FIFA World Cup 2018: Argentina vs. Nigeria - June 26 [R]

and what the hell this "throwing Higuain to save the day" subtitution that Sampa did in the first 2 games? he clearly reacted on panic without thinking much. Its no wonder the players rebel against him .

 

Look its clear coaching Arg its too big of a task for him and dealing with superstars is not the same as dealing with players from Sevilla. You need a character to take charge for your stars to reapect and believe in. It seems these guys just dont buy his stuff and that could be due to his attitude and approach.

There was a meeting between the players, the coach, and Tapia. Reports suggest that they’ve all decided to move on and think about the next game. When your federation has to interfer to keep things tight then its a sign that the relationship between players and coach is just tarnished with no repair.

 

Its exactly as Simeone said, anarchy. Clearly the players don't want anything to do with Samp anymore, but the AFA isn't going to cough up $20m to fire Sampaoli. So both sides are basically stuck with each other in the meantime. What is sad is that Argentina had the players to give Messi 3 real shots at the WC but the two incompetent managers they hired for the first and last one screwed everything starting from the squad selection. Lets be honest here if Argentina fails to make it out of the group, Messi never really stood a chance winning with the likes of Biglia, Meza, Perez and current Masche as his midfield

 

The world cup that hurts me the most, even more than 2014, is 2006. In 2010 Spain were always going to be too strong, but 2006! It was there to be won, in the quarter final we were in total control, 1 nil up and in no trouble what so ever. So what did Pekerhead do, he threw the game, he could'nt have done a better job if he had been paid to throw the match. Took of Riquelme, gave the initiative back to Germany, then with his last substitution brought on the slow and ponderous Cruz, which the slow, ponderous German defenders were so happy about they were high fiving each other. He left a 19 year old Messi, who had yet to be mentally scared by the NT, sitting on the bench. I will never, ever forgive Pekerhead for that, he literally gave away the chance to win a world cup because he was and remains a footballing coward.

 

Good point, and that's another reason why I'd rather get rid of these 05-07 guys. They're hugely popular superstars worldwide at their respective clubs and it wont be easy to manage them especially when some of them aint afraid of the manager in charge.

I'm not gonna pointing certain players name but there's something clearly wrong when the NT selection includes the same 8-10 guys that has been playing for almost 10 years straight. It comes to the point where their club form dont even matter anymore, they're guarenteed to be in NT .

It could be that Sampa has been forced to bring these senior players while his actual game plan isnt going to work with these players. Why do you think he spent 3 hours speaking to Icardi if he's only going to tell him that he wont take him? he must have explained something to him. Notice that after Sampa spoke to him , Icardi only said positive things about the team and did not speak anything bad about his exclusion .

The fact that Messi dared to play so badly intentionally and looking disinterested, the manager certainly couldnt handle his players ego/attitude.

 

I’ll be honest, a trio of Banega, Masche, Lo Celso will do or DiMaria, Masche, Perez could also do.

These guys can play when put in comfortable positions and situations. You play any human out of position, dont expect him to excell. It just never happens. Sampaoli loves multipositional players but the guys selected are not multipositional and thats not their fault.

Stop the high press bullsh** and try to move the ball and work on counters. May not look fun and rngaging but ugly can win some too. Sabella had to change everything he had done in three years. Played ugly and got us to a final.

 

Good line up, apart from Meza, he is a waste of space, add another midfielder in there, Banega.

 

Perez should not be within a million miles of the first team, I've seen corpses move quicker than him.

 

Yep, and Sabella technically won the thropy if wasnt his players missing a multiple sitters. We faced solid teams like Netherlands and Belgium, they hardly get a sniff on the goal. Solid defence will takes far, relying on great forwards will only get you to QF, if lucky.

I hope the team emotion has cooled down by now, and they can start to focus on creating a solid defence and hitting on counter or at least when Nigeria defence are out of position (tend to happen to African teams).

They're also prone to deadball/set pieces. In 2014 we scored twice from setpieces (corner and FK plus one from counter), in 2002 and 2010 we also scored from setpieces (headers), even in 1994, our two goals came from set pieces.

 

If we acceot that Brazil, France, Germany and Spain are the teams with the syringest squads at tge world cup, I was wondering to myself which Argentina players would make there squads. Obviously Messi would, the only other player who might do so is Aguero, and that's it. We simply do not have the players, and we keep picking the same group of players even though they are all well past their best. It's like a private club.

