Are we better than last season?

By: Jeremy | August 19th, 2008

A comment on another post got me thinking. Is Newell’s better off now than last season. I know the holes - Villar and Salcedo. Everyone else that left was just depth.

Goal Keeper: Justo Villar is gone. One of the best keepers in the league now off to Spain. Last season’s backup, Marcos Gutierrez left for newly promoted San Martin de Tucuman after he didn’t feel any love from Caruso. Enter German Caffa (who came before Gutierrez left) from San Martin de Tucuman. He played a key role in San Martin’s promotion to the A. He’s young, a Newell’s fan, and confident. I think the keeper position will be in decent hands. I do expect a few mistakes, since he is young. That is part of the process. For competition, la lepra bought Diego Barreto back from his loan deal at Cerro Porteno and signed Sebastian Perrata. I think they will wind up fighting it out for the number 2 spot. After Caffa, I think Lucas Hoyos is Newell’s future. He was training with the U-20 selection, but he is years away from taking over at el Coloso.
Overall we are a bit weaker here.

Defense: Last years strong point has returned intact and the additions of Juan Insaurralde at center back and provides an upgrade over everyone but Nicolas Spolli and Rolando Schiavi (and maybe Ignacio Fideleff - who also has been doing some U-20 training). He’ll be a spot starter and provide quality cover if one of the two big men go down or get suspended. The late signing of Ivan Pillud will give some competition to Pablo Aguilar to see who will start opposite German Re on the wing and he will also provide good cover in case of injury or suspension.
Overall we are a bit stronger here than last season.

Midfield: Hello, Gaston Machin. He may well prove to be the signing of the season. Walter Fretes will be a starter, probably playing the enganche but definitely taking the set pieces, which la lepra dearly need. Bernardello is his usual competent self and Vangioni is back, but Cabrera is playing somewhere else and Donnet and Scotti are months away from coming back from injury. Throw in a fairly talented Ernesto Cristaldo and several other depth signings and you have the makings of a decent midfield.
Overall we are markedly improved here over last season.

Forwards: Bye-bye Sasa and your 9 goals (we’ll never forget the death blow you struck against Central). Hello Cristian Fabbiani and his immense talent (and ego). I don’t think we’ll see a big drop off there, but the signings of Leandro Armani and Luis Escalada add some talent that seemed to be lacking last season beyond the big striker. Da Silva was wildly inconsistent and Ferreyra not efficient. Damian Steinert is recovering from an injury and should press for more playing time this year.
Overall we are better than last year.

So I feel like the squad is improved over last season we lost Villar and Salcedo, but Machin and Fabbiani should level that out or more, and we added more quality all over the field.

The biggest question I have is Fernando Gamboa over Ricardo Caruso at the manager spot. Will he be able to lead the team up the table in his first year of top flight managment? I know his history with Newell’s and I don’t doubt his dedication to the club or his desire to win. He has stated that he is trying to bring back to the club the feel of Bielsa’s 90-91 team. I just hope he has the ability to do it.