I think we should have some of the veterans for Copa America, if they are still performing at top level. Bring the young players along slowly and give them some playing time, but we must put on the field the best team, regardless of age. Based on the last eliminatorias and World Cup, we can expect that Copa America will be very competitive, and we must go all out to try to win it. After Copa America then it would be the time to evaluate the talent with the more specific goal of having a team that will peak by 2014.
I just looked at video of his four goal game in April, which I think qualifies as "in a while". On his first goal he crossed from left to right. The other three he came in from the right. So it's not like he's unfamiliar with the right side of the pitch. What is clear in the video, though, is he's not being asked to be the enganche for the team. He's the target, not the distributor. As a distributor in the WC, he scored nothing. Maybe he shouldn't be doing that.
I think that if you ask Pep, you will get the best answer. Pep has repeatedly stated that he plays in the middle right behind the target forward.
Still a bit young in the tooth though he has done a good job so far with Espanyol in a fickle league for managers. They should really take their time over the choice and interview several candidates from Bauza to Simeone and wait not rush into this. This is a decision that needs thought and consideration to the sucession as once done it wont be easy to undo. One other thing is that the coach should be encouraged to play who he think's is best. For Diego he may have feared for his job and decided as a consequence to keep relying on his old guard for fear of the unknown. The new coach should not be encumbered by these considerations. As for Leo he started out as a forward in La Masia as at Newells. They then shifted him to an outside left role before his familiar outside right role and Pep then experimented with him playing off a striker and free running attacking midfielder but with no responsibilities as such to track back.
So whats the deal is Diego gone or what? I hope he is but whats the real story have they decided that he wont continue no more or is it just talk? and if he is gone then my choices are Cappa/Batista
The list is happening tonight at 7pm Buenos Aires time. As far as Diego, here is a link: http://www.ole.com.ar/seleccion/Maradona-Signorini-Seleccion_0_305969519.html
De todo el "clan Maradona" este Signorini siempre me pareció el más "esperpéntico", solo superado por el mismo Diego cuando se mandaba una de sus declaraciones ( lo único que saben los alemanes es correr... por ejemplo ). Recuerdo que despues del partido con Paraguay por las Eliminatorias, este personaje, que nadie sabe de donde salio, dijo textualmente "No es una obligacion clasificar al Mundial ". Lamentable, por donde se lo mire. Una suerte si se van todos, aun que como opina la mayoría, con Grondona aun ahí no es para ilusionarse mucho.
In an interview in Olé from last week or so Bilardo claimed that if Diego was to leave he'd be leaving too, also it's unknown what will be of the list nor the friendly, also right now Batista is in Paraguay, at 8pm the U20 plays a match, now they're saying that there'll be a press conference before 6pm, it's obvious that they won't announce a new coach today. Supposedly the executive comittee is debating what to do now, more likely they'll make the official announce that Diego is no more what they'll do next, also last week many of the members of the execs were a bit bothered by the idea of having domestic based players called for the friendly against Ireland. Regarding who could be behind Diego's removal i get that it may have been also the members of the execs that from the background were claiming for Maradona's removal, or those that were calling for a "deep analysis" as a synonimous of a removal(when in a reality after a "deep analysis" they could conclude that he should stay as well), seeing as some of them were "angry" that they weren't allowed into the HPC during the World Cup. Also guys we shouldn't just throw names just because, since like Sabella, Russo and Simeone, to name a few, have nothing to do with eachother, and that's not the way to go.
Now Segura claims that, Batista may also coach the match against Spain as interim. I wonder where Batista's mind will be tonight?
Batista lost a couple of points with me over the last couple of days. He seems like a hungry vulture just waiting in the wings to swoop in and grab a couple of morsels. This whole thing has turned into a cabaret.
C'mon Grondona!! SOS UN CHANTA!! DEJA DE JO'DER!! lets just get Bianchi and drive this half crashed ferrari (thanks Maradona) into the repair shop and fix it up and start winning some trophies. Only will take Batista next (although can't forgive not qualifying to the U-20 in Egypt!).
How so? Lately he came out more than once supporting Diego and claiming that he should stay. Evidently Bianchi doesn't want to coach anymore and he rejected it when it was offered to him, that and he doesn't guarantee anything either. By the way, some people go as far as saying that Sabella will coach the national team and Gamboa will replace him at Estudiantes. Hmm...
He drifts between the right and the center. He played as CF for parts of the season with Pedro and Bojan on the wide forward positions. Usually when he started on the right and drifted towards the middle Ibrahimovic would switch to the right or left. When they both drifted towards the middle they got in each others way since both like to play very advanced which is why some of Messi's best performances last season, like the one against Arsenal, were without Ibrahimovic playing. Towards the end of the season Pep benched Ibrahimovic and he was playing Pedro-Messi-Bojan.
Its 24 days since we were eliminated from the World Cup. How come the coaching situation hasn't been sorted out till now? Brazil fired Dunga just days after their exit, and after a long, thorough and meticulous seach have appointed a coach for the whole 4-year cycle. We are still making interim appointments with no long term plan for the next cycle.
Congrats everyone i guess our prayers have been answered. Now can someone tell me who Sabella is and what style he plays? and what his system is? I know how Simeone, Russo, and Diaz do it so i wanna know about this Sabella dude?
He was a traditional number ten, very skilfull, who had the misfortune of playing behind Alonso in River, and also behind Maradona and Bochini in the national team. He did play for Argentina at a Copa America. He is one of the first Argentine players to play in the English league, and also played in Brazil. As a coach, he paid his dues. He was an assistant of Passarella at the National Team, so he has experience at the eliminatorias and World Cup. He also worked as an assistant of Passarella when he coached Uruguay, as well as at River and in Italy and Mexico. His head coaching experience is limited, but he did an outstanding job with Estudiantes, winning Copa Libertadores. And I thought he coached an excellent game against Barca, and came close to beat them, even though the team was overmatched. If you're familiar with Estudiantes, my guess is that's the style that we could expect from him, with fullbacks who attack, and ball possession in midfield.
But wasn't Diego openly campaigning for Basile's job for a while before he actually left? Isn't that a bit of a double standard?