Lionel Messi - v7

[Givenchy]

What can we do then?

agree with your post.

as for 'what can we do then?' well the only thing we can do at this stage is wait for Messi and club de amigos to retire/leave - if back to back (to back ...loading?) CL humiliation isn't enough to wake our captain and the manager up.. if our main striker not scoring an away CL goal for 4 YEARS doesn't set off some alarm bells, really theres no helping us.

no manager in world football (not even Mourinho) would risk pissing off Messi by benching Suarez or telling him where to play.

i don't know how much longer we have to pretend that this isn't an issue because Messi performs some random magic to save us.. we shouldn't need saving anymore with the amount we spent in the transfer window.

it feels like we are FC Messi these days, hes grown bigger than the club. I love the little magician and the moments hes given us but even the greatest has to put in the effort

 

[JohnN]

Don't know if I should spend more time on this narrative, but let us remember our incredible away performances at the start of the season without Messi for a bit. They weren't great at all, were they? Something else must be the problem then.

 

[FC433]

Of course, it is not only Messi. We have got lots of issues in our team, starting with the manager to certain players and how they are being used. We just spent 300m on players only to play them out of their positions and Valverde cannot be blamed here. It is the SD's fault.

 

[Havesaks]

On the positive side - it will be more than enough to win La Liga again. And winning the leauge is still a big deal. Messi is the King of leauge games.

Im really just wondering if its a pschylogical thing at this point that Messi can't hold his wing, or that he maybe just doesn't have the fitness to so? We are talking about two handfull games the whole season with some extra effort. I miss Alves, if we had him in his peak days, we wouldnt even talk about Messis walking. We would own champions leauge just as much as the leauge

It just hit me, couldn't we try Alba out on the rb?

 

[serghei]

How come we speak about Barca being lazy and covering the least amount of ground out of all teams in CL, and yet the most lazy player in our team is magically not a problem at all? Makes zero sense.

Be consistent.

[MENTION=20666]maldhowayanr[/MENTION], good posts mate.

 

[Aryagorn]

Messi is not the most lazy player in the team - I have seen him appear in the RW, MF, ST and even LWB position yesterday! He does not deserve such shit - It appears that the stupid manager does not give any instructions whatsoever to the team

 

[MagIX]

Messi is not the most lazy player in the team - I have seen him appear in the RW, MF, ST and even LWB position yesterday! He does not deserve such shit - It appears that the stupid manager does not give any instructions whatsoever to the team

Even if is the most lazy player of the team, he has so many qualities, he is so an extraordinary/fantastic/unique/goat player, that he compensates 10000% for this lack of him.

 

[EdmondDantes]

[youtube]h_vzAYu81Ic[/youtube]

Take a look at the photo Mister Seitan used for this video.


Did Messi not pass to Ousmane because he didn't see him, or he did see him but he thought he would miss or was it because he was trying to set up Suarez no matter what?


I swear it happened twice as well.

 

[khaled_a_d]

and yet thats only slightly lower then it was for example in 2010-11 when it was around 8,5 km

Messi is still playing more or less like he always has.

Not doubting the numbers, but I am really interested in the sources if you can.
And 9% of an already low number is an issue. In addition him turning into playmaker (even when Xavi/Iniesta/Busquets was playing) is an issue. A striker walking around is less of an issue than one playing deeper.

When FDJ is pulled out of his position, other players will have to cover, which is going to create many spaces for our opponents to take advantage of.

Underestimating Messi's lack of effort is very wrong. It is like a hole in a ship. When Messi does not press that means ANY area that Messi covers is a comfortable area for our opponents to start their play because Messi is not pressing them.

Great post.
And adding to what you are saying, it is just not Messi lack of effort, his positioning in itself is a problem.
If he was on RW, the opponent LB will know he won't be able to attack us as he will be leaving the best player in the team open. But when Messi walks in the middle he will attack to cause us all types of problems.
This was clear since Zidane's 1st clasico when they punished us through our right side.

 

[Nazario1985]

Guardiola will take him in the City and make others cover for him even telling him to not wast his effort pressing and get ready to that explosive shinanigane of his

But the some internet experts are very competent players/managers as always

 

[Mitchell1978]

Not doubting the numbers, but I am really interested in the sources if you can.
And 9% of an already low number is an issue. In addition him turning into playmaker (even when Xavi/Iniesta/Busquets was playing) is an issue. A striker walking around is less of an issue than one playing deeper.

I clearly remember reading that number in an article about Messi years ago, i think it was on bleacher report but i'm not shure.
I had a quick look around but can't find it now. Anyhow the number is consistent with how he has always played.
Remember it was Pep who moved him to the center and allowed him to rest at times while others still had to press so Messi could be more effective on the ball.

Anybody who has read one of the bios out there know that people have been bitching about Leo's work rate since he was a barça C player.
He's not going to change his game for some delusional people on the internet thinking he has to run more then 10 km a game.

 

[snowy]

[youtube]h_vzAYu81Ic[/youtube]

Take a look at the photo Mister Seitan used for this video.


Did Messi not pass to Ousmane because he didn't see him, or he did see him but he thought he would miss or was it because he was trying to set up Suarez no matter what?


I swear it happened twice as well.

Yaaaaaiks if right there and then, Valv would've rushed the field and shaken both Leo and Suarez like a piñata. I'd have given him the snowy seal of approval!

Wtf neo C'mon!!! I don't care if you even lower your running to Walker Texas Ranger 3 km games but don't be so eager to pass to your ol'gunslinger pal. Seitan is right on that one, my fav lil'alien should play free flow and not like a politician.
I also love Luisito but this is so annoying! He's like those old boxers who never know it's time to hang up the gloves Grrrrrrrrrrrr

Kid yourself not Dantes, Leo got 360 IMAX Superman see-through vision, of course he saw the bouzeman. Worst thing is, Demb would've breezed passed the 3 dudes like they were chained to the turf. Easy 1v1 with the keeper.

Had he missed, Barcaforum would've had a field day jajaja but that was 100% the right play.

 

[Marshall D Teach]

There are 2 ways we can solve the issue of Messi's workrate:

1. Bench Messi.

2. Build a team that can cover for it. Which first of all means benching Suarez.

#1 will never happen nor should it, at least for the next season or 2. So we need a coach who will make #2 happen.

 

[snowy]

Dunno if we got the dough but

Sancho-Fati-Demb
.........Messi
.....dej.........Art
jr...Todi...Top..sem

Or

Ansu-Messi-Demb
.......Havertz

Would cast terror in any team and take their blood to absolute zero.

Whole team would be in the FIFA Best 11 lol

 

[soul24rage]

Dunno if we got the dough but

Sancho-Fati-Demb
.........Messi
.....dej.........Art
jr...Todi...Top..sem

Or

Ansu-Messi-Demb
.......Havertz

Would cast terror in any team and take their blood to absolute zero.

Whole team would be in the FIFA Best 11 lol

I like the 2nd team. Maybe Griezmann for Fati and Fati will be the impact sub.