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Last summer Lionel Messi left Barcelona to join Paris Saint-Germain, but the Argentine has had a below-par first season in France, undergoing a process of adaptation to the French culture and the style of play applied by head coach Mauricio Pochettino.

Therefore, if we look at the individual numbers achieved by Messi, we can notice a drop in relation to those of past seasons at the Catalan club.

MBP School of Coaches have looked at whether Messi's drop in form is due to the adaptation process, or if, on the contrary, it corresponds to other factors.

Analysis

1. Firstly, we are going to analyse the role that Messi has had in PSG's attack. The Argentine forward has played as a right winger in Pochettino's formation, however he had the freedom to undertake more of a playmaker's role.

Having more prominence in the build-up phase of the game has had a negative impact on his scoring figures.

In contrast to his time at Barcelona, Messi has played a more important role in the build-up phase of the game at PSG.

2. The second point to take into account is whether PSG's style of play enhances the qualities of the Argentine or whether, on the other hand, it reduces Messi's individual performance.

Although PSG have been superior to their opponents through ball possession and the quality of their players in the majority of their games, their philosophy is focused on the transition from defence to attack.

Kylian Mbappe, Angel Di Maria and even Neymar are players with speedy movement on the counter-attack. On the other hand, Messi is no longer the player who was dominant in these types of situations due to his age.

Therefore, we can conclude that PSG's style of play negatively affects the individual characteristics of Messi by encouraging quick attacks rather than a possession style of play.

3. Another factor that has affected the decline in the Argentine's individual numbers is the prominence of Mbappe in PSG's style of play.

It has happened in the past at Barcelona with Messi and Neymar, or at Real Madrid with Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema. When a team has a player who is at such a high level, this indirectly affects the individual tallies of the rest of the players, as on many occasions they orient their play to enhance the qualities of the team's star.

However, we can admit that Messi has understood his role within the team, recording a total of 13 assists this season.

4. Finally, one of the factors that has had the most negative impact on Messi is the evolution that football is undergoing. In contrast to years ago, football has become a much more physical sport which means that the 34-year-old Messi's contribution to PSG's attack will be reduced, as the physical demands are higher than ever.

Conclusion

Although the process of adapting to a new club, the new style of play and new environment has affected Messi's performances, there have been many other factors that have influenced caused the decline in his scoring tallies.

However, we will have to also observe his second season at PSG. Once his adaptation is complete and we can follow his relationship with the rest of his teammates, we will be able to make a certain conclusion.

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