The Spoiler attempts to explain the Argentinian’s inconsistency

A strange thing tends to happen when Lionel Messi pulls on an Argentina shirt - generally speaking, he loses the dazzling talent that made him the centre piece in Barcelona’s triple-winning season. But why does this happen? As the Albicelestes prepare for a vital clash with Peru on Saturday, Spoiler correspondent Sam Williams gives five possible reasons for his inconsistent form on the international stage…

The manager
Comparisons with Maradona are inescapable, particularly when the manager forces the iconic number 10 shirt on Messi. Before the recent World Cup qualifiers against Brazil and Paraguay, Maradona said of his star player: “We’ve been heaping responsibility onto him. He’s fast, concentrated, totally committed. He knows the chance he has.” Argentina duly lost both games.

Messi is consistently outstanding for Barcelona because he plays in a liberated, care-free manner. He knows how good he is, and if Maradona lets him get on with it, he could help dig Argentina out of the World Cup Qualification hole they find themselves in.

The formation
In the aforementioned defeat to Paraguay in Asuncion, Messi was deployed up-front in a 4-4-2 formation. For all his attacking qualities, five-foot-seven Messi isn’t an out-and-out striker and he couldn’t impose himself against the big, physical Paraguayan centre-backs. Alongside a target-man

The Albicelestes’ poor form under Diego Maradona continues

Paraguay 1/ Argentina 0
While World Cup Qualification strugglers Portugal were given a boost with a 1-0 victory in Hungary last night, Argentina saw no such change in their fortunes. Following defeat in Paraguay, Diego Maradona’s side now find themselves in the fifth-place play-off spot in the South American qualification system that is pretty much designed to give them an easy ride.

Argentina have lost four of their last five qualification games, and slip-ups in the two remaining matches against Peru and Uruguay could mean they miss their first World Cup finals since 1970. Maradona, it seems, is dealing with the pressure with his own unique brand of panicked defiance:

“As long as I have a drop of blood left, I will fight to get Argentina qualified.

“We’re not out of the World Cup.

“I’m not afraid of criticism. I’m not afraid of anybody. I’m going to continue no matter who criticises me.”

[Video: 101GG]

Awful away form continues to hinder Diego Maradona’s side

Ever since CONMEBOL first introduced their lengthy everyone-plays-everyone (twice!) World Cup qualifying system for France 1998, Argentina have coasted through - finishing first twice and joint-top on the other occasion.

This campaign, however, has been different, and yesterday’s 2-0 loss away to Ecuador leaves them just two points clear of their equator-straddling opponents in the final automatic qualifying place, with four games to go. Those include trips to Paraguay and Uruguay and a home clash with Brazil. Yikes.

The side who finish fifth meet the fourth-placed CONCACAF side in a play-off. That would usually be a limited nation like El Salvador but, thanks largely to Sven-Goran Eriksson earning his latest payoff, Mexico occupy that position.

Since arriving with the fanfare usually reserved for a Geordie Messiah last year, Diego Maradona hasn’t exactly