COACHES BREAKDOWN: HOW TO RECTIFY THE CHIVAS’ DOWNFALL
Chivas’ season ended in dramatic fashion this Sunday, as they fell to Puebla in a shootout. Leave it to Chivas to lose after agonizingly tying the game up in the 96th minute. So, another season has gone, another early exit for el Rebaño, and another year without lifting the trophy. Since their last championship in 2017, Chivahermanos have seen America and Atlas (twice) win the league. So, what does Chivas have to do to rectify this current situation….I’ll tell you.
Start At The Top
Pelaez has failed in his role as Sporting Director of El Rebaño. The next logical step would be to cut ties with Pelaez and his whole team and replace them. With who? My choice would be Santos Braulio Rodriguez Perez. He has been involved in multiple aspects of Los Laguneros youth development since 2010 and can be the man to jumpstart Chivas’ player production once again.
Along with Perez, Chivas will need to bring in a coach that can control a locker room and develop youth. Two exciting options reside north in the MLS, Philadelphia Union’s Jim Curtin and FC Dallas’ Nico Estevez. Both have their respective squads competing for the MLS Championship and have produced a number of U23 players that have already migrated overseas.
The obvious choice, however, is El Loco Marcelo Bielsa. Bielsa’s methods are somewhat unorthodox, but he has a track record of giving youth an opportunity and developing talents. El Loco’s high press, the offensive style would be a drastic change to the stale style Chivas has shown in recent tournaments.
Now, if you’re a stickler and believe El Rebaño should also have a Mexican coach, there is an option for you, Jimmy Lozano. Lozano has been released by Necaxa and has become available. Now, they may face heavy competition from UNAM, but, with the right project, El Jimmy may be swayed to choose Chivas over his Alma Mater.
Sell, Sell, Sell!
Chivas needs to clear roster spots and funds to rebuild. Players like Alexis Vega and Christian Calderon have failed to get Chivas to the promised land. Add to that list Briseno, Zaldivar, Flores, Brizuela, Ponce, and Mier among others and you have a list of disappointments.
Selling these players can bring in up to $25+million in revenue, and clear up a locker room that has become toxic and undisciplined.
Pictures like the ones that surfaced prior to Chivas’ repechaje match against Puebla that showed players out partying have become all too familiar under the current regime.
While a complete retool may not be possible in one offseason, moving on from four or five of these “top” players will send the message to everyone else, that no one’s position is safe, and give players a sense of urgency to perform.
Don’t Buy, Grow From Within
Chivas’ Mexican players-only tradition has made it increasingly difficult for them to purchase players at a reasonable fee. They usually wind up paying well above market value for players. So what’s the solution to this? Easy, don’t buy players! Grow from within, developing players from Tapatio, Sub squads, and fuerzas basicas. All three teams have some incredibly talented and promising players that can grow into Superstars.
We are currently in year two of Liga MX’s five-year no-relegation experiment. El Rebaño needs to take advantage of this. With their 9th place finish and the teams that are currently in the “relegation” zone (Mazatlán, Necaxa, Juárez, Xolos de Tijuana y Querétaro), Chivas has a two to three tournament window for this project to work. Not only will this balance out the market for them in future seasons, but it may also help El Tri by providing young alternatives to an aging squad.
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