Held in check by the Leone Stars for their entry into the running, the Greens of Djamel Belmadi showed a face that left room for many questions. Driven by new tactical initiatives, the first passing exam was passed not without some disappointments for a favorite expected at the turn. Decryption.
An eleven calibrated to “fart” everything
Assume favorite status. This is the credo announced by Djamel Belmadi on the eve of Algeria‘s first match in its course at CAN 2021. An ambition and a communication that contrasts with the status of an outsider adopted in Egypt. A second star and thirty-four unbeaten games later, things have indeed changed for Riyad Mahrez’s teammates. Thus, Algeria was expected by all observers
The eleven lined up by Belmadi carried the seeds of the tactical developments observed in recent months. A set of major tactical transformations that give more creative freedom to central attacking midfielders. The other major transformation operated by Belmadi in the tactical DNA of the Greens is in the use of a Feghouli positioned in support of the offensive line offering Algeria a new offensive weapon within one of the most imposing reservoirs of individuals from Africa. Further up the field, the midfielder of Galatasaray becomes with his selflessness, his races and his technical quality, the real mover of the Algerian block.
In these provisions, Algeria clearly wants to show the intention to defend its title with the art and manner of a selection filled with certainties forged by its recent successes. A clear ambition which redistributes the cards in the game and which pushes Djamel Belmadi to use all of his offensive assets to have 107th in the FIFA rankings.
An offensive quartet responsible for taking the interior half-spaces, an advanced Feghouli, a Slimani in fixation and two players with vocation of n°10 (Belaili & Brahimi) forced to agree on their positioning to magnetize the work of the sierra defense -léonaise should have been enough to achieve this goal of making an impression in a CAN hitherto timidly launched. A well-scripted scenario that ends up colliding with the less expected one of John Keister shaking up Algerian certainties and allowing doubts often rehashed in recent months to resurface under the stifling sun of Douala.
Unexpected offensive congestion in the middle
The validity of ideas sometimes comes up against the harsh reality of their implementation. This would be the adage that sums up the Algerian performance against the Leone Stars. Motivated by ideas befitting their status as favourites, the Algerians were quickly reminded of the hostility of their playing environment and the limits of a preparation truncated by several absences and the lack of competition with this unique game system. The central attacking play of the Algerian players proved ineffective with players walking over each other like Belaili and Brahimi and others playing a starving number of passes between them.
We do not know if there were instructions but Mahrez and Belaili hardly played on the wings, just like the full-backs who did not go up but in this case it can be understood by the presence of a single midfielder recuperator and whose impossibility to cover the climbs.
This attacking stack gave a lack of verticality in the construction of the game and apart from an Atal-Feghouli-Mahrez circuit, our technicians combined very little.
Finally, we will notice an over-responsibility of Aïssa Mandi on the raises as the only player able to break the lines without going through long crosses like Bedrane or Benlmari, except that the ultra-offensive scheme probably prevented the Villareal player from taking risks ball at the foot.
With more inspiration, it could have worked
Belmadi said in a post-match press conference that it was easy to judge after the fact the choices made, while acknowledging that he may not have necessarily made the best choices regarding the players lined up.
No doubt a Bendebka in great shape instead of Feghouli could have offered more options even if he has less experience than the Galatasaray player. A Belaili as sharp as at the start of the Arab Cup could have unblocked the situation on an individual action. A Bounedjah certainly silent but which takes up more space than a Slimani would have offered depth. Finally, a Brahimi as altruistic as in some games in Qatar last month would have been a more interesting contribution to the game.
The most striking is Brahimi who not only has hardly ever combined with Feghouli and Belaili and who has made 30% fewer passes than the other creators.
It now remains to be seen whether the staff will continue with the same desire to align all their attacking gems from the start against Equatorial Guinea or “sacrifice” one of them for a more hard-working midfielder in order to to achieve more overall balance. The entry into play of Boulaya, in line with his match against Ghana, gave more efficiency to the Algerian game at the expense of the big burst of energy of a Brahimi who must tire the opponents by his activity. Another question of cursor to place well.
It seems quite obvious that against an opponent of a more solid caliber like the Ivory Coast, we will go back to 4-2-3-1 as against Ghana where the duo Zerrouki – Zorgane rather gave satisfaction, see in pure 4- 3-3 as in 2019. However this CAN offers an additional difficulty with a last minute unknown with the results of the anti-covid tests known the day before the meeting.
In almost three years the work done by the staff of Belmadi and more particularly by Serge Romano (currently absent due to Covid) his first assistant consists in offering more tactical options because the game of the greens of 2019 is now known and studied. by his opponents. The next matches of the selection will give us the opportunity to know if these developments have matured or not.
DZfoot
