Perhaps injuries. Perhaps a bit of a lack in confidence. Need to remember this is a player who for the best part of 5 years never went in to a dip of form. It has probably taken it's toll somewhat on him that he hasn't been able to perform to his best in recent times. Will be interesting how he pulls through. For me this is the thing with Ronaldo though. If he ever went through this his character and determination would mean he would work his socks off to put right his wrongs. Not saying Messi doesn't or wouldn't but I do wonder if he is as "hardcore" for a better use of the word behind the scenes to maintain his performance. That is probably just coming from my stereotypical view that Messi is naturally talented while Ronaldo works much harder because he needs to to perform at that level. I'm probably wrong but to be honest, yet to be proven otherwise yet.
Lionel Messi
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Perhaps injuries. Perhaps a bit of a lack in confidence. Need to remember this is a player who for the best part of 5 years never went in to a dip of form. It has probably taken it's toll somewhat on him that he hasn't been able to perform to his best in recent times. Will be interesting how he pulls through. For me this is the thing with Ronaldo though. If he ever went through this his character and determination would mean he would work his socks off to put right his wrongs. Not saying Messi doesn't or wouldn't but I do wonder if he is as "hardcore" for a better use of the word behind the scenes to maintain his performance. That is probably just coming from my stereotypical view that Messi is naturally talented while Ronaldo works much harder because he needs to to perform at that level. I'm probably wrong but to be honest, yet to be proven otherwise yet.
When he could easily get more elsewhere? Most players would surely chase the money...not Leo
Umm, not sure. I've seen a few sprints from him this season that have as been as impressive as ever, but there have been other games when he's been more sluggish than usual. So I'm not sure there's anything physically stopping him reaching the same speed as before, mentally though...
He still runs like he always did.
The stick Messi has got this season has been ridiculous. Rooney has been held up by the so-called experts as being the best player in our team this season. Some would have you believe Rooney's actually played really well, certainly Moyes' worship of him indicated he thought so. Yet Rooney's stats pale in comparison to Messi's. As 'bad' as Messi has been you don't see his first touch and close control desert him like Rooney's does. Even though Barcelona have apparently been 'poor' Messi has still scored 40 times, which has him right up there with Ronaldo and Suarez for the golden boot. Yet to read some of the comment about Messi you'd think he's fallen off it like Ronaldinho did. Messi has done more to earn his new contract than Rooney did. Wouldn't shock me if Messi goes into turbo at the weekend and wins Barca the league either.
I would concur. Ronaldo relies a lot more on his physical attributes for his game. Messis stature is small which benefits him, but his decision making is arguably the best in the world
It's not the dribbling that's the problem, it's the fact that Barcelona's system acts more as a barrier to Messi. Every team defends deep against Barcelona - they know how to counter the style Barcelona plays. Messi isn't helped because there's no #9, a point of reference, in the team, to create space for him. He has to dribble past four, five players on most occasions, and he's shown in the past two seasons that no matter how good he is, it's hard to have that type of burden on you. Ultimately the Barcelona board is to blame for this. Guardiola sent the board his new system, in 11/12, in the 1-3 El Clasico win. Due to their incompetence, it's no surprise that they ignored him. Have Messi play as a #10, with a #9. Sanchez played as a #9 in the game, but he's not a natural centre-forward. Obviously there's more to the system, but that's the key area IMO.
He's just not that exciting anymore. Doesn't look bothered in the slightest.
Has he lost a bit of pace?
Looks to be carrying a bit of weight.
He's been useless. Probably saving himself for Brazil
As a result of this though he'll probably light up the World Cup. He was burnt out for the 2010 one.
Still an absolutely world class player but he doesn't seem to have that aura around him that he once did.
PLaying a level or two below Ronaldo right now.
He just looks tired.
he moves in the pitch like a waiter that hasnt been paid in the last two weeks
Perhaps Barça have stopped giving him drugs to makntain his form and fitness.
Same for the rest of the team.
/controversialpost
Same for the rest of the team.
/controversialpost
can someone say the same about moyez and fergie?
Of? He has been like most of the season now, that'e enough time for a rest. I maintain that he was trying to conserve himself for the WC but that lack of extra effort has not finally resulted in a big dip in form. Let's see if he can clock it back up for the WC.
You'd expect better but you have to factor in that his team in general are rank rotten just now. I dont see him getting the ball in dangerous positions, hes just shut out by Atletico, it's a credit to them.
Has lost bit of everything. Even his touch isn't that great as it used to be. Hopefully he'll be back to his best soon, it would be shame if not.
Carrying Barca for the last couple of years. He is the main reason they have still been challenging since Guardiola left. He was rushed back from injury on occasion too which has backfired on Barca.
His passing from deep was atrocious today. Madrid did not give him space in penalty box as well but he dropped deep then and changed the game. Today he was just off, any other player would have been subbed off
You can use couple of months to account for that not a whole season.
They'd have been out of it a couple of weeks ago if it weren't for two game winning goals. He was shit but to suggest he'd have been hooked is a bit wide of the mark. I mean Pedro was pointless, stunning goal aside Alexis was woeful. Iniesta was poor, infact Pique aside they were all quite poor.
He has 28 goals and 11 assists this season in the league so he hasn't been poor all season, it's just the run in where he hasn't looked right/interested.
