Gabriel BATISTUTA on Argentina national team: “It’s ICARDI’s turn”

By
Roy Nemer
-
83
Gabriel Batistuta Argentina
Gabriel Batistuta with the Argentina national team.

Argentina national team legend Gabriel BATISTUTA spoke about the current crop of Argentine forwards.

In an interview with Sky Sport Italia, the second all time leading goal scorer of Argentina stated that he thinks Gonzalo HIGUAIN’s time is over and it’s now the turn of Inter man Mauro ICARDI. When asked about which striker he would select if it were his decision, here’s what he had to say with quotes courtesy of Sempre Inter.

“I struggle in choosing one. My favorite striker has always been Higuain but he has played in three World Cups for Argentina, he has had his chances. Now I think it is Icardi’s turn, he has a lot of room to improve.

“Icardi, Dybala and Simeone are all serious boys, they have a lot of will to improve and I think they are the future of the national team. Pipita has already given what he has to give.”

While he has yet to score his first goal for Argentina, Mauro ICARDI has been selected for the two friendly matches later this month against Mexico.

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83 Comments

  1. “I STRUGGLE IN CHOOSING ONE. MY FAVORITE STRIKER HAS ALWAYS BEEN HIGUAIN BUT HE HAS PLAYED IN THREE WORLD CUPS FOR ARGENTINA, HE HAS HAD HIS CHANCES. NOW I THINK IT IS ICARDI’S TURN, HE HAS A LOT OF ROOM TO IMPROVE.”

    If Higuain was your favorite, then the closest one to his style is Benedetto.
    any one with a good tactical eye to attacking football buildup can easily see that.
    At this moment, I would pick Benedetto ahead of Icardi.
    There are guys who think a striker job is only to score goals and wait to be served, but they forget about build up, pressing and off the ball movement.
    Go back to Argentina vs Ecuador game when We qualified for the WC. watch Benedetto movement in 2 of Messi’s goals, you will understand what I mean.

    • without messi did Argentina have any answer?? everytime messi can’t save Argentina, only icardi has potential to score goals and win us matches like icardi did with inter and Argentina team have to play to serve icardi if not messi is there

    • He should be called up and the 4 of ’em can duke it out for the 23 – Aguero, Icardi, Martinez, and Benedetto. Simeone shouldn’t be on the list for now as he needs more time to develop. If anything, it’s great to see so many choices.

  2. IMO Argentina NT
    Striker: Lucas alario ,Joaquin correa Facundo colidio,Gaich and simeone

    LW : Joaquin correa, ocampos , Benjamin garre,Matias vargas
    RW : pity Martinez ,leonardo sequeira,Ignacio pussetto

    Playmaker: lo celso , bebelo reynoso, Palacios ,Paredes,

    DM : Santiago colombatto ,Tomas Belmonte , Joaquin fereyra

    CB :Juan foyth ,Manmanna ,senesi, Martinez quarta, Barbosa

    RB: Alexis Soto ,
    LB:montiel ,L godoy

    Gk : Paulo gazzaniga ,Damian Martinez ,Juan musso

  3. Notice how he didn’t say “AGUERRRRROOOOOOO”. Still our best #9. i hate to be presumptuous but i think most would say Aguero, Icardi, and Martinez are it for now.

    • Martinez is still raw to wear #9 shirt for Argentina at moment Aguero is the best followed by icardi after copa it will be lautaro Martinez turn

  4. Inter scored 5goals where lautaro can’t a single if icardi played could have scored hat trick, i really don’t understand build up crap etc A striker needs to be clinical scoring goals not more because only goals can win matches, Argentina coach chosen higuain ahead of aguero reason failed in 3finals had aguero got those chances Argentina will be upfront, currently Aguero and Icardi are only world class striker not only for Argentina but also in the world and here few argumenting farmers like benedito lol

      • How Icardi is useless in the NT team the goal will come also how many clear chance he had by playing for the NT team a striker need to get service to score which he haven’t get yet for the past years trickers playing for Argentina never have good service that’s one of the reason I don’t want to sacrifice Iguain

      • If Icardi is useless then Scaloni is even more useless because our attackers (mid and forwards) played like shit. No possession, no service, missed passes….no attacking identity.

    • nothing wrong with Lautaro. he will improve with more start ups in inter. His movement was decent. His game is more suited to Argentina NT than Icardi who will always depend on good wingers & crosses ( which anyway is not our strength ) . Today Aguero & Icardi better than Lautaro & clearly ahead for Copa 19. But long term Lautaro will be good solution for us & successor to Aguero.

