Despite having recovered from the muscle discomfort that affected him in April, James Rodríguez still does not play in São Paulo. To the surprise of the Brazilian press, the Colombian was absent from the squad list for this Sunday’s match against Vitória as a visitor.
“I make decisions in relation to what I see and that is why I am here, to make decisions”, he responded at a press conference.
In the ‘Zubeldía era’, the Cucuteño midfielder has barely added the five minutes he played last Monday in the classic against Palmeiras. After that, he missed the Brazilian Cup duel against Águia de Marabá and also the victory over Vitória (1-3), which began to accommodate São Paulo in the Brasileirao standings.
With this outlook, it does not seem likely that he will start against Cobresal in the Copa Libertadores and it is even in doubt whether he will get on the plane to Chilean territory. “If James is not there it is because I think other teammates need to be there (…). I am clear about my profession and I am clear about my responsibility.“said Zubeldía this Sunday.
“A coach is always making decisions, and together with my staff we make sure that those decisions are always in favor of the group and that they are, for the most part, positive,” he declared.
The truth is that having James ‘deleted’ has not been a disadvantage. Since Zubeldía took office, São Paulo has played four games, with a balance of three wins and one draw.
This success has allowed him to shield himself from the criticism that, for example, was falling on his predecessor Thiago Carpini for not using James Rodríguez.
“The coach will be judged by the final result, right? But there is something I have learned in 15 years in the profession: that decisions will always be based on what I see and the big picture. So, everyone is considered, but at the end of the day or before the games I have to make decisions”, he insisted.
São Paulo wins and likes
The happiest with the change of script this season are the directors of São Paulo, who risked the dismissal of Carpini and the arrival of a coach whom they had their eyes on for several months.
The tricolor has not only started to win, but is showing tactical evolution. “Obviously, as a coach, I expect a performance like this. I hope to start winning, that’s why they hire us, to improve results. But, above all, have a game idea that allows us to grow. In the Brazilian Cup, Brasileirão and Libertadores I expected a start like that, that’s why they hired me”said Zubeldia.
“I think São Paulo has a good squad. The board chose the players well. Athletes seek to find increasingly better performance. We wonder a lot why the start of this year was not ideal. What we have to do is come together on an idea, an idea that gives us more security and brings us closer to a positive result with and without the ball,” he concluded.
