Lionel Messi, the seven time Ballon d’Or winner and one of the best player in the history of the beautiful game has a habit of making everything he does look effortless.
Even when he is running in full tilt with the ball at his feet, his sense of calm and composure often shines through like no other.
Of the many great assets that Messi possesses, the way he makes football look easy by just simply floating around the pitch and nonchalantly picking out passes and affecting the game makes it genuinely believable that he is capable of playing the game with his eyes firmly shut.
The likes of Italian midfield maestro Andrea Pirlo and Spanish midfield dictator Xavi both showed they have a sense of tranquility about their play, the way they effortlessly control the centre of the park before playing that defence splitting pass for their team mates. This proves that showing great technical ability doesn’t necessarily required a great deal of energy.
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However, in the modern game where pressing and ‘heavy metal football’ is becoming the go to strategy, the effortless playing style that Messi clearly has is fast becoming a thing of the past.
For all he has achieved and the joy he has brought to football fans around the world, even the great man has people criticising him after clips of him went viral, showing him walking around when he could have been tracking back or helping his defence.
He has been branded as ‘lazy’ by rival fans, stating that he doesn’t work hard enough for the team.
However, there is a thread on Twitter that shows exactly why Messi walks around the pitch during a match. The thread, compiled by Twitter user @TrungTPhan was created back in August 202.
Since then, the thread has been retweeted more than 2000 times and has received 10,000 likes. It simply puts the argument that Messi is lazy to bed, in fact, it shows that he is an absolute footballing genius.
Pep Guardiola spoke about Messi’s walking for an Amazon documentary.
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He said: “He’s not running, but he’s always watching what’s happening. He smells where are the weak points in the back four.”
“After five, ten minutes, he has the map in his eyes, in his brain to know exactly where is the space and what is the panorama.”
He added: “It’s like being in the jungle and I have to survive. And he knows if I move here, here, I will have more space to attack.”
Topics: Football, Lionel Messi
Marcus Chan