 

What the hell is this bullshit about African defences being out of position, why are people coming out with these stereotypes, for your information Nigeria have scored more and conceded less goals than us.

 

There seems to be some sort of obligation that our manager has to play those same old guys. Why the heck Higuain even brought to this WC, and on the top of that, how he always managed to get playing time??

 

Not bullshit, Iceland got plenty of chances on counter. A very limited side like Iceland with only 44% possession still managed to get 10 shots on Nigeria , plus penalty.

 

http://www.goal.com/en-za/news/world-cup-2018-argentina-ossie-ardiles/qznduxkmx1sc1sj4c5wmbviyw

"From world champion to being the worst national team in Argentine history. Where to start? From the top," the former midfielder wrote on Twitter.

"AFA from botch to botch, three coaches in a year and a president elected in the spur of the moment.

"Players. Many, too many of them whose time in the national team is up. The lack of personality is striking.

"Plan A of Sampaoli: give the ball to Messi and wait for a miracle. If plan A doesn't work, plan B. There's no plan B."

"All the decline during recent years was concealed behind this incomparable genius, who we had the luck was born in Argentina," he added. "But in the end it was too much for him as well. Leo: thanks a lot for everything. And all the luck in the world for the future."

Ardiles also described Sampaoli as "arrogant" and "ignorant", while he urged Nicolas Otamendi to apologise for a second-half incident with Ivan Rakitic that saw the Manchester City defender booked for kicking the ball at his opponent.

 

They also had 8 shots on Argentina with 22% possession

 

I think the best option is to play both Higuain and Aguero from the start. Messi then plays right behind them:

———-—Aguero———Higuain——-
———————Messi———
Pavon/Dimaria-—Mascherano——LoCelso

Taglificio-Rojo(forspeed)-Otamendi-Mercado

————————Armani—————

This way, we will have enough players in the box, to create chances. There will be more movements from the 2 strikers that will give more option for Messi to either make a pass or go solo. We will also have more faster players in midfield and backline to defend fast Nigerian attackers.

 

One of our biggest haters has entered this topic.

 

And one more thing, no ********ing team announcement before the kick off time.

 

This would be winnable as long Messi really show his true form, not that frustrated & disintrested version of him in last 2 games, especially against Croatia.

Id prefer Dybala plus Aguero. Dybala can run more alot more than Pipita, better long range shot when he has the space , can make penetrating pass when needed. So far the manager only throws in Dybala in panic situation not because he's part of the plan.

We also need to drop that idea of building up from the back and have to be alot more mobile and move the ball faster. Too many long pause in our game that everytime we got the ball, we let opponents get back into their original position. This is what hurts our chance.

No matter who's playing, we must have at least 3 players close to each other ... otherwise, we cant do triangle passing when opponent's pressing. So there should be 2 players to accompany the ball carrier. This is a basic thing that Argentina used to do and has been non existant for sometime.

 

You said African defences, so you were dismissing an entire continent in your comment. There's a word for that

 

Pretty sure that is a standard thing. We get the opponent lineups at the same time.

 

I think what he meant was getting leaked line ups a few days before the game starts.

 

Sampaoli: "I don't plan anything. Everything emerges in my head when it has to emerge. It emerges naturally at the opportune moment. I hate to plan. If I plan, I become an office worker. I am like Alumni from 1991*. You don't study football, you feel it you live it."

_____

Do you see now why every one of our players is confused about what they are meant to be doing?

_____

Also:

“Yesterday coaches for Argentina got into a fight during practice because they disagreed on which drill to do next. — Per Juan G. Arango

Sampaoli and Beccacece got into an argument in front of players. They got into a heated discussion over the training plans and Beccacece decided to walk away… looks like he will leave coaching staff soon.

 

I agree with you. I just think that his effort is just wasted. If he was playing on a team with an organized midfield, with someone would could make use of his energy, he would produce a lot. The way the team is right now, I don't know. Maybe an engaged Messi or having Dybala will make a difference.

 

Just amazes me how long it has taken for Sampaoli to figure this out and might have already cost qualification. We all knew this. Pick players on form. But hey lets include Rojo over Pezzella. Biglia over Asascibar. A complete horror show first off in not selecting the strongest possible squad. And where is Ansaldi ? Mercado is a clumsy oaf and Salvio well you cannot make a fullback out of a winger overnight. Is Cristian acting as translator perhaps ?