Hernan CRESPO on Argentina: “AGÜERO and MESSI don’t help out defensively”

By
Roy Nemer
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44

Hernan CRESPO was interviewed by TyC Sports where he spoke about both Lionel MESSI and Sergio AGÜERO.

CRESPO, a current coach himself, knows a thing or two about the Argentina national team. Scoring in multiple different tournaments, CRESPO also played alongside different managers. And in his interview, he stated that both MESSI and AGÜERO do not help out the team. Here’s what he had to say:

“Argentina can’t manage to find a balance because you have two players who don’t help out defenaively like AGÜERO and MESSI. The last meters on the pitch, they can cause a disaster. But when it’s time to track back…

“They are important players but they always make you try and look for the defensive balance. There’s no defensive pressure from those two and it’s not easy to cover the pitch defensively when there’s no initial pressure.”

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44 Comments

  1. They should in fact try to focus on ball possession and play the ball upfront with people like Aguero and Messi in the team instead of telling them to track back and defend…with these guys tracking back , you are killing chances of counter attacking…

  2. Rodrigo goes ,who played like shit in the copa sudamericano was signed by real Madrid…. Ezekiel barco , thiago Almaden, christian ferreira, Pedro de la Vega who played really well in the fifa u2p world cup is playing in local leagues…..

  4. I think the problem with Argentina is that they do not have players who can play for 90 mins. For Ex. Lo Celso, Peredes, Otamendi, Aguero, Dimaria (starters against Colombia) and Dybala. They are the players who can perform best for 60-70 mins but later they get tired (mentally) and starts committing errors (blunders!). All of the mentioned players were substituted or used as substitutes by their respective clubs. Lo Celso, Aguero, peredes were often substituted, Otamendi rarely played and Di maria played because Neymar was injured. So, the best tactic is to make these players tired and then attack (in case of Colombia, France, Croatia, Spain did against us). We can not afford to use all these players as starters.

  5. Musso
    Saravia—Pezzela—Otamendi—Tagliafico
    G.Rodriguez
    Dybala—LoCelso—Depaul
    Messi——–L.Martinez

    For me this is the best formation possible with this team (4-1-3-2). I want to see Messi and Dybala play together alongside Locelso. Locelso plays better when he is in the middle. Depaul must replace Dimaria, he was the best player in the second half of the first match. Martinez has more of a killer instinct than Aguero. Defense should remain the same. And as subs we have Pereyra, Paredes, Dimaria and Aguero. There is a lot of firepower if anything goes wrong. I really hope Scaloni does not opt for Armani and Pizarro.

  7. Aguero can’t run like Lautaro obvious due to age factor and Aguero will be more effective as super sub against tired defense, let messi alone play upfront with lautaro who can support defensively too and suarez shouldn’t played but i can’t guarantee if he performs well on scaloni bedroom

  8. Problem with these dumbass articles and people agreeing is that our failures go beyong the handful of players. We were tactically beat and no one seems to focus on scaloni. Instead it’s player x or Y… Non stop

  9. 4-3-3 for Argentina is a MUST!
    We played 4-2-3-1 against Iceland and s 3-4-3 against Croatia,
    what was the result?
    1 goal scored and 4 conceded.

    We then switched to 4-3-3 against Nigeria and France,
    what was the result.
    5 goals scored and 5 conceded. Huge change in regards to goals being scored. Defensively not much of a change.

    Therefore, 4-3-3 is a MUST if we even think about advancing.

    (Anyone other than Rulli)
    Casco-Otamendi-Pezzella-Tagliafico
    Lo Celso-Pizzarro-Pereyra
    Messi-Aguero-Martinez

    Vamos Argentina!

        • This would be some option for situation when you need to chase the result but this is not natural because Lautaro would have to play role of left winger. He is nothing more than striker to me.

          • Some of the best strikers in the world can play on the wing too.
            David Villa, Benzema, Ronaldo, Lukaku, Abumayang, etc.

            Why put him on the wing is to allow Tagliafico freedom to push up and send crosses into both Martinez and Aguero, with also Messi lurking around in the box.

          • Tagliafico must participate 100% but if Aguero has to drift wide occasionally, I’m sure he could just like Suarez at Barca or Mandzukic at Juve

          • I think Lautaro can play left winger like many striker who can play that. this kid has a bright future. I would like to see both on the field, when we need goals, this might happen tomorrow if we fail to score

          • ebo, ever since you planted the idea of Martinez + Aguero + Messi in my head, i’m liking it more and more. Could be very useful if were down.

