Ok, a question with less enthusiasm:
1. Messi played in the middle against Real, and we lost and looked horrible in attack
2. Messi started a match against Atletico in the middle, and we were losing 0:1 and looked horrible and toothless in the attack
It seems that a majority of fans here forgot that we won against a 10 men and that a match was totally different after a red card.
So, yes, Messi stepped up in the 2nd half when we attacked with 10 players around their box and when a middle was less crowded with 2 lines of a wall, than in the 1st half with 11 vs 11.
The real question and concern for me is: "what would have happened in 11 vs 11 and with Messi as a f***ing false 9, Amc, Rcm, Cdm and Rb where he played majority of yesterday's match?"
After a Classico, some people replied that Messi played in the middle:
1. either because he was tired from a long trip
2. either because it was a tactical trick so that he isn't paired with Marcelo when Marcelo attacks
3. either because Messi sometimes "feels" during matches that it is better to move into the middle because he can influence the matches more
Well, as I have wrote a few days ago, if he goes into the middle, he will have more touches, more passes and more dribble attempts (through a crowded middle and through 4 opponents, lol
) but our whole team will suffer more.
When he is on a RW, he will have less touches, but a team in general will play better and have more room on other places (Neymar, Suarez, Iniesta, Rakitic, Alves in particular).
So, let's forget a 2nd half from yesterday because, as said before, him in the middle WORKS against Bolivia and Spanish midtable teams.
Or like yesterday, when we play 11 vs 10 at Camp Nou.
But again, what bothers me is: if we will go to semis and to a final, it seems that Messi will start matches in the middle again.
We will need either an insane amount of luck, or insane goals from Neymar and Suarez, or Uefalona help from referees to get penalties or red card for our opponents.
1. it is clear that we struggle in this new stupid system with Messi as a false 9, Cm or at Xavi's position (against big teams)
2. and it is clear that for some reason either Lucho or Messi himself have changed our winning formation/tactics from 2015 and 2016 to this system
So, we have these options:
1. return to Messi at a RW (but Lucho or Messi aren't realizing this for now)
2. play this way and pray to football Gods and to referees to help us win matches inspite of Messi at central positions
3. play this way and get knocked out in semis or final from Bayern or Real when Lucho will again play Messi on this new, "phenomenal" position and when they will wonder what went wrong and why we were sterile, toothless and tired in the key moment of the season
Messi played with Argentina on Xavi's position, and now against Real and Atletico.
That is a longest streak of matches on that position in the last 2 years.
So, let's make a bet:
= Messi will again play on this stupid Cm-Amc position even on weekend.
This is our (or his) "new thing"
