10 - Lionel Messi - v3

[Chainsaw]

Messi isn't allowed a dip in form, that automatically makes him bad.

That rule goes to every superstar out there.

 

[Galning]

5 assists and 5 goals in 8 games...definitely burnt out. He could've had 10 goals easily but was unlucky with finishing.

This²

 

[Kohe321]

That rule goes to every superstar out there.

No one as much as Messi.

How long has it been since the game with 3 assists to Tello, where he could've gotten way more including goals himself with just a little luck? Two-three weeks? He was crazy good in that match.

 

[Chainsaw]

No one as much as Messi.

How long has it been since the game with 3 assists to Tello, where he could've gotten way more including goals himself with just a little luck? Two-three weeks? He was crazy good in that match.

Expectations goes high the higher you fly. The bigger you are the bigger the expectations are. It's not just about Messi.

 

[Kohe321]

Expectations goes high the higher you fly. The bigger you are the bigger the expectations are. It's not just about Messi.

Then we agree, this is basically just another way of saying the same thing. Messi is perhaps the best footballplayer ever, so yeah he receives the most criticism when he's not in form. It's pretty obvious.

What I think we also can agree on is that this is a really silly dynamic. These are real people, not some videogame characters in fifa. Form and team chemistry is such an intangible and fleeting thing that it doesn't necessarily take a lot to disrupt it. I wouldn't be surprised if all the recent controversy surrounding Barca (the Rosell and Neymar saga) has caused them to lose some of the focus and sharpness they had earlier.

 

[Luftstalag14]

Messi was a shadow of himself in recent weeks. Now that some here want to find the "best" in a shitstorm they're free to do that. But I won't go there calling Messi that for such performances. For his standards his recent performances, specially the one against Valencia, where he missed many balls in the second half when the team was in desperate need of goals to turn the result around was way subpar. Cappa is going overboard saying Messi is bored of this game like it's the end of him for good. But I agree to some small part that he lacked the drive in recent weeks. Whether be for him being long out because of injury or being any other reason. We need him to raise his game up before the encounter with Man City, or we're gonna have serious trouble.

Not trying to be argumentative, when you said "he missed many balls" were you referring to his rusty and unlucky finishing? If he kept on trying but just couldn't score, I don't think calling him "a shadow of himself" is justified.

 

[Luftstalag14]

I hope we don't have another Ronnie case in Messi. Ever since he came back we have been looking like shite and he hasn't looked good either. I think his injuries are a result of him not being 100% motivated either. The tricky part is selling him if he looks like heading in the Ronnie direction. I think one of Barca's problem is they tend to overindulge the star player. Ronnie was given too much rope ditto Messi. Pep & Tito basically rolled over for him. Maybe Messi just doesn't like Martino. Martino has been pretty firm with him.

Against City we need Messi in form. Maybe the CL will motivate him but I don't know..............

I agree that we haven't looked that great, but Messi? I am sorry, a few games ago when he was scoring and assisting, nobody said anything about Messi. When his goal drought hit, together with the team underperforming and losing games, all of sudden Messi became the point of focus and criticism. Again, if people want to criticize him for walking on the pitch and poor off-the-ball movement, be my guest but these are not new issues that surfaced after his return from injury. Since he returned, I actually felt he had become slightly more motivated than the second half of last year. So if anybody wants to accuse him of getting bored with football, he/she should have said it much earlier, not right now.

 

[NotInHere]

Leo has been a strange one to judge ever since his return, his not playing downright horrible but neither is he playing up to his full potential, He hasn't quite amazed me like he used to but he has not disgusted my eyes either. All im trying to say is that I dont like this Leo, and its already february..... The month that we play one of our most important matches. I pray to god Messi proves me wrong.

 

[Flavia]

Messi was injured for most of 2013. His pre-season was during November and December. You can't expect him to peak now, in February.

