His performances may have been integral in guiding his team to the final of the World Cup. His goals against Bosnia-Herzegovnia, Iran and Nigeria along with his assist against Switzerland may have been world class but Lionel Messi's performances haven't won everyone over. In an illustrious career Gary Lineker scored 48 goals in 80 for England picking up the 1986 World Cup Golden Boot. After winning said Golden Boot Lineker secured a move to Spain to play for Barcelona. In a three year spell Lineker played 103 games for the Catalan giants scoring 42 times winning a Copa Del Rey and a European Cup Winners Cup.
Since retiring Lineker has gone onto a glittering broadcast career that has seen him act first as a pundit and later as a presenter for BBC on their flagship football show Match of the Day. Few then are more qualified to offer an opinion on football. Writing on the BBC sport website ex-Barcelona and England legend has confessed to not being impressed with the World Cup performances of the Argentinian captain and star player Lionel Messi. Lineker accepts that Messi "is the most wonderfully gifted player since Diego Maradona" but, says that "here in Brazil, I have been disappointed with what I have seen."
Lineker focuses on Messi's lack of off the ball movement. Against Holland Lineker says that Messi was so static that he made himself incredibly easy to mark allowing the half-fit Nigel De Jong to mark him out of game.In particular, Lineker attacks Messi for failing to get into the penalty area when his team were attacking saying that the "only time he touched the ball in their box was when he scored a penalty in the shootout".
Lineker argues that Messi typically scores many of his goals by making perfectly timed late runs into the box but says that this facet of the game was absent in the semi-final.
In the upcoming final against Germany Lineker contends that Messi must perform much better if he is to have any chance of emulating Argentina legend Diego Maradona.
The BBC pundit doesn't see an Argentina victory as likely however. Talking about the Germans Lineker was highly enthusiastic commenting that, unlike Argentina who rely on Messi, German have threats throughout the team.
Lineker points out that the Germans can rely on the services of the World Cup record goalscorer Miroslav Klose, along with Bayern Munich man Thomas Muller who has already scored five goals and is a leading candidate for the Golden Boot.
Lineker praises Muller for his ability to make dangerous runs into the box and take his chances despite being "a funny looking footballer who is slightly ungainly and falls over". Lineker concludes his remarks by saying " football is a simple game: 22 men chase a ball for 90 minutes and at the end, the Germans always win."
