Argentine NT: News, Stats & Players [R]

Dybala is having better season this year than last.

All of Juventus is crap, well minus Douglas Costa and probably Mandzukic. The team can’t even string two or three passes in the midfield. Allegri tries to play Dybala as a 10, a wide forward, he’s expected to defend, track-back, create for his teammates and score 2 goals a game. Put Dybala on a team like City, Bayern, Real, FCB or any team that has a semi decent midfield, he’ll thrive. His most influential season at Juve was his first when he linked up with Pogba. Who did they get to replace him? Dani Alves was 100% correct when he said Dybala needs to get out of Juve if he wants to fulfill his potential.

For a team that sucked, Dybala still has managed nearly 30 goals in all competitions. Much of that came from his own magic, will and grit. We’d probably have to leave 90% of our players if we’re gonna say they gotta play better or they’ll go home.

Enough.

 

Another youngster that should monitored for the future is Zaracho.

And Mansilla’s gol was probably the best one of the match.

 

No dude, just no. A bunch of hattricks to minnow teams don't make his season better (and also, I think a lot of his goals were PKs and FKs). His UCL performance this year was simply appalling, except for that single great finish against Tottenham.

He was invisible in almost every single high-profile game, even in Serie A (barring, again, a single good play against Lazio).

He also isn't a very versatile player, he can't play on the wing effectively if needed like Lanzini, Lo Celso or Meza. And of course he isn't a 9 either.

As things are now, I don't have any reason to believe he will be more useful to the team than the other players of similar characteristics/position. He also doesn't have a history of overperforming with the NT shirt on (quite the contrary).

 

Agüero and Higuain don't compete with Dybala, they are 9s, not playmakers/mediapuntas. Dybala would essentially be a substitute for Messi in the NT.

(btw don't put Agüero in the same bag as Higuain, his numbers this season are pretty impressive for the relatively low amount of matches he played)

 

Let’s look at his hat-tricks this season.

Genoa- Juve win 4-2
Benevento- Juve win 4-2
Sassulo 3-0

Let’s also look at his 2 goals.
V Udi- Juve win 2-0
Hellas Verona Juve win 3-1
Torino 4-0

So, as you see these were important goals. If it wasn’t for Dybala, where the hell would Juve be?

I don’t care if Dybala isn’t versatile, he can score goals and we need players who can come off the bench and give us a goal if we need it. Do we need another Julio Cruz or Palacio like players coming off the bench. We need a player who isn’t scared to shoot from outside the box either.

 

I don't think it has to do with Juve's players. Dybala is surrounded by Costa, Mandzukic, Higuain, Cuadrado, Bernardeschi, and Pjanic yet Juve play a very reactive style when they have everything to lose. Their best game against Madrid came when the pressure was off and they just went for it. Even in that match, Juve were cruising 3-0 and yet instead of attacking the team sat back for the final 30 minutes. It feels like Allegri isn't getting the best out of his players this year.

With that said, Dybala seems like he is struggling physically which is understandable given that he was injured for 2 months in a row. Even when he has been decisive in certain important matches (Lazio and Tottenham), he didn't look close to 100%.

 

Exactly, as I mentioned earlier, Dybala has 25 goals already this season and that not good enough, then only Messi technically is good enough to be our forward.

Sure Dybala wasnt great in last few matches, so did Messi before Chelsea game, he had 5-6 consecutive games without goals . Higuain and Kun had their chances throughout 2018 qualifier, only has one goal between them before Sampaoli came in.

Its obvious that people has different expectation and standard when rating a young superstar so they're being deemed as a failure or not in great form just because playing bad in a few games.

Meanwhile other players who has been in NT for years can have 10 bad games and still have their place in WC squad.

Those Argentines at Sevilla having a bad game in CDR final, nobody bats an eye.. right? Banega is still 90% will be at WC while player of Dybala and Icardi quality still only 50:50 to be at WC.

Lo Celso had a terrible game against RM , he;s only being judged for few days and people simply already forget that.... but when Juve had shitty game, Dybala constantly being blamed for that.

 

http://mundoalbiceleste.com/2018/04...g-followed-by-argentina-coach-jorge-sampaoli/

Happy to hear this. We need someone like him in the team. Now hopefully Garay can come back...

 

Biglia is trying to make an early comeback and is trying to be back in a couple weeks. He walked off on his own will from this injury, Neymar was taking off a stretcher. As I stated, I would be shocked if Biglia is not there.

Regardless, Sampa met with Pizarro today, just in case if Biglia couldn't make it.

 

He’s monitoring Ascacibar as well.

 

Highly doubtful he’d get called. Biglia will be there in Russia.

 

Great then, we will have 2 starters guarenteed to be injured. Pipita will probably start to make Argentina a laughing stock all around the world.

