Emmanuel Petit has offered his view on Lionel Messi’s World Cup so far and has delivered some pretty harsh words about the Barcelona star.
Messi has yet to find the back of the net in Russia for Argentina with Jorge Sampaoli’s side having managed just one point from their opening two games.
Petit, who helped France win the 1998 World Cup, says that Messi needs to show more leadership qualities on the pitch, particularly when the chips are down.
“He’s not a leader. He’s no Ronaldo in that regard. Messi is one of the best players ever, but he needs to show that mentality,” he said.
”He needs to wake up! When things go well with Barcelona he’s a terrific player.
”We’ve seen it in the Champions League though, when things don’t go well, he can disappear on the pitch.
”He’s not there anymore. He’s not running, he’s walking. He’s not concerned about the ball. Come on.”
Source | Goal
Nigeria’s win over Iceland on Friday means Argentina are still, somehow, very much alive in the tournament despite their awful showing against Croatia.
The team play Nigeria in their final group game on Tuesday and a win would secure their place in the last 16 provided Iceland don’t beat Croatia by a few goals.