Argentine NT: News, Stats & Players [R]

Scaloni confirmed that the three CB will be Mercado, Foyth and Lisandro Martinez.

 

Confirmed line- up:

Armani, Tagliafico, L. Martínez, Foyth, Mercado, Montiel, Lo Celso, Paredes, G. Martínez, Messi y L. Martínez

3 at the back
Tagliafico and Montiel wing backs


Things to note:

1. Like this line- up; seems very balanced even against stronger teams.

2. Love the fact that Scaloni is using youth all over: L. Martinez, Foyth, Montiel, Lo Celso, Paredes, Lautaro, etc.

3. Lot of chance creation will fall on Lo Celso and Pity, but if Tagliafico and Montiel can run up and down and form a partnership like Messi-Alba or Messi-Dani Alves, we could be in for a treat.

4. Dybala must be doing something wrong, or just bad luck, that almost every coach ignores him from the Starting Line-up.

5. We actually have great depth in defense/midfield - Romero, Saravia, Palacios, Caseres, Ascacibar - and all young.

6. Despite me loving that Scaloni is promoting youth, rumors are that he has a thing against Aguero because Aguero spoke out against the coaching team at WC2018, which Scaloni was a part of. We really need Lautaro or whomever to consistently get the goals for us, so I would like continuity at that position. In a reverse of the past 10 years, we don’t have great depth at the Striker position.

To me, however, getting the defense and midfield in order was more needed.

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For my local league aficionados, how good are Lisandro Martinez and Montiel? I don’t watch full games, so I do not know.

 

Montiel... Dont know about him getting a start. He’s prone for mistakes. He’s got a bit of speed, so perhaps that is why he’s there. Can make recoveries. Lisandro, I don’t know much about him outside of reports and they say he’s promising.

It is a fairly young side, which is good to see. We need to try things out until we find the right balance.

 

This is why sometimes Argentina just blew their own chance away. Pasarella being a big headed and refusing to call up Redondo and Caniggia , Aguero rightfully criticized Sampaoli tactic against Croatia and was dropped in next two games. Zanetti still in top of his game in his mid 30's and the guy only played in 2 WC.

The problem with Dybala is that the team he's playing has a better #9 option. There's already Messi playing behind the #9 in Argentina so its kind off a problem where you're going to put him. We cant just field him so he can play a passanger role like Biglia always does. You cant denied the likes of CR, Icardi & Aguero are more clinical as a #9 than Dybala. Now there's Lautaro who's most likely developed into clinical #9 aswell.

The previous 6 games under Scolani has been mostly defensive and too calculated when going forward. Its good to see the defence and midfield did have some improvement but hopefully we can also improve the attacking department. We just cant defend all the time like we did against Brazil last time around.

 

I’ve been saying this for ages. It is a crying shame that he is playing for such an incompetent manager. Once he heads to a club and plays in his natural position, 30 goals a season will be a breeze for him.

It is rumored that he already said no to moving to Inter in the swap. So it appears he may be headed out of Italy, which is great.

 

A couple of points so far:

1. Pity is not good enough on current form.

2. Lo Celso and Paredes need a runner in midfield, someone like Ascacibar.

3. Mercado is slow and unaware of his surroundings.

 

We are looking better as the game has gone on

 

I hate the new kits. They just look white on TV.

 

Casi un golazo de Lautaro gracias a Messi

 

Replace Mercado with a DM in the second half, switch to 4 at the back.

 

Mercado is awful. Defense as a whole has no idea what it's doing.

 

Excllent goal. Great to see. Hopefully, this means we’ll never see Mercado again.

2-0 Venezuela.

 

Lautaro-Messi

Our defense Being cut apart like cheese.

 

Crazy idea but maybe you should try to challenge the shooter there.

 

Having to rely on just two natural forwards is a mistake. Take off Mercado and Pity ASAP. Go back to a back four. Bring in another forward.

 

We could have been down 3 or 4....Mercado is completely lost, but the only defender to come out without any hiding is Foyth.

We have no defensive midfielder helping the defense either.

Not happy with Paredes or Armani either.

 

We beat Mexico 2-0 twice with a back four. I don't understand the logic of switching to a back three.

Zaracho for Mercado please

 

We are so bad it is unreal. Absolute horror show from minute one. Take away Bolivia and we are the worst team in Conmebol by a mile.

Messi the only one capable of creating anything. There is no balls, no speed, no enthusiasm at all out there.

 

Tagliafico and Montiel as wing backs has to be questioned as well. Decent, hard-working players. But no threat 1v1 and poor crossing.

 

Stop it. You’re being over dramatic.

 

Awful but can we get a big **** you for Sampaoli? Lo Celso was excellent out there. Also, Martinez really channelling his inner Benedetto there. Obvious he has skill but not good enough to be starting striker imo. Aguero would have scored both those chances

 

Definitely, that is one thing — we are extremely slow in our attack. Which is crazy, with all the youth out there.

 

Embarrassingly poor. The press is not there. The passing is too slow. There is not enough movement.

Yes it is a new line up at the back but that does not excuse Mercado. Why not Kannemann against Rondon.

Paredes is awful as usual. Gifting the ball away and unable to think quickly enough to counter the press. Keep playing at PSG chum. Even Lo Celso looks timid and Tagliafico is unsettled diving in when he normally stays on his feet. To be honest we are lucky it's not 3-0. Set piece defending is shocking, zonal or what is it ?

And our set pieces are suicidal. Six of seven upfield allowing easy counters. Pitiful tactics. A shambles, Messi must be wondering why he bothered returning. So much work needed before the Copa. And getting player selections correct.

There is a need for experimentation sure. But why was Saravia dropped for Montiel ? He played excellently in his previous games. No Romero. Miles better than Mercado. No Asascibar. Miles better than Paredes in shielding the defence and actually offers more going forward than piddling little passes to the side and occasional often inaccurate diagonal. This is a disgrace.

 

Pity with one of the all-time worst performances I've ever seen so far.