      • I think the most suitable striker for Argentina is Lucas alario or Joaquin Correa.
        Facundo colidio and Gaich are potential too .
        I don’t think icardi ,latuaro Martinez are that good .

        G simeone also needs to improve

        • You cant be serious. When we have Aguero, Benedetto, Martinez, and Icardi as options, Simeone and Alario shouldn’t be anywhere near the squad. at least not for now…Alario isnt even impressing at club and Simeone still way too green to lead out attack.

      • I’m not writing off lautaro just how can someone says inter captain icardi will be the back up of his inter bench warmer/back in NT, icardi is the best striker in the world and after messi only Argentinian potentially can win balloon dor.

  6. Cristian Romero is decent ,strong but lack of experience and not that skilfull .he is very young and hopefully he can improve his skill . All in all Cristian Romero is a decent player .IMO Juan foyth is better

    • Cristian Romero is a bit like Rojo. Some great tackles interwined with some errors. With more experience he can definitely improve . Now lets see Pezella & Simeone vs Fazio & Pastore in next game. Nice to see Argentines playing in most matches

    • I m really impressed by Romero ….that 20 year boy attitude is something…..I think he will definitely be our future in defence…..he was marking lautaro today and didn’t give a sight of goal to lautaro….he frustrated lautaro…..really enjoyed the battle between Romero and lautaro….

  7. Watching Martinez vs Genoa ,he is too slow and physically too weak ,technically not that good enough to creat chance himself .all in all he does not deserve to be called for NT

    • While todays River and Boca games without best players: more likely youngsters like Ferreira, Alvarez, Almendra, Balerdi to start.

  11. The greatest 9 ever has spoken.

    We may don’t have a new Maradona, Messi or Batistuta (these players were/are one of a kind anyway, the best of all times in their position and style of playing), but we have really good players in almost every position apart that of goalkeeper, at least at the moment.

    I mean, so many options in attack such as Icardi, Aguero, Lautaro, Dybala, Pavon, Benedeto. So many options again as we all know in the midfield and attack as well! The only position that at least at the moment leaves a question mark to me is the goalkeeper position.

    But again, the most difficult task is the manager’s task, how to develop these players and get advantage of all this talent!

    • Yes, time to start with new players or even with a new playing style. We will never have a new Messi or new Batigol. We need to play with our main strength which is creative midfielders

  13. I like to see Scaloni trying Ocampos and Sala as Icardi’s backup. Sala is a pure product of French training center and Ocampos spent years in L1, so both tactically very disciplined and hard-working with high defensive contribution despite their technical weakness. Ocampos should be converted into forward because he’s quite strong in aeriel duels and very powerful, should be better in a more central position.

    Otherwise as an alternative, when Icardi is off, why not trying Dybala as false 9. I remember the pair Vazquez-Dybala was impressive during their Palermo years. I’d like to see Vazquez behind Dybala and De Paul, kind of Sevilla’s 352:

    Mammana,Pezzella,Funes Mori
    Bustos, Lo Celso, Paredes, Vazquez, Cervi
    Dybala, De Paul

    • Yeah Ocampos and Sala should be looked at, Ocampos could actually do very well as a LF (good finisher, strong in the air, fast) or a b-b midfielder (energetic and defensively disciplined) in a counter attacking system. Another player who deserves a look in from the farmer’s league is W.Benitez.

  14. …………..Romero……….
    Saravia….otamendi…pazella…taglufico
    ………….battalgia…..benega………
    Messi………lo celso…….dimaria…
    ………………..icardi……………..

    Best world class team at the moment?????

    8 star players and balanced defensively and offensively…….

    No bias on age limits…..

  15. off topic: Ascacibar better tell his agent to find him a new team because Stuttgart is a mess and is heading for 2nd liga.

  16. @Gonzalo “In fact, when it comes to talent issue River is nowhere near to Argentinos, San Lorenzo, Velez, Rosario Central or Estudiantes.”

    Simply not true a team from their products: Batalla/Chichizola—Funes Mori/L.Olivera—Pezzella/Musacchio/Eder Balanta/Gonzalez Pirez/Mammana/Martinez Quarta—Montiel/Abecasis——-Kranevitter/Quignon—Palacios/Guido Rodriguez—Lanzini/J. Cazares/M.Diaz/T.Martinez——R.Perreyra/Driussi—Higuain/Simeone/R Funes Mori—Lamela/Solari/T. Andrade etc, Velez current generation is very good, but thats all, maybe only an exception, San Lorenzo. Rosario Central? Make a similar team from these team products and you will see its not true, not even close, River youth product is stil the best in Argentina, maybe only Boca can conquer

    • You are naming names of last years. I’m talking about current state. You ignored context of my post. Read my comment properly. Of course in past years River was better But now:

      Alexis MacAllister, Franco MacAllister, Kevin MacAllister, Gonzalo Veron, Matias Romero, Batallini, Barboza, Fausto Vera, Mendez all they are talents. Argentinos is famous for their young academy.

