Lionel Messi - v7

[Givenchy]

Messi does need to adapt his game to reflect his declining legs but hasn't done that yet. Part of the problem (like at the last World Cup) is he's in such a useless team and he feels like he's got to do everything, rather than be more peripheral.

Ronaldo has adapted his game by basically goal hanging for most of it, whereas Messi drops deeper and deeper. Ronaldo has always been in teams who can create though.

Our most dangerous attacker is closer to Busquets than the oppos goal and by the time he makes up the ground to get there hes gassed, that is a huge problem and its dumb. Its painful to watch him try to dribble from deep as if he still believes hes 25 years old in his prime.. its just not there anymore and players are wise to his movements now.

I see people saying 'ditch Suarez and add 2 pacey wingers' well, who do those wingers cross/pass to when Messi is jogging in midfield doing something Frenkie is very much capable of; bringing the ball forward

as for Argentina, i won't deny they've sucked but even then, Messi isn't busting a gut to make shit happen.. he was still walking around in the World cups. (remember people said he was saving his energy?)

 

[bismp]

Well, Messi does not create space for himself because he does not move one bit. So his only possibility is to come out of the opponents formation, get close to our defensive midfielders and try something from there.
Runs behind or quick cuts to get the ball are nonexistent in the final third. And that is not the team's fault. He does nothing off the ball but only when he is directly involved in the action.

That's true.And it's been true for at least 4-5 years.It's a shame really,I don't know why he doesn't make any off ball movement in the final third.

To be fair though,I doubt that our midfield could really make a precise through ball against a parked bus.

Still,Messi needs to adapt his game BIG TIME if he wants to maintain a worldclass level for a few more years.Nobody is asking him to become a poacher(it wouldn't be possible to fair,because of his size) or a true winger(impossible too because he isn't fast anymore).But he needs to play closer to the opponents' box,where he can be more lethal.

That requires a decent and creative midfield though...I don't know if FDJ,Pjanic or Puig are up to the task(Rakitic,Vidal and Busquets certainly aren't).

Maybe that's why we need another creative winger,like Neymar or ideally someone else like Sancho

 

[Blaugrana Bull]

That's true.And it's been true for at least 4-5 years.It's a shame really,I don't know why he doesn't make any off ball movement in the final third

I disagree. It has never been so extreme and even with little movement in the final third he picked his runs and was ready to finish in the box. Last years were way different and even at the start of this season he moved differently.
At the moment he is not moving at all. Off the ball moves are literally nonexistent.

 

[Batistuta9]

He obviously isn't as good as he used to be, but come on guys he doesn't need to adapt and be more like Ronaldo. We could have won the treble the last couple of years if had a bit more help. Where Ronaldo is only expected to the main goalscorer of his team, Messi has been expected to be the main dribbler, creator and goalscorer for the past number of years. It's hard to excel in just one area when the team looks to you for more

 

[Blaugrana Bull]

Nobody wants him to be Cristiano. Just like everyone realizes that this is not the Messi anymore, that can win games on his own being the best attacker and midfielder at the same time.
But there are levels. If our best goalscorer does not move into goal sporing positions, we will not win any meaningful games.
Messi needs to pick his play making moments and moments to rest but he needs to come back to making a couple of deep runs a game, being in the fucking box close to goal when teammates are looking for options and running forward during counters. Him standing around during counters probably annoys me the most.

 

[bismp]

I disagree. It has never been so extreme and even with little movement in the final third he picked his runs and was ready to finish in the box. Last years were way different and even at the start of this season he moved differently.
At the moment he is not moving at all. Off the ball moves are literally nonexistent.

I have barely watched a few matches this season,so I cannot comment. I guess this problem has gradually become worse and worse.

If he indeed runs less than ever before,to the point of being noticeable compared to last season,I think it could be 2 things:

1)An accumulation of injuries(eg the chronic groin pain he reportedly suffers from)

and/or

2)Being completely disappointed with the team,the coaches and the club. It is no secret that Leo's performances and workload are quite dependent of his morale. Sometimes he gives it all,sometimes he seems like a passenger. It is true that the club has been at the lowest it's been the past 15 years and maybe it got to Leo's head. On the other hand,he is the captain and the most senior player, he should try more.

 

[Blaugrana Bull]

Yeah, it got way worse.

Leo should be the one pulling the team in regular league matches instead of being a liability against mediocre opponents.
I will never blame him for return leg at Anfield e.g. He slaughtered them in the first leg and got us over the hump in a match where Liverpool was very unlucky not to score at Camp Nou. At Anfield the whole team crumbled and bottled it.

