Antoine Griezmann's Barcelona career has never taken off much, despite the early success. There was a genuine lack of understanding between Messi and Griezmann, that has frustrated everyone. But are all of these finally changing for good?
For Barcelona Fans and team, the most important sight to see last night was the linking up of Lionel Messi and Antoine Griezmann on the pitch. That was something the fans were desperately waiting for. From the time the club announced the signing of the French, Barcelona fans have been waiting for the 'Messi-Saurez-Griezmann (MSG)' to take off.
From the time Neymar left Barcelona, the fans were waiting for a new trio to take over from the MSN legacy. The MSD, which stands for Messi, Saurez, and Dembele never took off as Dembele couldn't match the expectation nor could he stay fit. The arrival of Griezmann brought the MSG trio, but that remained a pipe dream till last night. Maybe they have found a way out!
Griezmann's Struggling to Understand his Role at Barcelona
Griezmann expected everything to slot in perfectly the moment he starts to kick the ball in Barcelona. That was a foolish expectation he had, looking at the way he started and the comments which followed. The initial period did appear good, but things started to change the moment Messi came back from injury.
The French was failing to understand his role in Barcelona and appears to have an illogical expectation that the team would adjust to his likings. This is Barcelona! Here everyone adjusts to what Messi wants, and there is a good reason for that. He is that Good.
So it was that clear that Messi will still play in his favorite role and Griezmann will not have the freedom of roaming to the center. And it made sense also, as Messi is a far better creative player than Griezmann. Still, he did, creating utter confusion between the Argentinian and Griezmann. Despite his work rate, these two couldn't find a way to connect.
The other option for him was to occupy the center forward role, but then Luis Saurez had other plans! Even though he sounded like he was ready for being a substitute and fine with the idea of the club looking for his successor. The Uruguayan was not giving up his position without a fight. And he literally displayed so far the season that he remains the best Center forward in the club.
Is the Performance against Dortmund mark a Turning Point for Griezmann?
Then came last night's match against Dortmund, where suddenly Messi and Griezmann was connecting. It was a joy to watch Messi looking for Griezmann at all the time. So what changed? Like ESPN FC's Alejandro Moreno describes in the video below, he decided to remain on the left and be available for Messi, especially when Messi moves into the center.
It's not rocket science, that was what Neymar realized in his time at Barcelona and did. And that was the reason why Messi and Neymar had a telepathic connection. Neymar understood his role at Barcelona, the role of playing the trusted lieutenant to Messi. He also demonstrated the perks associated with it. Messi made Neymar a better player supporting him, something Neymar is desperately craving now.
For the first time, Griezmann looked like understanding that aspect of the role. For the time being, he needs to keep doing what he did last night. Stay available on the left and once the telepathic understanding is built you could see the switching happening between these two.
He may lack the speed of Neymar but still, he could do well by remaining where Messi wants him to be. Once Alba is back, the combination of Alba and Griezmann could make up for the loss in pace. And additionally, his work rate means the midfield will have one more person to turn when they are in trouble.
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