'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
#2 The lack of stability in Argentina affects his output
Lionel Messi made his official club debut in October 2004 and in the intervening 15 years at Barcelona, he has been managed by just six managers and with Ernesto Valverde set to remain in the dugout next season, it means that apart from the late Tito Vilanova (who was tragically diagnosed with cancer just a year into his managerial tenure), only Gerardo Martino failed to spend at least three seasons in charge of the club.
By contrast, in his 14 years with the national team, Messi has been managed by no less than nine different coaches starting from Jose Pekerman to Lionel Scaloni who currently occupies the manager's seat.
Tellingly, the nine men who have coached Messi with Argentina are as varied in temperament as they are in playing style from the wildly erratic and confrontational Diego Maradona to the mild-mannered Alejandro Sabella.
Each of these coaches brought about a different playing pattern and invited players who were best suited to these, with the result being that the Argentine team over the years has been an unrecognizable hogwash of individualistic players who were constantly chopped and changed according to the whims and caprices of the man in charge and had no discernible playing pattern or teamwork.
Just to give few examples, the last three World Cup winners: France, Germany, and Spain had workable systems in place due to the longevity of their coaches who spent some time building the team in their image and prioritizing teamwork.
While the three national teams mentioned had their own fair share of talented individuals, great players can only get you so far and without the requisite teamwork, any side is setting up a template for failure.
This stability and teamwork present in the aforementioned teams during their periods of dominance has been sorely lacking in Argentina for the entirety of Messi's time there and while they might have made it to three consecutive finals, there was never any point in time during those tournaments where Argentina truly played like champions or dominated proceedings with great teamwork much like Germany, France, and Spain did during their run-ins.
While Messi's talents and superior abilities means that he has what it takes to showcase his abilities regardless of the circumstances around him, his higher performance levels with Barcelona (where there is more stability than Argentina) shows that even the best of all time need affairs around them to be stable in order to perform at their optimum.
The constant chopping and changing of coaches, players and football association presidents in Argentina have hardly helped bring stability to the team and this has undoubtedly played a part in Messi's struggles with his national side.
