Most of these are not really genuine concerns. He's just turned 33.
He's never played with Aguero week in/week out under a good coach.
He'll create more space for KDB than he has seen since he was a no-name ginger kid in Germany. Messi is the biggest defender magnet in history, and players who are around him have benefited from that for a decade.
It's up to the manager to make him a cog in the machine, even if he's the best and most important cog. He's leaving Barcelona to win trophies and be under a great manager again, he knows what that means and if he just wants a team built around him he'll stay.
We are always going to be the team to beat, because we're the best side with or without Messi.
"Pep might go mental & leave"?! I don't even know what to reply to that.
If Pep stars the season badly, decent chance he will lose it & leave.
Messi has never reallly linked up with Aguero. Aguero in fact has sonetimes looked better when Messi doesn't play. It shouldn't need a coach. And Pep does not really coach the forwards how to link up anyhow, he coaches how to get them into that area.
Unlikely the team can have two players in totally free roles, so KDB most likely has to change the way he plays, to accomodate Messi. He might not like it.
If we could give them both free roles, then possible Pep will balance it, by using both Gundogan & Rodri.
All of these things might be no problem, but it's not such a simple thing, to assume City can just continue as planned, as a team, with Messi.
I imagine Messi would play more or less as a striker.
Even more reason to sign more 'legs' for the midfield, if he is coming, imo.
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