Paris Saint-Germain forward Lionel Messi has continued to turn around his form as of late, but for former World Cup winner Bixente Lizarazu, he wants to see the Argentine find his place within the club.
In speaking to Telefoot, Lizarazu touched on why Messi still needs to fully adapt to playing at PSG following a lengthy run at Barcelona.
“We are excessive with Messi,” Lizarazu said. “I think we must not forget, even if it is Messi, that there is an adaptation time. It takes at least six months. Messi is 20 years at Barca, a city, a club, habits, the game that was also centered on him. He is in a new club, he has a new partner, and he took time to return to his best level.
“I think his adaptation must be done. And we must find the best Messi. Against Saint-Etienne, we found his technical finesse and his qualities as a passer rather than a striker. That’s what’s missing today, even though he scored five goals in the Champions League.”
As Lizarazu touched on, Messi orchestrated a keen performance in PSG’s recent Ligue 1 fixture against AS Saint-Etienne. The Argentine forward recorded a pair of assists, as he upped his assist count in league play this season to 10.
Messi has been a regular for PSG in all competitions as of late, which comes after he missed multiple key matches over the first half of the season.
Next up for the Argentine and PSG will be a crucial league encounter with OGC Nice.
