Lionel Messi - v7

[SG-7]

Must have an injury. Since when does Marcelo outpace Messi?

Didn't he already say he's playing with a knock a couple of weeks back?

If so why isn't he getting a rest? Is our squad that fucked and unplayable that he needs to keep playing on?

 

[Horatio]

Didn't he already say he's playing with a knock a couple of weeks back?

If so why isn't he getting a rest? Is our squad that fucked and unplayable that he needs to keep playing on?

I think yes to both.

 

[Andresito]

ter Stegen
Semedo - Pique - Upamecano - Alba
E.Camavinga - F.de Jong
Leo Messi
Trincao/Griez - CF - J. Sancho

My only problem here is the choice of the CF. Not sure Lautaro can lead the line here.

Some of you are going to get slightly triggered seeing Semedo and Alba there, but you cannot get everyone in one summer window. I would sign the players required for this setup to work first, and then work around to improving the RB and LB position as well as search for Pique's successor in 2021.

Obviously this is just my opinion/view on how Barca should play and how we can integrate Messi in a setup that doesn't make the team look like a complete mess.

I'll rather we move the ball quickly forward, play more on the break instead of aimlessly passing the ball around in the name of keeping possession and "control".

You can still utilize the likes of Arthur in this setup as he played in a 4-2-3-1 with Brazil where he paired up with Casemiro. Busquets is forced into a transitional role like Xavi had in his last season. He can play in the smaller games.

We can still use other systems when Messi isn't in the team, but a 4-3-3 with Messi is dead while a 4-4-2 is never going to work either IMO.

Would be interested to hear what people think​

I'll say what I've been saying all the time. Messi as a CAM is automatically going to be a 4-4-2. The wingers will have to cover for him, hence they'll be closer to LM/RM's rather than LW/RW's. Griezmann and Sancho, in this case, will need discipline and lots of work rate if we are to succeed with 4 offensive players.

 

[Riordon]

IMO we need to play 3 midfielders who can run a lot to compensate for Messi, I’m afraid a midfield two will get runned over even though Camavinga and De Jong play with high intensity.

As a CF, its now clear for me we will be better off with a Haaland/Raul Jimenez type. I like you idea with a b2b but not completely sold on Camavinga yet. Sancho is a must IMO but i think we right now will be better off with Richarlison as LW.

The signings priority should be in this order: lw, cb, cf and mid for this summer

 

[Laplacian]

I'll say what I've been saying all the time. Messi as a CAM is automatically going to be a 4-4-2. The wingers will have to cover for him, hence they'll be closer to LM/RM's rather than LW/RW's. Griezmann and Sancho, in this case, will need discipline and lots of work rate if we are to succeed with 4 offensive players.

Exactly. Also, at this point it's obvious fans want to persist with Griezmann because he costed 120m euros. He can't play as a striker, winger, but as some quasi-second-striker instead. Why would you have a player like him next to another CAM? it's redundant and reduces width. Sell him this summer, stop trying to save face just because he's a "high profile" player. Keeping him is just wasting more fucking time.

If you want Messi on the team, two wingers on the pitch should be a requirement.

 

[Mitchell1978]

Didn't he already say he's playing with a knock a couple of weeks back?

Its probably not a knock, i'm guessing its a groin problem (again) which has bottered him also in previous seasons.

 

[JohnN]

People overly critical towards the 32-33 yo player who has carried this team on the most classico wins it ever had while at the same time they say Griezmann was good but the Ball wasn't reaching him..
Messi had a bad game, due to the misses.
But we collapsed physicality in the second half, that's why we lost.
Vidal looked out of place also.
The setup was kind of weird and we failed to keep control at All which is supposed to be our new mantra.

 

[BBZ8800]

I'll say what I've been saying all the time. Messi as a CAM is automatically going to be a 4-4-2. The wingers will have to cover for him, hence they'll be closer to LM/RM's rather than LW/RW's. Griezmann and Sancho, in this case, will need discipline and lots of work rate if we are to succeed with 4 offensive players.

Yes

ter Stegen
Semedo - Pique - Upamecano - Alba
E.Camavinga - F.de Jong
Leo Messi
Trincao/Griez - CF - J. Sancho

My only problem here is the choice of the CF. Not sure Lautaro can lead the line here.

Some of you are going to get slightly triggered seeing Semedo and Alba there, but you cannot get everyone in one summer window. I would sign the players required for this setup to work first, and then work around to improving the RB and LB position as well as search for Pique's successor in 2021.

Obviously this is just my opinion/view on how Barca should play and how we can integrate Messi in a setup that doesn't make the team look like a complete mess.

I'll rather we move the ball quickly forward, play more on the break instead of aimlessly passing the ball around in the name of keeping possession and "control".

You can still utilize the likes of Arthur in this setup as he played in a 4-2-3-1 with Brazil where he paired up with Casemiro. Busquets is forced into a transitional role like Xavi had in his last season. He can play in the smaller games.

