10 - Lionel Messi - v3

[oggmar]

It's funny how praise & criticism goes both ways I guess, when we were on top of the world Messi was crowned the king, when we're playing like shit due to various reasons not only due to Messi it seems most people blame Messi for most of it/everything which I find very ignorant.


As for the people claiming he's saving himself for the world cup, please dont spew that bullshit around. This situation very much reminds me of Messi in Argentina without Sabella where his perfomances were regarded as "poor"
a new coach and some improvements to our squad is required for Messi to once again be the player we all know he can be.

To all you people saying we should sell Messi I mean honest to god what in the actual fuck you guys, learn to appreciate a legend, which just so happens to love BARCELONA no matter what you guys say about running distance/work ethic or whatever you guys bring up(by the way he has played like this for years but it was ok because our team was actually good) now when our squad is as bad as it has been in a couple of years you all want to crucify him

 

[ceefoo]

Pep, about Messi, after the wembley cl final:When he doesn't play well it is because something is wrong with his environment. Let's hope he can continue playing well.''

I'd say he's got a hellova lot to be unhappy about then, considering what a mess our club is in from top to bottom.

 

[R10Barney]

Messi isn't playing near his best that's clear.. But the team as a whole isn't playing well at all...not to mention our great defense ...

 

[ceefoo]

It's funny how praise & criticism goes both ways I guess, when we were on top of the world Messi was crowned the king, when we're playing like shit due to various reasons not only due to Messi it seems most people blame Messi for most of it/everything which I find very ignorant.

That's human nature. We rightly praise Leo as a genius who is capable of doing extraordinary things and when he doesn't re-produce those standards as regularly we demand to know why.

The last few games when we really needed Messi, he hasn't delivered and we want answers. A player we his gifts should be delivering on the big occasions. The stage was set as it was many times in the past and he never/rarely let us down.

As Pep mentioned when he was Barca coach. If Messi isn't happy within his environment he doesn't perform like the World Class footballer he is. It could be as simple as that.

 

[Der Kaiser]

That is so Ronaldo´esque. All sportsmanlike when winning, but always bitching and disrespecting when losing.

 

[Luftstalag14]

That just fuels the argument that a huge chunk of Messi's supposed GOAT performances can be credited to him being surrounded by one of the best teams ever.

So how much of a GOAT is he in light of these developments? Serious question. Because now that Barcelona have dropped from the level of untouchability to the realm of other good teams, his performances do not even justify him being called the current best player in the world.

I think Messi definitely benefited fom playing with great players like Xavi and Iniesta at their best; that said, with the hunger, talent, skills and determination Messi displayed back then, he would have shined brightly with any team he would have played in.

I think these days it is mostly about his mental desires. If he is hungry and wanting to excel, he can still be the best. If not, then not so much.

 

[Caps]

Absolute bollocks.

How much were actually GOAT performances and not just the team? Oh for gods sake. Half of his GOAT performances came when he had to take the team by the scruff and do it all himself.

He proved during 2011-2013 that it wasn't just the team. The team havnt been brilliant for 2.5 years now- and he's only not been brilliant for 6 months.

 

[mazp]

Messi loves the club, I don't need to hear it 1000 times. It's just to bad the club doesn't love him back. See faus comments, Rosell trying to hide that Neymar makes more money, etc. He deserves better. Better coaches and players around him.

 

[barcanuck]

Messi loves the club, I don't need to hear it 1000 times. It's just to bad the club doesn't love him back. See faus comments, Rosell trying to hide that Neymar makes more money, etc. He deserves better. Better coaches and players around him.

This this and this. His heart bleeds Blau. When your management fails to deliver hungry players and replace an aging core proactively we suffer as fans and Messi is suffering. That Faus clown spouting about Messi, Rosell doing illegal deals to bring Neymar here while ignoring the need of a real central forward, defender and goalie. The board getting a transfer ban. Messi deserves better we have the best player in Spanish league history and we surround him with negativity. There better be elections this summers or Catalonia will burn.

 

[iceon]

Messi loves the club, I don't need to hear it 1000 times. It's just to bad the club doesn't love him back. See faus comments, Rosell trying to hide that Neymar makes more money, etc. He deserves better. Better coaches and players around him.

Don't think money is the problem, I think he's having a season most players have when they've been the best for a while. There's a lack of motivation but also a lack of getting him involved. It's obviously partially his fault, but he's not dropping very deep and doesn't make any runs. I think we'll see the best of him again when there's a motivator and new manager at the helm.

 

[Behrox]

Don't think money is the problem, I think he's having a season most players have when they've been the best for a while. There's a lack of motivation but also a lack of getting him involved. It's obviously partially his fault, but he's not dropping very deep and doesn't make any runs. I think we'll see the best of him again when there's a motivator and new manager at the helm.

