Abelardo ponders forming with a defense with three center backs and two wingers with a view to the very tough duel of the Copa del Rey round of 32 that Sporting has tomorrow at El Molinón against Rayo Vallecano. The rojiblanco coach plans to start the year with a change of system, although it is not ruled out to continue with the usual formation of four defenders, to stop Andoni Iraola’s team, eighth classified in the First Division and who also arrives in Gijón in great shape so.
Although to date they have preferred a 4-4-2 system, or a 4-2-3-1, the coaches have been examining all the options offered by the squad for some time and evaluating other tactical alternatives, which could become a reality in this second round, beginning with the match against the Madrid club, which also has a huge offensive arsenal: Camello, Isi Palazón, Trejo, Álvaro García, Falcao…
In the first phase of the championship, the rojiblanco team has maintained an important competitive level, although they have lost many points due to small details. The lack of mastery in the areas (especially the opposite) has kept him from the top positions. Today the winter market opens in Spain. Sporting’s sports area is not closed to contracting a 9. It combs the market and continues to look at options, such as Arana, from Villarreal B, but at this point the possibility of not making moves and giving continuity to the current team gains strength, and More without exits, with four attackers with a professional record, as reported by LA NUEVA ESPAÑA. Although the market is very volatile and changeable, and what is difficult today may be feasible tomorrow. Right now there seems to be more movement activity in the subsidiary, which will test these days in Mareo some players who come from abroad.
At the moment, Abelardo is also working on new alternatives. Thus, he has rehearsed in these training sessions at the Mareo Soccer School with this variant: it would be a 3-5-2 or a 5-3-2, depending on whether the team attacks or defends, with the figure of two wingers long, back and forth. In some of the tests he has placed José Gragera again as central defender, and Pablo Insua and Bruno González would also be in that line of three defenders, the couple who already played in Los Pajaritos, in the previous round of the Cup. The Canarian defender He aims to add his second participation in Sporting, after two months of work to get ready. In Soria, he did his first ninety minutes, being at a good level. The confrontation against Rayo will surely be more demanding, even with the rotations that the Vallecanos aim to make.
Cali Izquierdoz remains safe for the match, due to his soleus injury in his right leg. Yesterday, in fact, he did not exercise with the group. This alternative, tested these days, would also add a force in the center of the field; A trivote would be formed, but there is no room for specific extremes, rather it is the wingers who occupy those outer areas.
In the midfield, Abelardo has Gio Zarfino, Christian Rivera, Pedro Díaz, Nacho Martín and Jonathan Varane is now added with the turn of the year, who could already be at the coach’s disposal if he sees fit. The French midfielder, highly valued in Mareo, is practically one more in the first team’s training dynamics. And two forwards would be at the front of the attack, as was customary with the system most used to date by Pitu (4-4-2).
