I love the positivity but we haven't played 1 official tournament where points matter. I'm still not a fan of how we are playing at the start of games and how we finish. Pluses so far: + Strikers have started to score during his campaign : Borre (2), Duran (1) + Overall lots of player involvement offensively 11 goals in 5 games (Guatemala, Mexico, USA, Korea, Japan) + Younger blood AMFs/Wingers have also made a big impact : Sini, Carrascal, Arias, Yaser, Valoyes + DFM - we have deep talent in this pivotal role - Castano, Barrios, Lerma + Box to Box - Old guard: Mateus, Campuzano, Cuellar -- New guard: Palacios, Puerta, Borrero + Munoz has earned that RB position for WCQ + Machado may be his best 'new' find + Much more dynamic team, less dependent on 1 single playmaker Needs to work on: + Team's overall 'concentration' from1st 15 min start to last 15 min end. + Mojica is not terrible as a backup option but will need one more LB + Munoz needs a back up or two + Vargas did well today - but I don't get the feeling he's got the job - Both our GKs (Ospina + Vargas) are 34 and may still hold up ok with WCQ. + Defense is OK - he's got alternatives but I don't trust Sanchez despite a + game today. Feel like our CB line needs a ton of work (Mina is too injury prone) + Finding 2-3 gems that with good club form can give this team a big + Looking Ahead: + How will Diaz fit into this team + How will he handle JFQ/James/Falcao/C4 players we depended on for so long( so far so good but nothing really at play just yet) + Duran and Borre are great options on top but still need another 9 that can finish. Can't rule out Duvan/Muriel/Suarez/Unknown players
I am happy that this guy is so far the most reasonable of coaches we've seen since Pekerman; yeah Pekerman had his issues but he at least got results for the most part. Here I am seeing a coach who isn't afraid to make changes when it's justified and he's actually taking the time to experiment and properly use the talent pool that is available to us. He shows how intelligent he is and isn't driven by ego. He's clearly gaining respect from the players more and more after each match that we have and he's showcasing reasonable choices in the full context of giving the players that he's used a fair chance while eyeing for the future. So far I feel that we are in good hands but I have to also agree that it'll matter a lot more as a real test when qualifiers and our first tournament with him comes up....
If he wasn't calling Falcao and James I'm pretty sure EVERYONE would be praising the hell out of him. He's brought in several new players and several of them very young. Dudes like Duran and Castano NEVER would have been called in at this point in their careers by our previous coaches. They've both started and impressed. He's had to deal with several injuries. At no point has the team lost stride. Most importantly, he has a vision. For instance, he doesn't give a damn that Borre and Duran are barely playing and haven't scored gols in months. He clearly values their positional versatility and what they offer in the pressing game--a more modern tactic that no previous Colombian coach ever worked on. And he doesn't give a damn that Duvan and Muriel are healthy. He's implanting a hungry culture in the team, lead by a few select veterans. And even some of those veterans, like Cuadrado, are being weeded out.
Well said. It's a careful balance, when picking guys who aren't playing. I remember not too long ago people worried that we didn't have replacements for the older guys, looks like we now have a strong core of young guys whom we can build around. Is Castaño a well known guy in the local league? If not, it's a great find. Similar to when Pekerman discovered Barrios in those microciclo things No doubt it'll be a matter of time before yet more guys come through. And this is despite the massive amount of underwhelming players that we've had to deal with (Atuesta, Perez, etc.)
Castano has been Aguilas' boss for a bit now. However, if you play for Aguilas, how well known are you really? I barely payed attention to the guy before Lorenzo called him in. Pekerman would've called him in for a microciclo. However, he's the kind of dude who probably would only get a real call up after he transferred to Nacional--kind of like Munoz and Uribe. Actually, by writing that, I realized who Lorenzo's next discovery will be: Nelson Deossa. Fits the profile: athletically unimpressive, but great leader who can do a bit of everything.
Deossa have struggled a lot of to adapt in all his teams....reports sugest bad behaviour and that he never played competitive football before his late discovery.
I've been harsh on him not calling certain guys, but you bring up some good points about him giving a lot of new guys a chance which is really good, and him committing to building a pressing team is also super positive. TBH icing out Cuadrado is probably one of the best things he's done.
Interesting interview. https://www.futbolred.com/seleccion...on-colombia-penalti-de-luis-diaz-y-mas-192695