      River is not introducing young players cuurently. Palacios, Montiel and Ferreira (?) is not many.

      Rosario Central has currently 6 players that are calling for U-20 team and more interesting around A team like Rivas or former U- 20 Joaquin Pereyra, like Lioi or Lopez Pissano.

      How many players in current U-20 team have River. Sometimes one (Ferreira or Alvarez), sometimes 0. Estudiantes has 5: Pourtau, Ayala, Colombo, Mura and the fifth I forgot name.

      San Lorenzo is phenomenal is reserve team: 9 wins, 1 draw o losts 27 goals scored, 4 conceeded. And mostly without players like Gaich, Palacios or Gattoni who were part of U-20 team on COTIF. Without players from A team like Insauralde, Rojas, Senesi, Barrios, Merlini. They were winning also 3th division, 4 division, 5th division ins previous years. The continuity is there and the team will have probably best young resources in 1st league in future.

      Velez? We all know how many talented ones they have now.

      • “L’Argentinos è riconosciuto unanimemente come il miglior settore giovanile d’Argentina, così il River ha pensato bene di portargli via i canterani migliori, avvicinandoli – pare – con metodi poco leciti”.

        “il River ha avvicinato quindici nostri ragazzi a nostra insaputa, promettendo mari e monti e creandoci diversi problemi”

        “Argentinos is acknowledged unanimously as best youth sector in Argentina and for the reason River wanted to take best of their canterani…”

        River was closing to 15 young players of Argentinos aiming to co-opt them to build base of their new project…

    • Icardi, Lautaro, Benedetto – these are should be our strikers. I belive among the 3 is enough potentiall so no need to back to Aguero and Higuain.

          • Honestly speaking as player
            Aguero is much better strike than those By far I mean far…
            but I don’t want Him back either.
            I love him thought
            My number one start for the NT now is L Martinez

          • Aguero is lazy off ball. Nothing has changed. He is fast, great acceleration and good finish but number of his goals is obscuring the fact he is so much lumbering when off-ball. Your team is losing something by that and you even may don’t know about because he is still scoring regularly. That is the reason why even choker Higuain, though better off-ball was preferred by our several coaches and to some degree it was reasonable.

          • @gonzalo
            I see your argument my friend
            We all know aguero is world class
            There is not much debut about it
            I guess. But I do believe we must move forward With likes l Martinez
            There no point bring back those
            Had thier chancs

          • @gonzalo-pity-martinez

            >Aguero is lazy off ball. Nothing has changed.

            you have to get out of 2015…. Aguero is not lazy off the ball and if you watched City games, you might see him a different light.

            Pep has fundamentally changed his style, not only is he incredibly clinical, fast, and dribbles really well, but he’s involved in the build up a lot more and thats what makes him one of the worlds best strikers.

            Besides, (and i’m being absurd here for argumentative sake) if you’re priority is build up, then might as call Higuain because there is no better player for build up.

            With this said, Aguero is still the best striker we have and that isn’t an opinion of the minority. Its simple reality and no matter how much the reality gets twisted, its still the truth. Its mostly the fringe supporters that hate senior players that hold such terrible and false opinion of him.

        • THis is not just my thought. Like it or not but Benedetto has good chances to be there again. Especially if Boca will win CL or atleast he score something. There were already rumours about Benedetto before previous call ups.

  20. Benedetto is simply not clinical enough, he is partly to blame forour qualifier jeopardy. Also, he scores a lot in a LOWER league, Icardi bangs in the same and sometimes more goals than him at a higher league. He should not be starting any games for Argentina!

    • Hopefully we can see Palacios, Pity, Pavon, Benedetto, Montiel all on the pitch. I guess River will try to play possession football and Boca will play deeper for counter attack.

      • @canadienroyal
        To be honest they both play nice football
        Sometimes can both play counter attack
        And possession it depends who is score
        First… River plate manager is kind mix man
        Sometimes his team play like gaurdiola or
        Bielse stlye and occasionally his team play
        Like atletic Madrid I mean kind influence by
        Simeone… but I do think Gallardo is more
        attacking minded coach than simeone.
        Whatever happen in this final
        I geneouly believe Gallardo will leave
        A lot of european teams want him
        There rumours that he is link real Madrid job
        I like Gallardo he already did wonders with River
        He is the first man who won cl for River plate
        Since 1996 that is some achievement to me.
        I hope he move to Europe and be successful..

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