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1. Ensure Lionel Messi maintains his positional discipline
Ivan Rakitic is a fabulous player who has been getting a lot of unfair stick this season for the kind of performances he has put in. This is not to say his performances haven’t been bad, but to point out that most of that has not been down to any fault of the Croatian. Whose fault is it then?
In my books, the blame lies squarely at the footsteps of Lionel Andres Messi.
STOP! Don’t throw your device out of the window just yet. Hear me out.
While Messi has garnered a lot of praise for dropping deep into midfield and kick-starting attacks (that he himself usually finishes off), the effect it has on the team shape has gone largely unnoticed for everytime he drops deep he occupies the space that Rakitic would usually be sitting in. Forced to play out of position – a lot wider on the pitch, or a lot more forward to cover up for the glaring hole that Messi leaves – the Croatian’s undoubted playmaking talents have gone completely to waste.
Messi should take a leaf out of the noveau-adapted Cristiano Ronaldo’s book and stop trying to do everthing for his team. In that way, he conserves his energy better, and is in a much better place (physically, menally, and tactically) to wreak havoc where it really matters – in the opposition third. (Oh, refer to point 3, give him a proper right back in support, will you?)
On a related note, maybe Barcelona should indeed consider selling Neymar. Not only will this free-up funds for the much needed task of squad rebuilding, it will ensure that no one else on the football field compromises their shape. The Brazilian is brilliant, but very individualistic and tries to do too many things at the same time and Barca simply can’t afford to have two players being given the freedom of the pitch – while Messi is still on the pitch, there can only be one top dog.