There's no way he's saving himself for the World Cup. He is simply no longer the player he was just 12 months ago. They should consider changing how he plays. With Xavi now ageing I'm sure he can drop deeper and become an excellent midfielder. He's a great passer and has excellent technique and vision. Or the can play him further forward he's still an excellent finisher. All he has lost is his explosiveness
you may be right, but despite his really bad last 6 or 7 games, he still scored 40 goals in 44 games this season
Barcelona should never have bought Neymar IMO. I don't know if it's lack of fitness or drop in chemistry but something seems to have destabilized Messi. That said he's firmly one of the Top 2 players in the world. 40 goals and 14 assists in an injury plagued campaign is absolutely ridiculous. I just don't get why certain people hate on him so much. Messi doesn't have a god-given right to perform spectacularly in every single game. He's still just 27 and entering the prime years. Form is temporary but class is permanent people. For me personally even if the guy hangs up his boots right this minute he's still one the Top 5 of all time.
Shit player Hello Marcos
The numbers look better than the performances this season, and there was a time when that wasn't true.
The first part of the season, he looked tired and injured. He took two months off, supposedly came back injury-free and refreshed. He's had good performances since then, I seem to remember Getafe in the Copa and Sevilla in La Liga, but they've been odd games.
It's still true that it "only takes a few seconds of brilliance" to get a goal or make that key move, but the other 89 minutes he's not only looking ordinary, he's looking disinterested.
I think he's run out of mental energy. A change of environment - Argentina in Brazil? - may be all it takes. But for Barca? No, really, by his standards, he's been poor all season.
I think there are many factors causing it, some being Messi's fault and some not, but I think that's a fair summary of how his season panned out.
Fair enough, I don't watch much Barca and you would definitely know more about it than I do. I just knew I was after reading that his numbers were good so checked them for myself and was surprised they were so high. They would be good for someone that isn't judged at his high standards. I agree about the mental energy point. Looks to be just as much of a mental thing as a physical thing IMO.
he's still been a genius playmaker this season, some incredible passing performances.. but he looks incredibly fatigued, just too tired, and his finishing has been a mark off his legendary form in 2010-2013. He's slower on the ball and in his acceleration as well, not by alot, but by a bit enough to make him not as unstoppable on the dribble. His control is still godly, but he's not as electric.
My personal feeling is that he's lost a lot of faith in his own body and has tried to wing it through the season because of that. His hamstrings are a vital component in his acceleration and dynamism, and with him second-guessing the problematic one, an element of doubt crept into his game as a whole and led to the self-preservation we've seen since he returned from injury.
Because of the self-doubt, he has tried to re-model his game, perhaps only for this season until the WC is out of the way, but it's pretty apparent that something is up with him. I think his own list of can and cannot do's has damaged his game and led to a dip in form that has gotten out of hand. He needs a break and a mental breather and I'd imagine his army of healthcare professionals are going to try and get his mind refreshed and on track more than anything else.
He reminds me of the Ronaldo who stopped making explosive turns into insane dribbles and runs in the build up to the 2002 WC. His knees kept blowing out, and after a time, it was obvious he'd modified his game to factor in things he'd no longer do in club competition before giving absolutely everything his less than optimal body could give for the duration of the 2002 WC.
I think we'll see a different Messi at the WC, a Messi that will try and get 100% output from his body, hamstrings be damned, and with that, he'll either explode into life and look like the pre-injury Messi of old, or, he'll re-injure his hammy and be out of the competition at some point.
The burden he has on him to deliver big-time and make good on claims of him being up there or beyond the very best the game has ever seen are beyond the pressure any other player going to the WC has. I think his awareness of this issue has consumed him and eclipsed the club season. It must be an unbearable weight on his shoulders and he'll be glad to just get it all out of the way one way or the other in Brazil.
It will be a real shame if we don't get to see what the real Messi is capable of during the WC as its the only thing left to provide irrefutable evidence he belongs in the company of the very top tier the game has ever seen.
Because of the self-doubt, he has tried to re-model his game, perhaps only for this season until the WC is out of the way, but it's pretty apparent that something is up with him. I think his own list of can and cannot do's has damaged his game and led to a dip in form that has gotten out of hand. He needs a break and a mental breather and I'd imagine his army of healthcare professionals are going to try and get his mind refreshed and on track more than anything else.
He reminds me of the Ronaldo who stopped making explosive turns into insane dribbles and runs in the build up to the 2002 WC. His knees kept blowing out, and after a time, it was obvious he'd modified his game to factor in things he'd no longer do in club competition before giving absolutely everything his less than optimal body could give for the duration of the 2002 WC.
I think we'll see a different Messi at the WC, a Messi that will try and get 100% output from his body, hamstrings be damned, and with that, he'll either explode into life and look like the pre-injury Messi of old, or, he'll re-injure his hammy and be out of the competition at some point.
The burden he has on him to deliver big-time and make good on claims of him being up there or beyond the very best the game has ever seen are beyond the pressure any other player going to the WC has. I think his awareness of this issue has consumed him and eclipsed the club season. It must be an unbearable weight on his shoulders and he'll be glad to just get it all out of the way one way or the other in Brazil.
It will be a real shame if we don't get to see what the real Messi is capable of during the WC as its the only thing left to provide irrefutable evidence he belongs in the company of the very top tier the game has ever seen.
Hmm, the headline is wildly sensational, but the comments from him are interesting (if true)..
http://www.express.co.uk/sport/foot...td-Man-City-and-Chelsea-set-to-pounce-on-star
http://www.express.co.uk/sport/foot...td-Man-City-and-Chelsea-set-to-pounce-on-star
Did he not sign a new contract like 3 days ago?
Article says he's supposed to be doing but Barca are stalling over it. Dunno if any of it's true.
He signed it today (after those comments)
Well he seems like a player who is carrying around too much that isn't related to football. The tax evasion stuff surely has been taking it's toll on him mentally and there also were those rumors about his health with him puking his guts out on several occasions. I don't know what exactly has caused his problems but he doesn't look like the fit and energetic player he used to be. Maybe he really is a bit burned out.
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