10 - Lionel Messi - v5

[DonAndres]

You really are one of the last people in this entire forum who should be facepalming at anyone

One would think someone with your posting history would at least feel obligated to explain their opinion

 

[gasgas]

You really are one of the last people in this entire forum who should be facepalming at anyone

One would think someone with your posting history would at least feel obligated to explain their opinion

And you are the facepalm sheriff?

 

[dakt]

 

[gasgas]

 

[dakt]

Amazing. Good point gas.

 

[Blaugrana Bull]

With proper coaching, a game plan and some changes here and there this Argentina would be able to compete with anyone. Look how they played in 2014. Really good defending, real teamwork and individual brilliance upfront. They still have those stars in attack and one of them is Messi.
So this team is not a bunch of bums who are not able to do anything. But they are problems bigger than issues on the pitch. The AFA, weird coaching decisions, relationships between players etc.

Messi should continue to play, become the most capped player and also reach at least 75 goals.

 

[Vilarrubi]

Argentina are only gonna go downhill. They have no fringe players or young prospects that could come in and be great additions to the team.

Can't get worse.....

 

[footyfan]

Yeah, "singlehanded carrying" pretty much doesn't and can't happen in the CL or WC. Competition is too high.

But there is a clear distinction in the amount of support they had. Portugal are a genuinely high level team even aside from Ronaldo. Balanced, great gameplan, etc.

I don't know if Portugal are a high-level team - but they are definitely levels above wherever Argentina is. Right now, Ronaldo has the team edge at both club and country level.

Agreed that Portugal look like they have a plan, and have a coherent idea of how they are supposed to play or attack, even if that is spamming crosses into the box. Argentina are surely the most disjointed team in the tournament alongside Poland. However, Portugal suffer from similar creative problems as Argentina do. Their forwards are starved of service, just as Messi and Aguero were.

Messi's campaign started off poorly, but honestly at the end of it all, you can't really blame him too much. He could have been a prime 2008-2012 Messi and they would still have gone out in R16 or QFs. Let's just hope he stays on for Copa 2019 and that Argentina set in motion a top-down overhaul following this alarming wake up call. The federation, tacticians, youth coaches, players - everybody must introspect on how far behind they are from Europe. The most important I feel is to encourage from a young age the development of players for all positions on the pitch. Not just elite forwards and defenders with mettle. However, I fear the footballing world there may be too ignorant and stubborn to realize or acknowledge their shortcomings.

Can we please take a moment to again fume over Fraudioli's shit-tier lineup and tactics? Messi at false 9 - but no forwards cutting inside or making runs. Di Maria and Pavon just stick out wide. How is a false 9 even supposed to work??? And the formation barely did anything about the existing problem of getting Messi the ball - what with starting Perez and Mascherano again.

Sampaoli is completely out of his depth when attempting systems that he's not familiar with or doesn't have the players for. I have honestly never seen a worse NT manager in my years of watching football.

 

[jairzinho]

Can't get worse.....

It can. Not qualifying for the next World Cup is a real possibility.

 

[ThwiX]

Just saw that his beautiful wife and kids were in the stadium today. Hope they weren’t abused this time again. Feel sad for Leo. Hope they can cheer him up before our season starts again. He wasn’t close to his best this tournament and could’ve done far better, but it still hurts.

 

[Vilarrubi]

It can. Not qualifying for the next World Cup is a real possibility.

Nah.... that only nearly happened this time because Messi got banned and was injured.

 

[RMU ReBorn]

world cup

Lionel Messi 6 goals and 5 assists
Ronaldo 7 goals and 2 assists

Messi -Played final and won Golden ball . Cuntnaldo can Rott with his stupid beard and Messi obsession

 

[booge]

You're saying that based on what? Lots of sideway passes and run like a bitch to the area seeking for a penalty?

lmao @ seeking a penalty. lol penaldo

 

[footyfan]

As I said many times it goes both ways.

The midfield isn't good enough but if Messi doesn't move off the ball and just walks to receive the ball at his feet he can't receive the ball in dangerous positions(the final third where he is clearly more effective).

Look, man, what good would Messi's movement have achieved with this Argentina team? Most of their players cannot attempt a moderately-risky sideways pass with greater than 60% accuracy. I understand this argument with the Barca team who have better passers such as Iniesta, Busquets, and Rakitic. But even Sergi Roberto is levels above any Argentina player besides Messi and Banega at passing in close quarters.

Messi had nowhere to run in most of the WC games. Nigeria were the only team that pushed their back line up, and Messi punished them.

I agree that optics wise, Messi looked quite poor and disengaged throughout the tournament. It felt like he already knew they were not good enough to do anything in this tournament. And he was right. Even any past version of Messi could not have carried Argentina.

 

[Stoichkov1]

Look, man, what good would Messi's movement have achieved with this Argentina team? Most of their players cannot attempt a moderately-risky sideways pass with greater than 60% accuracy. I understand this argument with the Barca team who have better passers such as Iniesta, Busquets, and Rakitic. But even Sergi Roberto is levels above any Argentina player besides Messi and Banega at passing in close quarters.

Messi had nowhere to run in most of the WC games. Nigeria were the only team that pushed their back line up, and Messi punished them.

I agree that optics wise, Messi looked quite poor and disengaged throughout the tournament. It felt like he already knew they were not good enough to do anything in this tournament. And he was right. Even any past version of Messi could not have carried Argentina.

Definitely don't agree. Messi's only goal of the tournament came from a Banega pass and a run from Leo like a striker.

Today he was supposed to play like a false 9 but he just played like he always plays at Barca, like a 10 behind a striker. The opponents' penalty area was always empty because Messi was behind and as soon as Aguero came on both Messi and Argentina looked better.

He doesn't have to become like Ronaldo who nowadays is absouletly terrible on the ball and lives only by his off the ball movement but he needs to stop being so static and make more runs. The midfielders obviously can't spot all of them but sometimes he will receive a good ball like it happened with Banega.