Karim Benzema has backed Lionel Messi to be a massive hit signing at Paris Saint-Germain despite his slow start to life at the club.
Messi has netted just once in Ligue 1 so far for his new club and it comes in the aftermath of Jamie Carragher questioning the star’s high-profile summer transfer to PSG from Barcelona.
The former Liverpool defender and Gary Neville had excluded Messi from their team of 2021 with his switch to Paris being questioned, leading Messi to message Carragher and allegedly call him a 'donkey'.
Carragher did indeed stick up for Messi during a heated debate with Neville back in September when the former United defender was putting his case forward that Cristiano Ronaldo was a better player.
Yet the Sky Sports pundits does not believe his move to the Parc des Princes has worked out as was hoped.
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Messi has been defended by Real Madrid striker Benzema, who has claimed that those who doubt him and his ability to succeed ‘know nothing’ about football.
The Argentine superstar has netted five Champions League goals this campaign for Mauricio Pochettino’s side but his struggles domestically have ramped up scrutiny over his form.
Benzema told TF1: “How won’t he succeed? It is just a period of adaptation because he is not scoring a lot of goals.
“But watch what he does on the pitch.
“In any case, you cannot criticise a player like that, he who criticises Messi, knows nothing about football in fact!”
Those quotes come in the aftermath of Carragher revealing that the PSG star had messaged him on Instagram following his comments on the player.
The ex-Reds defender explained on Friday Night Football that he had been approached by Messi after questioning his summer move and subsequent form.
Carragher : “No Messi. We had that debate at the start of the season, Ronaldo or Messi?
“I was the Messi man. He [Neville] was Ronaldo, but unfortunately, even though he’s...
Neville : “He’s not happy with you is he, Messi?”
Carragher : “No, he’s not happy with me at all.”
Neville : “Why?”
Carragher : “I had a little pop at Ronaldo early in the season. I didn’t think it was a great signing for United. And I said the example of Messi. I didn’t think Messi was a great signing for PSG…”
Jones : “That was on Monday Night Football wasn’t it?”
Carragher : “Yeah, it was on Monday Night Football and I got a private message on Instagram…”
Jones : “From the man himself?”
Carragher : “From the man himself. I will not be showing private messages, but he basically called me a donkey.”
Jones : “So he watches his football then?”
Carragher : “He watches Monday Night Football, so hopefully he’s watching Friday Night Football as well, because Lionel I absolutely love you. The greatest player of all time – and compared to you, I was a donkey, I accept that. But you’re not getting into this team.
“You haven’t played well enough, even if you did win the Copa America in the summer. It’s not enough to leave my man out, Mo Salah.
Carragher’s team of the year: Gianluigi Donnarumma; Trent Alexander-Arnold, Ruben Dias, Giorgio Chiellini, Leonardo Spinazzola; Kevin De Bruyne, N’Golo Kante, Marco Verratti; Kylian Mbappe, Robert Lewandowski, Mohamed Salah.
Neville's team of the year: Gianluigi Donnarumma; Joao Cancelo, Leonardo Bonucci, Giorgio Chiellini, Leonardo Spinazzola; Joshua Kimmich, Jorginho, Marco Verratti; Mohamed Salah, Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbappe.
