Lionel Messi - v7

[Mitchell1978]

Well, he doesn't really have a good supporting cast. He's always had some type of help in the past. This season.... he just hasn't got it. With the lack of motivation, with him not wanting to be here.... and with also Suarez leaving, which he was against, I feel he just doesn't trust his teammates enough. All those reasons will affect your performance. Not to mention, Barcelona's future is uncertain. We don't know what board we'll have in 2 months. We don't know what their sporting project will be. We'll have no money to rebuild properly. We don't really have a good manager in charge.

It does feel like he's playing like someone who knows he's only got 7 months left on his contract and he's just going through the motions. Mixed that with the reasons I've stated, it's going to affect his performance.

He has a tough choice. He's 34 next year. Does he stay and struggle with a rebuilding Barcelona and probably never win another trophy again. Or, does he go to another big team like City and win a few more trophies with a coach he likes?

He really should have been allowed to leave, would have been best for everyone.

Almost no chance he stays now, there is no money to built a competitive team any time soon.

On Thursday morning, Tusquets told RAC1 that there are chunks of the Camp Nou roof coming off, the stadium in a desperate state of repair. He said that the club had lost more than ?300 million in the past year. He said that players' salaries have been postponed to the tune of ?160m; had they not been, Barcelona would not have made it to the end of the year. He said there can be no signings unless there are sales. He said that there is no money.

Now, have a look at that line again: he said that players' salaries have been postponed to the tune of ?160m -- had they not been, Barcelona would not have made it to the end of the year. There was no money to pay players or staff in January, he explained, and so they agreed to postpone a significant percentage of what they are owed for four years. It's no solution in the long run, and some day, somehow, somewhere, they will have to find the money. But there was no other choice, he insisted.

thats the reality, Barca is broke

 

[sikkboy]

He can't sustain playing 90 minutes given his age and his physical condition. That is precisely why he shouldn't be a starter anymore. He should be brought on as more of a special weapon when the other team is tired and when everything else fails.

We need to shift the game away from being centered around him and use him as something extra, like a bonus.

Might as well try that on a regular basis as it's not working, ad by that I mean team results unless Barca are playing a poor team that plays open football. Only the very naive (or very good) play that way. Just about everyman and his dog knows how to set up vs Barca. It's the squad, they're just not very good, imo.

 

[sikkboy]

Well, he doesn't really have a good supporting cast. He's always had some type of help in the past. This season.... he just hasn't got it. With the lack of motivation, with him not wanting to be here.... and with also Suarez leaving, which he was against, I feel he just doesn't trust his teammates enough. All those reasons will affect your performance. Not to mention, Barcelona's future is uncertain. We don't know what board we'll have in 2 months. We don't know what their sporting project will be. We'll have no money to rebuild properly. We don't really have a good manager in charge.

It does feel like he's playing like someone who knows he's only got 7 months left on his contract and he's just going through the motions. Mixed that with the reasons I've stated, it's going to affect his performance.

He has a tough choice. He's 34 next year. Does he stay and struggle with a rebuilding Barcelona and probably never win another trophy again. Or, does he go to another big team like City and win a few more trophies with a coach he likes?

Pretty much my thoughts exactly.

 

[xxxxxx]

I would only play him for one half vs Juve, bring him on if we're losing. We only need a draw.

We all know he's going to play the full 90. Heck, if we're struggling, no doubt his teammates will just pass him the ball all the time and he'll force things.

 

[te amo barca]

I've cracked it lads. He's saving himself for Man City

 

[Raketa10]

The thing I don't understand is why would anyone compare Ronaldo with Messi in terms of longevity? Ronaldo is physically strong and he is playing No.9 position for some time now. Messi simply can't do that because his is only 169 cm tall. Both Ronaldo and Ibra can wait for a perfect cross in the penalty box while Messi can't. It's perfectly understandable that he will finish his career earlier than those two.

It is what it is. He is almost 34 and players with similar physical attributes like for example Maradona, Xavi or Iniesta declined significantly even before the age of 34.

 

[Luftstalag14]

I would only play him for one half vs Juve, bring him on if we're losing. We only need a draw.

If we lose to them 0:1 or 1:2 etc., we will still finish 1st in the group, right?

 

[CatalinR10]

Let's hope The GOAT , The Best Fifa Football Player , Ballon D'or and Laureus award scores against Juventus.


@Pedro



@KingLeo10



@Vilarrubi



@Hardy



@Devils



@Malvolio

 

[Luftstalag14]

Where is @Pedro?

 

[serghei]

Where is @Pedro?

Rumor is he's still hoping.

 

[KingLeo10]

I've cracked it lads. He's saving himself for Man City

From one top 4 challenge to another.

Genius.

 

[Barcilliant]

I never thought I'd say this BUT I will. At this moment in time Ronaldo has had the better career.
I think part of Messi's struggles is the fact that he doesn't know how to reinvent himself. He's still laboring under the illusion that he can beat five players and score.
It doesn't help that none of our managers seem to know what to do with him either. They just give him a free role and it destroys the team structure.

 

[te amo barca]

Also it's mildly frustrating to see him try to score a direct goal from a corner in every single game, sometimes more than once. Really wants that goal. I think even goalkeepers are aware of the fact he's going to shoot now. The uber rare goals from corners work because the GKs don't expect a shot from there, but what's the point when you're trying it every time?

 

[Katarina1]

I would only play him for one half vs Juve, bring him on if we're losing. We only need a draw.

feck off, this match is huge for him

 

[KingLeo10]

Messi's been spoiled by 2 things:

1) Extraterrestrial talent on the ball which means when he was in his prime, he didn't have to compensate much using guile/tactics/strategy/extra effort.
2) Too much success too soon. By the age of 25, this guy had 4 Ballon D'Or, a 91 goal season, multiple LLs, 3 CL (or 2.5).

This is why he's still harboring delusions that he doesn't need to adapt.