          • I highly think that Lautaro can play as a winger, as our friend who does not want to be that guy LOL , I mean @dontbethatguy mentioned, many strikers succeeded as wingers too. and Lautaro has the stamina to play on the right or on the left, he usually cuts from the right into the box, But I have seen him playing sometimes on the left and stretching the defense. This kid should take care of himself, not end like Icardi, and will be valuable for us. do you know Real Madrid wanted to sign him 4 years ago but he refused to leave Racing?

          • Icardi and Martinez played for us against Brazil. so why not Aguero and Martinez when we are chasing the result. I think Martinez was used as a second striker on the right

  10. Absolute crap from a great player who has just become coach recently(though he might now a thing or 2 about tactics), but San Isidro is deffinetly right about on his post :

    San Isidro’s post
    Total nonsense and ridiculous statement.
    This is the easiest thing to diagnose. You play with 2 defensive midfielders in Guido and Paredes. Yes Paredes is a limited offensive player. And one offensive in Lo Celso. They shut down Lo Celso and your forwards are dead.
    At this point we are seriously better playing Barco Lo Celso and Ferreira or Palacios or anybody that can both attack track and defend. This double pivot crap never works. Ever. It is the product of having limited players and trying to hide their shortcoming. Primarily Mascherano not being worth shit offensively hence Barcelona making him a defender because they didn’t want to play that crap football our NT elected to play.

    Hell yeah’ get rid of this double pivot bullshit and get some real box to box players !
    Unfortunatly we don’t seems to have many of them in our current team ?
    Why ? Well OK, palacios got injured but Still him and lo celso would also make only 2, right ?
    So i quess or should i say more that scaloni should have picked some real middfielders who can play from box to box=attack, track and defend as well, but i know it is a but stupid from me to say this because unfortunatly we have to manage with what we or who we got now and that make’s me really depressed, because there is not enough good middfielders in our current team who can play from box to box so that is why im willing to basicly try anything as far as Di Maria and pizzarro and maybe armani dont play any more and would like to see other players like lautaro, dybala, pereyra fit in some how ? De Paul is must as same goes for messi,tagliafigo,lo celso !

    That is why i prefer or would like to see how would this work and what would crespo say after that ?

    Musso
    Casco/saravia/foyth Pezzella/foyth Tagliafigo/Otamendi Tagliafigo/acuna

    Rodriguez

    Dybala/pereyra Lo celso De Paul

    Messi Lautaro

  11. What a dumbass comment.

    disappointing from a guy tha isn’t known for his defensive work.

    Perfect shit material for haters to read today.

  12. Teams are built, it doesn’t happen overnight. Scaloni was fortunate enough to have the team for an entire year with no competition. All he had to do was to have a pool of 30 or 35 players and constantly select players from the same pool. Our problem is mostly psychological, we are not confident enough. that’s why we perform poorly despite having players competing in big leagues with very high performance. The players need playing time together so they can build that chemistry between them. If we keep putting new players like G Pizarro, Casco, Suarez, Di Maria, Aguero in very tense moments this is an invitation for disaster. Why Acuna is still in the team? Why Lauturo is not playing? why calling Dybala if there is no chance to play him? why Machesin? why Armani? why not Ascacibar? It is very confusing to me and like Sampa, Scaloni doesn’t know what he’s doing. It is a very wasted opportunity and we gonna approach the WC qualifiers in the same state of mind.

  13. Crespo didnt say MESSI has to pressure, he commented that having BOTH forwards not pressure it means we defend with two men down. Argentina has too many luxury players, talented, but too many. In the modern game, everyone needs to contribute.. we can accommodate one player, messi, but if Dimaria doesnt run, Kun.. etc are defending 3 man down.

    Look at Uruguay, Cavani and Suarez win a lot of balls in dangerous areas, and if not they force akward passes their mid can then gobble up.

    I am 100% for DePaul, or Perreira or someone like Lamela over Dimaria, who simce 2014 no longer hustles.

    I am for Lautaro over Kun, or Icardi since rhe kid is much more spirited both in helping mid buikd up play and pressuring.

    The only player we can afford to conserve energy is messi, and he should be up the pitch. The rest need to bust a lung and bleed for the country. We need warriors. Sabella got that, and Messi was at hia best because of it.

    • “Argentina has too many luxury players, talented, but too many”

      This is what I’m adressing sometime. We masturbate ourselves with the thought how star spangled we are in attack but modern football’s reality is other thing.

      To that De Paul for Di Maria and Lautaro for Aguero – correct.

      • We lack rather someone like Lavezzi who was forward and hardworker tracking back at the same time, even if without impressive goal ratio. His chemistry with Messi was better than any other.

