About modern superstars...

[Zlatan]

I think Messi is one of the best players of the tournament thus far, even though he didn't score. You don't necessarily need to score to become an important player and he's shown that.

 

[Jaboldinho]

I think Messi is one of the best players of the tournament thus far, even though he didn't score. You don't necessarily need to score to become an important player and he's shown that.

This + 10000000000.

Seriously, it's starting to piss me off how the ignorant football press and general press here just keep on talking how Messi has yet to score, as if that's his job. He's the one who creates the goals. The Finnish journalists keep talking how he's been disappointing because he hasn't scored... Seriously, what the ****? There are other missions for players on the pitch too.

 

[Recrero152]

You seriously can't figure out why they underperform?

1. Different coach, different tactics = different instructions
2. Fatigue, playing 2 intense games every week for 10 months = no energy for the summer

Isn't it obvious why the top players that have amazing season for their teams almost always fail to deliver in the summer. While average players at the club level that barely get a game in, seem to outshine everybody in the summer tournaments?

The first theory could be a good explanation for some but it would not explain why other very good players who do very well at the season like for example Arjen Robben can play as well with both club and national team. If Robben can do it, why not Cristiano Ronaldo or Wayne Rooney? The second theory is well-explained by Xifio before and I completely agree. And I would also like to hear an example of an "average" player who has performed as excellent as you say in this World Cup.

I tell you why... because they don't give a ****. They don't get paid for playing on the national team. Only a fool puts more energy into a hobby than his full-time job. Or someone with loads of ambition. Which one of these do you think your superstars fall under?

The game's become over-commercialized. Running around with your country's crest on the jersey doesn't mean the same thing it used to. Remember this - football follows culture, no - football reflects culture. We are motivated by money, what do you think motivates your superstars? Messi, Ronaldo, Rooney - financially they are set for generations to come. They've achieved everything at club and individual level. You think they give a ****? If they don't win now, it's ok, someone of them will come back in four years and try again.

Superstars my ass. People like Jong Tae Se who cries every time the North Korea anthem is played and leaves his heart on the pitch - that's a real superstar.

Nicely said and I completely agree. I think many players just see the World Cup and their national team as a way to find better clubs to get more money and show off skills rather than to reach success for your country and win the World Cup. I think that's excatly how Cristiano Ronaldo looks at it since he clearly cares more for himself and wants himself to have a great season rather than his team. That is the best explanation I've heard so far.

 

[MelvinSmiley]

Without Messi Argentina wouldnt be as half as good. Fact and period.
Also he doesnt have that many highskilled mates in his team like he has in Barcelona. Its different to play with Veron and Teves instead of Xavi and Iniesta for example. No national team is nearly as good as the top clubteams. Cant be.

 

[Arnau]

Messi has more of a Maradona-esque playmaker role in the NT than as a right forward in Barca. He has a ridiculous amount of impact, especially when he gets double or triple marked whenever he touches the ball yet still makes plays. Even then how many ****ty tap in goals have Higuain and the other strikers have gotten off of Messi's shots?

Messi doens't play in the wing anymore in barça...

 

[daS]

football is more "team game" now .. and being a real team is really important to challenge .. its hard for players to show their best in NT's which players came from different teams playing different types of tactics.. i always wanted big tournaments like world cup, stay special for everyone but it seems we're losing it ..

Moggi told, there were 9 players in NT from Juventus while they won the cup in 2006 .. today, Italy NT has only one player from the Champions League Champions Inter cos there is not more..
If Spain is successful, its because, most of starting 11 players come from Barcelona .. they used to play all together.. And Spain uses Barça gameplan..
And England.. Premier League is maybe the biggest league but they lose their own football.. Buying foreign players will block your national players' future...

 

[Recrero152]

Without Messi Argentina wouldnt be as half as good. Fact and period.
Also he doesnt have that many highskilled mates in his team like he has in Barcelona. Its different to play with Veron and Teves instead of Xavi and Iniesta for example. No national team is nearly as good as the top clubteams. Cant be.

Are you claiming that Tevez isn't a highly skilled player? Messi has one of the best forward formation to work with in the world, he has Higuain and Tevez and both of them are highly skilled players who have done terrific this season. Messi is of course a great player but he isn't decisive in important matches for Argentina. Skillwise, you are right but I'm not sure how it would look like in real life without Messi. Replace him with Milito or Aguero since he's at a forward position for his national team and you'd still have a very strong attack and team.

 

[Recrero152]

Moggi told, there were 9 players in NT from Juventus while they won the cup in 2006 .. today, Italy NT has only one player from the Champions League Champions Inter cos there is not more..
If Spain is successful, its because, most of starting 11 players come from Barcelona .. they used to play all together.. And Spain uses Barça gameplan..
And England.. Premier League is maybe the biggest league but they lose their own football.. Buying foreign players will block your national players' future...

It is true that depending on how it goes for the country's national league, it will affect the national team but only if there are many players taken from the national team. As you say, many of Spain's players are from Barcelona and I think that this is a very negative thing because in Barcelona and in Spain, you only work with one kind of tactic and gameplay which proved it's flaw during the Barcelona - Inter Champions League semi-final and Spain - Switzerland matches. Even if things go very, very wrong with the tactics and game they play they still play the game the exact same and do not change anything. This is what caused Barcelona to lose that semi-final and lose the Champions trophy.