Griezmann is Far From The Player He Was At Atletico Madrid – Rivaldo

Lionel Messi has to help Antoine Griezmann start scoring goals, else he’ll be another Philippe Coutinho at Barcelona, Rivaldo has said.

Rivaldo recently revealed that Griezmann’s place at the club might be under threat right now so it is up Lionel to boost his confidence.

According to him, the Frenchman is far from the player he was at Atletico Madrid and his lack of goals have not helped at all.

He added that Messi might even need to let Griezmann take PKs when Barcelona is winning comfortably just to make him rediscover his form.

His words, “Barca have won both their games since the restart, with Antoine Griezmann as a starter, but he continues to be far from the player he was at Atletico Madrid and some are wondering if he may become a ‘new Coutinho’ at Barcelona,”

“It’s harsh to start making those comparisons, but it’s up to the player to prove it on the pitch.

“The lack of goals is demotivating and damages Griezmann’s confidence, so I believe it’s important for Lionel Messi to help him.

“Messi could, for example, let Griezmann take penalties when Barcelona are winning comfortably – just to get the Frenchman scoring – just like he did with Luis Suarez in the past.”

“Barcelona beat Leganes 2-0 last night but they didn’t produce a great performance and many are still sceptical about Quique Setien’s new system. I think it’s difficult to pass judgement after just two matches post-lockdown.

“We need to wait a few more weeks to see how the team evolves. It’s understandable that their rhythm and intensity isn’t at its peak yet as they were a lot of time without playing or training.

“There are players returning from injuries and others still looking to be fit, so we must give them some more time before deciding if Setien’s system can truly work in the long run.

“At the moment, and while the quality of play is not yet at his best, the most important thing is for Barcelona to continue grabbing wins, to keep the leadership of La Liga ahead of Real Madrid and put pressure on them.”