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“It is possible to play and win with many styles. I respect them all. But I played 11 years of my life with the same style and I think we have enough quality players here to act that way. And we will try to play like that, in some way too. “. winner, but different (the one used by Jorge Jesús) “.
The sincere words of Domènec Torrent, after the victory of Flamengo over Santos, in Vila Belmiro, explained his unwavering conviction in the so-called “positional game”, but at the same time revealed a worrying limitation as a coach, showing reluctance to adopt other schemes that allow, for example, to get the most out of the victorious squad at hand. In very clear Portuguese: it is the players who must adapt to their preferred scheme and not the other way around. Quite a discussion.
In almost 45 years in the profession, I have been able to closely observe the work of countless coaches. I interviewed them, before and after the games, and I spoke to them a lot, in the most diverse situations. In general, what I heard the most is a kind of antithesis to the Catalan position that Flamengo now governs.
From Cláudio Coutinho to Telê Santana, passing through Zagallo, César Menotti, Carlos Alberto Parreira, Luiz Felipe Scolari, Paulo César Carpegianni, Cuca and many other Brazilian champions, the Libertadores, the world, etc. I heard a mantra: the best scheme is the one that allows your players and, consequently, your team to develop the best football.
This is how Zagallo went up to Piazza as a defender, Tostão as a center forward and Rivelino as a left wing, to host all the stars of his stellar squad in the same team, in 70. Similarly, Telê joined Cerezo, Falcão , Socrates and Zico, in a place that enchanted the world, even losing the Spanish Cup. And Flamengo, who with Coutinho was champion of Brazil with Júlio César Uri Geller, wide open on the left, ended up adapting and evolving, with Carpegianni, playing without fixed ends, with Tita and Lico, attacking, defending and changing sides incessantly. .
It is known that the main players of the rojinegro in the winning campaigns of 2019 and early 2020 were the four “forwards”, as Jorge Jesús called: Arrascaeta, Everton Ribeiro, Gabigol and Bruno Henrique. One of the greatest merits of the Portuguese was precisely finding an efficient way to make them play together, extracting all their talent, in favor of the team.
It is a fact that they returned from the paralysis caused by the pandemic in a bad state – this was highlighted by Jesus himself, after the conquest of Carioquinha. So it’s okay that they eventually go to the reserve bank, as has been the case. It is disheartening, however, to realize that, within the “positional” philosophy adopted by the new red-black coach, even when they are in top form, it will be increasingly difficult to see them in action together.
That is because Domènec does not give up to arm his team in a very orthodox 4-3-3, with open ends, practically fixed next to the side lines (Jesus played in a very rotary 4-4-2). Neither Arrascaeta nor Éverton Ribeiro are fixed points. Most of the time, everything indicates, or will play one or the other – centered, in the middle.
In the name of his tactical scheme, Dome also moves into other positions. At Vila Belmiro, Tiago Maia, in the position of William Arão, rose, but Gérson was the one who ended up moving to the first wheel – and the “joker” performance dropped precipitously.
By also relinquishing the pressure on the opponent’s ball exit, withdrawing the marking to his own intermediary, the coach “opened” the midfield and the suffocation he suffered in the first half was almost fatal, if it were not for both. VAR interventions (correct, but millimeter) and good defenses by Diego Alves, Santos would have scored in just 45 minutes.
It is fair to point out that, by now, Flamengo got two good chances to score (wasted by Michael), in addition to Gabriel’s goal, all the plays born in the counterattack. But Cuca’s team created much more and had extensive control of the field.
In the second half, with the changes and the drop in production of Santos, Flamengo improved and, again, in the counterattacks, lost two goals scored, both with Gabigol. In the end, the result was excellent for the red-black, but the performance was far from convincing.
As Pedrinho pointed out (what a beautiful revelation from a commentator!), In the Pass Exchange of SporTV, without that overwhelming possession of the times of Jesus, the red-black back is much more exposed and players like Filipe Luís and Gustavo Henrique are suffering. – Marino lay down and rolled on top of them, in the first half.
Torrent admitted in the post-game interview that his team is still not playing 35% of what he thinks he can achieve and asked for time to train (at least two weeks, he stressed). The fans eagerly hope that the remaining 65% will not be long in coming. Because, I’m sorry, but this song that “Jorge Jesús’s team is over, there’s no more” is talking to the bull.
Nine of the eleven holders of that super championship remain in the group, which has strengthened somewhat compared to 2019. The least expected is that they will play football again as colorful as it is efficient. It may even be different. But you have an obligation to be a winner. Or did Flamengo no longer have the best squad in the country and the continent?
In time: nothing against “rotating” the cast, a healthy and necessary attitude in a crazy calendar like this year. But switching six players from one game to another, as was done in the game against Botafogo for Santos, and waiting for the game to arrive soon is a joke …
