Player Focus: Well Rested Messi Set to Shine for Argentina

Lionel Messi joined a long line of ‘New Maradona’s’ when he made his Barcelona debut almost 10 years ago. The likes of Pablo Aimar, Javier Saviola and Ariel Ortega, amongst others, have all been mooted as the successor to one of the all-time legends of the game. However, while the trio failed to live up to those great expectations, to a certain extent at least, Messi has all but proven his worth as the natural heir to the throne of Argentina's national hero.

The similarities between the two players were evident early in Messi’s career and it’s fair to say the attacker has earned the mantle bestowed upon him by fans and pundits alike. However, some feel the Barcelona ace is yet to overshadow the exploits of his compatriot and former manager as he has failed to win the World Cup.

Maradona lifted the trophy in 1986, captaining La Albiceleste to glory, though the tournament is perhaps best remembered for his 'Hand of God' moment against England. Now, ahead of Brazil, Messi is presented with the opportunity to match Maradona’s exploits on the grandest stage, a platform upon which he has somewhat underperformed in the past.

Argentina fans have regularly stated that Messi performs better for club than country and 37 goals in 84 international appearances adds weight to the critics' argument when compared to the 26-year-old’s goalscoring exploits for Barcelona. Having given his all for the Blaugrana in the past, Messi has, at times, come up short in competitive action for the national side.

While he became the youngest Argentine to play and score at the World Cup in 2006, before being voted young player of the tournament at the 2007 Copa America, his performances at the 2010 and 2011 editions of the respective competitions left a lot to be desired. Led respectively by Maradona and Sergio Batista, the pairing failed to adopt a system that brought out the best in ‘The Flea’ the way Pep Guardiola managed to during Barcelona’s reign of dominance across Europe.

Much of that though could have been down to fatigue after a long season for his club. Over the last five league seasons, Messi only played more minutes in the 2011/12 campaign for Barcelona (3268) than in the 2009/10 (2840) and 2010/11 seasons (2858). The summer following the latter two campaigns saw Messi turn out for Argentina at the World Cup and Copa America without a real chance to rest.

However, last term Messi played his fewest minutes (2504) in the league for Barcelona in the last 5 seasons and there is the possibility that he may return to his best form following a spell on the sidelines. The Argentine suffered a hamstring tear in Barcelona’s 4-1 win over Real Betis on the 10th of November and failed to play again until their 4-0 Copa Del Rey victory over Getafe on the 8th of January.

Messi made a goalscoring return to action in the win over the Madrid based outfit and he continued his fine form between then and the end of the season. While Barcelona failed to land a trophy last term, the attacker impressed in the second half of the campaign. From a personal viewpoint, his injury was a blessing in disguise.

His WhoScored rating (8.34) before his hamstring problem improved upon his return (8.46) to league action, while Messi also scored more goals (20) and registered more assists (7) in the second half of the season than the first (8 and 4, respectively). Granted, he featured more after injury to help boost his goals and assists return, but many believe he began to play at his best following a disappointing start to the campaign by his astronomically high standards.

Accordingly, Messi averaged more key passes (2.8), dribbles (4.9) and shots per game (5.3) after his injury than before (1.8, 4.2 and 4.9, respectively) and won 10 of his 14 WhoScored man of the match awards in 2014. His spell in the treatment room was the opportune time to recuperate, all the more so when considering it coincided with the winter break. With no pressure to perform and a chance to spend time away from the game, Messi profitted tremendously and he will be looking to continue his fine end of season form in Brazil.

Having installed Messi as captain, Argentina head coach Alejandro Sabella will be hoping the Barcelona star can replicate his club performances for his country and skipper the national team to World Cup glory. Sabella has altered his favoured 5-3-2 to a 4-3-3 to bring out the best in Messi, though that can quickly become a 4-2-4 should he drift inside and Ángel Di María break forward from midfield. It’s a system similar to Real Madrid, with Messi operating in the same position as Gareth Bale; the duo preferring to start on the right and cut onto their left-foot.

This not only allows Messi to utilise his outstanding shooting ability, but makes him harder to track. His inclination to cut inside will draw defenders out of position, allowing Dí María to overlap and expected strike partners Gonzalo Higuaín and Sergio Agüero to drift across the frontline to find pockets of space to hurt the opposition.

The likely attacking trio - Messi, Higuaín and Agüero - have netted 292 times in league competitions between them since the 2010 World Cup, so there are a hatful of goals between the three players. However, the spotlight is set to focus on the Barcelona star in Brazil with the weight of expectation of a nation resting on his shoulders. Maradona captained Argentina to World Cup glory in 1986. Now is the time for Messi to replicate the feat and establish himself as the best to have ever graced the game.

Do you think Lionel Messi can fire Argentina to World Cup glory? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below

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