Lionel Messi remastered – Argentina captain has tweaked aspects of his game …

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  • The attacker has scored four goals in four games so far and has been named man of the match in each of Argentina's matches
  • The shadow of Diego Maradona hangs over Messi after he led Argentina to World Cup victory in 1986
  • But if this new, remodelled Messi repeats Maradona's fete in Brazil, he will be right on par with his mentor

By
Jamie Carragher


Published:
23:15 GMT, 4 July 2014

|
Updated:
02:41 GMT, 5 July 2014

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We are seeing the evolution of Lionel Messi in this World Cup. The new version is not as dynamic, but is equally devastating.

He has become more of an old-fashioned playmaker, with everything coming through him. He’s on the prowl, smelling danger, waiting for the opportunity to pounce and to come alive at the point of maximum impact, but  conserving his energy until such an opening presents itself.

He doesn’t seem to be running as much, he is waiting for the ball. His running stats were the lowest on the pitch against Switzerland, which is evidence of the change in his game - but he caused maximum trouble and won the match for Argentina.

VIDEO Scroll down to watch Messi's brother Rodrigo say Lionel feels he owes success

Under pressure: Messi has dragged Argentina to the last eight with a string of sensational performances

Under pressure: Messi has dragged Argentina to the last eight with a string of sensational performances

Assist: Against Switzerland he showed a burst of pace when it mattered to set up Di Maria's goal late on

Assist: Against Switzerland he showed a burst of pace when it mattered to set up Di Maria's goal late on

Is he protecting his suspect hamstring, which caused him to miss a lot of the season with Barcelona, or is this more evidence of the new Messi?

He’s been like that in La Liga since Christmas and I wondered if he was protecting himself for the World Cup, but now we are seeing more of the same.

My first thought in the opening games was ‘he’s quiet’, but the more I study his performances, the more I believe he’s in control and waiting for that moment to arrive when he can make a difference.

We have seen him make an impact, with the last-minute winner against Iran, the brilliant run that created the goal against Switzerland - he has still won the man of the match four times in four games and nobody has ever done that before in a World Cup. 

Leader: His team-mates have repeatedly looked to their captain for inspiration at this World Cup

Leader: His team-mates have repeatedly looked to their captain for inspiration at this World Cup

Withdrawn: Messi was subbed off against Nigeria to preserve him for the knockout rounds

Withdrawn: Messi was subbed off against Nigeria to preserve him for the knockout rounds

With four goals in those four games, he’s carried Argentina to this stage. But we haven’t seen a 90-minute performance like we used to see for Barcelona when Pep Guardiola was manager and Messi was forever on the ball.

People may say he is too young to have to change his game. He is only 26, after all, but playing at the top with that pressure and intensity takes its toll and in terms of games played he’s probably closer to 30.

So we may never see the old Messi again, but we should champion him for changing.

Top of the world: Diego Maradona led Argentina to World Cup glory in Mexico in 1986

Top of the world: Diego Maradona led Argentina to World Cup glory in Mexico in 1986

He is the most important player in his team and, while he has been in the shadow of Diego Maradona, who won the World Cup single-handedly in 1986, Messi can go some way to emulating him if he can take this team to victory in the land of their fierce South American rivals.

His Argentinian attacking colleagues have been, in the main, disappointing. Aguero isn’t fully fit, Higuain has struggled, Lavezzi has shown flashes and, apart from the Messi-inspired winner against Switzerland, Di Maria has failed to show. So Messi has a heavy weight to carry. 

Fully focused: Messi works with a ball in training on Friday ahead of Argentina's clash with Belgium

Fully focused: Messi works with a ball in training on Friday ahead of Argentina's clash with Belgium

Smiling assassin: Messi trains with his Argentina team-mates in Brasilia on Friday

Smiling assassin: Messi trains with his Argentina team-mates in Brasilia on Friday

Pablo
Zabaleta of Manchester City and Argentina said after the game against
Switzerland that everyone wants to pass to Messi and then watch him work
his magic, as if his own team-mates are in awe of him. So the change in
his play is not weakening his standing, nor his output.

Remember
his performance against City in the Champions League, where he was
magnificent while barely breaking out of a jog? We are seeing that
repeated here.

