Houllier Backs Lionel Messi

Former Liverpool manager, Gerard
Houllier, has defended FIFA’s controversial
decision to name Lionel Messi the best player at
the Soccer World Cup and explains why Arjen
Robben, James Rodriguez and Thomas Muller
were snubbed, reports Soccer-Laduma's website .
There was a global outcry from media, fans and
experts after Messi was given the Golden Ball
following the defeat of Argentina in the World Cup
final.
Diego Maradona and even Sepp Blatter were
among the surprised critics, but Houllier, who is a
respected member of the FIFA Technical Study
Group, has now defended the decision.
"I understand that it has surprised, because
everyone only remembers the second half of
Lionel Messi in the final," he told Le Monde .
"We, the commission, we look at all the games,
and we judge that he was the most important
man for his team. He went to the final, which is
one of the conditions for the attribution of the
trophy.
"Moreover, Messi was more than decisive in the
first four games. In the semi-final against the
Netherlands, he took the first penalty and scored.
“The analysis also takes into account the fact he
was the captain of a united team. A team that
played well together. That's something we hadn't
seen for a long time from Argentina.
“He was more than key in the squad and the way
it was set up. For me, he fully deserves the
Golden Ball given he took his team through to the
final."
Houllier also explained why fan favourites Arjen
Robben and James Rodriguez never really stood a
chance and that Thomas Muller had pushed
Messi for the prestigious award.
"Robben was exciting and very good, but he
didn't carry so much weight with the team. He
didn't score in either the semi-finals or the
quarters. Even though he won the penalty against
Mexico, he was much less influential in his
team's play,” he added.
"James Rodriguez stopped too soon, just like
Neymar or the other key player in the
Albiceleste's performance, Angel Di Maria. Di
Maria might have been a very serious contender
had he been able to go all the way. He was
excellent, and very creative."
“There was a competition between Muller and
Messi, but I repeat, we looked at all seven
matches. The final counted, but only at the same
level as the other games.
"Given the whole of the World Cup, the
commission was unanimous that Lionel Messi
win the trophy. I think public option was 'biased'
by the anti-Messi strategies of opposing teams,
which caused him a lot of problems. Despite that,
he almost always managed to get himself out of
them. But everyone is entitled to their opinion."
Previously the result of a poll between the world’s
press and FIFA’s Technical Study Group decided
on the Golden Ball winner, while Messi’s win was
the consequence of analysis by the latter body
solely after football’s world governing body
changed the voting process for the tournament in
Brazil.