But right now the worst players on the pitch are Suarez and Messi and he needs to be blamed for that.

 

[bismp]

Yeah, it got way worse.

Leo should be the one pulling the team in regular league matches instead of being a liability against mediocre opponents.
I will never blame him for return leg at Anfield e.g. He slaughtered them in the first leg and got us over the hump in a match where Liverpool was very unlucky not to score at Camp Nou. At Anfield the whole team crumbled and bottled it.

But right now the worst players on the pitch are Suarez and Messi and he needs to be blamed for that.

I think it is unfair to call Messi the worst player on the pitch when he has to work with a midfield of Rakitic,Busquets and Vidal. The team needs to change A LOT for us to be competitive again. We need a new winger/striker to accompany Messi along with Fati and Trincao.We need to give the keys of the midfield to FDJ and Puig and have Pjanic as the workhorse. We need at least one new fullback that can actually help offensively.And most of all we need to sell most of the old Amigos,like Suarez,Rakitic,Alba,Vidal etc.

If that happens,I guarantee that Messi can reach a really high level of performance again.

The thing though is that I doubt that he,at 33, is willing to be a part of a new team like this :/

 

[Blaugrana Bull]

Why would it be unfair to call Messi bad if he plays like he does at the moment? He is playing bad, plain and simple.

 

[bismp]

Why would it be unfair to call Messi bad if he plays like he does at the moment? He is playing bad, plain and simple.

Because even at his worst he is one of the leading scorers and assist givers in Europe.

 

[Blaugrana Bull]

Messi got those stats before the break. If he would have played like he does now at the beginning of the season, he would have 10 goals max.

 

[Givenchy]

I think it is unfair to call Messi the worst player on the pitch when he has to work with a midfield of Rakitic,Busquets and Vidal. The team needs to change A LOT for us to be competitive again. We need a new winger/striker to accompany Messi along with Fati and Trincao.We need to give the keys of the midfield to FDJ and Puig and have Pjanic as the workhorse. We need at least one new fullback that can actually help offensively.And most of all we need to sell most of the old Amigos,like Suarez,Rakitic,Alba,Vidal etc.

If that happens,I guarantee that Messi can reach a really high level of performance again.

The thing though is that I doubt that he,at 33, is willing to be a part of a new team like this :/

not saying Raki and Vidal are bff with Messi but alot of the shit, washed up seniors 'holding him back' are actually his buddies. we have tried to add new players (Griezmann), albeit they arent a fit and what do we see? Messi pretty much refusing to pass a football to them instead trying ridiculous passes to find Suarez. we have De Jong in midfield who can bring the ball forward and still, Messi wants to drop deep and jog around.. theres no positional discipline, Pep would be pulling what hair he has left out managing this version of Messi

kinda reminds me when he was playing false 9 under Lucho and decided Suarez should play at #9 so played RW. thats the Messi we need

 

[te amo barca]

I think it is unfair to call Messi the worst player on the pitch when he has to work with a midfield of Rakitic,Busquets and Vidal. The team needs to change A LOT for us to be competitive again. We need a new winger/striker to accompany Messi along with Fati and Trincao.We need to give the keys of the midfield to FDJ and Puig and have Pjanic as the workhorse. We need at least one new fullback that can actually help offensively.And most of all we need to sell most of the old Amigos,like Suarez,Rakitic,Alba,Vidal etc.

If that happens,I guarantee that Messi can reach a really high level of performance again.

The thing though is that I doubt that he,at 33, is willing to be a part of a new team like this :/

Messi can have any midfield and still will drop to the DM area. That's just how he plays these days.

 

[pregra]

This season, especially before the break, Messi made at least 2-3 runs each match in behind after first running towards the ball and then quickly turning and running behind the defence. Every single one of the chipped/lobbed passes from our mids was too long. Every single one. Busi in particular never manages the weight on these. If he moved more, he still wouldn?t get the chances as the passes are just to shit.

 

[DonAK]

Maybe one more year left of the GOAT.

Sique Rodriguez is one of the best in the business and has close ties to the Messi family. Messi is reportedly tired of the situation in Barcelona and have stopped his renewal and is now planning to leave when his contract ends next year, according to him at least.

https://twitter.com/SiqueRodriguez/status/1278811619875831808

Apparently it's Manu Carreno's sources. Will be an interesting story to follow though and see if others will confirm it.