Goes to show the level of attacking talent Argentina have is incredible to the point that they don't need Messi. Defo need a major shakeup, if Mexico with their meagre attacking options can put away a top German side, then they surely should be able to produce something. Even if they aren't functioning well as a team, they didn't produce any moments of brilliance against Croatia, which is damning to the coach. Also Argentina don't rely on Messi that Portugal do on Ronaldo, who have far less attacking options going forward, I mean who is their CF? Argentina can have two different sets of front threes which is amazing. Most of them must be in the top 10 world leading attackers in the world.
No Argentinas problem is they don't have a decent midfield or a decent defence. None of the players from the back can play it forward and they are slow and pedestrian in possession. Argentina have a great strike force, but it can't play if they don't get the ball and the opposition sits deep. You only have to see how Messi drops deep but can't make an impact as he's constantly marked by 2 players as they don't really need to cover half of that team. Footballs a team game and that argentina team is unbalanced and lacks technical players at the back and in the middle as well as a lack of work rate up front (aguero, messi and when higuain comes on offer nothing defensively). Tbh they've been like this for a while. Even when they made the finals in 2014 they didn't do it with dominance, they kind of grounded out results to get there and had relatively easy teams on the way there (think the hardest was van gaals holland)
yeah, he does that more but he has someone to pass to and 1-2 with. Here and last world cup you just see him try to dribble it (and its been worse this world cup as his burst and strength aren't what it was) and he normally just has to lay it off. He's trying to do too much but then when he spreads it not much is happening either. Ronaldo on the other hand has been great at holding it up and flicking it onto runners and counter attacking but even the portuguese were made to work hard for it against the morrocans.
Think it's a matter of individual characteristics ...Ronaldo's physique, power And quite frankly selfish drive (meant as a compliment this time lol) suit a team where his teammates aren't collectively as good.. But quite frankly it's a management issue here. Looking at some of the "smaller" teams who have attempted to play quick fast passing (even the Arabs ffs) The idea the Argentines could put a team together to do that and in turn give Messi the best chance to do his stuff is just ridiculous. But it's the same in many national teams ... pick players names and try to squeeze them together rather than build a team that works. In fact I think we are seeing quite a bit of that from some of the so called big teams in this world cup.... and quite frankly a lot of the smaller teams have played more fluent football if at a lower quality and usually with no upfront end product.
I'm with Frank on the theory that ,at least so far, most of the attractive football has come from the "lesser lights" marred only by an inability to actually put the ball in the net - even Mexico suffered from failures in that regard.
anyone who improves from god awful This is exactly my view. awful awful.midfield. mascherano can pass, never could and legs are gone. he was killing their game. no easy passing. no breaking the line. Argentina have as good an 11 as Spain pore totally but are killing themselves playing old lads and not playing the game vertically
How can Argentina qualify for the knockout round? Iceland ties or loses to Nigeria tomorrow. Croatia then needs to beat or tie Iceland. Argentina needs to beat Nigeria.
Have to agree as well. A monumental failure to put together a coherent team that can get play as a team and use Argentina's vast attacking resources, more than any other country. They have at least as much if not more midfield and defender talent in Argentina than in some much lower ranked nations that play more fluent football than Argentina at the moment. The fault lies solely with the management and Argentina Board. Some serious questions and heads need to roll. They have far too much talent to be knocked out of the world cup at the group stages.
Don't know why there is so much "shock" that Argentina are on the brink of going home, they have two worldies (Messi and Aquero)a coup!e of decent others and that leaves a pile of ****e to make up their squad. Messi is a team player more than an individual like Ronaldo, if the team aren't doing the business Messi is redundant, his many years at Barca have moulded his game and his national team can't replicate what he's used to to bring out the best in him. Argentina are overrated and when Messi and Kun retire they'll revert to what they were pre-1978...****e.
