Brazil slipped to a 1-0 defeat against Argentina in Saudi Arabia last night. Results have been bad and performances even worse.

I’ve been saying it for some time: Tite is too cautious; the team don’t play good football; there doesn’t appear to be a plan (there probably is, but it doesn’t show, he doesn’t communicate it to the world, and it isn’t a very good one). Unless Brazil buck up their ideas they won’t stand a chance in Qatar in three years’ time.

Brazil won the Copa America on home soil and fair play to Tite for that; they were the favourites but that is no gaurantee of a win, and they did it, so job done. But to win the World Cup, they need to be playing to their stregnths. They can do the Tite defensive thing when needed, againt the top teams, but in friendly matches they need to play another way, especially when playing against weaker opposition. Draws, and lifeless performances, against the likes of Senegal and Nigeria are not good enough.

There was no movement last night. Players were static, sticking to zones, most probably instructed to them by the coach. They need to play with freedom, pace, energy and try to stretch their oppononents. None of that has happened for some time. Team selection, again, continues to baffle.

Brazil were woeful against Argentina. It could have been different had Gabriel Jesus tucked away a penalty early in the first half, instead of stroking it wide. Had they scored that, they most probably would have won. If you can credit Tite with one thing, is that he can set up a team well to defend. They would have sat back on their lead, soaked up the pressure and may well have hit Argentina on the counter.

But when Brazil concede first, or come up against a team that sits back against them, then they have problems. Their penalty was won out of poor play from Argentina, not good play from Brazil, and it was dubious. Tite is annoyed at Argentina’s penalty, saying it wasn’t a pen, but it was. It was clumsy play from Alex Sandro (a guy I’ve never rated, and who was all of the place all afternoon; dodgy in defence and offered nothing going forward).

Tite gave Lucas Paqueta a chance from the start. Finally. But he completely blew it, giving the ball away repeatedly and messing up the basics, nevermind being the team’s creative hub. Willian got a recall and did okay. But surely there are better options to look at with the World Cup in Qatar in mind, when Willian will be 34. He continues to play Gabriel Jesus out of position on the right wing. He threw on Wesley for his debut and Brazil proceeded to lump the ball forward at any opportunity. Argentina should have scored more goals than they did and in the end it was like watching a team coached by Big Sam, rather than the beautiful game. Time for Brazil to get onto a new path. Tite is not the man to do that.

Yesterday’s line up:

Alisson; Danilo, í‰der Militão, Thiago Silva, Alex Sandro (Renan Lodi); Casemiro (Wesley), Arthur (Fabinho), Lucas Paquetá (Coutinho); Gabriel Jesus (Rodrygo), Willian (Richarlison), Firmino

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