Remeber the last Season, this time of the year.
Some users were against him because of how his form dropped in February, March and April.
I was posting half-joke&half-serious line "xx minutes without a goal from an open play from Neymar".
It may seemed like Neyhate or Neytrolling back then, but what we have now, after 3 years from our most expensive and most controversial signing in our history?
1. average season 2013/14
2. world class season 2014/15, with one Fabregas-eque period of 3 Months in February-March-April when he played like a crap
3. another average season, with a very good start and now with another Fabregas-esque period in the same time as in the last year
The last time it seemed that Neymar is a world class player, who only has "occasional" dips in form.
Currently, it seems that he is more like an average or overhyped player, with "occasional" periods of world-class form.
If anyone is interested, just a random fact:
= Neymar hasn't scored a goal from an open play (AGAIN) for 612 minutes in a key moment of a season:
Arsenal 3:1 (Neymar scores in the 18th minute)
-- after that 72 min minutes in that match without a goal, and then:
Villareal 2:2, 90 mins
Real 1:2, 90 mins
Atletico 2:1, 90 mins
Sociedad 0:1, 90 mins
Atletico 0:2, 90 mins
Valencia 1:2, 90 mins
Also, THE SAME as in the last season, when he was in a god-mode in August-September-October-November-December-January, he turned into an invisible mode in spring, THE SAME as in this season.
So, let's see how Neymar AGAIN played this season in Februrary-March-April:
1. Atletico, La Liga 2:1, --
2. Valencia, Cdr 7:0, --
3. Levante 2:0, --
4. Celta 6:1, 1 goal
5. Gijon 3:1, --
6. Las Palmas 2:1, 1 goal
7. Arsenal 2:0, --
8. Sevilla 2:1, --
9. Rayo 5:1, --
10. Getafe 6:0, 2 goals
11. Arsenal 3:1, 1 goal
12. Villareal 2:2, -- (Pk goal)
13. Real 1:2, 90 --
14. Atletico 2:1, --
15. Sociedad 0:1, --
16. Atletico 0:2, --
17. Valencia 1:2, --
In the last 17 matches, he scored goal(s) on 4 matches:
-- Arsenal, Celta, Las Palmas and Getafe (and a Pk against Villareal)
In the last 11 matches, he scored goal(s) on 2 matches:
-- Arsenal and Getafe (2). He didn't score in 9 other matches in a KEY part of a season
Also, I will add a question for the future:
Who will be our leader after Messi will be gone?
And whom will we buy from superstar attackers?
Since there is no way in hell that this guy will be Barca's leader in 3-4 years from now on.
Our leaders/key players in the last 20 years were:
1. Figo
2. Rivaldo
3. Ronaldinho
4. Messi
Neymar doesn't have the leadership ability of any of these guys, nor he has (imo) the talent to be a key-player in Barca.
So, one for the future:
We will either need to buy a new player and create a pairing of xx (a new guy)-Neymar leadership for the future.
Or sell him in 1-2-3-4 years and just buy a new guy who will be a better/more quality leader.