Why Demichelis doesn’t make River fans fall in love: continuous changes, successes and mistakes, and murmurs that don’t stop

It may seem exaggerated – and even unfair – to criticize the River From Martin Demichelis. His team, with three titles, was the most successful of Argentina 2023. He is, to complete the positive picture, one of the protagonists of this frenetic start to 2024 with a foot and a half in the quarter-finals of the League Cup and a triumph debut in the Libertadores after the first international away victory of his cycle. Indeed, He barely missed a competitive match that year. However, as we know, results rule but forms count. And imperfections and mistrust appear in the forms. Does this explain, perhaps, why the fan of Núñez’s club doesn’t end up falling in love with the irreplaceable heir? Marcelo Gallardo.

the Monumental murmured Sunday night when River lost to alternate team Rosario Central. Rightly. The team looked disjointed. Directionless. No depth. And with a midfield that left the absolute responsibility of containment to a doubtful Nicolás Fonseca. He had the ball, he dominated with his usual arrogance, but he didn’t know what to do with it. The coach had changed the system: he had gone from 4-2-3-1 to 4-3-3. He had assembled a team that was perfectly suited to the trap that Miguel Ángel Russo had set for him with his forklift.. What else could I do but defend myself and oppose this.

Clearly, as has happened several times since he has been in charge of the team – especially after the early elimination in the 2023 Libertadores -, Demichelis got the initial approach wrong. He had room to correct the mistake. River has radically changed its face by moving the substitute bench. Already at half-time they corrected themselves with the arrivals of Marcelo Herrera for Sebastián Boselli and Rodrigo Villagra for Fonseca. There he had more output on the right flank and more circulation to provide Claudio Echeverri and Santiago Simón. And not to mention when after 20 minutes he gave a hint to Nacho Fernández and Esequiel Barco. They took over from Simón and Facundo Colidio, who seemed extremely uncomfortable in their roles, and changed the equation.

AS River corners a worn-out Central and it was a matter of time before defeat turned into victory thanks to the two appearances of Miguel Borja, the League Cup goalscorer who put an almost month-long drought behind him.

The question is which is the real Demichelis. The coach who plans matches poorly before the ball starts rolling or the one who is capable of arranging the pieces so that the team meets the expectations that come with having the best team in Argentine football?

Clearly, andCordoba’s Justiniano Posse is a coach in the making. River still lacks a style and, above all, an identity game system. Perhaps the abundance of players – including the famous ones, the signings and the very good guys who appear – makes him think he can have a versatile team capable of changing according to the needs of each match. Management is key. Sometimes having too much is a problem. There’s a reason Guardiola uses a rotation of just 15 players at Manchester City.

Constant changes test trust. Even in some who are usually starters, but game after game they occupy a different role. The case of left wing Colidio is a good example. Be careful, not everything is Demichelis’s responsibility. Barco and Nacho Fernández went from being in sync in the defeat against Huracán at Parque Patricios to being essential catalysts in the comeback against Rosario Central at Monumental. With the little devil Echeverri. In the victory against Deportivo Táchira in Venezuela he was fundamental as a substitute. The boy who bought Manchester City on Sunday hasn’t finished stocking up.

Demichelis has time to consolidate. He has the foundations to be a great manager. The raw material is abundant. But he knows that he cannot live by results. River always asks for more.