Which Neymar Will We Watch Next?
“We’re creating a monster.” That’s how Renê Simões characterized Neymar in 2010. Santos faced an Atletico Goianiense side led by Renê and won 4–2. During the match, Santos coach Dorival kept Neymar from kicking a penalty. The player became irritated in a move that offended his coach. During the post-match interview, Renê also demonstrated his indignation about the player “falling” all the time. Neymar was then 18 years old, and we all already knew that some of his behaviours were not correct, although we were betting on his maturation.
Neymar grew up, conquered America, arrived in Catalonia, shone alongside Messi and Suarez, and finally conquered Europe. His football evolved, but Neymar never matured as everyone expected. Perhaps this is due to the misguided expectations we had build in our minds: that he would become a captain in the purest essence, a sober figure always in solidarity with his companions. But the truth is that this profile does not fit Neymar’s personality and style of play.
It would be unfair to say that he has not evolved in some respects. No longer is he the boy who wants the ball for himself at all times, as he began to recognize the precise moments in which it’s best to abuse his talent. At various times he rehearsed an improvement in the matter of remaining quiet, static, immobile, and of using opposing kicks and tackles as an incentive.
As for the exaggeration on the strikes he often receives, that is a delicate matter. It is difficult to define to what extent the reaction is consistent with the damage suffered. And exaggerating is a way of communicating to the referee that he must be aware of the player who commits the foul and his methods. The problem is that his fame has nullified this feature and has began to hurt him when real fouls came to be seen as simulations.
If Neymar was not the star he is, there would not be any such controversy about his game. Neymar’s big mistake is not understanding his position within the game as a whole, not understanding that being one of the top players in the world makes people expect him to act differently. I do not want to go into the merits of giving reason to Neymar or the critics. I think that they are both missing the other side. But, after getting so reduced from the World Cup, Neymar needs to demonstrate in his real value to the field.
Neymar is already a monster. I say this by the way he plays: intense, unpredictable, decisive, definitely differentiated. It remains for him to decide whether he wants to be remembered exclusively for his otherworldly football, or if he will let his behavior be a stain on his career, becoming the monster Renê Simões warned us about in 2010.
