Marcelo Gallardo’s second episode at River is already underway. And it will have its premiere on Saturday at 8:30 p.m. when the Millionaire receives Hurricane for the tenth date of the Professional Leaguein a good appetizer before the main course that will be the duel with Workshops in Cordoba for the round of 16 of the Liberators cup.
However, beyond the urgent needs of the calendar, there are needs that Gallardo has already started to work on, which require time and patience. They have to look at the possibilities of generating a football identity in their team.
Photo Marcelo Carroll – CLARIN
“Talking about River fans is a huge privilege. They have shown it throughout my career and it has been enhanced when I was a coach. In this year and a half they have always shown me a lot of love and affection. I want to give that back to them with all my heart by trying to make them feel identified with the team. That is my job. We are really looking forward to being able to express it in these upcoming matches,” Gallardo said in one of the passages of his official presentation on Monday at the Monumental.
And that is what River lost in the last year and a half. Because beyond playing well, average or badly, winning, drawing or losing, the statistics, or the 3 titles won with Martín Demichelis, there was one thing that disturbed River fans: not knowing how the team played and what its imprint was. Not having a clear and defined style. And with the passage of time, that issue became more pronounced and translated into painful defeats.
So, what does Muñeco mean when he talks about “the fans feeling identified”? Having a team that people, beyond the result, like and want to watch, that has attitude and is absolutely competitive.
“We have to recover the team spirit, we have to recover the desire to continue building. With our coaching staff we are going to give 100 percent of our possibilities. If we all do well, we will be happy. That is what we are going to aim for.”the 48-year-old coach also said.
The plan is already underway. And while there is no magic formula, there are foundations to support it. The first of these is work. “Work, work and work,” Gallardo often stresses in private with his close associates and his coaching staff. And in that sense, he already put the ball rolling on Monday, shortly after the presentation.
Marcelo Gallardo.River Press
In order to regain his good feelings, Gallardo will also appeal to lift the spirits. To do so, he will try to give the players a boost of morale through different talks. In fact, according to Clarín, after the first words addressed to the group, there were players – who had been down – whose face changed and they are more animated. The energy is starting to be renewed.
As for training, the intention is to give it the same intensity as in the first cycle so that it can be replicated in matches and help, for example, to quickly recover the ball after losses and to put pressure on the forwards.
As for the game itself, we will have to see what system Gallardo uses. In his first cycle, over the years, the schemes varied but the idea and essence was the same: to have a team that is a protagonist, that controls the ball, that is offensive, that takes risks, that plays intelligently and that has a combative spirit, especially when the games are tough.
It remains to be seen whether Muñeco decides to play with one or two central midfielders, or with five midfielders and a forward, or with four midfielders and two forwards. He has options to do it both ways. The reinforcements he requested, beyond targeting the places where he believed the squad was unbalanced, can give an indication of what he is looking for.
A player who can play one-on-one and can create a balance on the wings, like Maxi Meza. A full-back with proven class, like Fabricio Bustos, to confirm the importance of full-backs in his teams, who are not only there to defend their zone, but also to attack and, often, end up assisting the forwards or midfielders who come through the middle and enter the opponent’s area. And a high-level central defender, like Germán Pezzella, who provides security to the defence and can play far from his goal when the team is attacking.
In short, Gallardo’s plan brings together a combination of ideas that not only give continuity to what was done in his first cycle, but also try to deepen and strengthen it.
2024-08-07 10:01:47
#formula #recover #Rivers #football #identity
