The Weekly Take, Issue 149: End of an Era?

Cast your mind back to the past off-season, when it looked almost certain that Lionel Messi would depart Barcelona after 16 incredible years at Camp Nou. In the end, no transfer ended up being made, and the Argentinean legend remained at the club where he has spent his entire career to date.

I have brought this up because it is entirely possible that we may just have seen Messi play his very last Champions League match for the Blaugrana. In the second leg of Barça's Champions League round of 16 tie against Paris Saint-Germain, the Catalan club held PSG to a 1-1 draw. Kylian Mbappé opened the scoring for PSG from the penalty spot before Messi equalized seven minutes later. However, given the fact that Barça had to overcome a three-goal deficit, the final result was always inevitable from the beginning of the match.

The result meant that Barça were eliminated from the tournament, losing 5-2 on aggregate. It was the first time since 2007 that Barça failed to qualify for the quarterfinals of the Champions League. More importantly, though, it could very well prove to be the straw that breaks the camel's back for Messi.

To say that Barça's most recent off-season was a tumultuous one would be a severe understatement. It began with the expected firing of head coach Quique Setién; Ronald Koeman took over as his replacement. A mass exodus of key players soon followed. The most notable of these was the departure of Luis Suárez to Atlético Madrid on a free transfer. These departures were closely linked to the turmoil in Barça's front office which culminated in the resignation of club president Josep Bartomeu in October 2020. It was this same series of events which almost drove Messi out of Barça.

With Barça's exit from the Champions League, Messi's place at the club next season will surely be under even more scrutiny. While the writing is not quite on the wall yet, it soon will be if things remain as they are. Out of the Champions League and unlikely to win La Liga, Barça's only realistic hope for silverware this season is the Copa del Rey.

It has to be kept in mind that Messi is now 33; he does not have all that many years as an elite player remaining. Though he is still performing at a very high level, he has already shown clear signs of decline for the past one to two years. He knows he has to do whatever it takes to maximize his chances of landing a fifth Champions League title. More than ever before, it appears that his best chance to do so lies away from Catalonia.

Messi has been linked with Manchester City, PSG, and Inter Milan. All three options present their own advantages. At City, he would reunite with head coach Pep Guardiola, under whom he won two Champions League titles in 2009 and 2011 as part of arguably the greatest club team of all time. City have a wretched Champions League record; only once have they ever advanced to the tournament's semifinals. Messi's arrival would likely change that.

PSG is another interesting option because they have more financial might than any other club on the planet. Apart from being the most financially lucrative option, PSG would also provide the chance for Messi to make history. Like City, PSG have never won the Champions League. They reached the final for the first time last season, only to lose to Bayern Munich. At PSG, Messi would rejoin former Barça teammate Neymar as well as three teammates from his national team.

Inter are seen as the least likely option; however, it would make a lot of sense. This is a team which has a solid supporting cast as well as an excellent head coach in Antonio Conte. Just about the only thing Inter need to become a genuine Champions League contender is a legitimate superstar. Messi would be exactly that.

Lionel Messi's 17-year stint at Barcelona is unquestionably the greatest one-club run in the history of football. Never again will many of his achievements there be replicated by any other player at any other club. However, it looks as though these glorious years are drawing to a close. Where will his next stop be? Only time will tell.

The Weekly Take, Issue 104: Here Comes Father Time

El Clásico is a truly incomparable rivalry - the most iconic in world football. Ordinarily, one would expect each edition of this clash to be a hotly-contested affair. However, the latest El Clásico was not so.

Real Madrid had absolutely no problems in defeating arch-rivals Barcelona, winning 2-0. Vinícius Júnior and Mariano scored the goals for the new La Liga leaders as they gained the advantage in their quest to deny their Catalan adversaries their third consecutive league title.

It's not often that one would say this, but the bulk of the blame for Barça's loss has to fall on the shoulders of none other than Lionel Messi. The Argentine legend had a dismal performance at the Santiago Bernabéu. He had no answer at all for Real's defensive duo of Raphaël Varane and Sergio Ramos who were his direct opponents. Messi even picked up a yellow card for a completely unnecessary hard tackle on Casemiro.

Messi has been nowhere near his usual level of play since the turn of the year. His touch has become less sure, his shooting accuracy has declined, he has become more prone to turning the ball over, and he has generally not been playing with the same fluidity and crispness which we have come to expect from him. Although Messi has scored 19 goals and handed out 12 assists thus far this season, these impressive statistics somewhat mask the drop-off in his overall level of play.

The impact of this drop in form has been severe. Barcelona have surrendered first place in La Liga to Real, been knocked out of the Copa del Rey, and face the prospect of being knocked out in the Champions League's round of 16 after a first-leg 1-1 draw against Napoli. Had Messi been playing up to his usual standards, it is not only possible but highly likely that Barça would not find themselves in their current situation.

Some might assume that this is just a temporary slump and that before long, Messi will bounce back and return to his usual otherworldly self. However, consider the following: Messi is now 32 years old and has over 900 matches' worth of mileage for club and country amassed over his career. As they say, Father Time is undefeated; in this case, it could very well be that Father Time is coming for Messi. This recent slump might be the first sign of a terminal decline.

