9 - Luis Suárez - v1

[footyfan]

So glad that Messi realized and accepted the team is better with a killer #9 in the middle up front.

He already knew that. Let's not make it seem like he was forcing himself in the middle. He said after the 4-0 over Milan that he always preferred having a 9 in front of him. The development of him being the furthest player forward only happened under Tito and geniuses like Tata who remarked that he wanted Messi to have as few touches as possible.

 

[Darko]

And then he got the Argentina job...I swear football is just so unprofessional and corrupt sometimes.

 

[serghei]

Yep. In my opinion, that's exactly the point. Neymar is an outlet, but Suarez' job is to occupy the centerbacks with a constant individual goalscoring threat. So glad that Messi realized and accepted the team is better with a killer #9 in the middle up front.

Tbh, I've rarely seen a better fit between what a club needs and what a player provides than in the case of Barca and Suarez.

 

[Flavia]

Yep. In my opinion, that's exactly the point. Neymar is an outlet, but Suarez' job is to occupy the centerbacks with a constant individual goalscoring threat. So glad that Messi realized and accepted the team is better with a killer #9 in the middle up front.

Suarez himself told in an interview Messi was the one to tell him to stay as a 9, and started playing rw. Enrique just went with it.

 

[BigBarcaBoy]

Luis was on fire today.

must be on form as the opposition fans were booing him.

 

[Serbian]

Suarez himself told in an interview Messi was the one to tell him to stay as a 9, and started playing rw. Enrique just went with it.

shows you just how incompetent, enrique is or better yet no balls. If it wasnt for messi to understand that playing the best 9 out on the wing is insane, even though Suarez has talent to play out wide you are not utilizing the best out of him. Messi understood very well otherwise we def would have failed last season.

 

[KingMessi]

shows you just how incompetent, enrique is or better yet no balls.

Lol what the hell?

 

[Flavia]

shows you just how incompetent, enrique is or better yet no balls. If it wasnt for messi to understand that playing the best 9 out on the wing is insane, even though Suarez has talent to play out wide you are not utilizing the best out of him. Messi understood very well otherwise we def would have failed last season.

There's no way of knowing if Enrique wouldn't try it eventually. But he proved beyond doubt he's not incompetent. That's a very dumb thing to say about him.

 

[BerkeleyBernie]

Suarez himself told in an interview Messi was the one to tell him to stay as a 9, and started playing rw. Enrique just went with it.

Yes, that is what, I was referring to (Messi seeing/realizing that it was better that way, after it happened accidentally). It wasn't going to happen without Messi's consent.

 

[Alik]

shows you just how incompetent, enrique is or better yet no balls. If it wasnt for messi to understand that playing the best 9 out on the wing is insane, even though Suarez has talent to play out wide you are not utilizing the best out of him. Messi understood very well otherwise we def would have failed last season.

Have some respect. That "incompetent manager with no balls" won the treble.

 

[Flavia]

Yes, that is what, I was referring to (Messi seeing/realizing that it was better that way, after it happened accidentally). It wasn't going to happen without Messi's consent.

Not sure about "consent", or "accidentally", as Messi had previously said he prefers to play with a cf in front of him, as footyfan already pointed out. The previous managers didn't want to move him.

 

[BerkeleyBernie]

Not sure about "consent", or "accidentally", as Messi had previously said he prefers to play with a cf in front of him, as footyfan already pointed out. The previous managers didn't want to move him.

I'm not sure that's the case. I remember reading he said he *liked* how it worked when Villa was played in front of him vs Milan (and one other time earlier vs Sevilla), never that he *preferred*. Why wouldn't coaches have stuck with a strategy that Messi "preferred" and clearly worked better? Also, perhaps it might have had something to do with his fitness and nausea. As the front center man, he was not expected to track back, but playing on the wings, he has to contribute more on ball recovery. He's clearly physically improved this year and contributes more defensively, and that may also have played a part in his move to the right.

EDIT:
This is all I think Messi ever had to say on the subject publically, after the 2nd half vs Sevilla:

"With Villa up front in the second half, Sevilla's centre backs couldn't move forward, which gave me more space."

And you can see everyone (BarcaForum included) agreeing. So the coaches are blind to what was obvious to everyone? Doesn't make sense.

https://twitter.com/barcastuff/status/305651151976673281

 

[Flavia]

I'm not sure that's the case. I remember reading he said he *liked* how it worked when Villa was played in front of him vs Milan (and one other time earlier vs Sevilla), never that he *preferred*. Why wouldn't coaches have stuck with a strategy that Messi "preferred" and clearly worked better? Also, perhaps it might have had something to do with his fitness and nausea. As the front center man, he was not expected to track back, but playing on the wings, he has to contribute more on ball recovery. He's clearly physically improved this year and contributes more defensively, and that may also have played a part in his move to the right.

EDIT:
This is all I think Messi ever had to say on the subject publically, after the 2nd half vs Sevilla:

"With Villa up front in the second half, Sevilla's centre backs couldn't move forward, which gave me more space."

And you can see everyone (BarcaForum included) agreeing. So the coaches are blind to what was obvious to everyone? Doesn't make sense.

[tw]305651151976673281[/tw]

It does when the coach is Tata. But there wasn't a cf who could do that in 13/14 either. There was only Alexis, Neymar and Pedro.

 

[zanela]

Not sure about "consent", or "accidentally", as Messi had previously said he prefers to play with a cf in front of him, as footyfan already pointed out. The previous managers didn't want to move him.

Interestingly, Leo's first stint at playing behind the striker @ senior level came under Maradona's tenure, which wasn't very effective due to lack of proper MF support, but later fully realised under Sabella, resulting amongst his most productive spell for the NT. So Messi was already aware of its merits. I blame tito and tata for his positional mismanagement rather than messi's imaginary reticence.

 

[jj_101]

Tbh, I've rarely seen a better fit between what a club needs and what a player provides than in the case of Barca and Suarez.

Tbh, Suarez would fit well in any club. Not may players have the fight that he has, and it's contagious. Every club needs a Suarez.