Messi still mesmerising, but less ruthless
Though Leo Messi's stats and talent remain out of this world, it's hard to escape the feeling thatthe Argentine isn't his old self. And Barça may yet have to pick up the slack.
An analysis of Messi's numbers shows that while he is still scoring freely, he is requiring more attempts at goal to do so than ever before.
This profligacy, if we can go as far as to call it that, was in evidence in the 'Clásico', when Iker Casillas was able to turn away a point-blank Messi strike when the Bernabéu faithful already had their heads in their hands.
This was an uncharacteristically tame finish from the four-time Ballon d'Or winner, who has always been absolutely deadly in the big moments, but it wasn't a one-off. Against Eibar the previous week, for instance, 'El Pulga' had more than enough chances to surpass Telmo Zarra's record and failed to do so.
It must be pointed out that Messi seems to have adapted his game and is performing a different role this season, as the supplier-in-chief to Neymar. He has also been asked to start pressing in the engine room again, helping to win the ball back and stop opponents from building play.
Though he is converting fewer chances, Messi's record this season is still superb, with nine goals in total - seven in the league and two in the Champions League. Whether or not he regains his old ruthlessness, however, is another story.
Comments
Post a Comment