The One Man Show 2021 - Lionel Messi

It's Coutinho and he's got another one. It's eight and it's absolutely embarrassing. Messi looking around thinking, I miss Iniesta, I miss Xavi, I miss Puyol because those guys aren't there for them anymore. He's probably thinking I've got another year or two left in my career at that kind of level. But does he want to spend it in that shirt at that club given the performances and the way the squad is looking at the moment in comparison to other teams around Europe. So it's a big question I'm sure that he'd probably be thinking about. I told the club, especially the president, that I wanted to leave. When you're a footballer of that type, you need to be happy. When you've got Lionel Messi enjoying his football, then his football is at its best. And here is this man Lionel Messi who just never seems to tire. What do you do to stop him? Lionel Messi controlling everything about the front third of the pitch and he's the key man always. Lionel Messi, Messi's run, Messi's pass, Messi's running, Messi! Messi! Messi! Messi! Messi! Messi from distance! Oh no! It couldn't be! Again Messi arrives! Astonishing like only Lionel Messi can. The ghost in the machine of football. Lionel Messi takes it on himself this time, and what about that? That was just a thunderbolt. My goodness, mate, have you ever seen a football hit that hard? It's absolutely brilliant, isn't it? That strike had a little bit of frustration in it, a little bit of anger, but... And a little bit of genius. And a majority of genius. And it's just great that we get to sit here and watch it. And I just hope it goes on for many, many years to come. Pontichott backed away. Here's Messi charging in. Messi with help. Messi! Messi! Again! The personification of nothing less than genius! And Messi continues his pyrotechnic football ensure. And it looks like a skirt to boot. Messi goes through! Hits the bullseye! I'm talking! He brings out his Mars Wallace bouncing bomb here. The dam buster that is Lionel Messi. Where the impossible becomes the predictable. And where the insane becomes the expected. He's got that cheeky smile on his face. He's having fun. Really enjoying his football again. Look at this balance. Fantastic. Dribbling. Emergencies. Messi to the inside. The heel flick by Braithwaite. Medea gets a hand to this one. But Messi will not. But the commentator's curse comes alive. And Barcelona fans are ecstatic about that. Drops it for Messi. Who tiptoes through and chips it home. A brilliant run. Messi being Messi. Messi just dancing around. Messi drives to the 18. Messi parks it in the back of the net. This shot again grows eyeballs all the way from the left foot. Extravagant from Messi. Messi onto his left foot. Messi! Well, it didn't take him long. It was sent on with the task of rescuing Barcelona. And he's done it already. A fierce strike into the near post. And Messi back to his best. Messi. Oh, a nutmeg. Oh, that's wonderful from Messi. Can he finish it off? Danilo came across. He had to get the balls for goal. And that swung into the far post. Messi dummies Griezmann berries. Well, that's the magic. Clever dummy by Messi. Can I ask you to explain that to me? Look at that low centre of gravity. Keep possession so well. Slalom's to his right. Dances past the defence. Oh, he's missed it. Madness of Messi. This is insane talent. Where the unexpected becomes the guaranteed. Where the impossible becomes the routine. Messi starts it as a dream ball. The ball is so weighted to perfection. How the hell Messi sees this one? Strikes for the corner. And it's in. Absolutely perfect. And there is no denying. The ball's out of our gear. With his left foot. Stratovarius plays the sweetest music, man. Don't look at him. For him in the X's and O's. He doesn't live there. He lives in the magnetic spectrum of genius. Chelsea for Messi. 1-0. It's lovely work to find Messi. And Messi buries it. Looks like a masterpiece. Magic to do it. The drop-off between the best of Barcelona in a game and the worst of Barcelona in the same game is so significant. It's so steep. The difference between the highs and lows is so significant. Gerard Piqué cannot defend. Sergi Roberto cannot defend. Sergi Busquets cannot get close to the ball. You see this team desperate to try to hang on to the game and they simply can't. And there it is. Atletico Madrid are champions. They have done it. If the team is too much relying, basically, it's because the number of good players around Messi are not good enough. The gap between Messi and who's going to be next. That's what I mean. For the next two, three years, you can't see them being successful. No, you can't. These next two years where he's still going to be, he's going to have the power to influence games the way he does. Is he going to want to be doing that, really not really competing for the big titles? I don't know. But it hurts me more when people doubt my love for this club because whether I leave or not, that's never going to change.