10 - Lionel Messi - v3
- Thread starter Barcaman
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Sumlit
San Claudio Bravo
Barca are playing with the same amount of midfielders they have always played with. If the team were playing with 3 other forwards and Messi as part of the midfield 3, then you'd have a stronger point. The shape of the midfield is what is leaving the midfield uncovered, not Messi's movement or lack thereof.
No one is going to confuse Messi with a workhorse, but the fact remains he attempts to play mostly down the middle when in fact the midfielders are playing less down the middle and more to the wings. Messi himself is being forced to move to the wings a lot. Saw it today again.
JamDav1982
Senior Member
Barcelona are still playing with three central midfidlers but the the attacking players with Messi in the front three are less defensive and the full backs are more attacking.
A large part of the CMs job at moment is to cover for full backs when they bomb forward which leaves the middle very exposed to counter attack.
Any player playing as a ten in this formation needs to be more defensive minded and help predict breaks through the middle etc.
you forgot to mention lazy Messi leaving our midfield crippled
JamDav1982
Senior Member
Nope but Messi's lack of workrate in a central position as a number 10 is not helping the tactics either.
what tactics?
Sumlit
San Claudio Bravo
But Messi isn't playing full 10. He is not playing full midfield. Messi position is as undefined still as it has ever been, just now a bit more focused towards playmaking than scoring.
The meat of the problem is with the midfield shape and the fullback-centric formation the team is playing. That is what is leaving the midfield exposed, not Messi.
Heck, Messi is constantly dropping deep to help out buildup and STILL is having problems finding people to get the ball to.
JamDav1982
Senior Member
Its been done to death the tactics that Lucho is trying to play.
DonAK
President of FC Barcelona
Neither is the lack of a midfield and no one to link up with and facing many more players at the same time either because he can't find a player close to him.
And yet, Messi still somehow manages to be the driveforce of this team. Could guess how he would perform with a functioning team then, but lets forget that and blame Messi for being lazy. Because Messi was a workhorse running up and down the last 4-5 years anyway.
And yet, Messi still somehow manages to be the driveforce of this team. Could guess how he would perform with a functioning team then, but lets forget that and blame Messi for being lazy. Because Messi was a workhorse running up and down the last 4-5 years anyway.
I call that a brainfart rather than a tactic especially for a team like Barca
JamDav1982
Senior Member
Messi is more or less playing as a ten as the other midfielders are so deep and there to cover full backs. His role is not a pure ten as he has more freedom but he is in the space between midfield and attack more than any other player.
If Messi is in that space and doesnt help defensively other teams are getting and easy basis to start a counter attack.
His lack of work rate is one of a number of reasons other teams are getting an easy time. Not the only one.
his lack of work rate wouldn't matter if there were midfilelders to help him in the bermuda triangle that our midfield has become
JamDav1982
Senior Member
I totally disagree. If you are playing in a central role you need a better work rate.
Regardless of the system and how well other players are playing.
One of the reasons the midfield is a 'Bermuda triangle' is because of Messi's lack of pressing. He is playing his part in that.
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