Petit: Neymar starts crying when things don’t go his way

After a poor opening performance, the pre-tournament favourites take on Costa Rica with questions hanging over the fitness and form of their star player...

What we saw in the early part of the Swiss game was a small glimpse of Brazil’s potential, we know they can play this way. Switzerland were very courageous though and they fought for each other. Tactically, they got it right and earned a point.

That doesn’t explain to me though why Brazil didn’t play well enough to win. They couldn’t find the rhythm they normal have with their fluidity, movement and passing.

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Someone has to take responsibility and set-up one-v-ones. I can’t understand after they scored the first goal why they stopped playing? You can’t manage the score at this level, especially with a team that are good at set-pieces.

Neymar got on my nerves too – I’m a big fan of his – but he was crying on the pitch all the time. He wasn’t running, making no effort for his team and he only played when he got the ball at his feet.

I have the feeling that his Brazilian teammates tried to give it to him the ball all the time, in the same way the Argentine players do it with Lionel Messi.

Brazil’s coach Tite (L) and Brazil’s forward Neymar are seen during a training session of Brazil national football team at Yug Sport Stadium, in Sochi, on June 19, 2018, ahead of the Russia 2018 World Cup football tournament. (Photo by Nelson Almeida / AFP) (Photo credit should read NELSON ALMEIDA/AFP/Getty Images)

It’s like they believe they are always going to make the difference, but it doesn’t work like that at a World Cup. It’s not Barcelona or Paris Saint-Germain, where you can get away with that.

Neymar’s just come back from injury, he hasn’t played much before he started against Switzerland and you can see physically he just not fit enough yet.

Mentally, he didn’t look prepared either, you could see that in how frustrated he was on the pitch. He couldn’t deal with the physical contact from his opponents and he went back to the thing he did all season with PSG.

He starts crying when things don’t go the way he wants.

Brazil have so much talent and I was happy to see Philippe Coutinho have a good game for them too because I keep thinking to myself if Neymar is still not fit, does Tite, the national coach, have the power to not play him?

I hope he’ll get back to his best. But, if his teammates believe the only way to win the World Cup is to give it to Neymar, then they are very wrong.

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