To say that Argentina is in a crisis is a massive understatement. They are struggling on the pitch as there is absolutely no kind of cohesion and understanding in their play and they look a disjoint unit.
There are problems off the pitch as well, since there seems to be a lack of trust, and the united feeling in the team seems to be missing. And yet, all is not lost for the Argentines as Nigeria’s victory over Iceland has put their fate in their own hands.
The main man behind Argentina’s problems seems to be none other than their coach- Jorge Sampaoli. The man who won multiple titles with Chile and Sevilla FC was entrusted with the thankless task of ending Argentina’s long wait for an international glory.
They just about sneaked into the World Cup thanks to their talismanic skipper’s hat-trick in the final qualification match. Despite this, Messi’s presence in the team ensured that Argentina would still start as one of the favourites. However, Sampaoli’s decisions have almost neutralized Messi’s presence in the team.
The world knows that Argentina rely on their attack that possess the likes of Lionel Messi, Sergio Aguero, Angel di Maria, Gonzalo Higuain and Paulo Dybala. Their defense and midfield is nowhere near as good as this front-line.
So it’s the manager’s job to design such a system where he can put most of these top stars together to bring out the best of Messi and Argentina.