Messi tried to drop deep to get the ball against Iceland, it didn't worked.
Messi tried to stay on top and wait for the ball against Croatia, it didn't worked again.
What do you guys think he should do against Nigeria? Stay close to Aguero or close to Mascherano?
Move into the right half space and stay there until he receives the ball to work his magic. The rest is up to his teammates:
-Maybe have the RB run down said half-space, binding a defender and thus opening space in the middle for Messi to dribble into.
-Maybe have the LW or the LB make a decoy run from the left side to the right while Messi dribbles in the other direction from right to left forcing the defense to make a wrong decision: If the defenders stay put, both players have an advantage in movement; if the CB moves towards Messi and the RB stays in his position the player who made the decoy run is not covered; if the RB and the CB follow the player who made the decoy run, Messi can move into the space left behind and finish.
-Maybe have a midfielder move into the right half space into the intersection in front of Messi to open up space for him there by binding a defender to him or make it possible for him to receive a pass there in the first place.
-Maybe have a central striker making diagonal runs to the right in the intersection in front of Messi and bind a CB to him to open up space.
-Maybe have the RB go apeshit as in alternating between running towards the byline, move into the half space and pick up combination play when Messi drops towards the right wing, win balls by with effective gegenpressing etc.
All of this may or may not work but I absolutely guarentee you that it will work better than passing the ball around in slow motion in a giant half circle like Argentina did vs Iceland or letting Messi rot in the cage put up by Croatia in that half-space yesterday.
