Is Argentina the most underperforming NT of the past 30 years?

Just lost to a country that, if the revolutionary wars had gone slightly differently, or the war of the triple alliance, would be a province today. FFS Bauza.

Also to put salt in the wound Aguero just say that "Pep told me that he would have loved to coach Argentina, but we never asked"

I think we need to do an England and realize that Argentina coaches are not good enough. Martino was decent, but right now we only have 2 elite coaches and both of them are too young to consider the NT as their next step. They would do a Conte and get too bored of it. If we can get to 3 finals with ok coaching I wonder what we could do with good coaches...

This fool who started Aguero-Higuain tonight


Also Aguero for NT is an embarrassment. Guy doesn't give a shit and looks bored half the time. Almost like its a chore for him to put on that shirt.

Who even asked him to take that penalty lol.

No world class keeper nor full-backs.

True but decent enough, and Brazil has 5 WCs in spite of never having an elite GK

Should definitely be beating the likes of Paraguay for sure, but the team has been unbalanced for years. Woeful GK and defense. Midfield is average. Attack is world class but without a coach who can find the right combination of players, it will count for nothing.

the curse for not brought riquelme when he was available

Well it's not like Riquelme had a great record at finals either...

RealGunner wrote:This fool who started Aguero-Higuain tonight


Also Aguero for NT is an embarrassment. Guy doesn't give a shit and looks bored half the time. Almost like its a chore for him to put on that shirt.

Who even asked him to take that penalty lol.

It annoys me how Aguero is just as invisible for the NT as Tevez and Higuain and yet doesn't get anywhere near the criticism he deserves. I'm all for benching these fools and starting Dybala-Icardi-Messi.

BarrileteCosmico wrote:Well it's not like Riquelme had a great record at finals either...

RealGunner wrote:This fool who started Aguero-Higuain tonight


Also Aguero for NT is an embarrassment. Guy doesn't give a shit and looks bored half the time. Almost like its a chore for him to put on that shirt.

Who even asked him to take that penalty lol.

It annoys me how Aguero is just as invisible for the NT as Tevez and Higuain and yet doesn't get anywhere near the criticism he deserves. I'm all for benching these fools and starting Dybala-Icardi-Messi.

1 failure vs 3 failures

i thing you know which one is more worse

sorry

1 failure vs 4 failures

I'll never ever talk about how Argentina are better without Messi

forgive me harmonica

RealGunner wrote:I'll never ever talk about how Argentina are better without Messi

forgive me harmonica

i quite agree that argentina without messi is an impotent team

but with riquelme before, the argentina were great in performance + result wise

with the players they have, they shouldn't be this terrible...
without messi they are a joke.

Thought Messi importance was obvious at the WC 14 they had the easiest group yet if it wasn't for Messi they wouldn't have made it out.

9 of 9 points with Messi in qualifiers

7 of 21 without Messi in qualifiers

Ronaldo injured Portugal clinch the Euro title for him, Messi injured Argentina on the verge of not even qualifying for the WC 2018 ffs.

You don't really need Pep perse BC

you have Pochettino, Diego Simeone, Jorge Sampaoli and your FA appoints Maradona, Gerardo Martino and Edgardo Bauza

Winter is Coming,
as Harmonica previously stated: Messi carries Argentina, Portugal carries Ronaldo

Most under performing ever? Bold statement considering England and Holland are still very much in existence but I've always touted that England, Holland and Argentina are my top 3 under performers (in terms of footballing world powers. Spain used to be no.1 and I feel they'll be there again eventually).

Is it a coach issue, more than likely. In fact, it probably is a coaching issue but Pekerman, a good coach in his own right could not get Argentina to not under perform so I would like to think, at this point, it can be also said to be a player issue as well.

In any case, they'll come a time when the talent pool would dry up so Argentina really needs to get their ducks in a row.

I always wondered and I hope BC can answer this if he knows as to why Bianchi never managed Argentina at one point.

Issue is that the forwards don't defend... at all. The midfield is average. The CBs are good... but fullbacks and keeper are meh.

Superstars at the forward positions but not a whole lot more doesn't make for a good team. Actually, if I had to choose, i'd rather have superstars in the midfield, decent defenders and then figure it out on the attack.

I hope they'll find their winning ways soon coz I beg to disagree that they are the most underperforming nt ever!

sportsczy wrote:Issue is that the forwards don't defend...  at all.  The midfield is average.  The CBs are good... but fullbacks and keeper are meh.

Superstars at the forward positions but not a whole lot more doesn't make for a good team.  Actually, if I had to choose, i'd rather have superstars in the midfield, decent defenders and then figure it out on the attack.  

Agree on the rest, but disagree that the forwards don't defend. Its only Messi that is like that. Dyabala and Higuain are always putting their defensive shift and pressing (especially Dybala). Aguero is very involved at City. Lavezzi and Di Maria have always been known for their workrate. Tevez was a pitbull out there, and to a lesser degree Crespo too.

Im talking it since the 2007 CA where they dropped the ball in the final, all the forwards except Messi defend well enough, but Messi does eveything else so its fine.

The midfield, the fullbacks, the GK and Aguero being invisble and specially the coaching cost them too much.

The scene is nicely set for Brasil v Argentina in November. Argentina v Colombia, too. Panic stations if they don't win either match.

Looking at Argentina's squad, got to say that apart from forwards their quality is shocking for Argentina.

I tend to rate the Dutch as the perennial under performers. Argentina at least won 2 world cups.

On top of that, Argentina look poor right now, but they've reached the finals of their last 2 competitive tournaments. The Dutch are just as poor, if not worse and haven't even gotten close.

Interestingly, Argentina made the WC final by parking the bus or playing very defensive football for the entire tournament btw. They played everyone very low and then hoped Messi/Di Maria/Higuain would come up with magic up front by themselves.

Given the lack of quality back in defense and midfield (not to mention GK)... it might be the only formula that can work.

sportsczy wrote:Interestingly, Argentina made the WC final by parking the bus or playing very defensive football for the entire tournament btw. They played everyone very low and then hoped Messi/Di Maria/Higuain would come up with magic up front by themselves.

Given the lack of quality back in defense and midfield (not to mention GK)... it might be the only formula that can work.

"Their defence is shit, so the only thing that might work for them is to rely heavily on their defence."

wat?

This predates messi IIRC. Argentina have always under-performed with or without messi if we're being honest here. Even before the days of batistuta this started from maradona's dyeing days as a player and into the days of caniggia to ortega down till today

Their next 5 games

Brazil -Away
Colombia-Home
Chile-Home
Bolivia-Away at the altitude of La Paz, they lost 4-0 there a while ago
Uruguay-Away

I would be worried if I supported Argentina. Deep down, I don't want them to miss out on the WC, but damn this is a dangerous schedule. And the qualifiers will be about to end so idk if they could recover if they lose too many points there