Over the past few years you have seen the Argentina national team going from good level to a ok level. if you have players such as Messi, Aguero, Higuain. Why is this national team in a OK Level? to me, it is simply missing a number 10, and that Juan Roman Riquelme. I think Riquelme is just like Blanco for the Mexican National Team. whenever he plays the whole game changes. I think that Riquelme should forget about the differences he has with Maradona, and look foward to get the result for his Argentina Team. What do you think?
1. Bad manager. 2. Average defence. Messi simply is not the player that he is for Barcelona when he plays for Argentina, most likely due to the fact that Iniesta and Xavi aren't there to provide him with inch perfect passes to score from..
Nothing, they're a top 3 favorite. The only true issue they have is players leaving for Europe way too early, even the 'normal' ones.
Maradona is a lousy coach. No true number ten, Riquelme is missing big time. We have great players but they are not called, where is Samuel for instance, will Cambiasso play or Zanetti, will we finally decide on a formation with a regular starting 11???
Argentina misses Riquelme. Just like Messi is the key FW for Argentinian team, Riquelme is the key MF of Argentinian team.
We are missing a goalkeeper who is solid and has extensive experience. We are missing a left fullback who can defend well and join the attack well. We are missing a playmaker like Riquelme in midfield. We are missing somebody with common sense and tactical acumen to either replace Maradona or at least to get Maradona to listen to him. Other than that, we are fine.
I think maybe they are missing a playmaker like Riquelme, which is why Maradona has gone for Veron in that role, but I think their problem is more tactical, if they go for two defensive midfielders (e.g. Mascherano & Cambiasso or Mascherano & Benega, or Cambiasso & Ledesma) then they can release Messi futher forward on the right with Di Maria on the left & either Higuain or Diego Milito through the middle, but then who would you play Tevez or Aguero ? and what about Saviola or Aimar? My 1st XI would be Andujar, Garay, Otamendi, Demichelis, Heinze, Mascherano, Cambiasso, Di Maria,Tevez, Messi, D Milito subs:Abondozierri, G Milito, Insua, Ledesma, Aguero, Higuain(or Aimar), Maxi Rodriguez
It's unfortunate Maradona is a god in Argentina, otherwise he'd be sacked already (or he would've never got the job to begin with). Argentina are a talented team with poor direction.
A "hand of god" cheating God at that......All Argentinians revere this fat, cheating, useless manager, drug abuser.....and NEVER question his "goal" against England in 1986.....whereas the French, almost all of them, distanced themselves big time from the Henry handball vs Ireland....the "problem" with Argentina.....is the Argentinians.
I'm not argentine soccer fan, and he and dr.know would be better to answer. I would say no, this is just more of a cyclical downturn that can happen to all nations where at certain positions most of the promising players flop, get injured or for some reason don't fulfill their potential, especially in defense (nobody near the level of even ayala in his prime, yet alone zanetti or passarella) and at keeper. Also, in midfield mascherano and cambiasso are class, but to keep possession they need that link which post-riquelme was supposed to be gago from a deeper position, but he has kind of stagnated. perhaps banega will eventually be the answer here?. Lastly, since they can't play the "tiki-taki" style as well through the midfield, especially in a 4-3-3 (which gets their best players on the pitch, messi, kun, tevez/milito in an ideal world), they have to either play out wide more, and occasionally rely on bypassing the midfield from deep...but they have no big target man to hold up play or win some headers, nor true poachers and pen area goals scorers like crespo and batistuta other than milito (and he is still kind of small) With that being said, they are still producing lots of great players, probably 5-6 world class players, and 2-3 additional borderline world class players right now and a few like banega that looked poised to grow into world class players in the near future. That is still not too shabby, better than italy currently which has about 3-4 world class and 1-2 borderline world class right now, with a few promising younger players.
Most of what you say is true. Obviously having an Ayala in his prime or a Batistuta would help immensly but the real problem has been as you mentioned that link in midfield. Right now the team doesn't play possesion based footy like it did in the past. Maradona's going for a more counterattacking game with fast wide players like DiMaria and Jonas and fast forwards in Messi and Higuain. Riquelme is still playing at a high level especially right now in Argentina. He just came back from injury and has been in great form. He would help the team out but Maradona has already said he's not going to call him up anymore. As for the future Banega can hopefully fill that role, and Pastore as well. This would be my future Argentina line-up: ------------Romero Zabaleta-Forlin-Garay-Insua ----Mascherano-Banega -Messi----Pastore--DiMaria ------------Higuain
Physicality. I don't really watch Argentina much. When I did, I saw their technical ability shine and in their losses that they were physically taken out of the game.
Good answers. I'm curious what ASF would say about it. Obviously, recently I've been watching far less Argentina's NT than you, but still, I would say that there is certain decline. As a football country, they are producing world class players, and they will in the future as well, but in the past they were producing much better performances in the WC or Copa America. Take the WC 1986 for instance. From a talented point of view, the team wasn't as good as those that came later, including the one of today, but they all were fighters and warriors with huge passion. They put their egos aside and gave it all for the country. I think that's something the team of the past few years or more lacked. Granted the team in Mexico had a genius on their side, but that team was a real and organized unity. Now, I get the feeling they are not giving their best. They are thinking of banging some woman instead. I wouldn't blame solely the coach Maradona either. He is not a great coach, but other coaches failed as well doing something significant with the team. Passarella, Bielsa and Pekerman come to mind. They were all better strategists than Diego, and had great teams too, but success was still lacking. There were great players with huge club success, but they all failed and came up short when it really mattered the most. Crespo, Veron, Cambiasso... Since the greatest Argentina's international successes came with home based players, I would start to use them today as well. They are not seduce by money, they are certainly hugely hungry on proving themselves in the highest stages and I think they would play with the passion required, something I feel it's lacking at the moment. But that's just me. Again, I'm just interested of how do you see it, since you watch them far more consistently.
Argentina is such a thing... They have players like Messi, which play amazing in their football clubs, but they suck in their national teams. Messi made 4 goals and 4 assists in 18 matches...in Barcelona, he would score 10 goals in the same time. I hope you can understand me. xD