We can still use other systems when Messi isn't in the team, but a 4-3-3 with Messi is dead while a 4-4-2 is never going to work either IMO.

Would be interested to hear what people think​

Messi can't work as a No9, since he will drop deep, we will have no one in the box and wingers will cover for him and they will be too far from the box.
In your idea, where he is a CAM, that could work only at Camp Nou against bottom table teams, but even that is a question.

In the end, this is not a revenge post, but it seems that the original idea from "the worst coach in the history" EV, was the best idea how to play with a current Messi:
442
Messi and a true no9.
That way we still have a presence in the box (No9).
And one out of 4 midfielders is a winger (let's say LM Dembele).
That way:
1. we get Messi on a field
2. we get a No9 in the box
3. we get a 4 men midfield to compensate for a lack of Messi's running in defense
4. we get at least one winger in a LM Dembele who can offer some pace and width
5. again, it made sense why Roberto was a RB because he was offering more as a RB attacking wise than clueless Semedo. So, Dembele and Alba were offering width and pace on the left side, and Roberto was offering some width and linkup play on a right side.

But when we played that exact formation, people complained that we are not Barca, that we are slow, that we need to go back to our 433.

I think that this is the best formation for this old team.
You still get a bit of everything in it, unlike other formations who have much bigger flaws in other areas.

 

[Raketa10]

I absolutely agree that the only way we could play right now is a 4-4-2 with Messi and a true no.9 next to him. Problem is that even that no.9 has to be mobile and has to work hard because you can't afford to have more than one player who is not playing defense on the pitch. To be fair Griezmann is working hard but he is not a proper no.9 and he couldn't score in the brothel right now. Any other formation is just a dream and cannot be utilized against stronger teams. Numerous of times many of us said that the most logical thing Valverde did was that 4-4-2 formation during his first year here.

Problem is that in 4-4-2 formation Busi has no place anymore. IMHO we should play with De Jong and Arthur as interiors and two faster midfielders on the flanks. Those two need to be able to move fast in both directions during the entire game. By having De Jong and Vidal on the flanks you don't get much since Vidal is old and washed up and De Jong is completely lost there. Another problem is that except Roberto no midfielder in our team is suited for that role and he is a very limited player who is just average in everything he does. Dembele is also very questionable since he is horrible in defense and as I said before we cannot afford that right now.

While Messi is still here we should forget about 4-3-3, it's just impossible. IMHO this should be the right formation for the next season:

---------------Mats----------------
Semedo-Pique(new CB)-Umiti-Alba
-RM----Arthur----De Jong----LM-
---------------Messi---------------
---------------no.9----------------

 

[Asylum15]

Any chance he's rested for Sociedad?

It's my first time ever seeing him/Barca and with how gassed he looked last night, it'll just be my luck that he's left out...

at which point I'll suicide myself.

 

[Andresito]

Any chance he's rested for Sociedad?

It's my first time ever seeing him/Barca and with how gassed he looked last night, it'll just be my luck that he's left out...

at which point I'll suicide myself.

1 weeks rest now so should be fine. Worst case he's subbed in the second half, but I doubt it considering he'll have another week's rest after Sociedad game.

I wouldn't worry too much.

 

[JohnN]

The point is he needs to be rested more at this age to keep being fresh. Even playing for 70 minutes instead of 90 is something. Griezmann can play the full 90 but he is always subbed off first.
We need to rest Messi more, he is not young anymore.

 

[Andresito]

So unlike him to not score any of the chances he had. We had so many clear chances: him, Griezmann, Arthur. This is what happens when the team's not effective, the same happened at Anfield. We've had games where we've scored more goals from less chances, worse chances as well.

It is what it is.

 

[Rory]

--------------Mats--------------
-Semedo---Pique---Umtiti---Alba
---Vidal-----Busquets-----Arthur
Griezmann--Braithwaite--Fati

I would like to see this lineup. Maybe Setien will see what having hard working players mixed with technical skill is like. Messi needs a rest hence why he's not on the pitch but also he should either start the game and be subbed off or be brought on at half time. Frenkie has not been good enough but adding him in at the 50th-65th minute means fresh legs in the middle to maintain intensity. can be easily swapped to a 4-4-2 as well.

 

[Andrew M]

--------------Mats--------------
-Semedo---Pique---Umtiti---Alba
---Vidal-----Busquets-----Arthur
Griezmann--Braithwaite--Fati

I would like to see this lineup. Maybe Setien will see what having hard working players mixed with technical skill is like. Messi needs a rest hence why he's not on the pitch but also he should either start the game and be subbed off or be brought on at half time. Frenkie has not been good enough but adding him in at the 50th-65th minute means fresh legs in the middle to maintain intensity. can be easily swapped to a 4-4-2 as well.

RIP