Argentina’s reliance on ‘Plan Messi’ backfires horribly... but do they have a ‘Plan B’?

I HAVE nothing but empathy for Lionel Messi.

While I fully understand the view that great things are expected from those with great talent – it is, after all, the burden of genius – I often despair for the unfair comparisons and the vitriol that accompany any below-par performance from the Argentine playmaker.

Messi is not Diego Maradona; he is not Cristiano Ronaldo. He is Messi – he has a personality of his own; his life, his world view and his character and emotions have been shaped by his own individual background and experiences.

Maradona ate life for break- fast – you could throw anything at him and he’d chew it up and spit it out. Ronaldo may come across as a preening peacock, but it’s this very same swagger that is at the root of his competitiveness; his desire to always be the best.

Messi is an introvert – and, judging by his gloomy body language at Russia 2018, it’s evident, as it always is with a loner personality, when things don’t go his way, he retreats even deeper inside his shell. As football fans, we cannot expect Messi to respond to adversity and challenges in the same way as Maradona or Ronaldo – he is not wired that way.

He is who he is; he can only react in a manner commensurate to his character; we cannot expect him to fit into a box designed by our expectations. More importantly, the difference between the Barcelona Messi and Argentina Messi can be traced to the teammates he has around him.

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In essence, this Argentina side looks to have no direction and they certainly don’t appear to be coached very well. The game plan is Messi and nothing else, and that is essentially the problem.

Football is a team game – which is why selection and tactical considerations are crucial – and, surely, to heap so much responsibility on the shoulders of one man is tantamount to disaster before a ball has even been kicked.

If things are to change for Argentina, then it’s going to require a complete change of thinking from the bench.

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In the same breath, though, as opprobrium continues to rain down on Argentina, let’s not forget that they were beaten by a very, very good Croatia side.

In the build-up to the 2018 World Cup, the usual suspects were among the favourites – Germany, Brazil, France, Spain and Argentina – but, after that impressive display against the South Americans, don’t be surprised if Croatia go very far in this tournament. The squad is certainly good enough – and, in Luka Modric – wow! – do they have a footballer of class, capable of holding everything together!

What’s more, in reflecting on his sensational goal, he is also adept at producing moments of individual magic.

Modric’s master-class also

Page 27 sheds more light on the Messi conundrum.

Consider how the Real Madrid midfield star, as the fulcrum of this Croatian team, is able to operate: around him, he has the craft of Ivan Rakitic, the industry of Marcelo Brozovic and the relentless, unselfish running of Ivan Perisic and Ante Rebi .

Then compare that with the lethargy and indolence of the bewildered footballers that surround Messi.