Lionel Messi | Joins Inter Miami (pg4111)

[Mancini Manus Domini]

Messi would most likely play wide right ahead of Mahrez, it’s where he’s spent the majority of his career.

Pep did like to use him down the middle in the role that Aguero and Jesus play for us and that’s when he scored 60 in a season.

He would be capable of playing where Silva does but I don’t think that would be getting the best out of him.

I don’t think we’d have to change the way we play at all, the team shape is already the absolute perfect set up for Messi.

So if he takes up the right side position he's obviously going to wreak more havoc than Mahrez going forward but he won't press or track back as much as him. Maybe having someone more athletic in the centre (Foden?) might be the answer, giving responsibility to cover the right back. Or would you prefer Messi more central, maybe as a false 9?

 

[Shaelumstash]

So if he takes up the right side position he's obviously going to wreak more havoc than Mahrez going forward but he won't press or track back as much as him. Maybe having someone more athletic in the centre (Foden?) might be the answer, giving responsibility to cover the right back. Or would you prefer Messi more central, maybe as a false 9?

I don’t buy in to the idea that Messi is lazy or not a team player.

He pressed like mad in Pep’s team. I think he’s maybe not being asked to press anymore or he’s demotivated by the sub par coaches and team mates he has.

But Pep would not accept him not working hard and I don’t think he would have that attitude with Pep.

If we signed him tomorrow personally I’d play him on the right, I think that’s his best position and a forward line of Sterling, Kun and Messi is potentially one of the best ever seen.

But I imagine he would eventually end up down the middle as a false 9 for us. Less work for him and he’s completely unique in that position that he’s probably the most intelligent footballer playing the game today so would drop off and create space for our wingers and create bucketloads of chances for them, while still scoring a shit load of goals himself.

It would be like having all the good bits of Jesus and all the good bits of Kun rolled in to one. Only better.

 

[King Jay]

He would need to play as a Striker since he doesn‘t run in a game. Could never seen him as a right wing.

 

[bugsyblue]

When you say “the team is built around him”, what specifically do you mean?

Barca play 433, high line, dominate possession and try to get Messi isolated 1v1 against a fullback.

City play 433, high line, dominate possession and try to get Sterling / Mahrez isolated against a fullback.

There would be no team rebuilding required. It’s good to go.

Messi is given way more a free role than any of our players. He’s justified that and is deadly because of it. However we aren’t set up to “carry” anyone. Our formation is actually a lot more rigid than Barca’s now, especially defensively, and as soon as we lose the ball you see the nearest player pressing and the ones behind them dropping back into position. I rarely see that with Barca these days.

Barca’a pressing is nothing now like it was under pep or even Luis Enrique. They play at a slower tempo and have to work less hard than city or Liverpool, for example, because frankly they have way less competition. The intensity in their game has gone and nothing exemplifies that more than their second leg last season against Liverpool. They were on their arse, albeit collectively - not a criticism against messi.

Can a 34 year old messi play at the tempo and intensity we require? I doubt it. That’s my one big concern about the signing. We are very much a team club and I just think he will rock that boat.

 

[Mancini Manus Domini]

I don’t buy in to the idea that Messi is lazy or not a team player.

He pressed like mad in Pep’s team. I think he’s maybe not being asked to press anymore or he’s demotivated by the sub par coaches and team mates he has.

But Pep would not accept him not working hard and I don’t think he would have that attitude with Pep.

If we signed him tomorrow personally I’d play him on the right, I think that’s his best position and a forward line of Sterling, Kun and Messi is potentially one of the best ever seen.

But I imagine he would eventually end up down the middle as a false 9 for us. Less work for him and he’s completely unique in that position that he’s probably the most intelligent footballer playing the game today so would drop off and create space for our wingers and create bucketloads of chances for them, while still scoring a shit load of goals himself.

It would be like having all the good bits of Jesus and all the good bits of Kun rolled in to one. Only better.

Go on then, I'm sold. Should be fun!

 

[Ezzy]

T.L.D.W:

the current RW Messi has no place in our team, without making big changes to how the 4-3-3 Operates.

Messi can(if he can handle the workload) play the KDB role that Bernardo Silva played in 18/19.
(very similar to how Messi plays these days, without the additional strains or responsibly of a midfielder)

 

[Gray]

He is 33 years old, the horse has bolted.

 

[St.Pauli support]

Messi is given way more a free role than any of our players. He’s justified that and is deadly because of it. However we aren’t set up to “carry” anyone. Our formation is actually a lot more rigid than Barca’s now, especially defensively, and as soon as we lose the ball you see the nearest player pressing and the ones behind them dropping back into position. I rarely see that with Barca these days.

Barca’a pressing is nothing now like it was under pep or even Luis Enrique. They play at a slower tempo and have to work less hard than city or Liverpool, for example, because frankly they have way less competition. The intensity in their game has gone and nothing exemplifies that more than their second leg last season against Liverpool. They were on their arse, albeit collectively - not a criticism against messi.

Can a 34 year old messi play at the tempo and intensity we require? I doubt it. That’s my one big concern about the signing. We are very much a team club and I just think he will rock that boat.

I share your concerns, but we can be totally relaxed about this case,
because if there is one coach in the world who knows Messi inside out and would be able to work out a perfect system with City+Messi (in that order!) it's Pep.

And Pep wouldn't sacrifice our project only to have Messi back in his camp. Surely not.

I just must not think about wages for Messi on a free, if he's already on >1.5m week...
That would be the opposite direction I'd generally like to see.

 

[Shaelumstash]

Messi is given way more a free role than any of our players. He’s justified that and is deadly because of it. However we aren’t set up to “carry” anyone. Our formation is actually a lot more rigid than Barca’s now, especially defensively, and as soon as we lose the ball you see the nearest player pressing and the ones behind them dropping back into position. I rarely see that with Barca these days.

Barca’a pressing is nothing now like it was under pep or even Luis Enrique. They play at a slower tempo and have to work less hard than city or Liverpool, for example, because frankly they have way less competition. The intensity in their game has gone and nothing exemplifies that more than their second leg last season against Liverpool. They were on their arse, albeit collectively - not a criticism against messi.

Can a 34 year old messi play at the tempo and intensity we require? I doubt it. That’s my one big concern about the signing. We are very much a team club and I just think he will rock that boat.

But we don’t press like we did in the Centurions season. We didn’t press anywhere near as much last season as the season before.

I don’t really think there would be a massive drop off from Mahrez to Messi tbh.

 

[bondsman]

But we don’t press like we did in the Centurions season. We didn’t press anywhere near as much last season as the season before.

I don’t really think there would be a massive drop off from Mahrez to Messi tbh.

Defo no drop from Mahrez to Messi!!