Matheus Cunha has just one goal in 20 games for Brazil, Joao Pedro has yet to open his account, while Vinicius and Raphinha are still being slated for failing to play as well for their country as they do for their clubs.
Vinicius’ struggles are particularly troubling, as Ancelotti’s appointment was meant to belatedly bring the best out of the Madrid winger – and yet Neymar’s most obvious heir continues to flatter to deceive. As for Raphinha, the hamstring problem that forced him off at half-time against France is expected to rule him out of action for five weeks – and it is the Barcelona attacker’s availability that should be of much more concern to Selecao supporters, given he’s one of the few players in the squad of the requisite class and character to shine at this summer’s World Cup.
Of course, the focus will doubtless remain on Neymar, much to the obvious annoyance of Ancelotti, who has reportedly decided to refuse fielding questions about players that aren’t in his squad. There’s just no chance of the Neymar debate dying down, though – even if it would make far more sense for the media and fans to focus on the form and fitness of Endrick at Lyon, and Estevao of Chelsea.
Former midfielder Felipe Melo even went so far as to claim that Neymar on one leg would still be a better option at No.10 than anyone else– which will hardly help inspire belief in and among Brazil’s misfiring forwards.
The thing is, though, many members of Brazil’s squad would like to see Neymar named in the World Cup squad – including Joao Pedro, Fabinho and Casemiro – so there will undoubtedly be a temptation for Ancelotti to include the former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain superstar just to appease the press, the supporters and even his own players.
However, Neymar couldn’t inspire Brazil to World Cup glory four years ago, so there’s zero reason to believe he can do likewise this summer. This is a weaker squad than the one Tite took to Qatar and worryingly low on confidence.
Ancelotti’s appointment was meant to lift the spirits, and improve results, but he’s managed to win just four of the nine matches he’s overseen so far, and Brazil actually ended up finishing fifth in CONMEBOL qualifying, even though they were fourth when he took over.
So, forget about the fact that there’s no Neymar in Ancelotti’s squad. What’s really worrying is that Brazil have no momentum, confidence or stability either.
