EXPECTATIONS were low for Lionel Scaloni as Argentina manager. Originally named caretaker boss of La Albiceleste alongside Pablo Aimer in 2018, the 44-year-old was the cheap option for a national federation still counting the cost of the expensive sacking of Jorge Sampaoli. Yet Scaloni proved to be exactly what Argentina needed as the country ended its 36-year wait for World Cup glory.
Scaloni has set the perfect example for Gareth Southgate as England manager. He too was a short-term option who came a long-term solution, appointed Three Lions boss after the embarrassing sacking of Sam Allardyce, but unlike his Argentinean counterpart Southgate has yet to win a major tournament – Scaloni has now won two, not including La Finalissima.
Comparisons can be made between the two figures. Scaloni and Southgate have both made the dressing rooms of their respective teams a more enjoyable place to be. England are a stronger unit due to the harmony within the squad and similar could be said of Argentina – Lionel Messi certainly appears more comfortable playing for his national team than at any other stage of his career.
Unlike Southgate, though, Scaloni proved his worth as a tactician at the 2022 World Cup, particularly with the in-game changes he made. The former West Ham defender switched between a 4-3-3 and 4-4-2 formation throughout the tournament and even used a back three when adopting a more conservative approach.
Lionel Scaloni is the first Argentine manager in history to win both the World Cup and the Copa America. 🏆 🏆 pic.twitter.com/3e1jy0Zgq6
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) December 18, 2022
The way Scaloni set up his midfield against Croatia in the semi-finals completely nullified Luka Modric and co. Just a few days after they had passed Brazil to death. Against the Netherlands, Angel di Maria was deployed to pin back the opposition and stretch the pitch for Messi to take advantage.
These may not have been fundamental changes, but Scaloni’s subtle tactical tweaks were enough for Argentina to play their way through the tournament. The 44-year-old had a firm grasp of the strengths and qualities of the players within his squad and he knew exactly how to get the best out of them, and when to use them to make the biggest impact – see how di Maria started the final after starting on the bench in the semi-final.
Argentina struck a balance between maintaining the structure needed to succeed in tournament football and providing the space needed for their best attacking talents to thrive. Southgate knows how to do the former, but has yet to truly fully unleash England as an attacking force, as demonstrated by their quarter-final exit to France in Qatar.
Against the same opponents, Argentina did a much better job of translating possession into goal-scoring opportunities. France looked vulnerable to the counter-pressing approach of Scaloni’s team with Julian Alvarez, Alexis Mac Allister and Angel di Maria all dangerous – Argentina’s performance in the final was about much more than just Messi.
the initial setup by #Scaloni's #WorldCupFinal winning ARG with 4v3 vs #FRA double pivot + Griezmann
–#Messi inside w all kinds of freedom
–#dePaul + #EnzoFernández options
– overload of #DiMaria w AMA
-super example of tactics creating both goals pic.twitter.com/QVDSWjCOUa— Abel Meszaros (@BundesAbel) December 19, 2022
England could have done similar against France. Some argued Southgate had been sufficiently proactive in his game plan against the 2018 World Cup winners, but England didn’t produce many opportunities beyond Harry Kane’s two penalty kicks. It wasn’t enough for a team that included several world-class attackers.
International management is a brutal business. Coaches are judged on a tiny sample of matches. The criteria is different for managers in the international game such is the limited time available to them on the training pitch. Southgate doesn’t need to be the best manager, or even the best tactician, but there is still plenty for him to learn before Euro 2024 and the 2026 World Cup.
He should look closely at where Scaloni triumphed.