His
battle with City’s captain Vincent Kompany that night made for
excellent viewing in the Nou Camp and I hope we see the same today when
they face Belgium in the quarter-final.

Marked man: Messi has managed to shine despite his team-mates failing to perform at their best

Marked man: Messi has managed to shine despite his team-mates failing to perform at their best

Glory: The Argentine star celebrates scoring his team's first goal against Nigeria with a thumping effort

Glory: The Argentine star celebrates scoring his team's first goal against Nigeria with a thumping effort

Technique: Messi strokes home the winner in Argentina's first group match versus Iran

Technique: Messi strokes home the winner in Argentina's first group match versus Iran

Better than 'God'? If Messi wins the World Cup with Argentina he could surpass the legend of Maradona

Better than 'God'? If Messi wins the World Cup with Argentina he could surpass the legend of Maradona

Messi will have to come out on top if Argentina are to progress. For many, this is the tournament that will define him.

He has been brilliant so far, but there will be better opponents from now on. How will the new model Messi fare? If he delivers, we will be asking: ‘Where does he stand alongside Pele and Diego Maradona?’


Comments (14)

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The comments below have been moderated in advance.

ESP81012,

A Coruña, Spain,

25 minutes ago

The Dutch will play dirty like Brazil did last night... James was kicked more than the ball as will Messi against the cheating Dutch. Hope the ref is more in control than in last nights match..

Pol,

Tray, United Kingdom,

1 hour ago

Man of the match in each of his 4 games...Hahaha....come on jamie...thats nonsense....take your messi spectacles off... you cant see the forest for the tree in front of you

Chelsea west stand,

London, United Kingdom,

3 hours ago

best thing to come out of Argentina? that pop singing bird, Sabrina. what ever happened to her? lmpo!!

toon 1970,

whitley bay, United Kingdom,

3 hours ago

If Argentina win the world cup there can be no more arguments ,messi will be known as the greatest ever player end of.

raiahmed21,

Dhaka, Bangladesh,

4 hours ago

We all know about the achievements of messi. If he delivers in this tournament then... He will known as the best player ever to play football.

jj,

Derby, United Kingdom,

7 hours ago

I hope we don't see the same tactics used on Messi as we did on Rodriguez and Neymar last night's game.

Searsy,

Sittingbourne, United Kingdom,

19 minutes ago

Messi has had people kicking lumps out of him for the last 6-7 years, he is more then used to it, rather then hide he plays better when riled.

Bilaal Mangera,

Auckland, New Zealand,

8 hours ago

He is simply the greatest player of this generation . anyone who disagrees knows very little about football

Searsy,

Sittingbourne, United Kingdom,

20 minutes ago

Although I do agree, Ronaldo has also been great, like some other great players Ronaldo won't be remembered the same simply because he is a great player in a mediocre national team, its a shame.

Searsy,

Sittingbourne, United Kingdom,

14 minutes ago

I mean in general rather then in the world cup^^ Would the beatles of been as great if they didnt have the stones to rival them? would oasis of been as big without blur? would Messi be called the best player ever if Ronaldo wasn't pushing him so hard for the spot 🙂

ShifuTony,

Bristol,

8 hours ago

Messi, like Ronaldo and Neymar have been average. Messi doesn't even have the best goal to his name. Apart from a few dribble and two good goals he has been disappointing. James, RVP and Robben have played better. He will need to play a whole lot better before we start to consider this a Messi world cup.

DarrenSpeirs1989,

Glasgow, United Kingdom,

1 hour ago

RVP what have you been watching he had 1 good game vs spain lol?

Searsy,

Sittingbourne, United Kingdom,

18 minutes ago

So in 4 games he has just a few dribbles and two good goals (4 in total of course), he has also been man of the match in every game he's played, but yeah he's been average, you either know nothing of football or simply haven't watched him play as he has been far from average.

shamal4eva,

london, United Kingdom,

12 hours ago

this is in ur dictionary james he only played against weakest team iran, bosnia, negiria, swithland, when Argentina wins its because messi when they lose its because of other players, its shame for all media and professional who keep saying this on tv

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