The other elephant in the room is that Suarez doesn’t track back either. 2 out of 11 players who don’t track back from a team that as it is are aging and have a poor work rate overall is suicide.
Lionel Messi
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I understand where you are coming from but GOAT players don't have a mentality like that, he won't be thinking about the possible failure. He will be thinking how he will be a success and be driven to prove it.
All hypothetical of course, he will remain at Barcelona for a few years then retire I'd imagine.
he looked demotivated, tired and angry last couple of games. very rarely you see him kicking and pushing players so often, kicking the ball after whistle, yelling so often... he's obviously disappointed with the way the club is being managed, but he really shouldn't go. when you're at one club for so long, it's normal that there will be crisis along with winning. and when you're club legend, you should do your best to help the team overcome that crisis, not simply leave to wherever it looks better. but then again, it's Messi. he gave them everything in all these years and right after he gave them another ballon' d'or worthy season, he ended up playing in retirement home with under Setien with 17 year old kid being the only hope on the bench. inexcusable.
great pen though.
great pen though.
Hes earning half a million quid a week (or more) and has scored 22 goals in 28 league games this year ... I think later rather than sooner for him to move back.
A new manager at Barca seems a certainty (Xavi?) and I think we will see Messi at Barca for another couple of years at least - his role may change over that time (could see him behind a striker for example) but I can see him another two or three years at Barca by which time he may even have caught Bican and overtaken Ronaldo to be top scorer of all time and then perhaps one season in Argentina at the end
He has a shot at the Copa America (In argentina) in 2021 and the world cup in 2022 to see if he can get that illusive international title so I can see him staying at Barca and at the very top level till then and a season with Newell in 2023 -2024 when he is 36 years old (same age Ronaldo will be next season)
The league is looking difficult for them but I I have a nagging feeling they might win the CL this year as a lot of people seem to be writing them off but on their day they still have a bunch of incredible players
This is possible as well but also I feel Ronaldo will refuse to retire (If his body allows it) until Messi does
I feel like its something he would do.Can't help feel messi might do the same and we are treated to them both playing at the lowest possible semi professional level where goals still count into their 50s just to try and out do the otherThis is possible as well but also I feel Ronaldo will refuse to retire (If his body allows it) until Messi does
Surprised more aren't talking about Messi's relatively poor form since the restart. He's had just 3 goals since the restart and just 1 from open play.
He's scored(if my numbers are correct), just 18 goals from open play this season. 9 from pens and free kicks. 27 goals in 40 games. It's his lowest tally in a season since his prime started.
He did tie Xavi's assist record in La Liga though. Albeit, his general play since the restart as well just hasn't been up to par for his standards. Barcelona as a team have been fairly poor too.
Period of poor form or the start of a true decline?
He's scored(if my numbers are correct), just 18 goals from open play this season. 9 from pens and free kicks. 27 goals in 40 games. It's his lowest tally in a season since his prime started.
He did tie Xavi's assist record in La Liga though. Albeit, his general play since the restart as well just hasn't been up to par for his standards. Barcelona as a team have been fairly poor too.
Period of poor form or the start of a true decline?
I would wait another season. It is just a weird time judging some players. Especially Barca are a circus.
He is obviously in decline, for years now. But maybe not as bad as it looks currently
He is obviously in decline, for years now. But maybe not as bad as it looks currently
I'm just guessing obviously, but I think it's just poor form. Barcelona in general are lacking a lot of "pop" these days. Obviously Messi's true beastdays are behind him, but I'd expect him to clown with La Liga defenders a few seasons more. It's "just" 4 behind his 15/16 campaign when he went 26G 16A over 33 games.
I think we're just lacking the right partners for Messi to be really effective, like a in-form Neymar. Griezmann has been a terrible signing for Barcelona and absolutely in part responsible for Messi's lack of offense.
Decline? For the season, He is leading the league in the following stats...