 

[Flavia]

Seems that rugby tackle Messi got inspired them to play a bit:

And a better view on Messi, by Luis Suárez(I can't translate right now, but google translate can help):

Mundodeportivo.com 07/02/2014 16:40

Luis Suárez ha asegurado en el programa Esports en Xarxa de La Xarxa, que Leo Messi "necesita la ayuda de los compañeros. Ahora, en este momento delicado, los compañeros le tienen que echar una mano. Él durante mucho tiempo tiró del carro y dio mucho y ahora necesita que le ayuden".

"Messi ha salido de varias lesiones y cuando vuelves requiere tiempo para volver a ser lo que eras antes. Psicológicamente tienes miedo de volver a recaer. Le puede costar un poquito pero poco a poco Messi será el de siempre, es cuestión de paciencia. Cuando recaes de una lesión te queda un poco de temor. Cuando vea que no pasa nada será el de antes".

Luis Suárez cree que estas cosas "afectan", "el cerebro en ciertas situaciones en vez de ir al 100% vas al 80%. Cuando te sueltas no piensas más y se soluciona todo". "Cuando no estás bien del todo y no te salen las cosas pierdes un poco de alegría. Pero esto es una chispa que se enciende de un momento al otro. Messi se divierte mucho jugando al fútbol, no puede estar cansado de jugar".

El exfutbolista cree sin embargo que "al Barça también le ha faltado Neymar". "El Barça de los últimos años ha hecho cosas tan extraordinarias que la gente se acostumbra. Creo que este año el Barça ha alternado con buenos momentos. Cuando todos los jugadores del Barcelona recuperen su mejor nivel volveremos a ver al gran Barcelona".


Btw, this is the Luis Suarez that played for Barça and won the B'dor in 1960.

 

[CatalinR10]

you know it' barcaforum when people complain messi doesn't score a hatrick every game. Considering he has 5 goals and 5 assists so far after a 2 month break and with the WC on it's way, I think he's great so far. But what can you expect since people complained after almost every game in 2012 ,when he scored 91 goals , that he is lazy and doesn't run.

There's 4 players guarding you and a solid buss ? It doesn't matter you piece of shit , you're Messi , go score a hatrick.

 

[sil85]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...-hell-peak-just-time-World-Cup-Argentina.html

 

[Chainsaw]

Not trying to be argumentative, when you said "he missed many balls" were you referring to his rusty and unlucky finishing? If he kept on trying but just couldn't score, I don't think calling him "a shadow of himself" is justified.

Nothing with his finishing. But several times during the second half he was interrupted by the Valencia players each time Barca gave him the ball. I lost the counts really. It was strange to me why he seemed a bit "off" in his decision making everytime he was surrounded by Valencia players. Many counter attacks that Valencia started have started with Messi losing the ball at the first place.

 

[Kerrybai]

Messi was a shadow of himself in recent weeks. Now that some here want to find the "best" in a shitstorm they're free to do that. But I won't go there calling Messi that for such performances. For his standards his recent performances, specially the one against Valencia, where he missed many balls in the second half when the team was in desperate need of goals to turn the result around was way subpar. Cappa is going overboard saying Messi is bored of this game like it's the end of him for good. But I agree to some small part that he lacked the drive in recent weeks. Whether be for him being long out because of injury or being any other reason. We need him to raise his game up before the encounter with Man City, or we're gonna have serious trouble.

The guy has more dribbles per game this year than he ever had in his career. He's also taking more shots. How is that a sign of been unmotivated? He'd trying everything but his finishing is rusty. Give the guy a break.

 

[Alarcón]

Nothing with his finishing. But several times during the second half he was interrupted by the Valencia players each time Barca gave him the ball. I lost the counts really. It was strange to me why he seemed a bit "off" in his decision making everytime he was surrounded by Valencia players. Many counter attacks that Valencia started have started with Messi losing the ball at the first place.

To be fair, the game against Valencia was quite an exception. I agree that Messi is not at his best atm but I'd never seen him lose the ball as often as he did against Valencia and I wouldn't expect to ever see it again.