This is post two of a wider series. A series for FM22.
“Quality is not an act, it is a habit.”
In-game date: 4 September 2021
Fernando Teixidó has always been a peculiar character. His philosophical articulation makes him fascinating to some, interesting to many and at the very least curious to the rest.
Often speaking in historical quotes and gesticulating wildly while frantically issuing instructions to his players at the pitch-side for 90 minutes, the Peruvian piques our intrigue with his theatrics. He appeals to the same part of the football follower’s brain that Marcelo Bielsa does.
From La Paz to Madrid to Santiago, Teixidó is nothing if not consistent in his unpredictability.
It’s the half-way point in Teixidó’s first season in charge of Chile’s Colo-Colo. He hasn’t yet been able to conduct any transfer business in nor out of the club, but the seeds of his signature tactical strategy are already recognisable on the pitch. While his behaviour is mercurial, his on-pitch tactics are principled and consistent. The passing metronomic. The results impressive, so far at least.
23 matches played, 17 wins and six draws. The first trophy of the Teixidó era was in the bag this week after a 3-0 victory over Huachipato to lift the Copa Chile. The early signs are promising.
In domestic league matters, sitting atop the Campeonato AFP PlanVital is a very recent development. It was only on the most recent matchday that Universidad Católica went down 2-1 to Universidad de Chile to register their first loss of the season, allowing Colo-Colo to sneak ahead after spending the first three months in second place.
Despite the impressive goal difference and lack of a first league defeat, it’s not all champagne and caviar just yet in Santiago.
When pressed by TV journalists after Colo-Colo’s 0-0 draw against 11th-placed O’Higgins, Teixidó was clearly irate. Drawing 31% of all league games is “not title-winning form” according to the Peruvian, and when you analyse performances so far, he just might be right.
The xG table can often provide insight into how a team are performing rather than just an indication of their points amassed. We all know football can be unpredictable and emotional rather than played on a calculator, but you can’t rely on luck and gut feeling forever.
Teixidó’s Colo-Colo have scored six league goals more than expected, based on the quality of chances created. This is seemingly down to the incredible (over)performances of one Juan Martin Lucero.
The 29-year old striker has bagged 17 non-penalty goals from 11.5 npxG in all competitions. 23 goals from 17.4 xG overall. 21 league goals in 16 games. He is on a purple patch so outrageous that it simply cannot last. The Argentinian striker is gifted, of that there is no doubt, but given that his nearest competitor for top scorer is Palestino’s Andrés Vilches on 12 strikes, this is an incredible anomaly.
Given that Colo-Colo only have one other ‘senior’ striker at the club in the form of 18-year old rough-around-the-edges prospect Luciano Arriagada, this over-reliance on a single player is a critical flaw that ideally needs addressing in the upcoming transfer window, funds permitting.
Lucero plays as a sole poacher in Teixidó’s 4-3-3 and his style merits deeper investigation. That said, a future article featuring a guest writer (hype!) will dive more deeply into the tactical system and all it’s beauty and vulnerabilities.
For now, Fernando Teixidó’s side sit in a strong position with good results under their belt, but may just be there by the grace of good fortune. Time will tell, I suppose.
Analysing the offensive and defensive actions of the squad and mapping them for comparison above tells its own story. There are players who are contributing at one end and those who are delivering successfully at the other, but nobody who regularly impresses at both. Does this suggest a nice tactical balance, or that the full-backs don’t contribute enough going forward and nobody ahead of the number five-wearing destroyer in defensive midfield helps the cause when out of possession? It’s all a matter of perspective.
Highlighting flaws in a tactical setup when results are good is tough (if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, etc) but these are exactly the times in the season when Fernando Teixidó will no doubt be pressing his performance analysts for ways to iron out his side’s niggling deficiencies in order to turn those draws to wins.
Alongside the deeper tactical analysis, the next article on Teixidó’s progress in Chile will include a financial report of player appearances versus the salary they are paid. Overpaying the fringe players while undervaluing the regular contributors may be a problem at Colo-Colo and is no recipe for long-term success.
On the topic of the battle against inconsistency, Teixidó typically quoted Greek philosopher Aristotle by saying “Quality is not an act, it is a habit.” Can Colo-Colo turn their strong start into habitual success? I’d like to think so.
Thanks for reading.
FM Stag