements. Now whilst we can't recreate peak MSN, take these two line-ups for instance:

4-3-1-2

_________Isak_____Tam
____________Messi
__Gravenberch____Havertz
_____________Dej
Jr/Davies_Konat_Todib_Sem/Josha

4-2-3-1

__________Isak/Colg/Tam
___Ansu______Messi_____Demb
_________Dej_____Art
Jr/Davies_Konat_Todib_Sem/Josha

If Messi drops to orchestrate, no probs, Havertz goes up (dude is a quick-thinker and moves super fast). Gravenberch plays with awesome composure and his control is smooth as silk.

For the full-backs, not giving up on Sem and Firpo yet but they gotta turn up the aggression and stop playing so safe. Pit them against Alphonso and either Vagnoman or Kimmich if we can sign him

Upfront, that's a really dope line-up with Colgate, super talented Isak and TamTam who both can score with both feet, headers, volleys _ basically natural technical strikers who play aggressive and read the game well. I'd say more but gotta step out.

Can always continue later

Who's TamTam bruv? Tammy Abraham?

 

[Batistuta9]

Messi did have a quiet game, but that was because of napoli's tactics. Every time he got the ball, there were 2 napoli players waiting for him and then insigne or mertens helping back. Should have done better with one opportunity when there was open space in the 1st half though. The opposition can do that because no one else on this team is a threat. Imagine triple marking salah, mane and firmino would have it easy

 

[André]

He's clearly injured.

 

[André]

Imagine having a go at Messi who is almost 33, clearly injured/not fit and basically alone in this team.

Have some shame.