10 - Lionel Messi - v3

[JamDav1982]

He must have an eye on the World Cup in the summer.

I wonder if he is starting to play more in the style that he will need to be a success at the World Cup rather than playing further forward and trying to challenge Ronaldo at the top of the scoring charts.

 

[footyfan]

It's actually more important that Di Maria starts to feel more comfortable in midfield. Hope Ancelotti keeps playing him there.

 

[footyfan]

As for Messi, he's doing nothing different or special, he's just not getting the goals. He's playing in the same positions as always.

 

[JamDav1982]

It's actually more important that Di Maria starts to feel more comfortable in midfield. Hope Ancelotti keeps playing him there.

For Argentina to win they will need Messi to be causing havoc in the more traditional play maker role.

They have plenty of goal scorers.

The most important player to them will be Messi, more so than Di Maria.

 

[JamDav1982]

As for Messi, he's doing nothing different or special, he's just not getting the goals. He's playing in the same positions as always.

He has been dropping much deeper in the last three games. He is constantly picking the ball up in the centre circle and looking to put players through.

In the past he has not dropped deep as much and even when he has he has not been as direct. Before he was more likely to pick the ball up deep and start a passing move he would be on end of.

 

[Gohan]

The current Ballon d'Or winner CR7 needs to beat one maybe two markers in order to get space. Leo needs to beat a parked bus consisting of XI players. Tata realizes this and knows that there is no use letting Messi roam the #9 area where he won't get room to breath. Instead Tata instructs him to drop down deep leave the centre backs with no specific man to mark and start playmaking. These last two games this has turned out to be a good way of fighting against the bus.

 

[Alarcón]

Messi scores -> other players should score more, freaking messidependencia.
Messi gives assists -> i'm worried that Messi doesn't score.

I thought the same thing, people are never happy

 

[footyfan]

For Argentina to win they will need Messi to be causing havoc in the more traditional play maker role.

They have plenty of goal scorers.

The most important player to them will be Messi, more so than Di Maria.

Messi in the playmaker role does not require a lot of adjusting, while Di Maria moving to midfield does. It's a lot more important that Angel gets comfortable with the role, Maradona tried him in a hybrid wing + midfield role at the WC and he wasn't too good. Sabella seems to be going for something similar, hopefully with more success.

 

[JamDav1982]

Messi has been playing like this for the past 4 years, infact that's the whole point of being a false 9. His movement had become steadily worse but it's not like it has picked up in the last couple of games.

He isn't playing at all different, his passes are just coming off and his goals aren't. What is different is that our left winger is making more runs than previously, so Messi is getting a chance to unleash his through passes.

And there was no bus in the Copa clash vs Levante, definitely not in the second half when Tello wrecked it.

He has been playing differently in past few games.

Coming deeper and trying to start attacks from deep more and trying to find the wide players early whether cross field balls or putting them in behind the defence.

If anything he has been playing the false nine role a cross between how he usually plays it and how Cesc plays it.

 

[JamDav1982]

Messi in the playmaker role does not require a lot of adjusting, while Di Maria moving to midfield does. It's a lot more important that Angel gets comfortable with the role, Maradona tried him in a hybrid wing + midfield role at the WC and he wasn't too good. Sabella seems to be going for something similar, hopefully with more success.

Whoever takes more adjusting was not the point, it was who it is more important for Argentina that they feel comfortable in their role and that is Messi by a long, long way.

 

[CatalinR10]

 

[Egert]

When Neymar is back, we should try Pedro-Neymar-Messi. Messi should have a lot of more pace on the RW.

 

[beautifulgame]

alexis over peds

 

[Gaudi]

when he touches the ball you can see he is the best ever probably, but i do think he needs to run a little bit more. Don't know if La liga has some official measurements but I would love to see thoose.
He doesn't follow most of the attacks when he comes deep, and I even think lack of movement prevents him for scoring some easy tap ins, he's goals are mostly more difficult than ones from Costa o ronaldo.

 

[Messi_Goal]

Messi didn't score but Pedro and Sanchez did that's very good for the team in terms of it keeping Pedro and Sanchez confidence high and they might be less inclined to force the ball to Messi when they shouldn't.
Messi will start hitting the back of the net more than any other player soon enough so just relax.