Gerardo Martino has lived his most turbulent year at the helm of the Mexican National Team in 2021. The Argentine technical director has been widely questioned by both fans and the press for the performance of the Aztec team on the field, beyond the results . El Tri has become a predictable team, they have three consecutive defeats this year against the United States, they are not powerful either at home or away, their defense is a disaster and there is no connection between the lines.
Faced with a resounding defeat in Cincinnati, the eyes have been put again on the continuity of the ‘Tata’. His team does not have a defined style of play and does not look worked. The defense is very weak, the midfield looks slow and not very intense and the ball does not reach the forwards enough. All of this is the responsibility of the technician. Despite having played together on several occasions, El Tri is not a cohesive or worked team. Sometimes it seems that it is the first time that all the players share the field.
The ‘Tata’ has been reluctant to change his scheme, but perhaps it is necessary. In his 4-3-3, Edson Álvarez looks very lonely and does not have the support of his interiors, whether they are Héctor Herrera, Andrés Guardado or Luis Romo, footballers who are not characterized by their dynamism or their speed. Another of the most criticized points of Martino’s management, in addition to his inflexibility in tactics, is his ability to make changes. Martino takes forever to modify, and generally sends changes man by man.
There are other questionable aspects of Martino’s handling of the team. The Argentine coach has insisted on betting on players who show time and again that they are not at their best level or that, outright, do not have the category to wear the national team shirt. A specific case is that of Jesús Manuel ‘Tecatito’ Corona, a player who has shown very low level in the last year and who, nevertheless, continues to be from the starting game.
Players like Héctor Herrera, who is a starter in Mexico despite not having minutes at Atlético de Madrid, Jesús Gallardo, who has been down for a long time in the Aztec team, or Luis ‘Chaka’ Rodríguez, who is in the same situation. He has not been able to be the player that he is in Tigres in the national team.
Martino’s stubbornness has prevented him from calling footballers like Gerardo Arteaga, Vladimir Loroña, Diego Barbosa or Salvador Reyes to seek new alternatives on the wing, one of the most problematic positions for the Mexican National Team. All this is the responsibility of the coach, it is true, but the players also have a great level of responsibility in the recent results of the tricolor team.
Various elements of Mexico fall short of expectations. Outside of Hirving Lozano, Guillermo Ochoa and Edson Álvarez, all the other players have been left to duty in the tie. The coach is guilty, the most responsible, for the misstep of the Mexican National Team. There is no doubt about that. But footballers also share this guilt and responsibility.
At this time, dismissing Gerardo Martino would be something unthinkable and would put the stability of the team at risk. However, many things have to change. Self-criticism would be a good place to start.
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