10 - Lionel Messi - v5

[Luftstalag14]

He would be good if he decided to start running. Instead he just walks around.

If he keeps running so little Barca won't win another CL anytime soon.

That is what bothers me the most about him. No matter how talented you are if you don’t try hard enough you will get nowhere. His mental swings and inconsistency of motivation and engagement in games really piss me off sometimes.

Anyway, choker or not, I am still grateful to what Messi was able to bring us all these years. He will probably remain clutch for us, at least in league games for another season or two, but it is high time to start thinking replacing him now and start planning the post-Messi years. Now.

 

[Mitchell1978]

So many of you guys were predicting that Argentina would be in the final. Argentina are not done yet but the crazy format of this tourney means that no team is a sure bet to make the final. Its very possible that sadly, that lost final could be the closest he ever gets to winning the WC.

the current Argentina is much worse then the team from 2014-16, they barely qualified

 

[Stoichkov1]

nah its not all about that penalty dude. lets say Ronaldo misses that penalty, 9/10 he will get mad at himself and use it to motivate himself. Messi's head dropped straight away and we saw that again today. Argentina go 1-0 down and theres no motivation from captain Messi. the team lack confidence and so does their star man

He doesn't need to scream like a bitch like Ronaldo but he needs to make himself more available and start running when not in possession.

 

[KingMessi]

Put CR into Argentina, and they'll exit in the group stage.

Yeah if Portugal was in this group, Argentina go out just as fast too.

 

[Pedro]

Again, looked gassed as f*** for most of the game. I don’t understand it. Shocking stuff. Sampaoli burned more calories walking the touchline.

True lol, Sampaoli should've brought himself on, lots of energy

 

[MessiCam]

Messi was poor, no doubt, but I must say some of the reactions on here are baffling. I mean I get that you're disappointed, I am too, but to take Messi's failure so personally as to act so hostilely towards him, when as Barca 'fans' we're suppposed to be his biggest supporters is insane. Okay so if you're Argentinian I can understand it, he's a convenient target on whom to unload, something to focus your anger against, but the Barca fans? How short are your memories? Jeez. Like I say, he was poor, he deserves to be crtiticised, but this level of animosity?

He was poor, even on the ball, but what I don’t get is the people complaining that he didn’t get on the ball enough are the same people who gave him shit for doing exactly that against Iceland.

I don’t care what you say but Sampaoli’s midfield selections are disastrous and tonight they were overrun. Croatia deserve credit for that!

There was absolutely no service through the centre or to the wings what so ever. It was spray and pray.

 

[DonAndres]

Nani scored 3 goals and made 1 assist in the Euros, which were the same stats as Cristiano.

Pepe was the best player for Portugal. Even Cristiano himself admitted it.

Jamdav will never admit anything that undermines his beloved Cristiano. He's a far more ardent defender of him than even most Madrid fans

 

[Neymessi]

Let's just forget and forgive Jamdav here. He is of the opinion that cr7 is not mostly a poacher and playmakes often and so does suarez.

 

[NorthernCule]

I'll even say that RM would still win at least 3/4 of their CLs without CR in the past 5 years.

This is complete nonsense.

We're all Barca fans, but there's a limit.

CR7 is Madrid's only true goalscorer and they wouldn't come close to sniffing the CL without him. Even when he's not scoring he creates space for his teammates.

Can't fathom the fact you actually believe this.

 

[Masetro10]

People want to blame Messi but did anyone else do anything for Argentina? No. So maybe the whole team is trash..... there is an idea. People say Messi should go to the wing, except when he goes to the wing he never gets the ball. So, he goes to the middle to get the ball, yet has nobody occupying defenders, and every path is blocked by up to 4 defenders because nobody is scared of Argentina. So he is damned if he does and damned if he doesn't. Everybody knows now whether it is Barca or Argentina all you do is swarm Messi and play disciplined counter attack style and you have a decent shot at the game.

 

[likeafire]

And if portugal dont go through to the next round!? Iran beating them means they dont go through!?

But we both know that won't happen, and the reason that won't happen is because of Ronaldo, he will step up and lead his team.

Whereas Argentina vs Nigeria I'm not expecting Messi to do anything at all

 

[Luftstalag14]

Can Argentina still advance out of their group? Only a mathematical chance?

 

[KingMessi]

Haha I am sure you would.

It's an opinion. You're welcome to have your own as well jackass.

 

[i_bleed_blaugrana]

I'm not sure why people are blaming Messi at all for this. He was a forward today and he literally had to come below the center half line just to touch the ball and move the lines. It was remarkable how not a single midfielder for Argentina could get the ball to the forward line. Also, any team that gives up a goal like the first one is a huge gut shot that is extremely difficult to come back from. Talk about Ronaldo's "winning" mentality all you want, even he would struggle to lift his team from something like that and even still, they have to get the ball to him for him to be able to even do anything. The handful of times Messi actually got the ball in the 2nd third, he was extremely productive. It's not like he was turning the ball over or making poor decisions, getting caught dribbling etc.

Messi and Dybala were the only people who showed any sort of poise and danger for Argentina. Between the lack of quality, balls and tactical nous of a majority of Argentina's squad and a coach who couldn't pick his strongest 11 if they all slapped him in the face, Cryuff, Maradona, Pele, Cristiano, Ronaldinho, Zidane, Il Phenomeno, they'd all struggle the same way Messi is struggling.

So please stfu with this selective memory and bashing of Messi. I've seen Ronaldo go missing for Real and Portugal many, many times prior to Zidane's arrival so I really don't want to hear talk of this being a mentality thing. It's simply the football tides, Messi had it early during the Pep years, Ronaldo has it now. Messi is still the best player to play the game in the modern era, this campaign changes none of that.

 

[JamDav1982]

Jamdav will never admit anything that undermines his beloved Cristiano. He's a far more ardent defender of him than even most Madrid fans

Aye I have a 'campaign of hate' for Messi.

You have told us all this before.