Messi has spent most of his international career playing down the middle. Just because Barcelona were slow on the uptake, it doesn't mean that he was forced to move to play there. It's like saying Henry was forced to become a striker. No he wasn't he's just clearly a better striker than winger. As for Shaqiri, he has excellent close control and definitely has the potential to cut it in the Premiership. Adam Johnson is another example that proves your point wrong about a player that cuts inside a lot, as was Modric and I'm sure I could list several others.
No he did not. Argentina in the Copa America 2007 had Crespo in the middle with Messi out wide. He played there until Barca moved him to the middle. Even in South Africa, Messi had Higuain as the main forward with Tevez on the other side. You say Johnson does it, but to what success? He has become very easy to stop because you can't be that predictable.
In qualifying he played behind a striker as he has done throughout the majority of his international career, as I said. If you don't think Johnson has been successful on the right then there's little point discussing this with you.
Successful in what sense? He does not get in the England or City team. He can be easily stopped by any manager with any tactical sense.
8 goals in 31 appearances last season. He's played 39 league games in a season and a half for the club, despite missing 10 weeks of last season. He's also played 6 games for England, scoring 2 goals. Not too bad for 18 months..
Wow if that is that 'success' Shaqiri is going to have when he is 24 then he better start developing and learn to move around the pitch unlike Johnson.
He's also won the FA Cup making him more successful in the last 18 months than every Spurs and Arsenal player, apart from Fabregas
Is he better than the other MF youngsters we have, Livermore, Bostock etc.? If so, fine, but we do have enough youngsters on loan I thought.
