Argentine NT: News, Stats & Players [R]

I have a good feeling about Castellanos. Imo, he has faster acceleration than Alvarez and Lautaro and has been scoring the chances that he should get so far for Lazio.

A good backup to have behind Alvarez and Latuaro and a potential supersub.

 

Different times. Tackles back then especially in series A were no joke. Batistusta also being a talisman player was also forced to play a lot even when not fully recovered. They used stupid bandaid treatments like that magic spray and cortisone shots. Now players have full medical teams behind them with stem cells injections and growth hormones.

It's like the nba. Rotate, call in sick and give 50% until playoffs

 

Hopefully, although I'm still not sold on him as his overall stats as a forward is underwhelming. As SM noted, for some reason Argentina rarely produce real #9 even back in the day other than Bati and Crespo. Even Kempes and Higuain aint exactly a goalpoacher or pure finisher. Too bad MI9 is problematic character. Garnacho seems like he's capable of becoming a pretty good finisher.

Luckily the current team is alot more stack in midfield unlike in 2010-2018. Now we're able to creates more chances in every games and eventually always find the net. It just that it seems to take 5-6 good chances jto finally get 1.

 

This is why its shocking Diego finished his career with both legs intact. He got like 25 fouls per game.

 

Diego almost lost his foot because of Goikoetxea (aka, The Butcher of Bilbao). But point taken that after his career, it was surprising how Diego didn't limp or need a cane to walk. At every game, defenders would just lounge at him.

As far as a true #9, we could use one badly. But how many true great/reliable #9 are there in the world? Haaland, Kane? Nunez? (did you see Copa America?) Mbappe is awesome, but he is not a #9. Victor Osimhen? (up and down career).

 

redondo, almada and

Exactly there is a short supply of elite number 9's for a long time.

Solution: The best offensive players for Argentina need to do, is focus on the game they suck at. Like shooting and accuracy and start practicing to improve on that. Then our chances of scoring should go up.

Messi is not going to be there scoring bangers anymore. He's officially become medio campista.
Dimaria is no longer there to be clutch.

 

I was hoping that Enzo would evolve into a midfielder that could score from far out. But I think that Chelsea dumpster fire is ruining him.

I mean, noone in South America has a true reliable #9 - on paper you'd think Nunez is that guy, but go ask the Liverpool fans about him.

I don't think Scaloni would try to horeshoe in any 9; he seems pragmatic and willing to think outside the box.

But I do think that between Alvarez, Lautaro and Taty, we can find something that is serviceable from that position

 

Yea , both CA & Euro goalscoring charts shows that there's no killer finisher at international tournaments. Euro top scorer only has 3 goals, CA only has two players with more than 2 goals.

I've mentioned before, Nunez seems like a poor version of Pipita. So far its been proven right.

As for goalscoring midfielder, we definetely lack one since the day of Aimar, Veron & Roman. In those days even the likes of Cambiasso, Simeone, Sorin, Kily Gonzalez has 8-11 goals. In last few years, our midfielder would only score once in blue moon. As has been mentioned, they can practice to shoot better particularly Enzo, Mac, Lo Celso & RDP. Paredes is capable but he's mostly a late sub. Almost every single match we'd see RDP shoot over the crossbar.

Yes Scaloni is pragmatic manager but lets not forget Dibu saved him many times.

 

Speaking of Angelito, he just repeated that CA 21 final goal again , for the third time. It has to be said he's physically much stronger than Messi these days. He's still better than almost every young wingers out there.

 

From what I've seen from equi fernandez and claudio echeverri, they have the skillful potential to live up to those roles. Echeverri still seems to be finding his game against the pros and taking more shots. We know he can do it. Equi showed he can do it during the Olympic qualifiers and games. But they're IF's at the moment.

Yeah Enzo's shooting ability has gone down, but that's fine. We don't want to depend on him.

 

That's why we needs to field those younger guys ASAP and gives them extended minutes. Hopefully we'll win the next two games in October and we'd be pretty much qualify.