  14. You don’t have to defend as much of you take care of the ball….high press is for club football they train 5 days a week.
    Why can’t we just support the team…what did crespo win with argentina???

  15. Total nonsense and ridiculous statement.
    This is the easiest thing to diagnose. You play with 2 defensive midfielders in Guido and Paredes. Yes Paredes is a limited offensive player. And one offensive in Lo Celso. They shut down Lo Celso and your forwards are dead.
    At this point we are seriously better playing Barco Lo Celso and Ferreira or Palacios or anybody that can both attack track and defend. This double pivot crap never works. Ever. It is the product of having limited players and trying to hide their shortcoming. Primarily Mascherano not being worth shit offensively hence Barcelona making him a defender because they didn’t want to play that crap football our NT elected to play.

    • Mache was converted at barca
      Cause of xavi iniesta buskets
      Pep saw a leader in him and make him a central defender….get your fact straight

      • He saw a leader with limited offensive skills. Even after those guys were gone he stuck to defense. My facts are straight and they are facts. Not dilluisional tbinkkng. Great leader yes. Skilled offensively no way

  16. messi is grt but other 10 players don’t have same level to help messi….

    but we are in such situation again and again..

    we need solid defence first
    then a midfield for defence & creativity
    and a forward (not 3 /4 attackers)

    Let’s start with Dybala bcoz we are losing games even without him…let’s try with Dybala

    ———–Lautaro————–
    Depaul—–Locelso—–Messi
    ———Paredes——- Pereyra—–
    Acuna—-F.Mori–Foyth—Casco
    —————–Musso——————

  17. Ahhhhhh, maybe Messi can also play goalkeeper too?
    Give me a friggin break, you want to use Messi properly? Get him the fucking ball close to the goal and he’ll do his job instead of him running all over the damn pitch trying to get the ball anywhere he can.

  18. Sounds similar like “GK does not help in scoring goals” …there are specific tasks for everyone…and in fact, good coaches advise their forwards not to go for challenges, unless absolutely required, because tackling is a specialist job and they might pick up cards or give away free kicks in advantage position to the opponent with wrong challenges…its a baseless comment , i think

  19. These days if u r the best is just not good enough…..u HV to outrun ur opposition against good teams or at least HV to match them….
    Klopp,pep, pochettino, Simeone,zidane….they all aren’t fool.

    Do we HV energetic midfielders all around ???……the ans is no
    I HV seen aguero pressing high for man city this season …..I don’t see any reason why can’t he run for argentina.

    Messi is Messi I think atleast he runs more in the Argentine shirt than barca’s.

    I think experience people needs to step up now ….if aguero and Messi will press high than automatically every other player will work hard for the team….
    Now aguero and Messi should behave like a leader…set the example.

    • Crespo is wrong!!!! For all of you jumping on the Crespo bandwagon you need have not listened to Pep take on Messi pressing or staying up front because he preferred him in the final third than any player…if Messi presses or comes down to help and the ball is won, you need someone that can finish or score…at Barcelona, that is why Rakatic does and Busquet do the dirty work. Crespo does not know what he is talking about…he will be the same person that will be saying Messi needs to stay up front to score…Messi is more deadly up front than being further from the opponent’s goal. We’ve seen that sometimes Messi comes down to get the ball but who else is capable up front to score…Guys chill

  21. If both of them busy in defending then if counter attack indeed then who will give the ball to whom?because all 11 are busy to defend..baseless comment by crespo…. I never saw Ronaldo di Lima defended, even I don’t saw that batistuta defended and many more player who never defend… From 2012 to 2016 Argentina goes 3finals and Messi aguero or higuain never defend,but sabella Martino find the exact balance from back 4 to front 3… How foolish comment is this..I never expected this from crespo at least…he himself never defend as much in his whole carrier..

  22. Crespo never press opponent during his career, he rely on off ball movement / great positioning… so he kinda criticizing himself when saying another forward doesnt preasure. Tevez loves to preasure, yet he only scores in national team once in blue moon.

    The lack of offball movement by both Messi & Aguero are the main problem, they’re not mobile enough and expecting their teammates to find them instead of covering empty spaces, they need to make themSelves available as passing option.

    • Lol really messi play the same role at Barca but we didn’t see that problem.. he run in Argentina more than he played at Barca..Messi Aguero higuain no one press before but they performed well and they could reach to the World Cup final and Copa America 2 final.. we miss that old team.. I don’t see that passion of rojo in the squad,I don’t see that passion of Mascherano,I don’t see that passion of Romero in the squad..

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