Roberto Ayala on Argentina national team, Lionel Messi, Nicolas Otamendi

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Roberto Ayala spoke about the Argentina national team, Lionel Messi and Nicolas Otamendi.

Ayala played over a century of matches for the Argentina national team. He is also part of the current Argentina national team coaching staff which won the 2021 Copa America. Speaking in an interview with ESPN, here is what Ayala had to say about the team:

“We don’t have the chance to play European teams. It’s important because they will play us differently.

“There is still a long way to go. Each one has to think about the World Cup and not fall asleep. It’s going to be an important race and while some may have already secured a place, they will have to defend it every Sunday.

“I think the pandemic helped helped the change, playing without fans helped. With fans, things can get complicated if a player doesn’t play well. We are doing a change, if someone doesn’t play a good game, people will start to put pressure that you have to win.”

In regards to Lionel Messi and being captain:

“I saw a tremendous change. We know what he is in terms of football compared to the others but from the words and examples, I see him another way, differently. He is a captain in every sense, not just on the pitch but off it.”

He also spoke about Lionel Messi’s speech before the 2021 Copa America final to his Argentina team mates:

“What he did before the final was impressive, it made me want to go out there and play, it was very nice. I’m happy for him because he deserves it. He has always said yes, he has always been available to come. He doesn’t care that they criticized him and that hr hadn’t won. He continued to insist, he wanted to be here and wanted to be part of this group.”

Regarding the last match when Nicolas Otamendi used his elbow in the World Cup qualifier:

“Things like in the last match cannot happen. They will leave you out of the World Cup. They are details.”

35 Comments

    • i guess they became psg fans because Messi all those was Barcelona till last season.
      well boring team and boring league for my taste. i never liked French football personally.

      • It seems like supporting Messi suddenly makes him Messi fan and not an Argentina fan and everytime somebody discuss about Messi in this forum , mr Cox all of a sudden has problem. Why don’t Roy request mr Cox to give us a list of players and topics we are allowed to discuss here? It seems like any discussion that involves Messi, he will automatically be labeled a messi fan and not an Argentina fan by the cox. Then he will start harassing and shaming the guy. Mr Cox , you might be the greatest Argentina fan on this page but there are members who have been supporting Argentina before Messi started playing. If you don’t like anyone’s comment then keep it to your self, no need to start harassing him and spread passive aggressive toxicity. Some really knowledgeable senior members have quit this blog and some rarely post anything because of passive aggressive harrashment . You are free to leave if you hate 90% of the stuff we talk about!! Have a nice day!!

        • Obviously one fly bite you all of sudden and you attack me but guess what. I don t care.
          Secondly all what you wrote for me obviously is wrong because i didn t be agressive or harrashed anybody and sure i never said to anybody what to speak and what not to speak.
          if one subject interest me i speak. if one subject not interest me i don t speak. it is very clear that from posting history.

          So to end it if you don t like me then you can not speak to me as i am doing to those i am not interested. Speak for whatever you like. i really don t care plus nobody from posters here complain for not have freedom of speach. just don t say lies for me. Have nice day too.

      • Exactly. If we shouldnt discuss Argentine players that play for PSG, we shoudlnt discuss any other team in which there’s Argentine players aswell.

        ..such as stop talking about Buendia and Foyth, or even Lo Celso. A guy like him is someone who’d moan about anything just to look wise.

        As far as I know this page isnt just about national team, hence it always updating news about any Argentine players performance in various clubs, yet he’s moaning about people discussing about these players and the clubs they played in? LOL

  1. I suspect one of the reason why PSG players rarely shows determination is that they’re currently still 13 points clear at the top. Imagine having streaks of average games but somehow still sit comfortably at the top…. why would their players play like its a “title decider” match?

    This is why they seems to be just in autopilot mode. I mean, when you’re 10-13 points clear at the top, and only lost a single game till now, there;s really nothing to talk about other than criticizing your big signing for failing to score.

    MU isnt even in top 6, but journalists not making a big deal out of it.

  2. Your brain literally hurts watching this PSG team play. Nothing is going right for Messi , PSG and Poch. Since everyone is focusing on Messi so that they can be part of the post game Messi-hate nitpicking session, all the other PSG players are able to hide their mediocre performance behind Messi’s criticism. Their inability to move the ball into opposition side raises so many questions and the talisman losing possession constantly is putting extra pressure on total out of form PSG midfield and defense. Their midfielders and full backs are totally useless. Hakimi has been nothing but a headless chicken , unable to form any kind of chemistry with Messi. Their LB is even worse, even out of form Tagliafico would have played better than this overrated full back. Messi’s team mates are slowly losing confidence on him due to him constantly losing possession and in this rate he will be a liability. If he doesn’t stop losing the ball, he will receive even less passes. Overall Messi had a poor match , but he did provide 3 good passes which Icardi and Mbappe missed. Poch needs to figure out a strategy to move ball forward to his attacking players and also need to find a way to pass more to Messi and Messi need to stop losing the ball so much.

