Naz Majeed

When Lionel Messi publically hit out at then-Sporting Director and former team-mate Eric Abidal, the terms “crisis”, “meltdown”, and “disaster” were thrown about in the press. The media, especially when it comes to football, has a reputation for being over-dramatic and being prone to sensationalism, but in this case, where the player concerned is arguably the greatest footballer that has ever lived, words might not even be enough.

Messi’s instagram outburst was quite uncharacteristic of the usually reserved player, though in recent years his soft-spoken demeanour seems to have shown signs of cracking, especially when faced with criticism of an under-achieving Argentina side.

For Barcelona, though, Messi’s public image has always been that of a consummate professional, aside from off-the-cuff remarks from a couple of noteworthy former team-mates.

The crux of the feud with Abidal was centred around the Frenchman’s insinuation that certain players in the Barcelona squad had given less than their all and contributed to the sacking of former coach Ernesto Valverde, who had seemed to always enjoy Messi’s support.

The sacking itself (and protracted appointment of Quique Setien) was clumsy and mismanaged, several figures including club legend Xavi turning down the chance to take over and paining the Barcelona hierarchy in an unflattering light.

That their January 2020 transfer window was in itself filled with missteps - offloading forwards without lining up a replacement before scrambling for an extension to spirit away Martin Braithwaite from Leganes - would only make things worse, and while Barcelona currently sits two points clear at the top of La Liga, their future, and Messi’s, appears uncertain.

The suspension of football may in a roundabout way aid in this situation; Messi has time to relax and recover, recharging his batteries after being the main man (sometimes the only man) for so long.

Ever since the departure of Neymar to Paris St-Germain, Barcelona has increasingly grown  hyper-dependant on their star man. On the surface, of course, this might hardly be construed as a problem. Why not depend on your star man when he is the best player in the world? Tottenham Hotspur do it with Harry Kane, and Bayern Munich do it with Robert Lewandowski, right?

The problem here is that the parallels between Spurs to Bayern are inelegant. Without Kane, Spurs often look bereft of ideas and inspiration, lacking a cohesive game plan or focal point to their attacks and build-up play.

Son Heung Min often steps up, but while he is an incredible player, Spurs often seem to bring the best out of the Korean’s quality while Kane is in the side, falling into the trap of “just give him the ball” (even more pronounced with the departure of Christian Eriksen).

In the case of Bayern Munich, anything more than a quick skim through their results will show you instantly that while Lewandowski has been at the end of many exhilarating moves and goals in the last year and more, his talent and finishing does not diminish the contribution and performance of those around him.

Thomas Muller has enjoyed his best season in years, Serge Gnabry and Thiago Alcantara have gone from strength to strength, and Philppe Coutinho, on loan from Barcelona after the Catalans purchased him with the windfall from the Neymar transfer, has looked like a world-class playmaker.

Messi’s influence on the Barcelona side has often fallen into the former category, that of “just give him the ball”. His irresistible imprint on the side means that players like Frenkie De Jong and Antoine Griezmann are under-utilized, with fewer touches and opportunities to influence the game than they normally would have for Ajax, Holland, Atletico, or France.

They are not in the same bracket as Lionel Messi in terms of pure talent, of course, but Messi is still only human, even if his achievements have immortalized his legacy. That Messi’s presence also seems to force Barcelona into playing a 4-3-3 also damages the team’s ability to adapt to different situations, coupled with the fact that Griezmann does not play well in that kind of set up.

Messi’s diminishing physical prowess has also meant that Arturo Vidal and Ivan Rakitic have been forced to act as his “legs” in many games in recent seasons, rather than make full use of their own footballing abilities. 

Barcelona may yet win La Liga, making it their 6th league title in 8 years, but the prize they truly desire is the Champions League. It is probably Messi’s true desire right now as well, as his career begins to wind down and he looks for his 5th European title to draw him level with Paolo Maldini, Alfredo Di Stefano, and eternal rival Cristiano Ronaldo.

Thus far, new manager Setien appears to be persisting with the status quo, keeping the tried and trusted 4-3-3 (rather than adopting Luis Enrique’s 4-4-2 or following in Pep Guardiola’s ability to switch systems rapidly), selecting Messi for every game, and looking to the Argentinian for all the answers.

On the surface, there seems to be very little real desire to change their style of play or the volume of games that Messi plays. De Jong, Griezmann, Rakitic, they all appear to be little more than his supporting cast, unable to step out of his golden shadow. The question, then is what next?

There are few clubs in the world who could afford to prise Messi away from Barcelona even if he chose to leave. The only realistic option is probably Manchester City, an institution that has been groomed to emulate Guardiola’s vision of Barcelona, with the same ideals that gave birth to the Lionel Messi we know and love today.

The physical demands of the English game may prove too much of a problem for a player that will be 33 the next time he is allowed to move clubs, especially as we have already seen that side of his game recede. City’s potential Champions League ban may also be an obstacle too large for him to risk having to overcome, and so it appears that Messi’s only option is to stay at Barcelona, and become part of the solution and not the problem.

Mes que un club.

For Barcelona, the above translates to “more than a club”, but again for Barcelona, Lionel Messi is more than just a player. He is both architect and anarchist, leading and liberated, skipper and scapegoat.

So much good has come from his efforts, yet so much has potentially been lost in building a side around his talents. While still undoubtedly one of the greatest players to ever play the game, it is sometimes a sobering thought to remember that his time is indeed coming to an end.

Barcelona and Messi himself will need to find the best answers to the questions that will be asked of him and his side now and in the months to come.