If one takes a closer look at the vast majority of footballers, both those who are all-time greats and those who are not, the start of their age-related decline usually depends on their position. Goalkeepers and defenders are usually able to keep going for the longest. On the other hand, wingers and centre-forwards often begin their decline in their early 30s - the age group in which Messi is right now. His decline may seem imperceptible at the moment because of the extreme height from which he is falling, but do not be surprised if one or two years from now, many are wondering just what happened to him.

This is no knock on Messi or on his incredible career. I consider him to be the second-greatest player of all time, only behind his compatriot Diego Maradona. The statistics, accolades, and achievements speak for themselves. Apart from winning the World Cup, there is virtually nothing which he hasn't done. However, at some point, age catches up to every player. As has been mentioned, players in more offensive positions age more rapidly than those in more defensive positions. Thus, should we really be all that surprised if we are now seeing the beginning of the end of a legendary career?

At this point, Barça must now start preparing for the future. During the upcoming off-season, they ought to spend what they can to sign younger players who will have the toughest of acts to follow.

It's understandable that many fans would be in denial about this. Nobody, especially fans of the Blaugrana, wants to see one of the five best players who ever lived begin his decline as the years begin to take their toll. However, it has to happen at some point and the signs seem to be pointing towards that point being now. 

The Weekly Take, Issue 45: The Greatest Goalscorer of All Time

Everyone knows that in any football match, it is always the goalscorers who hog the limelight and take the majority of the plaudits.

Over the years, there have been some truly remarkable marksmen who have taken to the pitch and staked their claim as the greatest goalscorer in football history.

Players such as Ferenc Puskás, Alfredo Di Stéfano, Pelé, Gerd Müller, and Cristiano Ronaldo come to mind.

However, during the previous matchday, the player who has surpassed them all as a scorer reached a milestone that may never be equalled.

In Barcelona’s La Liga game against Eibar, Lionel Messi scored the 400th La Liga goal of his career. It was the second goal in Barça’s 3-0 victory over the Basque club.

Let that figure sink in for a moment. Four hundred league goals. With every single goal having been scored in a major league.

I can already hear some of you saying “but what about Pelé/CR7/ whoever”?

I will now proceed to show why Lionel Messi is the greatest goalscorer in the history of football.

Although he was a part of three World Cup-winning teams and scored 650 career league goals, I cannot put Pelé over Messi for two obvious reasons: he never played in a major league, and the overall level of competition was not as deep in the 1960s as it is today. Admittedly, he has scored 18 goals in international tournaments to Messi’s 14. However, I would definitely say that 400 La Liga goals is more impressive than 650 Campeonato Brasileiro and NASL (the MLS before the MLS, for the uninformed) goals.

Similar to Pelé, Ferenc Puskás also played in a weak era and only played in a major league for the last eight seasons of his career. Furthermore, his career total of 598 goals is by far the lowest of all the feasible greatest goalscorer candidates.

By far the most common comparison to Messi is Cristiano Ronaldo. However, as a goalscorer, even the Portuguese legend does not stack up well against his Argentine rival.

Although Ronaldo has scored 409 major-league goals in his career and like Pelé, has 18 international tournament goals, his career total of 673 goals has come in 932 official games, while Messi has found the net 667 times in 842 official games. Game-for-game, it isn’t even close. And before anyone says “but Ronaldo won the Euro!”, this is not about titles. I’m strictly talking about goalscoring prowess.

Next, we come to Gerd Müller.

Müller boasts an unbelievable goal-to-game ratio, with 722 in 770 across all his official games. However, a considerable number of his goals came in less important matches. He scored 417 goals in either a major-league game, the European Cup, or an international tournament. Messi, on the other hand, has 520 in such high-leverage games. To me, the 103 extra goals in important games outweigh the 55 career goals more that Müller scored.

But it’s not just about the “how many” that make Messi so great, but the “how” as well.

Although his left foot is truly legendary, he can do it with his right and even the occasional header in spite of his short stature.

One-on-ones, set pieces, tap-ins, long-rangers – you name it, Messi can score it.

No other player has ever been as prolific or has had quite the goalscoring repertoire of “La Pulga”. Whether playing for Barça or Argentina, there is a reason that Messi is the most feared goalscorer there has ever been. Even his mere presence on the field is a game-changer, for it affects the other team’s approach to the game.

Arguably even more astonishing is the fact that, despite now being on the wrong side of 30, Messi’s goalscoring rate does not seem to have dipped at all.

Would I say that Lionel Messi is the greatest player of all time?

I would not. To me, that accolade goes to Diego Maradona; however, I have Messi second all-time behind his World Cup-winning compatriot. That said, I do believe that Messi is closing the gap with each passing year.

But, as I mentioned, where there is no debate is as a scorer. In the more than 100 years of professional football, there has never been a player who has been able to put the ball in the net quite like Lionel Andrés Messi Cuccittini.