10 - Lionel Messi - v3

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Patty2720

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JamDav1982 said:
No they don't.

The attacking players for Barcelona, Real Madrid and Bayern are all better.
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Okay, than please explain to me why Manchester City is the best scoring side in europe at this stage in the season?

Negredo - 23 goals
Aguero - 22 goals
Dzeko - 16 goals
Toure - 14 goals
 
J

JamDav1982

Senior Member
Patty2720 said:
Okay, than please explain to me why Manchester City is the best scoring side in europe at this stage in the season?

Negredo - 23 goals
Aguero - 22 goals
Dzeko - 16 goals
Toure - 14 goals
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Because they play a very attacking style with two up front and look to out score teams in open games.

While others like Barca etc play a more controlled balance game and don't just throw everyone forward all the time.
 
footyfan

footyfan

Calma, calma
BerkeleyBernie said:
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 generally 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.
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Excellent post. This is definitely what I was talking about atleast.

I said this before already, Cesc plays the false 9 position better than Messi nowadays, he's just not talented enough to make the most of it like Messi does.

Messi receives the ball in only two or three types of attacking moves, like you describe. And these are moves the top teams seem OK with, based on last season's games.
 
Daemul

Daemul

previously known as Jonathan28
Flavia said:
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I hope Thiago didn't eat all the cake.
 
C

coura

Banned
footyfan said:
Excellent post. This is definitely what I was talking about atleast.

I said this before already, Cesc plays the false 9 position better than Messi nowadays, he's just not talented enough to make the most of it like Messi does.

Messi receives the ball in only two or three types of attacking moves, like you describe. And these are moves the top teams seem OK with, based on last season's games.
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I agree with both of you.
 
Messi_Goal

Messi_Goal

New member
PSG are sounding out the entourage of Lionel Messi. The French club want to make another attempt to sign the Argentine next summer. [equipe]
 
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