Lionel Messi - v7

[Horatio]

We'll get used to it faster than we think, a Barcelona without Messi. Also excited to find out what it is going to be like. Barca will recover with increasing attendance to games and anything-better-than-Bartomeu-run policy.

 

[DonAK]

Excited to find out how it will be. Not as optimistic as others. Camp Nou can turn toxic really fast too if the team sucks while Messi is doing what he does over there in France.

So for their sake I hope we're not struggling for top four mid-way through the season.

 

[Luftstalag14]

We'll get used to it faster than we think, a Barcelona without Messi. Also excited to find out what it is going to be like. Barca will recover with increasing attendance to games and anything-better-than-Bartomeu-run policy.

I think the last sentence is a bit of a stretch but I like your spirit.

I am excited too (not that I am not sad over losing Messi). We will struggle but it will be something new.

 

[Horatio]

I think the last sentence is a bit of a stretch but I like your spirit.

I am excited too (not that I am not sad over losing Messi). We will struggle but it will be something new.

Well, a caveat is that one has to realize I am one of the most patient people here on the forum and long-time thinker. So when I say Barca will recover I am prepared to give it 6+ years. Even more.

So for anyone expecting for things to turn for the better pretty quickly yeah it's going to be hell coming time.

 

[FC433]

It is in no way similar but saw a Juve supporter share an image of some of their players during the recent development of Messi's situation:


Buffon was only 27 and a WC champion. Juve was all he wanted nothing else. That was genuinely impressive.

 

[Luftstalag14]

Buffon is the legend of the legends.

How did they refuse to leave though? Playing for free?

 

[Horatio]

Chiellini looking more like Bonucci.

 

[vegitot]

Would Totti play for free?

Totti was the highest paid player at Roma.

 

[aragorn]

Lol asking him to play for free is easy to say, but nobody would do it themselves.

Be real, if you had the choice of earning nothing vs earning 40m over a year, no matter how rich you were, you would choose the 40m.

This is easy to suggest to play for free but impossible to do once you are put into the position of choice

Money on one hand and the legacy on the other; he already is on the receiving end with trolls making fun saying he can't do it anywhere else and it is the riches of Barca and the Spain legends read Xaviesta & Business that got him the success - now imagine the situation where he still hangs on tight to this naively run club and not add anything to his trophy cabinet (which is the most likely scenario for Barca in the near future)!

 

[jj_101]

Regarding making Messi's wages, let's face it, at the end of the day, this is a disastrous end to the GOAT, but one that had to be done, lest we dig ourselves one floor deeper into the -150 floors that Bartomeu + Rossel dug us deep into already.

My brother asked me a simple question today - "But why can't he just say I'll play for free? What does 50 million mean to him?"

I dismissed this as naive and simplisitc. Until I started thinking more about different eras, different sports and in general, what that would actually mean. I realised that that question was not as foolish or simplistic as it sounded to me iniitally

Messi is no Toti. His entourage have proved time and time again that MONEY is a big part of how they operate. You're talking about one of the richest sports persons on earth avoiding tax like a pleb. That tells you everything you need to know. So going back to the question - Why can't Messi just play for free for a season? He sure can. But he sure wouldn't. It's not a naive question, and it's not a complicated answer. Alright, fair enough.

At this point in his career, and after just having won the Copa America, there is only one thing that Messi cares about. It's the 2022 World Cup. So, would you rather get paid $40 million to play (train) with some of your Argentine team mates for a year in a pedestrian league with plenty of rest and little pressure. Or would you rather play for FREE at a place where you have to carry the team under great pressure with no upside and nothing to prove?

 

[jamrock]

First of all I think we can all agree even as good as he was for us, bartomeu overpaid him, but he has gotten use to that money, so no way would he or anyone else after being paid like he has been over the years play for free.

What we would have done is something along the lines of what one of the big tech CEO's did, I don't remember which right now.

We could literally pay him a dollar, for the next two seasons then back load his contract for the next 3, where he would be our global embassador.

If that could work within la Liga's rules and if he loved us enough to accept it, it would have been a nice fuck you to Tebas.

 

[SmilerBam]

If it happens, it will be an unbelievable disaster. And knowing PSG, it could happen. I trust Messi and a revigorated Neymar + the rest of the team to be able to reclaim the L1 title. As for the CL, i think this team is overrated much like France national team was during the Euros. At least, l'Equipe de France used to have a good defensive basis before the injuries but PSG defensive players and defensive systems are just subpar. Chelsea showed that even with less attacking talent, you can just win it if the team is cohesive enough. Bayern defense sucks too but i think they would have won it if Lewandowsky wasn't injured. Even the second leg of Bar?a in Paris showed PSG was quite overrated.

Donnarumma is a splendid signing but won't change anything in the short term.
Ramos is still injured. After his injury record last year, he is just a big name right now. If he can't play, he doesn't help bridge PSG defensive issues much.
Hakimi is the true big added value.
Wijnaldum will be nice too for PSG mlidfield but i wonder how he will be used by Pochettino. In Dutch team, he plays a more attacking position compared to Liverpool. Pochettino used to play Verratti as some kind of 10. Will he used Wijnaldum there instead ?
Messi will be a big addition alone. PSG have been missing Neymar too much due to injuries or red card. Messi could be there when Neymar is missing or having a bad game. If they are both fielded, it will be interesting to see where they play because Neymar is used to occupy the space around the left flank but going much more into the middle really.
The way PSG plays will do wonder for the offensive quality of Hakimi who will have the whole wing for himself but defensively, the LB and RB are often 1v2. The midfield is often beaten by opponent except when Verratti does his magic. However, the guy is always missing.

When you take all this into consideration, you can see that PSG are not THAT strong, that coherent and can be easily abused by a team with much less individual talent but well built, truly cohesive. Manchester City and Chelsea would beat PSG today. We have to see if Pochettino can improve his team the same way Tuchel improved Chelsea, Klopp and Guardiola did with Liverpool and City respectively.

Still bumed. You guys should appreciate that the greatest of all time will play for you, even for 2 seasons. Never thought he will leave Barcelona.It's sad how this happened and it's sad what this club has become. Incredible. Anyway, Pochettino is not that the right man to coach so much talent.nThat willbe the downfall of QSG in CL. Anyway, What are we talking about? Barca is Europa League level now.

 

[snowy]

Other forums such as red cafe are saying Messi has tarnished his legacy by going to PSG.

ngl it's true. Man has won it all and about to be Balon Dor number 8 to add to the copa. What more do you need? ..

Think you mean Lucky Number Seven there. Then again, 1 year forward and number 8th will also be added to the Half Black Calf Goat's collection.

His legacy's made of hyper-condensed Vibranium. Won't even take a dent

 

[Horatio]

Think you mean Lucky Number Seven there. Then again, 1 year forward and number 8th will also be added to the Half Black Calf Goat's collection.

His legacy's made of hyper-condensed Vibranium. Won't even take a dent

he meant to say 8. subtle attempt at confusing people.

 

[Devils]

It is in no way similar but saw a Juve supporter share an image of some of their players during the recent development of Messi's situation:


Buffon was only 27 and a WC champion. Juve was all he wanted nothing else. That was genuinely impressive.

This would likely be different today if all those players had oil money clubs splashing cash at them after being relegated.