No more Messi until 2014. 


This is due to a hamstring injury which has become a recurring issue for the Argentinian since last season. It was an injury which plagued his career during his teenage years yet something which people thought was something of the past. A muscle tear is a serious concern, and for many Barca fans the absence of Messi for two months could be incredibly damaging. Yet as The Whitehouse Address discusses, it may be a sign of things to come.
If you’re going to get injured and need treatment and recovery then November to January is the best time of the season if you’re a club who has already qualified for the Champions League knockout rounds and who sit three points at the top of their domestic league.
Barcelona have spent the past several years planning their season (periodization) in order to ‘peak’ later in the season. Giving Messi the opportunity to recover at this time of the season makes perfect sense in terms of preparing for the latter stages of the season.
As for Messi himself it is clear that he has been struggling with this hamstring injury since it occurred during April. With a World Cup year on the horizon and with Argentina finally playing the kind of football expected of such quality, their captain is clearly eager to lead his country to glory in their rivals homeland.
This clear obsession could be a reason for his lack of focus and top form this season. Allied with this niggling injury which evidently was a genuine concern it is evident that we are not seeing the best of Lionel Messi at this time. Perhaps a few months away and recovering will allow him to return when Barca need him most and of course for when the World Cup arrives.
In many respects therefore this injury and the timing of it suits both club and player in terms of preparation for when spring and summer arrive. However, this blog cannot help but cynical of the situation. What appears to be happening is that Barca are finally seeing that Messi is a sell-able asset, something they never comprehended before.
A coincident injury
During Guardiola's era at the club the one staple was the constant fitness, near invincibility of Messi. No matter how many times he was hacked or kicked, he got back up and played. His explosive speed was frightening and yet injuries never occurred. Many players who possess such explosion suffer from injuries; Michael Owen and Arjen Robben two notables. However Messi was given a strict diet and a personal training from one of the most respected and reputable trainers in the world.
Lorenzo Buenaventura was brought in to the club by Guardiola in 2008 and stayed until the summer of 2012. It is no coincidence that this was the timeframe where Messi's injuries were non-existent. In his absence did Messi fall back to his old steak eating ways? Did he lose focus and think about the little things? His body has reverted back to what it was pre-Guardiola and Buenaventura; weak.
For those wondering where Buenaventura is now, well he has joined Pep in Munich. This kind of micro-management of players diets and physical training is why Guardiola has been so successful as a coach. It is clear that in his absence Barca lost this kind of detail. Messi in-particular has suffered.  One wonders if Barca have taken their eye off the ball regarding Messi or if perhaps they want Messi to be injured? Could they be looking for a reason to offload him and start their 'new era'? Has Messi become too influential?
The heir apparent
The arrival of Neymar was significant, it was not a link up player for their star but the arrival of a the new star to Camp Nou. Although Neymar has subverted his ego for the club and for Messi so far it is evident that he is playing within him self in order to be accepted. However the board at Barca would expect their newly acquired star man to be more of the player he was in Brasil. With Messi in the side he restricts this, without him however Neymar can excel and be the key man he was bought to be.
Call me vindicated or a visionary but in September this blog made said this regarding Messi's injuries and Neymar;

“Perhaps Barca anticipate a difficult season for him (Messi), clearly his hamstring injury has emerged again (something Guardiola worked on to prevent impressively) and it could be that if Messi does experience more injuries during the season, Neymar will begin to take the reigns of the side and the evolution (or revolution) starts to take shape and the change looks more 'natural'.”

This statement appears vindicated and although many point towards cynicism on behalf of this blog is it really that far fetched to see that Barca actually need to move on from Messi and embrace a new era? It has happened time and time again with their ‘star’ forwards and success has continued; Romario, Ronaldo, Rivaldo, Ronaldinho, Eto’o.

They have all been key players to Barca and have all been replaced. Messi’s difference is that he has been brought up at La Masia yet the problems of his growing influence and the resulting tactical limitations of Barca were evident for 18 months before this summer.
The outside man to instil change
The hiring of Tata Martino appeared to be a pro-Messi appointment. All the signs pointed towards it. And yet he has not shown this in his coaching. Whereas Guardiola and Vilanova revolved the side around Messi like perhaps no other player in Europe, the new coach has taken a more team centred approach.
Some have criticised his new varied style which asks his players to play more direct diagonal passes to bypass the oppositions midfield. It is not the Barca who captivated the world with their tiki-taka style, yet it was clear that they had taken the style and philosophy ‘too far’. Martino was brought in to oversee change.
The man from Rosario was an ‘outside’ man who could bring something fresh to a club which had become almost too Barca. He has certainly changed the team’s style and in doing so has taken away the influence of Messi. This was necessary for the ‘team’ to succeed. And it is little surprise that Neymar and Alexis along with Pedro have contributed much more this season than the ‘supporting cast’ did last season. This is positive for Barca as success tends to be more forthcoming when the team has multiple goalscorers and does not rely on just one.
Yet while the team appear more balanced the one who suffers is Messi. After so many seasons of breaking records he has evidently dropped off in terms of scoring this season. His frustrations have been clear, whether personally or regarding how Martino is treating him. After being near worshipped by the previous coaches it does appear that the new man sees Messi as just one of the team. For a player with an ego like Messi (and yes he does possess one) this may be a difficult period for him.
The injury helps take him away from the spotlight yet also helps Barcelona prepare for life without Messi. Yes, it is more than possible that next summer Barca will cash in on Messi.
A difficult decision - selling your prized your asset
To sell your best player can be extremely damaging  for a club yet when you have a ready made replacement (Neymar) in place, and with a year of experience behind him then it makes the case for selling more understandable. Add this to Martino’s desire to add a classic centre forward to the side and it is clear that Barcelona under their new coach are moving towards the ‘norm’.
A team which almost sought to be different and unique now have a coach who doesn’t seem to value those principles. He wants Barca to be more like what other sides are. Which is why reports of Lewandowksi should not be dismissed. Martino evidently wants to see Barca adopt something of a the 4-1-4-1 of which many sides are now adopting and his vision appears a Lewandowski forward with attacking playmakers/forwards behind.
Can you genuinely see Messi agreeing to this? He has been given the freedom of the side for almost three years, he is regarded as the world’s best. Yet all the changes appear to be seeking to move away from Messi.
The truth is that change will not occur until Lionel Messi leaves the club and Neymar, like Ronaldinho can stamp his own style on the team. At this time Neymar is playing the supporting role for Messi, being the 'servant' to the star. Yet Barca did pay this money for a supporting cast member, they saw a new star for a new era. Yet for Neymar to shine, Messi needs to depart.
The injury is genuine I am sure, yet it suits everyone. The club and coach can prepare for a time without Messi and for Messi he can focus on preparing for the World Cup. After that it may all be clear what is happening at Barca. There will be no shortage of suitors for such a sublime player, yet even Barca realise when a players time is up and when change is needed.