The injury really messed him up mentally if it were any year but the WC he would be fine but after the relapse he had Messi is just mentally conservative he looks almost sacred to make runs because of his injuries this season and it was initiated by a stupid decision to play him to the ground while nursing an injury at the end of last season

 

[iceon]

The injury really messed him up mentally if it were any year but the WC he would be fine but after the relapse he had Messi is just mentally conservative he looks almost sacred to make runs because of his injuries this season and it was initiated by a stupid decision to play him to the ground while nursing an injury at the end of last season

I noticed that for their second goal, he never even tried to catch Carvajal/Modric or who ever it was that made that pass. He kind of jogged after that player who put a deep ball for Bale.

 

[Behrox]

I noticed that for their second goal, he never even tried to catch Carvajal/Modric or who ever it was that made that pass. He kind of jogged after that player who put a deep ball for Bale.

Exactly I remember him tugging it out with almost everyone near him to get the ball but he has a mental block this season its like he has the Falcao injury in his mind that might mean he would miss the WC

 

[aki13]

I saw him asking for the ball many times. In most he didn't get it.

So did I. He was often actually getting a bit of space on the edge of the area. Go back a year and wide players often cut it back to Leo on the edge of the area (Leo never goes into the middle of the area), but now those wide players cross it into the middle and ignore him. That's an example of how the situation and Leos role has changed.

disappointing season for him. no interest at all today. I'm officially rooting against Argentina.

Very mature. I hope Leo plays well for Argentina and they win (if England don't )

Really....

So all of the suden , it doesn't matter anymore what he has done for the club in recent years , just because he could be more focused on the World Cup rather than Barcelona , makes you want to root against him. Just because he didn't score a hatrick once again vs Madrid or whatever , you want him to do bad . Great fan.

This. l am not happy with the situation at the moment but I could understand him if that was definitely the case.

I don't know why he is not performing. I just can't figure out. If he was purposely not performing as a response to all the criticism (which I don't believe is the case by the way) he received, then he really is an immature prick that needs to be offloaded, sorry.

Flavia, I know the problem is way beyond Messi. I know the who team is playing like shit. Tata is clueless. However, Messi being the so-called best player in the world, being billed the one player who can change the outcome of the game; at this critical juncture when the club was at the risk of having a titleless season, was barely trying and not giving a damn, is simply inexcusable.

Messi was a huge part of the reason why I love Barca. But if he keeps behaving like this, I am going to be a Barca fan who is not a fan of Messi's anymore. Talent-wise, he might be one of the best of all time, however, work-ethic wise, he is not even close. He really broke a lot of people's heart recently. I am fine with how he played against Grenada, but not his behavior in the two CL legs and today's game. I can accept Messi having as many bad games as humanly possible, what I can not accept is the lack of trying and effort. There was no urgency and desire fom him at all.

Messi, you are not winning any fans by playing like this. Good luck at the WC, you will need it.

I think a lot of people need some perspective. I mean take his career at Barca. He was up and coming until about 2008 then had his absolute peak and top form 2009-2012 I would say. 2013 was injury hit and thus his form wasn't at that level. However I still think he was one of our best players.
So to 2014 and Jan, Feb, Mar I thought he was still OK. A little rusty after 2 months off and a year of constant injury.

So in review I think until one month ago he has been the legend that he is, but has just been effected by the injuries.

So I make that the last 4 games in which he has been very poor and in those 3 or 4 games, something changed in Leo and the whole team. I mean until Bartra's header we were on for 3 games no goals. Its clear something is happening to the team in April and Leo is mixed up in that. Look beyond sadness and anger of whats happened and I believe you will see something that's a problem has happened in the last month. Thus may well all be manager/coach related.

Thus its too early to write off Messi.

It's not about Messi. It's about everyone, and everything.

Exactly. As I said above. Despite Leo not being his absolute best since his spate of injuries in Mar/Apr 2013 and being played while injured, its actually only the 3 or 4 matches that his has shut off. Just a month ago he lead us to victory over Man City and Real. So for people to say he has lost it, is foolish and short sighted. You don't give up on your best player just because for 1 month of 1 season he is bad.
As for Barca itself I think its similar. The team peaked in 2011 and has declined ever since, however we were not this bad 6 weeks ago.

Both are linked I think. Both Messi and Barca appear to have ground to a halt in the last month. That must suggest that problems have occurred in that time. Couple that with the fact Atletico and Real are very good and then this feels a management issue recently.

That said Its clear too that Barca need re developing.

He kissed the badge three weeks ago, against Madrid.

Yes he lead us over Man City and Real in La Liga 3/4 weeks ago, but apparently that doesn't count. His last 4 matches mean he doesn't care about Barca for a couple of years.

 

[Zincubus]

Anyone know why he was wearing that ridiculous cap all last night ?

Bad haircut ??