Fernando Gago’s four takeaways from his disappointing debut at Boca Juniors

Of course, when he flew from Mexico, imagining his opening options against Tigre, it never occurred to him, even in his most pessimistic thought, that his Boca were going to start with 0-3 in victory. But Fernando Gago I knew full well that I had a lot of work to do, no matter what the scoreboard showed last night. It was clear: Pintita He will have to rebuild a football and emotionally a team that has the material, but game after game shows flaws that expose him.

On the move, the new DT showed several samples of what it will be like Xenise henceforth. Sergio Romero He received a full pardon and became his first starting goalie (he brought Leandro Bray, who was playing at a high level, to the minor leagues). Discussed Marcos Rojo He was also in the starting line-up, although he gave up the captain’s armband Edinson Cavani. Another reference Floor Fernandezwas an alternative among the substitutes, but he was not there from minute zero. The coaching staff will not can or hoard, despite the proximity of the matches: all the meat will always be grilled. According to its 4-3-3 scheme, Miguel Merentiel will be positioned as the outermost one. Kevin ZenonIn the meantime, he will act as an intern (left or right). Nacho Miramon It is listed as 5 with priority. He Changito Ceballoswith dizzying incomes, received recognition.

After an unsuccessful tour of the stadium, Gago and his colleagues came to four specific conclusions. Joseph Dellagiovannawith a negative result, as a result of which he was 13 points behind leader Veles and outside the Libertadores 2025 entrance area.

1. LINKS UNDER A magnifying glass

At a press conferenceGago clarified that the fact of application Sergio Romero and Marcos Rojo The match against Tigre did not mean that they would repeat the game against Gimnasia in the Argentine Cup: “It’s match by match. Everyone earns their place in the team in training, and I will always say that, it has always been that way. I try to make sure everyone has that mentality that they can play, and I’ve told that to the players as well, so I’m repeating that here.” The players have been warned, and the coach will definitely make a rotation for the next match against the team. Wolfthis Wednesday on Newell Court.

Situation Smallformer teammate of the Argentina national team coach, came under close scrutiny. It is true that he closed a one-on-one that could have been Tigre’s second goal in the first half, but the goalkeeper lowered his level for a while and, in addition, people chased him for a pass with playstas. after the defeat in the Superclassico (a point that Gago cannot ignore). Leandro Bray, the darling of the Football Council, decides to take short-term action.

Rojo is another man Boca fans have their eyes on. The 34-year-old defender has started and is the only left-footed defender in the team, but that doesn’t mean he will be uncontested. For his part, Aaron Anselmino has produced one of his weakest performances since his First Division debut, so it wouldn’t be surprising if he leaves the team. With Christian Lema already back from injury and Nicolas Figal on the wing, there could be some adjustments in defense.

2. MIGUEL MERENTIEL’S POSITION

“In the second half, it didn’t change much, just a little deeper and we supported the group more with Aguirre,” is what Gago mentioned when asked about the change in the Uruguayan’s place on the court, who did not notice it at all. It’s comfortable to lie on the left. The head of the coaching staff gives priority to the 4-3-3 formation and that is why he put Beast as a left winger in the first half. Already in the lineup, he changed the group to Aguirre and closed at number 16, who was finally replaced by Milton Jimenez.

The Uruguayan knew how to be one of the team’s best players and even the team’s top scorer, so Gago will have a very high bar for him. He will have to quickly find a position to use his qualities so that his team does not lose power in attack. With Cavani being the centre-forward, captain and undisputed player, it will be difficult for Merentiel to play in a coaching system in his comfort zone.

3. BALLS STOPPED AGAINST

Total deficit throughout the match. There was controversy on the sidelines, with Tigre opening the game with a corner pass that left two players almost unmarked. The second goal was scored from another angle on the right flank, which settled the dispute when the home team was only determined to hold on to the slightest advantage and practically did not cross the half of the field. Medina was the first to lose to Ramon Sosa, and on the rebound Armoa headed in a header from Paul Fernandez’s sleeper. From the japa, Cardozo pushed her onto the line a few meters from Lautaro Blanco.

Inattention in this aspect caused Boca to pay with defeat. Gago defined it: “There were two stoppage actions where we had mistakes that we need to continue to work on and bring them to the highest level in each situation.” In addition to the attacking vocation and attacking tasks, the coaching staff Pintita You will have to place the lines on this edge because otherwise they will easily harm you.

4. THE NEED FOR WORKING TIME CONTRASTES WITH THE URGANCE TO ACHIEVE RESULTS

“I saw that the players are very predisposed to what this work week will be like. They will go through practices and games, finding what I want them to do: play a certain way for 90 minutes. At first it will be 30, then 45, and then 60 or 70 minutes, and it’s work, not from one moment to the next.” Gago is clear about his plan, but the problem is that in the meantime he will have to produce results to achieve the main goal for which he was hired: to qualify Boca for the 2025 Libertadores.

There are no magic recipes in football and logic prevails: the more training and work, the better results will be obtained. However, the emotional aspect and uncertainty is something that a coach will have to work on. Boca will play a crucial match on Wednesday as the Copa Argentina is one of two remaining routes to qualification for next year’s Libertadores. For fans, seeing this on TV for the second year in a row sounds like a tragedy. Velez hopes that the situation will worsen in the semifinals. And after the defeat by Tigre, Huracan and Racing qualified for the Annual, while Talleres and Godoy Cruz were able to leave (Estudiantes is already classified as League Cup champions).