Pacheco another. I mean, there is too many players, they just have to prove it on the pitch. Pastore was a flat out crack at Huracán with Defederico, they were very entertaining. At Palermo, he was doing amazing things. His first season at PSG was pretty good as well. I still think he can go back to Italy and do great things. Will he ever be a part of the selección again? Maybe, a new DT can come in and play a different style, who knows. He has a world of talent, but needs to go elsewhere. Plus, stop making music videos and dancing around like a clown. I think Iturbe is improving which is positive. He can be something special. There is something special about his game as you watch him, the ball can be stuck to his foot. If he becomes a bit less selfish, I think Iturbe can be a superstar.
Lamela needs to move, Spurs only bought him to prevent the fans anger for selling Bale, so they could say "Bale's out but we got a 21 year old talent" but it's not happening because Spurs isnt team that fighting for major thropy. He doesnt play alongside world class player that could help him to grow. Messi, Ronaldo, Neymar, all surrounded and supported by world class players since they were young. Totti alone assisted half of Lamela's goal at Roma. A move to Inter would be great since that club always passionate on South American players but Spurs probably will only release him at the end of the season.
Him moving to Inter won't mean much either, plus, they have Ricky and have the rights to Botta, when he gets fit. Plus, it's not like Inter is going to win anything either, Juve is running away with the Serie A again. He has only been in England for a few months, it takes time to adapt with everything around you.
In EPL, you're expected to shine quickly or bust. The media will crucified the player. It takes Tevez 16 matches before his first goal but after that, he literally saved his team from relegation and then won major thropies with MU the next year while Aguero was an instant hit, helping City to lift first league title in 4 decades. Also, there's something different with Tevez compare to other players, his work ethic is second to none and everywhere he goes, the fans quickly love him. Lamela isnt that kind of lad. He's too nice and calm.
i really wish iturbe should be in the squad in place of lamela , that kid can be a useful sub in dying minutes
Lets not get ahead of ourselves. I have high hopes on Iturbe, but he needs to learn to be unselfish. He was very poor in the Sub 20 mundial, a couple years ago. He had a good qualifying round with some good games, but he was just bad at the championship. He believes in his own hype, which is fine, it's great to have that confidence, but he has that habit of being very inconsistent. He will score, then go missing for months at a time. I have followed him since he has made that switch from Paraguay to Argentina. I read the papers and watched the games, from what I have read and seen, is that he plays for himself at times. He is trying to improve that and has habits of it, but I hope he will grow out of it. And BTW, a sub for who? He's not going to push Lavezzi out of a spot. Sub for Kun? Messi? Di Maria? I know what you are saying, I get it, but him running away because he is getting criticized is a weak reason for you to quit. I want Lamela to succeed, trust me I do but this can do him a lot of good if he fights for it.
Like you said, Pastore was a crack when he was in Argentina. But Sabella obviously did not like what he saw in training. I mean Salvio was getting picked ahead of him (this was when Pastore was in his first year with PSG). But I think he'll end up being like a sort of D'Alessandro. Both very talented but for different reasons won't find themselves with the National Team. D'Alessandro was probably more his attitude (and competition from Riquelme and Aimar) while Pastore is just him wasting his talent away. If Iturbe can continue to grow, the kid will be really good. But he reminds me a bit of Di Maria in that his futbol IQ isn't very high (Di Maria has much improved in that regard). He'll just go on suicide runs and pass when he should shoot and shoot when he should pass. But his loan move to Italy seems to be going great for him. That's actually one guy I would want playing for us and not for Paraguay.
I hope Pastore finds his feet again, he can help a team. Middle of a table team that is fighting for Europe will do him good. Going back to Italy will do him a lot of good. I think he is a bit too slow to play the style of English game, he knows how to get the ball away quickly but I don't see it. Not sure if an Italian team will pay his wages and not sure why he would want to take a pay cut. English teams can, but again, style of play. PSG just grew too quickly and too fast. Slight off topic, as for the D'Alessandro, Aimar, and Riquelme, my favorite was Muñeco Gallardo, he was the best player in France, won Monaco a title, he was a damn good player, fell in a strange era with so many gifted players in. I recall vs the England game in 98, he came in on as a sub, and there was one sequence where he was ripping apart the English.