 

With the change of coach in AS Roma, I'm worried about Paredes and Soule. Neither of them are starting, but in the case of Paredes, he's more likely to leave AS Roma at the end of the season with his contract running out so he has an opportunity to look for a club that would give him game time.

With Soule though, Dybala is favored and Soule doesn't have a place. I could see this pattern continuing for the rest of the season and this will likely have Scaloni not giving Soule a chance to play for the national team. Really weird as Dybala and Soule been playing together during pre-season and the new coach can use the blueprint of how Messi and Di Maria played together in the national team. Hoping the situation changes as Soule is too talented to be riding the bench. Maybe he should go to Man Utd and play with Garnacho and Lisandro.

 

Both Lautaro and Julian are both hot garbage right now.

 

A lot of our players are not performing up to their level. Scaloni should not call most of them up next window give them a rest. Also send a message to them.

Julian at least has his shooting ability coming back, he knacked one of the post today, just was unlucky.

 

Its funny when you look at our forwards stats from pre Scaloni era, the likes of Higuain , Tevez and Aguero would score week and week out in league game only to turned blank when it matter for the national team. Even when we have strikers who did perform well for NT like Saviola and Crespo, they got injured in Copa group stage (2004 & 2007) and out from the tournament. Its like a neverending curse before Scaloni took charge.

Speaking of goal drought, Lautaro only scored once in last 2 months leading up to Copa and didnt score for 18 months for the NT after Finalissima. Julian didnt score between the WC 2022 and Copa 2024. Yet they scored important goals at Copa and we won. Even RDP isnt the most consistent player at club level, yet he's very important for us.

Not everyone can be like Messi and Di Maria afterall...

 

He needs to shoot more from outside. He's clearly has that ability. Just watch some of his goals at River, he scored from distance with both foot.

I'd prefer to give extended minutes for Soule and Garnacho rather than those who has won everything.

 

Apparently Roma’s new manager doesn’t really play with wingers and he sets up with a 3-5-2. Soulé was a DDR hire and now, he could just sit on the bench. He came on for a bit and had a decent shot deflect for a corner. We went from celebrating that Dybala staying with Soulé to have Mati possibly riding the bench for the foreseeable future. It is a bit concerning because the kid is a raw talent that needed time to shine. I couldn’t see Roma loaning him out but who knows…

At least we have Paz who has been shining. Granted he plays more directly in the midfield than Soulé who bombs the wings. I really hope Scaloni is taking note.

 

I get all that. But players like Julian and Lautaro are not players who think “I’ve missed 20 open shots in a row, the next 10 will go in.” When they go on a slump, it stays with them. I don’t think they could just flip a switch when they join the seleccion. I see Lautaro mentality. He’s won 2 Copa Americas and a World Cup and yet there are times he just doubts himself. There are players like that. They are worried about not messing up than going out there and putting their best foot forward.

Thankfully, we have a couple “soft” games upcoming. I’m still hoping Scaloni gives our youngsters a real look rather than start RDP, Mac and Enzo for the umpteenth time and sub Paredes and Lo Celso in 62min with Garnacho coming on the 82nd minute.

 

3 goals in 3 games for Lo Celso. Not too shabby a return.

 

And he's scored some heaters.

🚨🇪🇸 WHAT A GOAL FROM LO CELSO WITH REAL BETIS! 😳https://t.co/7GghSUMDND

— Tekkers Foot (@tekkersfoot) September 23, 2024

 

Lo Celso is an incredible player when healthy and used in the right role.

He's a competant CAM that can defend when needed. Wouldn't trust him as a DM or even a CM unless he has lots of help (RDP and Mac next to him is good).

He also has a great connection with Messi.

Could WC 2026 be Lo Celso's time to shine??!!

 

Lo Celso outscoring Alvarez and Martinez.

 

Lo Celso provided the best balance that allows Di Maria to be in the RW while having both a ST and Messi in the middle at the same time.

If we also need to dominate the midfield, we can also set up something like this

------------------Alvarez
-------------------------Messi
Lo Celso----MacA----Enzo-----RDP
Lisandro---Senesi---Romero----Molina
------------------------Dibu

 

Me and Lautaro have the same amount of goals in the Serie A this season!