Messi is brilliant, let's get that out of the way, no one disputes that.
Conserving energy also makes sense. No one expects him to have the work rate of Pedro or Alexis, no one expects him to constantly make runs for balls in behind, or press all the time, or track back, or jog constantly for miles each game to be available for passes like Xavi. Agreed.
*BUT* can Messi improve his off-ball movement to make himself and Barça more effective? Absolutely. This is what I, and I think most others, are asking of him.
There are primarily two ways Messi gets the ball: someone brings it to him dribbling and passing 1-2s up the middle, or he drops back to the half line where he becomes another midfielder (leaving 2x4 defending behind the ball).
People always complain about Xavi and Barça passing laterally, but Messi rarely provides a target up the middle. You watch the ball moving laterally from side to side, and when it gets to Xavi, or whoever else is playing the pivot in the middle, there is Messi walking arm in arm with the two centerbacks, and with the two CMs in front of him. No one is going to pass him the ball when 1) the CMs might intercept or the CBs might poach, or 2) he'd be swarmed/fouled from behind the second he touches the ball.
We all know Messi is brilliant and doesn't need a ton of space. If he made ANY effort to drop back quickly off the CBs sometimes when the ball is being moved across the middle, he could receive a pass between the lines with a few yards to turn and dribble the CBs near the top of the box. We see Cesc do that when he is playing CF, but he doesn't have that exceptional skill to accelerate the dribble like Messi. I'd rather see Messi get the ball with two players to dribble instead of eight; even if not successful, he'd draw quite a few more fouls each game in very dangerous positions. That he doesn't get the ball unless someone brings it to him is entirely his fault for not making himself available.
I get the feeling Messi might expect to be passed to, regardless of how closely he is marked, but Barça players are trained to be cautious and move the ball to the open available player. Maybe Xavi et al *should* pass him the ball more often when he is doing his stroll with the CBs. We'd then see if he really can make something of it; or, if he can't, maybe he'd wise up after a few times being intercepted/tackled and make a little space for himself to receive the pass.
