Lionel Messi Must Be Used Wisely If Barcelona Are to Challenge for Top Honours

One of the most intriguing facets of Lionel Messi’s incomparably decorated career has been the level of consistency he’s showcased. And not just in terms of his prolific goalscoring, but the durability he possesses to play game after game, getting kicked from pillar to post and scarcely picking up injuries.

But in the early stages of the current campaign, there have been a few signs that that willingness to be involved in every minute of every Barcelona match is beginning to hamper the four-time World Player of the Year. 

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It’s been an interesting start to the season for the genial Argentinian. Throughout the best years of his Barcelona career, the best players in the team have typically been the pairing of Andres Iniesta and Xavi. But with the latter in the twilight of his career and the former failing to find his very best form in the early stages of the campaign, there’s been a shift in emphasis when it comes to the Blaugrana.

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Luis Enrique is a manager that has done his best to re-instil the intense off the ball work that made Barca such a difficult team to overcome under the astute tutelage of Pep Guardiola. And while the early signs suggested that Messi was capable of playing a key role in this kind of set-up, his performance levels have dipped since some sparkling displays during the opening weeks of the season.

There’s been a shift in the stylistic make-up of this team, and at this juncture, it’s one that Messi is struggling to cope with. Indeed, Barca’s iconic No. 10 is enduring one of his worst runs of form for many a year, per OptaJose:

In Barcelona’s last match this was perhaps the most evident it has been all season. Messi struggled to make an impression against a tight Almeria back line and to cap off a poor day, the 27-year-old made costly blunders at both ends of the field.

First of all, he gave the ball away in a dangerous area, allowing the hosts to counterattack and take the lead, as noted here by WhoScored.com:

Prior to that faux pas, Messi missed a simple chance to put his side in front, per Bleacher Report UK:

Messi is a player who is notoriously insatiable in wanting to play every minute of every game for Barcelona. And when you look at his magnificent goalscoring exploits when donning the iconic Blaugrana strip, you could argue he has earned the right to do so. But he’s a player that doesn’t possess quite the same intensity any more and subsequently he may have to surrender some minutes.

Indeed, the Argentinian's stubbornness was on show earlier in the campaign, when he point-blank refused to be substituted by Enrique during Barca’s 3-0 win over Eibar:

The unerring willingness to play every game and the staggering durability needed to do so are two of the facets that make Messi one of the finest players the game has ever seen, but—while it’s a factor that may have been questioned in the past—he is only human, after all.

Argentinian football writer Hernan Claus thinks that as a result, Messi must learn to adapt his style, per Four Four Two issue 224, page 61:

"

I can picture him as an enganche, a playmaker, and no longer running with the ball and leaving opponents behind. And that’s not only because of the injuries he has suffered, but because he is not 20 years old anymore.

He has played hundreds of games in his career and played all of them at a high intensity, so it’s time for him to rethink his style.

"

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Since the start of the current campaign, Messi has featured in all of Barcelona’s games and played the full 90 minutes in all but one of their matches. On the back of a draining World Cup, there will have been very little time for the player to fully recuperate in pre-season, and although Enrique may feel obliged to let Messi dictate when he plays, it’s vital he’s used wisely.

Throughout his career, Messi has adapted his game to fit into the various tactical protocols of different managers. And although it might be difficult for him to accept, given the punishing demands Enrique’s mantras put on players, it’s critical for Barcelona that their focal point preserves a level of sharpness throughout the entirety of the campaign.

Of course, such is his ability, we judge players like the Blaugrana man by stratospherically high standards. After all, he looks poised to break goalscoring records in both La Liga and the Champions League in the weeks to come. But if we're going to see him at the peak of his powers for a long time, he must be willing to occasionally take himself out of the firing line.