10 - Lionel Messi - v2

[crackh0e]

He's not becoming worse, he's choosing better moments. His control is actually gotten more refined every year. Before he's speed and agility monster, but now he does it more cunningly using strength, technique and vision. And of course there is that everyone has gotten so numb at Messi doing it every game, that it's become less than expected. Even though nobody else is doing constantly even close what Messi does.

I have a similar technique of dribbling that Messi has, I can tell when it's "tight" and not...

 

[jiopi]

I have a similar technique of dribbling that Messi has, I can tell when it's "tight" and not...

Post me an example of this tightness of old Messi, and I'll show modern day equivalent.

 

[Leo10]

I watched that last goal 10+ times, watching every players reaction, so epic.

Alexis wanted to take off his shirt but then he realized everyone ran to hug Messi.

[video=vimeo;74534972]http://vimeo.com/74534972[/video]

 

[footyfan]

This 'Messi doesn't give 100%' has become so annoying now. Try focusing on some other player in the next game and see if they give '100%'.

I am simply not convinced that Messi is not physically capable of pressing and running more like his teammates do or that it is detrimental to his performance and overall impact if he does so.

Walking around while your teammates are running around, or sometimes standing there like a statue doesn't help with anything, morale or game effectiveness.

His is still young, physically he is a perfect specimen, he is in his prime. Yes he is very capable.

I am actually asking you to focus on another player for once in the next game and evaluate how much 'percentage' they are giving on the field.

Try Neymar, Cesc, Xavi or Iniesta, take your pick.

 

[Pepe Silvia]

Hes still a genius and the best obviously but his tendency to stroll on the pitch makes me sick. Thats not a good role model for the youngsters to emulate.

 

[Semi-Neutral]

He's not trying to be "a good role model to the kids", he's trying to win us games. To do that, he needs to be fit and rested for as many of them as possible, so he only tries as hard as he needs to to win, as opposed to pulling a Pedro or Sanchez. Sure, we could win 7-0 vs. Sevilla if he pressured, but then we'd do worse vs Ajax because he was too tired to play.

 

[Cule4life]

He's not trying to be "a good role model to the kids", he's trying to win us games. To do that, he needs to be fit and rested for as many of them as possible, so he only tries as hard as he needs to to win, as opposed to pulling a Pedro or Sanchez. Sure, we could win 7-0 vs. Sevilla if he pressured, but then we'd do worse vs Ajax because he was too tired to play.

Then why not rest against weak opposition to give his all against strong teams then? This strolling around business is setting a bad example

 

[Kerrybai]

Hes still a genius and the best obviously but his tendency to stroll on the pitch makes me sick. Thats not a good role model for the youngsters to emulate.

In that case you may find yourself getting sick for the next 5 years. His style of play has been tailored to its current fashion, and it won't be changing anytime soon, nor should it.

 

[Kerrybai]

Then why not rest against weak opposition to give his all against strong teams then? This strolling around business is setting a bad example

Who has it negatively affected? As far as I can tell Sanchez, Pedro, Fabregas etc have been pressing just as much as they ever have, in fact I can't go through the Pedro thread without seeing multiple comments praising his work rate.

 

[Cule4life]

Who has it negatively affected? As far as I can tell Sanchez, Pedro, Fabregas etc have been pressing just as much as they ever have, in fact I can't go through the Pedro thread without seeing multiple comments praising his work rate.

As i stated previously Neymar broke free on many occasions but Messi was too slow to get into the box.

 

[Hamzah]

I'm adding jiopi to the ignore list. He is a messi fanboy and nothing else. He thinks he is god or something. All people want is him to help with pressing like he used to, we are not belittling him or anything.

 

[Luftstalag14]

I think there is some level of exaggeration here.

Messi does not run around like Pedro and Alexis, or hunts down the ball like Busquets and Masherano but I have never expected him to. If you are labelling him lazy, you have to look at things from another perspective. He is the one that ends up producing results regardless of how much running was done on the field. There are 10 other players to help in the other aspects of the game - distribution of labour and specialization.

Also, how do you justify such an argument when this is the same guy that finds bursts of energy throughout the game to change it around. The last 20 minutes against Sevilla is one example. I'll rather the underachievers like Alexis and Pedro do more chasing around so that Messi has the energy to come up with moments of brilliance. For someone who also gets fouled a lot, you are asking too much from him. I will instead argue that he is working smart these days.

Allow me to make myself clear, I am not asking Messi to run around like a headless chicken (I felt Pedro tends to do that sometimes ) or run for the sake of running. I am simply asking him to up his work rate. He can do a lot more by pressing more for example (and we have seen him doing that a few times this season, just wishing he would do it more often and more consistently), especially when it was him who lost the ball in the first place. I found myself facepalming when I saw Messi standing/walking around merely a few yards or meters behind an opposing player charging toward our half as if it had nothing to do with him, he could have tried to press that player, he might even end up plucking the ball away if he tries that as he has successfully done in a few occasions. He is totally capable of doing that.

It does affect the morale I think, when every other player, not just the defenders and the defensive midfielders hurries back to our half trying to help with the defense when Messi looks to be casually and slowing walking toward our half. Just because he is Messi, he is our best player so he is subject to different standards?

Yes his efficiency is second to none, as we saw yesterday. But why couldn't he turn on his game mode earlier?

 

[DonAndres]

He shouldn't waste far too much energy on pressing like a dog, but he should up his workrate for our buildup play. It's not the fact that he was lazy defensively yesterday that is frustrating, but that for the entire first 70 minutes he wasn't really contributing all that much or running around creating attacks as he should.

There's not much he'd provide by overdoing the pressing on a defensive end, but he does need to get the team going when we have the ball and wreak havoc in a role that was designed for him to take the reigns and lead.

 

[Luftstalag14]

I am actually asking you to focus on another player for once in the next game and evaluate how much 'percentage' they are giving on the field.

Try Neymar, Cesc, Xavi or Iniesta, take your pick.

It is certainly a subjective matter to define "100%", just an observation/feeling which differs from person to person, so I don't know how to measure it.

Taking yesterday's game as an example, I felt Neymar gave his 100%, despite the outcome. I will not criticize any player for trying hard but to no avil, the lack of trying and efforts is what irks me, as I felt it was the case with Messi in the first 60 minutes or so of the game yesterday. He just felt very disinterested and disengaged.

 

[Kerrybai]

As i stated previously Neymar broke free on many occasions but Messi was too slow to get into the box.

So his lack of pressing was the reason he didn't get into the box on a counter attack? That is some serious over the top analysis.