10 - Lionel Messi - v4

[BBZ8800]

anyone has a theory why his form dropped drastically?

He is 29.
He was already exhausted before NT matches.
He gave everything there, even though he was on the verge already.

The rest is a history.
Playing in the middle, at Busi's or Xavi's position and in majority of actions: trying long balls to Alba/Iniesta and Alves.

I just hope that this is not how Messi will look like/play in the upcoming seasons.
(This Busi/Xavi/distributor crap)

 

[klc123]

I'm still baffled by his positional play, doesn't make any sense

By taking up a position in the middle of the pitch he can limit the amount of strolling around the pitch he has to do.

edit:

People seem to think I'm criticising his ability. I'm clearly not. The most frustrating thing is that we knew what Messi CAN do, but for the last few weeks he doesn't even seem to be trying to play well. He is 29, not 69, he should be able to put more in than that.

 

[raskolnikov]

Panama shit also doesnt help

 

[Asylum15]

I saw a lot of similarities between 2014 Messi (same CL stage) and tonight. I remember back then saying it was mental as much as physical, and I feel the same now. How on earth did he just completely go from hero to zero in 4 weeks? The panama case must be weighing on his mind, or maybe something else is off at home?

 

[Devils]

I've said it earlier this season and I will say it again.

Messi isn't a 19 year old kid with unlimited amounts of energy anymore, you absolutely have to rest him. The fact that we played him in pretty much every game for 90 minutes since he came back from injury is absolutely ridiculous.

And before someone brings up Ronaldo in this, face the facts, Messi isn't the physical specimen that Ronaldo is.

 

[Alen]

Walkessi is back. He's not capable of bossing it for a long time anymore. Messi needs to start getting subbed or he'll lose what made him GOAT: his consistency.

 

[Topolino]

Shadow of himself. A month ago I was cheering that he's about to hit his peak form before the end. And now this stuff.

He walks, he doesn't contribute... the only good thing I saw him do today was when he covered Danis ass... He's just walking there, taking a walk in the park. He just needs to ride the bench to recover for a while... Lucho messed up with the rotations this season.

 

[ThwiX]

Need to bring in Dembele in the summer. He can both learn from Messi and be used to rest him. Get it done!

 

[kadeng]

next year could be his last season for us if it goes on like that forever

 

[NotInHere]

He is 29.
He was already exhausted before NT matches.
He gave everything there, even though he was on the verge already.

The rest is a history.
Playing in the middle, at Busi's or Xavi's position and in majority of actions: trying long balls to Alba/Iniesta and Alves.

I just hope that this is not how Messi will look like/play in the upcoming seasons.
(This Busi/Xavi/distributor crap)

he has terrible off the ball movement to be playing in the busi or xavi's position, and I agree with you hopefully he doesnt look like this these upcoming seasons

 

[Total-Football]

He is 29.
He was already exhausted before NT matches.
He gave everything there, even though he was on the verge already.

The rest is a history.
Playing in the middle, at Busi's or Xavi's position and in majority of actions: trying long balls to Alba/Iniesta and Alves.

I just hope that this is not how Messi will look like/play in the upcoming seasons.
(This Busi/Xavi/distributor crap)

Man can u already stop with the myths would you .. he's 28 and the walking low energy thing occured since 2013 .. exhausted before that .. exhausted for what ? for walking during matchs against the like of Getafe or exhausted because he got 2 months to rest due to injury .. or was he the only player in the world that got to play for the national team .. instead of asking some rational questions about his fitness people create those therories that dont make any sene .. i'm sorry

 

[BigBarcaBoy]

He was indeed very good up until Villarreal. But tonights performance was not about being good/bad - he didn't look like he cared. Slowly walking around and maybe a cross or two to Alba or Alves/Roberto - nothing more. Pathetic! But if really is THIS gassed, than Lucho shouldn't freaking play him!

the whole team played like a drain, yet you say he didn't care, look we are all upset and angry but i genuinely can't say he didn't care tonight

 

[Luftstalag14]

Luft, the same is with me.

Now when I look back, we were the best team in Europe since 2004/05 (lost to Mourinho's Chelsea).
We won 4 trophies in these 12 years when we were the best.

But more or less, in these 8 seasons, we always lost more or less in the same way as today.
Mourinho's Chelsea, Mourinho's Inter, Chelsea again, Atletico, Atletico.

Only against Bayern 3 Seasons ago, we were really bad.
More or less in any other season, we were the best team in Europe, and we lost either because we were too confident like this season, or because of an insane level of bad luck.

What is worse, we have Messi now, and we managed to lose so many CL titles.
Imagine how we will play and lose CL titles in 5-10-15 years from now on.

Barca, the best team in the world.
But also, a team that is overly confident on way too many occasions and thus lost tons of trophies.

Well said. The humiliating defeat three years ago at the hands of Bayern broke my heart but we did fight, at least we tried so I had no hard feelings at all, the defeat only solidified and reinforced my identity as a Barca fan.

But performance like today's or the last several ones to be exact, embodied by Messi's no-show today is really starting to chip away my affection toward this team, little by little.

I will support a team that loses but did so with giving their all, with their heads held high, not a team that gets engulfed by their complacency and carelessness. That is not respecting their fans and supporters. We don't deserve this.

 

[evilhita666]

His first touch was abysmal... He couldn't control a bowling ball if it rolled slowly into his feet...

 

[Mitchell1978]

He is 29.
He was already exhausted before NT matches.
He gave everything there, even though he was on the verge already.

The rest is a history.
Playing in the middle, at Busi's or Xavi's position and in majority of actions: trying long balls to Alba/Iniesta and Alves.

I just hope that this is not how Messi will look like/play in the upcoming seasons.
(This Busi/Xavi/distributor crap)

Messi played on the wing in the first half and in the middle in the 2e half, shurely it was a tactical decision from Enrique.
Not that it mattered because neither tactical set-up worked today.