I read an article which said Biglia is having a great a season scoring one goal & made 2 assists lol. Thats a great season for his standard I guess.

 

I have had very similar injury to biglia. You are never the same after that and definetly not in few months. It's insane to think he would be able to play potential 7 games. He needs to be on a lot of pain killer.

 

Maybe Sampa expecting Aguero & Biglia to pull a Maradona 90, played 7 games with swollen ankle and took painkiller...

 

I read that Biglia fractured his first two lumbar vertebrae. It was recommended by a neurosurgeon that he does minimal activities with no contact until the sixth week, and only then he could resume his normal regiment. I don't what Biglia is thinking, this could have very serious consequences on his health and he's trying to make a cup final and a tournament, which surely will be his last but at the end of the day, this is only a sport and life goes on. Rushing back is a bad idea, just look at Kun. He was rushed back from Man City and then he got injured again, which caused his surgery.

Biglia should surely miss the entire month of May and probably the couple weeks of June but are we really going to take a footballer who is coming from a two fractured lumbar vertebrae and who hasn't play in two months? I know Biglia is one of the untouchables, not by skill or merit, but does Sampaoli really see him as this important player or is there another person pulling the strings in the back? The only player we cannot replace is Messi, everybody is, we can replace.

Sampa or somebody on his staff needs to sit down with Biglia and tell him that he should just relax and rushing back is a major mistake on his part. They should just tell him that his World Cup dream is over, as tough as it is, his long term health is far more important.

The next couple of weeks are going to be interesting.

 

Aguero and Di Maria is going down to similar path as Aimar, injury after injury and becoming easier to get injured as they gets older. I remember how great Aimar in first quarter of 2006 qualifier, he scored 3-4 goals, was dominant playmaker, he even once topped CL assist table but after that injury in his last season with Valencia, he started to get injured regularly which totally affected his performance.



If Aguero and Biglia go to Russia and play, I can see similar fate as 2010. 1998 and 2006 , it has something to do with bad luck and wrong decision in QF, but this could looks like 2010 all over again... bad team which relied solely on Messi magic as the only plan.

 

I am sure this is not the right place to put this, but just to get the World Cup juices flowing.

I saw this live — imagine seeing something like this live. Love the commentary on this as well....always have. Still gives me goosebumps.

“Hero” was the best ever World Cup movie ever made.

 

lets hope for the best! Vamos Argentina

 

http://www.espn.com/soccer/argentin...hinks-argentina-world-cup-call-up-is-unlikely


No bitterness from Icardi

He rejected to play for other country and talked about pride playing for NT.

 

Not sure how true this is, but....a viewpoint:

------------------------------------------------------------

‘Serie A to blame for Dybala dip’
By Football Italia staff


Juventus striker Paulo Dybala is being held back by Serie A and should move to Spain, claims Palermo President Maurizio Zamparini.

Dybala has not scored in his last three appearances for Juve and netted just once in the Champions League this season, prompting Zamparini – who brought the Argentine to Europe in 2012 – to urge him to join one of the Spanish giants.

“When the first lot of criticism rained on him, I wrote to him and said, ‘Paulo, please go to Spain’,” he told Tuttosport.

“I’d always said that he was the new Messi, and I’ll say it again now. In terms of raw talent, [Dybala’s] the one that comes closest to [Messi].

“The problem isn’t the comparison, but rather Italian football. For him to make a step-up in quality, he must go where real football is played. In Serie A, tactics are prioritised.

“The real Dybala will be seen when [not if] he plays for Barcelona or Real Madrid.”

 

Yea he hasnt score in last 3 matches and media reacted as he havent score for 20 games straight. Before Chelsea game, Messi hasnt score for 6 matches.

Other players can fail to score and perform badly for many matches but those bad performance will be ignored because they doesnt have "new Messi" tag.

 

There is this post on Bleacherreport argueing for Argentina’s lineup in the post-Messi era. Here is the lineup they think will probably start in 2022

Rulli, Bustos, Mamanna, Conti, Tagliafico, Ascacibar, Paredes, Angel Correa, Dybala, Barco, Martinez.

Bench: Icardi, Lanzini, Pavon, Cervi


Its ideal but I think they’re overlooking many of the youngsters in La Primera and some that haven’t really clicked at senior levels yet. I could make the case that the likes of Lodico, Robertone, Palacios, Colombatto, Joaquin Correa, Lo Celso, Pezzella, Acuna, JL Gomez, Foyth, Vargas, Kranevitter and others can take any of the mentioned spots.

But its a fun arguement to look at the potential talent available to overtake the NT inthe post-Messi era. I think there is way more depth than what we have seen in the past couple of years.

 

I think Messi would be on the bench in 2022.