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Tables turned on Messi as Barcelona dip

By on January 7, 2015

Let’s imagine, for the sake of example, that Lionel Messi were playing at, say, Norwich City, while Cristiano Ronaldo remains at Real Madrid. No matter who is the “better” player, Ronaldo would score more, would he not? He would have a stronger team to back him in doing so. Ronaldo would be able to create and be given more chances, and score more goals, no matter if Messi could do more in his situation. But that brings us to the issue – we’ll never be able to know what Messi could do in that exact situation.

However unreal it is, in the stalemate battle between Messi and Ronaldo in which every inch, advantage, and thus goal counts, we might be experiencing a (much slighter) version of this situation in regards to comparing the two recently. At the moment, Pep Guardiola’s Catalonian empire is struggling to float despite Messi. Now three calendar years since the Spanish manager abandoned ship, Barcelona are on their third gaffer, Luis Enrique, who looks even more lost than his predecessors. Barca went trophy-less last season, a huge disappointment given the club’s long run of success, though, as it turns out, little of the slide is inherently Messi’s fault at all. Instead, the squad around him is aging and other teams rising, learning how to play Barca. Currently Barca are second in the league, hardly in danger of dropping out if the top four or worse, but compared to the team that was just a couple of years ago, one which reached heights they, nor any other club, may reach in this era.

That was the team which won every single title they could win in one year, and La Liga four out of five years in succession, as well as two Champions League titles in three seasons in their pomp (narrowly losing in semis to two other winners as well).

In that period, of course Messi would score more goals than he is now that Barca slipping, and he did. In 2011/2012 the Argentine forward scored fifty goals in one La Liga season, a record. For three seasons in a row he scored more than a goal per game in all competitions, and between 2009 and 2013 was La Liga’s top scorer three out of four seasons. Between 2008 and 2013, Messi won four league titles, six domestic cup titles, two Champions League titles, and two FIFA Club World Cup titles. Messi had a better team around him than Ronaldo, with Xavi and Andres Iniesta backing him up in the midfield, thus had an easier time scoring goals and won all the titles. Messi was altogether more successful, and thus won all the accolades, including four straight Ballon d’Or titles. He was viewed as slightly better than Ronaldo, though of course the race was often tight.

Now, as Barcelona is fading around Messi, the tables are turned. Ronaldo’s Madrid are now the reigning champions of Europe and newly crowned FIFA Club World Cup winners, and at least ahead of Barcelona. A new “galacticos” era has begun with the likes of Toni Kroos, James Rodriguez, and Gareth Bale starring alongside Ronaldo, among a Real side currently top of La Liga. Unlike before, when he was at Manchester United and Real in Barca’s shadow, Ronaldo now has the better team and is subsequently scoring more goals, winning more titles, and accolades. Whereas five years ago critics claimed Messi relied heavily on Xavi and Iniesta behind him, the tables are turned on Ronaldo.

About Alex Morgan

Alex Morgan, founder of Football Every Day, lives and breaths football from the West Coast of the United States in California. Aside from founding Football Every Day in January of 2013, Alex has also launched his own journalism career and hopes to help others do the same with FBED. He covers the San Jose Earthquakes as a beat reporter for QuakesTalk.com and his work has also been featured in the BBC's Match of the Day Magazine.