The former defender harshly criticized the team's performance after the 0-2 at La Bombonera and targeted both the new signings and the lack of leadership within the squad
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The tough defeat of River against Boca in the Superclásico continues to have repercussions. Oscar Ruggeri, a historic former player of the club and current panelist on F90 (ESPN), once again strongly criticized Marcelo Gallardo's team, which has accumulated eight defeats in the last eleven matches. Without naming names, "Cabezón" targeted several players and questioned the lack of character in the squad.
"When some reinforcements arrived, we said it was fine, that they were good, but they aren't living up to the expectations they created at the start. You have to get something out of it: in difficult moments, that's when the players who wear this jersey stand up and are there, they play, they lift up the others. Two or three go down and you don't have the guys to motivate them, to shout and get them back up," Ruggeri said, in his direct style.
River no se acomodó nunca el partido
The world champion in Mexico 86 also expressed surprise at the absence of Enzo Pérez, whom he had publicly defended last week. "Enzo's name is already respected by opponents. When they argued with the referee, if Enzo was there, he balanced Paredes a bit more, he wouldn't have controlled everything. The great disorder that exists is Gallardo's and the players' responsibility," he stated.
The former defender went further and criticized the lack of defensive solidity and hierarchy in the team. "At River, in the first goal there were mistakes everywhere, tremendous defensive errors regardless of Boca's merit. Zeballos already had all the footballing qualities, he just needed River's defense to do what it did in his favor," he fired, adding that "if Giménez had been having a normal day, he would've scored two more goals."
Ruggeri also pointed to the lack of offensive alternatives and questioned the team's way of attacking: "Acuña sent in 20 crosses, to whom? He has no other option. You make Boca's two center backs look like stars. This comes from previous matches. If you tell me you have a header like Abreu, send in crosses from both sides. But River doesn't have one and made Boca's center backs look like stars, who solved everything. They made the job easy for them."
Ruggeri apunto a la falta de efectividad del equipo
To conclude, "Cabezón" was blunt when talking about the club's present and what's coming in the Clausura play-offs: "It's better for them to play away, if today anyone goes to the Monumental and beats them. It's no longer that River that used to thrash at home."
With his statements, Ruggeri once again put the spotlight on the football crisis of Gallardo's team, which is going through one of its worst moments since his return to River's bench.
