They can if they pick this team.
I’d like to drop Mascherano but there’s very little alternative. Biglia?
Still need at least three changes to get the best team on the pitch.
Armani
Mercado - Otamendi - Rojo -Tagliafico
Mascherano - Banega - Lo Celso
Messi - Dybala
Aguero
Messi hates Aguero apparently. Is this true?
Isnt Messi the godfather of Aguero’s son, or is that internet legend?
France have not set the heather ablaze .
It may be a surprise to some people that I get most of my South American football news from the great Tim Vickery and he has never, ever mentioned such.
Higuain starting last night would make you wonder though.
Thought that was Maradona
Maradona is his maternal grandfather.
There was some posters here who had the cheek to question me when I called him out for being the fat, bottling, flat track bully that he is a year ago but fuck me if I can remember who they are. I wish I could use that cunting search function.
4 - 1 - 1- 3 - 1.
Just let Mascherano literally sit in front of the bomb scare back four - Let Messi and Dybala roam all over the field and create havoc.
France are a very athletic unit and they have quickly gone from attack to a solid defensive 9 any time they have lost the ball. The static Argentina from the group games wont have much joy against them. If they want to gang up on Messi let Dybala get on the ball — he’s a wonderful player and I cant believe he’s not getting more game time. Is he seen as too similar a player to Messi or what?
They say Messi doesn’t like playing with him, presumably because of that reason.
Does Messi like anyone on the team?
His old Barca pal Mascherano maybe?
Kun and Diego’s daughter have split up and Diego removed all pictures of Kun from his home including one where manually removed Aguero from a family photo yet left the rest of the picture on display
Yeah but he has to ‘like’ the manager.
I’m aware of that, just wasn’t sure it affected Aguero and Messi’s relationship.
Is Kun South Limerick Referee ?
And as Argentina continue their World Cup preparations there has been no time to pop round to Nicolas Otamendi’s house, where Argentines and Brazilians from City, Manchester United, Liverpool and Everton often enjoy the centre-back’s asado barbecues. Of course, Messi could not even visit the house of his great friend Aguero. When Kun travels to Barcelona he stays at Messi’s mansion in Castelldefels, but this week they have had to make do with the “functional” rooms of the CFA.
As has been the case since the Under-20 World Cup in the Netherlands in 2005, Messi and Aguero room together. Back then, the two youngest members of the squad would spend hours on the PlayStation, and they are still at it today,.
Argentina have a dilemma. They probably should be sitting deep and playing on the counter, trying to utilise the pace they have in attack, but the defence is such a mess that you can’t trust them to do that.
But if they play higher and try to control the ball, France can counter and Griezmann is the perfect striker to exploit Argentina’s slow, cumbersome defence. Pogba arriving late is another huge weapon Argentina will find it very difficult to deal with.
The third option is to pray and hope a miracle happens like it did last night. Maybe France will somehow have the balance of their team all wrong and get drawn into a dogfight. They haven’t been great up to now, but they have huge attacking weapons and only have to be competent in defence and midfield.
I think France will win 5-1.
Correct thread this time.
Aguero might profit more from Banega playing and getting on the end of his slide rule passes. Higuain looks very poor. Mascherano has got the run around against Nigeria and Croatia. He hasnt been able to protect the back 4 and after playing every minute of 3 games I expect Griezman and Mbappe to show his age.
Still France are a cowardly enough nation and the mood might improve in the Argentina camp. I dont think Deschamps knows his best 11 and there are plenty of egos who might wilt under pressure. They have been unconvincing in all of their games especially against Australia who Peru dispatched easier yesterday. All hinges on Kante and Messi and who gets on top here.
As with most games from now on this game will be tight and cagey . That said the Arg defence is utter bombscare .
Still fancy France but would not put big money on it .