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São Paulo started talks to hire coach Hernán Crespo, who currently heads Defense and Justice-ARG. Current champion of the South American Cup, the coach is known to like the famous “lost pressures” and often uses the ball outlets of his defenders.
Thus he commanded the Italians Parma U19 and Modena, as well as the Argentines Banfield and Defensa y Justicia. Here are some aspects of the 45-year-old forward’s style of play.
The experience in Italy was regular
Shortly after his retirement from Parma, Crespo began his career as a coach for the Italian club’s under-19 team. It was from July 2014 to June 2015, adding 31 games, with 14 wins, seven draws and ten losses.
Shortly after leaving the club’s base, Crespo arrived in Modena, a team from the second division of the Italian Championship. In 35 games in charge of the team, Crespo won 11 games, drew five and missed 19 chances.
Banfield and Defense: offensive brand strategy
After being fired from Modena, Crespo was hired by Bangent, from Arrgentina. Upon arrival, the former striker uttered the following phrase:
“I always liked the tactics, the strategy. God did not give me the elasticity of Ibrahimovic, the strength of Adriano or the speed of Caniggia. So I had to develop my interpretation and reading of the game,” he said. It was the harbinger of a step with offensive characteristics, but it left something to be desired in defense.
He stayed at Banfield from January to September 2019, with 18 games, four wins, six draws and eight losses. The last game was against Defense and Justice, in a 1-1 draw.
Crespo usually works his teams in two systems: 3-1-4-2 and 3-2-4-1. He likes offense and intensity, with or without the ball. He has bold ideas and takes certain risks, which excites the São Paulo fans, used to risky plays with Fernando Diniz.
It is in the goal shot where their teams begin to take risks. In Defense, the exit of the ball used to be short, with the defenders coming for the ball and starting the offensive construction, just as São Paulo acted. Usually, the first midfielder arrives at the entrance of the area to look for the ball, without using long shots and the direct link for the attack.
In offensive construction, amplitude appears. As soon as the ball goes through the defensive system, Crespo’s teams usually use the game’s inversions, always looking for the points on the sides of the field. Sentinels tend to take a lot of attack, without much defensive concerns.
However, it is in defense that Crespo often fails. According to Argentine journalist Dino Villalba, a defense sector player on the “Defensa Pasión” website, specialized in daily coverage of the Argentine national team, Crespo is a very intense coach, but he sins defensively.
“Crespo is a very offensive coach and sometimes he sins because he doesn’t take much care of the defense. He has everything to be a good coach, in fact he already is, but to grow even more he has to be more balanced in the schemes,” said the journalist to LANCE!.
The teams that Crespo led usually have good attacks, but bad defenses. This year’s Defense and Justice champion of the South American Championship finished the competition with the second best attack, with 16 goals and the sixth worst defense, with seven goals conceded. In Libertadores, the team finished third in Group G, like Santos, with six points, eight goals scored and conceded.
“I like to have a midfielder who goes out into the game and breaks the marking lines. Order, discipline and talent. I also like dribbling, but I prefer that the attacker does it in the direction of the rival area,” he said. Crespo when he commanded Defense.
Crespo has been in Defense since January 2020, where he led the team in 32 games, with 13 wins, ten draws and nine losses. He was champion of the last South American beating Lanús.
If Crespo arrives, how will São Paulo play?
With the information described above, you can get an idea that the former forward’s style of play is similar to that of Fernando Diniz. Both prioritize the exit with the defenders and tend to score many goals, but sin on the defensive part.
As a construction team, if Crespo arrives, he should ask for more players from the edge of the field. Amplitude is the Argentine coach’s preferred form of attack. On defense, Crespo sometimes plays with three defenders, as he did in the South American final against Lanús. Thus, Arboleda, Bruno Alves and Diego Costa can be the defensive trio. In his 4-2-3-1, there is always a top scorer midfielder, as is the case with Fernandéz. Luan can play that role.
In attack, Daniel Alves can be used as a winger on the right, as can Reinaldo on the left. Igor Gomes and Gabriel Sara can form the line of four in midfield. Crespo likes to use two moving forwards. Opportunity for Luciano and who knows Toró, that of the Tricolor attackers is one of the most mobile in the field.
São Paulo continues in search of the new coach. Crespo was one of those interviewed and appears as a good name to lead the team. It remains to know the next steps of the negotiation.
