Argentine NT: News, Stats & Players [R]

He would get chased out of Napoli by a mob. The man has little respect for the tifosi there. Running off (well waddling) to their chief rivals. The man is a player of the past. Embarrassing he is still peddling his frailties in the national shirt. If it's for Corruption FC I couldn't care less. A pity he cannot retire from the seleccion. Preferably today.

 

Yes ,sorry wrong typo, I mean Pipita. What I mean with cult followers is that small group of fans that always believe he's the best striker no matter what. Its like bad bad movie that completely fail at box office, gets a bad reviews everywhere but always maintain a small group of passionate fanbase.

 

Most non clinical 9 in Argentina history.

 

Next game Masch will become the most capped Argentine player.

 

I think this moment, 15 days on the eve, becomes the time to support all of our "convocados", no matter their faults and past histories. Higuain is a world-class forward, and let's not forget he has as many WC goals as Messi. I also would have liked Icardi to have made the cut, along with Higuain, but that's Sampaoli's decision and from here on now it should be about Argentina.

Here's a prediction, Higuain to score three goals at the tournament.

 

Let´s hope all goes well, I want nothing more than to see Messi lift the throphy, and why not? This team that got to 3 consecutive finals in the last 4 years to finally win the whole thing.

But mostly Messi

 

I’ll support the shirt no matter what but he is beyond delusional. Even before the list of 23 came out he was talking about him wanting to be the top scorer of the World Cup. He knew his place was secured and no matter how piss poor he was, he’d still gets a call. We can have players out perform him and no matter how much he sucks, he gets a call. Maybe, if he didn’t have this comfort, he’d work harder and make himself a better player. This is what infuriates many of us. M

I do hope he scores 10 goals at the World Cup, and helps us win a third star, but as the old saying goes a leopard cannot change its spots.

 

On The Positive...

Pipita did make a nice run on the second goal, took a second touch when it looked like he was going to cross, then supplied a beautiful chip to Lo Celso... who headed it down, but at the keeper, and then Messi was there to clean up the mess for a clinical tap in from short range.

If Pipita doesn't score a single goal, but gets a "hockey assist" in each game, I will be fine with that. However, if he doesn't get an assist (hockey or otherwise) and he flubs a beautiful pass for a sure goal and we lose in OT/a Shootout...

Well, then they should make a statue of him and then toss it into the smelliest section of the Riachuelo.

 

Him and Biglia will always earn automatic spot for major tournament. Higuain has done literally nothing since scoring one goal against Peru in 2016. Aguero clearly should start and then Dybala as his sub.

If Sampa dropped Icardi because his miss against Ecuador (which he only played few minutes) , then it doesnt make sense he'd not drop Icardi after 3000 misschances.

 

I think that Icardi looked a little disconnected when he finally got his chances with la selección and that Sampa was looking for any reason to not take him, because Messi obviously loves Higuaín and dislikes Icardi (because of off-the-field issues).

I really feel that Biglia's inclusion is the most damaging inclusion in the final 23. Mascherano cannot play every match and will get slower and slower as the tournament goes along, IF he doesn't pull a hamstring and have to miss the rest of the tournament. Biglia was worse in 2014 than Mascherano is now.

Biglia's inclusion is most probably:
1) to start game 3 in the group stages, and then...
2) perhaps to spell Mascherano if possible in the knockout stages.

I think that Sampa always wants either Mascherano or Biglia on the field at all times.

I think that almost every other fan of the albiceleste doesn't want Biglia anywhere near the provisional 35, not to even mention the final 23, or in the 18 who suit up for each match.

 

And Pellegrini is interested in bringing Pastore to West Ham. Maybe preparing for life after Lanzini.

 

Surprised he didn't eat it. A chip is a chip after all......

 

RIP Pastore

 

Well, you're pretty much correct about Biglia would be the most damaging part on the team because midfield is most important part of the team. If you get outplayed in midfield, that means opponent will dominates the ball and get alot more chance to score.

The problem with Biglia is that he offers literally nothing. Its no wonder that Milan wasnt even in top 5 this season , since Biglia played almost 40 matches for them this season. He has zero silverware outside Belgian league and its unbelievable that he has played many major tournaments for Argentina and will play another WC.

Looking back at Pipita NT performance, he always choked big time in every finals but at least he scored goals before the finals. He scored 4 goals in WC 2010 and CA 2016, assisted Messi's winner against Serbia and scored winning goal in QF, so at least you could say he did help the team to get to the final. The only thing I remember from Biglia in NT would be his frightened face before shooting his penalties in CA 2015 & 2016, both which he missed as I expected.

If we get to the final and Sampa bench Pipita the whole game, we might score some goals.

 

ADM might be on his way back to Madrid but for Atletico. There were rumors of him going to Napoli. But Paredes is also being linked to Napoli.

 

It's because they sucked without enough Argies on the team, and are now back to leeching off our talents. Salvio made the squad but I doubt he will play much, especially if Mercado has recovered. As long as Pavon doesn't go, the others are not players to be considered for international call-ups.

 

It all depends on how they develop and learn their game. Ferreyra needs to move to Spain or Italy with a middling club at first so he plays. If he can establish himself who knows. Ditto for Gio Simeone. There is a reason they were picked for the u20. And again the youngers strikers like Lautaro and Maxi Romero.

Others have also gone under the radar or have they found their level ? Sergio Araujo has been lighting up the Greek Superleague but it's a weak league.

As for the defenders there are several youngish players all with real potential. But again it develops on how they learn to read the game as they play more and more and move if they do indeed to Europe. Whether they get to play and maintain their physicality.

We've seen several kids who showed real promise not fulfil it. And the main fault is a lack of playing time. Lisandro Lopez has played the grand total of some sixty games in five years. Just sixty and I blame Benfica. Others of the vintage of Ferreyra and Tagliafico who were seen as part of a possible seleccion of the future also hit this hurdle. Leonel Galeano at Rayo Vallecano where his development was stunted badly.

However the generation of Mammana, Franco, Quarta and Barboza offer great hope and fingers crossed Mammana moves to Spain or Italy and recovers fully while Quarta regains the level before his drug ban. And of course Pezzella has to become a leader in the seleccion. He's still just 26 and developing into an outstanding player having missed an entire season lets not forget with a serious injury. He should be integral in the post WC cycle, for the Copa and WC2022.

 

I hope all of them reach a high level to have a shot at the NT, that would be great for the upcoming generation after CA19. However, they should not look to go to the Portuguese league, I really hope they start looking more to Brazil, France, Russia and China if a straight move to the EPL, La Liga, Serie A or Bundesliga is not in the cards.

Completely agree with this.

 

@Sandinista, where do you get such hilarious vignettes? Are you part of some underground comedy troupe?

 

I've already made my arguments clear on this, sorry but don't want to repeat myself.