Lionel Messi - v7

[Jadentheman]

Messi will be 35,5 years old though.He already looks deep in decline the past year,I can't see how he can contribute to a WC-winning squad.

He had a bad WC in 2018 when he was just 31 and still played quite well for Barcelona.

Messi can still contribute as long as he's healthy and fit. HE might not be a starter or play for the full 90. But Argentina would want him for his freekicks, long range passing, and descisive through passes.

 

[BarcaOG]

Messi can still contribute as long as he's healthy and fit. HE might not be a starter or play for the full 90. But Argentina would want him for his freekicks, long range passing, and descisive through passes.

Freekicks? That aspect of his game has plummeted even worse than his finishing, which is really really poor this season. the idea that he would contribute that way in 2022, when he will be even worse than today, is frankly laughable.

he also doesn't produce many defence-splitting passes anymore, either. a certain lack of directedness to them.

 

[xxxxxx]

Messi is not going to retire. Even if he's nowhere what he used to be, he's still a very good player. On his day, he can still control the game and win it on his own. Yeah, we don't see many of those days anymore, but he's still better than a lot of players.

He can still play in a top team, especially in a team where they have resources and squad depth to compete. That's either PSG or Man City.... but my money goes on him either staying with us or going to Man City. Despite PSG having a very good attack, I don't feel their squad is that good overall. I feel Man City have better depth, and they also have a better manager, which Messi knows and likes. I also don't feel PSG are willing to pay Messi 600k plus a week when Neymar and Mbappe are on big salaries. Also, they'll have to offer Neymar and Mbappe more when they offer contract extensions to them. It'll be very tough for them because of the FFP.... and especially when the French League is in trouble at the moment.

 

[serghei]

Messi will be 35,5 years old though.He already looks deep in decline the past year,I can't see how he can contribute to a WC-winning squad.

He had a bad WC in 2018 when he was just 31 and still played quite well for Barcelona.

True, imagine if Argentina gets beaten by Germany or somebody 7-1 or so with 35 years old Messi walking on the field like vs Bayern... It's better to not play if you can't cut it physically at this level.

 

[feggydinho]

Messi is not going to retire. Even if he's nowhere what he used to be, he's still a very good player. On his day, he can still control the game and win it on his own. Yeah, we don't see many of those days anymore, but he's still better than a lot of players.

He can still play in a top team, especially in a team where they have resources and squad depth to compete. That's either PSG or Man City.... but my money goes on him either staying with us or going to Man City. Despite PSG having a very good attack, I don't feel their squad is that good overall. I feel Man City have better depth, and they also have a better manager, which Messi knows and likes. I also don't feel PSG are willing to pay Messi 600k plus a week when Neymar and Mbappe are on big salaries. Also, they'll have to offer Neymar and Mbappe more when they offer contract extensions to them. It'll be very tough for them because of the FFP.... and especially when the French League is in trouble at the moment.

Please, he shouldnt stay with us, for the good of everyone. If he ever stays, then I hope he is clearly told and given a role where he can be benched like the other players when he is tired or underperforms

 

[xxxxxx]

Please, he shouldnt stay with us, for the good of everyone. If he ever stays, then I hope he is clearly told and given a role where he can be benched like the other players when he is tired or underperforms

I agree. We should either sell him in January or let him go in the summer. I'm just saying.... he's either going to sign a contract extension or he's going to City. If he does stay, his salary is going to get reduced by at least 50%. Will Messi accept that?

 

[Givenchy]

Messi hater forum in all its super boring lack of concepts.
In the minds of these fools since the player stopped being a superhero then became problem number 1

If Messi was being paid normal wages and put in a shift im pretty sure people wouldn't be complaining about his recent performances as much but as Serghei said; we allow him freedom no other play has ever been entitled to. the magic is gone and so should the privileges.

during some of his recent games, if not for his legacy and name, Messi would of been dropped from the starting 11 tbh

 

[Katarina1]

bench/rest him vs Valladolid

 

[Raketa10]

If Messi was being paid normal wages and put in a shift im pretty sure people wouldn't be complaining about his recent performances as much but as Serghei said; we allow him freedom no other play has ever been entitled to. the magic is gone and so should the privileges.

during some of his recent games, if not for his legacy and name, Messi would of been dropped from the starting 11 tbh

LoooL and he should be replaced by Trincao!? Some of you leave in a dream land. He might not be on his usual level but he is still our best player by a huge margin. Open your eyes and you might actually realize that this is by far the worst Barca in the last 20-30 years. Some of you are talking like we have Haaland or Mbappe on the bench while the reality is our No.9 is a former Leganes player who can't make a simple pass. Our third most expensive player (Coutinho) was a bench player for Bayern, our second most expensive player (Griezmann) can't score from 1 meter distance. We also have bums like Trincao, Lenglet, Pjanic, Dembele and half broken Umtiti. To be fair, at the moment, we probably have only 4 or 5 players which are on the required level.

Even when we talk about younger players reality is only Fati, Pedri and De Jong are hugely talented. Arauyo and Dest also have potential but they are far from a finished product. In contrast, players like Mingueza, Konrad or Puig will probably end up playing for a mid/bottom level team. People should really open there eyes and stop talking nonsense week in week out.

