Lionel Messi - v7

[jairzinho]

Dawg, they aren't even fining him for skipping PCR tests and training...there is legitimately no way they are going to strip him of his captaincy.

No surprises. Very obvious now that he is bigger than the club. We should have looked at getting a deal done, cash or players in exchange. He will probably sulk for the rest of the season and walk away for free at the end.

 

[serghei]

No surprises. Very obvious now that he is bigger than the club. We should have looked at getting a deal done, cash or players in exchange. He will probably sulk for the rest of the season and walk away for free at the end.

Yea, let's hope Koeman puts him in his place if that happens, but this is also a signal for him that Messi is untouchable. Suarez now to stay and worst case scenario is in place. .

At least move Suarez ffs.

 

[KingLeo10]

Our 400 M signings could have gotten a chance to show whether they are any good (like at their previous clubs) or frauds.

But with the system catering to Messi, Coutinho and Dembele are immediately compromised. Maybe Griez too if Suarez stays.

 

[serghei]

Our 400 M signings could have gotten a chance to show whether they are any good (like at their previous clubs) or frauds.

But with the system catering to Messi, Coutinho and Dembele are immediately compromised. Maybe Griez too if Suarez stays.

All hope is on Koeman now, if he has full powers anymore, and the "don't piss off Messi or we'll lose him free" politic wasn't activated by Bartomeu. Like under Valverde and Setien.

 

[Porque]

Yea, let's hope Koeman puts him in his place if that happens, but this is also a signal for him that Messi is untouchable. Suarez now to stay and worst case scenario is in place. .

At least move Suarez ffs.

Koeman said from the start the Messi is in his plans. So nothing has changed on that front. Once Messi sorts his head out and is not padded in the squad by having Suarez there he should be back to his best.

Either way, it can only be good as it makes things very clear now. Messi leaves on a free next year or a club now has to officially submit a bid for him now. Not hope they get him free through that clause.

There's still legs in this saga, but atleast we have "resolved" the issue of the clause quite quickly

 

[khaled_a_d]

Our 400 M signings could have gotten a chance to show whether they are any good (like at their previous clubs) or frauds.

But with the system catering to Messi, Coutinho and Dembele are immediately compromised. Maybe Griez too if Suarez stays.

How is Dembele comprised by Messi? Especially in comparison to Griezmann?

 

[serghei]

Koeman said from the start the Messi is in his plans. So nothing has changed on that front. Once Messi sorts his head out and is not padded in the squad by having Suarez there he should be back to his best.

Either way, it can only be good as it makes things very clear now. Messi leaves on a free next year or a club now has to officially submit a bid. Not hope they get him free through that clause.

Of course things change after what Messi did.

 

[serghei]

How is Dembele comprised by Messi? Especially in comparison to Griezmann?

In many ways. For example, he wasn't played RW because Messi was. But Messi was only on paper. How many times did Dembele play RW with Messi on the field? When he did, he was at his best for us. Both him and Semedo/Roberto.

 

[Sterlingfan2000]

Ter stegen
Semedo Pique Lenglent alba
Busquets dejong pjanic
Messi Griezmann Coutinho

Opinions?

 

[Daniele]

It's both. And Messi is terrible at both the quantity of his runs and the quality of them.

He's a supremely talented old player who can barely move properly and wants others to do his job for him, so he can move where he wants, when he wants, doing his little "magician" stuff. Stuff that doesn't work except against La Liga cannon fodder anymore, because he is too slow, too lazy, and too erratic to impact the biggest games at this stage of his career.

That's Messi in near 2021.

We could talk hours about the stuff he does wrong in terms of movement. Nearly all types of movements that are in the modern forward's bag of tricks, really important stuff, Messi doesn't execute properly. And needs others to work twice as hard to somehow compensate for it on team level (often with little success).

Really you can't be serious, is it a joke?
"All types of movements that are in the modern forward's bag of tricks" how do you know them? Are you a football coach?
Surely at 33 he is not the same as at 20 but the movements you talk about are aimed at scoring and I remind you that the player in his worst season scored more than 30 goals and more than 20 assists. All this criticality is turning into nonsense

BTW "little magician stuff" means to create numerical superiority. A fundamental weapon in football of any era

 

[Porque]

Of course things change after what Messi did.

I interprete it as only weakening Messi's standing and not Koeman's. If the club tell Koeman to backoff like Setien then he will walk. There was no point in him coming otherwise. Messi throwing a tantrum was obvious a mile away, just had to ride it out and legally stop the clause nonsense from gaining traction.

 

[KingLeo10]

How is Dembele comprised by Messi? Especially in comparison to Griezmann?

Messi won't move to the SS/False 9. He'll play that free role that he does which compromises our RW which is OD's natural spot. Messi's current play style compromises Griezmann too but Griezmann has a more robust football IQ to try and compensate. Dembele needs that right side to himself in a disciplined formation to show us whether he's any good.

 

[serghei]

Really you can't be serious, is it a joke?
"All types of movements that are in the modern forward's bag of tricks" how do you know them? Are you a football coach?
Surely at 33 he is not the same as at 20 but the movements you talk about are aimed at scoring and I remind you that the player in his worst season scored more than 30 goals and more than 20 assists. All this criticality is turning into nonsense

No, I just studied a lot of tactical theory.

 

[serghei]

I interprete it as only weakening Messi's standing and not Koeman's. If the club tell Koeman to backoff like Setien then he will walk. There was no point in him coming otherwise. Messi throwing a tantrum was obvious a mile away, just had to ride it out and legally stop the clause nonsense from gaining traction.

Don't think so. It's possible that Barca will now try to please Messi so they can change his mind and extend him. If that happens, this is bad for Koeman's project.

 

[JamDav1982]

Ter stegen
Semedo Pique Lenglent alba
Busquets dejong pjanic
Messi Griezmann Coutinho

Opinions?

Cant play with Messi and Coutinho on wings.

Todays top teams have players that can run and hit on break or drive at teams in possession out wide.

That team would fail badly and teams as have last few years would push high as no threat on break and cause more pressure to defence/midfield.