Messi,Redefinition of greatness.

People often talk about great players and I have always thought the definition was someone who consistently delivered in major tournaments, making the difference in World Cups, Champions League trophies or league titles.

In our league, think about how Robin van Persie dominated the early part of the season, winning the games for Manchester United that provided the foundation to be 12 points clear now; think back to this time last year, when Yaya Toure took the title race by the scruff of the neck and dragged Manchester City over the line.


Barcelona’s Argentinian forward Lionel Messi receives the FIFA Ballon d’Or award during the FIFA Ballon d’Or awards ceremony at the Kongresshaus in Zurich on January 7, 2013. AFP PHOTO
But, for me, greatness was re-defined on Wednesday (April 3) night. I’ve been around a few people who have an aura and a presence.

When I was a 19-year-old professional at United, Bryan Robson would walk into the changing room and change the atmosphere. Sir Alex Ferguson can do the same.

Eric Cantona had that kind of charisma about him. I suppose I would have said previously that a sign of greatness is when someone walks into a room and everyone looks up.

But I’ve never seen nor been in a stadium where the impact of a player was as great as the Nou Camp on Wednesday night.

I was watching quite possibly the worst Barcelona performance of the past four years, against Paris St-Germain in the Champions League. It was so lethargic.

And that extended to the crowd, who seemed to lack any sense of the occasion. In fact, at half-time I said PSG would score, that Barcelona would become ragged and lose the game by two or three goals.

Then, all of a sudden, this 5ft 6in bloke, who has an injury which means he can’t run, enters the pitch.

And you could hear, see and sense everybody in the stadium being utterly changed. From the fans, who suddenly found their edge, to the Barcelona players, who started to create chances straightaway, and, perhaps, most of all, to the PSG players, who were mesmerised.

They changed from a team that looked as though they could win comfortably into a team without belief. It wasn’t as though there was a mere tactical or technical difference. It wasn’t something physically you could point to.

It was felt as though something spiritual had happened. You really had to be in that stadium on Wednesday  night to appreciate the magnitude of Lionel Messi and the impact he can have.

For the first half, he was on the bench injured but in the managerial position, right at the end of the bench, as though in control. In the second half, I was watching him and he got up on his own to warm up when PSG scored after 50 minutes.

There was no instruction. He simply got up and almost brought himself on to the pitch after 62 minutes.

His influence at the club seems that great. He walked on rather than run. In fact, he could hardly move.

He was caught offside twice early on and couldn’t track back. He clearly couldn’t work himself into a sprint.

But in one moment he attracted three players to him and performed what I can only describe as a ‘Velcro dribble’, where the ball sticks to his feet.

Then he went past two or three players and saw the pass to David Villa. And don’t get me wrong: David Villa and Pedro still had a lot to do to execute the finish.

It wasn’t as if the goal was handed to them on a plate. But it was Messi who had changed everything to bring about that chance.

Messi’s presence alone, even when injured, took his team to a different level. I have never seen that before and it was special to witness.

I would say a player who can change an entire stadium and turn a match around simply by walking on to a pitch redefines greatness.