 

[serghei]

LoooL and he should be replaced by Trincao!? Some of you leave in a dream land. He might not be on his usual level but he is still our best player by a huge margin. Open your eyes and you might actually realize that this is by far the worst Barca in the last 20-30 years. Some of you are talking like we have Haaland or Mbappe on the bench while the reality is our No.9 is a former Leganes player who can't make a simple pass. Our third most expensive player (Coutinho) was a bench player for Bayern, our second most expensive player (Griezmann) can't score from 1 meter distance. We also have bums like Trincao, Lenglet, Pjanic, Dembele and half broken Umtiti. To be fair, at the moment, we probably have only 4 or 5 players which are on the required level.

Even when we talk about younger players reality is only Fati, Pedri and De Jong are hugely talented. Arauyo and Dest also have potential but they are far from a finished product. In contrast, players like Mingueza, Konrad or Puig will probably end up playing for a mid/bottom level team. People should really open there eyes and stop talking nonsense week in week out.

Mate, we're talking about different things. You're talking about talent and individual skill, we're talking about things such as work rate, tactics, positioning, pressing, defensive coverage etc. He may be the best player in the team (in theory at least), it doesn't matter as long as he doesn't want to do much in several of these areas.

He has talent and skill (except for his finishing which is tragi-comic for about a year). That's not the problem. The problem is he doesn't want to put in the work, sacrifice, and discipline required at this level.

It's simple, if you don't want to work hard and are not motivated anymore, retire or leave. This has nothing to do with talent. Talent alone is never enough. It's about age, loss of motivation, laziness, self-entitledness, poor work ethic.

Most 34 years old players decline rapidly at this age if they're not some amazing athletes like Ronaldo and Ibra. Face the truth, Messi is very close to retirement. The only way you can use him well is to sacrifice everything else or to have a super team that could maybe absorb the problems he causes. Barca are in a position to do neither. We could neither afford to make Messi the central piece in the team, nor do we have the financial power to build a superside that could deal with his issues better.

 

[Givenchy]

LoooL and he should be replaced by Trincao!? Some of you leave in a dream land. He might not be on his usual level but he is still our best player by a huge margin. Open your eyes and you might actually realize that this is by far the worst Barca in the last 20-30 years. Some of you are talking like we have Haaland or Mbappe on the bench while the reality is our No.9 is a former Leganes player who can't make a simple pass. Our third most expensive player (Coutinho) was a bench player for Bayern, our second most expensive player (Griezmann) can't score from 1 meter distance. We also have bums like Trincao, Lenglet, Pjanic, Dembele and half broken Umtiti. To be fair, at the moment, we probably have only 4 or 5 players which are on the required level.

Even when we talk about younger players reality is only Fati, Pedri and De Jong are hugely talented. Arauyo and Dest also have potential but they are far from a finished product. In contrast, players like Mingueza, Konrad or Puig will probably end up playing for a mid/bottom level team. People should really open there eyes and stop talking nonsense week in week out.

I don't see why thats so funny. I mean, Trincao obviously isn't starter material and Griezmann/Coutinho are a HUGE wage of money.. but in the games we played without Messi, we actually resembled a team; a team that tries something different instead of feeding Messi the ball at every opportunity which has proven time and time again this season to be less effective than ever before.

I'm also not denying this is the worst Barca in recent memory but this is being made even worse when we are essentially playing with 10men because Messi decides to walk around not giving a shit, takes every freekick and wastes our corners trying to fucking shoot.

football is a team game and for years now we got away with having a mediocre squad as Messi would turn into superman and save our ass'. The magic has not only dried up.. its gone. I would say Messi's talent alone did make up for his lack of workrate but when that declines, you are playing with 10 men

to be clear, I'm not suggesting Messi should become some energetic workhorse.. he never has been that but a little effort from the captain wouldn't go a miss.

 

[Daniele]

This of playing in 10 men when Messi plays is
the most distant thing from reality that exists:
u can only read it there (Barca fans forum...)

The classic reading of Messi haters on this forum (they probably influence each other):
a theory that has no basis but only bitterness and acrimony against the player who can'be no more a superhero.

But It is pure nonsense; Messi, in his terrible season, is among the least worst of this team (also haters in this forum agree on that).
there is no proof to the contrary
and we have every reason to think that without him it would be even worse.

 

[JamDav1982]

This of playing in 10 men when Messi plays is
the most distant thing from reality that exists:
u can only read it there (Barca fans forum...)

The classic reading of Messi haters on this forum (they probably influence each other):
a theory that has no basis but only bitterness and acrimony against the player who can'be no more a superhero.

But It is pure nonsense; Messi, in his terrible season, is among the least worst of this team (also haters in this forum agree on that).
there is no proof to the contrary
and we have every reason to think that without him it would be even worse.

The 'playing with ten men' is more about the movement off the ball in attack and defending not so much suggesting he has no influence on game.

 

[sikkboy]

This playing with 10 men narrative has to stop, it's only relevant when Barca are playing a truly top team where literally everybody needs to hold their shape and contribute at both ends of the pitch. Barcelona had 73% possession yesterday. But Messi didn't hare around the pitch kickig fuck out of Valencia players.

 

[JamDav1982]

This playing with 10 men narrative has to stop, it's only relevant when Barca are playing a truly top team where literally everybody needs to hold their shape and contribute at both ends of the pitch. Barcelona had 73% possession yesterday. But Messi didn't hare around the pitch kickig fuck out of Valencia players.

Nonsense.

Not having eleven players that are part of the team unit off the ball impacts in all games.

There were countless times yesterday Messi did not even try to take part when team on break or Valencia players waltz past him as they broke.