    • There is too much focus on Messi. …. Yes his injury has impacted his overall form… But PSG overall has no coordination whatsoever and guess what Messi can only be as good as the hand he is dealt with…. His midfield has no work rate , the full backs are less talked about the better and it almost feels as if the opposition coach just out coaches pochetino in every game… The lack of planning is there for everyone to see… Anyways as long as Messi plays well with Argentina, that is all I care about

  3. Facundo Medina was superb against PSG. He stood strong against world class attackers of PSG. I think he is the one who is going to replace Otamendi. A CB pair of Romero and Medina can be a promising one.

  4. Messi hit the pole when he should have scored. Since the start of the season , he has been directly shooting at the keeper. This time he tried to shoot it a little wide and hit the post. Icardi has missed 2 chances so far both provided by Messi and Dimaria missed from a Hakimi pass which should have gone to Messi. If it was Barcelona , it would have been a classic Messi and Alves combination goal but this overrated RB Hakimi is one of the major reason why Messi is being held back.

  5. Guys Guys Guys One thing I wanted to say A Correa is the real deal. Today he made a stunning assist. Its a real shame he doesnt get the honor he deserves in this forum and from Scaloni. Today the commentator was saying he has 51 assists in 300 games for Atleti and I know for a fact a lot of those games he played as a sub. I know Ocampos and Joaquin plays in the same position but honestly I prefer him over them. C’mon he plays with a lot of intensity and energy and can change the course of game just like that. Just some rapid movements in the penalty box and boom…goal. He defntly should be one of our impact sub.

    • Maybe I am wrong and Mbappe is injured or something, but it seems like a bold move from Poch. The frontline even without Mbappe and Neymar is still great, and will have more balance.

  6. I hope in next world cup qualifying matches we will see some changes from scaloni…
    in gk position emi is fixed but i want to get some chance to musso and to see in bentch benitez also…
    in cb pair if cuti fit then he will be first choice no doubt but senessi, licha or even medina should get chance at least few munites…
    our midfield is okay bcz we have de paul who is a bull, althoug i want to see palacio or dominguez more time…both are energetic and fast…and lastly want see number 9 as a sub brain romero or semione or chimi avilla at least…i think if these players are click and use their oppourtunity properly the Argentina team will be very strong in every position.

  7. Dam I had a feeling something is seriously wrong with Erik Lamela after I haven’t seen him for 3-4 weeks.
    “Lamela will now be ruled out for up to four months due to a shoulder injury he suffered in training recently.”

    w w w . football-espana.net/2021/12/03/erik-lamela-sevilla-injury-blow

    • Love to see monteil…he is now first choice in sevilla. All argentine in sevilla have good cooperation to each other….hope it will helpful for NT.

      • He had a good game today but to be fair he is playing because J.Navas is injured. Although if he continues like that Navas might not be able to regain his spot.

      • Yes It is important for those players to build up the chemistry, though unfortunatly maybe all of them will not get called for WC as 1 or 2 maybe will be left out, hopefully FIFA will allow teams have more than 23 players in Qatar, then at least they all will be in the team as they all truly deserve that if they hopefully will stay fit and form…!

    • Messi is the best player ever to brace the game…. Ronaldo who loves scoring penalties and is probably a good goal poacher and nothing else is not even comparable to Messi… Infact cristiano Ronaldo is not even the best Ronaldo to brace futbol…. He is just a stat padder … Futbol is more than just standing in front of goal and scoring

      • Yes very well said as football is deffenetly much, much more than standing in front of goal or poaching goals as those poaches won’t even exist if there will not be others to create for them to be possible in the first place etc…never ending list of eternal space…, LOL!

        It seems like nowdays that some people not here on Mundo,but generally are only intrested in those poachers or goal scorer’s which is completly understandble as sometime’s even the replay won’t show anymore how the goal was developed etc…as with such kind of media hype and big money sums with all the gossip’s just do not give an ideal rolemodel anymore for young kids who are dreaming of becoming football proffesionals as they are surrounded with such a kind of world we’re all living it with certain kinf of media constantly blasting and hyping to just cash up more for themselfs, LOL !

        Everything is truly fucked up and needs a big change, but where it will come from, well anyone who want’s to know i quess will have to wonder it out by themselfs as certainly media ain’t gonna be the one, LoL !

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