It sounded like a nice story. Guillermo Hoyos, the man who was a father figure for a teenage Lionel Messi in Barcelona, would coach the superstar Argentine at Inter Miami. But Hoyos, 63, is now spearheading one of Inter Miami’s worst stretches since it entered MLS in 2020.Hoyos’ side is winless in five matches, including Leagues Cup, where Inter Miami failed to advance from the group stage. The team has looked inept on defense during that time, conceding 12 goals, some due to poor fundamentals and a lack of awareness, others in comical fashion.The question now is whether a decades-long Messi ally and close family friend can be fired for poor performance. Miami has had alarming results before, but it is how this team is losing under Hoyos that should raise a red flag at the club’s Fort Lauderdale facility. Inter Miami is tactically bereft, with a style of play that relies heavily on Messi rather than a collective strategy.Miami is currently second in the MLS Eastern Conference table, but that’s hardly a reason not to worry. The club is 10 points behind first-place Nashville SC, a team that throttled Messi and Co 4-1 on Aug. 15. And Miami’s Leagues Cup performances were forgettable. What has been memorable are Hoyos’ excuses and constant need to idolize Messi rather than coach him.“There are no words,” Hoyos said about Messi’s goal and assist in Miami’s 4-2 win over Atletico San Luis in Leagues Cup on Aug. 5. “The boys were showing me the first goal he scored. Those of us who have played football know what it’s like. If we were talking about painting, (Messi) would be Picasso.”Lionel Messi controls the ball during a Leagues Cup match against Atletico San Luis. (Rich Storry/Getty Images)Every coach who Messi has had at the elite level has praised him unconditionally. Pep Guardiola, Mauricio Pochettino, Luis Enrique and others have separated Messi from every other player on the planet. Former Miami head coach Tata Martino regularly referred to him as the best player in the world. That’s all fine. But Hoyos has taken his allegiance to new heights.