10 - Lionel Messi - v2

[DonAndres]

It's a simple dip in form, nothing more, nothing less. Why act like the world has done a 180 degree turn and that Messi is no longer like "the old days" based off of a few games? On the other extreme, why try to be defensive and blame only injuries? Sometimes it just happens, hardly likely to have any significant reason.

 

[Luftstalag14]

Mascherano admitted this week that Messi is already pacing himself and thinking about next summer.

Really? Where and how? What did he say?

How can anyone gain anything by not playing at 100% level? Just to avoid injury?

 

[suckabov]

Mascherano said it if you think you know better and Masch is lying then fair enough.

Mascherano isn't Messi. Unless Messi confided that to him (and then I would wonder why he Mascherano is telling it to the press), there is no way he can know for sure. And he clearly couldn't predict how Messi would perform tonight.

 

[JamDav1982]

Really? Where and how? What did he say?

How can anyone gain anything by not playing at 100% level? Just to avoid injury?

Masch said he is pacing himself and taking his time with injury as he wants to be in peak condition for the WC next summer.

He does look like he has other things on his mind these past few games in my opinion.

 

[JamDav1982]

Mascherano isn't Messi. Unless Messi confided that to him (and then I would wonder why he Mascherano is telling it to the press), there is no way he can know for sure. And he clearly couldn't predict how Messi would perform tonight.

Ok Mascherano is lying.

Go with that if you want.

 

[spark]

As every Barca in his/her right mind I love Messi, but the fact that even if he is the worst player on the pitch, is not substituted, is a bit frustrating. Nobody should be treated like he is bigger than the club.

Anyway, let's not make it a bigger deal than it is, as he will be back to his best soon.

Its not about about being bigger than the club. No team anywhere in the world takes off their best player when they need a goal at 0-0 unless injured. We are talking about a player that the club brought on with a torn hamstring to change a game against PSG. They leave him there because he can make something out of nothing in any form. It would be completely different if we were cruising at 5-0 but why would anyone take him off at 0-0 in a league where at least 97 points is usually needed to win it?

 

[Flavia]

@MessiStats 30 min
Messi has now failed to score in his last 4 league games for Barcelona. The last time that happend to him: March-April 2011

There, he's trying to be like he was in 2010-11

 

[suckabov]

@MessiStats 30 min
Messi has now failed to score in his last 4 league games for Barcelona. The last time that happend to him: March-April 2011

There, he's trying to be like he was in 2010-11

So we have the old Messi back! Great.

Ok Mascherano is lying.

Go with that if you want.

No, that's not what I said at all.

 

[Mika94]

I don't for a second buy the ridiculous "pacing himself, saving energy for the WC" theory, but I am really scratching my head to find out what's going on. Messi, like any players can have bad games, but it is not so much about bad games, it is about the lack of interest and efforts. Why? Doesn't he want to prove to the world that he can do it again? Shouldn't he be trying harder to impress the voting audience that that he deserves the Ballon d'Or, at this critical juncture?

Damn Ribery.

I don't think Messi ever cares about what happens surrounding him. I mean, less than other players anyway. The way I see him, he's always interested in having the ball, passing, scoring. The reason I love this player so much is because he seems to care only about the game. Yet I couldn't see that kind of motivation in the last matches.
Besides, he already has 4 Ballon d'Or and he won everything with Barcelona multiple times.

I think it's more of a mental "block", some kind of situation where he realizes that he's not performing very well but he doesn't manage to do anything about it. I'm sure that he'll get pass it with a "big" match, sooner or later.

 

[Yugi]

 

[abual3bed1]

Does this mean we get to say: Be aware Milan??

 

[Luftstalag14]

What exactly did Ribery do then, this season, that Messi didn't?

I was simply disappointed at Messi handing over the Ballon d'Or to Ribery. Right now is the time that the voting audience will be watching their every move, and Messi's performance like today's will benefit Ribery and CR7 tremendously, I am afraid.

I know I care too much about that useless award, but I just wanted Messi to win it.

 

[BarcaVillain]

My word, it's rather reactionary on here isn't it. The team played poorly, Messi wasn't great. Try supporting a mid table club, then you'd know what real footballing issues are. As some have said, Messi has done more than enough in the past to avoid criticism for a couple of games. Get a grip.

 

[JamDav1982]

He is still the greatest ever in my eyes and has not declined in any way that is not what I am trying to say.

In my opinion he looks distracted and agitated in these past few games and for the most part has not been putting in the required effort.

Against Milan he did score a great goal but his movement etc was not there, against Madrid he was as quiet as he has ever been and to tonight he barely broke into anything more than a stroll unless ball played to feet.

No doubt that he could explode against Milan and he will again soon but the worrying thing is we dont want to get to the point where he pick and chooses the games to make much effort in.

Tonight it was like he was not prepared to work the way the others players were for whatever reason.

If it is coming back from injury then he needs to admit that and not play if that is all he can offer.

 

[Luftstalag14]

Masch said he is pacing himself and taking his time with injury as he wants to be in peak condition for the WC next summer.

He does look like he has other things on his mind these past few games in my opinion.

I can understand if Messi is trying to avoid getting injured again and slowly building up to his previous level of match fitness, but pacing himself? What exactly does it mean? Picking and choosing which games he will give his 100% and which ones he would not?

I am just baffled why he became a different person in merely 2 days. Scoring against Celta Vigo was more important than doing so against Espanyol?