LaLiga: Messi makes it a night to remember for Barcelona while Marcos Llorente is a future star

THE BEST

Lionel Messi

There’s a danger we’re beginning to understate how special Lionel Messi is simply because he does the near impossible on a weekly basis. For fans it comes as no surprise to see the Argentine produce superpowers even the Avengers would be amazed by. He’s phenomenal, sure, but what else can he do?

Seriously, that’s all we’ve got.

The closest most of us come to playing like Messi is when our four-year-old is playing football with his friends and we join in. We’re bigger, stronger, faster and no one can steal the ball from us. Now imagine doing that every week against the best footballers from around the world. It’s almost too easy for Messi and it’s his consistency which also puts him in a class of his own.

The Copa del Rey final would’ve been quite the contest had Messi not been on the pitch. He made the difference, a common line from this entire season to be fair, and when he stepped up a gear Alaves had no reply. As a defender it must be as if you’re playing against Bernard with his magical watch. By the time you’ve closed him down he’s already 10 yards nearer to the goal.

It’s borderline cheating he’s that good.

Marcos Llorente

You can see that Marcos Llorente is going to be something special. In football there’s a huge demand placed on younger players to quickly stake a claim for a first team spot. Our viewpoints are hindered by the likes of Messi, Wayne Rooney and Renato Sanches making their mark almost as soon as they penned their first professional deals. The old adage of “If you’re good enough, you’re old enough.”

We assume that if someone isn’t in or around the first team before they’re 20 then they won’t ever make it. Like spoilt kids at Christmas with presents galore, they’re thrown away without a moment’s hesitation and hope turns elsewhere. Yet we shouldn’t be so hasty and Llorente is further proof of that.

The recently turned 22-year-old is coming off a fantastic debut season in LaLiga with Alaves and topped that off with a fine performance against Barcelona. Llorente has it all. He’s strong, fast and possesses an almost sixth sense of where the attacker is going to run. Unlike other defensive midfielders there’s no malice to his play either. The timing of his tackles are impeccable. And on top of that the kid has an impressive range of passing too.

If I were Casemiro, I’d be keeping an eye over my shoulder at Real Madrid next season. Llorente is coming for your spot.

Luis Enrique

Fans have this perception that managing the biggest teams in the world is easy. There’s money to burn, you have the best players in the league and a fear factor all in your favour. Where’s the challenge, eh? I bet even Paul Merson thinks he could’ve won titles at Barcelona. The reality is the pressure on managers from the media, the board, fans and even themselves becomes too much to bear.

Luis Enrique reached this conclusion sooner than Pep Guardiola did and leaves with less fanfare than the current Manchester City chief. Perfection becomes something of an addiction but there’s so much to win and no margin for error. The slightest bump in the road quickly turns into Mount Everest and your credentials are examined under a microscope.

Winning nine trophies in three years would be considered quite the achievement elsewhere but it doesn’t feel like that for Luis Enrique. Despite being the third best manager in the club’s history, behind Guardiola and Johan Cruyff, there’s been friction between the coach and everyone else this year. Some inconsistent performances, Messidependencia, and a switch in system has seen cracks appear in media-shy coach.

The timing of his departure is about right but when the dust settles I hope everyone takes a moment to realise the fantastic job Lucho did at Barcelona.

THE WORST

Empty seats

LaLiga, and in particular its president Javier Tebas, are hell-bent on competing with the Premier League at the top of world football. There’s definitely a hint of jealously about the money in the English game compared to in Spain. Not just that but the full stadiums over there plus the quality of matches shown on TV. And if there isn’t jealousy there should be.

Unlike in England where the Premier League chairman is relatively quiet, Tebas loves the sound of his own voice. Just give him a half a chance and he’ll blow his own trumpet. Yet the images of empty parts of the stadium only further enhance the idea that Tebas is papering over the cracks. He’s attempting to build his dynasty from the top down which won’t work.

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This obsession to match the Premier League’s riches is one thing but they’re forgetting what helped make that happen: the fans. In Spain they’re trying to skip a few steps and force fans to turn up to matches. Teams receive fines if visible sections of the stadium aren’t full. There are a few problems with this but the main two are: excessive pricing for a country with high unemployment, plus dates and kick-off times with no consideration given to fans.

The corporate seats were left empty because no one could afford them. Without the fans onside you’ll never get where you want to go, Tebas. It isn’t all about keeping the status quo at the top.

Ivan Rakitic

No player encapsulates Barcelona’s form this season more than Ivan Rakitic. The Croatian international helped the team recover following the loss of Xavi Hernandez and became an ever-present alongside Sergio Busquets and Andres Iniesta. However he fell out of favour at the beginning of the season to new signing Andre Gomes.

There was a brief period of games, including El Clasico, where he returned to the starting line-up and looked good. But since signing his new deal and those games apart, he’s since struggled to find his place in the new formation. Rakitic was the weakest link in the Barcelona team which played against Alaves.

Rakitic, more than most, will benefit from a change in coach. It’s imperative the Catalan giants help him rediscover his best form. His role is often understated and the lack of a genuine alternative to Rakitic in the squad played a large part in Barça switching systems. He’s more important to the balance of the side than most care to admit.