'He hit the post 10 times' Herrera backs Messi after debut season at PSG

The Argentine icon finished his first season away from Barcelona by winning the Ligue 1.

Lionel Messi should not receive criticism for his declined goalscoring stats at Paris Saint-Germain, according to his teammate Ander Herrera.

The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner left Barcelona after 21 years to continue his career at PSG. In his first season at Parc des Prince, Messi scored 11 goals in his 37 appearances across all competitions.

Compared to previous seasons, Messi’s stats are, at best underwhelming. But Herrera believes the high expectations shouldn’t undermine Messi’s decent debut season.

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“You are asking for 50 goals per season,” Herrera told AS. “From there, if he doesn’t score them, people talk.

“Nor should we forget that Leo has had the all-time record in Ligue 1 – he has hit the post 10 times! If he had scored 10 more goals, it would [have] been a very good season for Leo.

“But for me, he is the best of all time, without any discussion. Now I admire him even more for how he manages his day to day life with total humility, [and] always with a smile for people.”

Asked about Messi’s partnership with Mbappe, he added: “Kylian can get a lot out of Leo. He is going to put the ball in the right place and with his speed he will go toe-to-toe with the goalkeeper, where he is lethal.

“Perhaps Messi is no longer [needs] 50 goals at the present time. It’s like Cristiano [Ronaldo], they never lower their level.”