ONE of the problems of World Cup punditry, especially when it concerns countries with a strong Premier League contingent, is that people know the players, but not the teams.
They have not followed the process by which the side has been constructed.
Richarlison leads the line for Brazil on merit ahead of Gabriel Jesus
This is especially true in the case of Brazil, where 12 of coach Tite’s squad play in England.
The team have clearly benefited from having the same coach in charge for a full cycle – Tite has been in charge for more than six years, and ever since Russia 2018 he has been painstakingly building a team that go to Qatar as justified World Cup favourites.
But the questions that are frequently asked in England show, understandably enough, that people have been following the players in the Premier League, but are unaware of how things have been going in the national team.
For example – how does Richarlison get in the team ahead of Gabriel Jesus?
This is an easy answer. The last competitive goal that Gabriel Jesus scored for Brazil came almost three and a half years ago. In twenty matches, starting most of them, he has been on target once – in stoppage time of a friendly that was already won.
Richarlison, meanwhile, has seven goals in the last six games, a run of form which has changed the way that Brazil set up their side.
A few months ago it was likely that Brazil would go to the World Cup without a centre forward, with two wingers and Neymar as a false nine. Richarlison has forced a change.
The coaching staff now agree that the team functions better with a penalty area specialist and Richarlison, uncomplicated and obsessed with the goal at the expense of everything else, is their man.
How on earth does Fred get in the team? This is a frequent question asked by those who have not seen Brazil. The little midfielder has been in fine form for his country, balancing out the side and making things easier for his team-mates.
Brazil’s coaching staff feel that Manchester United have not used him well, that they should take more advantage of his lung power, freeing him to run forward rather than restricting him to covering duties.
Is the place of Lucas Paqueta at risk? Providing the West Ham man is fit, not at all. Paqueta is vital to the team for two reasons. Firstly, on the pitch he is on the same wavelength as Neymar.
Good teams are made of little partnerships, and the link up between Neymar and Paqueta has been one of the best things about Brazil over the last couple of years.
But also, his versatility makes him a coach’s dream. There have been matches where Paqueta has carried out three different functions in the course of 90 minutes.
Brazil have three different formations – little tweaks on an overall idea of play.
The moving piece is Paqueta, who lines up either as an orthodox attacking midfielder, or as a withdrawn left winger in place of Vinicius Junior, or as a deeper central midfielder instead of Fred. And he can also fill in at centre forward.
Gabriel Jesus may have to settle for a place on the bench
Versatlie Lucas Paqueta can play in a number of positions, if Brazil change tactics
Of course, all of these certainties could crumble in the course of the World Cup. The tournament is the result of a process – but it is also like time speeded up, where teams can come together or suddenly fall apart.
And something that Tite learned in the last World Cup is that if something is not working, then it should be changed quickly.
In the build up to Russia 2018 Gabriel Jesus appeared to have solved Brazil’s centre forward problem. Come the competition he lost his form and confidence, and in hindsight Tite felt that he should have been dropped.
But now the Arsenal striker is older and wiser. It could be his moment.
True, he is unlikely to be in the starting line up against Serbia on November 24th.
Perhaps during the course of the competition his time will come. But for the time being, Richarlison is there on merit.
