dear #LaAlbiceleste 🇦🇷… this isn’t a break-up letter, though you did break our hearts...

dear #LaAlbiceleste 🇦🇷… this isn’t a break-up letter, though you did break our hearts 💔

1. not every attack has to go through messi. neither should he initiate every attack. he’s double-/triple-teamed when he has possession. and you know that thing you do, where messi drives into box, passes to an argentine player (usually aguero) who immediately passes it back for him (messi) to shoot… it’s not working! argentina is predictable with messi; they are aimless without.

2. there’s a reason rojo isn’t a regular starter for manchester united even as a full back. now you know why.

3. why have two defensive midfielders (macherano, biglia) versus a team like iceland? and despite that, still have messi playing deep. why not put an authentic, creative central midfielder instead (banega, perhaps?) and have messi as aguero’s strike partner (like barcelona’s suarez-messia pairing?) or better yet, play 4-3-3 with aguerro and higuain as strike partners and messi playing in the hole, di maria or dybala on the wing, banega to create, macherano at holding midfield.

☑ banega eventually came in for biglia. and i hope you saw the difference.

4. di maria and that other winger (who i will not even google) were largely ineffective. i’m sure other people can take corners. try using dybala on the right wing. he might surprise you; that’s where messi started before guardiola shifted him to the center of the attack. speaking of attack, i don’t think aguero plays well with his back to goal.

5. salvio, you’re a wingback. if you keep on driftng to the center, it becomes harder for messi to operate.

☑ good adjustment in the second half.

6. the best way to unpack a tight defense is to be mobile, use the flanks for crosses, and to continuously make those diagonal runs. yes, i’m looking at you, aguero, di maria, and the right winger whom i’d like dybala to replace. i’m sure heatmaps will show how much you stayed rooted to your areas. if you try to penetrate from the wings, all it does is compress the defense more.

#FIFA #WorldCup #FWC18 #Russia2018
#Argentina #Iceland

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