- Most Goals
- Most Assists
- Most successful dribbles per game
- Most shots per game
- Most Key Passes per game
- Most Through-balls per game
This is a 33 year old playing for a team trying to win the league. Its simply too much for one guy to do. How can Barcelona expect to challenge when every part of their attack is being conducted by one person who is physically
On the wane.
I get that you're a huge Ronaldo fan. I am too, some of my best memories as a United fan is watching Ronaldo develop at United and become the amazing player he is today
But that's a laughable statement. Messi can go any league in the world...and he'll still be the best player in the world. Ronaldo is a great professional and one of the best of all time...But Messi is a freak... I don't think anyone of us will see a better player in our lifetimes
The best Goalscorer, the best playmaker, amazing at free kicks, the best dribbler.. the list goes on. It shouldn't be possible for any footballer to be so good at everything...yet he is. It's crazy
Decline doesn't equate to him being finished.
And I did specifically note his general play since the restart and not the season as a whole.
As for the bolded: I don't think Messi himself is totally blameless for that.
They're both not the same players as they were seasons ago, I don't see Messi and Ronaldo winning another Balon d'Or they are starting to be mortal again.
Messi is still brilliant at his best (on his day still the best) but I think this years Balon d'Or will go to Lewandowski.
Age is finally catching up with both of them, don't get me wrong Messi is still the best dribbler, passer and his chance conversion is great, for me he is the GOAT but I start to not get the same feeling of watching Barca anymore, I don't watch games thinking I'll see something special, it's not as often as it used to be.
I'd certainly love Messi to have a world cup or another Balon d'or but the reality is there's so much talent starting to reach their potential now where perhaps the untouchable two of world football are just becoming reachable finally.
I think it's starting to the an end of the Messi and Ronaldo eras now in terms of dominance.
Messi is still brilliant at his best (on his day still the best) but I think this years Balon d'Or will go to Lewandowski.
Age is finally catching up with both of them, don't get me wrong Messi is still the best dribbler, passer and his chance conversion is great, for me he is the GOAT but I start to not get the same feeling of watching Barca anymore, I don't watch games thinking I'll see something special, it's not as often as it used to be.
I'd certainly love Messi to have a world cup or another Balon d'or but the reality is there's so much talent starting to reach their potential now where perhaps the untouchable two of world football are just becoming reachable finally.
I think it's starting to the an end of the Messi and Ronaldo eras now in terms of dominance.
I think you’re right and it will be a shame but it is what it is. We may never see another Messi in our lifetimes.
ah yes you are right he hasnt been great since the restart.
To the other point, its a lot to do with the systems and players Barca keep getting. With Messi in the team, Griezeman makes no sense and Suarez is physically finished for me. Look at Bayern, they recognised that Lewa is getting old and have surrounded him with players who have pace to burn. The result is Lewa having his best season ever and he turns 32 in a few weeks.
Get fast players around Messi and Barca will probably be able to milk another 2 years of great out of him.
The problem with that is Lewa is a big number 9, Messi will most likely drop deeper to become more of a 10 in later years. He's the best passer still and the best dribbler, it's just he isn't explosive anymore, I don't see him being like Lewa at all in terms of great wingers either side.
I really wish Messi could go on forever but I realise it's a case of just enjoy the next 2 seasons of him, because sadly he's at the levels of others now in terms of numbers (output) with goals that is, for passing, key passes etc he will still be ahead because that won't really diminish too much with age.
I expect Messi will register a lot more assists in the last seasons, but I'm hoping he can beat the top goalscoring records in world football before then.
No so much about wingers either side of him but rather quicker players to help stretch the game for him. When Neymar was there and Suarez was younger, they did a lot of the leg work for Messi. And once Neymar left, Alba became Messi go to pass. Now Barca have zero runners. They are such a slow lethargic team from back
to front.
Even in his "worst year" he's become the first player since Henry at the start of the 2000s to get 20 Goals as well as assists in the League. He's not been at his own supremely high standards but he's still been easily the Top 3 in the world even this season. He also did start the season without preseason (I think) and was out for a month at the start and he's still put in good performances and numbers. I don't think he'll be able to keep it up though if Barca don't improve next season and refresh their attack. Give him a fast pacey striker who would run behind the defense and he can be used well for another 3 years.
