Coudet's search in River's mini pre-season | OneFootball

Eduardo Coudet began his spell at River with three consecutive wins. Although it may seem like an ideal scenario, the coach knows there is still plenty of room for improvement, which is why he took advantage of the FIFA international break to hold a mini pre-season in Cardales, where he focused on a few specific aspects.

With two straight double training sessions and one more practice this Friday before the squad is given time off, Chacho made the ball his absolute priority. One of his main intentions was to fine-tune the team’s attacking play and find more fluency going forward, a shortcoming that was clearly exposed in the narrow win over Estudiantes in Río Cuarto.

Despite the absences caused by international call-ups, the coach focused on movement on the ball and on finding space. Without a doubt, that is one of the most distinctive features of this River side: Gonzalo Montiel (injured) and, to a lesser extent, Marcos Acuña, no longer stay wide like wingers, but instead arrive unexpectedly to attack the spaces created by the movement of the ball through the middle or on the opposite flank.

In addition, Coudet continued to stress another of his trademarks: physical intensity. Although there has been a noticeable change since his arrival, the team faded in the last match, and the idea is to try to maintain that aggression for as long as possible. That is why the three days in Cardales were always with the ball, but without rest. The image of Chacho on the edge of the touchline is the one he wants reflected in his teams.

And beyond the footballing side of things, which he hopes will begin to show in next Sunday’s clash with Belgrano, another of the coach’s major objectives was to strengthen the group. It is worth remembering that his arrival coincided not only with the departure of a legendary manager, but also with some internal issues within the squad. A few days together, away from the daily noise and living alongside the coaching staff, was the bet to build the unity he called for on the very day of his unveiling.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.