I know that flaco's agent is trying to find him a loan in Italy but nothing. I didn't mind Gallardo, but like you said, he was in a strange era. There was no way he was going to go in front of D'Alessandro, Aimar and Riquelme. Even Aimar wasn't given a fair shot with Argentina. We had so many playmakers to pick from, it really was strange. I don't know what the deal is with Botta and Inter. I know he's injured and I think he's on loan, but he could do well with them. Really tricky player. Alvarez is a good squad player to have but shouldn't be a starter with us. Also, am I the only one who would take Zanetti to the World Cup? He can play as left back better than anyone on the team, despite his age. I know he came back from a very bad injury and he probably won't get called-up, but the amount of experience he would bring and the fact that he can actually defend and do well as a left back, has to be noted.
Botta is on loan with Livorno, I believe Inter had bought out 6 months of his contract after his injury. Pupi for the world cup? That injury he sustained, the same that Kobe got, I hear, it is probably the worst injury an athlete can really get. There is ACL which is basically a year, but I hear ripping the achilles tendon is just brutal, and at his age, who knows. I'd still give Orban another look. I know Zaba can play both sides, he is more effective on the right, but if you put him on the left, and slot Peruzzi (who I believe by the winter break was leading the Serie A in tackles) on the right, we can get something there. I love Pupi, the man is pure class, I just do not know how he can play 7 games in a short period. A little hockey reference for you, Teemu Selanne, will be going to his 6th Olympics. If Pupi goes to the WC, it will be his 3rd, but if he was picked for 06 and 10 and goes to 2014 it would've been his 5th.
we didnt used pupi in 06 and 10 , now i think we are ok with out him. zanettis natural position is RB , we do have zabaleta who is the best RB in premier league right now and hugo as a back up to him. so i personaly dont feel him to be in the squad
True but now the major problem is, if the coach is not going to play him after 1-2 bad performance... no matter how long he stays there, it's not going to make him evolve. Tevez didnt score in his first 16 games, but there's always preasure and trust from the supporters to keep playing him. This is not the case for Lamela, and sitting on the bench will not makes him grow as a player. As for Zanetti, didnt he play in all games in Copa 2011? I believe that was his last chance to help the NT to win something but sadly the team was so bad circa 2009-2011, even though he didnt play bad in that tournament, I recall his volley helped us to unlock Costa Rica defence which was needed to advance . Speaking of bad injury...Ronaldo Luis came back from serious knee injury to win a World cup, but that scenario most likely will happen to Messi this year rather than Pupi.
Thanks to Diego, winning treble means you have to sit at home with Cambiasso watching Daniel Garce lighten up the tournament.
Gallardo is a personal favorite of mine for obvious reasons, he should have gone to the 2006 World Cup. He was amazing during the 2003-2007 period before his semi-retirement in MLS. He didn't have the speed of Aimar, but his free kicks were far more deadly, and unlike D'Alessandro, he always offered goals. Any River fan will always have a lot of love for Gallardo... He was given quite an ovation in august and Ortega's farewell match... He will be the next River DT after Ramon leaves IMO 1996 2009
Yeah, Gallardo was better than either Aimar or D'Alessandro. He would have been great as the back up to Riquelme at WC06, would have sustained the lead against Germany in the quarterfinal match.
whatever happened to Garce? i thought he was a going to be a force in the international scene after Diego kept out zanetti from the national team i agree with the prior statement that zanetti is probably the best option at 40 at LB...what a crime to have kept him off 2006 and 2010 teams...
According to Sport, Barcelona and Real Madrid are both going after Iturbe. Hellas Verona bought out his rights from Porto for the 15ME, so now they are looking to cash in. I doubt he will play right away for either team, they will buy him and send him out to loan, as he is/was doing now.
I think RM is planning to sell Benzema but certainly they're not chasing Iturbe for his replacement. He has a good season with 8 goals and the kid is only 20. Whatever happens I just hope his move doesnt cost him his game like Lamela move to Spurs. Its also reported that Barcelona also interested on Iturbe, they're about to sell Alexis and Tello.
If Maxi only knew then what he knows now... It's like being in the room with baby Hitler, what would you do?
Should Enzo Perez leave Benfica remember Racing's Luis Farina ? He is set to replace him after being sent to the desert. Iturbe, Lamela all remain very viable candidates for the future. The former is maturing as a player in building his team play which his spell in serie A taught him. Lamela with a full pre-season, fully fit a coach who believes in him. gets the best out of young players, is a fellow Argentine will unlock that class he always has had. In the long run such an experience can be a formative one adding character to Erik.