When Neymar Junior left Barca in 2017, the Catalans were shell-shocked. Barcelona’s Samba prince, who led the club to so much glory in the past three years, was about to leave for the mere spotlight? The Barcelona attack was on the verge of losing its MSN spark. But Messi gave a response so great that he reached even newer heights. The post-Neymar era (2017-2020) was a flawed period marked by poor signings and mismanagement, but Messi single-handedly kept the Blaugrana alive in all competitions.
Messi’s Evolution as Barcelona’s Sole Attacking Force
Neymar’s story at Barcelona is one of legacy and regret. His departure did not just weaken Barca’s left wing; it forced Leo into a role he had not played since the Pep days. Messi, once again, had to become the focal point of all Barcelona’s attack. Leo now had to be a playmaker, creator, and scorer.
And boom, his numbers once again exploded like when he became the false nine. 51 goals and 19 assists in 17-18 (first season after Neymar left). Then 51 G/A in 2018-19, snatching the Ballon d’or award. Leo kept covering for an aging Suarez and an inconsistent midfield. But one man alone couldn’t do it all, as football is a team game. Opponents knew stopping Messi would mean stopping Barca, and that’s why the Catalans kept failing in Europe.
Messi Reinvented His Role to Compensate for Barça’s Flaws
Ernesto Valverde, Barcelona’s coach from 2017 to 2020, had a pragmatic approach. The man had to rely on just Messi and sit back and relax. The manager was often seen taking a doze while Leo controlled everything. Jokes aside, with Valverde’s tactics, Messi dropped deeper a lot. He orchestrated all attacks like a false nine. Once again, Messi was the player who started attacks, mostly pinging passes to the overlapping Jordi Alba and driving through defenses himself.
The 2018-19 version of Leo reached its peak in this role. Messi scored 36 La Liga goals, 13 assists, and some iconic moments of genius. It showed his impeccable football IQ and mastery. However, it also exposed Barcelona’s structural issues. Whenever Messi had an off game or was out injured, the team looked lost because others rarely stepped up.
Messi Couldn’t Replicate His Neymar Chemistry with Dembele, Coutinho, or Griezmann
Josep Maria Bartomeu Floreta, the Barcelona president in 2017, panicked when Neymar left the club all of a sudden. With the big money made from Neymar’s transfer, Bartomeu thought he could fill in the Brazilian’s spot by just throwing in money. The club recklessly signed players worth 400M Euros after Neymar left and none of them worked.
Coutinho, the Liverpool magician, proved to be a square peg for a round hole. Although supremely talented, the Brazilian just didn’t fit in Valverde’s Barca. Dembele, the youngster from Borussia Dortmund, showed flashes of brilliance. However, his injuries and inconsistency caused him to lose many precious years. Finally, when things started working, the Frenchman couldn’t resist a lucrative offer from PSG and moved in 2023. And for Antoine Griezmann: let’s say he was a world-class player who could never fit Messi’s wavelength.
Messi’s Peak Individual Brilliance in a Declining Barcelona Team
Leo, in the post-Neymar era, was as always unstoppable. However, he started becoming unsustainable for Barca. The club, with all the reckless signings done after Neymar’s exit, started becoming too broke to afford Leo.
An aging squad, billions of euros in debt, and no Plan B: Barcelona’s situation imploded in 2021, forcing their greatest asset ever to leave for free. Messi’s greatness covered over the flaws after Neymar’s exit, but one man alone can never fix a broken system.
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