Nonchalance is a wonderful and underused word and a consummate skill for the true exponent. And having just read a wonderful article in the Times which should have been entitled “I LOVE LIONEL MESSI WITH ALL MY HEART!!!!” but actually bore a slightly more eloquent and objective strap-line, it lead me onto nonchalant. The ability to do things with no apparent care, consideration, excitement or enthusiasm. But it only really works when its something special. Going to the office in such a manner really doesn’t count.

I realised (reading an article about Lionel Messi? go figure) that’s why I find Lila’s eating process so amazingly hilarious. Not because she systematically picks out all the carrots (which yesterday she couldn’t cram in her mouth fast enough) and simply drops them onto the floor to get to the peas underneath, so that every alternate handful of those can suffer the same fate, but because its so effortlessly care-free for her to do it. She doesn’t laugh while she’s doing it, nor even really look, she just does it, without an apparent thought nor care. Neither of which, at 11.5 months, she’s really that good at yet.

Lionel Messi is a bit older. Though not much bigger. And I’ve never seen him eat, so I can’t comment on that. But I have seen him play football. And as the debate rages as to a. is he better than Ronaldo (absolutely no doubt whatsoever) and b. is he the greatest ‘ever’ (ie Pele, Maradona, Messi), I just ignore it all and enjoy watching an absolute master of the game. Not only blessed with the most incredible ball control ever, including all of those mentioned above, amazing balance and the most incredible left foot since they were invented, he plays the game as it should be played. He enjoys himself. And best of all, he is the least likely forward ever to ‘take a dive’. Its just not in his repertoire. You push him over, he just gets up and makes you look stupid, you kick him, he ignores it. He is drawn to the goal like a moth to a light, like flies to shit, like me to Easter Eggs, and nothing will get in his way.

And its once again the sheer nonchalance of his actions that is what is so incredibly special. He just dips a shoulder and is gone, no fuss, no stupid fucking step-overs, just balance and speed and of course, end product. He scores goals. Shitloads of wonderful goals. Including 2 on Wednesday against Chelsea, putting the ball through the goalkeeper’s legs both times. And that’s Courtois, allegedly one of the best in the world.

Its also worth mentioning that Messi never gets accused of racial abuse, of biting opponents (like some of his team-mates), of spitting at little girls on the way home, or anything nasty. Just a few ‘issues’ with the tax man (case ongoing) but no-one’s perfect. Not even Lila. But Messi is about as near to perfect as any sportsman could ever be.

See, I love him too.

Happy Friday

A xxxx