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Argentina coach Gerardo Martino did not reveal what striking combination he would use in this week’s friendlies against Croatia and Portugal, but indicated that Lionel Messi would be shifted from his usual central role to a position further towards the right wing.
Talking about the abundance of central strikers in his squad, Martino said, “I see Messi as a wide player on the right, otherwise he would be a fourth number nine.”
To a later question, Martino replied that his star player had quality enough to fit into the Premier League, and added that “it is a decision he will have to make himself one day”.
Higuain, Aguero and Tevez are all in great form
“(Gonzalo) Higuain doesn’t play the same way as (Sergio) Aguero or (Carlos) Tevez, but in a system like ours one of them has to play as a nine,” Gerardo Martino said in a news conference at Rush Green, site of West Ham’s academy, which the Albiceleste have taken over in preparation for the Croatia match on Wednesday at Upton Park.
“It’s going be difficult to see all of them together, at least at the beginning of a match.”
Tevez has been recalled to the national squad after a three year hiatus, and will be expecting to feature in some capacity, considering the supreme form he is in for Juventus in the Italian domestic circuit.
“I have my own approach and we are all professionals”: Martino
The man in charge of Barcelona’s 2013-14 season said that he has his own approach to how he shall direct the playing style of Argentina, and that he shall give playing time to all his available options because he has not had enough time to judge what his best options are.
“A team with good (ball) circulation, good build-up, who press well high up (the pitch), deep but balanced to occupy the spaces left at their backs as a result of looking (to attack), that’s what we’re trying to do,” he said.
“The match against Brazil made that very clear to us, dominating play in the opening 25 minutes and then an hour in which our domination was unproductive,” Martino added.
