With that peculiar style of saying things, but always analyzing football from the tactical aspect as he has done on countless occasions, Ricardo Antonio La Volpe, former national coach in the 2002-2006 World Cup process in Germany, said in an exclusive interview with The opinionthat the current Chivas strategist, his compatriot Fernando Gago is in serious danger in the next two games against América: “Because he simply does not know the Chivas squad and for that reason his job is in danger because if he loses it will be very brave to stop the complaints of the people and journalism,” he highlighted.
How would you define the work of Fernando Gago?
For me, you still have to know Mexican football, you have to know that these teams always want to win and right now I am going to explain what Fernando Gago did against América and against Cruz Azul. I think that against Cruz Azul the line of five worked for him and now he wanted to apply the same, unfortunately it is difficult for me to say this, but Gago thought he could counter América with the same style and it didn’t work for him.
LaVolpe in his explanation about what happened with Chivas against América added that: “Perhaps many of us think that Eduardo Torres, who at first did not consider it as a defense as point number one and point number two: you have to work on the line of three, because if not, you are going to make a lot of mistakes. In principle, I think that Fernando González is the one who has the most knowledge of playing as a five to mark Diego Valdés. But I think Gago doesn’t know the team well and he’s going to get to know it, although if you lose three games against América, the people are going to want to kill.
The experienced technical director also pointed out that: “In addition, these games against América are part of the classic and they are games where no one wants to lose. I want to understand, and it seems to me, that a line of three takes time to work on and Guadalajara had not been playing like that, but they wanted to apply it against América because they put it to the test in the second half against Cruz Azul.
The Argentine strategist insisted that: “But the caveat is that it didn’t work against America. To give us an example of how things are and I tell people that what America, Tigres or Monterrey spends today, Guadalajara cannot spend it. Precisely today I spoke with “Zully” Ledezma and with “Güero” Héctor Real, that it is difficult for Chivas to buy players because they sell them three times as much as other teams, so they have to work from below to produce them Well, the managers of the other teams know it, they are not stupid, that it is easier for them to go abroad and for Chivas all that is complicated,” he said.
He also highlighted that: “André Jardine knows his squad, he knows his players, he manages a system, 4-3-2-1, where Valdés appears behind Henry Martin and then has Julián Quiñones on the outside, he can still put Alejandro Zendejas and Brian Rodríguez, while behind them are generally Jonathan Dos Santos and Álvaro Fidalgo. This is simple, America does not have eleven individuals, but 18, who can play as equals to anyone, so Chivas wanted to do it, trying to get Eduardo Torres to break against Valdés, but Quiñones came to them and that generated a lot of confusion. Now he will have to adjust and try to prevent America from imposing his style.
Do you think Gago’s job at Chivas is in danger?
I think, because of the people, especially the press, especially after what I heard when they lost the first game with America. Of things like I was afraid, but that had already come from the duel against Cruz Azul. So the people and the same journalism that I heard, people who are there and who are analytical, so much so that today it is not only Televisa and TV Azteca, but today there is also ESPN and Fox Sports, so all of those, well, they include.
Another thing, and this is what I have always said and complained to the manager, is that I think they should have a profile when bringing in a coach. Fernando Ortiz was in America and he left, then André Jardine arrived, who except for some details maintained the same profile and that’s how it should be. But in Chivas there was Veljko Paunovic and now they brought Fernando Gago, who does not seem to have the same profile
The Martín Anselmi theme
In other topics of the conversation with La Volpe, the former champion coach with Atlante and almost champion with Toluca in 2002, highlighted that: In the case of Cruz Azul coach Martín Anselmi he shows work with Cruz Azul, because, even though he lost, the way he makes his team work really shows that he is working well and “That allows you to have a contending team,” he highlighted.
Are you surprised by Anselmi at Cruz Azul?
No, because, as I already said, it shows work, it shows effort, so I think that with that you are closer to the title, simply because you work.
Has anyone heard that Anselmi puts him into work like LaVolpe?
If you remember, that team with Pepe Cruz, Miguel Herrera, Guillermo Cantú, Mario García, that was with work, that’s why I like Anselmi, because he works, you can see the coordination, we were talking about Arrigo Sachi from Milan, which is a result from work, seen from the exit. Be careful with Cruz Azul, they lost to América, where perhaps they lacked the goal pass, the mid-distance shot, but they are going to fight, there are five teams, Tigres, Monterrey, América, now Cruz Azul was added, now Pachuca that is adding with their young people.
That’s why it’s hard for me to think that the coaches don’t put young people in, it’s true that they don’t do it now and there is another problem, the representatives, that they put in the coach and that’s why they put them in later. That is why I do not have a representative, because one has to respond to the representative, it is not easy to put the foreigner and put the Mexican. But the Federation must set a limit, because the best are the foreigners.
The reflections of Guillermo Ochoa
Regarding the continuity of Guillermo Ochoa for the 20026 World Cup, Do you think he can make it to the next World Cup?
As a goalkeeper and conditions, with experience I see him as a starter, but it raises a doubt in my mind that Jimmy Lozano has not seen another option, because age and reflexes are not the same. Ochoa’s speed is the doubt.
Who do you like as a relay?
The Pumas goalkeeper, Julio González, there is also Rodolfo Cota, Carlos Acevedo, Luis Malagón, perhaps Acevedo who began to have many injuries, but I have no doubt that Ochoa is the starter, but it depends on his physique.
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