I agree with your points with Neymar going and Suarez, Suarez needs moving on, and Griezmann expects everything to feet it seems.
I wonder if Neymar is ever on the cards again for Barca.
He hasn't been better than Mbappe, Lewa and KDB.
He'd be a fool to join that circus.
Why is Mbappe ahead of Neymar in your top 3?
The same Mbappe who is yet to put in a convincing Cl-knockout performance for PSG? Nevermind that Neymar is running the show in France.
The Romario Route
He still has most goals, most assists, best minutes per goal, most chances created (33, second is Benzema at 13), most dribblings won per game (5.5, second Fekir with 3.1), best average rating (8.42, second Benzema with 7.52), most shots on target per game and most key passes per game. Don't know how those values look in international comparison but if anything there are few who can rival him in even one of those stats.
He's been poor after the break but before he's been his usual excellent self and still comfortably ahead of whoever may be the second best in the world at this point in time.
He's been poor after the break but before he's been his usual excellent self and still comfortably ahead of whoever may be the second best in the world at this point in time.
He's had this run of form a few times before since he was like 28 yeards old.
If you actually watch the games you can still see pretty much everything runs trough him, and while he hasnt scored, he has come VERY close to scoring some wonderful career higlight kind of goals in the last few games since the restart.
He has been unlucky but he will start scoring like his usual self anytime now.
If you actually watch the games you can still see pretty much everything runs trough him, and while he hasnt scored, he has come VERY close to scoring some wonderful career higlight kind of goals in the last few games since the restart.
He has been unlucky but he will start scoring like his usual self anytime now.
Not sure that has anything to do with this season give the CL knockouts have barely got going. Neymar has been injured for alot of this season.
Messi will retire before Ronaldo,that I'm sure of.
Heck,he may give it up in another year.
Heck,he may give it up in another year.
Mbappe hasn't even been the best PSG player this year.
That's really debatable, it's really between Neymar and him and you could pick either and I wouldn't argue, it's pretty minimal. The only thing you can hold back on Mbappe is he missed a month and some change due to injury, still had 30 goals and 17 assists before they shut down.
First time I have a feeling he could eventually be getting fed up of Barcelona and leave. Rather than playing for a new contract.
Not even sure where he'd go.
I really don't think Pep would take the current version of Messi.
To Madrid on a free in a year
What Messi needs atm is a coach strong enough to make the entire team understand they don't have to put him at the center of every offense phase. It really is getting worse and worse and it's not helping him because he can't run the way he used to. He still had a good season but the situation is absurd and tonight's game was a perfect exemple of how uncoachable this team is. The end of his career at barcelona is going to be pretty rough if things don't change.
Also, making him captain was a pretty big mistake, he just doesn't have what it takes.
Also, making him captain was a pretty big mistake, he just doesn't have what it takes.
Messi is a powerhouse in any football team in the world, but if what I read is true, he also likes to be the power house off the pitch, more or less overruling everyone including manager and club president regarding to who plays, how is played, when he himself plays etc. (maybe not always in the best interest of the team) Which other club would want that?
We need cover for Bruno...
Why not? Current version of Messi still a bigger upgrade to Aguero/Jesus, I mean Messi he has 51 G+A this season, Aguero and Jesus combined don't have that much, even Barcelona under Pep era Messi didn't have that big of a workrate. If anything seeing City poor finishing, I'd say Pep would kill to have him tbh
It's a pretty big problem at Barcelona, especially since the president is elected and nobody wants to be the "president that lost Messi". In all fairness though, i think the club is not only ruled by Messi but also by Piqué and Busquets. As I mentionned before, the team is uncoachable as is and i'm not sure that adding another declining (at least this season) player in the 6/8 position (on top of Busquets and De Jong) in the person of Pjanic will be of any help. The situation with Griezmann was ridiculous and it's hard not to wonder if Messi had and agenda against him.
Neither. Barcelona suck and he has to be superman every game for them to be competitive